Negotiations

Posted on May 22, 2016 @ 12:14am by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane

Mission: Fortress: Earth

"NEGOTIATIONS"

(Continued from "Narrow Escapes")

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Location: Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth
Stardate: [2.16]0522.0410
Scene: Edgerton's Office -> outside


Leonard Cagney had spent most of the morning organising preparations for his master's transfer of command from here to the Point Bonita underwater base. Admiral Edgerton had not given him an idea of when that would occur, but Leonard suspected that it would come at any moment. Now that Starfleet was blockading Earth from orbit, this whole nascent conflict would be finally resolved. Either the Neo-Essentialists would prevail, or Starfleet would. Either the Federation would finally be extinguished, or it would at last burn up the Admiral's burgeoning space empire.

Leonard neatly stacked several PADDs together, making sure they were arranged in order of importance, not chronologically. The Admiral was a man who insisted on hearing bad news as soon as possible, and his wrath would be aroused if he found some critical report buried half-way down the pile.

While he did so, Leonard tried to focus on his work, but it was not easy. It had been many days since he had last seen Stephen, and although they had only been together for around a year now, they had each said that they loved one another, and Leonard still felt it strongly. Those were hard words to let go, hard emotions to cast aside, and a pang of worry opened when he thought of what Stephen, like everyone on Earth, must be going through now that the Aegis web had ensnared them all. Although FedNews' propaganda broadcasts were still airing twenty-four hours a day, the population of the Earth was growing restless, particularly when they were free to communicate with one another through the still-open civilian subspace bands. Although Leonard had recommended that they be jammed, the Admiral had thought differently, reasoning that fear of the Aegis shield would disseminate more quickly, bringing the population of the planet into line. It remained to be seen whether that tactic would play out in their favour.

The Admiral emerged from his side-room, looking resplendent in his black overcoat and peaked cap, the uniform colour of his outfit broken by a blue Neo-Essentialist band around his upper left arm. His master donned a pair of black gloves and looked quizzically at his assistant. "All is well, Leonard?"

Leonard thought again of what would happen to the planet's surface if the thaleron radiation was unleashed from just one of those orbiting Aegis satellites, and he shuddered. "Sir, there has been a communication from Mister Johnson."

Edgerton stopped what he was doing. Leonard knew that the mere mention of Mr. Johnson's name was enough to get the Admiral to take notice. Last they knew, the assassin was maintaining a low planetary orbit in a shuttle, waiting on a target of opportunity. If he had checked in with his Neo-Essentialist handlers, then it appeared that Mr. Johnson had found one.

"Go on, Leonard."

Leonard gave him to him straight. "Mister Johnson reports that the Vulcan psionic Selyara is on the planet's surface. She has an accomplice, one Raxl Drayton, a petty criminal. Furthermore, he reports that they have been in contact with the enemy fleet, requesting assistance in whatever scheme they are plotting. Mister Johnson reports that he is on their trail and expects to eliminate them soon."

Edgerton absorbed the news placidly, but Leonard could see his jaw set in frustration. "That Vulcan bitch knows everything about us," he said solemnly. "The names and locations of every one of our operatives are in her alien mind. If Rawyvin Seth had not bungled his mission, we would not be in this situation."

"She's already started to tell Starfleet what she knows, given that Marxx's fleet was subverted against us, but we don't know if she's given them everything." Leonard watched his master carefully.

Finally, Edgerton nodded. "Let us hope that Mister Johnson does what he promises." Then he brightened. "It would seem that our decision to transfer our command to the Point Bonita base was providential, after all. Shall we depart?"

"I have the shuttle on standby, sir." Leonard fell into step behind his master as Edgerton strode for his private turbolift.

The Admiral was silent as the turbolift descended through the floors of Starfleet Headquarters, and Leonard didn't want to break that silence. Truth be told, he was afraid to say anything in case the Admiral was roused to anger, because if *that* had happened he might press a button and incinerate a couple million people.

Surely, Leonard mused, the Admiral could see that the game was up? The Neo-Essentialists had been cornered on Earth. There was no way Starfleet was going to let them get away with what they'd done. The Aegis system was a terror weapon - it was like putting a gun to your own head and threatening to commit suicide unless your enemies backed off.

Or perhaps it wasn't? The Admiral must have an objective beyond mere survival, thought Leonard, but if he did, he was being reticent with what it was.

"You have become more silent than usual these past few days," said Edgerton suddenly. Leonard nearly jumped out of skin.

"I'm sorry, sir," he stammered. "Just - well, I supposed this whole thing is weighing on me, Admiral. Who's doing what, what's motivating who - it's a complicated situation."

"Really?" said Edgerton, and Leonard cringed as he heard the unmistakable undercurrent of condescension in his master's voice. "It's perfectly simple to me, Leonard."

Leonard kept quiet, wondering if his Edgerton was growing suspicious of him. He felt torn in two. Then, the turbolift doors opened to the main lobby of the building, and they were on their way again.

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Location: USS Phoenix, holding station in-system with the command group
Scene: Engineering


Michael Turlogh Kane had come down to Engineering hoping to find some progress on Jake's project to construct a space-suit capable of depositing James Barton on the planet's surface, but was disappointed. The heat generated by thermospheric re-entry was a major sticking block, threatening to either incinerate Barton like a moth in a flame, or to roast him alive like meat in an oven. Jake and Maynell were the two lead engineers, but the rest of them were also giving their input.

"Working ideas include a portable shield, heat-retardant plating in the suit, and potentially a series of site-to-site mid-air transports that the operator can control," explained Jake, gesturing to his control board as Kane looked on. "Although that last one is a real long shot. I'm talking science fiction long shot."

Kane nodded. "I'm sure you're on top of it, Commander," he said, giving a quick glance around to make sure nobody else was within earshot. "Actually, I had another reason for coming down here. I've got another job for you, Mister Crichton, and it's every bit as dangerous as Barton's atmospheric jump."

To his credit, Jake didn't hesitate. "Yes, sir."

Kane folded his arms. "The fleet is not having much luck in their analysis of these orbiting satellites. Each of them is equipped with their own shield generator, which inhibits sensors, thus making the accumulation of data more difficult. It's been suggested that a manual examination of one of the satellites might be necessary."

If Jake saw where Kane was going, he was polite enough not to jump ahead. "I can see why that might be advantageous, Captain. A close-up manual examination with a portable scanner would yield more precise data. Composition of the satellites, potential internal makeup, operational bandwidths - all of that data might be accessible."

Kane nodded slowly, clearly not relishing what he was going to say. "Unfortunately, the only way someone might get close enough to one of the satellites without triggering one of their sensor failsafes is via extra-vehicular activity."

"A space walk," stated Jake.

"Just so. I have Mister Byte briefed and prepared, but he suggested that an engineer would be a good choice to accompany him." He put his hands behind his back. "So here I am, looking for a volunteer."

Jake didn't look entirely comfortable, but he absorbed what Kane was saying. "It's been quite a while since I did something like this, Captain." He paused, then nodded resolutely. "I can be ready whenever you need me, sir."

Kane nodded, and patted Jake's shoulder. "Thank you, Mister Crichton. Contact Lieutenant Byte and make the arrangements based around your work schedule. Prioritise as you see fit."

"Understood," said Jake.

There was nothing more to be said, so Kane turned on his heel and left.

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Location: USS Demeter, nearby
Scene: Conference Room


For the second time in as many days, Dexter Marxx sat down around a table with the politicians, knowing that he didn't have much to tell them. The fleet was still correlating its data, he'd say, and I do not recommend attacking the energy shield until we know its full capabilities. They would huff and puff about how important it was that something was being done, and he would assure them that he would keep them in the loop.

Sardak, Marie-Claire Martine, and Alexander Towers had taken their seats. The bones of civilian authority.

"Anything new to report, Admiral?" asked Martine.

"No, Madam Secretary," said Dex. "The Phoenix is in the planning stages of an attempt to conduct a space walk to learn more about the satellites, and we have operatives on the ground in contact with the fleet. This phase of the siege is likely to continue for some time."

Towers leaned forward. "I have thousands of marines across the fleet ready for an amphibious landing. At some point, we may need to risk an assault - we have ten times more dropships than there are satellites. They can't get us all."

"Each one of those satellites is a thaleron explosion waiting to happen, Colonel," said Dex. "Have you had any communication with Edgerton, or one of his representatives?"

"No," interjected Sardak. "It is most puzzling. By now, he must know that we are here. I feel that it is only a matter of time before he responds to us, yet I cannot understand why he is refusing contact with this council."

Dex bristled inwardly, wondering why he was even in this room. The chances of Edgerton peacefully surrendering were so remote as to be impossible. It was like Sardak and the others just needed to feel useful, and they thought that conversing with the admiral of their fleet made them so. "When he does make contact, what are your orders?" he asked them.

Sardak raised an eyebrow and tucked his hands inside the sleeves of his voluminous brown robe. "We are agreed that we will demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of all Neo-Essentialists on Earth."

"And if he tries to negotiate, or rejects your ultimatum? What then?"

"We will impress upon him the military impossibility of his victory," said Sardak. "It would be most illogical to continue resistance in the face of our united resolve."

"Mister President," said Dex patiently, "the deployment of a weapon like the Aegis shield is inherently illogical. It is a doomsday-suicide weapon. Hence the need for us to completely analyse its capabilities before taking any offensive action."

"It is difficult for us to to wait, Admiral," said Martine gently. "Us, and the oppressed peoples of the Earth."

"I understand that," said Dex, "but I can do nothing except counsel you all to be patient. We have cornered Edgerton. We have him right where we want him."

"Are you certain, Admiral Marxx," said Towers grimly, "that it's not the other way round?"

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Location: Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco
Scene: The Presidio plaza


Leonard followed his master out through the lobby of Starfleet Headquarters. As usual when Edgerton was on the move, people stopped and stared, but where once there were cheers and applause, now those yells of exultation were dull and few and far between. The majority of the dozens of staff on duty in the lobby simply just watched in silence as the man who ruled the Earth walked amongst them.

They exited the building into bright sunshine. A Type-21 shuttlepod, recently repainted from white to black and with the sky-blue Federation insignia obliterated in favour of the blue, white and gold symbol of the New Essentialist movement, waited nearby with a pair of phaser rifle-armed guards. Seeing the fuss, several dozen civilians had gathered on the pathways around the square to see who was coming out.

When they saw Edgerton, there were no cheers or cries of praise. The two guards eyeballed the nearby civilians, and for his part, the dictator advanced quickly across the plaza to where the shuttle waited. In the sky above crackled the energy web of the Aegis shield.

Leonard felt uncomfortable as both he and Edgerton hurried to the safety of the shuttle under the angry eyes of the nearby civilians. Nobody said anything, but Leonard could see the sullen faces of the crowd watch Edgerton's every move. There was no doubt about it - the mood of the people had changed, and now they were no longer seeing Edgerton as a defender and liberator.

They reached the shuttle, and as they prepared to enter, a man in the crowd called it out in a strident, pointed tone that was loud over the sullen silence. It was the familiar public Neo-Essentialist slogan, but they way that he shouted it, it came across exactly in opposition to the Neo-Essentialist meaning. This shout, which reached Edgerton's ears, signalled a desire for a return to the old way of life on Earth, a life which many people now realised they missed more than anything.

The shout was, "Federation First!"

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Location: USS Phoenix
Scene: Turbolift


Kane was in the turbolift, en route back to the bridge, when it suddenly slowed and stopped on deck 17, drive section. The turbolift doors hissed open to reveal Eve Dalziel and Asta Elgin standing there.

Eve stepped into the turbolift, but Asta hung back. "Going down," she explained, pointing downward through the decks to Engineering. "I'll ride the next car."

Kane nodded at Eve as she stepped into the turbolift. "Counselor."

"Captain," returned Eve, before speaking to the waiting disembodied computer. "Deck three, saucer section."

The turbolift whirred into life and it began to move upward through the ship. Silence reigned for a few moments before Kane suddenly turned to Eve. "How are you getting on with Thomas Varn?" he asked.

"Oh." Eve looked uncomfortable. "I've just come from his quarters. Not well, Captain."

Interested now, Kane gave her his full attention. "In what way?"

Eve took a moment to consider her words. "Thomas is still grappling with the fact that he's come back from the dead. He's finding it difficult to anchor his own sense of self in the body he occupies. It's like he's become detached from his moorings and is at risk of floating away on the next high tide."

Kane frowned. "So put him to work. Surely he just needs to reforge his personal relationships and get back into a familiar routine again?" He paused, then continued without letting her answer. "What did he say when you asked him to join the effort to analyse the Aegis shield?"

Eve looked uncomfortable. "He refused."

Kane's eyes narrowed. "What?" he deadpanned in a voice so hard he could have driven nails with it. Before Eve could interject, he tapped the turbolift control panel. "Halt turbolift. New destination - deck seventeen, drive section." He turned back to Eve. "Would you care to accompany me, Counselor?"

Eve shrugged. "Of course, sir."

Her stomach dipped as the turbolift reversed its direction.

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Location: San Francisco
Scene: Shuttlepod interior


Leonard Cagney's stomach also dipped, as the shuttlepod he was in rose at a steep incline to five hundred feet, then turned sharply on its axis to face west-north-west, looking out over the Golden Gate Bridge. At their one o'clock lay Fort Point - an historical landmark first built four-and-a-half centuries ago. Then the shuttlepod moved forward smoothly, passing overhead Helmet Rock and out over the sparkling blue waters of the bay. They were quite deep, those waters, and they churned upon one another despite the calm day.

Leonard wondered how Edgerton was feeling. He must have heard that man cry out the Neo-Essentialist slogan, must have heard the emphasis on the first word, must have felt the rebuke inherent in his voice. If that utterance was indicative of the vox populi as a whole, then things had turned very bleak for the movement.

He risked a backward glance at the black-coated dictator. Edgerton was sitting calmly in the passenger section of the shuttlepod, long legs crossed, peaked cap on his knee, spindly fingers steepled under his chin.

"Ninety seconds to Point Bonita," Leonard ventured.

Edgerton didn't move, or let on that he had heard Leonard's announcement. He simply stared into space, lost in his own thoughts. Leonard turned back to the main viewport. In the distance, the old Point Bonita lighthouse was coming into view, a shaft of grey stone on a green hill overlooking the blue water.

A thought, unbidden - steer the shuttle for the lighthouse, full impulse. Close your eyes at the last moment and think of Stephen.

But he did not, and moments later, the shuttlepod came into contact with the invisible localiser beam of the underwater base. The localiser interfaced with the shuttle's navigational computer, giving it the exact co-ordinates of the sub-surface airlock. At the touch of a control, Leonard turned the shuttlepod to automatic pilot, and the nose dipped in response, maneuvering directly down towards the heaving waves.

If anyone had seen the black shuttlepod disappear underwater with a splash, they might not have believed it, but the Point Bonita lighthouse had been closed to the public ever since construction of the underwater facility began. Nobody saw, nobody knew, and as the waves enveloped the shuttle, Leonard wondered how many cared.

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Location: USS Phoenix
Scene: Deck 17, drive section - Thomas' temporary quarters


When Thomas answered a polite "come in" to Kane's door prompt, he was standing in the centre of the room, apparently not up to anything, but his face lit up with surprise when he saw both Kane and Eve enter.

"Captain, Counselor," Thomas said neutrally, nodding at Eve. "Seems like it's only been a few minutes."

Kane was in no mood for pleasantries. He pointed to a chair. "Sit down, Mister Varn, I want to talk to you."

Thomas did as he was bid, but looked sharply at Eve. "What is it, Captain?"

Kane paced in a circle around the chair for a moment. "Mister Varn, I am informed that you are refusing to assist the science team in analysing the data from the Aegis shield network. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Thomas paused to consider that. "Why should I? Now that is the question we all should ask. Why should we truly try at all?" He laughed softly. "Now that is a question worth asking."

Kane frowned at Eve, unable to make sense of Thomas' behaviour. He wondered if this thing wearing Thomas' skin was even sane. He put his hands behind his back and assumed a military air. "Mister Varn, nobody gets a free ride on this ship. If you have skills that can help the fleet in our current situation, I want you to put them to use on our behalf."

"No thank you, Captain."

Kane shook his head in disbelief. "You are refusing to obey my orders?"

"I'm not a Starfleet officer," said Thomas absently. "My commission was never reinstated. It was lost when I died."

"You are not dead!" said Kane sharply. "You are alive, and you are real person! It doesn't matter that you were resurrected in some biogenic vat somewhere, you are still who you were before you died! You are a qualified science officer, and I require you to perform your duty!"

"Captain, I - "

"I am not interested in your metaphysical crisis, Mister Varn!" snapped Kane, as Eve looked on. "Consider this - if the science officers of this fleet cannot figure out a way to circumvent, deactivate, or otherwise neutralise the Aegis shield, then we will have no choice but to engage it in battle and hope for the best. All the fleet's starships will be in action, including the USS Jenner, where Sylvia Warren is now working as a computer engineer. Are you prepared to let your inner turmoil put her in harm's way?"

Thomas looked shocked. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kane was talking again. "The Jenner is a hospital ship. Her shielding and armament are negligible. How long would she last in battle against one of those satellites? Could you really live with yourself if Sylvia Warren died, knowing that you point-blank refused to help fight against the thing that killed her?"

Kane leaned down close to Thomas' face. "What would that make you then, Mister Varn? Maybe you'd be better off dead than having something to live for, is that how you feel? Well, feel free. Except that you'd be condemning many other people to death by refusing to help."

He spoke slowly and softly as Eve looked on with growing alarm. "If Sylvia was dead, you would have nothing to live for, yes? It would be worse than dying. It would be a kind of living death."

Kane straightened up. "Plenty of sharp edges and solid surfaces in these quarters, Mister Varn. We need your help *now*. We need your focus *now*. So either get busy living, or get busy dying."

Kane walked toward the door. As he passed Eve, he paused. "He's all yours, Counselor."

He left Thomas' quarters behind, the silence surging softly backward as the doors hissed shut behind him.

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Location: Neo-Essentialist Point Bonita Underwater Base, San Francisco
Scene: Airlock -> Control Room


When the water had all been flushed out of the airlock and external air pressure restored to normal, Leonard opened the shuttlepod's door and stepped into the company of the welcoming committee. Jim Truman, formerly Earth's representative on the Federation Council and hardline Neo-Essentialist, was waiting along with some of his staff.

"Admiral Edgerton," smiled Truman. He was wearing a brown suit with a Neo-Essentialist armband on his left bicep. "Welcome to the control centre for the Aegis shield network."

Edgerton donned his peaked cap and put his hands behind his back. "Thank you, Mister Truman. Take me to the control room and give me a briefing along the way."

Leonard fell into step behind his master as the group moved from the airlock into the adjacent tunnel. The whole base had been constructed out of plasteel and tritanium in the space of a little over a year. Worker droids and industrial replicators working on the bay's floor had been carefully programmed to keep the underwater disruption to a minimum, concentrating their activities to the hours of darkness when there was hardly anyone around. Leonard had been responsible for the management of the construction, and the few people in the know were all assembled here, now.

Truman was talking. Despite his smile, Leonard knew that Truman was intimidated by Edgerton. It was hard to be afraid of a man who could literally destroy the surface of the Earth with a command code spoken into his communicator.

"You have arrived at an opportune time, sir," Truman was saying. "The Aegis Defence Network is now fully operational. All satellites are at full power, and the tachyon web is strong and stable. At your command, we can unleash its full power on any part of the planet, or upon the enemy fleet if it moves into range."

The base itself only had a staff of about a baker's dozen, Leonard knew, all chosen because of their commitment to the Neo-Essentialist true philosophy of 'Humanity First'. All of them were Human men and women of various races. No aliens were ever to be permitted to desecrate this inner sanctum.

The group passed into the Aegis Control Room, a circular chamber with banks of computers along the walls and a central command post on a slightly elevated dais. A small private office lay nearby. It was the nerve centre of the Aegis network. While banks of operators each monitored an individual satellite, Edgerton could sit like a spider at the centre of the web, ready to issue the computer command to incinerate millions of people over any point on the Earth's surface. The very thought of it made Leonard shiver.

Edgerton climbed the pair of steps to the dais. He took off his peaked cap and examined the control panel at length while Truman waxed lyrical about the various features. It had been designed for simplicity, and Leonard hated the thought of it. Exterminating the people of the Earth could be done with as little work as a couple of computer touches.

Finally, Edgerton nodded. His lips curled into a smile that was more of cruel sneer. "Everything is in order, Mister Truman," he said. "You and your people have done well."

Leonard watched as Truman bowed at the waist, as if a king had just complimented him. "Thank you, Admiral. We are glad to serve Humanity."

Edgerton gestured for all the staff to take their seats, and they did so, donning earpieces and entering access codes that tied them all in to the orbiting satellites. "I am ready to begin the next phase of the final destruction of Starfleet and the Federation," he said, as Leonard and Truman joined him at the control dais.

Leonard felt a chill of fear. Did the Admiral mean to use one of the satellites immediately?

Edgerton turned to the viewscreen that was built into one wall. "Sardak and his council have been hailing us for the past few days, and we have monitored their inane demands for our unconditional surrender. That will be our first step." Edgerton turned to Truman. "Open hailing frequencies with the Demeter. Put me in touch with President Sardak of the so-called United Federation of Planets."

Truman keyed in the controls, and Leonard looked on, a pit of worry forming in his stomach.

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NRPG: Moving things along. Edgerton has transferred his command from the Starfleet HQ building to his Underwater Apocalypse Lair (available from all good toy stores!)


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS PHOENIX


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117

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