All Our Yesterdays
Posted on May 31, 2014 @ 1:26am by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Edited on on May 31, 2014 @ 1:28am
Mission:
All Our Yesterdays
Location: Various
Tags: Kane, Stonn, Cindy, Jake, Kass, Russ, USS CENTURY
"ALL OUR YESTERDAYS, PART ONE"
(Continued from "Effect And Cause")
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"If you travel far enough, you will [one day] meet yourself."
- David Mitchell, "Cloud Atlas"
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Captain's Log, Supplemental - the DISCOVERY's arrival at system K-60 is imminent. After four weeks at transwarp through the desolation of the Beta Quadrant, we are closing in on our objective. The mystery of who or what is calling to us from the dark will hopefully be answered...
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Location: USS DISCOVERY
Stardate: [2.14]0528.2110
Scene: Captain's Ready Room
Michael Turlogh Kane heard the hiss of the door opening. Through the reflection in the viewport, he saw the face of his Vulcan first officer approach him from behind. With no colour to soften it, and framed by the outside starfield, Stonn's face looked wicked.
"Arrival at system K-60 is imminent, Captain."
Kane turned around. So, here they were. Once more, the DISCOVERY was ploughing a furrow through the unknown void, pushing back the dark. "Ship status?"
"All hands stand ready." Stonn paused. "And you, Captain?"
Kane didn't answer at first. He ran his hand along the edge of his desk, trying to feel the rythmic background rumble of the engines. DISCOVERY was an old ship now - she had been working solidly for almost twenty years, had been through three major wars, and carried scars all over her, inside and out. No amount of refits could make her immortal. It was hard not to escape the feeling that her glory days were behind her, and that despite being one of the oldest and illustrious ship names on record, this incarnation had put more days behind her than there were ahead.
He looked up. "I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't been looking to the past recently," he said. "Aboard this ship, with all its history, it's hard not to." He shook his head. "I've been aboard the DISCOVERY for nearly seven years now, off and on. Six as her captain. When I lost my first crew I thought I'd never get over the grief, until I stepped back aboard. She's more than just my command, Stonn. She's become my home. And I never knew how much I missed her until I came back."
The Vulcan was as inscrutable as ever. "The DISCOVERY's history is impressive, Captain. It is an honour to serve aboard her."
[[BaShen to Kane. Two minutes to system K-60.]]
"Acknowledged." There was a shadow of s smile on Kane's face. It was a relief just to have it there. "Come on, Commander. Let's go make some more history."
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The Federation Role-Playing Game Presents
A Mind's Eye production of a Collective Film
STAR TREK:
Starring
Shawn Collins as Jacob Crichton
Christopher Del Gesso as Russ BaShen
Alix Fowler as Kassandra Thytos
Jerome McKee as Michael Turlogh Kane
Featuring a Supporting Cast of Hundreds
Written by the crew of the USS DISCOVERY
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Location: Solar System Designated K-60
Scene: An enormous gas planet
The science of astronomy is the oldest natural science in the galaxy. Countless life-forms on countless worlds have gazed in wonder at the night sky and imagined what all the tiny pricks of light could be. On Earth, primitive cultures identified celestial objects with gods and spirits and linked the movement of the stars to other natural events like tides and the seasons. The first professional astronomers were priests, tracking and marking the positions of the stars on behalf of their gods. Thousands of years later, Humans still watched the stars religiously, but now they did it through a network of space telescopes that orbited a myriad worlds across the Federation.
The Beta Quadrant, a vast area of space lying spinward of the Federation's border, was sprinkled with old worlds and fading stars. The systems of the Perseus Arm, lying farther away from galactic core, were much older than those systems closer to the interior. Having been formed first, the life and civilisations that had evolved there lived and died millions of years before the first Human ever realised she could hear her own thoughts.
A binary star system with a single enormous gas giant world, K-60 had first been observed in the late twenty-fourth century. The planet itself was a pleasing burnt-orange colour and was ringed on its vertical axis by a splendid ring of dust and ice. Through their distant telescopes, astronomers noted the clear, defined nature of the ring, and quickly found out why it was so. There were hundreds of asteroids and planetoids orbiting the gas giant at farther distances than the ring itself. Several of these bodies were large enough to be counted as shepherd moons, one of which appeared to have its own atmosphere. The small gravity wells of these moons kept the gas giant's ring even by reflecting any material that drifted away from the huge planet.
Faster than the time it takes to draw breath, a burst of light announces the arrival of a starship dropping from warpspace to realspace. It decelerates impossibly fast, coming down to a crawl by comparison to the speed which it was making just a second ago. It takes a moment to orient itself and moves toward the gas giant, infinitesmally small.
It is the only living thing in the entire system.
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Location: USS DISCOVERY
Scene: Bridge
Kane sat in the centre seat as the main viewer winked on. In the unimaginable distance, a pair of distant suns shone dimly, two red dwarfs entering the final millenia of the life cycles. In the foreground, he finally laid eyes on what Science had been telling him about for weeks - the huge gas giant.
"Impressive," he murmured.
"Sensors are showing over two hundred orbiting bodies," reported Stonn. "Charting this system will be many months of hard work."
"Lucky we aren't here for that," said Kane, standing up. "Mister Byte, active sensor scan. Are we picking up the signal?"
{{Yes, Captain. Now cross-referencing it with the data we recovered from the Suvin listening post.}}
Kane watched. Oddly, Byte's brow was furrowed and its eyes were narrowed. It looked like it was actually concentrating on the stream of data appearing on its console. {{Unable to confirm data match.}}
"Explanation."
{{A secondary subspace signal is interfering with our sensor scan.}}
Kane thought for a moment. "A secondary signal? Odd. Cease active scan. Try to pin-point the location of both signals."
Byte's hands flew over the controls like magic. {{Sensors locked, Captain.}} He turned his head to look at Kane. {{Sir, both subpsace signals are emanating from the same point.}}
"Can you identify the second signal?"
{{Not from this range, sir.}}
"Why didn't we anyone detect the second signal before our arrival?"
{{Distance, different wavelength, and oversight are all probable reasons, sir. Captain, the signal pair is emanating from a point in orbit of one the gas giant's moons, designation K-60-Alpha-Twelve.}}
The bridge crew looked out, but a ripple of feeling passed around the bridge. There it was, then. A Federation subspace signal coming from one of the moons of the gas giant.
Stonn got up and moved to Kane's side. "It appears Starfleet's postulation was correct, Captain."
Kane looked out at the vista before them. "It appears so. Mister BaShen, can you plot a course to take us into orbit of Alpha-Twelve?"
Russ was frowning. "I can, but it won't be easy. We'll be fighting gravitational forces from both the gas giant and several of the moons. We'll need to take it slow and steady. Very slow."
"What is the danger to the ship?" asked Stonn.
"None, unless you count hitting one of the asteroids. Then I'd say the danger would be grave." Russ wasn't smiling.
"Now is not the time for witticisms, Lieutenant," Stonn said sternly.
"Plot the course," said Kane. "Heading and speed at pilot's discretion."
Through gritted teeth, Russ fell to his work. "Aye, sir."
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Scene: Journey's End
John Doe, the demonic proprietor of Journey's End, stuck his meaty red hand into a large jar of Capellan woodlice. Ignoring the flailing of their legs, he grasped one at random and hauled it out into the light, laying it down on its back on the chopping board. The rabbit-sized insect's appendages wriggled for dear life while John checked the temperature of the pot of bubbling water on the nearby stove and reached for a cleaver.
Holding the insect down with one hand, he raised the cleaver high over his head. One good blow dead centre of its underside carapace would snap its shell in half with a splurge of goo. Then he could pull all the guts out, lob it into the boiling water, and smell the meat cook. He ran his thumb along the blade of the cleaver as he prepared to bring it down.
"You're not going to do that in here, are you?"
John looked up, concentration ruined. That drunken marine woman was back again, standing on the other side of the bar. The lights of her sensor net blinked garishly against the contrasting colours of her uniform. Behind her, half a dozen off-duty personnel were watching him from their tables with a mixture of fascination and horror.
Sneekum, the dwarf Ferengi bartender, tottered over on his high heels, bodkin teeth grinning. "Everyone's looking at you, boss," he snerked. "You know what hew-mans are like. They will probably complain to the captain if you kill this creature in front of them."
With a thump, John lobbed the woodlouse back into the jar with all the others. "Die later then," he said, turning back to the bar. "What can I do for you, Major?"
Kass looked uncomfortable. "I came by to apologise. For my behaviour the other night."
John shrugged his massive shoulders. "Not the first time I've seen it happen. Humans have a low tolerance for alcohol. Don't let it keep you up at night."
"Like I said, I'm sorry." Outside, the enormous orange gas giant rolled by. Kass turned to look at it. "We're here, then. The mystery planet."
"Seems so."
"The Vulcans say that there is infinite diversity in infinite combinations," murmured Kass. "Only a maxim like that could explain what we're looking at."
John picked a toothpick the size of a pencil from under the bar and began to clean the gaps between his fangs. "I haven't heard Stonn say that."
"Oh?" Kass looked at him. "Know our first officer well, do you?"
"No. He knows me, though. Knows all about me. Told me everything about myself last week. Must have an eidetic memory or something."
Kass smiled grimly. "I'm not the only one he's read up on, then. You know, he says that I have a special role to play on this ship. Do you have any idea what he means by that?"
John extricated a piece of last night's dinner from one of his molars. Eyeing it carefully, he popped it back into his mouth and began to chew noisily. "No," he said cheerily. "But I wouldn't worry, Major. Everyone has a role to play. Yours will become clear in time."
Kass reached into her pocket for her cigarettes. "That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered, moving over toward the viewport to take in the foreboding vista.
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Scene: Engineering
Jake Crichton and Cindy Rochemonte looked at the wall monitor. There were no windows anywhere in Engineering, nothing to see out of. One of the main worries shared by engineers across the fleet was that if you died in the service, whether from starship combat or a sudden catastrophic failure of the warp core, you'd never know it was coming. You'd never see the other starship, never notice the collapse of the antimatter containment. Just - boom. Here now, gone in a flash. Lights out.
So it was something of a relief to be able to see what was going on on the bridge. There were only a handful of wall monitors around Engineering, and most of the engineers on duty were too busy working their own stations to stop and see, but they had proven a popular addition to the ship's heartbeat in the last refit.
"What do you think, Specs?" asked Jake. On the screen's backdrop, the starfield had solidified into singular points of light, but in the foreground lay the enormous gas giant, turning over and over in its endless Newtonian spiral. Around it tumbled a dizzying array of rocks. The magnificent planetary ring stretched vertically ahead, far too big for the camera angle to cover. "Heck of a view."
"I should have been a pilot," nodded Cindy. "Post-warp diagnostics underway, Commander, everything's green."
[[Bridge to Engineering.]] It was Stonn.
"Engineering," responded Jake. "Crichton here."
[[We are moving into the planet's orbital debris field, Commander. Navigational shields to maximum.]]
"Understood." Jake nodded over to Ellen Jones at the power systems station. As she adjusted the controls, he looked back at Cindy, whose gaze was fixed on the outside view. "Everything alright, Specs?"
Cindy nodded. "Yes, Commander. It's just that - well, this the farthest away from home I've ever been. I wasn't looking at the planet. I was looking at the stars, and I don't recognise any of them." She smiled, unsure of herself. "Sorry, Commander."
Jake put his hand on her shoulder in support. Trying to lighten the mood, he patted her gently. "I keep telling you, Specs. Call me Jake."
Together, they kept their eyes on the viewscreen.
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Scene: Outside
The DISCOVERY's impulse engine engaged with a red flare. She inched forward, painfully slowly, nosing her way toward the sea of rocks drifting ahead. Tiny by comparison, her silvery hull reflecting the distant sunlight, she crossed the shoreline.
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Location: USS DISCOVERY
Scene: Bridge
The buffeting began immediately. Light, sustained turbulence that was strong enough to be felt, if not to be uncomfortable. In the main viewer, Kane saw thousands of rocks swirling in a maelstrom between them and the moon, with the enormous planet hanging in the background. They were like a swarm of flies, except that some of them were many times the size of the ship.
{{Navigational shields holding,}} reported Byte. {{Direct heading for Alpha-Twelve, point-three impulse. Four minutes to orbit. No change in signal strength.}}
On the main viewer, a rock the size of a skyscraper appeared dead centre, before bouncing off the blue shield bubble and spiralling away into space.
Stonn leaned in to Kane. "Captain, I recommend we abort."
Kane turned to him. "What? Why?"
"I propose that we remain at the outer edge of the system and collect as much data as we can before attempting any further action, such as this. Taking the ship into this much
danger seems a risky maneuver."
"The danger is minimal, Commander," said Kane, conscious that they were speaking within earshot of the bridge crew. "The flight control and operations officers concur that the likelihood of a collision with a large asteroid is very low. The main computer is more than capable of projecting the paths of the asteroids and suggesting course corrections. Agreed?"
"I do not have an issue with the main computer, Captain."
"What, then?" Kane looked around. Lex Calvari at tactical was staring at them, but when he caught his eye, the Xenexian returned to his work. He lowered his voice. "Stonn, we don't have time for this. Your objection is noted but all senior officers agree that light turbulence is the worst thing we face."
A shudder ran though the ship. In response, the yellow alert bars on the wall flashed into life.
{{Contact with large asteroid, ventral saucer section,}} reported Byte. {{Navigational shields at ninety-eight per cent. No damage.}}
"Reducing to point-two impulse," called Russ at the conn. "We're right in the thick of it now."
The ship rocked back and forth, as if in a heavy tide. On the main viewer, dozens of small asteroids were creasing the shield bubble.
{{Three minutes to Alpha-Twelve orbit,}} reported Byte. {{Shearing forces growing stronger but well within recommended parameters.}}
Kane made to stand up, but a short sharp jolt convinced him it would be better keeping his seat. "How difficult will it be to establish and maintain orbit of the moon?" he asked.
{{The shearing forces will balance out, but not disappear,}} said Byte. {{We will be subjected to several gravity wells all acting on us at the same time. Ship's systems will not be affected, but crew comfort will deteriorate.}}
"Steady as she goes," said Kane, ignoring Stonn's stare.
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Scene: Journey's End
Kass stubbed her cigarette out as the first small shockwave hit the ship. Outside the huge viewport of Journey's End, space was a seething mass of tumbling rocks.
Everyone was trying to hang on to something. The turbulence wasn't bad, but it came and went suddenly, and was capable to knocking someone to the floor. Kass grasped the edge of the table and hauled herself to her feet. Arm over arm, she staggered along the bar, past John Doe and the unfortunate Sneekum, who was tottering dangerously in his high heels.
"Leaving so soon?" John smiled.
"Got to secure the weapons lockers," she replied. "Don't want any grenades falling out and hitting the floor. That would be bad."
John and Sneekum exchanged worried glances. "Wait," he called out, "seriously?"
But Kass was gone.
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Scene: Engineering
The yellow alert bars were flashing down here too. Jake moved away from the wall viewscreen, proceeding as best he could to Ellen Jones's workstation. "How does it look?"
She smiled happily at him. "All good, Commander. Reserve power is dropping slowly as we re-energise the navigational shields. Estimate six months before we run out of juice."
Jake grinned. The ship shuddered again, almost tripping him. "Rough water out there," he deadpanned. "Carry on, Jones."
As he moved to his workstation, he passed one of the wall viescreens. Outside, the rocks were everywhere, like flies on a corpse.
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Scene: Bridge
{{One minute to orbit,}} reported Byte. {{Navigational shields at ninety-six per cent.}}
"Hope there are no rookies aboard," remarked Lex Calvari drily, hanging on to the Tac station. "They'll all have their space-legs at the end of this, that's for sure."
"Adjusting pitch twenty degrees down," said Russ. "Collision avoidance."
Kane watched on the viewer as an enormous brown rock rolled across the screen. The DISCOVERY was tiny against its girth. He fought to keep his emotions in check, resisting the urge to go and watch over the shoulders of the bridge officers, remembering the old saying about doing something yourself if you wanted it done right. Trusting anyone else with your life was the hardest thing to do.
Stonn was silent at his side, as inscrutable as a brick. The Vulcan had his eyes fixed firmly forward, watching the asteroids fall away on all sides of the viewer. As the last of them tumbled out of the ship's path, he turned to stare at Kane with eyes as sharp as flint.
The moment stretched out forever.
The rocks parted like the Red Sea, and Alpha-Twelve rose up before the screen. The orange gas giant fell away into the background, replaced by the sea-green atmosphere of the small world ahead.
{{Orbit established,}} reported Byte.
Kane hauled himself up onto his feet and moved to the conn. "Excellent work, Mister BaShen. Impressive precision flying." He put a hand on the pilot's chair to steady himself.
{{Subspace signals are stong and clear,}} said Byte. {{Analysing now. Signals are nine thousand kilometres off the bow, moving at sublight. Captain, I believe both signals are emanating from a space vessel in orbit.}}
"That's my guess too, Captain," called Lex Calvari at Tactical.
"Can we identify?" asked Kane.
{{Analysis complete. Sir - }} Byte looked up from its console. Oddly, its features were twisted into what would look like shock to a human.
"Lieutenant?"
{{Captain, the second signal matches the power signature of a Federation cloaking device.}}
Kane stopped. Unable to speak, he turned to Tactical for confirmation. Lex Calvari nodded slowly. "Are you telling me," he said to Byte, through suddenly dry lips, "that a Federation starship equipped with a cloaking device is in orbit of this moon?"
{{That appears to be the case, Captain.}}
Kane wondered what was going on. This signal had been picked up months ago and nobody had been able to tell what it was. Intelligence had told him in briefing that all starships sent to the Beta Quadrant were accounted for. Now it turns out that someone was lying? What, he wondered, was going on here?
Stonn stood up suddenly and quickly crossed the bridge. "Captain, I must speak with you in your ready room."
Kane turned to him. "Why?" he said tightly.
Stonn's jaw set. "Because - " He paused. "I withdraw my request, Captain."
{{Sensors have a lock on the signal source now, sir,}} reported Byte. {{Range is now eight thousand kilometres and closing. No power sources detected. No life signs detected, likely as a result of the cloaking device.}}
"How do we deactivate that cloak?" said Kane. "Can we use phasers?"
"Not recommended," said Lex. "That ship is likely unshielded. A hit in the wrong place might send her down into the atmosphere."
"It might be our best option, Captain," said Stonn. "Recommend we proceed?"
"Not bloody likely. Do you want us to destroy what we came here to find?" Kane moved to Byte's station, ignoring the turbulence rippling through the ship. "Options, Lieutenant."
{{The Federation's cloaking technology lags behind that of the Romulans,}} said Byte thoughtfully. {{It is believed that the Romulans are utilising phase-cloak technology, while the Federation is some fifty years behind. This being the case, archaic detection methods may work to deactivate the cloak. We can run a tachyon burst through the main deflector dish, directed in a wide-angle pattern at the other ship's location.}}
"I concur," said Lex.
"I do not concur." Stonn stood between Byte and Lex. "The longer we remain in orbit of this moon, the more we are exposed to the gravitational shearing forces of the planet and the moon itself. As first officer, I am formally advising that we withdraw to the edge of the system and reconsider this entire venture."
Kane looked out the main viewer. The answers they sought were so tantalisingly close. Doubt gnawed at him. Could he be doing it again? Could he be leading another crew to their doom, no matter how innocuous it seemed? There was no way to tell, and each shudder and jolt of turbulence that ran through the DISCOVERY's superstructure seemed to paralyse him with indecision. If Stonn was right, if BaShen's precision was off, if Byte's calculations were in error -
If, if, if. So many ifs.
He looked down at Byte. "What is the probability that the DISCOVERY could suffer damage by remaining in orbit of this moon?"
Byte's eyes narrowed. It seemed to be looking inside itself. {{Taking all the factors into account - navigational shield strength, ability of crew to withstand discomfort, added to the gravitational forces and the random factor of the asteroids, I calculate there is an average probability of six-point-seven-nine per cent chance every day that something will occur. That is likely to be an asteroid impact within the first three days - afterward, the probability of crew error rises exponentially.}}
"Seven per cent every day," breathed Kane, aware of Stonn standing very close to him. Low odds. But low enough?
"One per cent is too high a risk, Captain," the Vulcan said. "Remember what happened to your previous crew."
The words hit Kane like a hammer.
"Reverse course," said Stonn, seeing Kane falter. "Take us out of here, Mister BaShen."
"Captain?" Russ looked up in askance.
"I gave you an order, Lieutenant!" snapped Stonn.
That did it. Kane rounded on his ExO. "Conn, belay that order!" he roared. "Mister Stonn, I remind you that I am the captain of this ship and my decision on this matter is final! On the advice of my senior officers, the danger to the ship is acceptable and we will proceed with our attempt to deactivate the cloaking device! Is that understood!"
Silence clamoured on the bridge. All eyes were on Kane and Stonn.
Finally, the Vulcan inclined his head. "Understood, Captain."
Kane turned to Byte as another jolt gently rocked the bridge. "Make it so, Lieutenant," he said harshly.
{{Activating tachyon beam.}}
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Scene: Outside
The bottle-green tachyon beam surged out of the DISCOVERY's main deflector dish. It flickered and twitched as the gravity wells of the planet and moon pulled it in different directions, but there was enough force driving it so that it leaped across space, falling down like spatters of rain onto a point lower in the moon's atmosphere.
The rain spatters made millions of tiny pools of energy in the atmosphere as they impacted and burned up. But many more did not burn up. They showered over something, something angular, a starship with a saucer section and a long, sloping hull that angled backward to two huge warp nacelles.
The tachyon beam fizzed and popped around this new starship, grappling with the cloaking device that sought to keep it hidden. As the energy waves writhed and rippled, the cloak began to spark and fail, exposing parts of a once-silvery hull, blackened and pitted over time.
Layers of darkness were peeled away, and the ship revealed itself.
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Location: USS DISCOVERY, bridge
Scene: Bridge
Michael Turlogh Kane stood at the head of the bridge crew as the unknown starship, the voice in the dark, finally came out into the light.
What he saw shocked him right down to his core.
There she lay, in all her faded glory.
"I don't believe it," he whispered, in utter shock.
Nobody did. But there it was.
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Scene: Outside
Space snarled and twisted away from the starship, pulling back from her nacelles and up toward the saucer section. As the sunlight fell on her, her NCC number was revealed.
Ten thousand.
A little more, and the twin suns of system K-60 that lay a billion miles from the Federation's spinward border illuminated her name.
USS CENTURY.
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"Of all ghosts, the ghosts of old loves are the worst."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott"
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Captain's Log, Supplemental - We have located and identified the subspace signal in system K-60. It is the USS CENTURY, a starship that has been missing for nearly ten years.
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Location: USS DISCOVERY, orbiting K-60-Alpha-Twelve
Stardate: [2.140528.2115]
Scene: Conference Room
The officers and crew charged with the command of the USS DISCOVERY filed into the conference room just off the bridge. The mood was sombre. Through the conference room's viewport, none of them could fail to notice the other starship hanging limply in the lower atmosphere, drifting in an endless orbit against the sea-green backdrop of the moon.
Despite the rocking and rolling of the light turbulence that shuddered the ship, Michael Turlogh Kane could not take his eyes off her. The CENTURY, again. He had served on her for three years during his time as a junior officer, and all of his formative experiences had occurred aboard her. So many old faces to remember. Marxx. Reardon. Locke. Randles. Reding. Young. Aspinall. Selyara. Yamaguchi. McLean. They appeared and disappeared in his mind's eye as quickly and easily as thinking. As the DISCOVERY's officers took their seats, it was hard not to remember doing the exact same thing so many years ago when he was the SecTac.
He tore his eyes away from the past and looked back to the here and now. "The USS CENTURY," he stated. "Let's go over what we know about her. Mister Byte?"
The grey-skinned android tapped a touch-screen. A three-dimensional hologram of the CENTURY winked into being over the centre of the table. {{The CENTURY is approximately three times of the DISCOVERY,}} it began. {{Although its design has now been retired, she was the first of the series of the twenty-one Century-class battleships to be commissioned, that drew on the basic hull design of the older Akira-class. The crew complement was one thousand officers and enlisted. The Century-class was, at the time, the pinnacle of Starfleet's engineering ability. She was equipped with plasma cannons and a bio-regenerative hull matrix in addition to phaser arrays and quantum torpedo tubes.}}
"Sounds like a real man o' war," said Lex.
{{The class was not specifically constructed for battle,}} said Byte. {{In fact, so non-specialised was the design that Starfleet used it in a multi-adaptable role.}}
"If memory serves," said Kane, "we spent most of our time responding to crises inside the Federation. I don't recall doing much exploration."
"How long were you aboard her, Captain?" asked Bonnie Reardon.
Kane drew in a wistful breath, looking out at the view again. "Three years," he murmured. "We were there when the Thal attacked Ocu'ranes Prime. We were the ones that uncovered the Harbinger Project on Elcaro. Seems like a long time ago now."
"There were many casualties, were there not?" asked Stonn.
Kane bristled as the DISCOVERY rocked again. They had been under constant bombardment from the asteroids now for almost an hour. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Near the end of my tour there, we were attacked by Klingon pirates while we had suffered a total systems failure. I lost a lot of friends that day." He paused. "And now she's back. Byte, what was the last we knew of her status?"
{{The CENTURY was stolen from Starbase 86 by Admiral Edmund Dupree not long after his involvement with the Neo-Essentialists was made known,}} said Byte. {{Thanks to its cloaking device, the CENTURY disappeared, along with Admiral Dupree. Starfleet attempted an investigation but nothing was ever found.}}
"Now we know where's she's been all this time," said Lex. "Clever of Dupree. Steal Starfleet's flagship and head into the Beta Quadrant. Unexplored space at that time."
"Why would Dupree have done that?" asked Jake. "This system hardly seems like the best place to command the Neo-Essentialists from."
"Maybe he was lying low?" said Russ.
"That's what we're here to find out," said Kane. "Are there any other details we should know, Byte?"
{{As mentioned, the CENTURY is equipped with a cloaking device. Also, its engineering systems are supplemented by a number of Exocomp units that were specifically created as repair drones. Finally, the ship's computer was equipped with a holographic behavioural interface, codenamed Arcus.}}
"The main computer could talk?" asked Russ.
{{In a way. The computer was able to project a holographic image of itself anywhere on the ship and interact with the crew, if desired.}}
"I don't think I'd like that," said Lex. "It sounds creepy. No offence, Byte."
{{I cannot take offence,}} said Byte smoothly.
Kane turned to Solomon Arn. "Has your department analysed the sensor readings?"
The Trill nodded. "We've confirmed all of our earlier readings. The CENTURY's orbit is stable even though she has no power. Normally, a drifting starship pulled into the orbit of a planetary body would eventually be dragged down and burn up in the atmosphere. However, the CENTURY has maintained a low orbit because of the multiple gravitational forces acting on her."
"Any indication how long she's been there?"
"Not without detailed scans, sir. She's been hit by several asteroids but her superstructure is still fully viable. No power signatures or life support anywhere on the ship. No lifesigns. She's a hulk."
Kane frowned. "So everyone aboard is either dead or gone," he mused. "Which leaves one question - who activated the subspace signals?"
{{We do not know, Captain,}} said Byte.
Kane steeped his fingers, trying to ignore another light shake of the ship. It was a tricky situation. Starfleet would be eager to find out where the CENTURY had ended up, but there were plenty of questions to answer, not least how she got here. "Thoughts on sending an away team?"
"Environment suits would be necessary," said Solomon. "But it is possible."
"We should try to recharge the impulse engines first," said Jake. "Even a little power would be enough to partially activate the main computer. We can take it from there. Beaming over is no problem."
Kane nodded. "Let's take it slow. Doctor Reardon, how is the crew holding up under the turbulence?"
Bonnie shrugged. "Mild cases of space-sickness so far. Disturbed sleep patterns likely over the next twenty-four hours. Medically, I advise remaining her for no more than a day. Two at the most." Her words were punctuated by another slight shudder rippling through the ship.
"Understood." Kane stood up. "Return to your stations. Standby for orders."
As one, they turned and filed out of the conference room. Kane moved to the viewport and stood there staring out at her.
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Scene: Marine Barracks
[[Stonn to Major Thytos.]
Kass looked up from her monitor. She was trawling through some departmental reports after having secured the weapons lockers. Not having a place at the staff meeting, she had been waiting for someone to tell her what was going on. "Thytos here."
[[Assemble your marines in the barracks, Major.]]
"Is there something wrong, Commander?"
[[Carry out my order. I will be coming to see you, but I must speak to the captain first. Stonn out.]]
Kass stood up, wondering what the hell was going on.
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Scene: Engineering
"An away team?" Cindy exclaimed. "Me? Really?"
Jake grinned. "Sure, Specs. The first away team is likely to need a couple of engineers. We'll probably have to bring power packs to recharge the impulse engine, then find a way to interface with the main computer."
"Is Captain Kane trying to salvage the CENTURY?"
"He didn't say. I'm waiting on word from upstairs." Jake moved down the corridor to the storage lockers. "It doesn't help to get ready, though. Everything else alright down here?"
Cindy almost skipped to his side. "Navigational shields have taken a few punches but everything's good. We'll need environment suits, won't we?"
Jake opened one of the lockers and rooted around for a portable power pack. "Yep."
"Yay!" Cindy made fists and swung them through the air.
Jake, head buried amongst clutter, smiled.
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Scene: Conference Room
Kane knew he wasn't alone as he stared out at the CENTURY drifting below. He knew who was there with him, too. "Is there something I can do for you, Commander?"
"Is there no way I can convince you to abort this mission, Captain Kane?"
Kane turned around to look at Stonn. The Vulcan was standing inside the doorway, blocking off the escape route. His heads were behind his back, but his shoulders were square and there was a defiant gleam in his eyes. Slowly, Kane moved to put the table between them. "Why would you want me to? You know as well as I do that the CENTURY is our mission. Yet the farther we've travelled, the more obstructive you've become. Why is that?"
Stonn raised an eyebrow. "Obstructive, Captain? If this is about our altercation on the bridge earlier, I apologise."
"Oh?"
"Yes, Captain. I was somewhat insubordinate."
"Somewhat."
"I realise that it is the duty of the first officer to support the captain," said Stonn. "I did not do that. Perhaps this turbulence is affecting me more than I realise."
Mollified, Kane sighed. Tension drained out of him. "Perhaps."
Stonn softened his voice. "Is it not also the duty of the first officer to present alternatives?"
"It is."
"That is what I was trying to do."
Kane looked up at him. Their eyes locked.
"Vulcans do not lie," said Stonn.
"Is that a fact," said Kane. He drummed the table with his fingers. "Listen, Commander. I don't know what the hell is going on here. You heard Lieutenant Byte - the last time anyone heard of the CENTURY was when the head of the Neo-Essentialists stole her from a Starbase. We have to find out what happened. At the very least, we have to do that. We cannot report back to Starfleet and tell them we made no effort."
Stonn was silent for a moment, thinking. "It is your final decision to attempt to reactivate the CENTURY's computer?"
"It is."
"You are attempting a salvage?"
"Not necessarily. The last ten years of data on the main computer will do just fine. Where she's been, who she's seen. Where Dupree and his friends are or went. There could be critical information in those memory banks."
Stonn looked him square in the eye. "Then, assuming we are following regulations, I will lead the away team."
"Of course. It's your - "
"I am not finished, Captain. As well as taking Commander Crichton and an engineer aboard, I would like to use Major Thytos's marines to secure the ship."
Kane frowned. "No."
Stonn leaned forward. Over the table, their faces were only a few feet apart. "Captain Kane, this is not the time for your personal grudges against marines on starships. Major Thytos's team came straight from Special Operations Command. They are elite."
"My arse they are. Anything they can do, so can Lieutenant Calvari's people. Besides, there are only ten of them."
"You are letting professional pride affect your judgement, sir. I repeat - our marines are elite. They are trained for combat in all situations, including boarding actions. From our central beaming-in point, they can move to secure the ship's critical areas faster than any security detail, and they have the skills and armament to hold them." Stonn spoke with a voice as hard as nails. "With respect, Captain Kane, I will have my way in this."
"Are you expecting combat, Commander Stonn?"
The Vulcan stood up straight. "No, sir. Are you?"
Kane slowly shook his head. "Assemble the marines."
"Very good, Captain." Stonn turned to leave.
"Commander Stonn?"
"Yes, Captain?"
I'll be watching the mission closely. Very closely."
The Vulcan strode out through the doors, leaving Kane alone with his thoughts.
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Scene: Outside
The CENTURY tumbled over and over, endlessly gently spiralling in the orbit of the gas giant's moon. Her charred superstructure was blackened and scarred from old wounds, old scrapes, old wars. No light emanated from her. She was as cold and inert as stone in the night.
The DISCOVERY, buffeted by the waves of turbulence, moved to within transporter range. Her shining silvery hull caught the sunshine and reflected it, her impulse engines flaring bright red against the sky blue of her gleaming nacelles. Although much smaller, she shone like a new star in the firmament. From aboard her, all those who could were watching at viewports.
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Scene: Transporter Room, Deck 25
Jake and Cindy watched as the marines filed into the transporter room, led by Major Thytos and Commander Stonn. Everyone had donned the distinctive white environment suits with the large glass bubble-helmets. Coloured bands along the upper arms denoted who was what - gold for the engineers, red for Stonn, and green for the marines.
Affixed to their suits at various points - ribs, hips, knees, and shoulders - Jake and Cindy were carrying portable power packs. In their hands were their toolkits, containing the equipment they would need to hopefully connect to the CENTURY's older technology. Fully reactivating the main computer was a tough ask - to do that the impulse engines would have to be fully restarted - but even a little power might be enough for partial activation of the computer. Full restart of the warp engines was a goal that was a million miles away.
Stonn approached them. Behind him, the marines were checking each others' suit seals, while Ensign Orion was standing by at the transporter console. In his helmet, with his face underlit by the suit's lights, Stonn looked like Satan himself. "Commander Crichton. You are fully prepared?"
"Yes, sir," said Jake. "Once we're aboard, Lieutenant Rochemonte will go to Engineering and begin systems analysis. I'll go to to the bridge. If I can isolate the power relays there from the main ODN network, I should be able to drip-feed power to the bridge systems directly. From there, I'll access the databanks."
"How long will it take?"
Jake shook his head. "It depends on how badly degraded the power network is. Several hours at a minimum."
"Understood. Lieutenant Arn informs us that we do not have to worry about the turbulence, as the CENTURY is too low in the atmosphere to be much affected by it."
"That's good news."
"Indeed. I will accompany you to the bridge with a marine detail. Major Thytos will escort Lieutenant Rochemonte to main engineering. The other marines will be moving to secure computer core access." Stonn turned to Cindy. "What are your objectives?"
"I need to do a complete analysis of the engines, see how badly they've degraded. I'm also going to see if I can find an Exocomp and activate it to help me." Cindy looked nervous but raring to go.
"Good." Stonn gestured to the transporter pad. "Then let us being our mission."
As one, all fourteen of them clambered up onto the transporter pad in their bulky suits. Standing at the rear, Jake noticed all the heat the marines were packing. Each one of them was armed with a pulse rifle and several grenades, as well as being clad in their armoured environment suits. "Expecting trouble?" he asked Stonn.
"I trust not," replied the Vulcan. "Stonn to Captain Kane."
[[Kane here.]]
"We are ready to begin, Captain."
[[Understood. Good luck, Commander.]]
Stonn looked around at them all. "Good luck to us all." He turned to Stiles Orion at the transporter controls. "Energise, Ensign."
Jake closed his eyes as the world disappeared in a haze of blue.
*****************************************************
Scene: Bridge
Kane couldn't sit down. The light turbulence made it uncomfortable, but more than that, he wanted to be there. He wanted to see and feel the CENTURY again.
No, he thought. We have a job to do. Find out what happened to her.
"Captain Kane?"
Russ BaShen had called him over. Kane moved to his side. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
Russ spoke quietly. "Sir, I know I'm supposed to be on duty right now, but when we have time, I'd like to request a private meeting with you."
Kane nodded. "Is everything alright?"
Russ swallwed hard. "It's not about me, sir. Well, it is and it isn't. It's more about Commander Stonn."
Kane frowned. He was about to speak when another voice cut across him.
[[Transporter Room to bridge. Transport complete.]]
"Acknowledged." Kane lifted his head. "Later, Lieutenant. DISCOVERY to Commander Stonn."
There was silence for a moment, then relief swept the bridge when the Vulcan's stentorian voice filtered across the communications channel. [[Stonn here. Away team has materialised on deck 13, by the auxiliary bridge. Request permission to proceed.]]
Kane gritted his teeth. What he wouldn't give to be over there now. "Proceed with your mission, Commander."
It was game time.
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NRPG: The away team under Commander Stonn has beamed to the CENTURY to try to salvage data from its memory banks and partially reactivate the ship. Nothing works on the interior and everything is pitch black with no interior atmosphere. As scans suggested, there are no life signs. However, there are dozens of corpses of Neo-Essentialists floating around (long-missing Starfleet officers, no doubt). The marines have their own mission, so you won't see too much of them. But this isn't a haunted house mission, even though it may well be spooky.
I trust everyone knows what an Exocomp is?
In the meantime, the DISCOVERY's crew will just have to put up with all the damn turbulence. The ship is not in any danger, it's just uncomfortable.
SHAWN: You and Stonn will be moving to the bridge.
CHRIS/ALIX: You two are Engineering bound.
Don't go crazy turning everything on at once - that's going to take a lot of time and any success is several posts away. Proceed slowly, carefully. Get a feel for the huge ship, three times as big as the DISCOVERY. Crawl through the tight access tunnels, your way lit only by your helmet lights. Take a peek inside any open rooms you come across. Who knows what might be found? When you reach your destinations you can start working on getting this thing running again.
Backposts are still allowed, for now.
I did a tiny bit of retconning with the details fo the Century-class. Nobody will notice.
Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS DISCOVERY
"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117
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