Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek - Paramount does. If I owned it, Wesley
Crusher would be 'seeking employment', and Spock would break-dance.
Kobayashi Maru
Kobayashi Maru, Take One (pre-Star Trek II era)
Starfleet Academy Command Simulator
Cadet Frank Treliani, of New York State, Earth sat down in the mock-up bridge command chair. Around him, the other cadets and the more experienced officers they put in to make the test more interesting were checking their consoles and quietly speaking to each other.
"Attention" Barked the computer. "Starfleet Academy Command Test will now commence."
The screen and the monitors above the consoles lit up. On the screen was a starfield, like any other Frank had ever seen.
A bleeping noise on the comms display caused him to turn his head around. The cadet there spoke up, adjusting her audio 'earring' while she did so. "Captain, I'm receiving a distress signal from a civilian vessel nearby. Audio only."
"Put it on speakers, cadet." Frank Treliani shifted in his chair a little. The bridge speakers came on, with very strong hiss and he could hardly work out what the ship in distress was saying. "Increase the signal gain." He ordered. After a few seconds, the message came through clearer, but not much clearer.
"Enterprise, this is Kobayashi Maru. We have… -sualties. Hull breaches in many sectio-… …attack by Klin… need assista-…-rgen-…" The signal started to break up.
The comms officer spoke into her microphone. "Kobayashi Maru, this is Enterprise. Your signal is breaking up. Give us your co-ordinates please."
"Copy, Enterprise, sector ten…" The signal was lost. The comms officer shook her head at Cadet Treliani.
"Sector ten is in the Klingon Neutral Zone. Science - pull up any files on the Kobayashi Maru."
The Andorian officer at the LCARS console, who Treliani suspected was a veteran officer 'plant', pressed some of the touchpads on his console. "Aye sir. Third class neutronic fuel carrier, seventy crew, three hundred civilian passengers. They have very basic shields, captain."
Treliani considered all of this. "Helm, set a course for the closest point of Federation space to their position, maximum warp."
"Course plotted. Warp 9.1" Said Cadet Jillian Gateshead at the helm.
"Engage. Science, was the Kobayashi Maru scheduled to be in this sector?"
"Uncertain, captain. The Kobayashi Maru did not log an official itinerary plan with the Federation.
"Where was it last reported?" Treliani had to consider the possibility that this was a trap by the Klingons, and that, although there was a freighter by that name, it was not there.
"Starbase 12, three months ago." That was no help then. In three months it could have been anywhere in the Federation. Cadet Treliani shifted tack and decided that regulations suggested that he had to assume there was a freighter there until he could prove otherwise.
"Sickbay," He pressed the comm button on the arm of his chair. "Prepare for receiving of up to 370 patients from the Kobayashi Maru, and possible battle casualties. There is the possibility that we will have to engage a Klingon battle group."
"Sickbay, we copy you."
"Comms, do we have any civilians aboard the Enterprise?"
"Yes sir, three humans."
"Assign them a qualified shuttle pilot and give them one of the warp shuttles. Tell them to head for the nearest Starbase." At least now, even if the Enterprise were attacked, the only casualties would be military.
"Aye, sir."
Frank motioned for the yeoman to come over. He had him press the record button for the ship's log.
"Captain's log, supplemental. We have received a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru, inside the neutral zone. Apparently, they have been attacked by Klingons and are in need of assistance. However, I am not certain whether this is real or a ruse by the Klingons to tempt the Enterprise into the neutral zone, where it can be attacked. Regulations, however, state that I must consider the distress call genuine unless I can prove otherwise. Therefore I have evacuated the ship of civilians and plan to send probes into the neutral zone for reconnaissance when we reach it's edge."
"Captain, we are at the edge of the neutral zone."
"All stop, cadet."
"All stop, aye, Captain."
"Yellow alert, raise deflectors."
"Aye, sir."
Now we could get down to business, Treliani thought. "Science, launch all appropriate probes and give extra power to sensors, see if you can find the Kobayashi Maru, or any Klingons."
"Aye, Captain." The Andorian officer bent over his board and the cadet at the second science station also got to work. "Receiving probe telemetry, shows recent disrupter fire and the Kobayashi Maru. It is dead in space, but life support is still online in some sections." Treliani considered this. It could still be a trap, but the odds on that were slowly decreasing. However, it was still a dangerous situation.
"All reserve power to shields and sensors. Helm, move us in, warp two. Comms, start broadcasting that we are on a rescue mission, use subspace, emergency, EM and local Klingon channels. Also use our running and signal lights, anything. I want there to be no mistake about our intentions, Klingons will see no honour in destroying a rescue ship."
"Yes, captain." She said, and started to set up the broadcasts. "This is the Federation Starship Enterprise. We are on a mission of mercy, repeat, we are on a mission of mercy. We are attempting to rescue survivors of a freighter, and do not intend to violate Klingon territory." And so on, thought Treliani to himself.
"Engineering, Helm, Weapons, co-ordinate. I want to be able to drop our shields the moment we get there, beam the survivors to sickbay and then raise our shields and warp out of here, warp 7. Also, scan the biosignatures, I don't want to beam over a horde of Klingon mercenaries. Assign a security detail to Sickbay, just in case." A flurry of 'yes sirs' later, helm announced that they were within transporter range of the vessel.
"Science, full scan. Check for exhaust from cloaked vessels."
"Readings indeterminate, none within weapons rage, though." Thank heavens for small mercies, then.
"Shields down. Transporters, now!"
"Estimate operation will take thirty seconds." The engineering cadet said.
The science station started beeping. "Captain! Five Klingon Battlecruisers decloaking, bearing one-oh-nine, mark negative 2. Estimate weapons rage in twenty seconds." Treliani started to worry. How could he save two-thirds of the survivors and leave the rest? Five Battlecruisers were more than a match for the Enterprise. He had to make a decision. There were 430 people on the Enterprise, plus over a hundred survivors they could get in time.
"We'll only be able to get sixty percent in time, so lock on to the strongest lifesigns, with the most survival potential." Gasps from around the bridge. He knew it was cruel, but so was space. He probably wasn't that far away from being a Kodos. Fifteen seconds later, time. "Raise shields, Red alert, power weapons. Helm, maximum warp back to Federation space." He could see the Klingons below Enterprise, their weapons ports glowing bright green.
"Aye sir." The Enterprise leapt into warp, while being rocked with disrupter fire. The science station exploded in a flurry of sparks, and the Andorian fell to the deck, covered in copious amounts of cloned blood. Treliani hadn't realised the simulation was this realistic.
"Sickbay, send a medic to the bridge!"
"Klingons decloaking dead ahead, Captain!" The assistant science cadet looked shaken by the 'death' of his colleague.
"Helm, evasive action, keep our strongest shields to them. Tactical, fire a salvo of torpedoes, maximum yield, then use the phasers to destroy their weapons arrays." A stream of bright red photon torpedoes leapt out of the forward and rear torpedo tubes, engulfing three Klingon ships completely. Not bad, there were still four left though, and the Enterprise was low on torpedoes. The Klingons fired, and the Enterprise shuddered. Smoke billowed around the bridge, making it hard to see. "Computer, activate vents." The smoke began to clear, slowly. "Sickbay, where is that medic? Sickbay? Sickbay, respond!" No answer.
"Sir," said the engineering cadet, "That deck is open to space, we have no shields, no power!"
Another barrage hit the Enterprise, darkening the bridge lights, and, for a second, in the light burst from a fused relay, he could see that all his bridge crew were 'casualties'. He manually launched the log buoy, the last desperate act of all to many Starfleet officers, and gave the order to abandon ship.
"End simulation." The computer voice said. The lights sprang back on, the consoles deactivated and, bizarrely, the crew picked themselves off the floor, wiped off dust and fake blood and started joking with each other.
The viewscreen split down the middle, and the Commandant appeared.
"Not bad, Cadet Treliani. Not bad at all. We'll have to discuss why you left those fifty survivors at debriefing in three hours though. Meanwhile, clean yourself up."
Frank Treliani looked down at himself and saw that his trouser leg was soaked in fake Andorian blood, and the white bits of his shirt plastered with soot. He picked himself up, though, and got on commiserating with his fellow shipmates. He walked up to the Andorian.
"You were a plant, weren't you, cadet? Or should I be saying 'sir'?"
The Andorian looked confused. "No, I'm not. Whatever gave you that idea?"
"I'll tell you over a glass of root beer in the cadet's lounge along with everybody else, then."
"What's 'root beer'?"
Kobayashi Maru
Kobayashi Maru, Take One (pre-Star Trek II era)
Starfleet Academy Command Simulator
Cadet Frank Treliani, of New York State, Earth sat down in the mock-up bridge command chair. Around him, the other cadets and the more experienced officers they put in to make the test more interesting were checking their consoles and quietly speaking to each other.
"Attention" Barked the computer. "Starfleet Academy Command Test will now commence."
The screen and the monitors above the consoles lit up. On the screen was a starfield, like any other Frank had ever seen.
A bleeping noise on the comms display caused him to turn his head around. The cadet there spoke up, adjusting her audio 'earring' while she did so. "Captain, I'm receiving a distress signal from a civilian vessel nearby. Audio only."
"Put it on speakers, cadet." Frank Treliani shifted in his chair a little. The bridge speakers came on, with very strong hiss and he could hardly work out what the ship in distress was saying. "Increase the signal gain." He ordered. After a few seconds, the message came through clearer, but not much clearer.
"Enterprise, this is Kobayashi Maru. We have… -sualties. Hull breaches in many sectio-… …attack by Klin… need assista-…-rgen-…" The signal started to break up.
The comms officer spoke into her microphone. "Kobayashi Maru, this is Enterprise. Your signal is breaking up. Give us your co-ordinates please."
"Copy, Enterprise, sector ten…" The signal was lost. The comms officer shook her head at Cadet Treliani.
"Sector ten is in the Klingon Neutral Zone. Science - pull up any files on the Kobayashi Maru."
The Andorian officer at the LCARS console, who Treliani suspected was a veteran officer 'plant', pressed some of the touchpads on his console. "Aye sir. Third class neutronic fuel carrier, seventy crew, three hundred civilian passengers. They have very basic shields, captain."
Treliani considered all of this. "Helm, set a course for the closest point of Federation space to their position, maximum warp."
"Course plotted. Warp 9.1" Said Cadet Jillian Gateshead at the helm.
"Engage. Science, was the Kobayashi Maru scheduled to be in this sector?"
"Uncertain, captain. The Kobayashi Maru did not log an official itinerary plan with the Federation.
"Where was it last reported?" Treliani had to consider the possibility that this was a trap by the Klingons, and that, although there was a freighter by that name, it was not there.
"Starbase 12, three months ago." That was no help then. In three months it could have been anywhere in the Federation. Cadet Treliani shifted tack and decided that regulations suggested that he had to assume there was a freighter there until he could prove otherwise.
"Sickbay," He pressed the comm button on the arm of his chair. "Prepare for receiving of up to 370 patients from the Kobayashi Maru, and possible battle casualties. There is the possibility that we will have to engage a Klingon battle group."
"Sickbay, we copy you."
"Comms, do we have any civilians aboard the Enterprise?"
"Yes sir, three humans."
"Assign them a qualified shuttle pilot and give them one of the warp shuttles. Tell them to head for the nearest Starbase." At least now, even if the Enterprise were attacked, the only casualties would be military.
"Aye, sir."
Frank motioned for the yeoman to come over. He had him press the record button for the ship's log.
"Captain's log, supplemental. We have received a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru, inside the neutral zone. Apparently, they have been attacked by Klingons and are in need of assistance. However, I am not certain whether this is real or a ruse by the Klingons to tempt the Enterprise into the neutral zone, where it can be attacked. Regulations, however, state that I must consider the distress call genuine unless I can prove otherwise. Therefore I have evacuated the ship of civilians and plan to send probes into the neutral zone for reconnaissance when we reach it's edge."
"Captain, we are at the edge of the neutral zone."
"All stop, cadet."
"All stop, aye, Captain."
"Yellow alert, raise deflectors."
"Aye, sir."
Now we could get down to business, Treliani thought. "Science, launch all appropriate probes and give extra power to sensors, see if you can find the Kobayashi Maru, or any Klingons."
"Aye, Captain." The Andorian officer bent over his board and the cadet at the second science station also got to work. "Receiving probe telemetry, shows recent disrupter fire and the Kobayashi Maru. It is dead in space, but life support is still online in some sections." Treliani considered this. It could still be a trap, but the odds on that were slowly decreasing. However, it was still a dangerous situation.
"All reserve power to shields and sensors. Helm, move us in, warp two. Comms, start broadcasting that we are on a rescue mission, use subspace, emergency, EM and local Klingon channels. Also use our running and signal lights, anything. I want there to be no mistake about our intentions, Klingons will see no honour in destroying a rescue ship."
"Yes, captain." She said, and started to set up the broadcasts. "This is the Federation Starship Enterprise. We are on a mission of mercy, repeat, we are on a mission of mercy. We are attempting to rescue survivors of a freighter, and do not intend to violate Klingon territory." And so on, thought Treliani to himself.
"Engineering, Helm, Weapons, co-ordinate. I want to be able to drop our shields the moment we get there, beam the survivors to sickbay and then raise our shields and warp out of here, warp 7. Also, scan the biosignatures, I don't want to beam over a horde of Klingon mercenaries. Assign a security detail to Sickbay, just in case." A flurry of 'yes sirs' later, helm announced that they were within transporter range of the vessel.
"Science, full scan. Check for exhaust from cloaked vessels."
"Readings indeterminate, none within weapons rage, though." Thank heavens for small mercies, then.
"Shields down. Transporters, now!"
"Estimate operation will take thirty seconds." The engineering cadet said.
The science station started beeping. "Captain! Five Klingon Battlecruisers decloaking, bearing one-oh-nine, mark negative 2. Estimate weapons rage in twenty seconds." Treliani started to worry. How could he save two-thirds of the survivors and leave the rest? Five Battlecruisers were more than a match for the Enterprise. He had to make a decision. There were 430 people on the Enterprise, plus over a hundred survivors they could get in time.
"We'll only be able to get sixty percent in time, so lock on to the strongest lifesigns, with the most survival potential." Gasps from around the bridge. He knew it was cruel, but so was space. He probably wasn't that far away from being a Kodos. Fifteen seconds later, time. "Raise shields, Red alert, power weapons. Helm, maximum warp back to Federation space." He could see the Klingons below Enterprise, their weapons ports glowing bright green.
"Aye sir." The Enterprise leapt into warp, while being rocked with disrupter fire. The science station exploded in a flurry of sparks, and the Andorian fell to the deck, covered in copious amounts of cloned blood. Treliani hadn't realised the simulation was this realistic.
"Sickbay, send a medic to the bridge!"
"Klingons decloaking dead ahead, Captain!" The assistant science cadet looked shaken by the 'death' of his colleague.
"Helm, evasive action, keep our strongest shields to them. Tactical, fire a salvo of torpedoes, maximum yield, then use the phasers to destroy their weapons arrays." A stream of bright red photon torpedoes leapt out of the forward and rear torpedo tubes, engulfing three Klingon ships completely. Not bad, there were still four left though, and the Enterprise was low on torpedoes. The Klingons fired, and the Enterprise shuddered. Smoke billowed around the bridge, making it hard to see. "Computer, activate vents." The smoke began to clear, slowly. "Sickbay, where is that medic? Sickbay? Sickbay, respond!" No answer.
"Sir," said the engineering cadet, "That deck is open to space, we have no shields, no power!"
Another barrage hit the Enterprise, darkening the bridge lights, and, for a second, in the light burst from a fused relay, he could see that all his bridge crew were 'casualties'. He manually launched the log buoy, the last desperate act of all to many Starfleet officers, and gave the order to abandon ship.
"End simulation." The computer voice said. The lights sprang back on, the consoles deactivated and, bizarrely, the crew picked themselves off the floor, wiped off dust and fake blood and started joking with each other.
The viewscreen split down the middle, and the Commandant appeared.
"Not bad, Cadet Treliani. Not bad at all. We'll have to discuss why you left those fifty survivors at debriefing in three hours though. Meanwhile, clean yourself up."
Frank Treliani looked down at himself and saw that his trouser leg was soaked in fake Andorian blood, and the white bits of his shirt plastered with soot. He picked himself up, though, and got on commiserating with his fellow shipmates. He walked up to the Andorian.
"You were a plant, weren't you, cadet? Or should I be saying 'sir'?"
The Andorian looked confused. "No, I'm not. Whatever gave you that idea?"
"I'll tell you over a glass of root beer in the cadet's lounge along with everybody else, then."
"What's 'root beer'?"