Star Trek: Birthright
Story 1: Shakedown
Disclaimer: Paramount and Viacom hold exclusive rights to all characters and story elements associated with the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. The following story has been created for entertainment purposes only, and no profit has been made by the author.
Genre: Adventure/Romance, Series Rewrite, TnT
Note: Not quite an homage to the guys over at Star Trek: Foundations, but written in the same spirit. There are inherent similarities in any series rewrite that attempts to address problems in the source material. Enterprise was promoted as a series laying the groundwork for all the tech and politics of the Federation in Kirk's time. Transporters were untrustworthy, there were no phasers, no shields, no replicators. Certain technological marvels that only multiple species laboring together would bring about should not yet exist. Instead, we received a series with safer transporters than Kirk's (no accidental traveling across universes for Archer), phasers called phase pistols, shields called hull plating, and replicators called protein re-sequencers. There's even a Vulcan science officer/XO who has her own Amok Time. Nothing wrong with those similarities, but I'd like to see the no frills universe I thought I was getting. (I believe Foundations seeks to correct a few of the specific problems I mentioned). And I'd like to see the ship's resident Vulcan as something other than a female version of Spock. Therefore, in my version T'Pol is neither first officer (Even if her Vulcan rank superceded Trip's UESPA rank--and I challenge the validity of that statement--it was still a Vulcan rank and had little meaning on a Terran ship), nor a science officer. Again, nothing wrong with that, but we've seen it before. Birthright's T'Pol is retired from the Vulcan military after having rendered the service compensatory for all able bodied Vulcans, and is currently a diplomat, Enterprise's liaison with the Vulcan government. She has as much authority on the ship as a representative of a foreign government would have on a US Naval vessel, which is to say, not a lot.
Note 2: UESPA is in my mind more akin to NASA than a military organization. Historically, more NASA astronauts have had a background in the Air Force than the Navy. Should this trend continue, it seems likely that a yet to be created independent Space Probe Agency will employ an Air Force rank structure (Colonel, Lt. Colonel, etc.) rather than a Naval one (Captain, Commander, etc.). I considered utilizing such a structure for UESPA, but ultimately chose to retain the more familiar Trek Naval System. "Colonel Archer," though perhaps more likely, would appear unnatural to the reader.3. Enterprise's military contingent, known on the show as "MACOs," are herein called simply "Marines" and employ a US Marine rank structure. This squad, however, is referred to by the nickname "Macos." Think of the famed World War II Easy Company.
4. There is no Starfleet. UESPA has a fleet of Warp 3 and 4 capable ships, but Starfleet is a Federation term.
5. It's a big universe out there, and Birthright will reflect this. Characters will be promoted and reassigned, and new ones will take their places. Just because a character leaves Enterprise, it does not mean he will leave the story. There will be as much action on Earth and Vulcan as there will be on the ship. T'Pol's family will be featured prominently from the start.
6. Major storylines will be revisited, and resolved in different ways. Why recount something the audience has already seen unless a new spin is placed on it? This is not "What if Trip had remained First Officer of the Enterprise?" Events of season four may be transferred to season one and vice verse, or they may be thrown out all together. A Trip-centric event may be revised with Malcolm as a the central character. Still, my favorite characters are Trip and T'Pol, so they will feature prominently in the story.
╠╦╩╦╣╠╦╩╦╣╠╦╩╦╣Star Trek: Birthright
Story 1: Shakedown
UES Palmyra
Sector 014
1 April 2151
17:58 UTC
When he had confirmed the ship's spatial coordinates, the Captain took a moment and scrutinized its bridge crew. Their faces, or in the case of the helm officer the back of his head, brought to mind their individual strengths and weaknesses. They were not UESPA's best, nor did this mission require them to be.
At just after 18:00 hours the ship would deploy the last of eight subspace amplifiers designed to extend Earth's effective communications range well into the region of space the Vulcans called the Beta Quadrant. Soon after, the Captain's words would be piped into every home, every classroom, every public address system on Earth seconds after he spoke them. No more seventeen minute delays as compressed data streams raced across the light years. For two minutes, he would communicate near instantly at a distance farther from home than any human ever had.
Were he an optimist, he might have been tempted to believe those two minutes would secure his place in history, that his remarks would make the documentaries alongside the footage from Apollo 11, NASA's Enterprise rolling onto the tarmac at Cape Kennedy, and Cochrane's speech at the groundbreaking of the Warp Five Complex. But Captain Dominic Gardner was not an optimist. Barring unforeseen damage to Palmyra's warp three engines, its crew could expect to return to Earth in just under a year; and Gardner knew the planet would forget his words long before it welcomed him home.
Yet his superiors at United Earth Space Probe Agency still expected a speech worthy of the history books, or at least one that would play well to the press. Try as he might, though, he could think of nothing fitting to say. The mission had been thoroughly and unremarkably routine. No major complications, no system malfunctions, no harrowing near misses to inspire the masses. Nothing for Gardner to rely on save his own thoughts. He almost sighed. History's most famous astronaut had captured the mood of his mission in a single quotable sentence. Gardner's own words were often terse, but seldom quotable. Neil Armstrong, he was not.
That's one small step...
Deploying this last amplifier was indeed a small step. The giant leap would come in six months' time, and would be taken by another ship, another crew. The launch of Archer's Enterprise would outshine every one of the NX program's previous achievements. Frankly, it should. Enterprise would top out at just over warp five if the gents at Warp Development weren't exaggerating. The distance Palmyra had taken a year to travel, Enterprise could cover in seventy days. Gardner was only laying the road; Archer would travel it.
Gardner was, he reflected in a sudden burst of Sunday-school-fueled insight, John the Baptist to Archer's Jesus Christ. And like the Baptist, he would fade willingly into the limelight once his task was complete. He only hoped he'd get to keep his head.
The voice of his science officer broke in on his brooding. "Captain, we have arrived."
Gardner did not bother with eye contact, only bobbed his head in the direction of the science station. He spoke rapidly, not specifying to which station he was directing each order. The crew knew their jobs. "Full stop. Scan the system for hostiles. Prepare for deployment." Unspoken were his standing orders whenever coming out of warp: Polarize the hull plating and bring weapons on line. Just in case.
"Sir," Commander Hernandez said, "I have a Denobulan light cruiser on long range sensors. Vulcan database lists the race as 'gregarious.'"
"Could've just called them 'friendly,'" the science officer muttered.
Gardner noted the outburst and filed it away for mention on the lieutenant's next performance evaluation. Engaged in idle talk while on duty.
Returning his attention to Hernandez, he said, "Are they heading our way?"
"No, sir," she said. "The Denobulans have not altered course since our arrival. They will exit sensor range in three...two...I've lost them, sir."
"So much for 'friendly.'" The science officer muttered again.
"Culture isn't your department, Lieutenant," Gardner said. "Keep the comments to yourself." He interrupted the lieutenant's hasty apology. "Anything else in range?"
"Nothing, sir."
"Weapons on standby, then. Depolarize hull plating." Gardner let his gaze linger on the Commander. Erika Hernandez was tactical officer on a ship that seldom needed one. She was also Palmyra's XO, and the lightened tactical duties allowed plenty of time to focus on learning the rigors of command. Though not a listed mission objective, Gardner knew grooming Hernandez for the captaincy was nearly as important to his superiors as setting up the subspace communications system. He could not foresee a future in which she would not soon exchange the red piping of ship's services for the gold of command.
"Subspace amplifier is ready, sir," came the shaky voice of the lieutenant.
"Deploy when ready."
Automatically, the image on the forward view screen dissolved to be replaced by the camera feed from the depressurized cargo bay. A crane arm grasped the cylindrical amplifier, and when the magnetic catches mooring it to the floor released, the arm lifted it slowly, almost hesitantly through the open bay doors. Its cargo away, the arm retracted. The amplifier drifted, and just before the bay doors resealed, blocking it from view, fired its stabilizer jets for the first time.
The next few minutes were spent on final preparation: gauging signal strength, testing security protocols, and for the Captain, composing a short, rousing, cliché-ridden speech. When all stations reported ready, Gardner took a breath and ordered a connection to be established.
For a moment just long enough to wonder whether something had gone wrong, the screen remained black. Then Admiral Forrest's smiling face appeared on screen. "Greetings from home, Palmyra. I trust the connection is holding steady." Receiving confirmation, he continued, "Good, good. The people of Earth are eager to hear from you. Are you ready, Dominic?"
Gardner's jaw twitched at the breach of decorum, and Forrest had the good grace to look abashed. The two had served together long enough for Forrest to become aware of Gardner's zealous adherence to protocol. First names were fine for private channels, but as far as Gardner was concerned, once he stepped on the bridge he had no first name. Still, it wouldn't do to correct a superior officer. He nodded, before remembering to reply verbally. "Yes, sir."
The colleagues exchanged pleasantries, or what passed for pleasantries for the Captain a few moments longer while the Palmyra's feed was routed to Earth's news networks. "All right, Captain," he said at last, emphasizing the rank more heavily than necessary, and if Gardner knew the Admiral as well as he thought he did more heavily than intended, "You're on."
"Greetings, people of Earth, and our distinguished non-Terran guests. Today is a momentous day for us all as we take one more small step on our tentative trek into the stars." So far, so good, Gardner realized. Sure, the phrase "momentous day" was overused in speeches like this, but he doubted anyone would call him on it. Today might turn out well after all. He almost allowed himself to be an optimist as he continued his speech. He got out all of five words before he lost his footing and struck his head against the arm of his command chair. Blood clouded his vision. He dimly registered Hernandez shouting a warning before explosive sparks lit up the bridge. Too bright. He closed his eyes.
Fire-suppression systems activated, and the water felt cool on his cheek.
Duty demanded he open his eyes. Protocol demanded, and briefly he obeyed. But they fluttered closed again. He mentally shrugged. At least he had tried. Now sleep. His last thought before succumbing to the blackness was that he'd not need to mention the science officer's bad behavior on his next evaluation. The lieutenant was already dead. Lieutenant...Lieutenant...
Maybe it was his blood loss or the concussion he must surely have, but for the life of him he couldn't recall the lieutenant's name. And that made him unbearably sad.
TBC
╠╦╩╦╣╠╦╩╦╣╠╦╩╦╣Cast of Characters
NX-101 ENTERPRISE PERSONNEL
Commanding Officer: Jonathan Archer, CAPT
Executive Officer / Chief Engineer: Charles Tucker III, CDR
Chief Science Officer: Gregory Matthews, LCDR, 3IC
Chief Tactical Officer: Malcolm Reed, LT, 4IC
Chief Cultural and Linguistics Officer: Hoshi Sato, LT
Asst. Chief Engineer: Clara Hess, LT
Helm: Travis Mayweather, ENS
Senior Military Officer: Jeremy Hayes, Maj
Marine: Carlos Tudyk, GySgt
Marine: Amanda Cole, Cpl
Chief Medical Officer: Phlox
Vulcan Liaison: T'Pol, SCDR Vulcan Military (Inactive)
Chef: Marcus De La Croix
CGS-089 PALMYRA PERSONNEL
Commanding Officer: Dominic Gardner, CAPT
Executive Officer: Erika Hernandez, CDR
UESPA COMMAND / VULCAN COMPOUND, SAN FRANCISO
Head of NX Program: Maxwell Forrest, RADM
Head of Special Projects: Arthur Black, CAPT
Head of Warp Development: William Matt Jeffries, CAPT
Warp Development Team Member: David Kelby, LCDR
Aide to Admiral Forrest: Folarin Onafowokan, LT
Vulcan Ambassador: Soval
First Secretary: T'Kin
Second Secretary: Xoss
VULCAN HOMEWORLD
Administrator of the High Command: V'Las
Member of the High Command: Kuvak, Minister
Aide to Administrator V'Las: Dradox
(husband to T'Les; father to T'Pol)
Chair of Biology, Vulcan Science Academy: T'Les
(wife to Dradox; mother to T'Pol)
Characters appearing for the first time in this fiction include:
LCDR Gregory Matthews
GySgt Carlos Tudyk
LT Folarin Onafowokan
Xoss
T'Kin
Such characters should not be considered part of Star Trek canon. But then, nothing in this fiction is part of Trek canon, is it?
Other characters herein exist in canon, but do not appear on screen, remain wholly or partially unnamed, or both.
First names have been invented for these characters in this fiction:
Arthur Black
Dominic Gardner
Jeremy Hayes (Canon establishes his first initial as "J.")
Clara Hess
William Matt Jeffries (Canon seems to establish his initials as "W.M.")
A complete name has been given to Chef: Marcus De La Croix, and to T'Pol's father: Dradox. Both characters are mentioned in the series, but do not appear on screen.
Certain familial relationships in this fiction may not reflect the relationships as presented in the series.
