NEED TO KNOW
Star Trek Date: 2383 (4years after Nemesis)
BSG Dater: 5 years after season 2
A lot of my story of the Voyager crew and characters are taken from Homecoming by Christie Golden. It is a great read and I highly recommend it. Christie, I hope you don't mind.
/\ Chapter One: Far Across the Stars /\
The sun was well on its way to noon. The beautiful skyline of San Francisco held a glint of hope in every person that looked at her. The population of the city was scrambling about, going to and from lunch. Everything was a tranquil median between nature and technology.
San Francisco is the Headquarters of Starfleet. Starfleet is the military of the United Federation of Planets. Its not just any military, this military devotes itself to exploration of the galaxy first, and protection of the Federation second. The highest standards of morals are enforced, and greed, disease and poverty are all but gone.
The people in the Alpha quadrant thrive to live on Earth. The planet is a symbol for peace and prosperity in the Universe. Earth itself is the most unique planet in the quadrant. It houses every form of environment possible and has one of the most elaborate defense systems anywhere.
The streets of the city were packed with people. Maneuvering from point A to point B was tricky. Long ago the streets were reserved for vehicles with internal combustion engines, now they were sidewalks. An occasional antique car would roll around, taking tourists for rides, and the old horse and carriage was everywhere.
Shops, restaurants and eateries lined the streets. Holobars, Holoclubs, Holodecks, Holo-everything was everywhere. In a world where people can have anything, people imagined some pretty amazing things. Also, in a world where people were working to better themselves, no one had time to work in a restaurant or a bar so Holotechnology ran rapid.
Down back alleys and through dark corridors were transporter sites. Designers thought best to add high tech areas in back places to keep them out of view, but the signs of a transporter and an arrow were everywhere.
The subways were actually the only things that still operated in the city. While transporters where popular for long-range distances, many people liked the old way. The train ran right into Starfleet Command.
Starfleet Command acquired seven antique buildings in the northwest side of San Francisco. The largest, and most popular building, had the Starfleet emblem designed into its front. One looking at the building would see a giant Starfleet logo, and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. A person would also see the subway run up from the ground and go into the first floor of the forty one-story building.
That same building housed the main command offices, departmental offices, and Starfleet Command and Control. The surrounding buildings, which ranged between two stories to twenty, housed separate divisions that required much more space, mostly sciences.
The subway station on the first floor, Starfleet Station, was one of the eight hubs in the city. Another train ran underground out and into the building.
Almost noon, most of the Command Staff was out to lunch. In a small Tea Shoppe, in the middle of downtown, an Asian man walked out of his corner store with a cup of Earl Grey. He set it down on the table with a spoon and a napkin. With a smile he said enjoy and walked back inside.
The small Tea Shoppe had a number of tiny two person tables that sat outside. Being summer, the umbrellas were up and shading the area. The woman at the table told the Asian man thank you and took a sip.
Her hair was long, and up in a bun being held with two sticks. She wore a black Starfleet Command uniform with gray shoulders and had three connected pips on both sides of her red neck piece. Her legs were crossed, and she held the cup in one hand, and a PADD in the other.
The view on the PADD was a readout of the Mutara Interdimensional Deep Space Transponder Array and a stasis report on the itinerant pulsar the array uses to communicate with the Delta quadrant.
She took another sip of tea and scrolled through the report. The findings were disturbing. For the past 6 years, since 2377 when Voyager returned home, the MIDAS array was being used to monitor the Borg in the Delta Quadrant and keeping in contact with an old friend. Now the star was growing weaker and the Class-B itinerant pulsar was officially downgraded to a Class-C.
Class-C stars are tagged unstable and they are flagged for collapsing on themselves. This was particularly disturbing because she knew the Federation Deep Space Research committee would pull the array out of the system, and Starfleet was for damn sure not going to let an advanced piece of equipment go.
With out any other Class-B itinerant pulsars in Federation space, she figured that plans were already in the works to turn the array towards the Romulan Empire. She did a quick search. The only other Class-B pulsar was in Cardassian space, and that wasn't good. The shadow of the Dominion was still lurking.
"Admiral, is this seat taken?" asked a tall dark man. He wore a gold collar with three solid gold pips. His pointed ears stuck out amongst the crowd of people going to and fro in the street. He held a hand on the seat in question.
"Tuvok," she said standing up and giving him a hug. She knew this display of personal emotion would embarrass him, but she also knew he wouldn't admit to it. He hugged her back and she motioned for him to sit down. "How is everything at the Academy Professor Tuvok?" she asked smiling.
"It is well," he said with an eyebrow. The Asian man came out to ask if he wanted anything and Tuvok politely nodded his head no. "And how are you Admiral Janeway?"
"I am doing well. Thanks for asking. Its been a few weeks since we last had lunch, I was missing you," she said taking another sip.
Tuvok crossed his legs and folded his hands, "With finals these past weeks, I have been busier than normal, I should have contacted you."
She held up a hand and had a slight smile, "no need Mr. Tuvok. A communicator works both ways, I could have contacted you also. What's important is that we are here now. Lets have lunch."
The two friends had a light lunch. The Asian man made them sandwiches. After he cleaned up the table, he came out with two more cups of Earl Grey. They both sipped them. Tuvok caught whim of the PADD.
"The MIDAS array?"
"What?" She looked at the PADD resting on the table. "Oh, it seems the pulsar might collapse. The Federation is going to move it." She looked off into the distance, saddened by the thought.
Tuvok raised an eyebrow as the implications hit him, "Mr. Neelix?"
She nodded her head and grabbed the PADD and held it to her chest like a bible. "I convinced Starfleet that the array is implemental in monitoring the Borg in the Delta quadrant. Which it is, yet." She looked around and moved closer to Tuvok and whispered, "We have had no contact with the Borg for the past eight months." She looked around, this information was classified, "Preliminary reports have the Borg dwindling in numbers. We have it that the virus we gave the queen has taken its casualties."
Tuvok thought logically, "Wouldn't they have adapted by now, it has been six years?"
"Yes, that's the thing!" She quickly realized her outburst and moved closer. "Neelix did some scouting for us and transmitted back some readings. Apparently a species in the Delta Quadrant modified on the virus."
Tuvok nodded his head, "intriguing."
Janeway moved back to her side of the table. "They are moving the array today."
"What are they going to do with it?"
"The MIDAS array belongs to the FDSR. Starfleet Security is hoping they will sign the array over to them. If that happens, well, I will not even say in an open place."
Tuvok made a guess, "look at our friendly neighbors?"
She nodded. "Since I was transferred to Chief of Staff of Starfleet Personnel, they have kept me out of the loop of what they plan to do with it. Maybe I should have stayed under Admiral Montgomery over in Starfleet Security."
"If you don't mind me asking Admiral, why Personnel?"
She smiled, "I wanted a quiet job."
Tuvok thought for a moment, "It couldn't be because all Staff Chiefs get their own ship?"
"Maybe," she smiled and took another sip of tea.
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Lunch was far over, and 1pm loomed in the air. The two friends said their goodbyes and Janeway made her way back to Starfleet Command. Through a long walk and a trip down a dark ally, Janeway materialized inside Starfleet Command on the first floor, in the lobby.
She made her way in the Turbolift to the twelfth floor. She was the only one in the lift to get out. The doors shut and the lift continued. She walked down a narrow hallway with wooden doors on either side. The last door opened to large open workspace with twenty officers at their desks. Her office was on the other side of the room.
Everyone said the hellos to her and continued working. While Starfleet Personnel was uneventful, they all prided themselves for working under Admiral Janeway, one of the Greats.
PADDS, papers, computers, desks, and viewscreens were everywhere. The Admiral walked up to one of the desks that belonged to an Ensign, or as many of the rumors call him, "the Borg kid."
"Icheb," she said.
He was looking down at a PADD and she startled him. He stood, "Admiral, what can I do for you?"
"Do for me? What about you?" she asked stunned.
"Me? I don't understand?" he asked.
"Your transport leaves today for DS9!"
"Sir, I still had some work to do for,"
She put her hands on her hips, "Ensign stop doing this work, that's an order and report to your apartment to finish packing."
He snapped to attention, "Yes sir!"
She relaxed and smiled. "I am just kidding Mr. Icheb."
He relaxed and smiled, "Its Dr. Icheb."
She raised an eyebrow when he corrected her. "Excuse me?"
He went back to attention, "Nothing sir."
She laughed, "I thought not. Come on, I will walk you to the Transporter Station."
Icheb grabbed a few last PADDS and they walked out of the office and made their way to the Turbolift. "I want to thank you Admiral for allowing me to work for you while I finish my Doctrine. If it hadn't been for you I would have started my mandatory two years on a starship a while ago."
They arrived at the Turbolift. She pressed the button and waited. "Well, I am glad I can help. God knows you helped us many times over. You are going to serve on the Titan?"
"Yes sir." The Turbolift arrived. The two stepped in. "Lobby." The lift beeped and moved down.
"Captain William Riker?" she asks.
"Yes sir," he raised a PADD. "This is a letter I was writing to you and the office. Read for everyone would you?"
"Sure," she smiled. "Captain Riker is a fine man. He contacted me not to long ago and asked some questions about you. Seems he requested you. Well, actually, he wasn't the only one." She added that just to make him feel better about leaving.
The Turbolift stopped and they walked along the huge open lobby to the Transporter Station. The Transporter Station was the only authorized transporter in the area, and it was huge. Operated by humans, not holograms, the transporter was one of the busiest in San Francisco.
They both walked up to the long line of people waiting to use it. By Regulations, she could cut the line if she wanted, but knew that this was a good excuse to talk to Icheb a little longer.
"Who else was there?" he asked, looking for an ego boost.
She smiled. "Captain Picard was admit about getting you. So were Captains Jenkins, Pongs and Winston. They wanted to make sure you got a fair chance. We have lost too many people to the Borg."
"Sir, why then did you choose Riker?" he asked.
"Because CAPTIAN Riker, Ensign, is going to make you a bridge officer."
He blushed at the correction, "Operations Officer?"
She smiled, "I'm not saying a thing."
He gave her another PADD, "I have the report you wanted." He whispered, "Another blimp was detected in Sector 557 in the Beta Quadrant. Subspace Telemetry shows the dispersal of a hundred or so small, highly localized Space-time distortions."
She went over the PADD as the end of the line neared. "They are appearing in a linear path."
"Yes sir," he nodded. "And nearer with each one. If they maintain their present coarse, and judging on their speed based on the last five blimps we have detected, they will appear on the other side of the Romulan border in the next week. And if you notice,"
She finished his sentence with an intriguing smile, "With every blimp we detect, its getting closer and we learn more. This is amazing. I wonder if the Romulans are investigating?"
He raised an eyebrow and leaned in to whisper, "I did some checking sir, I hope your not angry, but the Romulan Navy is reinforcing that section of the border. Preliminary reports believe they are a fleet of ships, and if you make a path with their coarse,"
She pressed a few buttons on the PADD and saw it, "They are on a rough path to Sector 005."
"Which is in Federation Space." It was Icheb's turn and he walked up on the Turbolift. He gave the operator his address. "I hope this helps Admiral."
"It will, and thank you!" she smiled. The transporter energized.
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With Icheb gone, her resident genius was gone also. It was just killing her about what was happening in the Beta quadrant. Initially, Starfleet intelligence detected the first blimp four months ago while on a classified deep space assignment in the Beta quadrant. Since then Federation Deep Space Research has been investigating.
While the assets of FDSR are limited, they are quite advanced. She has been trying hard, over in Personnel, to give them all the resources they need. Her passion for science and exploration drives her ambition. The only hindrance on investigating the blimps was Admiral Kenneth Montgomery.
Admiral Montgomery is the Chief of Staff of Federation Security. Numerous department heads report to him, including Starfleet Intelligence and Starfleet Security. He only reports to the Federation Security Council, made up of elected officials, and ultimately the President of the Federation. He is by far a powerful man and outranks her by a pip. While he is stern and by the book, overall Admiral Montgomery is a good man and Janeway respects and calls him her friend.
One of the many problems with Montgomery was that he gives Starfleet Intelligence everything they want, not what they need. To her dismay this was going to include the MIDAS array when FDSR signs it over to him. When she worked under him, she saw how he let the Security and Intelligence departments run-a-monk and while this wasn't entirely a bad thing, it was disturbing.
She transferred out from under him due to the amount of clashing they had been doing while working together. The Dominion war had raged havoc in the Federation. Losses were staggering and Starfleet is still not what it once was. So far, ships and personnel were only at sixty percent of the Federation's top numbers ten years ago.
Admiral Janeway concentrated on the ideal values Starfleet and the Federation were founded on, exploration and the betterment of mankind. Admiral Montgomery concentrated on the protection and technological advancement of the fleet. He helped her get the Staff Chief job, and she took it. This way, she had her own ship again.
She decided to take a walk over to the Federation Deep Space Research Department. The FDSR was in a building not to far away. The walk was brisk and took only minutes. Inside the three story building was nothing more than a single door that requested a security code.
Her code was more than enough to get her in. Inside the room it was dark. Her eyes took a moment to adjust and when they did she was taken back. As always, the view of the gigantic room was amazing, but what she loved was how the ceiling of the starship sized room was a holographic star chart of the galaxy.
In one corner of the room scientist were working at LCARS terminals and looking up at the hologram. Their section of space zoomed in on the system they seemed to be working on. From the looks of things, the young men were charting a stellar body.
In another side of the room, a young Bajoran woman tried hard to better analyze a Class-Y planet. Janeway walked by the young woman's terminal. She recognized the planet and the section of space she was working on, the Delta quadrant. A smile came to Janeway's face at the thought of the seven-year journey she once had.
Looking straight ahead she found the man in the blue and gray she was looking for, Lieutenant Commander Ryan Cody. Commander Cody was her next resident genius. He was part of the team responsible for the creation of the MIDAS array, and she knew he would be willing to do what she wanted.
Cody was a relatively young man in her eyes. The Dominion War promoted a lot of people very early. He was only twenty-eight and just a child in her eyes, but she read his file and saw it for her self that Cody earned his rank. His smooth round face said he was immature and inexperienced, but his demeanor and command abilities spoke to quite the contrary.
Commander Cody was hovering over some very young Ensigns who were trying desperately to analyze a quadruple star system. She saw instantly that the radiation being emitted by the four stars was causing the degrading signal between the probe in the system and here. She knew if they would only switch to a higher frequency and activated the secondary admitters on the probe, the signal would strengthen by half.
Cody knew it also but left it up to them to figure out. He was pacing back and forth and throwing out several hints here and there to help them. She loved by the way he would teach by doing then by lecture. Cody turned on his heel and began to pace back when he saw her. He smiled and began to walk up to her.
She smiled and held the two PADDs Icheb gave her. "Ryan!"
"Admiral Janeway, what a pleasant surprise!" he shook her hand. "I must say sir that we are kind of disappointed you didn't come over to FDSR."
She held her head down and looked back up with a half smile, "I know, I am sorry about that. I spoke to Admiral T'Pol about it, needless to say he said no."
Cody smiled, "What can we help you with today sir?"
She held up the PADD Icheb gave her. "The MIDAS array."
Cody's smile faded. The MIDAS array was his life's work. The Federation built it and it belonged to them. He was more than happy that the array helped in the Pathfinder Project in finding Voyager and he loved how it was being used to study the Delta Quadrant.
What he didn't mind was how Federation Security was using the array to monitor the Borg. Now he hated how his superiors were going to give the array to Federation Security now that communication and study of the Delta quadrant was no longer available.
"The MIDAS array," said Cody with a sarcastic smirk.
Janeway understood how the comment was in no way intended towards her. "I need a favor Ryan."
He cocked an eye at her, "What can I do for you Admiral?"
She gave him the PADD with the blimps of the Space-time distortions. "I need a closer look, and before the array is given to Montgomery, I was hoping you would use it for one more scientific purpose?"
He looked at the PADD. "Admiral, the pulsar is too weak to create a micro-wormhole. I don't know how. . ." He got it.
She smiled.
Cody smiled and walked quickly to a nearby terminal. He sat down and pulled the LCARS interface closer to him. His swift interaction between him and the panel caused his students and the other officers to gather around and watch.
Janeway looked up at the terminal they were at. In the starship-sized room, they seemed to be directly under the holographic representation of Sector 557 in the Beta quadrant. A separate holographic screen popped up and it was clearly the MIDAS array.
By now, the group of people gathered around him and the Admiral had grown into a crowd of young students. "Admiral," said Cody, "I need a level 4 clearance to move it. Your authorization code should do."
She smiled, "computer, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway. Level four authorization: seven-four-beta-five."
The terminal beeped and the Computer spoke, "Level four authorization recognized."
"Alright, I am activating the subspace engines on the array and moving it away from the system." Cody waited for a second signal from the terminal informing him of such. "Y'all get back to work!" yelled Cody at the students lingering about. She loved his Texas accent.
The computer responded with a beep. Cody smiled and interfaced the PADD with the terminal. "I am redirecting the array and focusing in on the targeted coordinates."
Janeway looked up at the holographic representation. The spatial area kept zooming in on Sector 557. "The report has the blimps currently in grid two-nine-five-eight," said Janeway.
"I am well ahead of you sir," said Cody deep in thought. "Ah, here we go." Finally a readout of the grid popped up, as did the holographic ceiling. "I am getting preliminary readings."
Janeway sat at the neighboring terminal and helped him. She tried to zoom in on one of the space-time distortions. "So far I am detecting no warp signatures, yet I think this is a few thousand life signs."
Cody helped her out, "Standby." After a few moments, "I am reading well over sixty thousand life signs." He analized the readings, "How is this possible? If you trace the last few blimps. . . they have traveled over twenty sectors in less than four weeks." He looked over to her, "that's faster than anything we have."
"But no warp signatures," said Janeway.
A wave of static ran over their monitors and the holographic representation began to fade out. "I'm losing the link."
Janeway began to panic and she worked quickly to stabilize it, "My access has been terminated."
"Mine too," said Cody. The computer beeped, "Admiral T'Pol is hailing.
"Put it on this terminal," said Janeway.
The Vulcan's head popped up. He was only a Rear Admiral Upper Half. "Admiral Janeway, I am sorry but the Federation Deep Space Research Department just gave the MIDAS array to Federation Security."
She scuffed and sighed. "T'Pol, we need the array for another few days, is there. . ."
He cut her off, "no there isn't." The connection terminated.
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Later that day the Admiral sat in her glass office and sipped her tea. She looked out the window and watched the sun set next to the Golden Gate Bridge. She pondered. The decisions she would make in the next few hours would be significant. Little did she know what that the repercussions of those actions would cause.
She swiveled her chair around and pressed a few buttons on the computer. She slapped her comm. badge, "Janeway to Reagan."
A soothing female voice came, "yes Admiral, this is Reagan."
"Tell Commander Jones to ready my ship. I'm taking the Archer on a deep space assignment."