Star Trek - Future Omens

Captain's Log, Stardate 6238.4 : The Enterprise is Enroute to the planet Parliament for a peace conference. The recent resurgence in conflict between the Andorians and the Tellarites has led to a Federation attempt to broker a peace conference. We have the happy duty of transporting representatives from each of the two governments, and will be rendezvousing with the USS Ark Royal to pick up the lucky man who will be in charge of the hoped for treaty.

On a lighter note though, the Ambassador is an old friend of the Enterprise. And family...

* * * *

The USS Enterprise NCC 1701 dropped out of warp and glided to a halt beside another Constitution-class starship. The two were identical, except for hull markings. Where Kirk's ship was bone white with black lettering, this ship was a silver with it's name emblazoned in dark scarlet. On the bridge, Uhura turned around in her chair and lowered her ear-piece, "Captain, the Ark Royal is hailing."

Kirk nodded and turned in his boxy command chair to face the screen. He settled himself, and tried to remove the frown that was fighting to come out. The ship's doctor stepped out of the turbolift, and jogged down to stand by the seated Captain, "Am I too late?" he asked, and Kirk looked up at him in annoyment.

"You should be down in the transporter room, Bones, to greet the Ambassador." said Jim.

McCoy grinned, "Anything to avoid a dress uniform, plus I want to see her."

Kirk turned back to the screen, "Yes, her."

"Jim, we both know you of all people need to be supportive." said McCoy.

"Why me?"

The doctor laughed, "Because of your reputation with the ladies, and she was a member of our crew. If for just a short time. Quite the career she's had since she turned you down, and then took a transfer."

"Yes, quite a career." snapped Kirk.

"Captain?" asked Uhura again, and he nodded.

The view of the darker Ark Royal vanished, and the other ship's bridge appeared. Kirk's opposite number was sitting in the command chair, "Captain James Kirk." she said with a nod.

"Captain Marlena Moreau." he replied, "So, why are we using our full names?" and then he chuckled.

At the helm, Lt. Commander Sulu's eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful starship Captain. They had spoken several times when she had been aboard, but he would never forget her dusky skin, long and full black hair, and her bearing. On the screen her eyes flicked to him, and her gaze softened, "Commander." she said.

"Captain." he replied, hoping Kirk wouldn't mind, "Congratulations on your promotion and ship. The first female Starship Commander in the Fleet, very impressive."

In his chair, Kirk watched the conversation between the two, and felt glad for the distraction. But, they had business to attend to, and he cleared his throat, "Ahem."

The two halted in their talk, and Moreau returned her gaze back to him, "Sorry, Kirk. Anyway, the Ambassador is ready to beam over." and she pressed a key on her chair, "There. He should be in your transporter room in a moment."

She sat up straighter and smoothed her green command tunic, "Well, it's been great fun. We're off to explore the nearby Magnus Cluster." and she grinned slightly, as if to say her ship had the better job, "Ark Royal out."

The screen returned to a shot of the Ark Royal's exterior. The communication's system whistled, "Transporter Room to Bridge, Sarek is aboard."

The Ark Royal spun in space and then set off at warp two. Kirk gave the order, and the Enterprise returned to her course to Parliament. Sulu leaned over the helm, checking their warp field for any instabilities, and found none. Beside him, Chekov elbowed him, and he looked up to see his Captain standing beside him.

He swallowed, "Sir?"

Kirk patted him on the shoulder, "Thanks. I might have said something...said something."

The Asian officer nodded, "She really is a good officer. She'll make a great Captain."

Kirk just looked at him, then headed for the turbolift, "Time will tell. You have the conn, Commander." and he and McCoy disappeared into the lift.

* * * *

It had been an hour since the two Starfleet vessels had parted, and the Ark Royal sailed through the brightly lit zone of stars, sensors on full, taking it all in. On the bridge, Captain Moreau finished signing her First Officer's daily report, and handed the black pad to the Yeoman. At the helm the Ensign called out, "Entering the center of the Magnus Cluster."

The Captain leaned forward, "All stop." and the silver ship came to a quick halt, "Alright, we have a job to do. I want every star, every rock, all of it, cataloged and-"

"Captain!" came a call from the Science Station.

Moreau looked up, eyes angry at the interruption, "What is it, Caccamo?"

The swarthy Science Specialist was engrossed by what he was viewing in his sensor hood. The blue light played across his sallow features and jet-black hair. A human of Sicilian descent, Commander Anthony Caccamo had a reputation on the ship for excitability. He rose from his crouch, and typed on his keyboard, "Look at this, it's incredible!"

The viewscreen switched to a pulsing point of blue light. The Captain was fascinated, and her anger vanished, "Magnify."

The image swelled, showing some kind of tear or rip in space. It pulsed and flared. All stared at it, "What is it?" Moreau asked.

Caccamo stared into the blinking abyss, "I'm getting distorted spatial reading, sir. But it's like it isn't even there. I almost missed it."

She grinned, "Helm, take us in closer." she commanded.

As the ship began to move, Caccamo stepped down beside. Her leaned in close and spoke low, "I don't think this is wise, sir."

"This is why we're here, or are you forgetting?" she replied, and he backed off, returned to his station.

The Ark Royal flew onwards toward the mystery.

* * * * *

Kirk put down his fork, and leaned back in his chair. Beside him, McCoy grinned at the man's half-plate, "Loose your appetite, Jim?"

He followed the Captain's gaze to the far end of the table, where the blue- skinned Andorian clan leader and the pig-snouted Tellarite were trading loud verbal blows. Between the two, and leaning back in his own chair with a look of boredom, sat Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan. As McCoy and Kirk watched, Ravv the Tellarite slapped the table so hard a cup shot into the air, and arched toward Shiloth the Andorian.

All looked doomed for half a moment, but Sarek moved like lightning, and snagged the ceramic mug the air, an inch from the Andorian's nose. He set it down lightly. All was silent for a moment, then the antennaed being growled, and the fight began again. Kirk sighed, and Bones tried not to laugh.

The door slid open, and Spock entered. He walked past his peers, and set an elegant yellow bottle down beside the Andorian, "The Tula Wine you requested, sir."

The Andorian nodded, and grabbed the tumbler. Sarek nodded to his son in thanks, and Spock walked back to return to his seat across from Kirk and McCoy. The Doctor grinned at the Vulcan, "Didn't know you were a waiter, Spock. In that case, I want to see a wine list."

Spock ignored this comment, and picked up his own fork. He delicately speared a celery cube and ate it. A minute passed, then he spied Kirk's mostly untouched plate, "Is the meal not to your taste, Captain?"

Kirk played with his cloth napkin, "Those two will never agree, in my opinion. The star system they are fighting over has been in contention for more than two hundred years. Their fleets are building, and Starfleet has decided that if an agreement cannot be reached within two days, they will have to step in. With force."

McCoy's eyes widened, "I didn't know it was that bad."

"Indeed." said Spock, "I had sensed that it was approaching a dangerous level. But if Starfleet intercedes, the results could rip the Federation apart. Both fleets are on their way to Parliament."

McCoy paled, "But that's where we are going. If this thing goes south, we'll be in the middle of a hornet's nest!"

Kirk nodded, "In fact-"

He was interrupted by the whistle of the comm, "Captain to the bridge." and a siren sounded, indicating red alert.

The three were on their feet and out the door. Behind them, the guests could only watch them go. Kirk, Spock and McCoy arrived on the Bridge, and Sulu gave up the command chair.

"Report." demanded Kirk, as he dropped into it.

"We have received a distress call from the Ark Royal, it was garbled, and it didn't sound good." advised the assistant Comm Officer.

Kirk was torn, the mission to Parliament was paramount, but a fellow ship in danger, and them so close. What should he do? He wanted to consult with Spock or McCoy, but the decision could have such wide-reaching effects, it had to be his, and his alone.

The turbolift shot open. Chekov and Uhura emerged, and took their positions, their subordinates moved to other, less essential stations. The female Communications Specialist rapidly scanned the message, "They are fighting for their lives, and do not expect to survive. Moreau is...praising her crew, then it goes dead." she looked up, a forlorn look on her face.

That did it for the Captain, "Reverse course! Turn this ship around, and maximum warp to the Magnus Cluster."

* * * *

The Enterprise dropped out of warp and flew into the bright mass of close proximity stars and pulsars that made up the Magnus Cluster. Spock was at his station, peering into his sensor hood, and spoke up immediately, "I have located the Ark Royal. Transmitting the location to the helm."

"Got it." reported Chekov, and they altered course.

The ship roared through the expanse and emerged past a dissipating red giant. Ahead could be seen a swirling rip in space, all blue and sparkling, twisting and pulsing. The silver Ark Royal was half into it backwards, struggling to escape. Blue tendrils of twisted energy were wrapped around the saucer section, and even as the Enterprise closed, the other Constitution ship was wrenched to port.

The Ark Royal was yanked around, exposing a nacelle. Kirk stared at the astonishing scene unfolding on his viewscreen, then acted, "Slap a tractor beam on the ship. Spock, what the Hell is that?!"

There came a hum, and a green energy beam shot out and snagged the port nacelle of the other vessel. The Enterprise went into full reverse, and attempted to pull the Ark Royal free. On the bridge of the Enterprise, Spock was using every sensor they had, "The phenomenon appears to be a fold in space-time, but it almost doesn't register."

The engines began to whine, Kirk had ordered warp power channeled into the impulse thrusters. The com whistled, and the Chief Engineer's voice appeared, "What are ya do'in to me engines? Ye are gonna rip us apart!" raged Montgomery Scott from down in Engineering.

Kirk opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly on the screen there was a flash and the nacelle they had a hold of broke free. The Ark Royal vanished into the swirling rift.

The Enterprise shot backwards, trailing the engine. Sulu fired thrusters and they spun to a stop. For a long moment the ship just hung there, while the vortex beckoned. On the bridge, Spock was the first to speak, "Captain, I have finished my analysis. The rift is like a one-way hole in space, and it seems stable for now. The rate of energy dispersion indicates it will stay open for the next twelve hours."

"Can we pass through safely, if we don't fight it?" asked Kirk.

His First Officer nodded, "I believe so. That seems to have been the mistake of the Ark Royal, though they could not have known."

"Secure the warp nacelle, we're going in." ordered Kirk immediately.

"Jim, is this wise?" asked McCoy.

"How should I know?" replied Kirk, "But we just can't leave them there. If they could come back under their own power they would have. Helm, full speed ahead, take us in."

The Enterprise shot forward, and into the swirling mass. Within the ship seemed to twist and shift, time seemed to slow down, then everything righted, and they burst out of the other side. Kirk ordered a halt, and they glided to a stop.

The vortex was different on this side, more settled and calm, smaller. And the Ark Royal hung in space dead ahead, all lights off, spinning slowly, her naked pylon sparking. Kirk ordered the Enterprise up beside her, emergency teams beamed over, and the rescue began.

* * * *

An hour later Kirk entered Sickbay, and walked past the empty beds to the only one in use. Captain Moreau was fidgeting on hers, as McCoy played a cortical scanner across her forehead, "Now just hold still, young lady, you took a nasty hit."

The device beeped and Bones lowered it, "There, done."

She spied Kirk and frowned, "You damaged my ship. Maybe I'll sue."

Kirk stared at her for a second, then tried a grin, "We did what we had to due, but the nacelle's back where it should be. You should be ready to go back with us in less than twenty minutes, the break was clean."

She nodded, "I know, I ordered it ejected, I didn't want the Enterprise pulled in with us."

He looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"If you had gotten any closer the rift would have sensed you, and tried to snag you." she said, and he looked at her in disbelief.

"Sensed?"

Moreau shrugged, her thick black hair bounced, "That's how Angel described it."

"Angel?" asked Kirk.

She smiled, "My Science Officer, Caccamo. Also my First Officer, that's what everybody calls him. It fits."

McCoy excused himself, and disappeared into his office. Moreau seized the opportunity, "Kirk, what gives? I'm getting a bad vibe from you, you suddenly don't like me. I can think of only one reason."

He stiffened, "It is true I objected to the idea of a woman Captain, but who am I to disagree with Starfleet?"

She frowned, "You should talk, getting the Enterprise at the age of 29. I'm 30, almost matched you there. But I earned my command, just like you did."

"Maybe it helps that your father is the Commander in Chief of the Fleet." said Kirk, then immediately wished he hadn't.

She got to her feet, and glared at him, "I don't care what you, or any of the other boys, think! That rule was wrong, and look what it did to Janice Lester. For an advanced species the human race had some strange ideas."

He bristled, "The psychological tests that have to be passed in order to get a Starship command, have indicated only a man had the capacity to lead."

"I passed them." she shot back, and he nodded.

"You did." Kirk said.

"I'm going back to my ship." she said, and left the Sickbay.

The Captain of the Enterprise watched her go, and wished he could tell her the real reason for his animosity toward her. But he couldn't. She wouldn't have believed him anyway.

* * * *

The Ark Royal was ready to go, and the two ships spun in space, coming fully around to face the pulsing vortex. On the bridge of the Enterprise, Kirk stared at his First Officer in disbelief, "Fifty thousand light years? We've gone that far?"

Spock nodded, "I believe we are in an area recently designated the 'Delta Quadrant', by Vulcan astronomers."

Kirk turned back to the screen, "I wish we could look around, but we have to get back. Parliament awaits. Our Andorian and Tellarite guests have already raged at the delay. Send to the Ark Royal, ready to go?"

A moment later Uhura replied, "Aye sir, Captain Moreau says she will take the lead."

Kirk chuckled, "You don't say. Tell her no problem."

The Ark Royal's impulse drive flared and she shot forward. She raced toward the vortex, but instead of passing into it, the ship deflected off it, and spun away. The ship came to a halt, and Kirk rose from his chair, "Spock-"

"Scanning." informed the Vulcan, then answered a moment later, "The energy plane on this side is very different. I believe we will have to use our phasers to alter the-"

"Keptin!" came the sudden thick Russian accent of Lt. Chekov, and Kirk spun to face the screen.

"What?" he demanded, and the Navigator entered a command into his console.

The view changed, and an object appeared, heading toward their position fast. Very fast.

"Navigational sensors just picked it up. It is very fast. And very large." replied Chekov.

Kirk ordered full magnification, and the alien vessel appeared, a huge, looming grey cube. It's surface was all struts and pipes, there was a sense of menace to the entire construct. Spock stared at the cube, "Fascinating." then redirected his sensors, "I detect no discernible propulsion system, and the life-readings are...odd."

The ship came into range, and halted three kilometers away from them. On the bridge of the Ark Royal, Captain Moreau leaned forward in her chair, amazed at the sheer bulk of the alien vessel. Caccamo was at his station, and sighed, "It's 3 kilometers high and wide, nothing like it has ever been seen before."

A point on the cube flashed, and a green beam played across both vessels. It passed upwards through the Ark Royal, and passed through the bridge crew, "Scan?" asked Moreau.

"I think so." replied Caccamo, then there was a flash of light, and a bizarre figure in black appeared beside the Environmental Station. The same thing had happened on the Enterprise. Sulu reached under his console and snagged a phaser pistol, and jumped from his chair.

He raised the weapon, but Kirk halted him with a wave, "Hold on."

The being was dressed in black armor and technology, all of which seemed to integrated directly into it's body. It might have been male, and it's skin was the grey of death. It stared at them with disinterest, then raised it's left arm, which ended in a clawed probe of some kind, and pointed it at the console.

"It is trying to access our control systems." warned Spock, as green energy crackled from the arm unit, and the panel began to flash. Then other panels began to flash too, all over the bridge.

Kirk took strode forward, and tried to step between the intruder and the station, "Stop. We cannot allow you to-" the being swung it's free arm, and knocked Kirk backwards, over the railing.

That was it for Sulu, he aimed and fired. The blue beam drilled into the being's back, and it sputtered and fell to the deck. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Chekov helped Kirk up, he seemed unharmed, just annoyed.

A similar situation was happening on the Ark Royal, but when Moreau grabbed a phaser from under her chair, it's beam met a personal force-field that suddenly appeared in the air around the alien. Caccamo was in communication with the Enterprise, "Their uninvited guest was easily dispatched by phaser. I believe they creatures are directly linked in some way, and can adapt at an astonishing speed."

But Moreau was livid, "I want it off my ship, if I have to use my bare hands-" but the being suddenly halted it's probe.

It stepped back and vanished back to it's ship. On the Enterprise it's dead counterpart went too, as Spock and McCoy knelt beside it scanning with tricorders. They rose, "Captain, from what I was able to learn, the creature appeared to be a drone of some kind, linked to a hive mind back on the cube."

McCoy supplied his two cents, "And it's enhancement level is amazing. It had implants I cannot even guess at, all through it's system. Jim, that ship is massive, there could be thousands-"

"By my calculations there could be as many as 102,000 drones on the cube." broke in Spock, and Bones glared at him.

Kirk spun back around in his chair, "Raise shields, I don't want anymore boarders. Advise Moreau to do the same."

Sulu nodded, "The Ark Royal has already done this, sir."

The Captain nodded, "Moreau knows her stuff, her instincts are getting sharper by the minute. Here's what-"

"Incoming message!" informed Uhura, "It's overpowering the comm, I couldn't stop it if I wanted to."

A voice like a bland chorus of a thousand speaking simultaneously echoed across both bridges, "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile."

McCoy spoke, "What the heck does that all mean?"

Kirk's eyes went wide with recognition, "Borg?! All power to shields, charge phasers and load torpedoes! Sulu, get us out of here now!"

As his crew jumped to his commands, the Captain punched his com line, "Kirk to Ark Royal, let's get out of here, maximum warp!"

Moreau's voice came back, angry and confused, "What are you talking about? The vortex-"

"Forget the vortex!" raged Kirk, "Go, now, trust me on this, we have to get out of here!"

The Enterprise was already moving, when the Ark Royal spun around. The two ships broke away in different directions, then swooped back beside each other. They raced away at warp nine. The Borg cube hovered for a long moment as if undecided about what to do, then jumped forward, and raced after the fleeing Starfleet ships.

They tore through space, engines flaring, decks shaking, engines whining. And the Borg followed, seemingly with no effort. McCoy stepped up beside Kirk, "Jim, what's going on, you act as if you know these guys?"

"Not now, Bones. Chekov, scan for any star system, or something." ordered the Captain, "We need to loose the cube then double-back to the vortex."

The Navigator scanned, "There is a hydrogen field at bearing three-six- three."

Spock sat at his station, "Scanning. Yes, it is more than two thousand kilometers in circumference."

Kirk nodded, "That's where we're going."

Uhura spoke up, "Captain, the Ark Royal is hailing." and Kirk had her make the connection.

"Kirk." said Moreau, turning around in her chair, "There's a hydrogen field near here, I think we should head into it."

He smiled, he was really starting to like Moreau, "We concur, our Navigator spotted it, too. Let's split up, and meet in the middle in twenty minutes." and she nodded.

The two ships shot into the huge greenish-grey mass of gas, and vanished. The cube flew up, and halted before it. It began to scan the field...

TO BE CONTINUED!