STAR TREK: INFINITE
EPISODE ONE: BARRIER
CHAPTER THREE: THREE YEARS LATER
The people of San Francisco began to get smaller as Jacob rode the turbolift up to Admiral Moore's office. He loved this city; though he was a Virginia native, he had moved here when he was accepted to the academy and fell in love. The city was a great constant in his life, no matter who he lost he could always come home and find comfort, at least he had thought that. Now it did little to comfort his aching heart. After 3 years the destruction of the Dante still weighed heavily on him. Not a day went by when he didn't think about the men and women who were killed because of an unknown enemy. That's what ate at him, all of that death and destruction and he still didn't know why.
The turbolift doors opened and Jacob stepped out onto the 64th floor and approached a receptionist. Without saying a word she stood and beckoned him to follow. He obliged her and followed the young woman into a small room with a table and two chairs. Jacob turned around just in time for the door to slide shut in front of him. Beating his fists on the door didn't seem to help so he relented and took a seat at the table. A woman with long black hair materialized at the seat opposite him. A realization hit him, she was a counselor.
"Am I not what you were expecting, Mr. Fallon?" She said with a smile.
Jacob scoffed at her question and looked her in the eye. "I was expecting to speak with Admiral Moore."
The counselor's smile faded and she looked apologetic. "I'm Counselor Rachael Barrows, I'm here to…"
"Access my mental state, to make sure I'm fit for command. I should have known this would happen." Jacob said cutting off Barrows.
"Can you really blame them, Mr. Fallon? In the past six years you not only lost your first command but also your wife and daughter. It's understandable Starfleet would be cautious."
"Call me Jacob. Mr. Fallon is my father and I'm not that old yet." Jacob said trying to break the tension.
"Alright Jacob, so tell me why you want your command back." She said sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms.
"I've been grounded for the past three years and all I thought about during that time was getting back up there."
"When you returned to earth after the attack on the Dante you saw a counselor, do you remember what you were diagnosed with?"
"Post-Traumatic Stress and Depression." Jacob said in almost a whisper.
"So what's changed? Between then and now?"
"Let's just say I learned to stop dwelling in the past and to look forward." Jacob said as he noticed Barrows glancing to the wall on her left.
"Tell me about your marriage?" Barrows asked inquisitively.
"This has nothing to do with my wife and I would prefer you leave her out of this!" Jacob said with much more strength than he had intended.
"She has everything to do with it. Her death shaped you, the same with your daughter. You are a different man today because they died." Barrows argued.
"Yes they're dead, my family is dead and talking about it won't bring them back!" Jacob screamed.
"No but it may bring you back." Barrows countered and stood from her chair. "I have one last question for you, why do you want your command back, the real reason this time?" Barrows asked.
"Because it's all I have left." Jacob said defeated.
Barrows glanced once again at the left wall then walked out the door behind her. Turning to her right a door slid open in front of her revealing an observation room. A tall slim man in white admirals uniform stood watching Jacob through a transparent wall. His eyes then met hers.
"He's not ready is he?" Admiral Moore asked the Counselor.
"No Admiral he's not. He's consumed with guilt not just for what happened to his family but for what happened to the Dante's crew. He only wants to be back in Starfleet to have at least one thing familiar to him in his life. And if he has then he can be whole again."
"What do you recommend Counselor?" Admiral Moore asked.
"He needs to see someone on a regular basis and maybe in time he'll get his command back. I'm just afraid that he would not be able to deal with the pressures of command in his current state."
"In your report to Starfleet I want you to clear him." Moore said in a steady voice.
"I'm sorry sir? Did you just hear what I said?"
"I did and I want you to tell Starfleet that he is fit for duty." Moore said raising his voice.
"Are you telling me to lie, Admiral?" Barrows could not believe what she was hearing.
"No Counselor, I'm ordering you to."
