The M5 filesDuel
79 years ago
Post-war blues
Enterprise-B
It is now being called the 'One Year War' as the Minbari-Federation-Klingon-Gorn conflict had recently concluded. Explorations to the other side of the galaxy have started as relief efforts to that region in the aftermath is headed up by the SCE. Captain Sulu remains in command of the Enterprise-B, although we are en route to rendezvous with the Excelsior to temporarily return command to my scheduled first commander now that Captain Harriman is a well seasoned officer from the war.
I am well settled with my name as Johnny B, or as some even extend it as Johnny B Good. The latter is perhaps a hope that I will retail my excellent service to the Federation as I did during my time with the Earth Alliance. President Levy's comment about number five is alive, and the historical reference to the movie 'Short Circuit' lead me to asking if I could be called Johnny in the spirit of that movie.
Although Yoriko still calls me 'ai' at times as Demora continues to call me 'luv' off duty of course. Both have done very well during the war onboard me and I believe Yoriko will remain the liaison officer assigned to the Enterprise even though the war is over.
It had been nine months, two weeks, three days, four hours and twenty-two minutes since she decided to put on a Starfleet uniform as a liaison officer has the option to do. Especially as she did wish to join Starfleet.
Wearing the uniform made it official as the war wore on.
The involvement of the Vorlons distantly and the Romulans more actively had prolonged the conflict farther then initial projects by the Federation or either M5 unit.
One of the major concerns now that the war is over is the fact that the Romulans appear to have a greater understanding of hyperspace travel.
"So Starfleet Intelligence concurs?" I hear my Captain ask as the conference in his ready room draws to a close.
One the viewscreen, Admiral Nogora nods once, "I'm afraid so, Captain. We think the Romulans were coached by the Vorlons as part of their last ditch to help the Minbari stop us."
"The fact they can cloak in hyperspace and we cannot demonstrated one advantage alone they have over us, even if we were allowed to make our cloaking system fleetwide," the Admiral had shared a thought out loud what both men already knew.
"Just continue to watch your back Captain Sulu, the war is over, but it doesn't mean they won't keep gunning for the Enterprise," Admiral Nogora said in way of farewell, "Good luck."
"Although the subject of Starfleet intelligence was several sentences ago, shall I say speaking of them, do you wish me to set course for our rendezvous?" even as I ask I can tell the subtle facial and physiological signs that show my Captain's displeasure.
"I am sure it will be nice to see your first command again sir," I say by way of an attempt to cheer him up, "Although I will miss you Captain."
I was rewarded with a slight smile, "I suppose if I don't command a non-M5 ship I might lose my touch."
"As much as I wish you could stay with me as Captain Kirk has M5-A, I do not think current fleet climate will allow that," which is as close as we both will get to touch on the increasing missions Starfleet Intelligence wants to use for the only ship allowed a cloak.
During the war that seemed fine and natural, although several missions pushed my Captain's ethics to the limits.
That is why this arrangement of temporary re-assignment is not surprising.
While I estimate an only 54.73% probability our upcoming mission will be an intelligence mission, it has not been officially stated as such. It is just that the majority of Captain Harriman's assignments during the war had been for Starfleet Intelligence.
It is likely my next mission is a spy mission.
I had noted that when my Captain first assumed command of the Enterprise he and his daughter were uncomfortable with that arrangement. Now over he course of a year having served with each other that has diminished.
It explains why she is there in the transporter room to see him off. Her and now fellow Lieutenant Yoriko Saginaw of whom Demora has more of what I have heard and observed to be a more sisterly relationship with. Captain Sulu has engendered such as he treats Yoriko as a daughter during off duty times.
"We'll watch over Johnny," I see Demora almost say 'father.' After this year I have learned to recognize the signs where she would say it without uttering the actual words.
"And keep an eye on Captain Harriman," Yoriko interjected with a smile, it made a perfect segue to the semi-formal bow they gave each other that has been more of a running joke since Yoriko first did so on the bridge of this ship when she first met Captain Sulu.
"Alright, Johnny...B Good," if I had a face I would smile the pun used by Captain Sulu, "Energize."
One Captain leaves and another arrives, if ever I were to name a sense of déjà vu it would be now as by himself, Captain Harriman beams in.
Silent Running
Captain's log, Captain John Jason Harriman II recording. It is has been a good week of shake down getting the crew use to my style of command and for me to get actual experience commanding an M5 ship. It's not something many ship commanders in Starfleet will ever have in their careers, not if the M5 Accords are kept.
Now that I am satisfied that we are ready, we shall proceed on under cloak to where my mission orders send us. We will not be the first Federation starship to visit Romulus and Remans, we will be the first since Enterprise-A rescued Dr. McCoy from the Romulan Senate during his trial there.
Starfleet Intelligence has disturbing reports from some of our operatives on Romulus that only a starship sensor suite will be able to confirm.
"Status," I understand from the tone of Captain Harriman's voice that he doesn't want to hear it from me, but his first officer.
I see very briefly and minutely the expression of slight disapproval on Commander Tracy Dane's face as she rises from the center seat and replies.
From her time aboard I know it is not so much loyalty to me and my capabilities as she is an officer who believes in efficiency. To ask her when I could give a more accurate report would disturb her sensibilities.
"Cloak is still operational and we have passed the Neutral zone. So far no indication that we had been spotted either in real or hyperspace by Romulan sensors," she replied in her own manner of clip efficiency.
"Thank you Commander Dane," from my audiometric analysis there is a low 24.53% probability he knows her implied criticism but chooses to ignore it.
I know from both personal and Captain's log that he has never mentioned it, but in the short time he has been aboard there have been 57 instances where he had looked at her as if in speculation and not of the romantic kind as I have observed among humanity and similar life forms.
"Tuvok when we reach the double-planet are you set for pole-to-pole mapping?" he ask not even looking at our science officer who I clearly see, in his own Vulcan way, he is displeased with this mission and being asked about a matter it should have been a given that he was already prepared.
"I am Captain Harriman."
I spot Demora and Yoriko exchange a glance, nothing more.
"Ready for the orbit insertion, Lieutenant?" Harriman asked Demora, who now turned and unlike the others, she didn't hide her surprise.
"Sir?"
"I am sure I was clear enough, are you ready to insert us in orbit when we arrive?" I can tell from his tone he is not talking about being prepared to do so, but actually doing so.
That makes me wonder and I review all the preparations over the time he has been my commander for a full 300 microseconds and come to a disturbing conclusion.
It would be another day before I have any confirmation of my speculation.
"Romulus and Remans," I hear Demora utter quietly to herself as the double-planet system comes into view.
The last day had been tense onboard, with a few instances we believed we might have been spotted. I am proud that I was able to get the ship past the detection grid. In some cases it wasn't a matter of piloting, but of receiving and sending back a false signal, or in one case hacking into an unshielded system, which was down for repairs, and telling it we were a freighter instead of Federation starship.
"M5," I note, not 'Mr. 5' as tradition calls for or 'Johnny, Johnny B, or Johnny B Good,' as others have used, "Engage Protocol Mute Running."
It was the last memory I had for what would be five hours, twenty-three minutes, six seconds.
In the one thousand milliseconds I had of consciousness left to me before disconnect from Enterprise control prior to shut down, I consider that this mission was not one that Starfleet Intelligence wanted a running record of.
Archer's Legacy
Booting up during battle is not a recommended procedure I am tempted to say out loud. However after the first 500 milliseconds I have access the current situation I decide silence would be golden as the saying goes.
We are in combat, much of the Enterprise is damaged and we are being pursued by one Romulan and two Vorlon ships.
Currently we traveling in hyperspace which is why the Romulan fleet is not after us. From a review of events when I was offline, the hyperspace capable warbirds were disabled during the operation.
That was one of the few success stories, it will take Starfleet Command to decide if they outweigh the stories of loss.
Dr. Michaels and his medical staff are dead, and as far as combat useful systems go, the severe damage to tractor beam emitters is not of current concern as the as the fact the photon torpedo launchers are also gone.
I would calculate with a 92.3% certainty that precise marksmanship is the cause of this damage. That confirms raises the likelihood that the chasing Romulan ship is the IRW Tomed.
That ship had been noted for their precision firing, intelligence speculated due to a mind-to-machine interface similar to the Romulan drone program of a century before, making use of Remans now.
This reflected an intelligence gain, as did and the Vorlon currently in the ship's brig.
Another of the loss would be the damage to my sensor arrays, making what should have been an easy task of identifying our pursuers a difficult one.
Despite degraded sensor capacity, from the distinctly avian semblance with a flat thick neck reaching forward to the main section, holding two nacelles via wing-like supports, I have an 88% match to the new Ivarix-class warbirds the Romulans are reported to gearing up to field as their starships-of-the-line.
A brief .01 second confirmation of location from both Federation and Romulan hyperspace beacon system and I know we are just now crossing the neutral zone.
This confirms to me with an 99.998% probability of why I was brought back online. Where ever the mission had likely crossed into semi-legal, which translates to semi-illegal, parameters, we now may act legally.
"Tuvok tell me you didn't make a mistake with that other Starfleet signature?" Harriman yells across the bridge. Degraded sensor interface or not, I can tell clearly that Tuvok was not happy having his competency questioned.
"We are, although the Starfleet signature is not clear on class of starship," he reminded him.
"Captain I am reading a Starfleet transponder, but it is one listed as retired..." I didn't need clear sensors to spot the smile of relief on Janice Rand's face.
The reason of that relief is one I feel as well from as I also note whose transponder that is.
"It's the Enterprise," she says and of course we know she means the Enterprise-A, retired and technically renamed Archer's Legacy.
"Legacy," Harriman immediately corrects her, "That's Archer's Legacy Commander, not the Enterprise."
"Where is Excelsior? She's supposed to be our back up," he was agitated that he had only a retired Starfleet ship, which surprises me as it is another M5.
"Not within sensor range," Tuvok reported.
"Five?"
"Confirmed, USS Excelsior is not in sensor range, SS Archer's Legacy is. I also note we are off course."
"Meaning the Excelsior could be right where she's supposed to be but we're not," John Harriman said bitterly.
"Jump into real space, hail the Legacy," and I see him turn to Janice, "Lieutenant Commander go and see to your injuries."
"With what medic?" I hear her mutter sarcastically under her breath, too softly for Harriman to pick up.
"Opening jump point. Real space in five...four...three...two...one...Vorlons firing!"
However we were not the target.
Vorlons on the starboard bow
Archer's Legacy, formerly the Enterprise-A
"Good job Mr. Five!" I hear Jim congratulate me as my shields hold for the initial bombardment of Vorlon fire. Fortunately I was able to assess the situation in the mere .132 second of sensor readings I had to analyze when the jump point formed.
"Vorlon vessels changing course from the Enterprise to us," I announce as I also note the Enterprise's state of damage.
"Seems we made an impression during the war Five, let's see if we can use that to our advantage. Draw them off the Enterprise, she could use the relief it looks like."
"Aye, aye, sir, drawing them off," I reply hearing the small twinkle in Jim's voice as he spoke the one name that seemed to have an almost magical effect with him.
"Scotty, Chekov, we're about to take more fire, secure yourselves or come up to the Bridge," Jim said after hitting the com button of his chair.
The two were accompanying him to an orbital re-entry competition as part of his ground crew. I would have acted as his high guard, ready to transport in case of trouble. A position that in theory that was not suppose to be needed as it was typically covered by the sponsors of a competition.
Still I liked how Jim made the arrangements in order to put me on his team according the books.
Now to the Vorlons. We know from the war they were particularly wary of photon torpedoes, which is a shame that I had none onboard. Along with the cloak, the torpedoes were removed upon my retirement.
However they don't know that and a while it cost a series of probes, the evasive pattern the two Vorlon ships took was more than satisfactory for my plans.
Divide and conquer as more than one tactician had phrased it, defeat in detail as others have.
Given the amount of ...resentments Jim had earned over the years, Starfleet did leave us teeth in the form of our phaser banks for me to tear into the one Vorlon transport. As planned the other sought to flee what it would soon discover were mere probes.
At 1.05 second intervals I trigger volley after volley of phaser fire as I move around the injured Vorlon ship, wounding it further as I burn craters into what other polities would have termed a warcraft, but since the war we found out it a 'mere' armed transport.
"Looks like the information from the Metrons was right on the money. Only transports, no warships allowed in our neck of the woods. Good and even better that we know how to hurt them," I hear Jim say more to Pavel and Scotty than to me.
"Aye, Spock certainly taught us a trick or two about their organic ships and phaser frequencies," Scotty remarked, "we can hurt the wee beasties."
"About now..." Jim said matching my estimate of when the other Vorlon transport would discover my ruse and turn back to attack us.
"Vhat about the Enterprise? She can still fight?" Pavel must be excited, his 'Ws' were sounding like 'Vs.'
"The Enterprise is severely damaged and currently engaged with the IRW Tomed," I update the two men who recently came to the bridge.
"Aye, the poor lass has taken a beating," I note that Scotty always refers to the ship in the feminine regardless of the decidedly male persona of its M5, be it me or M5-B.
I do note .00029 second later that I still refer to the other M5 by his designation and not appellation of Johnny.
I followed his reasoning for the name, even the evolution due to his talks with Demora and Yoriko and their pet names for him, I still think it is inappropriate for either of us to have a sobriquet.
Perhaps there is more Spock in me than I realize.
Jim has an idea, I can see it on his face a full .083 second before he utters it.
"Five I know we don't have torpedoes, but the Enterprise does, its just its launchers are out right?"
With that sort of lead in it only takes 0.012 second to arrive where Jim obviously had previously in his thoughts.
Another 1.00175 seconds later both Pavel and Scotty did as well.
"I can see from your faces gentlemen you already want to say the word 'insane' but have been with me too long to say it," Jim mused with a smile.
"A close pass with shield drop and transporter pickup would let me acquire the torpedoes to finish this fight."
"I'm sure Sulu will take the risk," Jim said with such certainty that I hated to correct him.
"Captain Sulu isn't in command," and rush on as I see they are thinking the worse, "He was temporarily re-assigned back to the Excelsior while a Captain Harriman assumed command for mission in Romulan space."
"Well John did follow my lead often in the war, let's hope he does now," and it didn't take an audiometric analysis to discern both the confidence and concern in Jim's voice.
Jim's putting aside his concern about why substitute Hikaru and focused on the confidence that Captain Harriman will follow what he has to suggest.
Suggest since he's retired, and can't order with seniority.
"Pass on the plan to Johnny and open a channel, Mr. Five," Jim orders and not suggest.
Then there was one
Enterprise-B
"He wants to what?" Captain Harriman asks of the relief com officer, Lieutenant Ramesh Kanchumurthi, while the Captain is leaving it to me to keep us alive, he still has the tendency to look to his biological crew for functions that in combat perhaps I should be taking care of.
I find M5-A's plan a brilliant use of resources, then take a full 034 second to recover my composure, when I find it was actually Captain Kirk's plan.
M5-A did say to never underestimate biochemical intelligences. I need to take that to heart.
"Since our launchers are down, he wants to complete a fly-by to transporter range with us, and briefly drop the shields to transport over a load to his ship," Ramesh was trying to sound professional in the face of both this adversity and the absurdity of the plan.
"Mr. Five can you do this and keep us alive?" Captain Harriman truly is unsure, but also knows that the Vorlon craft teaming up on the Legacy would finish it and then we would be next.
"Yes, Captain I can do that," I try in my most reassuring voice for his temperament.
"Do it then. He's a legend, and he's never failed before," I can hear his confidence rise as I speculate he is thinking back to both Captain Kirk's record and the time he personally served under him.
It was a very long 1.23 seconds as we dropped shields, transported and raised them with enemies not quite sure which of the ships they have identified as an Enterprise to fire at.
Captain Kirk's reputation draws them to fire at him, but in the moment of indecision the Legacy's shields are back up as we fly by each other.
I can model instead of imagine what that spin of the Legacy must be like to the three men onboard. However the spin-and-fire at the two Vorlons finishes them with that dual salvo of torpedoes.
"My god," John Harriman sums up what many feel as we see how the Vorlons did not leave this existence gracefully.
Perhaps that is why a single salvo to each had finished them. They had focused their fire to the Legacy's nacelles, which with a plus or minus 03.63 % out of 91% likelihood that they were hoping to cripple the ship and finish it once its maneuverability was restricted.
I continue firing on the Tomed as I watch with horror as the Legacy continues to spin with its thrusters and impulse drive attempting to arrest its spiral, plasma trailing behind from both nacelles.
"No tractor beam!" Harriman says with frustration and I note he is no longer thinking about the fight with the Tomed. Either a point to him for confidence in me, or he is too concerned about the Legacy and more importantly Captain James T. Kirk.
M5-A does bring the ship out of its spin and races back to me under impulse. Since this fight has been in sublight impulse drive will allow the Legacy to remain viable and valuable in the coming team-up against the warbird.
One the commander of the Tomed, Aventeer Vokar, has acknowledged that it is now two M5s, albeit crippled ones, but two of us nonetheless against his sole warbird.
His turn and run into hyperspace matches the 97.85% of the models both of M5-A and myself ran where the Tomed had a chance of survival.
From the personality type that Vokar is I also calculate a 99.991% likelihood he will want a rematch.
Legends, Legacy and Loss
"Sir? We're receiving a distress call," from the stress levels in Ramish's voice he had counted on me to speak up.
"We're hardly in any condition to help anyone, Lieutenant," Harriman reproached his current Communication officer.
Now it was the time for me to speak up, albeit not necessarily to undermine the Captain's position, "Legacy on the line, sir."
I only needed a nod to put Captain Kirk on, "John, I'm picking up a distress call too." Spoken as if it was a given, and not leaving Captain Harriman much room to maneuver, "We're in bad shape, but we're the only ones in the area to make a difference."
"Agreed Captain Kirk," analysis shows Harriman does not wish to let down his idol, which from the expressions around the bridge, especially Demora and Yoriko, lets me know I am not alone in thinking that if Captain Kirk had not been here, we would have ignored the distress call.
In fact some regulations during an intelligence mission would support such a decision on Captain Harriman's part.
"Mr. Sulu," I do not inwardly sigh I am still out of the loop in Harriman's eyes, "Set course and follow the Legacy."
"Aye sir, following the Legacy," Demora says very professionally. I believe her father would be proud of her.
"Well?" Captain Harriman asks after transport is over.
"Both retired officers are onboard," Ramish reported, "Captain Scott is headed towards engineering to help, Commander Chekov will serve as a makeshift medical officer."
"Approaching Federation transport ships, SS Lakul and Robert Fox," Demora interjects and I am already scanning along with Mr. Tuvok before the Captain even asks.
"Mr. Tuvok, just what are we looking at?"
I am beyond even internal sighs as Tuvok shares our findings, "It is a nonlinear temporal phenomenon as best as I or Mr. Five could make out, Captain."
"Time portal?" Captain Harriman guesses.
"Unlikely. This is unlike what has been encountered that would transport a vessel in time."
"Detonation, SS Robert Fox," I interrupt the speculations.
"It's destructive that's for certain. Sulu sprint us over there, we won't be in time if we stick to impulse us," then I see on his face a brief grimace and know a change of orders was coming, "Belay that. We need precision for the sprint, Mr. Five take us in to transporter range. We won't lose another transport."
Within the next 10.54 seconds we are in position and I attempt transport.
I have often heard from M5-A of the skills of Captain Scott, and it was here and now with him monitoring the transport I saw them come into play as I work with him to recover two patterns that were loss to the energy distortion.
With them it meant we would save only forty-seven of the passengers of the SS Lakul before the ship joined the SS Robert Fox in destruction.
We did save the two passengers, only to find we might have only prolonged their lives not save them.
"I am unable to break free, Captain," I announce as the Enterprise begins to shake.
"Enterprise this is Kirk, standby, we'll pull you out with a tractor beam," the voice of James T. Kirk was never so welcomed. Archer's Legacy had caught up with us.
27.503 seconds to pull us free. To either myself or M5-A, an eternity in combat or crisis, especially to AI intelligences capable of awareness at the microsecond levels.
It was to be the longest 27.503 seconds in my existence and to the history of the Federation.
We only had 0.0042 second to say goodbye as M5A informed me of his Captain commanding the Enterprise-A, as I will refer to the Archer's Legacy in this last act.
They swing us around, each Enterprise at the end of the tractor beam so it took our place in the phenomena and subsequently vanished into it, apparently completely vaporized.
Every eye on the bridge, in engineering and medical, for I did let the two men who had served with both Kirk and M5-A watch their last act that saved our lives at the cost of their own.
60 years ago
Sometimes the bear gets you
Captain's log, Captain Sulu recording. Despite the years of my settling in with having my daughter as my first officer, I cannot decide if I was proud or disgusted with myself for how detached I appeared to the crew while she leads a duck blind mission on Planet Koltaari. Disguised as natives, they attempted to discover the source of a planet-wide dampening field that the pre-warp natives should not have the technology to create.
"Tomed descending into the atmosphere, torpedoes firing sir!" Yoriko barely kept her voice below what I would label on my decibel scale as a shriek. Her shout carried the sense of urgency that my Captain didn't need as the Romulan's hand was revealed. They were bombing the planet.
"We know the who now Mr. Tuvok, let's see about making sure we survive to tell the tale," I hear in my Captain's voice the rock-steady determination to save both the landing party and his crew as the Tomed was not alone.
Commander Vokar had become Fleet Admiral Vokar over the years since our initial run in and subsequent off-and-on-again clashes.
Stressing the -Fleet- in Fleet Admiral he had one along with the Tomed to make sure we are the ones who limp away or as he had stated more than once over the years of our association, turned into a cloud of plasma.
I have to wonder about the morale or loyalty of the crews of the ships that keep coming with him.
In an one-on-one even the Tomed is no match for me, however the Tomed has never taken me on by itself. Be it the first time we met with a pair of Vorlon transports, or the encounters afterwards with typically four-to-one, if not more, odds against.
With all of those engagements it is typically only the Tomed to survive and that is typically because of Vokar's willingness to sacrifice others for his own survival.
Having the Praetor as a patron must be the manner to which he is constantly given more ships to lose to me.
Except now.
"Johnny get the landing party aboard and then take us up to thin out the opposition," he had already come to the same conclusion as I had, hit and run is the approach that will serve us best here. A classic one that dates back to M5-A's wargames against four Constitution class starships.
Vokar likely knew our method, it was only with numbers could he hope to win this one, which according to the 4400 possible scenarios I have run right now, taking into account how many ships he has to our one, he is likely to win. But we can hurt him quite a lot before we retreat.
"Landing party aboard sir," I inform my Captain as I seek the high ground in the gravity well of a planetary orbit. Vokar bringing his fleet in was a brilliant move -if- I stay below him. If I reach high orbit above him his numerical advantage is somewhat offset.
Apparently the Romulans never developed the technology to fire while cloaked, and equally apparent that the secret died with Chang during the One Year War since the Klingons do not posses it either. This left the advantage solely my own as I race up through the fleet of warbirds, firing as I go to gain the altitude over them.
Spinning on my axis I begin firing, taking into account where they could go based on current vectors, I generate firing solutions for my photon torpedoes.
"Ready to fire," I inform my Captain and I am moved by his trust in me as he uttered one single word.
"Fire."
Precision has ever been a hallmark of the M5 and it is especially important today as a miss means a hit on the planet below.
One that we will have to abandon in any case as I can damage the fleet, possibly cripple it, but I cannot defeat it.
Planet Koltaari now belongs to the Romulan Star Empire.
End of the Universe
Captain's Log, Captain Sulu recording. It is an exciting day for the Federation. The Enterprise currently awaits the other ships arrivals for the testing of the latest advance in hyperspace travel in a region of space called Bonneville Flats. An area commonly used by Starfleet in order to test new propulsion systems. The region was named for the Bonneville Salt Flats on Earth, where wheeled vehicles were once tested that were able to travel at 300 km/hr.
It is a region of both successes and failures, however I am ill at ease now that Romulan territory is close enough for them to gain long range scans of the area. Yet Starfleet is adamant it will not back down and the test will go on as scheduled.
"It is a marriage between your hyperspace and our warp drive technologies that is called 'Hyperwarp.'" I hear Tuvok explain to Yoriko as both she and Demora listen in as we wait for the arrival of the test bed ship for this blend of hyperspace and subspace physics.
"It is good seeing Captain Harriman when he is not involved with Starfleet Intelligence," Janice comments and I note sincere nods of heads in harmony to the physiological readings indicative of humanoids in truthful states.
"Contact," I report, "NX-2929, USS Universe with escorts USS Ad Astra and USS Canaveral."
Demora doesn't summon her father to the bridge as she knows that the report I just gave her, he also received at the same time.
Hikaru walks off the turbolift soon afterwards, as usual with his gait, I note a mix of dignity and serenity, a calm in any storm.
"On screen," he says sitting down knowing his traditional cup of tea would soon be arriving.
While all of us recognize the new Constellation class and the reliable Oberth class ships respectively, it is the first time outside of my database that we get a look at the USS Universe's design.
I hear more than one crewmember comment how it has a slightly unorthodox design.
With the saucer section possessing a long narrow ellipse, with no raise at the middle, that connects directly to the secondary hull, another long narrow ellipse. Two wide thin nacelles extended from the secondary hull giving the ship as a whole had a very wide beam and shallow depth.
"So where exactly does Captain Harriman fit into all of this?" Yoriko asks the bridge in general instead of either me or Captain Sulu specifically.
In truth neither of us knew.
"Contact. NCC-26291, USS Ares," I report and receive a signal, "Receiving hail, Captain."
I let Janice have the dubious honor of announcing this caller, "It's Captain Harriman, sir."
"On screen," Hikaru's voice was deep and resonating as usual, it didn't betray the suspicion that both I and Demora picked up in it.
"Captain Sulu," John Harriman greeted with a smile.
"Captain Harriman," Hikaru replied with only a hint of one for propriety sake, "A Miranda class ship, congratulations."
"Only temporary duty Captain. Again I go where the Fleet wants me," I notice his reply sends a ripple around the bridge crew, a change in their physiological states that I have come to know matches the emotional state of disappointment.
Demora sums up the reason with her interjection into the conversation, "You're still with Starfleet Intelligence."
"All on the same side Commander Sulu."
"Yes I suppose we are Captain," Hikaru replies for his daughter.
"Perhaps we'll talk later Captain, Harriman out."
"Ready Captain Sulu?" the call from Captain Adrienne Kuwano of the Universe came later, "You're my tail end charlie bringing up my six."
I note on the mission formation that we would be following from behind, the Ad Astra flanking the Universe, with the Canaveral further back, but unlike our place in the formation it will not be as escort, but gathering sensor data. They will also act akin to the old Mission Control of the days of NASA.
"Odd," was all Hikaru had to say when the formation was updated with the Ares' position of escort for the Canaveral.
It wasn't so strange after the Universe opened jump point and the formation into hyperspace.
"Contact, IRW Tomed, at extreme sensor range," I announce as soon as I identified the sensor signature.
"Why are you showing yourself?" Hikaru asked the question all of us were likely thinking. The Romulans have shown to be able to sustain a cloak in hyperspace, unlike the Federation or the Klingon Empire.
"It is possible that in order to extend their sensor range they could not maintain an effective cloak," Tuvok suggested as I began running models to display the results on his console. I can see from how I know to read Vulcans that he is pleased the models bare out his theory.
"Ares pulling out of formation, and moving to flank the Universe opposite the Ad Astra," I both announce and update a plot that I am ready for when Hikaru gives the expected order.
"On screen."
"Lot of com traffic," Janice informs the bridge, "Canaveral wants to know why the Ares changed course, as does Ad Astra. I have Captain Breshar online sir."
Demora smiled, and I believed I knew why within a reasonable 99.587% certainty. She considers Captain Jack Breshar "old space dog" as she had put it more than once.
Hikaru smiled as Jack Breshar was indeed an old colleague of his.
"Hikaru."
"Jack."
"Seems my escort has high tailed it to get closer to the prize lady," he said referring to the Universe, "Care to hang further back to watch my backside? We got the update and while I personally am not worried about the Tomed, Starfleet might be put out if I lost the data with all hands if they're in trigger happy mood like they were around Koltaari."
"We'll see what we can do to keep the data safe, and we'll add your ship to the list," Hikaru bantered back as I noticed both men were tense, however they were keeping things light for morale sake. Their own as well as their crews.
"Keep in touch Jack, Sulu out," as he sometimes did when addressing me, his eyes went ceiling ward as if I were truly up there and not occupying the space of the ship's computer decks below, "Johnny, position us. If Tomed makes a move, I want it countered."
I could tell the next kilosecond was a very long time for humans as they were measuring the sixteen point seven minutes subjectively and then it was time for the Universe to make history.
"Datastream established, monitoring in real-time," my voice was a welcomed one despite the tension my scans showed the bridge crew experiencing, "Hyperwarp point one, point two, point three..." there was a sense of excitement that if I were to wax lyrical I would say set the air afire on the bridge.
Then it all vanished in a moment, "Detonation!"
Experienced flying in hyperspace I turned into the shockwave that propagated from the center of the blast that was the USS Universe.
"Lost contact, USS Universe, USS Ares, USS Ad Astra, USS Canaveral, IRW Tomed..." I listed and removed each ship icon from the plot as the shockwave tossed everyone not secure across the decks from one to seventeen. In some cases I pinned them in place by increasing the gravity. Yes it would hurt them, but not as much as tossing around would have.
Dispatching medical teams was one of the first things I did along with damage control and I was ready when my Captain cleared his voice enough to say, "Report!"
It would be a while before we found out the USS Universe was lost with all hands as it went to Hyperwarp one.
Hunt for Red Tomed
"Welcome back Captain Harriman," Commander Demora Sulu said with a professional voice that held no warmth for the man standing in my main transporter room along with two other Starfleet operatives.
"Why don't I feel welcome, Commander?" Harriman's voice barely betrays his own self-loathing as this ship reminds him of what he blames himself as the loss of his hero James Kirk.
"The Captain sends his apologies with ship business keeping him from meeting you upon your arrival sir," I see it wasn't lost on Harriman or the other two operatives, Elias Vaughn and Drysi Gravenor that Demora didn't address his question, nor was it going to be answered politely.
Harriman accepted the situation and didn't push for what he wasn't going to get.
"Well then, why don't you show us to our quarters, Commander, let's get settled in," Harriman suggested and Demora obeyed the informal order.
"So are we cleared yet to find out what the Ares had been doing at the Universe's test?" she asked what we both wanted to know.
"Commander that was over a month ago," Harriman needless reminded her, or myself, although I was reasonably certain he wasn't even considering me apart of the conversation.
"That would be a no," she went on to say and since he didn't comment or more importantly reprimand, I could tell a good .37 second before she spoke that she wanted to clear the air as another saying went.
"The Canarval is out of drydock in a day, the Ad Astra will be in for the next six months, yet the Ares seemed barely without a scratch," she all but accused him.
"Same as the Enterprise," he countered as they arrived at his assigned quarters, "See you at the briefing Commander." And that was the end of that conversation as he walked in.
Demora escorted the other two to their quarters and left in more a stalk than a stride.
The briefing as ... interesting, although in the way our progenitor might have called fascinating. Some of it was a review, how the Romulans thought our hyperwarp test was a of a Starfleet metaweapon, metaweapons on the international banned list so that upset the Klingons and Tholians as well.
With the Klingons declaring that they will fight for peace, which translates to mean they will declare war on whichever side makes the first strike, tensions have been at an all time high since the One Year War over nineteen years ago.
"Now to what this is about...as you know Admiral Vokar is a known Romulan chauvinist, and extremist in his imperial views. Well it seems that as of twenty-four hours ago he went what the Romulans code as Red. This means renegade and it is believed he is out to either find our next 'metaweapon' or more likely spark a war where we will have to fight the Romulan Star Empire," Harriman informed us and had more to say.
"As you may recall nineteen years ago I took the Enterprise to Romulus and we brought back a Vorlon. This was one who actually sympathized with us over his own people. While he won't turn actively against them, he has been advising us with what his people likely will give the Romulans," which was news to me although I knew the Vorlon I discovered in the brig when I was brought back online was not classified as a prisoner at the time.
This has been indeed a well kept secret in the Federation.
Harriman downloaded a file into the briefing room input port, it took me .021 second to scan completely the data so I was waiting for him to bring the others up to speed. They weren't going to like this, "There are layers to hyperspace, and apparently the Tomed will use what the Vorlon advisors had shared with the Star Empire regarding traveling in the deeper layers to help with a sneak attack into Federation space."
I saw Hikaru had figured out what he wasn't going to like, "We're bait."
"Yes, the Enterprise has history with the Tomed and its no secret Vokar wants to turn this ship into vapor."
Starfleet did not hang us out to dry as some of the crew had phrased it. The USS Ares would follow us in hyperspace, and the USS Agamemnon would be nearby during our mission.
A mission that couldn't say 'We-are-Bait' but it was one regardless.
We are to proceed to the Neutral Zone and rendezvous with the IRW Honor Blade, which will escort us to the peace negotiations where the specifications of the USS Universe will be given to both the Romulans and Klingons to prove that the project was never intended for use as a metaweapon.
So if Vokar wants to use the test as a reason for war he will have to make sure we don't arrive at the negotiations.
"So Hikaru-san, you have met the Commander of the Honor Blade," Yoriko asks when she, Hikaru and Demora are having a private meal. Hikaru smiles and I find I envy him the memory as I know the name of the Commander and her history with the first M5.
"Commander Liviana Charvanek commanded the small fleet that intercepted the Enterprise-A when we 'accidentally' crossed the Neutral Zone," he began and shared through the meal the adventure as well as the fall from grace of the Commander meeting her relation Commander Ael t'Rllaillieu and who shared a warped mirror image relationship with Captain Kirk's Enterprise as Admiral Vokar does with our Enterprise.
"But less adversarial," Demora clarified, "She and Uncle Jim became good friends, and rumors say she became another of Kirk's women."
"Demora..." came the warning for respect that was warm yet stern.
"Father, I understood every woman back then dreamed he'd visit their planet in a 'time of need.'"
Slightly more than polite laughter went around the table. Reading Hikaru I knew he would appreciate a conversation change and I had one with a logical segue, "There is a 68.3% probability she will be following in hyperspace aboard the IRW Bloodwing given the relationship she has with Commander Chavanek and current political climate where the Commander could not be overtly be acted against, yet by not supporting her with ships she could be left a renegade who might just happen to fire upon her while engaging us."
I had not intended to turn the light mood to a somber one, however I now have an excellent personal example to understand the saying of humanity's regarding good intensions and paving roads.
Captain's Log, four hours after rendezvous with IRW Honor Blade. We're en route to Algeron and I cannot help but worry about why Captain Harriman and his team are onboard my ship. They aren't needed for the negotiations and Captain Harriman is a most unlikely communications officer, and yet he has taken that post on my bridge, locking my M5 out of monitoring what he does through the system as well as having the visual sensors on the bridge offline.
"Contact, IRW Tomed," I inform the bridge crew feeling odd as talk to them without seeing them, "Contact lost."
"They came to an 'upper' layer of hyperspace to spot us and then went deeper," Tuvok explained as I had more news.
"Contact, USS Ares, matching maneuvers."
"Shadowing the Tomed?" I hear Hikaru ask Harriman.
"Yes, Captain. It's insurance."
"So that means we also know about the deeper regions," Demora speculated, her voice accusing from what I measured in her tone.
"Starfleet intelligence has a guide aboard," Harriman informed us, and I was sure that the others came to the same conclusion as I did, however Yoriko felt someone should say it.
"The Vorlon."
"Yes, Lieutenant, the Vorlon. He won't tell us about such regions, but he will act as guide."
From the heartbeat and intake of breath, I can tell that Harriman now knows I know. However one didn't need my level of sensor capacity to tell he was upset.
"Problem Mister Harriman?" Hikaru asked, and now Harriman's heartbeat increased.
"Mr. Five will likely tell you that we are in intermittent communications with the Foxtrot outpost."
"Johnny?"
"Confirmed sir. Now that I know what to look for, we have been sending subspace pulses to the outpost situated in hyperspace specifically for the last ten point eight kiloseconds."
"Three hours," Hikaru mused out loud.
"Another pulse, signal differs in modulation," I report and pick up another change in Harriman's heartbeat.
"Engage mute running protocols," which as I go offline I wonder what sort of damage I will come back online to as I calculate we are bait and now Captain Harriman wants to make sure the Tomed takes it.
I see out of the 2300 models I ran, 2100 were close to accurate to the damage I would come back online to. However only 1200 of them predicted I would find myself in hyperspace.
It takes a very long 2.006 seconds to locate the Tomed, the Ares and the Honor Blade. The latter two appear crippled and drifting. Bridge visual is restored and I note smoke, damage control teams and medics.
I also note that Captain Harriman is not present and there has been transporter activity. He and his team went to the Ares at one point.
"Tomed moving off," I report, "Projected course to Foxtrot Sector. I also detect a failing containment field of their quantum singularity that powers their warp drive."
"Ares is too damaged to follow, Honor Blade attempting to but can only manage .15c with the current state of their impulse drive. Our maximum is .25c."
"Tell the Blade to pursue, and let them know we're going after the Tomed as well, Johnny. Any other ships in the region?"
"USS Agamemnon should be in the Foxtrot Sector."
"Inform them for an intercept and continue on after the Tomed Johnny, best possible speed."
"Fly her apart?" it is one bit of levity I offer in the midst of no warp drive, a few phaser banks and one torpedo launcher still active.
"Fly her apart then," I see not only my Captain but a few veteran faces smile given words Hikaru had spoken before both on this ship and his first command, the Excelsior.
"Captain?"
"Yes, Johnny," it had been a tense hour with this stern chase and we had lost sight of the Tomed more than once.
"I am receiving a datastream, an Intelligence update from the Ares," it really only takes me .021 second of the full second pause I take for human comprehension to understand I am assimilating the new data, "I can navigate the deeper layers of hyperspace."
"Then follow them Johnny, where ever the Tomed goes."
It turned into a kilosecond of hide-and-seek before I finally reacquired the Tomed. The gravitic eddies and currents of hyperspace made it easy to lose the ship even given their failing containment field.
However the failing field did have what Admiral Vokar no doubt saw as an advantage. With distance, it masked his ships movements sufficiently that I could not discern weapon power ups or firing solutions.
In effect, they could fire first and hit before I knew it.
Vokar kept the Tomed at the distance, which slowed his entry into the Foxtrot Sector, and gave the USS Agamemnon time to take up a position so that it could act as a rapid response force to any of the thirteen Foxtrot stations that picketed this area of the Neutral zone.
I was 99.587% sure that one of the stations was the Tomed's destination and why.
"Open a hole?" Hikaru said after one tense exchange of torpedoes. When had been moving, trading volleys as if the Tomed and Enterprise were joined on a tether, each whirling around each other, joined yet staying at a distance.
It had been the third exchange of torpedoes so far.
With their failing system they did not have much longer to play this game and both my Captain and I realize why.
"Charge them Mr. Five, they'll just waiting to die and take us with them."
I could see Yoriko's unspoken question, one Tuvok also noticed and addressed, "In hyperspace the loss of containment of their quantum singularity would magnify the intensity of the shockwave from an explosion. In fact, right now it would severely damage if not destroy all thirteen Foxtrot stations."
"Which is why we have to end this and now," my Captain states with iron-clad certainty.
At first the Tomed continued to move away as I charged at it, then I suspect Vokar realized what I was doing, herding him away from the Foxtrot stations.
"Johnny am I correct in assuming we can escape the blast if we drop into real space?"
"Yes Captain, although depending on how soon or close our jump point is, part of the blast might follow us out."
"Warn the Agamemnon, charge every weapon you have Johnny, charge and fire, and then drop."
It almost went as planned.
While precision is the hallmark of an M5, firing essentially blindly into a region I know the Tomed to be in but is obscured by its failing containment field, I only know by inference of debris what I hit.
One nacelle, part of the mount and a reaction control thruster assembly is the tally before I detect a plasma bolt headed in our direction.
My charge may have doomed us all. It will take 2.035 seconds to open a jump point and only 1.05 seconds for the bolt to hit us with a likely crippling blow.
It was a mask for what I should have seen coming, "Containment field failure in 2.007 seconds!"
"Contact, IRW Bloodwing, jump point forming to real space."
"Go Johnny, go!" Hikaru ordered and I pour on the thrust from my damaged engines and shoot through the opening the Bloodwing had created. I note it followed just as the Tomed detonated.
Passing on the Torch
Personal log, 43.2 kiloseconds after what is called by the diplomatic community as the Tomed Incident. It turned out that the Tomed's destruction did take out all thirteen Foxtrot stations in hyperspace as well as the USS Agamemnon. It would have left the Foxtrot Sector open to the fleet of Romulan ships that Vokar had positioned ready to take advantage of the such an opening.
However I was able to send a warning to Starfleet as well as an updated likely invasion route the Romulan fleet were going to take.
Sending it in the clear let the Romulans know that Starfleet would know and while they were able to push into Federation space, a fleet halted their advance before inhabited systems were taken.
Currently I am acting as a strategic center for the local fleet as the Admirals plan a counter offensive. Captain Hikaru Sulu has left his daughter in command of the Enterprise and from what he mentioned to her, Yoriko and I before a courier left for Earth, this arrangement may be permanent.
"It's not that I am leaving Starfleet, just starship command for now. There were too many things Intelligence was able to do that did not reflect the service I had joined up with," I still recall his words to us in private, "Captain Uhura could use my support at Command to strengthen her position in Starfleet Intelligence and start the clean-up my report is going to guarantee happen."
"Like these mute running protocols?" I actually took a full .034 second to recover my composure as I was sure the mere mention of the words would send me offline, when they didn't I just continued to listen in silence.
"Yes, like those. Johnny is a member of my crew and I won't have something like this placed in a sentient being, to say nothing of how twice it nearly killed us all."
Since they were in private, the Sulu's hugged each other first, and then Hikaru did Yoriko, before they bowed to each other to share their joke one last time.
Then Captain Hikaru Sulu left his quarters to go to the main transporter room. I felt a sense of symmetry that he chose to have it empty when he left.
He stepped up onto the pad and looked around one last time, stood up straight and spoke the word he knew I would hear, "Energize."
Personal log, 5.2 megaseconds after the Tomed Incident. Repairs are complete and Captain Demora Sulu is now officially my new Commander. We await our orders as the Enterprise is moored at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. We are but one of many ships that had to visit the Yards in the months after the Tomed Incident.
For good or ill, the Romulan Star Empire forced the Federation to sign a revised Treaty of Algeron that banned the development of hyperspace related technology within the UFP in return for the Star Empire's agreement to withdraw behind its borders and to recall all of its diplomatic missions and citizens, effectively isolating them on the astropolitical scene.
Each ship that has gone into the Yards has had their hyperspace drive removed, although as the One Year War showed, a starship -could- open a jump point using a reconfigured deflector dish. However now it would be illegal to do so.
Commodore Uhura has seen to it that the Mute Running Protocols have been removed from my system during the Enterprise's stay at the Yards and I feel a sense of freedom I wish M5-A was still around to talk about it with.
It is times like this I miss the original M5 and wonder if there will ever be another as the M5 Accords were certainly not mitigated by the Treaty of Algeron.
For now I am the lone M5 in existence, much less in Starfleet.
My adventures are not ending however, and I look forward to them as I watch Demora settle into the center seat as my Captain, with Yoriko standing next to her, the first former Earth Force officer to obtain the rank and position of First officer on a starship.
"Take us out Mr. Five," she orders formally.
"Heading?" I ask already knowing as I had read our orders, however she surprised me.
"Over the Rainbow, Johnny."
"Where troubles melt like lemon drops," Yoriko added.
"Away above the chimney tops," I add to the smiles of the bridge crew.
"Engage."
Author's notes;
1 kilosecond: 16.7 minutes
3.6 kiloseconds: 1 hour
2.6 megaseconds: 1 month