2386
Jake had wished there was a seat available for the lunar shuttle his wife was on so he could join her, or even a separate flight, but none for a couple of days. He had considered a chartered flight, but once again none available. Well he knew Korena would return the next morning and he would try to keep in contact with her until she lands on the moon. For the time being, he had is writing to keep him company, which he always thought was a poor substitute even though it was one of his first loves.
At this moment Jake was debating to include details in between the shuttle flight to the Enterprise and to when Kirk got drafted into Starfleet. He decided to set his PADD down again and let his mind wander, and it went to an almost unknown records that was once thought lost during the Eugenics wars, where someone by the name of George Pal tried to introduce a television show based upon the 1953 version of War of the Worlds doing what his Captain Pike and his Enterprise is about to do. He also wondered if this Matt Jefferies who was designing the Pegasus and Captain Jefferies who helped design the old NX class were related.
But he then thought about what his grandfather told him about television where it was popular until 2040. He remembered a debate where some say that reruns, reboots and reality shows finally killed television, while another said that interactive blu-rays that worked like today's holodecks only without holograms drew people way from television. He also hated how his mind wandered in these moods as he was now thinking of a song from the late 20th century about how video killed a radio star, but couldn't remember the name of the song.
His mind snapped back when he was alerted to a news program that will be starting in a few minutes, which he mused one aspect of television that actually survived outside of interactive education programs. He opened the file which began the program.
DT - "Welcome to the Federation News Network's special report, 'Hobus, the next Nibiru'. I'm Duncan Trinneer. And sitting with me is Dr. S'Taa from the Vulcan Science Academy. Welcome to our show, Doctor."
DS - "Thank you."
DT - "So tell me, you've heard reports about the star called Hobus in the Romulan Star Empire may be going nova in the next year or so, is that right?"
DS - "You would be correct."
DT - "Okay, so I would assume you also heard about the rumours about Hobus?"
DS - "I have."
DT – "Well bottom line, Dr. S'Taa, what is your opinion about Dr. Sheldon Raimer's claim that the star called Hobus will produce a hypernova which will also produce a subspace shockwave that could threaten the entire galaxy? I remember he keeps reminding us of the Klingon moon of Praxis."
DS – "Although his theories are fascinating, I find it highly unlikely that Hobus will produce either one of the conditions he described. We ran models of Hobus and found that there are too many inconsistencies that would prevent the star from becoming a hypernova and prevent it from generating a subspace shockwave."
DT – "Well our viewers can click on the link to see those models. Anyways you know that Hobus is deep inside Romulan territory, and in fact Romulus and Remus are 2 of the nearest inhabited planets to Hobus, but what about Dr. Raimer's claims that the Romulans are suffering from the Krypton syndrome? The reason he claims is why he is constantly denied permission to examine Hobus at close range."
DS – "I beg your pardon; I am not familiar with the Krypton syndrome."
DT – "Oh, sorry. It's a term Dr. Raimer used to describe a situation where science says one thing; politics says another, who usually wins? It's from the fictional planet Krypton from a publication firm called Detective Comics."
DS – "Fascinating. Even though this... Krypton syndrome has occurred on many occasions, they are quite often supported by scientific evidence and reason which Dr. Raimer lacks to support an argument."
DT – "Some would argue about the Hekaras corridor where a couple of scientists claimed using the passage was causing devastating environmental effects until one of them blew up their warp drive proving them right."
DS – "As you had stated, they detonated their warp drive that created a field intensity far greater than what a starship would be able to achieve. And that prior to the detonation, it would take decades to show any real effects of the corridor which would have been repairable."
DT – "Like blowing up oil wells to stop global warming even though the real cause was deforestation. What would you say about Dr. Raimer wishing the Romulans to jettison their singularity cores to stop the shockwave?"
DS – "If such a shockwave is feasible, it would take a more concentrated black hole or series of black holes to stop such a shockwave."
DT – "There are rumours that a substance called red matter can generate black holes large enough to destroy the shockwave."
DS – "I am afraid I am unfamiliar with red matter."
DT – "But altogether, would it be safe to say that the Hobus nova poses very little threat to the galaxy? It's another 2012/Nibiru disaster that never came?"
DS – "Unless highly unlikely circumstances were present, which the reading from Hobus does not support, I would say there is no danger."
DT – "Thank you, Dr. S'Taa."
Jake then switched off the program once his curiosity was satisfied. He knew from the adventures his father had that it's always important to keep an open mind. But even then he was pretty skeptical about Hobus. He sat back and wondered if he should add this time he had to look at the Hobus debate as a part of his story as to whether or not Earth in his story wants to send any ship into deep space.
But one think he knew was that he was hungry. He didn't want anything in general to eat; he wanted something very specific, his grandfather's gumbo. He grabbed his wallet and transporter pass and went out the door and down the street to where the transporter stop was located. He never thinks for the 3 seconds he was dematerialized, he is actually 4000km above the planetary surface inside an orbiting transporter pattern buffer.
When he materialised he strode down to Sisko's Creole Kitchen. It was a 20 minute walk, but he enjoyed it, especially when he worked up an appetite for his grandfather's famous gumbo. He entered and his grandfather, Joseph Sisko, popped out if the kitchen.
"Jake," said Joseph. "How are you doing?"
"Just great," said Jake who always enjoyed looking at his grandpa.
"Oh, Jake, I know that tone," said Joseph. "Something is bothering you, is there?
"It's just a book I'm working on," said Jake.
"Well let me get you some gumbo, and we'll sit down," said Joseph as he went back to get the gumbo. He brought back a bowl that made Jake's mouth water.
"So, Jake," Joseph continued as he sat down with his grandson. "Something tells me that it's more than a book you are working on."
"I couldn't get past you, Grandpa," said Jake. "Korena had to take a flight to the moon for an art gala, and I couldn't book a flight to go with her. She'll be back tomorrow, but..."
"Believe me, Jake, I had to wait a lot later than a day to see the woman I fell in love with," said Joseph. Jake remembered when his father had drawn a picture of a woman he had never seen before and Jake saw a picture that his grandfather had kept. Joseph then confessed that Sarah was Benjamin's real mother and he spent months searching for her after Benjamin was born.
"The funny thing is that when I go out, I know Korena is safe and sound doing the thing she loves," said Jake. "But when she travels, I fuss. She was probably fussing about as much when I am out on assignment."
"Do you know how often I worry about your father when he is on a starship?" said Joseph. "I was scared to death when I heard the Saratoga was destroyed in Wolf 359, but I cried my eyes out when the escape shuttles brought you and your dad back. I grieved for Jennifer, but losing you and your dad is something I could never have lived with.
"I wasn't exactly thrilled when your dad said he decided to stay on Deep Space Nine after he said he wanted to return for civilian work. Imagine him building orbital habitats 5 miles long that spin for gravity all because the designers wanted a sense of nostalgia for the O'Neil stations. And yet they were inspired by some sort of television show back in the late 20th century."
"It's funny, Grandpa, because I am writing a story that is inspired by science fiction from the late 19th century," said Jake. "I am in a way writing a sequel to H.G. Well's War of the Worlds, yet I am currently using historical figures like Christopher Pike and James Kirk as a basis for my story. But I plan on changing their names later. I was thinking along the lines of substituting John Kincaid for James Kirk, James Anderson for Christopher Pike, Paul Ironhourse... I'll worry about changing the names later."
"Why not use the names you already have now?" asked Joseph.
"This isn't fan fiction, Grandpa," said Jake. "I am only using Kirk and Pike as a basis. That is one thing that is always bugging me."
"What is it Jake?"
"I have been using a lot of personal experience and real names as a basis for a lot of my characters," Jake confessed. "I mean, hell, I used Fel Pagro as a basis for many of my antagonists. I use him for someone who isn't a villain or a traitor, but someone who isn't exactly one of the good guys either. Sometimes I wonder if I have any imagination.
"I'm not exactly Stanley Kubrick or H.G. Wells."
"Well remember, Jake, one thing that makes writers who they are is inspiration," said Joseph. "I remember that the inspiration for War of the Worlds was because someone goofed on the translation. Percival Lowell said he saw canale on Mars, the Italian word for channels. But someone thought he said canals meaning life on Mars before 2103. This then inspired Wells to... This then inspired Wells to... This then inspired Wells to..."
"Uncle Aaron, Grandpa is on the fritz again," said Jake yelling into the kitchen.
"Damn," Aaron Sisko cursed as he came out of the kitchen. "Computer, deactivate Sisko program 33."
At that moment, Joseph Sisko disappeared. Jake's grandfather had died 5 years earlier which Uncle Aaron, who was a spitting image of his father when he first took command of DS9, decided to maintain his establishment, especially since he was able to coax the secret jumbo recipe out of Joseph a year before his death.
"I'll call tech support," said Aaron. "Listen Jake, why did you recreate dad like this? I mean to be honest it's kind of morbid. Hell I don't even use him to boost sales."
"I just need him to tell help me where no one can," said Jake. "His avatar gives me that confidence boost where I need it the most. Thanks, Grandpa."
