STAR TREK: PHASE TWO
God Complex
The USS RELIANT was on course for the planet Neptune and would arrive at the beautiful blue gas planet within an hour. The flood lights of the starship brought to life her majesty against the backdrop; the canvas of the stars that surrounded her. Many children, of all ages, had bought highly detailed plastic kits of the new starships, and the Reliant was the number two seller next to the Enterprise. And in the black of space, that's what the Reliant looked liked; a much larger version of the plastic kit. And while some child was no doubt holding their model, pretending it was flying through the endless night time sky, the crew of the Reliant was really living it. And perhaps someday that awe inspired child would get the chance to live inside his or her dream; inside the USS Reliant.
The reason as to why the Reliant was going to Neptune was less tangible; the United Space Agency had picked up anomalous signals for several days near and around the planet, and had sent the Reliant to investigate. The going consensus back at Starfleet Command was that the planet might be going into an active volcanic state. The Reliant was being sent to drop some probes into the atmosphere for further observation.
Captain Gary Mitchell was in his quarters, preparing to go up to the bridge. Although he was the ship's captain, and being a captain of a starship had been a dream of his for many years, he still felt distant from where he was. He felt as if he was a walking volcano; just waiting to explode with his ability. He didn't mind doing small work like investigating anomalous signals and such.
His friend Kirk was grabbing the media spotlight, and especially now as the Enterprise had left space dock one week earlier on its second mission beyond Earth's system. The public loved Kirk. And they especially loved Kirk after watching him face tragedy because it made Kirk all that more the kind of a celebrity that the masses could identify with. James T. Kirk was without a doubt the most famous person on Earth. Which meant Gary, and Chekov, could best fly under the radar, which for now was best for both of them.
In his quarters, Gary Mitchell stood naked before the full length mirror in his room. And though he saw himself, with all the humanity that meant, he was increasingly seeing the body as the body of a stranger. He turned around and faced the bed; the bed he had begun to share with Nadya Chekov when final crew transfers had been made.
James Kirk, Gary's best friend in the entire universe, had went ahead and allowed the permanent transfer of Nadya Chekov to the Reliant. Kirk knew that Gary had his eye on Nadya for many months. But Gary knew very well that had had Kirk declined the transfer, he, Gary, would have simply killed his friend. That is the type of being Gary Mitchell was becoming. He was becoming very protective of his things; and Chekov was his thing.
Chekov opened her eyes. She was nude as well, no longer under the blankets as she too prepared to head to the bridge.
"Why do we do this?" Chekov asked as she admired Gary's body. "What do we see in each other?"
He came over the bed and climbed behind her, kissing the back of her neck as he did.
"Well, you see me as some kind of God and I can't blame you." he told her. "I am becoming a God. And every God needs his Eve."
Nadya looked back at him. "That isn't quite the relationship they had, Gary."
"Then that God was more of a fool than I already think he was," Gary said with arrogance in his voice. "I am drawn to you because you, my dear, have a monster inside of you."
"A monster you could easily remove. So why don't you?" she asked. "I am a murderer because of it."
He slid his arm around her and placed his hand on her soft belly and he pressed his body against hers.
"I don't remove it because I like roller-coasters," he said to her. "You ever ride one?"
"Sure, but I rode them for fun," she replied with a coy sound in her voice.
"No you didn't," he said as he slid his fingers up her belly toward a more tantalizing area of her body. "You rode roller-coasters because of the thrill that came with the thought that you might actually die. That is why we all ride them."
"So," she said as she enjoyed the sensations of his touch, "you're afraid I might kill you and so that is why you are with me? You are riding me like a roller-coaster? Gee, how romantic."
"Yes," he whispered.
Then he climbed out of bed, and began to get dressed.
"Now, come on," he said to her. "The God of Neptune awaits us. And you know how Gods hate to be kept waiting."
Gary smiled at her as he looked down at her. As Chekov stared back up at him, she could see a faint glow in his eyes. It aroused her. But he was right, they had duties to do. She watched him leave, and then prepared to leave for the bridge herself.
Unknown to the crew of the Reliant, including Captain Gary Mitchell, a cloaked Romulan Warbird was sitting directly off to the port side of the ship, shadowing her every move as she approached Neptune.
Another Romulan Warbird, uncloaked, was in a parking orbit in the southern region of the planet Neptune. The ship's commander, Praefectus'alae Gnaeus, was overseeing the launch of a Romulan probe. It was the forth such attempt in the past fourteen cycles. Their mission to Neptune, violating Earth's star system in the process, was to probe the planet for a possible weapon to be used against the Borg; should the powerful cyborg race rampage this part of the galaxy again. So far the probes had either been destroyed by the atmospheric conditions of Neptune, or, the data provided was not conclusive either way. But if the Omega Particle existed on the planet; Praefectus'alae Gnaeus would stop at nothing to find it.
Deep Space…
The USS Enterprise entered the Wolf 359 star system. The star was originally discovered using astrophotography by German astronomer Max Wolf in 1918 and was nearly 8 light years from Earth. The Enterprise had been sent to explore the planet Obaron IV, which had only been discovered orbiting the UV Ceti-type flare star, in the year 2041. The planet was nearly 75% the size of earth, with relative mass. But more importantly; it had continents and oceans.
As the Enterprise entered orbit of the plant, scans revealed no sign of civilization on the plant. But there were signs of mammalian life forms on a lower scale, as well and aquatic life and birds and insects. It was, as Colonel Pike told Kirk before they left, the best test planet in that it would be Kirk's first chance, thus Earth's real first chance, to gather data on an entirely alien world other than their own.
The Enterprise had been fitted with the experimental Transporter Machine technology. And as Captain Kirk, First Officer Spock (an Android) and Doctor McCoy, along with a survey team arrived in the newly built Transporter room, McCoy's face turned green.
Kirk and the others stepped up onto the Transporter pads, but Dr. McCoy did not.
"Bones, what's wrong?" Kirk asked. "Don't tell me you're still afraid of this thing?" Kirk asked, knowing of McCoy's disdain at the thought of being teleported. This would be McCoy's first time and he didn't like it.
"Jim," McCoy said, "I didn't join Starfleet to have my molecules scattered about by this thing."
"Oh doctor," Scotty said from behind the console that operated the device. "It's just going to tickle ya. I've done it about twenty times, and wow, I feel like a new man each time."
"That's because, you ding bat," McCoy said to Scotty, "you ARE a new man each time you get teleported. The real you, the original you, died the very first time you went through."
"Ye may be right," Scotty said with a smile, "but I have noticed that I can hold my scotch a bit more."
"Really?" McCoy asked, interested in the idea. Then he stepped up onto the pad. "You better not be snowing me."
Scotty did not answer either way. Then Scotty manipulated the dials on the transporter console. And then Captain Kirk and the landing party shimmered away.
Below; on the surface of Obaron IV
It had been one month since he had arrived on the planet. He had come to this world as part of his Kolinahr training; to be alone; to contemplate his place in the universe. He was Vulcan, and it was at this age that all Vulcans strived to become perfectly logical in every way. As he closed his eyes to meditate, he didn't notice the flashing light on his small scanning device. It was picking up the signals of an orbiting starship. And as his meditation became deeper, he didn't notice the newcomers shimmering into existence behind him.
Continued…..