Chapter 1 – New Earth Chronicles
He held onto the railing for a moment, not sure if he could keep himself upright. The sense of loss was catching up with him. He had been pushing it aside, ignoring it, concentrating on the tactical problems, trying to think about nothing but his ship, the crew. So far, he had succeeded. He rubbed his eyes again; they were red and aching from lack of sleep. He felt a moment's twinge of guilt for lying to Bones about resting, but it faded quickly. He leaned on the railing, bowing his head over his hands, trying to stay awake. He heard the door open.
Spock walked in, not wishing to disturb him, but knowing it was necessary.
"Our orders finally came through."
Jim turned to look at him, pulling himself together. "Starbase 1?"
The Vulcan nodded.
Jim straightened up, and turned to take a step toward the door. Suddenly, he felt himself falling.
"Jim!" Spock was at this side in an instant.
"I'm all right, Spock. I'm just a little tired." The Vulcan guided him to a nearby chair. "Sit down, Captain." He reached for the COM panel on the table beside them. "Bridge to Sickbay. Medical emergency in the Captain's lounge."
"That's not necessary Spock. I'm fine." And he tried to stand up. The Vulcan put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Remain seated."
"McCoy to Bridge. What's the emergency? We're overwhelmed down here."
"It's the Captain!" Spock snapped out.
"On my way."
Jim knew he would look foolish trying to get up if the Vulcan didn't want him to. And he knew at that particular moment, he couldn't make his legs work right if he tried. Sixty seconds later, the door opened and Dr. McCoy hurried in. "I was just outside the turbo lift when you called," he said in explanation. He pulled out his scanner.
"I'm fine Bones, just a little tired."
"Let me be the judge of that, Captain." Bones ran the scanner over him. "He needs to sleep. Help me get him over to the couch, Spock."
"That's not necessary—"
Bones took him sternly by the arm. "Let me tell you something, Captain. We have a major emergency going on down there. This is the absolute worst time for you to be incapacitated. If you don't lie down here for the next two hours, I will officially remove you from duty, and that would be the worst thing for those people who need you the most, right now. Do I make myself clear?"
Jim looked into his eyes and saw the truth of just how bad it could become below decks.
"All right, Bones." He cooperated from that moment on. They got him settled and the Doctor left his orders. "Make sure he stays put, Spock. Check in on him from time to time, or better yet, assign a yeoman to sit with him while he sleeps. I don't want him disturbed at all for at least two hours. And no more stimulants."
"Understood, Doctor."
"And make sure when he wakes up, you call me. He needs to eat."
There was no time for more. He was out the door and on his way below decks without another word.
The Vulcan looked at his Captain for a moment, marveling at how the fragile human could keep going with little rest for days at a time. He had tried to keep an eye out for any signs of collapse, but he had been inundated with his own duties and taking on those things the Captain would have normally been responsible for but had not had the time to deal with. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his own fatigue. Earth. A rose garden on a misty spring morning came to mind, and Leila walking there on her way to the science lab. The planetary defense system failed. Vulcan could be next. Pushing it all aside he returned to the bridge, assigning a yeomen to watch over his Captain. The ship rushed on to its rendezvous with Starbase 1.
"The Captain's waking up Doctor."
"Fine. I'll be there in a few minutes. McCoy out."
Yeoman Tamara poked her head around the door. "Mr. Spock. You wanted me to tell you when he woke up." The Vulcan nodded as he signed another fuel consumption report. "Have you notified Doctor McCoy?"
"Yes, sir. He said he'd be here in a few minutes."
"Yeoman. What time is it?" Jim yawned and sat up slowly, his head still fuzzy from sleep.
"2243 hours, Sir."
"Damn." Jim forced himself to stand. "I should have been on the Bridge hours ago."
"Dr. McCoy told me to be sure that you had something to eat. What would you like, sir? I had the Chicken Marsella for lunch and it was very good."
"I thought the power was out in the Galley."
"It was, but Lt. Paris ran bypass circuits to the food processors and they started up just fine. "
Jim nodded. "Just coffee, Yeoman."
'The Captain will have Eggs Benedict, Yeoman." Spock entered the lounge and crossed to the food replicators to program the setting himself. "Doctor's orders, Captain. No stimulants. He wishes you to have a high protein, high carbohydrate meal."
"Oh really. Well what if I just want coffee?"
"Sorry Jim. Nothing but good solid food." The Doctor joined them at the replicator.
Jim's breakfast appeared in the servo window and the Vulcan took it himself to the small dining table nearby.
"Now get out of here both of you and let the Captain eat in peace." McCoy turned to the menu selector and punched in a turkey sandwich and coffee for himself.
Jim looked over the Doctor's meal choice. "Oh, so you get coffee and I don't?"
"Eat your dinner-breakfast-whatever. I'll get you some juice."
Jim found himself digging in, in spite of the protests. He was starving.
"We're having some real problems, Jim, in spite of the sedatives I've been using. It's not just battle fatigue, it's more." Bones took a huge bite out of his own sandwich. He had had nothing to eat since a light breakfast of toast and coffee. "We've got to find a way to relieve the stress. They need some time to think about what's happened and to deal with it emotionally."
"We don't have the time, Bones," he said around mouthfuls. "We're been ordered to join the reserve, main battle fleet in orbit around Starbase 1. We should be there in a few hours. I'll check with Spock for the ETA."
"We need to use those few hours, Jim. Stand down the crew, all but for the most critical systems and talk to them together as a group. They need to see you."
"All right. Have them assemble on the flight deck."
"I think you should meet with them on the rec deck. It's more personal and not so 'battle ready'."
"Set it up with Spock. I'll be on the bridge." He swallowed the rest of his juice, wolfed down a few more bites, and was gone.
The Doctor sighed and shook his head. He finished his own sandwich more slowly, enjoying the quiet moment. It didn't last for long.
"Doctor McCoy to Sick Bay. Dr. McCoy, please report to the Sick Bay." The sound of a nervous, junior staff nurse came over the com system. "On my way," he answered, as he threw the remains of their meals into the disposal chute.
"I don't have to tell you how critical our present situation is." Jim paused, letting himself settle down and think about what he was going to say. This wasn't the time for a phony "go team" pep talk. "I called you here because I wanted to speak to you face to face. For some of you, this is your first tour of duty, or your first important assignment out of the Academy. Some of you are hardened battle veterans and there's nothing more to say. But I think there is more to say. We are all part of the same crew, and it's more important now than ever for us to support each other. I know, some of you have never been to Earth. For some of you, there's another world you call home. But I want you to think a minute of how it must feel for your fellow crewmen who do have ties to Earth, to know that their home world has been destroyed." There was the sound for a moment of soft crying in the background. "Think about that and let yourself feel compassion and sympathy for your fellow crew members. Offer your support, if it's needed. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Doctor McCoy and his staff are here for you. I'm here for you. Mr. Spock is here for you. We will help and support each other through this. And we will come out on the other side." He looked around at their somber faces. So young. Some of them are so young…almost children… He felt a chill go through the pit of his stomach. "I grieve with you. But I know if we do the best job we can do it will make a difference. I have every confidence that you will continue to give me your best, and I intend to give you the very best that I have." He paused to let it sink in. "We are on a rendezvous course with what's left of the reserve battle fleet at Starbase 1. Preliminary estimates are that as much as 1/3 of the fleet has been destroyed." There were a few gasps from the crowd.
Spock looked over in concern. That information had been classified. "I wanted you to know the truth. I wanted you to know because I believe that that we have a commitment to each other. A commitment of integrity and loyalty that may be the most important factor in our defense. I trust you with that information because I believe that the crews of the various classes of starships exploring deep space may be the one thing that helps us to survive. Planets aren't defendable, not really. They can't maneuver, they can't take themselves out of harms way. But starships can. And if this threat is as formidable as we believe, then no planet is safe. Not Vulcan, not Alpha Centauri II, not Rigel IV, or the Andorian home world, nor any other worlds that you and I call home." He let them think about it for a moment and then brought it to an end. "We are Earth now. We represent the finest that Earth has. If you have lost family, loved ones on Earth, then give your fellow crewmembers a chance to be your new family. And as head of this family I pledge to you to do whatever it takes to keep our family together and alive." He watched them digest his words and swallow them down. "That is all. You are dismissed." He stepped down from the stage that the drama club used to perform and walked out among them, to let them touch him and ask him questions. They held to discipline for the most part, but some of them did reach out to touch his shoulder or shake his hand. A young Ensign, was it Tamara? walked up to him and looked up at him with red, cried out eyes.
"Yes, Ensign?" She looked as if she were going to speak and then started to turn away. On an impulse, Jim reached out after her. "Ensign Tamara, is it?" She turned and nodded. "We'll make it through this Ensign. Do you understand?" Jim took her by the shoulders and pulled her to him, gently. She let him do it, and rested her head on his broad chest. She was tiny, and the top of her hair barely reached his breast.
He hugged her gently and then looked down into her delicate Oriental face. "Do you believe me, Ensign?"
"Yes, sir." Although she didn't sound too convinced.
Jim smiled at her gently and then let her go. Over the top of her head he saw Bones watching him, giving him a "thumbs up" look and a slight nod. On the way to the turbo lift he was intercepted by the Doctor.
"Good job, Jim. They needed it." The doors shut and they were on their way to the bridge.
He replied with a rather loud sigh. He flexed his shoulders and turned his neck around, trying to release some of the tension.
"Computer, halt." The turbo lift came to a smooth stop.
"What is it, Bones?"
The Doctor faced him and let his concern show. "Are you all right, Jim?"
He closed his eyes and nodded slightly. "I'll make it."
"I'm here if you need to talk."
"I know."
"Don't let it get to the point where you can't handle it anymore."
"I'm fine, Bones, really."
"I told Spock to keep an eye on you."
"Of course you did."
"Just a little extra insurance on my part."
"We've been in worst situations before."
"It's not the same, Jim. We've had our share of dangerous missions, but Earth has always been there, always there to come home to. That's what I keep trying to tell you. You can take a man away from a planet and out into space but you can't take the planet away from the man. It's hardwired into us. Our biological rhythms; all of it. Why else would we bother to try to turn a flying diurium coffin into a home? We need to see the sun rise and set, to feel fresh air on our faces, to eat real food. We're tied to a planet whether we want to be or not. That's why I keep expecting something more serious, even among the veteran crew. It's one thing to have a friend or loved one die, to experience battle, to be afraid of the unknown. That's trauma enough. But Jim, we lost our whole world, and that's a lot to deal with."
"The Enterprise is hardly a flying coffin."
"Don't change the subject. It doesn't matter how pretty you make the cage, Jim, or how many technical gadgets and toys you put in it. It's still a cage."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Listen to your own advice. Let me know when you need help. Or if not me, then Spock."
"I promise, if I'm on the verge of a breakdown I'll let you know."
"I'm serious, Jim. It can creep up on you. If you feel yourself in over your head, promise me you'll let me know?"
"I promise. Now, can we get to the bridge? I have a battle fleet to run."
"You? I thought Bob Wesley was Fleet Commander in this sector."
"Not anymore. He was on Earth when it hit."
"I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't know. Are you the senior officer now?"
"Looks like it. Most of the Admiralty was destroyed. I suggested they give the command to John Grayson on the Valiant, but he argued against it. He said I had more deep space experience than he, even though he ranks me as Commodore. Looks like he won the argument. Vice Admiral Clayton is the only Admiral left alive anywhere near us in time to do anything. And he's out on Starbase 29. There's Admiral Westmoreland out at Deep Space 9, but he doesn't have a ship and he's hasn't been a field officer in years. So, I guess it's my job, now." With that they were on the bridge and the casual conversational tone dropped away. Here was the heart and soul of his ship, and he knew this heart and soul better than he knew his own. Here his mind cleared, his pulse quickened, and he felt the flow and rhythm of the ship just as if it were alive. In truth, the Enterprise was a commanding female to him, and she demanded more of a commitment than any lover he had ever known.
"I thought we should take the time to see each other, have a chance to talk in person, even if only for a little while. It may be our only chance for a long time." Jim surveyed the briefing room. It was a little crowded, but he wanted them all to be in the same room, and he thought the conference room was more intimate than the flight deck.
"What's the story, Jim?" That was Cary Williams, the Captain of the frigate Stargazer.
The new Commander of the 1st Fleet took a deep breath. "Our best estimate is that we've lost at least 1/3 of our battle ready fleet. That's four starships, one of which, the Intrepid, was in dry dock when it happened. That's the Constitution, the Nemesis, the Patriot and the Intrepid, destroyed. We've lost 14 heavy cruisers and 25 battleships. And about 30 frigates. All were of the newer Explorer classes. The older ships, the ones that were retired or in space dock at some of the Starbases may be put into service, but we need crewman to do that, and you know as well as I how many good trained officers and crew we lost when those ships were destroyed. Most of the very senior officers, including the commanding admirals at Star Fleet Headquarters on Earth are of course no longer with us. Not only did we lose our most experienced officers, but also the entire graduating class of new cadets and all those who were to come after them. Unfortunately this hit in the middle of a semester, so most of our compliment of newly trained crewman are gone."
"What about the Star Fleet Academy branch on Vulcan or Alpha Centaury?" Eddie Falcon of the heavy cruiser, Fleet, raised his hand.
"We will be pushing them through an accelerated course and get them out on as many of the better older ships we have as soon as possible. But we can't count on them for several months. I'm afraid that we are on our own for now, gentlemen. I'm open to suggestions."
They soaked it all in, the bad news with the good. A compact officer with graying temples and icy blue eyes spoke up. "Captain Eddleton, here of the Starwind."
"Go ahead, Captain."
"What are our options as far as our allies go. How does Vulcan stand on this?"
And they all looked over at Spock, standing silently at his Captain's side.
Jim moved aside to let him speak. "Mr. Spock? Would you care to answer for Vulcan?"
The tall alien stepped forward. "I have been in communication with my father, Ambassador Sarek. He was not on Earth at the time of the attack. As Vulcan's representative to Earth, I am to convey to you from him, Vulcan's policy in this. Vulcan stands with Earth. We are ready to offer whatever assistance we can against this threat. All officers not judged to be vital for the training of new cadets will be pulled into active duty service from Vulcan's Space Academy. Whatever ships we can spare from our own planetary defense will be put at the disposal of the new Commander of the First Fleet. We are preparing for a similar attack against Vulcan."
"I thought Vulcan had no planetary defenses." Richard Ekhardt, captain of the heavy cruiser, Pursue, had never been to Vulcan, but knew of their culture of non-violence.
"Such defenses are present, however, of the details, I am not at liberty to share with you."
"Will the Vulcans fight with us? The last thing we need is to be distracted with trying to defend crewmembers who aren't willing to fight."
"I assure you Captain Ekhardt. When the time comes, a Vulcan will defend himself quite capably against attack."
"That's not what I heard."
"I wouldn't worry about it, Rick. I have complete confidence in what Commander Spock tells me. If he says Vulcan will fight, than we can depend on it." Jim looked around for any more questions. "Let's get to it then." He keyed a pad near his hand and a large portion of the wall behind him seemed to become a window into space itself. Superimposed on the screen was a galactic star map that took them through a tour of the galaxy as he spoke. "The Alpha Quadrant as you know, on the Orion Spur of the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way. I'm going to let Mr. Spock, who is my Science Officer as well as Second in Command take over from here."
"We are approaching Earth from the top of our Galaxy, coming in from the nearest Cluster. As most of you are aware, we have been detecting an increase in background radiation from the heart of our Galaxy for several years now. Five point six two three eight five, to be exact. Because of my credentials with the Vulcan Science Academy, I have been involved in some of the studies that are taking place to determine, if possible, the cause in this increase in radiation. And, to ascertain if it will become a threat to the Alpha Quadrant. No conclusions had been made, other than to suggest that this is merely a by-product of the increase in stellar birth taking place at the Galaxy's heart."
"What does this have to do with us, Mr. Spock?" Rick Eckardt was beginning to feel this meeting was a waste of time.
"I am preparing to answer that, Captain, if you will be patient. Before the attack on Earth, a huge increase in hard radiation, similar to a solar flare within a solar system, was detected racing toward the Alpha Quadrant from the Galaxy center. But unlike a solar system, this radiation has originated from near the galaxy's supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. As you may know, this area emits radio, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma ray wavelengths. These flickers of radiation arise when small clouds of gas fall onto the hot disk of matter that swirls around that black hole." Some of the ship commanders shifted in their seats. They were men of action, and few had the patience to sit through an Academy "science lecture."
The Vulcan continued. "Through my contacts at Vulcan Science Academy, and through my own studies, I have concluded the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way has exploded again. The last detected explosion of this size occurred in the early 21st century. This eruption was deemed a repeat event of a very violent explosion that occurs periodically within the galaxy's heart."
"Mr. Spock, with all due respect-"
"Rick, let him finish." Jim raised his hand in a subtle gesture of command, and nodded at Spock to continue.
"I thought we were attacked by a weapon, not supernova." Eckardt would not be subdued so easily.
"Perhaps we were attacked by both," Spock replied calmly. "I shall explain. The radiation detected coming from the heart of the galaxy is a natural phenomenon. The blinding white flash of light that was observed in the vicinity of Sol before we received reports of a loss of contact with Earth Space Central was tracked coming in from the same location as the supermassive black hole explosion."
Captain Falcon raised his hand. "That could just be a coincidence."
"Perhaps. But the radiation signatures are nearly identical. Therefore, I believe the timing of the attack is what is important. We detected the explosion near the supermassive black hole and dutifully prepared to study it, all without preparing for an attack. When the attack did come, we were not ready for it, having assumed it was just another galactic explosion."
"Wait a minute. You're telling me that someone, some alien superpower, saw a galactic explosion heading our way and then conveniently decided to launch an attack on earth at the same time, using almost the same energy signature?"
"I believe that is what I said, Commander," the Vulcan reply calmly.
"Is that even possible?" Captain Falcon looked perplexed.