STAR TREK
"Blessing in Disguise"
It was the USS Reliant. With Clark Terrell in command, it was about to embark on its first mission.
"Captain?" Pavel Chekov inquired.
"Yes, Commander?" he returned swiveling in his captain's chair.
He folded his hands behind his back with a simple inquiry, "What is our mission again?"
He began, "The Enterprise invented the full-power start in its five-year mission. We are to test to see if it can truly allow us travel backwards in time."
Second Officer Kyle was sitting at the communications station. He relayed a message to the captain, "You have the order to begin."
The ship was operating close to Earth near the brand-new Spacedock.
"Engage," the captain ordered.
It got weird as they slowly trekked backwards in time. Then an image of the Reliant appeared on the viewscreen, "What is that?"
"It's a duplicate starship," Chekov noticed. "Pull us out of warp and hail them."
"Captain," the second officer replied, "they're responding with screams."
"Red alert!" the duty-bound captain stated. It was a mission that had created two Reliants. One of them sat directly ahead compromised by time.
Later, the duplicate was believed empty. It was to be cleaned of all organic life.
Someone on board survived the ordeal, "Is anyone alive in here?!"
"Hello?!" she repeated.
"Hey," another responded. "I'm right here."
As a medical officer equipped with a tricorder, she noted, "Your arm is fused in the bulkhead. Everyone seems to be like this. Does it hurt?"
"Not really. Head to the bridge," she who was fused in the bulkhead told her.
She was all by herself when a laser beam appeared to clean the entire ship of organic life.
"What's that?!" she cried out. "What is that?!"
"Ah!"
In due time, a replacement crew was made for the starship created by the full-power start. The captain sat alone in the observation deck.
The first officer entered the cold room at the forefront of the starship, "Captain? Are you in here?"
"Yes, I am Captain Hugo," he said swiveling the chair in the room. "I apologize for the cold. As those in your species say, what's up?"
"I'm sorry," he stated momentarily forgetting his captain was an Andorian.
He then changed the subject, "Is that the dedication plaque for the previous crew?"
"Yes," the captain replied.
With the deepest of respect, he noted, "It was nice they put it in the observation deck."
"Yes, it is," said the captain.
"I am the first officer of this Reliant. My name is Daniel Swanson," he said. "For some reason, a Starfleet VIP wishes to see you."
"Which one?" the captain said with a smile.
"Admiral Kirk," Daniel returned.
Kirk had just returned from his battle with Khan. He had something to tell the new captain. He was making a scene.
Kirk explained to security, "I don't like it. That is the USS Reliant. What is it doing there?"
Ensigns failed to calm him down, "We know that, sir. But what should we do?"
"Move it," he ordered heading out of the room.
"How far?" a security officer inquired. Carol Marcus smiled throughout the matter.
"Oh, you think this is funny?" the admiral asked as he stormed out of the room.
Kirk bumped into Hugo storming out. He knew he faced an Andorian, "Who the hell are you?"
"Admiral," the first officer stated, "this is the captain of the Reliant. He is an Andorian. His name is Hugo."
"Well," Kirk said. "Must I kill you also?"
"No, sir," Captain Sye Hugo promised him with extreme prejudice.
"Good," he said coldly punching him in the gut as he walked over him.
He would file no charges. After all, if he did press charges on him, it would fall on deaf ears.
It felt like Spacedock to him, but it was sickbay on USS Reliant. Its captain was being treated by the doctor.
"Rise and shine," the doctor smiled as she operated over her patient.
"What happened?" he asked. "Where am I?"
"Sickbay," the doctor explained. "You got sucker punched by Admiral Kirk."
"Why would he do that?" the Andorian stated. He was under the impression he was stronger.
"There once was two Reliants. The original was stolen and used to kill his best friend Spock."
"How is my ship?" the captain asked in fear he committed a crime.
"It's okay," she returned. "We only had orders to move it out of Spacedock."
"Why?" he said slowly rolling out of bed.
"It was parked right next to the Enterprise," the doctor said. "That angered the admiral."
Sye began to think hard, "I will do something nice for the admiral."
"I know! I will send him flowers. That should make things right," Captain Hugo told the doctor.
He started his way towards the bridge smiling to himself. He said, "That is my first order."
The Reliant followed order after order in all of its missions in space. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Facing Kirk was a blessing in disguise.
The End