(Author's note: these logs form the basis of the following story, and all of these as a whole will form the basis of the fully edited, revamped story that I will continue posting in a more normal format. I understand that a lot of Fan Fiction readers enjoy a more modular reading experience—that is, having a few days in between posts—but this story is not for you; instead, it is for the readers from the Subspace Comms Network, who have been waiting to see my story in a less confusing format. The original story is at my Star Trek MSN space, which is linked from my main profile. The story I will be writing for Fan Fiction readers, and, thus, for the general masses, will be a much more refined experience. Trust me.)
Captain's log, stardate 42705.10
I created my MSN space today while the U.S.S. Tomcat made its way to Instado XII to resupply a Federation outpost. Daily I long for my dear Catherine, and the long trips in space don't make it easier, but thankfully the Tomcat's next mission is back to Sector 001 for a full refit of the warp nacelles. I'll be off duty for three weeks so I'll take Catherine to Kaneka Prime for a much-needed getaway. The unadulterated time with her will be a nice reprieve from the rigors of a Starfleet life.
Captain's log, stardate 42905.01
The Tomcat has been diverted to Sector 5785 to assist the U.S.S. Nod, which sent a distress signal at 1100 hours. We will remain with the Nod until repairs are complete. The Instadan outpost will have to wait on the rest of its supplies as we are expected to rendezvous with the S.S. Timoys for passenger transfer at 1030 hours tomorrow. The Nod's repairs should take about 8 hours.
Captain's log, stardate 42905.80
We were unfortunately unable to complete the repairs to the Nod before our scheduled rendezvous with the Timoys, but now we've finished with the Timoys and are on our way to the Denunin system to drop off our new passengers. The Nod reports that it can sustain itself until we return to Sector 5785. The diversion to the Denunin system should only take about 4 hours total, and my dear Catherine is taking a small transport to meet me there. I can hardly wait to see her again. Unfortunately her duties force her to return to Sector 328-C promptly, so the visit will be short-lived, but worthwhile. Soon we will meet in the Aurora system in Sector 11548 for a scheduled shore leave for the Tomcat's crew. It's no Risa, but it's a great vacation anyway.
Captain's log, stardate 50205.01
The passengers from the Timoys were delivered to the Denunin system, the repairs to the Nod have been completed successfully, the Tomcat is now completing its resupply of the Instado XII outpost, and I had a wonderful romantic dinner with my dear Catherine overlooking the luminescent plasma falls of Denunin V before her return to Sector 328-C. Today she sent a communiqué about her relocation to Sector 11548, and that she's in the process of transporting her equipment to the planet Aurora Center. This transfer is amazingly convenient since that's the exact planet for the Tomcat's scheduled shore leave. Someone must be watching out for us since the majority of the Tomcat's missions until its upcoming refit are based around Aurora Center--mostly cataloging gaseous anomalies and overseeing trade negotiations between friendly races. I don't want to push it, but I would like to know if there's anything or anyone behind this. Starfleet will be receiving an official note of inquiry from me . . . but I'll do it from Kaneka Prime.
Captain's log, stardate 50305.02
The Tomcat has received emergency orders to return to Instado XII. There have been reports of outbreaks of hysteria among the officers at the outpost and Starfleet believes it may have something to do with the supplies we delivered. Hopefully it's not: we had those supplies on board for quite a number of days. The last thing I need on my ship is mass hysteria, mostly because of my concern for the safety of the crew, but also (admittedly, more selfishly) because the required quarantine period would make me miss both the scheduled shore leave at Aurora Center and the three-week vacation to Kaneka Prime. Such a delay would keep me from Catherine for much too long. Chief Engineer Self and First Officer Chester Crowe have begun an investigation into the possibility of the supplies having any relation to the events on Instado XII, and Doctor Lynn Yerian has been testing the crew for signs of hysteria. So far the crew seems to be completely fine.
Captain's log, supplemental:
Doctor Yerian has completed testing all of the crew except one: Ensign Lana Bradshaw, whom we cannot find. Apparently she had the most contact with the supplies because she took over extra watch shifts when Ensign Rory Preston, who was in charge of the watch crew for the supplies, came down with a case of the Thelusian flu and had to be quarantined. She is not in her quarters and the internal sensors cannot locate her or her communicator. A ship-wide search has begun, but we only have an hour before we reach the outpost.
Captain's log, stardate 50405.35
Ensign Bradshaw was finally found just as we reached the outpost, but she had changed somehow. Her very genetic makeup had been altered into some kind of alien hybrid, which explains why the sensors couldn't find her. She doesn't even look human. Bradshaw bit Doctor Yerian when she went to sickbay, but because of the doctor's alien physiology she hasn't mutated--instead she's been wandering aimlessly around the ship muttering random things like "Holy halibut!", "Yes, precious!", "Great scot, the Force has you, precious!", and "Bob's yer uncle!" Needless to say, she's in no condition to find a cure for anything. Her medical staff is looking for a way to expel the virus that's causing all of this, but their reports are not promising. Yerian is no threat to anyone, but since we don't know how the virus transmits, she's been confined to quarters, and Bradshaw had to be transported to the brig, both on full biological quarantine. Chief Engineer Self is the only one who cannot be affected by the virus since his human brain is protected by his android body, so he's been sent to the outpost to quarantine the affected officers and work jointly with the medical staff to find a cure. We can't be sure the virus is contained at the moment, so I've ordered every crew member to report for a regular check-up to cargo bay 3. Hopefully we can find a remedy before the virus spreads to any more people.
Captain's log, stara!e 50&-.12
don't . . . have much time . . . officers from the outpost . . . taken over . . . Self . . . found way to expel virus . . . can't think straight . . . losing mind
Captain's log, supplemental:
Self expelled the virus from Doctor Yerian, but for some reason she is still saying the same random things she did while she was under the virus's influence--less frequently by far, but enough to make it quite funny. It's improved her bedside manner a bit, from what I hear. She has returned to her post already and is busy writing a detailed report about the new virus.
Chief Engineer's log, stardate 51005.01:
At 330 hours on stardate 50405.35 I was sent to the outpost at Instado XII to find a way to expel a new mutagen that had taken hold of the officers of the outpost and two crew members aboard the Tomcat, Ensign Bradshaw and Doctor Lynn Yerian. By 530 hours, Ensign Bradshaw, in her mutated state, had found a way to escape from the confines of the brig and attack the two guards posted over her. From there, she ran rampant through the corridors until security chief Jeffrey Debbs confined her between a series of high-level forcefields. Unfortunately, everyone she attacked, beginning with the two security guards, began mutating even faster than she had, and Lt. Debbs couldn't confine them fast enough. It was only a matter of minutes until almost the entire ship was overrun with mutated beings, excluding the bridge. The bridge crew tried every method to keep the attacking mutations off of the bridge, but by my last communiqué with them from the planet, the mutations had broken through and were attacking relentlessly. Somehow the mutated officers from the outpost managed to transport aboard the Tomcat and began taking over key systems in an attempt to hijack the ship. I had finally found a way to expel the mutagen just before the officers transported, and so I transported aboard and began the slow process of treating every mutated being. The majority of the time I had to fight a group into submission or unconsciousness to administer the remedy, so it took a while. The mutagen has been named the Instado Mystery Virus since we still do not know where it came from or how it was transmitted. For now, it has been stopped, and after reconfiguring the sensors, I have determined that it is nowhere on the Tomcat or the Instadan outpost. Hopefully it stays gone.
Captain's log, stardate 51005.01
The entire ordeal is finally over for good. Thankfully, Self was able to expel the virus from every member of the Tomcat's crew and every officer from the outpost. I am including his log to explain the events of the past few days. Currently the Tomcat is being ordered to Starbase 84 for thorough decon and a day of shore leave.
Captain's log, stardate 51205.10
We arrived at Starbase 84 just yesterday at 2300 hours. Thankfully the Tomcat's decon and quarantine period will be short. We will have to remain on active duty on the starbase until decon is complete, but right now we're enjoying our day of shore leave. I've noticed that we have a lot of shore leave coming up: next week is our scheduled shore leave to Aurora Center, and just a month or so from now is the Tomcat's warp nacelle refit, during which we get a three-week vacation. I'm beginning to think Starfleet is softening us up. We're one of the most prominent warships in the fleet, carrying much more firepower and defenses than any Akira-class vessel, and even more than the other Agent-class vessels, and yet we'll be conducting science missions in Sector 11548--not that I'm complaining since I get to see Catherine a lot during that time, but it just makes me wonder how effective we'll be at defending the Federation should it fall under attack. I think I'll go ahead and submit that official inquiry about the missions around Aurora Center.
Captain's log, stardate 51805.05
It's late, and I'm tired as a halibut, so I'm going to sleep. But I just can't get over the reply I got from Starfleet concerning the Tomcat's activity in Sector 11548. It's a relief in one sense, but it's also very disturbing. Apparently there have been secret dealings with a new race called the Suundel--a Gamma Quadrant race that is extremely aggressive, but not overtly war-like, whose entire culture centers around taking enemies without a fight (I'd almost call them an assassin race)--for the past five years. In those five years, they've been studying the races of the Federation in depth, presumably for the purposes of a takeover. Starfleet Intelligence has reports of involvement by the Breen, a fact which raises quite a few concerned eyebrows of its own, and they fear possible invasion within the next year. I am to receive an update in a few days about the specifics of the missions we'll be performing around Sector 11548, and I'm told they'll all be highly classified and dangerous, but the main feeling I get is that we'll be monitoring activity and setting up new defense lines. Sector 11548 is on the outskirts of Federation space, and the most likely entry point for the Suundel should they bring an all-out attack.
My relief comes from the fact that Starfleet is not indeed playing down the Tomcat's purpose, but my concern comes from the fact that there may be yet another invasion attempt of the Federation. After the Borg and the Dominion, I thought we'd be through, but it seems this galaxy is reaching a point of grave unrest, which is exactly why classes like Agent, December, and Sol were developed. Let's just hope all our efforts are not useless against this possible new foe. And let's hope that I can get Catherine out of harm's way. I really don't want her to be involved in a new war. I don't know what I'd do without her.
Captain's log, stardate 52405.12
I finally received an update from Starfleet concerning the Suundel. All of the missions are highly classified, so I can't put any of them in my log just yet, but I will say that Catherine is involved in the majority of them. She's one of the top scientists in her field, but I'm confused about how her expertise in tachyon conversion fields makes her necessary for these missions. I'm concerned for her safety, and I don't know how Starfleet overlooked the conflict of interests that's being created by having me work with my girlfriend on such dangerous missions. Our work together to solve the crisis at Na-Ro III was considered exemplary by the top brass, and may have been a deciding factor in her assignment to these missions, but that was before we knew each other, before there was a conflict of interests. We'll just have to work it out and prioritize the mission above our personal feelings. I hope the Suundel don't decide to attack before we're ready.
Captain's log, stardate 53105.15
While performing one of our missions, the Tomcat encountered a Suundel advance scout ship making its way through the Aurora system. We have established communication, but their language is so confusing that even the universal translators can't translate the majority of it. We get a word here or there, but not nearly enough to make sense of it. Apparently the lack of communication has made the crew of the scout ship very confused and angry, so we have broken communication for now. We somehow reached an agreement to stay here until we can figure out our communication barrier. We cannot let the Suundel ship further into Federation space. If they truly are a threat, they cannot be allowed to continue whatever mission they're on. Their reaction indicates a desire to communicate, however, and I think there's something about this race that we're missing. I need to investigate more.
Captain's log, stardate 60705.10
It has taken us seven days to make any progress with the Suundel. In those seven days, I have seen them be more generous with their information than we have, and I really can't see how they are a threat--except that their technology seems far superior. They have sent us many files, one of which we believe to be their alphabet.
We have made enough progress to agree to let our linguistics specialists meet in a shuttlecraft that can be monitored by both sides. Lieutenant Wade Burgan, our linguistics specialist, will leave in just half an hour and, as a gesture of good faith, will pilot our shuttlecraft into the Suundel's shuttlebay to pick up their specialist. The Suundel have proven more eager to understand us than any species except the Tamarians, and they have shown nothing but great respect and friendliness toward us. I've been going over Starfleet's accounts of past encounters with the Suundel, and they all seem to point to misconduct by Starfleet, but I am not in the business of accusing my superiors of treason, so until there is no other option, I will not bring up that issue again. I just hope all goes well on the shuttlecraft.
Captain's log, stardate 60805.02
Lieutenant Burgan and the Suundel linguistics specialist, whose name we have found out is Klaanlwidmic (Romanized as closely as possible, obviously), have been on that shuttlecraft together for almost 13 hours straight. Wade has been updating his logs from the shuttlecraft, and this is the most recent:
Lieutenant's log, stardate 60805.01:
This is the single most confusing language I've come across in my lifetime, but it's also the most exciting experience I've had the pleasure of being involved in. The alphabet of the Suundel seems to be based on a complex system of phonetics and simplified hieroglyphics, and Klaan's (as I've come to call him) name can be spelled three different ways, each with a different emotional or moral implication. Each character can represent a different set of vowel and consonant sound groups, or it can represent an entire abstract concept, and depending on which is indicated, a name, place, or object can be spelled or a whole epic story can be told--within the same amount of characters. For example, Klaan's name actually tells a small story about a Suundel boy who once stood alone against an incredible army of alien invaders, but arose victorious because the army underestimated him and ran past him right into the countless traps he had laid; it was actually because his parents so admired this concept of standing alone against incredible odds that Klaan was given his name. It would be sort of like a human child being named Bravery, or a Vulcan child being named Logic, but this is the norm in their culture, it seems. The universal translator will never be able to compensate for such complexity.
I received a very disturbing piece of information from Klaan once we finally gained an understanding of each other: there is a renegade sect of the Suundel who wish to spark a war for unknown reasons, and they are the ones with whom Starfleet has had contact for the past five years. They have formed a blockade of their home planet, and overthrown the current government. It is not the wish of the Suundel government to go to war, and this advance scout is the only ship that has managed to escape from the blockade to tell us.
This information has already been sent to Starfleet, and I hope to hear from them very soon regarding a course of action. The Suundel crew has requested asylum within Federation space, and I have temporarily granted it to them until I hear a final word from Starfleet. Organizing an attack on an assassin race seems out of the question, but intervention now may be the only way to avert all-out war.
Captain's log, stardate 061205.50
The meeting with the Suundel has ceased and we are currently hosting several members of their crew on board. Starfleet has ordered the U.S.S. Okinawa and the U.S.S. Thunderchild to escort the Suundel ship to Starbase 718. Wade has volunteered to stay with the Suundel to assist in translation and write his report on their language. I'm simply amazed that he was able to pick up on their language so quickly. I always knew he was gifted, but this is unprecedented.
I'm not quite sure if this group of Suundel are telling the truth, but they're much too generous with their information for me to think they have anything to hide, and the thought of returning to their space seems to frighten them, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. All the same, the crew members who came aboard are being monitored constantly, and I've posted extra security teams to the vital parts of the ship. I haven't allowed the visitors onto the bridge, but I have met with one of them in Ten Forward for lunch, and they seem like a very pleasant race.
Once the Thunderchild and Okinawa get here, we will complete our missions around the Aurora system. The mission that was interrupted by the Suundel intrusion cannot be completed now, so we will go directly to Aurora Center to take Catherine and some of her team aboard. They will remain on board for our last two missions, and once those are complete, Catherine and I will take our vacation to Kaneka Prime. Three weeks of unadulterated time together, without work or worries. I can't wait!
Captain's log, stardate 061605.02
Our final mission is done, Catherine's science team has been dropped off at Aurora Center, and she and I are preparing to leave for Kaneka Prime aboard the captain's yacht. We will leave in about 32 hours. Meanwhile we are enjoying the first part of our vacation together on the holodeck. Chester has command of the Tomcat, and I can think of no more capable hands to leave her in. I can rest at ease on Kaneka Prime. Until I resume command of the Tomcat, I will leave no more logs.
Captain's log, stardate 071105.12
I have returned to active duty as of 1200 hours, Catherine has returned to the Aurora system, and Chester has kept the Tomcat in perfect working order while I've been away, so I bought him a drink. The latest news on the Suundel is that we will be organizing a preemptive strike on the rogue sect to attempt to release their blockade of the Suundel homeworld. The Tomcat will be leading the attack fleet.