THE FATE OF THE LAST IDAHO
A NOVEL BY J.G NOLET
PROLOGUE:
STARDATE : Shortly after the shinzon incident...
SHIP LOG: We are under way to the New-Rakis planet, a human colony that we never heard of until six months ago. This system is so close to sector 001, it hard to believe no one knows this colony existed in the first place! STOP LOG.
"Mr. Crusher what is our current ETA?" "Six hours at actual speed with is Warp 2. If we were to increase speed to warp five we can be there in less than an hour! "
"No just carry on, we are not in any hurry anyway" "SHIPWIDE! Senior officer briefing would be in half an hour sharp."
CHAPTER ONE: FATE
The meeting was quite short. After all it was a very simple mission. Transporting a single ordinary man to many different meetings on worlds and starbases spreads all around the federation space. Little do they know of Duncan Idaho and of the giant worms they know nothing! They would soon learn one thing. This man was anything but ordinary. But this is the future. And the present is at the end of the meeting. The officers leave the ready room only Worf and Picard linger there. The talk they would have is quite interesting.
"So Mr. Worf what are you thinking of the new job they are ordering you to take? "
"We do what we must Captain."
"You will make a fine Captain Worf!"
"Captain the Enterprise is low on experienced officer at the moment and."
"What is it Worf?"
"I was wondering who are you going to promote?"
"Do you have any idea? I can spare any senior officers right now!"
"The admiralty is giving you freedom of choice, no questions ask!"
"Yes it the first time ever that a Captain can take any of his crew members and promote him to Commander rank on the spot."
"Pick a fast learner he's will need it!"
"I have two weeks to make a decision."
"The Enterprise is a transport ship for the next three months you can afford to be creative." The Captain never had to make a decision about a new Number one. Fate made the decision using a cloud of beta radiation. The cup of tea Picard was using started to shake then the whole room.
"What the hell!" Said Picard.
"Bridge reports? " Added Worf.
"Sir! We just went through an uncharted cloud of Beta radiation we are out of warp-space for now. I am waiting for a damage report from Laforge Crusher out."
"Beta radiation no big deal!" Concluded Picard.
"Are we letting Crusher handle this one?"
Asked Worf a smile on is face knowing what the Captain would say.
"Yes let see what the kid is made of." Said Picard turning this problem into a very special test for Lt. Wesley Crusher to pass or fail.
"This man, Idaho what do we know about him?" Demand Worf.
"One of the leaders of the New-Rakis colony he gained Admiral Carson respect and friendship we don't know much more than that!" Replies Picard.
"Not an easy exploit! Do we know how? " Ask Worf.
"The Admiral did not elaborate on this but something happens that for sure. Think I should ask the man? "
"Probably am curious too, Carson a sharp operator and he do not give anything free, least of all respect you just said it, Captain, Idaho gained his respect."
"A new colony that appear out of nowhere at our front door I don't like it!" Commented Picard.
"The lack of information from Starfleet tells us something Captain."
"The Admiralty is not telling us everything they know!" Said Picard.
"Yes and I don't like it at all! When Admirals are playing smart game some of our men end up dead..."
Meanwhile, on the bridge.
(Why does it have to happen now? I have the bridge for less than one hour in my shift. And we have to hit a cloud of beta ray!) Thought LT. Wesley Crusher sitting in the command chair. The first call he just made was for the captain. The next one was for sickbay.
"Sickbay reports!"
"Bridge we been lucky! For now no casualty of any kind to report."
"Not even bruises?" Ask Crusher stun at this bit of good news.
"They may come later but for now the sky is clear T'Selar out." Crusher was relieved by that. One thing needed to be done.
"Computer crew count and health status." Said Crusher.
The vocal command was carried out in a second.
"All crew accounted for. All presenting normal average health status for their race, age and known health condition." Said the computer voice. The computer was about to give Crusher more detailed number when he said.
Computer stop crew counts!
"Laforge can I have a damage report from you?"
"They're good news, bad news and some worse news. How do you want me to start?" Said Laforge.
"The worse first Geordi."
In the ready room...
"We should at least ask news from Geordi?" Ask Worf.
"If the situation was that bad Laforge would have contacted us by now." Responded Picard.
"So the kid pass the test! When are you telling him his career is about to go warp nine soon?" Said Worf.
"You figured it out. Well when this mess is sorted out, we get Idaho, we turn this bucket of bolts towards Vulcan and I tell the kid!"
"He will update us soon." Said Worf.
"Any moment now." Agreed Picard. The Captain just finished this last sentence when the door chimes.
"Sir I have a first damage assessment to show you." Said Crusher.
"Go for it Mr. Crusher." Responded Picard.
"The bad news's are that shields are down 50! We can only make warp five but Laforge would have those systems back to nominal in half an hour. The very bad news is that all transporters and replicators need to be manually re calibrates and it makes loads of systems for Laforge men's to fix! Three to four full days to fix all those systems."
Crusher gives the Captain ten second to absorb this bit of bad news. Then he says.
"I have some good news Sickbay report no major injury. On my order the computer did a crew count. All have been accounted for. All are in their average health status. We did a short sensor sweep to map the cloud. We also send the coordinate to Starfleet for an update of the star chart. The ship is back to warp two after a short corrective burst to warp three our ETA is back on track and that all for now Sir."
"You took care of everything Mr. Crusher, carry on." Said Picard. After Crusher left, the klingon takes it leave.
"What a mess! Crusher is handling it pretty well!" Said Worf.
"The kid did it Textbook to the letter, he even added a corrective burst that not in the books." Ad Worf on is way to the door.
"We will make sure it would be there, the next time they print them. Crusher would get the job because of this!" Finished Picard before Worf could exit the room.
END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER.