Star Trek Hunter
Episode 7: The Great Mushroom
Scene 3: Case Assignment
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7.3
Case Assignment
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Justice Minerva Irons walked into the executive conference room only to find a number of people she had not invited - specifically Ensign T'Lon, Flight Engineer Tomos and 2nd Lt. Moon Sun Salek.
The executive staff and department directors were there as well. Lt. Kenny Dolphin was still gaunt and haunted looking - as was T'Lon. Neither seemed to have improved since the end of T'Lon's Pon Farr, but there was a new look of determination on Dolphin's face. Irons could tell that her other department directors, particularly Tauk and Carrera, shared that look.
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"I take it we have a new item on the agenda?" Irons observed.
T'Lon was the first to respond - if somewhat mechanically. "It appears I am needed on Vulcan. I believe I have sufficient leave available."
Tomos spoke up. It was the first time he had been in this room and the first time Irons had heard the vulcan engineer's voice since he joined the crew. "I confirmed it just a few minutes ago. Somehow T'Lon transferred her katra to Dr. Dolphin while they were mind-melded during Pon Farr. She might have been continually transferring herself since her symptoms were so extreme - her katra was being burned out of her. So she gave it to him for safe keeping."
Lt. Tauk chimed in. "That would explain the nightmares every night."
Irons, Tali Shae, Pep and Mlady all turned to look at the ferengi.
"He's been dreaming about T'Lon every night," Tauk continued, then turned toward Dolphin. "Tell them."
Dolphin looked around the room, hesitated, then rolled his head back. He looked exhausted. "I thought it was just having gone through all this with her. I keep hearing her crying and screaming in my dreams. I thought it would go away, but it just keeps getting worse."
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T'Lon had no reaction.
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Dr. Tali Shae was exasperated. "And if your arm snaps off do you wander around for two weeks thinking it's just going to get better on its own?"
Justice Irons clicked her fingernail loudly against the table. Her right wrist was finally free from its splint. "We have been ordered to Pillo. It would take weeks for the wagon to get to Vulcan from here at top warp. I assume that is why Lieutenant Moon is here?"
"Weeks in the wagon. Less than three days in the tactical unit using recursive warp," said Dr. Carrera.
"Which has yet to be tested," Irons observed.
"No time like the present," Carrera responded. "Dr. Moon helped me design that unit. She knows the specifications better than anyone."
"I know that Lieutenant Moon is a qualified pilot," Irons said. "But she hasn't logged a lot of flight hours…"
Dolphin spoke up. "I can still fly. T'Lon is also qualified on the tactical unit, so we won't lack for pilots. We just need to make sure one of us is awake at all times."
Irons turned toward the junior officers. "Lieutenant Moon, Mr. Tomos - please ready the tactical unit. Ensign T'Lon, please prepare your squad for your absence and then assist with the tactical unit. Lieutenant Dolphin will join you following the senior staff meeting. Which begins now," she said, turning her attention to her department directors.
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"I have been assigned a case involving precognition and intellectual property rights," Justice Irons began as Dr. Moon led T'Lon and Tomos from the conference room.
"I don't envy you that assignment," Dr. Tali Shae interjected.
"Well, fortunately, I had no foreknowledge of this assignment," Irons observed dryly. "We are to go to Pillo, one of the Federation's newer colonies, established about 20 years ago."
"I've had a look at the case-file," said Commander David Pepper. "We may be in orbit of Pillo for a year or two on this one."
"Years?" Tauk asked, eyes widening.
Justice Irons rolled her eyes. "Pillo is one of our first colonies in a brown dwarf system. The planet's orbital period is about eight days."
Dr. Carrera spoke up. "The Federation has long been interested in establishing colonies in brown dwarf systems. Pillo was chosen because the planet's orbit is very stable. While it is tidally locked, the native flora covers most of the surface, allowing the entire planet to be warmed. Because it is getting its warmth from a brown dwarf, the planet is much closer to its star than "M" class planets orbiting white stars. Pillo was also chosen because the star appears to be exceptionally stable. If it turns out to be viable, this kind of colonization could open up thousands of new planets within Federation space for colonization."
"Which is why I want this colony explored thoroughly," Irons rejoined. "David, please set up a crew rotation that will maximize crew interaction with the colonists and at the same time provide some recreation for our crew. I would like everyone to get some leisure time planetside and while there, get a sense for what the quality of life is and also find out if anything weird is going on. One strange thing we are aware of - many of Pillo's residents report various levels of precognition. So have our people sensitized to that as well."
Lt. Commander Mlady spoke up. "What do we do if we or other crew members begin experiencing premonitions?"
"Remember your orientation on time-travel and treat it as such," Irons replied. "Use your best judgement and avoid second-guessing yourself based on these premonitions. Take them at face-value and remember that while what you see may come to pass, the context may be completely different from your initial assumptions."
Irons turned toward her newly appointed director of ground operations. "Lieutenant Tauk, please share your thoughts about reorganizing your department."
Tauk coughed, took a drink, then started, "Based on her past performance, Ensign T'Lon has earned a promotion to 2nd lieutenant and she meets all the qualifications. But considering her current condition, I would like to hold off on that for now. Hopefully, her trip to Vulcan along with Director Dolphin will help her get back to normal. But in her current condition, I want to limit her exposure to making life and death decisions. Which means that I cannot have her commanding the tactical squad - they face life and death decisions continually on every mission. So I would like to put T'Lon in charge of the investigations unit. Buttans and Shran are pretty good at taking care of themselves and mentally, T'Lon is just as sharp as she has ever been."
Tauk took a drink, cleared his throat, then turned toward Dr. Tali Shae. "I have had my eye on one of your people - an ambitious officer who has just been licensed by the Tribunal to practice Federation law. I would like to promote Midshipman Tolon to Ensign, transfer him from Medical to Ground Ops and put him in charge of the tactical unit."
"You can have him," Tali Shae responded. "He has volunteered a few shifts at the bridge tactical station and I would rather not have staff with divided loyalties." There was a rare playfulness to her tone. "Actually, he is a fine officer and I'm glad you are thinking of him. He clearly wants to move up and from everything I can tell, he's ready for it."
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Irons gave the ferengi a long, evaluating look, then said, "Approved." She looked around the room. "Anything else?" She clicked a fingernail against the table slowly, three times. "We are adjourned."
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7.3