Chapter 3 – In a Bit of a Daze
Sirella stood at the end of the line, clad in a shapeless brown flight uniform, still in shock. She thought she stood no chance but here she was, one of the eighteen applicants, only accepted because there were one-hundred positions available, and eighteen people had applied, meaning automatic acceptance.
"Within weapons' distance is a Federation Starship," the Captain of the Stovako said. "They claim to have come in peace, but we cannot believe them. Be on your guard, and remember what the Council has instructed of you."
To inspire trust. To spy. To gather information. Something few Klingons knew how to do. Subterfuge wasn't one of their greatest strength. Most of them just liked to smash things.
"Yes, Captain," the eighteen applicants chorused.
"Good. Take your seats in the shuttle and you'll be transported onto the Federation vessel."
They followed instructions, waiting patiently as crewmembers walked down the rows and checked their straps.
This was the furthest Sirella had ever been from Qo'nos and she tried to ignore the fear of something going wrong or being sucked into space. Instead, she stared out the viewport and got her first look at a Federation ship. It was bright and sleek, unlike the dark Klingon designs, and her heart pounded as the shuttle drew closer.
They arrived on board and assembled in the cargo bay in two rows of nine, Sirella at the back due to her youth. She tried to ignore the red-clad human security guards who dotted the area.
Three people stood on a raised platform in front of the assembled Klingons. A man in yellow, a man in blue, and a woman in red. The man in yellow spoke a different language, and the woman in red translated his words.
"My name is Captain Kirk," the woman said, "and I am pleased to welcome you on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. We will begin testing immediately. Would you please follow Lieutenant Uhura, in the red?"
They followed Lieutenant Uhura from the cargo bay and into a separate, smaller room that had probably been for storage. Sirella sniffed. It smelt exactly like her bedroom for the past six months. The storage smell was hard to get rid of.
She took a seat in the back row, glancing at the paper and writing utensil, and turned her attention to the front. A rotund woman with grey eyes stood before them.
"I am Ensign McFarland," she said in perfect Klingon. A few heads turned at that. "I trust you are well aware of exam conditions. No talking, cheating or using electronic devices, or your participation is forfeit. You have forty minutes, and may begin now."
There was a flurry of movement as everyone opened their tests. Sirella inhaled, then exhaled, and stared at the page. The questions looked to be a mixture of deduction and induction, and she was good at that.
It was fine. She could do this.
"Your time is up. Please close your papers."
Sirella closed hers nervously. She wasn't anywhere near finished, but she hoped her quality of answers would be satisfactory.
A Vulcan female entered the room and took them five-at-a-time to the second part of the test. Sirella sat quietly, as she was in the last three, for at least an hour. When it was her turn, she was taken to a simulation room. She stepped into one of the five stations and waited for the Vulcan female to strap a brainwave band to her head. At least, she thought it was a brainwave band. She could ask, but it wasn't likely that the Vulcan knew Klingon.
From what she understood, these tests were usually spanned over the course of days. However, due to the tense situation and surplus of applicants, everything was condensed, one after the other, to retreat to the safety of their respective systems as quickly as possible.
In the first simulation, Sirella had to deduce the proper meanings of statements to prove she could draw effective conclusions. Then the simulation changed and she had to navigate what appeared to be a busy shopping centre, and then an abandoned castle with a thousand hallways, and she sweated profusely the entire time. What if she wasn't fast enough? What if she didn't complete them?
Once she did complete them, she appeared on a Starship and had twenty seconds to find a particular piece of equipment in order to repair a computer and prevent the destruction of the ship. Almost immediately after completing that one, she appeared in a forest and heard howling behind her. She started to run, and heard a number of heavy footfalls behind her. After a moment, she burst through the trees and found herself on the edge of a cliff. She skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff, her heart pounding, and turned to see what was chasing her.
Huge, hairy monsters, with saliva dripping from their mouths. They burst from the trees, howling and yapping, and Sirella dropped to her knees, grabbed a rock in each hand, and hurled them in the vague direction of the creatures. As soon as the rocks left her hand, the simulation turned black.
She opened her eyes, gasping, and looked into the gentle gaze of the Vulcan female. The woman removed the band, then gestured behind her. Lieutenant Uhura approached, her features soft and delicate. Sirella realised she was staring and dropped her gaze.
"If you would follow me," Uhura said, "I will take you to your interview."
Sirella stood and followed the beautiful woman, eyes on the ground the whole time. She should be looking up and taking notes, but she didn't want to risk staring at Uhura again. What was this weird feeling in her belly? Why did she suddenly want to throw up?
She stepped inside the interview room and Uhura closed the door, leaving Sirella alone with the man in yellow, Captain Kirk. A Universal Translator was clipped to his collar, and he stared at his pile of files boredly. He looked up, and for some strange reason his face morphed into one of recognition.
"Sirella Varrin?" he asked. His voice was harsh and grating through the translator. She nodded, then stood to attention.
"Yes, Captain."
"Take a seat."
She sat. Kirk stood, then picked up a band from his desk and wrapped it around her head.
"What is this?" she asked. She quickly clamped her mouth shut. Silence.
"It is a lie-detector. It will interpret brainwaves and let me know if you lie or not. Tell me something true about you."
"I have two brothers." The band glowed green.
"Tell me a lie about you."
"My name is Goroth." The band glowed red. Kirk took a quick note on his paper, then looked back at her, all business-like.
"Right, so tell me about yourself."
"Captain?" She frowned.
"Like, where do you go to school?"
"Well, I… was accepted into the Klingon Flight Academy when I was twelve. I was one of the youngest people to ever be accepted, because my test results were well above exemplary." She hesitated. The rest of the story didn't draw her in a good light.
"Go on."
"I… was expelled. Six months ago. I failed Battle class and it lowered my average to an unacceptable standard." The band glowed green.
"Alright." Kirk took notes. "And tell me about your family. You have two brothers"
"I was disowned not long after my expulsion." Why did she just blurt that out? She inwardly kicked herself.
"Oh. Because of the expulsion?"
"No. It's… complicated. My father is a diplomat, and my mother an educator, and my brother is Captain on board a Fleet exploration ship."
"Why were you disowned?"
He was a Starfleet officer. If he didn't understand, then who would?
"I… went against the Klingon way." She stared at her hands. "I dishonoured my family. I've been trying to make my own way ever since."
"Did your superiors ask you to spy on us?"
She jumped, her eyes snapping to Kirk. Lie, or tell the truth? Protect the Empire, or herself? She opened her mouth to lie, then remembered the band on her forehead.
"N-yes. Yes. They did." The band glowed green.
"You know, you are the first applicant to answer that question honestly." He smiled. "I think we are done here. There will be someone outside to take you back to the cargo bay." He removed the band from her head, and Sirella stood and left the room in a bit of a daze.
o.O.o
Captain Kirk stood before the small group of assembled Klingons. Sirella was certain that this was the first time he'd been around them in peaceful terms. Usually, the Federation and Empire were at each other's throats. The Captain spoke, and Lieutenant Uhura translated.
"I thank you for your attendance here today," she said, "and I am pleased to inform you that, based on your test and interview results, we have selected the person who will attend Starfleet Academy. Would Sirella Varrin please step forward?"
Sirella froze, aware that every eye was on her. The youngest applicant by at least eight years, and the only female. She flicked her gaze to Uhura, who nodded encouragingly. The girl inhaled, then stepped between the people in front of her.
"Cadet Varrin, will you need to return to Qo'nos to collect your things?"
"No. My belongings are on board the Stovako."
"You may return to the Stovako to collect them, and return on one of our shuttles."
"Yes, Captain."
She followed the rest of the Klingons to the shuttle they came in, strapped in, and made the short trip back to the Stovako. Once on board, several reporters for the news clamoured for interviews. Sirella stood in front of them all, alone, and blinked as recording devices were shoved in her face.
"I was accepted to attend Starfleet Academy." The words were strange in her mouth, but they tasted nice.
"What do your family think of the dishonour you bring them?" one of the interviewers asked. Sirella flushed and looked down.
"I… don't know. I guess I hoped that doing this would be a good thing." She looked around for help, or an ally of any sort, but there were no kind faces in the crowd. Tension filled her chest and she forced a quick breath. Strength. Klingons were strong. She had to hold her head up high. This was her day, no one else's. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get my things." She walked away from the reporters, hoping that they wouldn't record how much she was shaking, and went to the storage room where her bag was. One of the Stovako security guards walked with her to the cargo bay, and stood by her as she took a seat in the empty Starfleet shuttle.
"Thank you," she said quietly. He stared at her, uncomprehending. Showing gratitude was a weakness. Then he bent down and fastened her safety straps.
"Don't listen to them," he said. "What you're doing is very brave."
Now it was her turn to stare at him. A total stranger who offered more support than her family. She opened her mouth, closed it, and nodded. He turned away and stood proud at the entrance of the shuttle. A reporter tried to bypass him to ask Sirella a question, and he elbowed the man away and growled a warning. Her cheeks coloured at the unexpected comradery, and her body felt lighter than it had in months.