Chapter 12: In Disguise
Posted: October 29, 2012
"Captain on the bridge!"
Driver was seated at the weapon's officer's console, but the two MARCO troopers standing guard stiffened to attention. Kejal remained standing in her normal pose. One new crewman had been crouching beside a panel, but stood to attention.
"As you were" said Val as he walked onto Vetara's bridge.
"Another fine day in fun fluidic space," said Driver as he got up to hand Val a report on an EvansPad. The report contained all of the happenings, or, more precisely, non-happenings throughout the flotilla.
It had been over a month since the Allied Flotilla entered fluidic space. In that time, the ships had made very little progress. After a couple of days in fluidic space, the Krowtonan High Guard sent in an additional ship, as did the Hirogen. They barely made it through the threshold before the gateway collapsed.
"London Bridge has fallen down," came the announcement from the Solstice at the time. Val thought it was a little lame that they used secretive code to transmit throughout the flotilla. It was done so that intercepted messages would be harder to understand. But really, were they necessary?
One of the new arrivals was an intriguing addition. The Krowtonan had managed to commandeer a Kazon carrier ship and was now using it to carry Krowtonan fighter craft. They sent it to fluidic space almost immediately after they staffed it. In addition to Krowtonan pilots, there were also a few Evansworld pilots onboard.
Val had asked Burke and Commodore McKnight whether they could spare any crewmen to help staff the Vetara. The answer was basically no, although Minister Larkin pulled two members of his auxiliary fleet floating hq and lent them to Val. Val had asked for engineering crewmen as first priority. Larkin sent him Electrician's Mate 2nd class Janet Bonaventura and Damage Controlman Apprentice Solomon Dickinson. Val figured Larkin had simply picked the people with the longest names on his list.
Bonaventura was on the bridge at the moment, but she was typically posted at engineering. That is also where Dickinson was currently on duty. Kejal had given them both some initial training to familiarize them with the Vetara's systems, and they appeared to be catch along quickly. Kejal now spent about half her time on the bridge and the other half in engineering.
Bonaventura approached Val.
"Sir," she said as she stiffened up. "I've run diagnostics on the bridge's environmental systems and they are at 100%."
"Thank you, petty officer," said Val. He preferred calling her by her rank as opposed to her specialty rating of Electrician's Mate or by her mouthful of a name Ms. Bonaventura.
Bonaventura and Dickinson were tasked with keeping the environmental systems up and running. First priority was the oxygen system, but then others such as gravity and lighting would be on their to-do list. Most importantly, they were to focus on these systems if the ship were to suffer damage from incoming fire. The Vetara had never really engaged in a full-throated space battle. In the event the ship took damage, Kejal would be pre-occupied with the more essential ship functions that would keep the ship intact. Engines, shields, weapons. Environmental stability was low on her list because the safety of the entire ship would be more crucial. In addition, since the Vetara was designed to be capable of operating as an unmanned vessel, environmental stability was sacrificed as a priority. The fight and flight functions were deemed more essential.
Before Bonaventura left the bridge to return to her post, there was a somewhat trivial question she wanted to ask the captain.
"Sir," she said. "I was wondering, why is it that Kejal seems to be able to perform some tasks simply by linking to the computer as if controlling with her own thoughts, but other times, she makes tactile contact with computer consoles to input commands."
Val chuckled a little bit.
"Feel free to ask her yourself, petty officer," he said.
"Is it because you don't know?" wondered Bonaventura.
"I'm the captain of this ship, I know everything," he said with a smile. "You should ask her yourself though. I'll give you a hint, it has to do with the specific tasks she is trying to get accomplished."
Bonaventura walked over to Kejal and asked her the same question. It was strange that she felt more nervous about speaking with Kejal than with the captain. Bonaventura wasn't sure if it was because Kejal was her direct superior, or maybe because Kejal was a hologram, or more likely because Kejal bore the appearance of an alien species.
Kejal explained that the Vetara was separated into three functional systems: propulsion, weapons, and the main computer. The main computer controlled all systems that were not propulsion or weapons. Bonaventura had already been told that, but didn't see the connection. Kejal further explained that she can auto-link to the main computer and carry out commands through that link for any task that involved the main computer. But in order to carry out maneuvers or test fire weapons, she would need to input commands using her holographic hands at a computer terminal.
"I see," said Bonaventura. "Thank you for that."
"Not a problem, petty officer," said Kejal, smiling. She was typically in a good mood. Or, at least, it appeared that way.
Meanwhile, Val read the various patrol reports on his EvansPad. Five recon flights had ventured out and returned with no contacts. It was getting frustrating.
"Burke is holding a command level meeting on the Solstice," said Driver. "1300 hours."
"Confirm I'll attend," said Val.
"Aye, sir."
"I think we should split up," said Riker.
"That's a good idea," said Karr.
Val looked on disbelievingly.
Burke thought about it for several seconds. He then nodded.
Val interjected.
"Admiral, that's not a good idea," said Val.
"Fluidic space to too large. We don't have enough ships and we don't have enough time," said Riker.
There seemed to be general agreement amongst the other captains in the room. Val tried his best not to look horrified.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Val. "This is what happens in horror movies. The gang of characters split up and then they get taken out one by one."
"We don't need to split the fleet several different directions," said Burke. "Two or three squadrons. That'll increase the amount of space we can cover."
Val wasn't comfortable with the idea, but he didn't want to keep fighting it. The flotilla was potentially outnumbered regardless of whether they split up. They were flying through fluidic space, where possibly hundreds of enemy vessels could converge at any time. Val just thought it would be better to stay concentrated and be as strong a force as possible. He appeared to have lost this battle.
"What's the next topic on our agenda?" asked Karr.
"Power supply," said Pow Beeshar. "Fluidic space has proven to be much more difficult to navigate through than we previously anticipated. Our Krowtonan frigates and artillery ship need an additional source of power supply."
"The Solstice and the Resolute seem to be less affected," added Riker. "But we are still experiencing a lot of drag forces due to the fluidic nature of our outside environment. Luckily, Starfleet designed our ships with some basic aerodynamics in mind. By extension, our ships are also more hydrodynamic. The Krowtonan, Kazon, and Hirogen ships are less aerodynamic. The Vetara is somewhere in between."
"The Vetara has experienced no deficiencies in our speed or power distribution to the propulsion systems," remarked Val. This was the first time he was hearing of these difficulties.
"That is most likely because your ship is carrying well below its intended capacity," said Riker. "You're sailing with a small fraction of the crew and equipment the ship is designed to support, so power can be diverted from other systems to propulsion."
"I see," said Val.
"We might need to carry out Spirit Harvest," said Riker. His mood turned a little glum and he seemed reluctant to suggest this course of action.
"What is spirit harvest?" asked Val.
"A few months ago, we encountered an alien race called the Ankari. They had some type of musical instrument that would summon some of their mythological creatures. These creatures were thought to provide good fortune on long journeys. They gave us one of those instruments. As we went underway, we called on one of the spirits," explained Riker.
"It turns out that the spirits are aliens from an extradimensional realm," said Burke. "We took scans and the spirits appeared to emit high levels of antimatter."
"Our scientists constructed a multiphasic chamber in order to confine the lifeforms for further study. Unfortunately, the spirits can only tolerate our atmosphere for a short amount of time and while being confined, it was not able to return to its realm and it died," said Riker.
"Upon further examination of the alien's remains, the scientists on the Solstice were able to convert the remains into a source of fuel. The alien's base proteins stored nucleogenic energy," said Burke. "Operation Spirit Harvest is one of our last option procedures to be activated if we find ourselves in dire need of fuel. One alien could power us for about twenty days. Given the size of our fleet, we would probably need four or five aliens."
"You're going to… kill these spirits for fuel?" asked Val, a little bit surprised.
"If we have to. Our engineers project we'll be out of fuel in a little over a month. Hopefully, we find 8471 before then," said Burke.
"Doesn't that seem a little… wrong?" asked Val.
"Kill or be killed. Back in the day, we used dinosaurs as fuels. Similar concept," said Burke.
"With the huge distinction being that those dinosaurs already perished millions of years before being converted into gasoline. Here, you're actively killing the Ankari aliens," said Val. He was growing a little more disturbed by this idea.
"Well, then consider that back in the day, we hunted for our food and even raised animals on farms for the sole purpose of being killed for food," said Burke. "Look, I'm not thrilled about this, but it's an option I'm leaving on the table."
Val seemed to be the only person disturbed by this particular option. Shirley Shephard, the Evansworld Lieutenant Commander who Burke placed in charge of the U.S.S. Resolute may have also seemed a little disturbed, but she hid it well. Karr and fellow Hirogen alpha Idrin were not disturbed at all. They were Hunters, after all. The Krowtonan pows also seemed to go along with the idea. In fact, they may have been relieved that there was an option to power their vessels so that they could more ably sustain themselves in the event of an attack by 8471.
Val managed to convince Burke to give him some time to solve for engineering solutions to boost power or reduce power consumption. Burke gives him one month. The flotilla is going to split into two squadrons. They will diverge for about half a month and then reconverge in the second half, set to rendezvous at the end of the month. Their two patrols will form a diamond shape.
"We'll table the discussion on Spirit Harvest for now," said Burke. "We have enough reserve power until our rendezvous. Let's move onto the next item."
Riker nodded. He tapped his combadge.
"Lieutenant Sito, will you please send in Dr. Goodspeed?"
"Aye, sir," came the response over the comm system.
Sito escorted the guest into the conference room. The doctor appeared a little bit older than Val, maybe 5 years or so. He wore a uniform that was a variation of the Starfleet uniform. He waved to everyone.
"Lady and gentlemen, this is our specialist, Dr. Goodspeed," said Burke.
"Fran, please go ahead with your briefing," said Riker.
Dr. Francis Lee Goodspeed was a researcher with the F.B.B.I., the Federation Bureau of Biohazards Investigation. His specialty was biological and chemical warfare. He was typically called upon to develop countermeasures to any newly discovered weapons that might be used against the Federation. Right now, his capacity was reversed, and he was asked to design a bio-weapon to be used against 8471.
"Sirs, ma'am," said Goodspeed. "I believe my team and I have designed an adequate virus that will render 8471 inoperable. The virus targets the central nervous system. We believe it should leave them paralyzed for up to an hour. However, because all of our information on 8471 comes from Borg analysts, I cannot guarantee the effectiveness."
"Paralyze?" asked Burke. "Anything that kills outright?"
"Sir. No, sir."
"Captain Shin, can you have your exobiologist review Dr. Goodspeed's notes and determine the effectiveness of the virus on 8471?" asked Burke.
"I'll pass it along," said Shin.
"Sir, if I may," said Goodspeed. "I would like to be temporarily transferred to the Vetara and work with Dr. Zet myself. Perhaps two minds will be better than one and we can refine this."
"Any objection?" asked Burke, addressing Val.
"That's fine. Will your team be joining us?" asked Val.
"I don't think that will be necessary. Most of my team were on loan from other departments on the Solstice and they've already been cleared to return to their normal duties."
"Okay, you're on the beam-out with me," said Val.
"We'll be in communications range for at least the next week. Stay in contact so we can get any updates to the bioweapon if necessary," said Burke. "For now, we arm our torpedoes with the prototype and hope that we either have no need to use it, or that it works if we have to."
"Do we have any idea when the High Guard will be able to force open the next threshold gate?" asked Val.
"No. But hopefully soon," said Burke.
"How are we splitting the fleet?" asked Riker.
"The Vetara will lead the Resolute, Yond, Sullis, and Otin. The Hirogen ships and the Kazon carrier are with us. Let's start two separate routes about two hours from now and plan to meet up 31 days later. Is there any other business to attend to?"
The captains around the table looked around at each other, but were silent.
"Then that's it, we're adjourned."
"It figures Burke would take the stronger ships," said Driver, a little bit miffed but not surprised.
"That's okay," said Val. "It's not like I would've enjoyed having a Hirogen alpha get in my face anyway. For whatever reason, they respect Burke, but not really any other human."
"Not true, skipper. They liked me," said Driver with a smile.
"Should've known," said Val, returning the smile.
"Actually, they just have a slightly higher respect for humans than the Krowtonan. If it weren't for your spat with Karr over Kejal's position on the ship, they'd probably be okay with you. Spoke with a couple of the hunters. Their basic impression is that although the Krowtonan High Guard technically saved the Solstice from the Kazon, it really wound up that Burke saved the High Guard in their civil war with the rebels. Burke infused new tactics, and more importantly, a new attitude. One of the Hirogen betas opined that the Krowtonan would have easily been relegated to the dustbin of history if it weren't for Burke. They still might be."
"And how is it that you're so buddy-buddy with the Hirogen?" asked Val.
"The MARCOs and the hunters, we're all warriors," said Driver. "And one of the betas views me as your beta. I told him, only in the field. On the ship, it's Kejal. Ironically, it's your stubbornness which makes some of the hunters not completely dislike you. They've studied you, as is their habit to study new alien species. They were impressed by your decision to take a stand at Olami 6 when you were surrounded by Char Torb's three heavy cruisers. That's the kind of thing the hunters mean when they say you and Burke changed the attitudes of the Krowtonan. Prior to the Krowtonan meeting Burke, they never engaged an enemy unless they knew they would win. They fled if they did not have clear numerical and technological superiority. Burke infused more of a fighting spirit to the Krowtonan High Guard."
"So, in other words, the hunters think we're Klingons. Great."
"Well…."
"Seems like you're getting the hang of it," said Sergeant Hall.
"You would think after weeks of practice, I would," replied Corporal Rodriguez.
The MARCOs had gotten relatively proficient at using the Krowtonan exo-suits.
"We're gonna crush the flu," said van der Hoeven.
Without a proper name for the alien species, except for a numerical Borg designation, some of the MARCOs took to calling the species "the Flu" because they were from fluidic space. The nickname stuck.
"Let's hope we won't have to," said Hall.
Six days after the fleet has separated.
"You wanted to speak with me?" said Val as he entered Vetara's main biomedical lab.
"Yes, my captain," said Zet.
"How is the virus research going?"
"Oh, it has been completed, my captain."
"Already?"
"Yes. Dr. Goodspeed is a very intelligent researcher."
"When were you going to report to me about it?" asked Val, a little surprised.
"Dr. Goodspeed said he would," replied Zet. "Ah," he said. His facial expression appeared as if he had figured something out.
Val just looked at him.
"Dr. Goodspeed is very capable. And I have no doubt of his loyalty to the Federation. But… I did sense some reluctance to applying his knowledge as an offensive tool. He may be reluctant to inform you and Admiral Burke of our new discovery. We tinkered with the virus a little bit. Not only was his original virus effective. The new one proved to act faster and do more damage."
"Did you ask me here to discuss the virus?"
"No, my captain. I wanted to discuss something different. Kejal and I had our weekly chat. She explained that one of the tasks you have her working on was finding a way to amplify the efficiency of the fleet's engines in fluidic space. There were more drag factors in fluidic space than anticipated."
"Yes."
"I was wondering, my captain. Have you ever donated blood?"
"Donated blood? No. Why?"
"Just curious. I had suspected that you might not. Starfleet has a strong synthetic blood bank. You have heard of the concept though, am I right?"
"Yes, prior to the synthetic blood, soldiers often needed donated blood to help their comrades who suffered with blood loss from wounds."
"I believe this concept can be a solution to your antimatter fuel situation," said Zet. "Obviously, synthesizing fuel would take power in and of itself, so you can't go that route. But perhaps you can ask these Ankari creatures if they would be willing to donate their 'blood' to you."
"Do they have blood?"
"Well, I don't know. I haven't studied them. But from the reports I've gotten from Dr. Goodspeed, I think there may be a way to extract the nucleogenic energy from these aliens without killing them."
"Goodspeed was part of Spirit Harvest?"
"No. But he had most of the Solstice's scientific database in his computer."
"Okay, let's draw up a plan. Have Goodspeed help if you think he can provide any insight. Give me a report in 12 hours."
"I will, my captain."
"Good thinking, Zet," said Val. He started walking out of the lab when Zet interrupted.
"My captain, may I ask a personal question?"
"Sure."
"I was wondering, is the reason why you didn't discuss Spirit Harvest with me because you felt I would agree with harvesting the Ankari Spirits? That I would sacrifice the lives of the aliens in pursuit of fuel?"
Val was a little surprised.
"No, Zet. It just didn't occur to me. I came at the problem as an engineering issue and it just didn't strike me that there was a biology solution to this. But your point is noted and I will include you in the future when the ship encounters problems that need brainstorming."
"I am grateful for any opportunity to contribute to the ship and the crew."
"And I appreciate your help, Zet."
Val sat at the head of the table in the Vetara's small briefing room. To his right was Kejal, and to his left was Sergeant Driver. Seated on the other side of Kejal was Zet.
"This sounds doable," said Val and he reviewed Zet's plan on his EvansPad.
Driver had also reviewed the plan.
"I believe the safest place we can summon one of these spirit aliens would be one of the cargo bays. We can provide ample security. The forcefields should hold. I'll have two squads on standby in case they don't."
"Good," said Val. "As for communicating with these spirit creatures, Zet?"
"My captain, I'm an exobiologist, not a linguist."
"Well, that kind of leaves a big hole in this plan, doesn't it?" said Val.
"I can… try," said Zet reluctantly. He knew that his program would be the best able to attempt a translation protocol to communicate with the spirits.
"Thanks. That's all I ask," said Val. "If that's it, let's plan on making this happen at 0500 in Cargo Bay 2. You're all dismissed."
Kejal and Zet materialized out of the briefing room. Val started to get up off his chair, but Driver interjected.
"Sir, permission to speak?" requested Driver.
"Sure." Val was grateful that Driver didn't do this in front of Kejal and Zet. But he wondered what this was about.
"Doesn't this plan strike you as… wrong? I mean, this request of the spirit creatures is really just coercion."
"How so?"
"Well… 'Donate your blood to us or my buddy Maximus Burke is just going to take it from you. Or… maybe he'll just kill you straight out for speed and efficiency. Either way, we're getting our fuel.' That's basically what you're telling these creatures."
"I didn't view it that way, but I see your point. I will tell the alien spirits that if they do not agree to voluntarily donate their plasma or whatever it is that Zet identifies, I will still continue to try to convince Burke not to have them killed."
"But you can't guarantee their safety if they don't agree to help you," said Driver.
"No, I can't," said Val reluctantly.
Driver took that answer in stride. He knew Val couldn't control what Burke would ultimately do. He watched confusingly as Val smirked.
"What?" said Driver.
"I never imagined that you would be the one to recommend to me a more delicate course of action."
"I guess some of your weaker traits have brushed off on me," said Driver.
Cargo Bay 2
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Let's get this show on the road. Play the flute," said Val.
Corporal Logan played a few notes on the Ankari instrument which summoned one of the spirit creatures. She thought it somewhat resembled a cartoon genie from one of her childhood movies. The alien had a head, a torso, two appendages which appeared to be either arms or wings, but no feet. It was blue.
To everyone's surprise, a second creature flew through the portal before it closed. The second one made a few screeching sounds, which Val presumed were an attempt to communicate. Val looked at Zet's direction. His image was a little fuzzy, since the portable holoprojector he and Kejal jury-rigged wasn't the best of engineering quality. It would do for now. Although fuzzy, Zet appeared to be in thought, most likely running through a few algorithms in order to create a translation matrix.
Finally, after maybe fifteen seconds, a voice came over the ship's computer which translated the blue creature's screeches.
"Who is the kari?"
Val spoke. "I'm sorry, we are not the Ankari. But we are acquaintances with them."
"Who is the kari?" the voice repeated. "The one who speaks for you. The prime among you."
"Oh," said Val. "That would be me. I am a captain, similar to a kari. I am Val Shin. We are from the Federation."
"Salutations, Val Shin, captain of the Federation. I am the second son of Timus. I have been tasked by my progenitor to speak with those outside of our realm."
"It is my honor to meet you," said Val. "I am glad we can have a cordial discussion."
"My people have lost two of our brothers who were called upon to visit other realms. Perhaps you have news of their whereabouts."
"Unfortunately, I do. One of them has perished. I am not sure about the second."
"I see. The one who has perished, will you return his body to us so that we may take him back to our realm?"
Val didn't want to reveal just yet that Burke's people had transformed the alien's remains into a type of crystal fuel.
"Your brother was summoned by one of my colleagues on another ship. I will speak with him after our meeting here."
"I thank you for any assistance you may provide." The alien sounded pleasant, but Val thought he may have heard a little bit of annoyance in the voice. It was hard to tell from the screeches of course. Perhaps just Val's imagination.
"Captain to the bridge!" came an urgent voice speaking into Val's earpiece.
"Not now," said Val.
"Sir. We've got five biologics in formation coming this way, fast. Lightning weapons are charged. Suspect hostile intent. Recommend you get your butt up here now! Sir!"
Val let out an annoyed groan.
"On my way," Val said to the earpiece.
"I apologize," said Val to the spirit, waiting for Zet to translate. "I'm needed elsewhere, but I hope we can continue this conversation later."
The spirit alien seemed to nod imperceptibly. Although, that was probably Val's wishful thinking. After all, not all aliens nod when they mean assent. In fact, most of them do not. The two blue creatures flew back through the portal. Val and Driver ran out of the cargo bay toward the turbolift.
As the turbolift doors closed, Val opened a channel fleet-wide.
"All stop. Condition red. Condition red. All hands: battle stations."
"I must speak with Val Shin immediately," said an alien. The voice sounded female, and in distress. Kejal had opened the channel when the Vetara was hailed.
"I am Val Shin," said Val as he entered the bridge. He saw that the screen was blank.
"On screen," said Val.
The screen blinked to life. Val was surprised to see a female Starfleet officer on the screen. She appeared to be a vice captain.
"My name is Valerie Archer. I am the second-in-command in this region. You must follow me to our base of operations."
"Second in command? Of what? Of who?" said a confused Val.
"Of the Jonas in this region. You call us 8471."
"Why are you dressed as a Starfleet officer?" asked Val.
"There's no time to explain this. You must order your vessels to follow us. We will escort you to safety."
"Safety? From what?"
The alien who identified herself as Valerie Archer looked annoyed.
"Elmo is with Big Bird," she said. Val watched as she held a small red stuffed animal in front of the camera and began shaking it.
Now, Val was the one who was annoyed.
"Von count is…" said Val.
"Counting on you," finished Archer.
"Fleet-wide," said Val.
Driver punched an icon which opened communications across all ships.
"This is the captain, all vessels stand fast and prepare to jump."
The juvenile challenge codes had been devised by Burke about one hour before the two squadrons separated. Burke was "big bird." Val was "von count."
"Please, allow me to beam over," said Archer.
Val reluctantly nodded. Driver took the shields down. Archer beamed directly onto Vetara's bridge.
A split second later, the five bioships jumped into warp.
"Please follow them," said Archer.
Val sat down in his command chair and linked to the navigation computer. He set a pursuit course.
"Now, can you tell me what this is about?" asked Val. "Where's Burke?"
"Your commander, Burke, and the Solstice group are currently in formation with my commander, Admiral Bullock. May we talk in private?"
"Sure," said Val. He got up from his command chair and walked her to the Vetara's briefing room.
"Sir, we've reached the Jonas base," reported Lieutenant Sito.
"Slow to one-tenth impulse, signal the fleet," said Captain Thomas Riker.
The U.S.S. Solstice had been flying at the front of the formation, with the rest of the group about 2 minutes behind, in case this was a trap. The Solstice had been escorted by one bioship while the remainder of the group had two bioships in their midst.
"What is that?" wondered Riker out loud.
Burke arrived on the bridge with an alien who took on the appearance of a Starfleet admiral.
"That," said Admiral Bullock, "is Terrasphere 6. It was designed to mimic Earth. Just like we are designed to mimic Starfleet officers. It's our training ground for possible future infiltration into your world."
Captain Val Shin and Vice Captain Valerie Archer conversed for over half an hour. Archer explained what had happened about a week prior. U.S.S. Voyager had stumbled upon one of the Jonas terraspheres and investigated. Janeway and the Boothby replicant settled on a potential truce.
"Right now, there are three main factions," explained Archer. "We'll call our faction Boothby's faction, for lack of a better identifier. Boothby will be trying to convince the Circle that Starfleet does not pose a threat to the Jonas. The second faction is deadset on invading your dimension and destroying all. The third faction is a bit undecided, but leaning toward destroying the Borg at the very least, and possibly destroying other aliens in your dimension which pose enough of a potential threat. Your Federation would be among those."
"What are the relative sizes of these different factions?" asked Val.
"The size doesn't matter. Their sway does. Boothby has a lot of sway, I believe he will succeed."
"Boothby. Such a quirky name."
"You don't recognize the name?" asked Archer.
"I don't think so," said Val.
Archer reached for Val's EvansPad. It took a few seconds for her to get accustomed to the user interface, but she was a quick study. She was able to access a photo of Boothby from the Starfleet files and showed it to Val.
"Yea, the horticultural groundskeeper at the Academy. I guess I kind of remember him. Weird that your leader would take his identity. I would have guessed an Admiral or something."
"The Jonas have a split similar to your Federation's division of civilian leadership and uniformed military leadership. Boothby is akin to a civilian leader."
"Then I'd think maybe a Federation Council member. A groundskeeper at the Academy? Strange."
"Boothby is apparently a crucial mentor to many Starfleet cadets. Half of the captains in Starfleet wouldn't be where they are today if it weren't for Boothby."
"I find that hard to believe," said Val.
"It's true. Captains like Picard, Janeway, Richardson, and Lopez."
"That's four. I guess there are only eight captains in all of Starfleet," chuckled Val.
"I named the most prominent ones," said Archer.
"Picard's the only real name on the list!" said Val. "Janeway's a relative newbie. And who are Richardson and Lopez?"
"You're just upset that you're not on the list," teased Archer.
"Sure," said Val. "That must be it."
"He was a mentor to Chakotay as well."
"So, now we go from prominent Starfleet captains to traitorous field commanders. Great."
"Well, technically, Chakotay was captain of the Spartacus. Or was it the Geronimo?"
"Starfleet's last intercepts identified Chakotay's vessel as the Geronimo. But it was apparently a maquis habit to frequently change the names of their ships to make Starfleet believe the maquis were a larger force than they actually were."
"You're not a big fan of Vice Captain Chakotay."
"No, I am not."
"You're pretty keen on seeing Chakotay punished."
"I'm a prosecutor. It's kind of my thing."
"I found Chakotay to be a trustworthy person. You don't?"
"Well, Starfleet trusted him. Look how that turned out."
"Chakotay saved Voyager by ramming Geronimo into the Kazon carrier ship."
"I'll give him credit for that," said Val. "It was a brave thing to do."
"But…."
"You ever wondered how he came to possess the Geronimo in the first place? I mean, he didn't build it. It's not a pleasure craft that he inherited from his parents. How do you think it happened?"
"He hijacked it from Starfleet, didn't he?" said Archer, reluctantly guessing that Chakotay hadn't always been a perfect angel.
"Close. His fellow traitor-in-arms attacked a Starfleet reserve marina and stole three border patrol craft. This Eddington character fired on Starfleet personnel and sent several to the infirmary. And get this, Eddington was able to disable the marina's defenses because he had previously sabotaged the systems while he was in uniform, before he declared his defection. One of the craft was given to Chakotay. That vessel didn't belong to Chakotay. It belonged to the government of the United Federation."
"Chakotay wouldn't attack Starfleet officers."
"I don't know that. Do you know that?" asked Val.
"He's a good person."
Val looked as if he were tired of debating, or perhaps came to a sad realization.
"That's the thing about being a prosecutor," said Val. "It can open your eyes. There are lots of good people out there. Very good people. But some become criminals and you wonder what happened. Somewhere down the line, they took a wrong turn. They get caught up in something and it snowballs. Things are never the same again. On paper, Command Lieutenant Michael Eddington was an exemplary officer. Vetted by Starfleet to be loyal and worthy of being entrusted with overseeing security operations in the Bajor sector. It probably started out small. Maybe one day, he smuggled rations to the traitors because he thought they were hungry. Then maybe replicators. Before he knew it, he was stealing Federation patrol shuttles and leading enemy formations into attacking the U.S.S. Defiant and the U.S.S. Malinche, among other Federation ships. Charged with sedition, high treason, and terrorism. The maquis leadership, most of them were fine officers at one point in time but made a bad choice somewhere. They start down a road and can't turn back."
"You know, one of the reasons I suggested that Boothby take a chance on trusting Starfleet was because I trusted Chakotay. You're saying I shouldn't have trusted him. Perhaps we shouldn't have a truce with Starfleet."
"If your only reason for a truce with Starfleet was your trust in him, then maybe you shouldn't."
Archer was a little surprised. She didn't expect that answer.
"But sometimes, you need to make a blind leap of faith. You should trust Burke," said Val.
Archer giggled. "I trust Burke as much as I would trust Bullock. Which is to say, very little."
This answer, in turn, surprised Val. Not that she didn't trust Burke, but that she also didn't trust her comrade, the one who disguised himself as a Starfleet admiral.
"But… I do trust you," added Archer.
"Glad to hear it. But the truth is: you don't know me. Same as Chakotay."
Valerie Archer's sunny disposition seemed to be unshakeable.
"I'm an excellent judge of character," she insisted.
It was only a few days before the Vetara reached Terrasphere 6, home base for Boothby's faction. Val stared at his screen intently as he zoomed in and saw exact replicas of Starfllet Command, Starfleet Academy and Starfleet Medical. On the farther end of the terrasphere, there was a mock setup that resembled a small town. It was interesting and eerie at the same time.
"Since you were gracious enough to play host to me for the past few days, I'd like to return the favor," said Archer. "Join me for a little while."
Val agreed, and took a few MARCOs down with him. Though, once he beamed down, he let the MARCOs explore on their own.
Max Burke beamed down to "Starfleet HQ" on Terrasphere 6. He beamed down alone, as arranged. In the Office of the Chief of Fleet Operations sat Admiral Harold Bullock, in his crisp Starfleet uniform.
"You are armed," Bullock remarked.
"Yes, as is my protocol for whenever I beam over to alien environments," said Burke.
"Your colleague Val Shin did not beam over armed," said Bullock.
"Is that so?" said Burke.
"I'm wondering," said Bullock. "Why is that?"
Burke shrugged his shoulders. "I'm an educated man, but I must confess I know little about the travel habits of Captain Val Shin. Now, what is it you asked me over here to discuss?"
Bullock's eyes narrowed. He disliked humans, but as far as humans went, he liked Burke. He and Burke were the same. Undiplomatic. Straight to the point. Bullock hated diplomats. They were nice to your face, but who knew what they were really thinking inside their heads? Bullock could deal with soldiers.
"I want to be honest with you, Admiral Burke. I do not think Boothby will be successful in convincing the Circle of High Coordinators to refrain from attacking your dimension."
"I see. I thank you for your candor."
"That being said, I do not wish us to be enemies. As far as I am concerned, we of Boothby's faction shall remain on the sidelines as neutrals. I will provide for your safety without striking the other clans. Once Boothby sends word of the High Coordinators' decision, if they reject peace, I recommend you immediately return to your dimension."
"That sounds like a good idea. Thank you for the heads up."
"I hope for a peaceful resolution, Admiral Burke."
"As do I, Admiral Bullock."
Burke prepared to leave Bullock's posh office, but decided to add something.
"Admiral, I also wish to be honest with you," said Burke.
"Please."
"In the event your High Coordinators wish to continue hostilities, I will be left with no choice but to defend all members of the Delta Quadrant alliance. This might include the Borg, depending on what my superiors at Starfleet Command decide or even what the Krowtonan Emperor requests. Now, I understand the Borg may have entered into fluidic space first and started this whole mess and I am very sorry. But it is likely the higher ups in my dimension will not tolerate these attacks at will from fluidic space."
"In the spirit of honesty, let me tell you: we are aware of your nanoprobe countermeasures and they will prove ineffective. We have the schematics from Voyager. It was the main thing Boothby demanded in return for his willingness to try to get the Circle to declare a truce."
"While I cannot tell you the exact nature of our weapon, I can tell you that it has nothing to do with Borg nanoprobes," said Burke. "In the event of war between our dimensions, I highly recommend that you and Archer keep your forces in fluidic space."
Bullock studied Burke's face for a few seconds, and determined that Burke was not bluffing.
"I will take your advice into account."
Burke walked out of Bullock's office, but decided to walk around the fake grounds of Terrasphere 6. It had been a long while since he was last in San Francisco.
Val and Archer walked along the main street of the simulated town. Val used to think he would retire to a quaint small town. Having grown up in a large city, he enjoyed the slow pace.
"If it makes you feel any better, I wasn't completely correct when I said Boothby didn't know you," said Archer.
"Well, it doesn't really matter to me. I think we met once, during my freshman year. I don't expect him to know me."
"But he did. He didn't think you'd make a good Starfleet captain though."
"Ha," laughed Val.
"He thought you were a good person. But he also thought you had a possible issue with authority. 'Attitude counseling probably necessary.' I guess you do, in fact, exhibit some signs of dislike for authority," said Archer.
Val laughed again.
"He thought you'd probably last a few years in Starfleet but then get bored. You had childish tendencies. You were a creative type. He thought you'd wind up as some type of artist, where your playful tendencies might actually prove to be an asset."
"All this from meeting me for 20 seconds. Jeez," said Val.
"It says in his files that he met you on three occasions."
"Umm… That sounds stalkerish."
"It looks like the other two times revolved around one of your acquaintances named Rose. She was on fast-track to the Starfleet Surgeon General's office."
"Oh yea, Rose," said Val. He tried to remember when the last time he spoke to her was.
"It seems that on one occasion, you may have picked one of Boothby's roses and handed it to her as a gift."
"And that got me knocked as dislike for authority? Sheesh," joked Val.
"Despite that, Boothby liked you," said Archer. "It says you were one of the few people who treated Rose as a person."
"I guess," said Val.
"Don't take Boothby's rejection personally. He also wrote that Burke would never make a good captain. Both Burke and Voyager's engineer BLT had anger issues. He guessed correctly that BLT would be drummed out of Starfleet quickly. But he assessed Burke as having a little bit more self-control and capable of climbing as high as senior lieutenant if there were calming influences in his life. One of our psychologists believes these influences were Captain Ransom, then Ensign Gilmore, and then possibly you."
Val laughed again.
"What?" asked an amused Archer.
"I dunno, this seems so strange. I mean, Boothby the groundskeeper keeping detailed files on cadets."
"He liked to people watch."
"Well, it fits that your leader would take his form, since Boothby apparently liked to spy on people. Who would have thought the groundskeeper was such a capable spy. And so judgmental to boot! This person too childish, that person too serious."
"Well…. He was usually spot on!"
Val wanted to change the topic of discussion.
"So, tell me a little about yourself," said Val. "What do you like to do?"
"Well, here in Smallville," said Archer, "I believe the first place I visited was the movie cinema. It was enjoyable. I watched this cute little movie about an astronaut who got lost in his rocketship, propelled somewhere through a black hole. He took in an orphan tiny green alien as a pet, and the two of them explored the galaxy together. I think it was the first of three movies, but I haven't seen the other two."
"Oh, let's go see the second one sometime," said Val. "As friends of course. I know you've got that huge super-crush on Chakotay and all," Val joked.
"Ha ha," said Archer in mock laughter. "Anyway, aren't you like married to a queen?"
"When did you start using the work 'like?'Are you fifteen?"
"Hey, I'm just matching your personality."
After about half a minute of silent strolling, with the two of them looking around, Val started up the conversation again.
"So what else, Vice Captain Archer. Anything else here in Smallville you find enjoyable?"
"Hmm…. The vanilla milkshakes!" said an excited Archer. "I know you love vanilla as well. It's in your file."
"The file is wrong," said Val. "I like chocolate."
"You are such a liar. The file isn't wrong."
"I'm telling the truth! You can ask Driver when you next see him. He'll tell you. Chocolate."
The two were smiling, but a second later, a loud siren rang through the town. Archer received a communication.
"The terrasphere is being attacked," she said with some urgency.
"By who?"
"Unknown."
Val and Archer were quickly beamed to the mock Starfleet HQ.