Chapter Fifteen
There had been a meeting of the Admirals and it was decided to let the Unekransee B4. Picard watched through curious eyes as the android was escorted into the room with the Stargate. Everyone from the initial encounter was there, all egar to see something incredible. Picard nodded at the ensign who was escorting B4, and dismissed her.
"Hello." B4 said quite loudly to the Unekranrepresentative who approached him. "Why do you have no face or clothes?"
Picard started to say something when the Unekranspoke, interrupting him.
"You are incredible." Was all it said, matter-of-factly. It then turned to Picard.
"The android should rest on the floor. Its motor functions will fail temporarily."
A minute later after B4 was seated the Unekranbent down and rested its head against B4's head.
"What are you doi-" B4 suddenly went silent as there was a momentary flash of light between the two of them. The Unekranstood back, seemingly disoriented for a fraction of a second.
"It is complete." It said as it threw its hands up in the air. The Stargate surged with energy as the event horizon of the wormhole formed.
"Wait – what now?" Picard asked as he approached the Unekran.
"We… will be in contact." It replied and rapidly walked through the gate. Picard turned around on his heel, feeling exasperated, and looked down at the android who seemed to be frozen in time.
"B4?" He asked as his and the Titans senior staff diverged upon the yellow-skinned body that was still sitting on the floor.
"Processing." It replied after a moment.
"Sirs?" Picard turned around to Ensign Walker who was rapidly approaching them.
"Yes ensign?" Riker looked up at him.
"I got a complete scan of the Unekranas he walked by me."
"And?" Picard and Riker said in unison.
"Its internal makeup is nearly identical to that of Commander Datas."
"Yes?" A familiar voice said from behind them. They all turned around to the android. "Captain Picard? Commander Riker?"
"Data?"
"Yes sir?"
"Oh my god!" Deanna squeaked as she hit the ground and embraced him in a hug.
"It's good to see you too, Counselor…" Data remarked as he stood up. "My memory files seem to be fragmented. Nothing is how…" He stopped when he saw the Stargate. "You found the gate?"
Everyone stopped with curiosity. "You know about the gate?"
"Apparently…" He trailed off as he approached it. "Did the Unekranthat revived me leave?" Before anyone could answer Data stood stiff. "New memory circuits… processing…" Everyone stood there and stared.
--
Admiral Janeway had been working closely with Lieutenant Van De Kamp over the past several hours in an attempt to penetrate the alien ships cloak with their sensors. So far it had been a fruitless effort and she was growing tired of the standoff.
"Captain Dickson, what do you think we should do?" She looked down towards the command chair at him. She was wondering if they should take the first step towards first contact as a sign of good faith.
"Well we're going to have to do something eventually. They seem to be content sitting here… I don't know how long I want to keep this up." He responded. She nodded and thought silently to herself as she stared at the blip on the screen in front of her. The comm panel interrupted her thoughts when it started chirping.
"Captain, I've got an incoming communication for the Admiral on a secure line." The comm officer announced.
"May I?" Janeway gestured to Dicksons ready room.
"Be my guest." He nodded. She walked down the steps and into the room. A moment later she tapped a key on the desktop terminal to activate the transmission.
"Admiral Janeway." A gray-haired man appeared on the screen.
"Admiral Clementine." She responded. He was her liaison to the Stargate project while she was off world.
"Just wanted to keep you in the loop – the Unekran has been back and successfully… 'fixed' for lack of a better word… Data."
"Jean-Luc's second officer? He's back to normal now?" She raised her eyes in astonishment.
"Seems to be himself now they tell me. Although he keeps having new memories surface that he swears weren't there before. Seems to know all kinds of interesting things about the Stargate and the origins of human kind. They think the Unekran planted the memories."
"That's incredible." Janeway nodded to herself as she stared off into the starscape beyond the window. Something on the monitor drew her eye back – a blinking symbol at the bottom of the screen revealing that the channel she was on was no longer secure. She narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to have to call you back Admiral. Janeway out."
--
"They must be able to tell that we hacked the line." Vrolan looked up from his panel to his Commander, Briken Dectran.
Kernos turned around and faced Briken as well. "Sir how much longer will we sit here and stare at each other?"
"As long as it takes." Dectran replied, calmly. "We are on orders from the Imperial Senate to observe under stealth as long as…" He stopped when the computer interrupted him.
"Incoming VSR from Unekran Federated Worlds." The bridge fell silent with confusion.
"Why are they contacting us directly?" Vrolan said with concern. "This is very odd."
"Only one way to find out." Dectran nodded to them and stood. He walked quickly to the transport unit at the back of the bridge. "VSR."
A moment later he stood in an observation lounge of a space station orbiting a large sun. He knew he was in one of the rarest places a being could be… Una Sola –The UnekranStargate Observation Complex. The room he stood in was the only room of the complex capable of supporting biological life. A sole Unekran was standing before him. Briken bowed slightly, for it was considered a high honor to be in the presence of the Unekran.
"Briken Dectran of the Vanretna Imperial Government warship Voondrek. Thank you for seeing us." It spoke.
"Thank you for contacting me." He stared at the floor, not wanting to look directly at it. "How may I be of service?"
"We have recently learned that the humans you observe are descendents of the master race." It stopped and observed the expression on Brikens face. "We know of your command abilities and your record – we know that you and your ship alone may be trusted. We have provided the humans with the knowledge to go home – to earth – so that they may discover their past. They will very soon re-join the Universal Council of Five."
Briken stayed silent but his mind was racing. What did this mean for the rest of the universe?
"Commander Dectran, your government may not be trusted with this knowledge. We are entrusting you with protecting the humans at all costs. It is your duty to help see them through the journey they are about to embark upon. May we trust you with this task?"
"Of course." He looked up at the Unekran. "I dedicate my life to it."
For the first time ever, Briken thought he saw a hint of a smile on the Unekrans face as it spoke. "Close VSR."
Briken stood silent for a moment as the doors opened revealing the bridge of his ship. His officers turned to him with interest in their eyes.
"Sir?" Vrolan, his first, was the first to speak. "What happened?"
"Lower the cloak and hail them."
"Commander?"
"They are the master race." He replied softly. "We've been trusted by the Unekran to provide any and all assistance." The bridge fell silent again as they all realized what that meant.
"Cloak offline. I'm sending out a full-spectrum hail." Kernos said as he worked his panel. "They are responding."
Everyone turned to the wallscreen as the alien ship's bridge appeared. Briken immediately recognized the woman he had encountered years back in the Delta Quadrant. She was the first to speak.
"My name is Admiral Janeway of the United Federation of Planets." She stopped when she realized who he was. "Commander Dectran of the Voondrek?"
Briken bowed and lowered himself to one knee. "As Commander of the Voondrek, I hereby offer the resources and services of my ship to you and your kind."