30 Worlds: Megaforce, Episode XVIII: "Golden Voyagers"
CHAPTER THREE
Historian's Note: This chapter will follow the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. The Enterprise-D will have arrived in the Kelvin Timeline just before Worf's promotion to Lieutenant Commander at the beginning of the Next Generation-era section of Star Trek Generations, set just over one year after the events of "All Good Things," the final episode of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series.
References to the events of the seventh-season Next Generation episode "The Pegasus" and the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "These Are the Voyages," are made throughout this chapter, so it is highly-recommended (but not absolutely necessary) to have watched the episodes first.
In addition, this chapter takes place in the alternate "Yesteryear" timeline discussed in the novella "Chimes at Midnight," which was published in the 2008 Pocket Books anthology Star Trek Myriad Universes: "Echoes and Refractions." Grateful acknowledgments are therefore given to Geoff Trowbridge, the author of "Chimes at Midnight," for the inspiration their story gave me.
Aboard USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D
Picard sat in his Ready Room, just off of the Bridge of the Enterprise-D. He was sipping at a freshly-replicated hot cup of Earl Grey tea and reading up on the area of space that Prince William had assigned him to scan.
The door chime rang, leading Picard to set his teacup on his desk. "Come," he said. The door slid open, revealing Commander Riker. "Will, please, have a seat," Picard said. Riker nodded, then sat down in a chair on the other side of the desk from Picard's.
"Will, I wanted to tell you about a transmission I received from Admiral Nakamura before we wound up in the Kelvin Timeline," Picard said. "It mentioned that Admiral Pressman plead guilty to violations of the Treaty of Algeron and has been dishonorably discharged from Starfleet."
Riker frowned. His former mentor, Admiral Erik Pressman, had secretly developed a Federation-made phase-transition cloaking device in direct violation of the Treaty of Algeron with the Romulan Empire. The treaty specifically forbade the Federation from manufacturing cloaking devices and the use of any race's cloaking technology on Federation vessels.
The test of said cloaking device led to the destruction of the USS Pegasus NCC-53847—which Riker served on as a young officer—and the deaths of all but nine of her crew, Riker included. Just over a year ago, Pressman had come aboard the Enterprise with the intention of salvaging the phasing cloak and restarting the experiment.
Riker made the tough decision of going against Pressman and notifying Picard of the phasing cloak's existence, after spending time going through a simulation of the Enterprise NX-01's final mission on the holodeck in order to gain insight on the decision he had to make.
"In his plea to Fleet Admiral Shanthi, Pressman made it clear that the situation was his doing and his alone," Picard continued. "As a result, all eight officers who sided with Pressman during the events surrounding the Pegasus' destruction have been cleared of any wrongdoing...including you, Will."
"Thank you for letting me know, sir," Riker said. "However, I still feel bad throwing Pressman to the wolves."
"Will, you did the right thing despite the risk to your own career," Picard said. "I realize that Admiral Pressman was a mentor and friend, so the decision you made was not an easy one."
"But now, at least, you can get on with your career," Picard added as he stood from his desk. "So, remember Pressman as the man he was...not the one he became."
"Thank you, Jean-Luc," Riker said. "Data to Captain Picard," a voice on the comm said. "Go ahead, Data," Picard said. "Sir, we're approaching the coordinates assigned to us by Prince William," Lieutenant Commander Data reported from the Bridge.
"On our way," Picard said. Riker followed Picard onto the Bridge of the Enterprise, where Data and Counselor Deanna Troi sat in two of the three chairs at the center of the newly-upgraded Bridge. "Take us out of warp, Ensign," Picard said as Data rose from the command chair and made his way to his normal Operations station.
On the viewscreen, the subspace tunnel cleared as the Enterprise reverted to normal space. "We are approaching the Mutara Sector," Data said. "Full stop," Picard said. "Aye, sir," the Ensign at the flight control console said. "Full stop."
Picard gazed at the viewscreen and saw a blue and white planet in the middle of what had once been the Mutara Nebula, one of the most inhospitable regions of space ever discovered. "Is that..." Picard said. "Genesis," Data said.
A beeping sounded from the Tactical console. "Sir, we're receiving a hailing request from Prince William aboard the Amidala," Lieutenant Worf said. "On screen, Mr. Worf," Picard said. Prince William appeared on the Enterprise's viewscreen.
"Jean-Luc, I have just discovered the exact details of your sector," William said. "Listen very carefully. You're in a sector from a timeline in which Ambassador Spock of Vulcan died during the kahs-wan maturity test when he was seven years old."
Picard and Riker shot surprised looks at each other as William continued: "In this timeline, an Andorian officer named Thalian became James Kirk's first officer on the original Enterprise. Without Spock's body being on Genesis to get him to return, Kirk did not steal the Enterprise until he learned that his son David had been captured by a renegade Klingon named Kruge, who was attempting to steal the secrets of the Genesis Device for the Empire."
"So, we're effectively a part of this timeline now?" Riker asked. "Yes, Commander Riker," a voice from out of camera view said. A man with a bowl-like cut of black hair smiled as he entered camera view. "Rescue David Marcus and Saavik from the Batai before the Enterprise is summoned and you will locate the information you need on the A.I.C.'s intentions," the man said.
"Exactly, Doctor," William said. "Doctor? As in, the Doctor we met at Naia VII two years ago?" Picard asked. "Exactly, but removed by nine incarnations," The Doctor said. "I am sending a precis of all that happened from this moment to the 'Yesteryear' Timeline's version of the Khitomer conference. Rescue David Marcus and Saavik at all costs, and not only will you correct a tragic outcome but you will also find what you need to save this entire universe. Amidala, out."
The Bridge of the Amidala switched back to the forward view from the Enterprise's sensors as Picard turned to Worf. "Do we have the information, Lieutenant?" Picard asked. "Yes, sir," Worf said. "Senior officers to the Observation Lounge," Riker said.
A half an hour later, the senior officers (minus Worf, who was relieved of duty due to the hostilities between the Klingons and the Federation in the piece of timeline they were now in) were back on the Bridge as the USS Grissom entered orbit of Genesis.
"Conn, prepare to take us up to full impulse power the moment the Batai is picked up on Mr. Data's sensors," Picard said. "Aye, sir," the conn officer said. "Red Alert," Riker ordered. "Red Alert confirmed, sir," Deanna, who had taken over for Worf at Tactical, said. "Weapons and shields activated at full capacity."
A half an hour later, Data reported, "I have picked up an energy surge at bearing 245 mark 083. It is consistent with a B'rel-class Klingon bird-of-prey's cloaking device." "On screen," Picard said. Even through the distortion, Picard could see the unmistakable outline of a Klingon bird-of-prey swooping into view and bearing down on the Grissom.
"Deanna, target that distortion and prepare a photon torpedo spread the moment the Batai prepares to decloak," Picard said. "Standing by," Deanna said.
Slowly, the distortion cleared to reveal a Klingon bird-of-prey. Deanna tapped the fire control. Five photon torpedoes shot out of the Enterprise's launchers and slammed into the bird-of-prey's engine section. The Batai detonated in a flash of fire and debris.
"We're being hailed by the Grissom," Deanna said. "On screen," Picard said. The Bridge of the Grissom appeared on the Enterprise's viewscreen. "I am Captain Jonathan T. Esteban of the Federation Starship Grissom," the man seated in the command chair said. "Whoever you are, you sure saved us."
"I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise. We come from another timeplane and point in time than you, Captain Esteban," Picard said. An officer on the Grissom's Bridge reported, "Captain, Dr. Marcus is signaling, wanting to know if everything is all right."
"Tell him that everything is A-OK, Lieutenant Chattman, and that he can continue his explorations," Esteban said. "Aye, sir," Lieutenant Chattman said.
A few minutes later, Chattman turned back to Esteban and reported, "Sir, Doctor Marcus and Lady Saavik are reporting something in the center of Sector 3 that they cannot identify." "Let us take a look," Picard said. "Number One, get an away team together and check out the item Dr. Marcus found." "Yes, sir," Riker said. "Data, with me. Geordi, report to Transporter Room 3."
"On my way," Commander Geordi LaForge reported from the Enterprise's Engineering section.
Dr. David Marcus, last survivor of the Project Genesis development team, watched as three towers of blue and silver energy resolved into the people he was told to expect. "I'm Doctor David Marcus, and this is Lady Saavik. She is an observer from the Romulan Star Empire," David said.
"I'm Commander William Riker of the USS Enterprise," Riker said. "With me are my ship's chief engineer, Geordi LaForge, and our operations manager, Lieutenant Commander Data." "Captain Esteban told us about you and that you would come down here," Saavik said. "Follow me, please."
Saavik and David led the Enterprise away team to a huge object in a nearby jungle. "The object you are looking at is a portion of the exterior hull of this timeplane's Enterprise which was shorn off by the Genesis Wave during its detonation," Saavik said. "We found the object you're looking for under it."
Data stepped forward and lifted up the enormous Enterprise hull section so that Riker could retrieve the A.I.C. data recorder. As soon as Data set the Enterprise hull section back where it had landed, the ground shook.
"You two have to get back to the Grissom and hurry back to Earth," Riker said. "If you don't get there quickly, all hell is going to break loose." "What about you, Commander Riker?" David asked. "We need to get this evidence back to our home base," Riker said.
"Evidence of what?" Saavik said. "Evidence of just what the hell is going on around here," Riker said before tapping his commbadge. "Riker to Enterprise. Three to beam up."
As the Enterprise reclaimed her own, Marcus flipped open his own communicator. "Marcus to Grissom. Two to beam up."
Half an hour later, the Grissom left orbit of Genesis and leaped into warp. In one of the Enterprise's science labs, Picard watched as Data performed a full examination of the A.I.C. data recorder. "The data recorder we found on Genesis comes from an A.I.C. vessel of the Sidious-class," Data said. "In one of the log entries, the commander of the vessel made reference to something happening in the Bajor sector."
"Picard to Bridge. Set course for Starbase Yorktown, maximum warp," Picard ordered. "Aye, sir," Riker said. "Data, in our timeline, what happened to Genesis?" Picard said.
"The planet self-destructed due to the inclusion of the highly-unstable substance protomatter in its formation matrix," Data said. "It is logical to assume that this timeline's Genesis will detonate in the same way."
Picard looked at the data recorder's records on the screen he and Data sat behind and noticed a file marked "Yesteryear Timeline History—Original File." "Data, access that file," Picard said, gesturing to the notation.
"The file is heavily encrypted," Data said. "However, I believe that I can override the countermeasures and pull up the file." "Do it," Picard said.
A few minutes later, the file opened and revealed a black-and-gray-haired man in a robe of some kind. "My name is Cedric, formerly Court Sorcerer to King Roland II of Enchancia in the World of Sofia the First. I am a member of the Cinnabarian Shadow Guard, currently on deep-cover assignment to investigate the Army of Inter-Universal Chaos," the man said in identifying himself. "This file is a record of the history of the Unaligned World of Star Trek's 'Yesteryear Timeline' following the destruction of Planet Genesis. It has been preserved in this A.I.C. data recorder so it can be delivered to my son, Prince William of Cinnabar."
During Dr. David Marcus' and Lady Saavik's explorations of Genesis, the IKS Batai destroyed the USS Grissom as the history of the Prime Timeline also records. However, the Batai also captured Marcus and Saavik alive and decided to ransom them for the secrets of the Genesis Device.
After learning of Marcus' captivity from Romulan Ambassador to the Federation Caitlain Dar, Admiral Kirk gathered his crew to steal the Enterprise and attempt to rescue Marcus. They were able to do this, although Admiral Kirk was killed in the destruction of the Enterprise. Captain Thalian and the other surviving Enterprise crewmembers took the captured Batai back to Earth.
All this was going on as the cetacean Probe was approaching Earth. However, without Ambassador Spock to determine that humpback whales were the intended recipient of the Probe's signal and Admiral Kirk to suggest the time travel maneuver to bring the whales back to the 23rd century, the Probe devastated Earth to the point where it was virtually incapable of supporting life.
The surviving Federation leadership was relocated to Vulcan, while a plan to use a protomatter-less Genesis Device to return Earth to an inhabitable state was planned under the command of the now-Admiral Thalian, who along with the surviving crew of the Enterprise, was cleared of all charges in the theft and destruction of the Enterprise because they had captured a Klingon vessel for study.
However, the plan was thwarted because a cloaked Klingon battle fleet was lying in sub-Earth orbit and ambushed the Genesis fleet before the device could be deployed. The Federation fleet was forced to flee, leaving the battered Earth to Klingon occupation.
Several years later, the Batai was used by Thalian and his officers to deploy a Genesis device as a weapon of mass destruction on Praxis, the primary Klingon energy production facility.
Picard looked at Data with an ashen expression. "I cannot believe that in any timeline, Starfleet officers would behave in such a way," he said. "Captain, remember what Cedric has said thus far about what had happened in the Yesteryear timeline," Data said. "As the old expression says, 'Desperate times call for desperate measures.'"
At the Khitomer conference where the Empire agreed to a cessation of hostilities, Admiral Thalian decided to surrender himself to Klingon justice as a condition for the deal. Despite his deplorable actions, Admiral Thalian became a legendary figure because of his sacrifice in the name of peace.
"Now you know what you have accomplished by saving Dr. Marcus and Lady Saavik," Cedric said. "You have prevented so many losses of life and allowed for a semblance of normalcy in the Yesteryear timeline. Now, please deliver this file to my son. He and his aunt Scarlett deserve to know the truth."
We will know the truth that Cedric was referring to later. For now, however, stay tuned in the next chapter as the Defiant's mission unfolds.
::TBC::
