STAR TREK
Seeds of Rebellion
The burgeoning colony on Mars was being pounded by a violent sandstorm, and had been for nearly two weeks. Sandstorms would become a way of life, for colonist on Mars before the Terra-Forming was completed three years later. Until that time, they would have to learn to endure the sun-blocking, eye blinding storms.
But there was more than just a sandstorm going on outside the complex. Sixty workers had come to Mars, via their trip aboard the Enterprise. There were maintenance workers, construction crews, computer experts, and a small medical staff.
Commander Khan Singe had the crews ahead of schedule, but then, that all changed. It all started when Ensign Juliet Combs attacked two of her co-workers, killing them in their sleep, and partially devouring their bodies.
She was eventually captured, and put in the brig. Eventually sedated, she was brought into the sickbay where the colony's chief medical officer, Doctor Boma, examined her body.
Internal scans revealed a strange parasitic life form which had attached itself to Ensign Comb's nervous system. And, more importantly to the survival of the colony, it was determined that inside her saliva contained small, molecular sized versions of the parasites, that, when introduced into a new victim's blood system, would circulate into the blood and destroy the human host, and turning the human into a mindless, soulless, being, with only one reason to live; to infect other humans.
The two colonists Combs had 'killed' had come back to life. They attack mercilessly, and before all was said and done, only fourteen of the sixty workers were uncontaminated.
The survivors had regrouped, and fortified the main complex structure. But it was only a matter of time before the infected colonist would break in and infect them as well.
Communications had been lost, but not only due to the wild sandstorm. The special communication's platform that could broadcast a signal that could penetrate the sandstorm cloud had been destroyed by the infected members of the crew and their uncontrolled rampaging.
There had been no way to contact Earth for help for nearly two weeks. But the storm was weakening. The regular radio complex, which was safe inside the complex, was now able to generate a powerful enough signal to penetrate the fading storm.
Commander Khan stood behind Ensign Gina Nasaki, who was operating the communication station.
"Will we be able to contact Earth?" Commander Khan asked.
"It would seem so," Ensign Nasaki aid. "We'll know momentarily."
At United Space Agency headquarters, in Daytona Beach Florida, worry had overcome the agency after contact had been lost with Mars nearly two weeks earlier. It had been determined that it could not have been due to the sandstorm only.
Top advisors warned Colonel Christopher Pike that there had to have been some kind of mutiny. During the morning briefing, news had arrived that the colony was sending a signal. Pike entered mission control to monitor the communication with the colony.
Commander Khan's face appeared on the main screen of mission control.
"Commander Khan," Mission control Commander, Bob Wesley, said, "what the heck is going on up there?"
Khan looked worried. "Something has happened," Khan said. "We have encountered a parasitic life form," Khan told them. "It has the ability to," before Khan could continue, a large noise could be heard pounding inside the complex.
"What is that pounding?" Commander Wesley demanded.
As the transmission continued, the United Space Agency was unaware that the signal was being monitored by John Gill, in his Australian lair, and by another man inside of a secret complex in Colorado.
Khan continued. "Listen to me!" Khan said to Wesley, "The parasites enter a victim's ears, and soon takes over the mind of the victim. They can contaminate others by transfer of blood, or saliva. The infected person becomes nothing more than a mindless body, wanting only to infect others. We are the last left!" Khan said. "You've got to implement the emergency evacuation plan."
What Khan was referring to were the two emergency shuttles that were housed inside the laser satellites that had been used to slow the Enterprise's approach nearly three weeks earlier. Each satellite contained one shuttle, which could be piloted down, via remote control, by mission control back on Earth.
John Gill, watching the situation transpire, did not like the turn of events. The parasites, as Khan conversed more with Mission Control, and the Chief Medical Officer, Beverly Crusher, caused the victims to spew nonsensical thoughts from the subconscious part of the brain, as just random words with no reason.
Gill became more worried that Khan, were he to become infected, might reveal vital information to Gill's own goals. It was time for Gill to call in a favor. He reached out and picked up the receiver of a red phone on his desk. A voice answered on the other end.
"Are you seeing this?" Gill asked.
"Yes," the voice replied. "I think we may both have a mutual reason to terminate the Mars colony."
"I agree," Gill said. "Do what you must." Gill said.
Colorado...
Unknown to the United Space Agency, the United States, although a member of the new United Nations Charter, still had several clandestine operations off the official financial books of the government. One such organization was charged with assuring the survival of the United States at all cost. It was an ultra-secret organization called Section-31, and the man, who had been talking to Gill, a man named Sloan, was charged with carrying out the primary orders.
Worried that the parasites might find their way to Earth, Sloan activated a secret program that had been implanted into one of the Mars satellite's software.
Back at United Space Agency Headquarters
As Commander Wesley continued to converse with Khan, Dr. Crusher spoke in soft tones with Colonel Pike.
"We've got to evacuate those people," Crusher said to Pike.
"Doctor," Pike said, "what about the possibility they might already be infected, and bring those things back to Earth. I can't allow that."
"So, what are we going to do?" Crusher asked in an angered manner, "Are you going to leave them up there to die?"
Suddenly all communications with the Mars colony were cut off.
"What's going on?" Pike demanded of Wesley.
"Sir," Wesley replied, "An outside source has cut off our communications."
"How is that possible?" Pike demanded.
Suddenly the alert signals began to blare.
"What now?" Pike demanded.
Bob Wesley conferred with his men, and then he looked back to Pike.
"Colonel," Wesley said, "one of the Graviton-lasers we used to decelerate the Enterprise as it approached Mars is positioning itself, and is preparing to fire on the colony.
"On screen," Pike ordered.
The main screen switched to images being broadcasted by the sister Graviton-laser, showing the other one changing its orbital course.
On Mars
Khan watched as Ensign Nasaki tried in vain to reestablish communication with Earth.
"What's happening?" Ensign Nasaki asked. "Why won't they respond?" She asked Khan.
Khan knew why. It all added up.
"They're going to kill us," Khan told her, and the others. "They are worried that we are infected as well, and are unwilling to rescue us because of it."
There was more pounding as the infected crew members were making progress. It wouldn't be too long until they had made it inside the complex.
"What can we do?" One of the survivors asked Khan.
Four of the survivors, he already knew; they were plants like him. There was no reason to blow their covers just yet, and they were obviously keeping their parts secret as well.
"I can save us," Khan told them all. "But do not forget that they," Khan said as he pointed at the now blank screen, "Have betrayed us. From this day forth I say that we will make Mars our home, and when I mean our home, I mean that in all the ways it can be taken."
"We're not going to survive the night," Ensign Nasaki replied. "So what does it matter."
Khan stood strong, and projected his strong will. "If you swear your loyalty to me," Khan told them all, "I will see you through this night."
He had won them over. He would indeed save their lives. And as he prepared to do just that, he stared up at the United Space Agency emblem on the far wall. He would remember this day, and swore that he would make them all pay, back on Earth. For not only did the Space Agency cut off the signal, so had John Gill. Khan had tried to raise Gill earlier in the day, but his signal was never accepted. Khan vowed that from this moment forward, Earth would one day know; The Wrath of Khan.
Continued…