A few days later, after the medicals and psychiatric checks, they were ready to go on their mission.
"I didn't think that I'd pass that medical, if I'm honest," Seb muttered, clearing his throat and smoothing back his hair.
Charles gave him an inquisitive glance. "What? Why?"
Seb laughed and slapped Charles on the back. "I'm just kidding." Seb had considered quitting the training and preparation; he had considered going back to Admiral Tucker to say that he had changed his mind. But he did not want Charles to go by himself.
Charles rolled his eyes. "We've still got those godawful cosmetic operations to withstand, anyway," he reminded him pointedly.
Lara held out her hands; in them were three commbadges. "You might need these, guys."
Date took his first and attached it to his uniform, followed by Charles and Seb. Lara had already secured it to her person, and was intent on wearing it with pride.
"Cadets," a loud, booming voice became apparent to them. It could have filled the entire space, or, the entirety of space. Data, Charles, Lara and Seb all watched coolly as the admiral came striding into the room.
"Sir," they all saluted him, at once, as was proper.
"As you were," Admiral Tucker reassured them, and their arms simultaneously dropped to their sides. "Now, all of you know why you're here. You are the best of the best when it comes to planetary sociology. And I don't want myself or any of my staff to be disappointed with what you will be achieving out there."
Charles swallowed heavily; he was almost sure that the lump in his throat was visible. His eyes wandered around the room. Two of the walls were composed entirely of glass, reinforced glass. Certainly, he had been into space before. What Starfleet cadet hadn't? But this time it would be different. He realised that Data was studying him with interest, and then he realised that the admiral was expecting his undivided attention. Charles promptly apologised.
"You will be boarding a transport soon, to take you to Spacedock," Admiral Tucker continued, his hands draped behind his back as he walked backwards and forwards across the laminate flooring. His footsteps seemed extraordinarily loud."And then you will be on your way."
"Am I to assume, Sir, that we shall them be transported to kilhra'eri euhre?"It was Data who had summoned up the courage – if that was the correct term – to speak.
The admiral watched the android with studious intensity. Then he smiled genially. "The Walsinghamwill be taking you to the your destination."
Lara's eyes widened wider than they had ever done. "I've never heard of that ship before," she admitted, racking her brains. All she could think of was that one lesson in History class when… The Spy-Master! she realised.
"You wouldn't have. It's top secret." Admiral Tucker gave the four cadets – three of whom were terrified – a gentle smile. "The four of you have nothing to worry about. You have been debriefed, examined. You have been re-debriefed and re-examined. And you are the best cadets that we could task with this mission. Coupled with the resoundingly original introduction of Cadet Data here, I expect nothing but success, discoveriesand a whole lot of praise for you all."
"Thank you, Sir," they declared proudly, happily. Their voices were slightly shaky.
He straightened his uniform. "Dismissed." And then he left.
"The transport ought to be leaving soon," Charles muttered, his fingers and thumbs interlocking nervously.
Data agreed with a swift, mechanise nod. "Then it would be unwise to not leave at this moment." He glanced at the other cadets, who all murmured in a sort of unsure agreement.
"Ooh! This is so exciting!" Lara very nearly squealed as they walked to the Academy's surface-to-air transport system. She ran off, catching up with Data, who had since adopted a speedy pace.
Lagging behind, Charles' face adopted a detached expression. Seb gained a better hold of his luggage and then approached him. "Charles, what is it?"
"I don't know. I mean, I'm excited. Of course I am..." he said, his tone of voice near silence.
Seb frowned. "But?" Then he laughed, as a mischievous grin grew in his face. "But you don't know how you'll handle seeing me as a Romulan?"
He could have laughed, he knew that. He should have laughed. But instead heshook his head and walked on, ignoring Seb's interference.
Seb shook his head and marched up beside him. "But what?" he pressed, holding out a hand so that Charles could walk on no further.
Charles looked over at him and sighed. "I guess I'm scared."
"Of what? All we need to do is get on a transport to the Walsingham, then fly a shuttle to this planet. Come on, you heard what Admiral Tucker said."
He nodded glumly. "I know, I know. But this will be a first in Starfleet history. What if something goes wrong? We could get captured or tortured or killed!"
Seb planted himself in front of Charles. He looked him directly in the eyes. "We're not going to Romulus. The planet's in the Neutral Zone, sure, but it's not Romulus, is it? And besides, I'll have your back." He smiled.
Charles nodded and rubbed his temple, slowly becoming convinced that the cloud of worry in his mind was starting to clear.
"Anyway, you always seemed to excited for this trip, right? Seb reminded him, and Charles let that sink in. "It was me who was freaking out earlier."
Seb began to pick up the pace again. "Come on, we can't let Data and Lara beat us, can we?"
"And, Seb?" he called out, jogging up alongside him. "Thanks."
Seb offered him a short smile, then kissed his cheek. "Don't mention it."
They soon reached the transport vehicle. It was a bit rugged, and had no doubt seen more than its fair share of Starfleet action. But most of the Academy's crafts were a little bashed and bruised.
They had to sign their names on the register; Data's signature was a most amusing spectacle. That said, they boarded the craft, stowed their luggage safely away, and strapped themselves in. There were twelve seats in the craft, but only four were occupied. The craft was, of course, automatic, and its pilot was nothing more than a combination of circuit boards and microprocessors.
The craft lurched and the engines buzzed as it lifted itself out of the hangar; automated voices blared out numerous warnings. Lift-off imminent. Seatbelts must be fastened.
And then they burst through the Earth's atmosphere, leaving behind the blue and white of the early morning sky, and arriving in the dark depths of space.
The trip from the troposphere to the exosphere had taken little more than a few minutes. The cadets found themselves faced with a barrage of space junk: forgotten capsules and satellites and crafts, all of which were adorned with numerous flags and mottos and logos.
Lara squinted as she stared out of the window, trying not to get in Data's way. "That's Sputnik, isn't it?"
Data broke out of his reverie, realising that she was addressing him. He studied the satellite. "Sputnik 100," he told her.
"There's been a hundred of them?"
Data's yellow eyes darted from left to right briefly as he recalled the information. "No, that specific one was launched in 2057, to celebrate the centenary of the original namesake satellite's launch."
Charles had had his eyes closed for most of the journey, and Seb could do little more than watch him curiously.
They soon escaped the exosphere and reached the orbit of the Earth's moon; on its cratered and pock-marked surface, the major Lunar bases could be seen.
The automated voice made another announcement. Its final one for the four cadets. "Earth Spacedock has been reached. The USS Walsinghamis docked at Port 7F."
They all disembarked.
"See, that wasn't too bad, was it?" Seb teased Charles as they collected their luggage from the holds and arrived at the orbital port.
Charles glanced up at him and frowned. "I have a feeling that was the best part."
Data, Lara, Charles and Seb found themselves in amongst a sea of people. They were mostly humans, but there were also a few aliens, particularly Vulcans. The central part of the port was certainly a very busy place, full of businessmen, warriors, shop-assistants and various Starfleet staff members.
"That one looks like T'Lar," Charles joked, and Seb grinned.
Data stopped in his tracks. He was approached by a tall man in a yellow Starfleet security uniform. Charles noted the phaser hooked on his belt. The man took out a padd and studied it for a moment. "Cadet Data? Serial number 0045-0271A2?"
Data responded with a curt nod. "That is correct, Sir."
"Cadet Charles Louis Garfield?" the man then asked, studying Charles studiously. "Serial number 0072-1273A6?"
"Yes, sir."
"Cadet Sebastian Richards? Serial number 0054-1937A7?"
Seb nodded. "That's me… sir."
"And, finally, Cadet Lara Elizabeth Garfield? Serial number 0087-1638A2?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
"You have had your final medical examination, yes?" he asked all of them, regarding all of their faces.
They nodded, as was proper.
"And you were debriefed by Admiral… Tucker?" he asked, having looked it up on his padd, to double-check.
"Yes. He spoke to us earlier today," Lara replied, and the security guard nodded.
"After passing though security, you'll find the Walsinghamin Port 7F. It's due to depart at 1100," he told them, and then he went on his way.
"This'll be fun," Seb muttered, gesturing to the obstacle course of security measures that had been set out.
"I wonder why there's so many security things," Lara opined.
Data stepped in and led the way to the security area. "I suspect that it has something to do with the influx of Bajoran terrorists in this sector, after the recent Cardassian Occupation of Bajor."
They each had to have their eyes and fingerprints scanned, to ensure that they matched up with the Starfleet database. Data posed a bit of a problem to the security personnel, but they were too busy marvelling at him and they happily carried on their duties, though it meant a bit more work.
Data watched in nothing more than appreciation at the sight of the Walsingham.It certainly looked state-of-the-art. Its fuselage was saucer-shaped, as most Starfleet ships were. Data had no idea what class the ship was. It was larger than Constitution but certainly smaller than Galaxy.
"I've never seen anything like it before," Seb mouthed, staring at the ship. "It's just so sleek and shiny."
"You sound like a child," Charles chided him, a teasing smile on his lips.
"I'm glad you've cheered up."
"Come on," Lara urged them all. "Stop staring. We'll have plenty of time to have a proper look around once we're on the ship itself." She beckoned them.
After having boarded the ship, they felt the hum of its colossal engines all around them. No doubt it would calm down soon enough.
Again, there was one more final security check. But they passed it with flying colours, though some passing ensigns and lieutenants seemed curious as to what a group of cadets were doing on one of Starfleet's best crafts. They were likewise handed a padd each, on which they could find out where their quarters would be.
"We're sharing?" Lara moaned, wondering how exactly she would cope in a dorm full of men.
"Looks that way, sis," Charles said with a broad grin, ignoring Seb's glare.
"I think that it would be wise to wait until we have surveyed the quarters themselves before we make a judgement," Data opined. He led the way down the corridors, which were adorned with grey carpet and had windows stretching the entire height of the deck.
"How many decks does this ship have?" Lara asked.
"Twenty-four, it says here," Seb replied, having caught sight of a display board on the corridor wall. "With a crew of three hundred."
"And here we are," Charles announced as they reached their quarters. "I suppose I doesn't really matter if we share, does it? I mean, we're only going to be here for a day or two."
"How far is this planet, then?" Lara asked.
Data quickly replied. "Forty five point three nine light years."
The doors slid open once Data had entered the passcode.
"Wow."
"They're huge!"
Lara smiled widely. "Maybe it's just that I've gotten used to those tiny dorms at the Academy… but this is brilliant!"
As with most Starfleet ship quarters, the room was open plan, with a replicator, sanitation room and adjoining bedrooms. The walls and floor were white, with purple and blue furniture. The windows were vast and impressive, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. They gave a spectacular view; it reminded the cadets of both the marvels in space and how lonely it could be.
"How many sleeping chambers are there?" Seb asked.
Charles had a look. "Three."
Lara had already chosen hers; naturally, it was the one with the nicest view. She unpacked and them poked her head around the door. "Wait... There are only three rooms?"
"Charles, Sebastian, you may have the remaining rooms," Data offered. "I have no need for them." he raised a finger. "In fact, I presume that we have only been given three rooms because I do not require sleep."
Charles smiled wryly. "Nonsense, Data. You have this one. Seb and I can share."
Seb regarded him. "We can? I mean... sure." He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously.
Data cocked his head to one side and then made a noise of agreement. "If that is what you would prefer, then very well."
As night loomed on the great starship, Charles and Seb were the first to retire to bed. Lara and Data, however, were not quite ready to say goodbye to the day just yet.
Lara held the glass of water in her hand and stared at it emptily for a while. "Are you ready for the operation tomorrow?" she asked Data. It was conversation for the sake of conversation, really. She knew that Data would have prepared himself.
The android turned to face her. "I have researched the procedure, if that is your meaning."
She smiled and finished off her water. "Close enough."
Then a look of vague realisation seems to wash over Data's face. "Have you prepared yourself?"
She shook her head and gave a short laugh. "I've no idea how to prepare! I mean, I have a vague idea of what the operation entails. I'm going to wake up with a Romulan face." It all sounded very amusing in her head but she wondered it the real outcome would be quite as humorous.
"If you are starting to have second thoughts, I suggest you recall the many benefits that Starfleet will gain from this mission," Data opined.
Lara smiled genially at him. "You're right." Then she got to her feet, crossed to the food replicator and put the empty glass inside the machine, pressing button as she watched the synthetic object disappear.