USS Emissary.
part 3.
Commodores.
CHAPTER :
Data left Lore to relax in their Quarters, with B-4, and returned to his duties. B-4 had volunteered to give Lore his much desired tour.
Stepping onto the Bridge, in the deepest center of the Ship, Data was met with a field of holographic stars, whizzing by, in a massive spherical room. Various circular platforms floated in the room.
Data hopped away from the Turbo-Lift, and floated over to the center Platform. Although the room itself held no gravity, each platform held their own, Earth-Norm, gravitational fields.
While all the platforms held bridge officers, this one was special. As it held the Senior Officers of the Starship Carrier, herself.
These people were the rare Commodores. Most having served Start-Fleet for 3 lifetimes or longer.
They sat around the platform, handling their duties from holographic controls.
Data took his own chair, in the center, and quickly read over the reports the Ship had for him.
Under most, and actually all, circumstances, this ship flew herself. As she just reacted quicker then organic lifeforms... as well as, she was too big for organics to comprehend the measurements.
The Commodores major duty was organizing the Organics of the entire fleet. While working with the AIs.
First Officer and Chief Engineer, Commodore Geordi La Forge, smiled as Data sat next to him. The dark skinned man, with synthetic eyes, was young in appearance, despite having centuries of experience.
It was good to have his husband back. As Starfleet allowed Data to handpick his Senior Staff, regardless of rank. Although Geordi was the only one assigned through nepotism. Even then, not really, as Geordi was the greatest engineer in the fleet... but that wasn't Data's major reason for choosing him.
Marriages are legally terminated, at each rejuvenation cycle, and people often lost contact with their former spouse, as it was deemed inappropriate.
This is why, when someone was rejuvenated, usually their spouse asked for the procedure as well, so they could be together, and not get in any legal trouble since rejuves were considered minors.
The schools set up for these kids, doubled as an Orphanage for them, but usually they went back to living with family or friends. Data could not have any of that as he was an android. He had no childhood body to be regressed into.
The rest of the senior staff was here as well. Most of them Commodores. As the ones in charge of all these ships, they were transporting, they had to be Commodores.
Now that Starship Carriers existed, Commodores became a more popular rank in the Federation. Usually they were stationed on Carriers.
Avarak squirmed in his seat. All kinda of eager for their 1000 year mission. He still wasn't used to how easily excitable, his 23 year old brain Chemistry was. Even if this was his 4th time being 23.
His body was still young, a mess of hormones and adrenaline, so it wasn't right to believe he could hold himself with dignity at all times.
Avarak was a Vulcan-Romulan hybrid. His parents had hoped he would be the one to build a bridge between their two people's. Hence his name 'One who Raises Hope'.
Not usually a burden someone would place on a boy's shoulders, but both Vulcans and Romulans could be extreme in their own ways.
Vulcans letting their entire life be dictated by cold logic and Romulans who were ruled purely by their passions.
Avarak had both extremes fighting for control inside him at all times, with both parents disappointed that their plan hadn't worked. Instead of both species following the young man into a new age, they shunned him and distrusted him. He was the Second Officer onboard, but also worked as the Chief Medical Officer.
Unfortunately he didn't get along with his holographic staff either. They argued a lot. Usually there is only one organic medical officer on a ship, with a few nurses studying to be Doctors (as that is just how the Federation medical education system worked. Given schooling was completely free most people who went into medicine started out as Nurses, as they continued to study medicine)
However, given the nature of the ship's mission, several fully trained organic Doctors had been assigned to this ship, and Avarak felt he should give them priority for work. This resulted in the Medical Programs being reduced to nurses, something they were NOT happy about. Even Doc (based on the original EMH himself) was reduced to handling scraped knees and nothing more, and he was chief of the medical programs! Avarak felt it was more important for the organic medical staff to keep their skills sharp, as AI skills don't deteriorate, but the AIs didn't appreciate being denied what they were programmed for.
Data and the Emissary (the ship) were trying to create a better system but both organic and program were highly resistant to the idea the other was even needed.
The various Doctor Programs were based on Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Beverly Crusher, Julian Bashir, and lead by the Emergency Medical Hologram (or at least based off his Program) simply known as "Doc". So some pretty strong and stubborn personalities... they met their match in Avarak.
Thankfully the Chief Tactical Officer (who worked closely with The Starfighters, Marines, and Security) was more open to using AIs. Well Organics were still technically in charge of those departments, they were order to consult and coordinate their actions through the Tactical Programs.
Chief Tactical Officer Eyil Klol was another Vulcan Hybrid onboard the ship, and she made a "damn fine tactical Officer" as Geordi put it.
This one was mixed with Klingon. She was just the product of a pon farr when there weren't any other Vulcans around.
Her Klingon mother was rather pissed that the Vulcan didn't want to marry after the encounter. She killed the Vulcan, and later discovered she was pregnant. Pretty typical of Klingon interspecies relationships back then.
Eyil Klol, despite her origins, was an outstanding officer. Always on time for her shift, properly applying both with her organic and AI crewmembers. Willing to listen yet strong enough to make the final decision.
Avarak hated her, as Eyil was everything he himself was supposed to be... yet she was an accident of two people who should have never crossed paths. She was even respected by both her peoples.
She wasn't perfect of course. She drank too much, and was a bit too jokey for her own good. She often used humor as a defense mechanism, and would say all kinds of inappropriate things, at very inappropriate times. That occasionally got the crew in trouble at diplomatic functions. She was likable, but you had to get to know her, as she was rather irritating at the best of times.
She was respected by Vulcans for her tactical mind, though they didn't appreciate how emotional she could be. Still their were few who could hold their own with her in a good debate.
Then the Klingons loved her not only for her tactical mind but her raw strength. Through a blending of Klingon and Vulcan genes, combined with multiple lifetimes of studying Klingon battle tactics, she was praised for her combat skill.
She was born before the Dominion returned to the Alpha Quadrant, but after Rejuve Pods became common medical devices. The Klingons were particularly proud of the Rejuve Pods as they prevented death by old age (a horribly dishonorable way to die according to them). So she had been around almost as long as Data. That's centuries to perfect her trade.
Seated by Eyil was her Chief of Starfighter Operations, a Cardassian named Maul. Although he liked to voice his displeasure, of the fact he accepted the promotion.
The promotion basically grounded him, unable to fly with the fleet anymore. Data had to frequently order him to stay on the bridge, in order to effectively act as air control in space. That way the organic pilots of ships and shuttles, that leave The Emissary, don't bump into each other.
Piloting the main ship was out of the question. She was too big and complex for organics to keep up with.
If you wanted to be a pilot, you went into The Starfighters. There you could pilot anything from a Galaxy Class Starship, to Defiant Class War shuttles, to simple transport Shuttles. All of which were vastly upgraded, from Data's time, and on the USS Emissary in large supply. She was a Starship Carrier after all.
Maul hadn't realized, that by accepting such a huge promotion, he wouldn't actually be able to fly anymore. Needless to say he was pissed when he found out but he did his duty and remained an exceptional officer... that complained a lot while smiling about it. Typical of a Cardassian.
He had a love of music, art, and literature from all species. With a particular taste for Human Holosuite programs. He also had a lovely wife and 3 beautiful children (all girls)... mainly why he stayed with the safer desk job on the Bridge.
Shonnas ch'Zharath was the Chief of Marine Operations. Like most Andorians he was blue skinned with antennas. He was an interesting fellow. A bit too obsessed with recreation but it didn't seem to affect his duties. He had a young son but sadly the wives and husband (as Andorians needed 4 people to reproduce), had died several years ago in a Borg attack.
Then there was the Chief Security Officer, a Tamarian named Dathon-Picard... as apparently that became a popular name after the original Dathon died on a dangerous planet, While teaching Jean Luc Picard how to understand their language.
The programs these individuals worked with were based on the most famous Captains in Federation History. James Tiberius Kirk, Jean Luc Picard, Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, Kathryn Janeway, Worf, and Spock.
Dathon was rather obsessed with getting to know the Jean Luc program, whom seemed to enjoy his unique form of Dialogue.
As Tactical was the most complex department, the ship needed this many programs in the think tank. Thanks to the recorded neuro patterns in the Federation Data base, these programs were exact copies of how these individuals thought and acted at the peeks of their careers as Captains.
Then the Chief Science Officer was a Ferengi named Sovagg. The Science department didn't actually have any AI programs but sometimes AIs from other departments helped them. Still it was mostly an organic field of study. There were hundreds of thousands of science officers onboard.
However there was one issue with having Ferengi onboard. As the Federation didn't use money, he substituted his hoarding instinct by... well... hoarding. He collected objects of great sentimental, or historical, value... including space debris of various scientific surveys he made.
It was actually Starfleet policy to allow Ferengi to store their collections onboard the ship, as it was part of their mental health.
To accommodate this, there was an entire deck devoted purely to Ferengi storage, with each unit being the size of a city block.
Sovagg's was near full of nicely organized scientific samples and vintage tools.
He actually requested a second storage unit, to better organize his things. The local Mayor was against it, but Data allowed it. It wasn't like they were likely to get any more Ferengi anytime soon.
The "Mayor" was in charge of organizing the Civilians onboard. With the sheer number of families on the ship, she was necessary.
She was elected into office by the crew. She even had a city council, of also elected Pillars of the community. In addition she worked closely with the Civilian AIs.
Her position wasn't honorary, she was considered a government official of a "joint mobile colony". Data was obligated to listen to her... to an extent. This was still a military vessel.
She was a Gorn, named Zosibus, Zosi to... well everyone. She insisted on it. Despite the reptilian body and tusk, Data was aware the Gorn males found her a very attractive member of their species.
The last member of their bridge crew was a Talaxian named Braxban. He was the Chief Morale Officer, which combined the old Counselors, of Data's day, with setting up parties and events on the ship. A bit odd but necessary for long term missions like this.
Talaxian had large areas of yellow to reddish-brown spots on their heads, arms, and bodies. They had pale skin, with a protruding "Y"-shaped bone ridge across the top of their chest area with a plume of ginger hair on the top and sides of their heads.
Braxban was pretty typical of a Talaxian. Very outgoing, and sociable, with an odd innocence about him. He might throw a lot of parties but he also listened to the crews issues and gave helpful advice.
He had Doctorates in Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and Xenology... and he was only 17. This was even the boy's first life and he was already so well educated... but that education came at the cost of experience.
He might be Chief Morale Officer but he was still only an Ensign. This was a result of the Morale Officer usually being civilians, so it wasn't hard for qualified Starfleet officers to get the job straight out of the Academy. All they really had to do was request it, while having the proper Doctorates and training.
The Medical Holograms acted as Counselors for the crew and civilians, (which was pretty much the only job the organic Doctors let them do), but Braxban was supposed to be the personal Therapist to the Senior Staff, Holograms, the ship, and everyone above the rank of "Captain".
All the Starfleet officers were dressed in similar black Armor to Data's. Although the jacket wasn't as well decorated, and often a different color.
The various branches of the general military, were dressed in red, although different shades depending on their position. While The Medical Officers were different shades of blue. Then the bridge crew were a variety of yellows.
Star-Fleet had changed the colors back to something similar to Kirk's Era, some 400 years ago.
However, they also added a few more colors, in the last 300 years. The Engineers wore green and the Science Officers wore purple. Then the rare Civilian Officer wore Silver. With Admirals dressed in white.
Commodores wore white, along with their trim being colored after their department. While Admirals had gold trim.
"Sooooo?" Geordi got Data's attention, "How are... things?" Awkwardly asked the dark skinned man.
Data lost his smile as he explained, "I gave Lore permission to move around the ship."
"With armed guards, I hope," Geordi commented.
"He is fully repaired. There will not be an incident." Data assured. Most people on board didn't know Lore's history, as it was three hundred years ago. Not even a good portion of the senior staff cared, but some were hesitant to trust Lore. Hopefully that would change with time.
"I hope your right," Geordie sighed. "I know how much he means to you. I just want you to prepare yourself for disappointment."
"I am fully aware of the possibility this endeavour will prove to be-"
"Data," Geordie looked at him, cutting through the unhealthy levels of distance the clinical description provided.
"I know it could go so horribly wrong," Data assured him. "I am willing to take the risk."
Geordie sighed, "Not like we never faced uncharted waters before." He smiled, "To Boldly Go, and all that."
Data smiled at the sentiment.
