STAR TREK
"Noble but Useless"
Holt Jerome carried the rank of captain on the stalwart U.S.S. Revere. It was a scout ship that was damaged in battle. It needed repair.
A traveling therapist beamed aboard to say to an engineer, "God, I love to hate this job. But it pays very well. What do you think, kind sir?"
"I think you're under arrest," he returned as he tapped his badge. "Like your work."
As the therapist was cuffed, he stated, "You should tell my Q-ship to leave without me."
"There is nothing I'd rather do," the engineer smiled contacting the bridge. "The therapist for our wounded has been put in custody."
On the bridge, the message was redirected to sickbay. It was the ship's safest place.
"Put in custody?" inquired the captain. "I'm in need of him here. The Klingons killed many."
His smile faded, "I do not think he is up to the challenge. He cursed our wounded men."
Meanwhile, Holt Jerome went back to work in sickbay as he was with an injured crewman, "Your friends told me you like to play cards."
He replied with warmth, "Not really, sir. Look on the back of the cards."
"Oh," the captain said cocking an eye. "There are naked women on the back."
He gave the cards back to the patient. It was intensive care on the Hermes-class ship.
"Okay," the captain said. "Here it is. We have to send you home. Your injury needs a closer look."
The patient became violently ill. He had been hit with delta rays, "Don't send me back! My career started only a few years ago."
"You're going back home!" Holt cried out as he held the ensign in his arms. "You will be given better attention at a starbase."
In the brig, they did not see the new prisoner as much of a threat. He still had his tricorder. He used it to interact with a computer.
Downloading information, he had been known to escape from brigs. In this case, it would not be difficult. That deck had a hull fracture.
For this man, a brig was cobbled together. In medical garb, he performed an escape.
He was foiled. Holt Jerome struck him with his fist, "On my ship, I will not arrest you twice."
There was a hearing. It was clear they were dealing with a hacker. His name was not known, "I want answers. What is your hacker alias?"
"Then what?" he asked as he smiled like the Cheshire Cat. "I get sent to prison?"
Pauses took place around the table. Captain Holt Jerome used the computer, "Computer, what is the device our visitor brought with him?"
"It is a medical tricorder used by Star Fleet."
The Vulcan first officer spoke up, "Who is the tricorder issued out to, computer?"
"A Star Fleet hacker by the name Loki."
"Hey," the therapist pointed out. "You got the name wrong. My real hacker name is…oh."
It had become clear they were dealing with a skilled liar, "Selok, did you study the tricorder?"
"Yes, Captain," the first officer stated. "He was downloading intelligence from a computer with the intent to escape in one of our shuttles."
"Then why would he steal a tricorder? It does not make any sense. He would get caught."
"Exactly," the Vulcan told him. He was known to be honest to a fault. It confused him.
As he was being cuffed, he said, "I think I like the name Loki. After I become a solid citizen, I do believe that name will retire me."
"Good for you," Holt Jerome said with a smile as security escorted him out the door.
As the cuffs got uncomfortable, he turned to the captain and told him, "This does not make us friends, though. Not by a longshot."
Rubbing his hand, the fist he used to strike him with started to hurt, "Captain?"
"I have to do some research in my cabin," he responded. "Our guest looks familiar."
The captain was kicking himself in the head on this one. He knew Star Fleet would never convict. He once saw him on the news as a war hero.
"Master Revealed"
In deep space, the Revere was faced with the Gorn Hegemony. There was a ship stalking them. In time, talk of total war would take place.
"Working," the computer stated. "Gorn cruisers have sacked three systems. They reported it as an accident. This started three days ago."
Hearing of this, Captain Holt Jerome turned to the Vulcan first officer, Selok, "What do the Gorns have against the Federation anyway? This ship has orders to destroy trespassers."
"New orders coming in, Captain," Selok said to the helpless officer. He was getting nervous.
"Enter the attacked space by request of a Gorn ambassador," he read. "The stalking ship will make contact with us as soon as possible."
"Deliberations?" Holt inquired. "That makes no sense. They have sacked us three times."
The Revere always followed every order to the letter. It made its way to the Gorn border.
Once they got there, a Metron appeared before the captain on the bridge. There was a pause.
Standing up, the captain negotiated, "Please tell me you're the ambassador whose coming was foretold. At least, tell us your name."
Selok, with a tricorder in hand, stated, "It's a Metron, Captain. We have records of them."
"What is a Metron?"
With a smile, the humanoid dressed in silver said onto him, "Your question will be answered when you touch my cloak. It activates a teleporter."
"No. I will not."
He vanished anyway, "Captain! Put the ship on red alert, Thompson. We have to find him."
The superior teleporter of the Gorn took them to the stalking ship. The Metron explained, "This is the brig of a Gorn frigate. I cannot tell you its name for security reasons."
"You mean, you'll let me go?" Captain Jerome responded in relief. Guards were outside.
"If you're lucky," he continued. "Would you like to see the captain? She's on deck one."
"Yes, take me to the captain."
Upon arriving on the bridge, it was a Metron female in command. It was obvious. On a leash, she had a baby Gorn as she sat in her chair.
"Helmsman Thompson, take us on a course into Gorn space," Selok said as the first officer.
"Yes, sir," he responded rubbing sweat from his brow. They engaged engine power.
The chief engineer contacted the bridge via intercom, "Repaired engines turned on."
Selok replied, "The bridge thanks you, Dustin Fields. Ready phasers and prepare to fire."
Meanwhile, on the Gorn starship, "So this is a frigate in your fleet? Looks nice."
"Yow, Holt," the Metron said. "Pay attention to me. I am offering you peace between us."
"I don't think so," Holt replied. Just as he made this claim, the Gorn people got upset. He was at the center of the room ready to die.
He continued, "Why did you sack three of our systems? That's why I'm here this hour."
The Metron stated, "It was an attack that the others in our race would like to forget. The attacks cost us six ships. Humans fight with hate."
"What do you propose?" he asked. Guards were standing over him ready to defend the two.
The Metrons looked toward one another. Then the female said, "If you defeat the baby Gorn at the foot of my chair, we will let you go."
Holt Jerome looked at the screen to see his command being attacked by Gorn needles. It was then the baby Gorn was freed. It was struck by the human in midair.
Captain Jerome was bit in the arm when he was not looking. The whole bridge watched as the captain took the beast by the collar and hurled him into the viewing screen.
"Ouch!" he said in horrible pain.
This did not make the Gorn happy. They were reaching for their disruptors. With the wave of his hand, the Metron halted them, "Captain, I will take care of your injury. This conflict is over."
Once he was treated by the Metrons, he was treated by his own people. Sensors were found in the rattled officer. Holt needed rest leave.
"Prime Universe"
It was Star Fleet Headquarters. For the crime of cowardice during battle, Holt Jerome had been sentenced to two years. It was done.
"Where are you going to go?" a guard asked as he left the brig. She was being sincere.
"I'm out of Star Fleet," he tearfully said. "I have to make another home in space."
Nearby, a hacker was going up and down the corridors begging anyone for the name Loki. As a matter of fact, he had been caught several times selling information to the Romulans.
"I must have this alias!" the hacker said. "I'm not exactly changing my real, legal name."
Star Fleet responded once more, "That name was already taken as a hacker alias."
He had been doing this for months.
Star Fleet sent a message to the U.S.S. Revere so that they could pick up their former captain. Its marine major had become the new captain.
"Mary Chase here," the captain replied to the message sent by the massive starbase.
"Captain, the reason we are contacting you is for the sake of your former captain. You have orders to take him home and off our hands."
Always with a smile, she stated, "We will dock at once. Helm, take us inside."
The chief engineer, Dustin Fields, had since ascended to the rank of first officer.
"Yes, sir," he said looking back at her.
At Star Fleet Headquarters, the hacker with no name asked, "Might I change my real name?"
"Yes, but I don't think that's legal," she said. "I will have to do a background check."
As the hacker was waiting, he thought he was in trouble. He did not have a good record. He had the uncontrollable urge to snack.
She came back to tell him, "It's okay. Your son is a rather skilled Star Fleet officer."
He leaned over to tell her, "Me, too."
It was a total lie. The innocent woman fell for it anyway. With access to the computer, his son was found on the bridge of the U.S.S. Rebuke.
He heard from his captain, "Samuel Paris, you must halt your repairs and transport over."
"Big station," he mumbled under his breath.
As he gathered up all his things, the message would go on to say, "Your father is here."
"I'll get to it," he said. Samuel signed away the day to meet his father. It had been a while.
"Are you here to challenge me with honor," a certain former captain cried with intent to kill the hacker with a phaser. He blamed him for the things changed over the last two years.
"I used to not have a legal name," he then replied to the challenge. "But my hacker alias has always been Thor. You see, I don't care."
"If that was true," Holt spoke up, "I could have been a fleet admiral by the time I was born."
"Put on a spacesuit and fight me," Holt Jerome continued as gravity had made them both fools. Loki turned to Samuel Paris. He would speak.
"I should I kill him now," he told him. "There is a phaser inside my pocket. It's set to vaporize."
They put on their suits. Samuel would close the airlock. He knew that his father would win.
They ran at each other with fists. Loki meant to kill him. Holt dodged the phaser by jumping with his fist smashing the helmet of his attacker.
Holt Jerome was beamed to the Revere while the captain asked, "You killed a terrorist with that move? Computer, give me a channel to Star Fleet Headquarters. I want to talk to them."
"What do you think you are doing? We have found a body floating outside our window. It was a murder committed by Holt Jerome."
"I demand that he be reinstated as the captain of the Revere. You told me to take him home," she continued. "My crew is united on this."
"If you do not," Captain Mary Chase started, "I will self-destruct and take you all with me."
"Standby," Star Fleet replied. "Yes."
In the gym, Holt Jerome was getting back into shape. Mary Chase would return to her duties as a marine major of the United States Starship. With the stars before them, the two found a home.
The End
