Kirk's Apartment
Kirk was reading the novel Spock had given, trying to focus. His flat befitted an Admiral and a loner with few possessions, except a collection of antiques.
A soft bong noise was heard, interrupting Kirk's reading time.
Startled, Kirk lowered the book and pushed a button. "Come."
The door slid opened, and McCoy entered, carrying two packages, one of them wrapped in brown paper.
"Bless me, doctor; and what beams you into this neck of the woods?" Kirk greeted, placing the book down.
"'Beware Romulans bearing gifts.' Happy Birthday Jim." With a flourish, McCoy pulled out a bottle of blue liquid.
"Romulan Ale! Bones, you know this stuff is illegal-" Kirk commented.
"I only use it for medicinal purposes. I got a boarder ship that brings 'em in a case every now and then across the Neutral Zone." McCoy replied, removing his coat. "Now don't be a pring..."
In the meantime, Kirk was the label with difficulty. "Twenty-two, eighty-three..."
"Takes the stuff a while to ferment. Gimme." McCoy took the bottle and poured; continues talking. "Now open the other one."
Kirk obeyed but had to speak. "I'm almost afraid to. What did you bring me, contraband Klingon aphrodisiacs?"
"No. More antiques for your collection." McCoy answered as the package was opened, revealing a pair of gold 'Ben Franklin' half-glasses.
"Bones, this is... charming." Kirk admitted, holding the glasses up.
"Four hundred years old. You don't find many with the lens still intact." McCoy admitted.
"Uh - what are they?" The admiral asked.
"For your eyes. For most patients of your age, I generally administer Retlax Five to restore flexibility of the lens." McCoy explained.
"I'm allergic to Retlax." Kirk admitted.
"Exactly. And of course, we're still in talks to get a steady supply of bacta into our galaxy but with that damned war going on and the bacta we do have being saved for more urgent cases, these will have to do." McCoy raised his glass to toast but Kirk was unsure how these glasses were supposed to work. "Slide them down your nose. Now look at me over the top. And you read printed matter through the bottom."
Kirk did so and found he could see so much better. "Amazing."
"Cheers." McCoy said raising his glass.
"Cheers."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say thank you." McCoy offered.
"Thank you."
The admiral did awkwardly, turning away which was followed by an awkward silence as he took a small stroll around his home.
One McCoy couldn't handle. "Damn it, Jim, what the hell's the matter? Other people have birthdays. Why're we treating yours like a funeral?"
"Bones, I don't want to be lectured." Kirk said, briefly looked at the doctor before turning away again.
"What DO you want? Damn it, why isn't there a girl here? You know this has nothing to do with age. This is about you flying a goddamn computer console when you wanna be out hopping Galaxies." McCoy said, unwilling to let these issues stay silent while taking a seat by the fire place.
"Spare me your notions of poetry, please. We all have our assigned duties and..." Kirk trailed off, unable or unwilling to keep the charade up.
"Bull. You're hiding - hiding behind the rules and regulations." McCoy accused.
"And who am I hiding from?" Kirk questioned.
"From yourself, Admiral." McCoy answered sharply.
Kirk paused before pouring another drink while taking a seat. "Don't mince words, Bones; tell me what you really think."
"Jim, I'm your doctor and I'm your friend. Get back your command. Get it back before you turn into part of this collection. Before you really do grow old." McCoy advised.
They looked at each other, saying nothing else after that.
Alpha Quadrant
Sector 25712
Ceti Alpha System
Ceti Alpha VI
Starship log, Stardate 8130.4.
This report classified MOST SECRET. Log Entry by Commander Pavel Chekov, Duty Officer. Starship USS Reliant on orbital approach with Ceti Alpha VI in connection with project code name Genesis. We are continuing our search for a lifeless planet which will serve as a suitable test site for the Genesis Experiments.
This is the 16th planet we have visited, so far, no success.
Entering the system was the USS Reliant, a Miranda class medium cruiser and complimentary of the Constitution class, approaching an inhospitable-looking yellow planet, Ceti Alpha VI.
Captain Clark Terrel, about 45, soft spoken and in good shape, but somewhat laconic remained in his command chair. Near the view screen in front Terrell, surveying the data screen was Commander Chekov, aged some, but still boyish.
"Standard orbit, Mr. Beach." Captain Terrel ordered, standing up from his chair.
"Standard orbit, sir." Mr. Beach responded.
"Any change in surface scan?" Terral then questioned.
"Negative. Limited atmosphere, dominated by craylon gas, sand and high velocity winds. Incapable of supporting life forms." Mr. Beach answered.
Chekov turned away from the view screen. "Does it have to be completely lifeless?"
Terrell rose up from his chair and crossed over to Chekov at the science station. "Don't tell me you've got something."
Chekov pointed to one scanner. " We've picked up a minor energy flux reading on one dyno scanner."
"Damn! Are you sure? Maybe the scanner's out of adjustment." Terrel pointed out.
"I suppose it could be a particle of preanimate matter caught in the matrix..." Chekov suggested.
"All right, let's get on the Comm-pic to Doctor Marcus. Maybe it's something we can transplant." Terrell stated.
Chekov crossed his arms with a tied look on his face. "You know what she'll say..."
Beta Quadrant
Mutara Sector
Regula System
Space Station Regula 1
"Let me get this straight, something you can transplant?"
"Yes, Doctor."
A functional cluster of modules served as a scientific complex, orbiting a small barren plantoid in b.g.: Regula. Big but deserted except for Carol who was currently in contact with Reliant. Surrounded by equipment clearly meant for many workers, Carol Marcus was in her early forties, attractive and intelligent.
Right now though, she was busy speaking with Command Chekov and Captain Terrell, static marring the transmissions.
"Something you can transplant? I don't know…" Carol trailed off.
On the monitor: Terrell and Chekov, looking hopeful.
"It might only be a particle of preanimate matter..." Terrell stated.
"Then again it might not. You boys have to be clear on this: there can't be so much as a microbe or the show's off." Carol replied before thinking it over. "Why don't you have a look? If it IS something that can be moved..."
"You bet, doctor. We're on our way!" Terrell eagerly said.
Carol sighed as the image faded, not happy. She left the lab not long after, walking through the labyrinthine complex with David, her son, a bright young scientist of twenty.
He was good looking and humorous. "How can you let them pull that stuff on you? They're just lazy."
"And bored. I know. But maybe it IS something they can..." Carol stared before her son cut her off.
"Come on, Mother, that's just the military mentality. Never put off tomorrow what you can put off today. If there's one atom of life..."
"I know, I know..." Carol mumbled, followed by an awkward silence.
"Well, don't have kittens. Genesis is going to work. They'll remember you in a wreath with Newton, Einstein, Surak..." David tried to break the ice.
"Thanks a lot. No respect from my offspring." Carol replied in mock outrage with a smile.
"Par for the course... you teaming up with me for bridge after dinner?" David asked.
"Maybe..." Carol paused, looking at her son. "What is it?"
"Every time we have dealings with Starfleet, I get nervous." David shrugged. "We're dealing with something that COULD be perverted into a dreadful weapon. Remember that overgrown boy scout you used to hang out with? That's exactly the-"
"Listen, kiddo," Carol patted her son the shoulder. "Jim Kirk was many things, but he was never a Boy Scout..."
With that she turned and walked away, leaving her son staring at her in the empty corridor.
Alpha Quadrant
Earth
Starfleet Command
"What do we have on the latest intel regarding the Skyriver Galaxy?" Admiral Cartwright questioned, standing at table with a built-in screen showing the Skyriver Galaxy.
"Not much at the moment, Admiral. We have confirmed the Separatist Alliance, the Confederacy of Independent Systems has taken the planet Rhen Var in the Tobali system." His aide reported. "A small Republic outpost was stationed there but was evacuated just as the invasion was underway. Another skirmish was reported at Bespin, a planet that produces Tibana gas."
"The main conduction against used for blaster technology." Cartwright recalled.
"Yes, sir. The planet has fallen to CIS forces but we intel the Republic is already attempting to retake the planet." The aide continued. "There are also reports of CIS attacks on Republic aligned planets listed here."
Cartwright saw the names of the attacked planets being highlighted on the map. "Mon Calamari, Agamar, Bakura, and Excarga. Only Mon Calamari is a planet that we've established trade relations within the past decade."
"Yes sir." The aide nodded. "I should also note that following a CIS raid on one of the moons in the Kashyyyk system, Alaris Prime reported that its forest ecosystem was devastated by some kind of strange new weapon."
Cartwright looked at the aide. "Any idea what this new weapon is?"
"Not at this moment, Admiral. Our scans reported a strange energy signature, a pattern never before seen." The aide reported. "We've compared the signature to our database and only have one match. It appeared to be a Triolic Wave."
"A Triolic Wave?" Cartwright raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir. The remains of the forest on the Kashyyyk moon show a process called selective molecular polarization in which a substance is modified at a fundamental level to convert matter to energy. Triolic energy is not used by any known species because they are known to cause deterioration of living tissue." The aide explained.
"So, the CIS has found a way to utilize Triolic energy." Cartwright surmised. "To be expected from a force that utilizes machines as their main workforce."
And alarming.
If the CIS decided to employ this weapon on planets becoming closely allied with the Federation, or worse try to use it in the Milky Way Galaxy the results would catastrophic.
"What's the status of planets in talks with us?" Cartwright asked.
"Well, Corellia supports the Republic while maintaining their independence. They have dispatched tasks forces from their sector fleet to repel any CIS incursions. Kuat has been negotiations with us about signing a contract to allow their docks to build ships for us." The aide reported. "Under normal circumstances that wouldn't be plausible, but Kuat's orbit shipyards are bigger than anything we have ever seen before."
That was an understatement.
The shipyards of Kuat was one giant and long artificial 'ring' that surrounded the entire planet.
Not even the Utopia Planitia Shipyards in orbit of Mars came close to the size and producing ability that the Kuat shipyards offered.
Still, Cartwright was hesitant since the Kuat population had a very imposed caste society. They would have to be very careful but so far Kuat has been a place where Starfleet ships could dock during times of shore leave and since many Kuati lived in the ring, the Orbital Array also consisted of many apartment complexes, hotels, restaurants, shops, medical facilities, and places of entertainment.
"There is also the matter of numerous planets who are requesting aide from us since they cannot call for support from the Republic without being drawn into the war." The aide continued.
Cartwright nodded. "Right. Make a note of all planets lacking a defense force of their own that are currently close to any engagements."
"Yes sir."
Cartwright looked at the map with a deep contemplative look, wondering what would have to be done to keep Earth and the rest of the Federation safe.
Alpha Quadrant
Sector 25712
Ceti Alpha System
Ceti Alpha VI
"Captain Terrell, stand by to beam down."
Ceti Alpha VI was a yellow planet as seen from orbit and on the surface, with constant swirling hurricane winds of sand. Terrell and Chekov materialized in flashes of light. Their voices were filtered and hard to make out. With the Tricorder to guide them, they set out...
"Are you sure these are the coordinates?" Terrell asked.
"Captain, this is the garden spot of Ceti Alpha VI." Chekov replied.
"I can hardly see." Terrell muttered.
The search was difficult due to the constant winds and the sand blowing around them.
Terrell was ahead of Chekov on a slight rise when Chekov made his thoughts known. "There's nothing here. The Tricorder must be broken."
Terrell waved him frantically forward. As Chekov moved up and both saw something over the ridge. Up ahead was a series of ruined man-made structures, half buried in sand. They look at each other in consternation.
Chekov was worried; something about all this seemed familiar.
They descended towards the structures, now seen to be the wreckage of some sort of space craft. They passed but did not notice the Federation logo half buried next to their feet.
"They look like cargo carriers..." Terrell commented and pointed up ahead. "There's an air-lock."
Ceti Alpha VI
Surface
Mysterious Cargo Holds
Terrell and Chekov entered the nearest structure, dumbfounded by what they found. It was evidence that someone or several people lived here as there wre beds, food, all jury-rigged but no people.
Terrell checks a monitor.
"There's breathable atmosphere in here." He took off his helmet, which Chekov did likewise. "What the hell is this? Did they crash? Where's the rest of the ship?"
They wandered as they talked, picking up objects seeing what appeared to be fairly sophisticated ad hoc environment: a laboratory in one hold; a kitchen; a large sand tank with something moving under the sand.
Lethal-looking odd swords on one wall, a bookshelf filled 20th century volumes such as Moby Dick, King Lear, the Holy Bible and a seat belt dangled with name on it …
Botany Bay.
"Botany Bay." Chekov mouths the words, softly at first, then aloud. "Botany Bay - oh no!"
Chekov ran over to Terrell, trying to get his helmet on and trying to drag the captain out. "Captain, we've got to get out of here now! Damn! Hurry!"
"Chekov, what's the matter with you?" Terrell asked as he was dragged back through the airlock.
Terrell and Chekov emerged, helmeted, then stopped dead. A ring of suited figures had them surrounded.
Orbit
USS Reliant
Bridge
Mr. Beach, the duty officer, stood looking at the planet on the forward screen. "Try again."
"Starship Reliant to Captain Terrell ... This is Lieutenant Kyle. Will you please respond, Captain... Captain Terrell, respond please." Lieutenant Kyle attempted to contact the captain down on the surface.
Nothing.
Beach thought for a second. "Let's give them a little more time."
Ceti Alpha V
Surface
Cargo Holds
Terrell and Chekov were held by four strong men, all of them seem to be waiting. Out of the airlock stepped a tall, masked figure. A moment of suspense as Terrell and Chekov watch, terrified as the mask is peeled back to reveal a face weathered from the harsh weather but his form still projected an aura of majesty and power…and a brilliance that could only come with madness. His hair was dark and prematurely grey, flowing down his shoulders.
Chekov, despite his attempt to remain calm, spoke aloud. "Khan!"
Khan Noonien Singh startled by the recognition; came over and examined Chekov and Terrell.
"I don't know you." Khan said to Terrell before moving over to Chekov. "But you. I never forget a face. Mister Chekov, isn't it? I never thought to see your face again."
"Chekov, who is this man?" Terrell asked, glancing to Chekov who answered in a hostile tone.
"A criminal, Captain, a product of the late 20th Century genetic engineering…"
Terrell looked back at Khan. "What do you want with us? I demand…"
"You are in a position to demand nothing, sir." Kahn mildly cut Terrell off, turning around with an amused smile as he gestured to their surroundings. "I, on the other hand, am in a position to grant nothing. What you see is all that remains of the ship's company and the crew of the Botany Bay, marooned here fifteen years ago by Captain James T. Kirk."
"Listen to me," Terrell turned to the surrounding people. "You men and women-"
"Captain, Captain, save your strength, Captain." Khan stepped for with an amused smile while raising a calming hand. "These people have sworn to live and die at my command two hundred years before you were born. Do you mean he never told you the tale?" Khan glanced at Chekov. "To amuse you, Captain? No? Never told you how the Enterprise picked up the Botany Bay, lost in space from the year 1996, myself and the ship's company in cryogenic freeze?"
"I've never even met Admiral Kirk." Terrell answered.
"Admiral?" Khan's eyes flashed dangerously. "He didn't tell you how Admiral Kirk sent seventy of us into exile on this barren sand heap with only the contents of these cargo bays to sustain us?"
"You lie!" Chekov protested as Khan turned away. "On Ceti Alpha V there was life, a fair chance to-"
"This is Ceti Alpha V!" Khan shouted, cutting Chekov off with an infuriated look on his face, taking a moment to calm himself before walking back up to Chekov. "Ceti Alpha VI exploded six months after we were left here. The shock shifted the orbit of this planet, and everything was laid waste.
Kahn then glanced at Terrell. "Admiral Kirk never bothered to check on our progress."
He turned away, closing his eyes in bitterness as the memories of how what was once their Garden of Eden had turned into Hell. "It was only the fact of my genetically engineered intellect that enabled us to survive!" He smiled. "On earth, two hundred years ago, I was a prince, with power over millions. Now, like Prometheus I have been left by Admiral Kirk to digest my own entrails."
"Captain Kirk was your host!" Chekov said harshly. "You repaid his hospitality by trying to steal his ship and murder him."
Khan moved closer. "And I'll wager he never told you about his shipmate, the beautiful and courageous Lieutenant McGiver, who gave up everything to join me in exile…Out of love. And see how Admiral Kirk requited her devotion. She's dead as earth!"
The wind howled in the silence.
When Khan turned away again, his eyes were filled with tears.
"A plague upon you all." He recovered his poise and returned to them. "You didn't expect to find me. You thought this was Ceti Alpha VI. Why are you here?"
They didn't answer.
Khan walked over to Chekov and, with one hand, lifted him into the air, earning a gasp of surprise from Chekov. "Why?"
Chekov stayed silent.
"No matter." Khan placed Chekov back on the ground, letting him go. "You will soon tell me willingly enough."
He walked over to the tank.
"Let me introduce you to Ceti Alpha V's only remaining indigenous life form." He opened the tank, grabbing hold of a hook.
He brought the hook down onto the sand where the movement could be seen, and something latched onto the hook.
A strange and yet terrifying eel-like creature.
"What do you think?" Khan asked Chekov and Terrell, both staring as sweat poured down their faces. "It killed twenty of my people, including my beloved wife."
He reached down with the hook again, holding the eel down and then using a pair of tonsils to extract two smaller eels from the creature's shell-like skin. He dropped the two smaller eels into a bowl before closing the tank and approaching the prisoners again.
"Oh, not all at once and not instantly, to be sure. Their young enter through the ears and wrap themselves around the cerebral cortex." Khan gestured to his ear with the hook. "This has the effect of rendering the victim extremely susceptible to suggestion. Later, as they grow, follows madness, paralysis and death. These are pets, of course, not quite domesticated."
As he spoke, Khan dumped an eel in each of their helmets. He swirled the helmets around as though he were mixing martinis.
"Khan, listen to me! Captain Kirk was only doing his duty! You-" Chekov protested but was cut off.
"There is some pain at first, I am told, and then the effects are quite benign until the end. That was what I learned from watching my wife." Khan nodded and the men holding Chekov and Terrell forced them down onto their knees.
The helmets were slammed then down. As the muffled shrieks are heard from within, the eels crawl across the faces of Chekov and Terrell; with unerring instincts they head for the ears of the two hapless men. There was some atrocious pain as they entered…
Then dazed calm.
Khan knelt down in front of the pair and smiled. "That's better! Now: tell me why you are here and tell me where I may find James Kirk."
Orbit
USS Reliant
Bridge
"Captain Terrell. Captain Terrell...This is Reliant; please respond." Again there was no answer and by this point Beach made up his mind. "Mr. Kyle, muster a landing party with full arms. Alert the transporter room. We're beaming down."
He turned to head for the door but was stopped by a filtered voice being heard through the speakers.
"Reliant, this is Terrell. Respond please."
"This is Reliant. Clark, are you all right?" Beach quickly answered.
There was a pause.
"Everything's fine, commander. I'll explain when I see you. Oh, by the way, we're bringing several guests aboard. Prepare to beam up on my next signal. Terrell out."
Beach and Kyle looked at each other.
"Guests?" Kyle asked.
"Maybe we ARE transplanting something." Beach shrugged.
Earth
San Fransisco
Starfleet Command
Admiral Cartwright was overlooking the status of the Sky River Galaxy along with several future Starfleet projects and designs.
The Great Experiment
The new hope to revolutionize space travel, our new engine design that has proven to be a success for the Constitution Refit Class leads to speeds up to triple those of previous heavy cruisers, but this fall far short of the projections of speeds coming ten or twenty times that. The USS Excelsior was meant to be used as a testbed for an attempt to develop transwarp speed. With the introduction of hyperdrive technology, it has been questioned to why this project needs to continue but this work has led to the development of the Revised Warp Scale which places Warp 10 as unlimited speed, rather than continuing to add warp factors to the previous Cochrane Scale.
This new ship design is believed to be a marked improvement over the Constitution class but given the possibility of facing aggression from the Skyriver Galaxy due to the Clone Wars, it is suggested that the Constitution class remains in service until the Excelsior has proven to be a suitable replacement in both design and numbers. It is suggested that some of the advancements are applied to contemporary classes like the Miranda-class and the new heavy cruiser design, the Constellation which is a ground-up reconfiguration of Constitution-class components, a better use of resources than continuing to refit the Constitution but given the possibility of hostilities it is believed the Constitution will be needed to remain at the forefront for now.
Cartwright had considered terminating the Great Experiment in light of Starfleet gaining access to hyperdrive technology but given that its weaknesses to on-the-point arrival when it came to plotting a new course and how hyperdrives become useless in close proximity to a gravity well, it was determined that the chance to develop transwarp drive could not be passed up.
And then there was the other matter.
Project Genesis
A proposal to Starfleet and the Federation by Doctor Carol Marcus, Genesis represents the chance to revolutionize terraforming as we know it. The ability to terra-form moons and planets that are otherwise unsuitable would be a boon to the Federation, solving problems of food shortages and overpopulation. Given the number of uninhabitable planets in Federation space, if the project is a success it would allow Starfleet to colonize the largest number of suitable worlds in the shortest amount of time. It should be noted that such a project has the unfortunate potential to destroy as well as create.
If hostile states such as the Klingon or Romulan Empires learn of this project before it is successfully tested it may possibly lead to interstellar war. Secrecy must remain paramount.
Cartwright knew that Project: Genesis would draw a lot of attention if it was a success as despite its good intentions, it could not only be weaponized but even seen by the Federation's enemies as a way to build up and expand in their own territory.
Given the conflict in the galaxy that had a method of directly reaching the heart of the Federation, it was essential that Project: Genesis remains a secret.
He just hopes that the worst-case scenario is only as bad as he fears and not worse.