Chapter 30:

We had our plan for the summer of 1997. Luna was going to study extra intensively so as to be able to complete her NEWT's in the next year, which would be her 6th year at Hogwarts. That way we would both leave Hogwarts at the same time. We planned to both study at Starfleet Academy afterwards.

Dumbledore had told us that he didn't think he would be able to stop Starfleet academy from accepting students around the world, from age 11, even if he wanted to do so. While normally he can be very persuasive, it would be too well understood that he would be trying to prevent competition to the school he is in charge of.

From the point of view of Starfleet, the academy expansion would be helpful. There are a limited number of wizards and witches, and this academy will increase the proportion of them who are qualified to work for Starfleet. It would also be likely to increase the proportion of those who would be interested in working for Starfleet.

We discussed with Dumbledore how our committee might work after next year, if we were living in the US or elsewhere, not in Britain. We would have video-conferences with him and make use of port keys. To make it simpler for him to operate the video device, I asked Morozov if he had a voice controlled conference system. He said, not yet, but he could send a prototype, by the time we would need it in June 1998, that would be trained for one individual's voice. Each user of the device, would just have to spend a few hours speaking words that the screen would prompt.

There was some interesting research from Starfleet India. Their earlier simulation showed the advantage of having at least one wizard or witch on each starship. Their latest research, was showing that they can get most of those advantages by instead having a squid, a non-magical person with a magical parent, on the starship, In most cases, squids can see things that generally only someone who is magical can see, and can make use of magical tools. The magic used on a starship would be prepared in advance, and not need spell-casting. While there are further advantages of having a spell-caster on board, if there were not enough to serve on every ship, squids could serve on the remainder.

Starfleet Headquarters was interested in this research and looking at a Starfleet Academy program for squids. They already had programs for magicals and non-magicals. Their abilities, beyond those of non-magicals might be found to be useful in work on Earth, not just on spaceships.

Instead of having formal visits to each directorate this summer, we were planning to have more targeted visits for specific issues pertaining to Section 31. We also were looking at building the organization. As we saw it, our main challenge this summer was to improve the unity of the directorates, and in particular to deal with the suspicions that some of the directorates had about favoritism towards other directorates or towards our own region of the world.

Dumbledore, Luna, and I, met to bounce ideas off of one another for how to organize Section 31. Dumbledore suggested, "What if there were a Section 31 member from each region that would relay to them any suggestions from Section 31?"

I answered, "It sounds like having a political officer in each organization. That was a technique the Soviets used, and might not be a good model for us."

Luna added, "It would also result in one person in each region being a convenient target of any resentment towards Section 31."

I said, "True. We don't want our own red shirts." Seeing Dumbledore looking confused at the phrase, I added, "In Star Trek canon, security officers wore red shirts, and their chief role was to identify dangerous situations, by being victims of it. It gave the non-red shirts time to react. I do not think we want to have that role in Starfleet."

Luna said thoughtfully, "When one tries to domesticate an animal, one uses positive reinforcement."

Dumbledore picked up on the concept, "Like house points and a house cup, but for directorates?"

I said, "No. Praise publicly, criticize privately, and no fostering of jealousy between directorates."

Luna said, "Just praise actions, no points. Maybe a scrolling list of praise-able actions. Not ordinary things like completing research, but decisions and actions that help the goal of cooperation between directorates."

We all agreed on this plan, and starting writing the detailed praise for Starfleet Russia for solving the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. We also praised Starfleet Dakar for some minor cooperative research they did with Starfleet Germany, which we also praised.

The Starfleet Academy planning group was working on two sets of plans, with and without it including an ICW approved school from age 11. The idea was to have a separate campus for a possible age 11 to about age 18,wizarding school, but one that would have easy access, by magic means, to the main Starfleet Academy campus so that advanced students could take classes there.

The main campus would be an expansion within the Presidio, above ground, in what would appear to non-magicals as being abandoned and not structurally sound buildings, and much more underground, plus some nearby underwater locations. All were completely hidden to non-magicals unless they were given access. At this time in the San Francisco area, it was common to see signs saying "Siesmic Upgrades", on building that were still being made safe after the 1989 earthquake there.

Some of the parkland north of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as in the Presideo south of the bridge, were being reserved for any future visible buildings after any future ending of the Statute of Secrecy, so that a main Starfleet campus could be built openly there. That was the only part that we influenced to be included.

The children's campus was planned to be built on a new hidden artificial island, north of the bridge, just to the east of Battery Yates. Boats that might otherwise try to go there would be magically redirected. The main campus would be a boarding school, although it would also accept commuting students. Transit points were being planned to not result in any location with an unusual number of unexpected people. However, with a better knowledge of the non-magical world being taught, even if they did congregate somewhere, they would not appear to be out of place.

Starfleet Academy, main campus, was being expanded to not only bring up the qualification of prospective employees, but also that of continuing education. Any Starfleet employee can take any class that they have the prerequisites to take, and are encouraged to do so. Classes are held at multiple times, to accommodate different work schedules. In addition, remote programs were available, including those who would later be on Starships. Starfleet employees who have extraordinary abilities would be encouraged to every so often teach a class.

There was also a new employee orientation boarding school at the Starfleet Academy. It would teach the basics of Starfleet culture and values, English language skills, an overview of technology used by Starfleet, and training for the student's specialty. The goal was that employees at all Starfleet R&D centers would go through this experience at the Presideo location. It was understood, that sometimes employees were recruited for an immediate need, in which case that schooling could be delayed as needed. There was also a part-time schooling option for those who would work part time and go to the school part time.

Luna and I had a full schedule of social visits this summer. We went to Kazakhstan to visit the Advanced Study Group members there. We asked Neville Longbottom what his job was.

Neville answered, "Space botany."

He went on, "I am working on two different projects, each using the zero-g lab here. One with visible magic, the other without. With magic, we still want fresh food, but stasis charms and duplication reduce its need. Without magic, it is essential to produce both food and oxygen, using recycled materials. Botany solves all of these requirements."

I said, "Please don't call a secret experimental ship, based on the DY-100 class, the Botany Bay. That story-line didn't end well in canon."

I added, "There is a ship design requirement, that every magical ship still be able to function in a magic suppression field, or due to any other reason that magic cannot be used. Although there are exceptions, but even then, they are expected to at least survive until rescue without magic."

We asked, Hannah Abbot about her job. I had known from reading the reports that she was given her job more to help recruit her betrothed, Neville Longbottom, than for her qualifications, but was still considered to have good ideas in her own right.

She answered, "I'm helping to design the Medic Corps of the Starfleet Marines. We are running a bunch of simulations, on whether it would be better to have a separate corps. One difficulty we found is that alien cultures might not subscribe to the notion that medics should not be targeted, nor would they know the symbols that indicate a medic, even if they did agree to that law of war.

So far we have concluded that every Starfleet Marine should have a good basic level of field medic skills. Then some, we still haven't decided on the proportion, should have more extensive medic skills. We also determined that medics with special medic uniforms would be more useful after a battle is over, than during it, or in protected areas where wounded would be transported."

The Weasley twins showed off some practical joke products they were selling. They still didn't like to talk about their inventions for Starfleet, although I read about the inventions they were supplying for the Starfleet Marines.

Harry Potter was telling us about the Starfleet Marines, "I put together a simulation of an army that follows British Wizarding Army training and doctrine. I can now reliably have a squad of 12 defeat 85 of them, with no losses or even injuries to us."

I asked, "With how much training?"

Harry answered, "For ours, 6 months. For the enemy, I have them simulated to be with the equivalent of 2 years of part-time army training and several refresher trainings. Actual veterans or very skilled duelists amongst them, change the equation. In that case, our training is to try to retreat and call in heavier forces, if we appear to be outmatched."

Luna asked serenely, "Nuke them from orbit?"

Harry nodded and said, "Unfortunately yes. You cannot always prevent collateral damage in war."

Hermione was asking Luna, in detail, about her accelerated plans to finish Hogwarts in 6 years, then asked. "After that are you going to take more classes?"

Luna answered, "Tom and I will take continuing courses at Starfleet Academy. Some in magic, but more in other areas."

Hermione asked, "Which other areas?"

Luna answered, "Organizational psychology, historical trend analysis, others I haven't decided yet. When we are much closer to having contact with the Vulcans, I am going to teach a class in Vulcan culture, and another in the Vulcan language. I do not need to teach Vulcan logic there at the moment, since my regular column in the Quibbler already teaches it."

I added, "In magical areas, we are looking for courses that will help us learn how to detect and prevent mind control in organizations. It is a danger that had occurred in canon, to Starfleet leadership."

Luna added, "It is also why we added to the pledges to use your own common sense. No blindly following someone of higher rank who is controlled, or went rogue."

Hermione added, "Speaking of controlled, you should find a way to check if someone was threatened or bribed, or felt an obligation, to do something not in Starfleet's ideals or interests."

Harry Potter said, "I can help with that."

I called over George and Fred Weasley, "Do you think you could add something to the Starfleet badge to check if someone is under mind control?"

George replied, "We'll get right on that. We could cover some specific methods. It would be more difficult to just in general check that someone was in their right mind."

Fred quipped, "I never am."

George continued, "And more nebulous stuff about threats or bribes, that you were talking about, would be much more difficult to detect from the badge."

Fred joked, "We'll make sure someone is having a nice day, or no entry to Starfleet facilities for them that day."

George continued, "No sad faces. It makes our day less than perfect."

Fred added, "What about a sad room for them?"

George added, "Someone argues with their colleague, then to the timeout room they go."

Hermione added, "I have to show you this episode of an American animated comedy with the song, Happy Happy Joy Joy."

In a few minutes, she had this on her portable device. I didn't think that was possible to do that, for many years after 1997, in my original world. We all watched the Ren and Stimpy episode.

Fred said, "I want to assure everyone that we did not get any ideas from that episode."