Just type it into google. Airponics (or aeroponics depending on which side of the Atlantic you come from) is also kind of interesting.
Dauntless 1x04 - To Serve the Unwise
- Thread starter BrotherBenny
- Start date
I meant that the investigation of the hydroponics areas has yet to be revealed and I'd like to see what was in there.....
I have my reasons for not showing you what they found. Trust me.
I hope to get the next part written this weekend.
I am not a hack.
Never said you were. Geez, relax-I love your stories and respect your ability-I just have a twisted sense of humor.
Chapter Twelve
USS Dauntless
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 57401.4
‘Are we ready?’ Wright asked eleven minutes later.
Mahtani looked up and grinned. ‘Yes sir, just running another simulation.’
‘Launch the SPRA probes,’ Wright ordered. ‘Low orbit, I want to get as much telemetry on this as possible.’
‘Probes away,’ Gonzales replied.
Wright noticed Parker in the corner of the bridge eying the image of the Cha’lav vessel on the bottom right of the viewscreen, looking at the tactical data.
‘Mister Mahtani?’ Wright prompted.
‘Ready sir,’ the chief science officer replied.
‘Fire torpedo.’
‘Atmospheric torpedo away, detonation in eleven seconds, receiving active telemetry from all probes,’ Gonzales informed them all.
‘Torpedo on target,’ Mahtani added. ‘Detonation in seven...six...five...’
‘Commander, back us off and retrieve the probes, now!’ Parker said.
‘Two...one...detonation,’ Mahtani said, ignoring her, as the torpedo detonated and seeded the atmosphere with scrubbing chemicals.
The effects were immediate, as the dark ash-covered air dissolved into clear purple. Wright was not watching the viewscreen and the incredible vista which was becoming apparent, but the expression on Parker’s face. He watched her eyes narrow, and her brows knit together, then her whole face darken as she moved faster than he would have given her credit for and pushed Gonzales from her console. Parker made several adjustments to the shields as Wright moved to her side, joining Gonzales as she watched over the half-Klingon security chief.
‘It’s unbelievable, the data we’re getting,’ Mahtani muttered aloud.
‘Retrieve the probes. Ensign, back us off, nice and slow.’
‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied.
‘But sir, the information we’re receiving is beyond anything we could have imagined,’ Mahtani pressed.
‘Lieutenant, retrieve the probes, now!’ Wright replied forcefully and then turned to Parker. ‘You’d better have a good reason for this.’
Before Parker could reply, the Cha’lav-Aquatic vessel fired what appeared to be streams of energy at the atmosphere. The purple surface they had seen moments ago suddenly became a dark mauve and swirled into circular patterns which could only mean one thing.
‘Hail them!’ Wright ordered as he moved back to the centre of the bridge.
‘Can we help you?’ the Aquatic asked nonchalantly.
‘What are you doing to the surface?’
‘Exactly what we said we would, solve its problem. You see, we don’t want this world if it is ecologically unsound, but once the water level has risen significantly, it will be suitable for colonisation.’
Wright’s eyes widened. ‘Gonzales, target that weapon and fire.’
The Aquatic’s “voice” rose by two octaves. ‘You would do well not to antagonise us, Starfleet. Our vessel is more than a match for yours.’
Parker stepped forward, standing just in front of Wright. ‘We live our lives by ideals that guarantee the right to exist for all sentient lifeforms. You already exist but these people won’t if you continue your actions. Find an uninhabited planet.’
‘What do you think we feed on?’ the Aquatic asked before the screen blanked.
‘Gonzales,’ Wright said through clenched teeth. ‘Fire.’
The Aquatic vessel absorbed the phaser fire easily, and kept up the energy stream.
‘What kind of energy is that and how can we stop it?’ Wright asked, looking around the bridge.
‘It appears to be some kind of visible sound wave,’ Mahtani answered as his fingers danced across the control panel. ‘I’m searching the library for anything similar.’
‘What makes you think we’ve come across anything similar?’ Wright asked.
‘He’s searching through the Enterprise mission logs,’ Gonzales muttered.
‘Of course, if any ship found something like this, it would be that one.’
‘Got it, and many of us should know this. The Whale Probe attack in 2286.’
‘I’m not up on my Terran history,’ Wright replied and Parker sighed, knowing that the man grew up on the moon.
‘In 2286, an alien probe came to Earth to find out what had happened to the humpback whales who’d become extinct two centuries earlier. It nearly destroyed Earth trying to contact them, turning our world into a class-O instead of class-M. It was Admiral Kirk who saved Earth, just before being demoted to Captain,’ Gonzales informed them.
‘We’re not likely to find any humpback whales, so see if you can find the audio frequency and jam it,’ Wright offered, wondering why people had to bring up the obscure missions of the Enterprise crew every time they encountered something unusual. It was bizarre.
‘Aye sir,’ Mahtani replied and increased the sensor gain.
‘Sir, we’re receiving a hail from the rebels through the Eeroth communications array.’
‘On screen.’
‘You are holding our people. I suggest you let them go,’ the unknown woman said.
‘I’m more interested in saving your world,’ Wright replied.
‘We can do that,’ she replied and turned to face someone off screen. ‘Watch,’ she added and the screen reverted to the familiar view of the worsening conditions on the surface.
‘Sir, some of the communications satellites are adjusting their orbital paths,’ Gonzales called out.
‘Tactical plot,’ he ordered.
Sure enough, more than thirty of the satellites were adjusting their orbit and ended up facing the Aquatic vessel. Seconds passed before a thin stream of orange-hued energy appeared at the confluence of several satellites. The stream grew as more satellites adjusted their orbit and the Aquatic vessel tried to move away but it was too slow. The energy coalesced as it impacted the alien ship which began to compact itself. Decks collapsed into one another and the energy streams it was emitting stopped. For the Cha’lav-Aquatics it was too late as their ship exploded.
‘Sir, the satellites are aligning themselves toward us.’
‘Hail the rebels using that damned relay system of theirs,’ Wright said.
‘They’re responding.’
The same woman appeared on the screen again. ‘Have you reconsidered?’
‘I have, you can take Rashal, but we’ll be keeping Teliz.’
The woman leaned forward. ‘I don’t think so, Commander!’
‘Then we’ll see just how good your weapon is against our own technology,’ he replied and turned his back on her. ‘Gonzales, launch the SPRA probes into a standard orbital pattern around the ship.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘Nothing, are you going to use your little toys on us or what?’ he asked, smiling and broke the connection.
USS Dauntless
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 57401.4
‘Are we ready?’ Wright asked eleven minutes later.
Mahtani looked up and grinned. ‘Yes sir, just running another simulation.’
‘Launch the SPRA probes,’ Wright ordered. ‘Low orbit, I want to get as much telemetry on this as possible.’
‘Probes away,’ Gonzales replied.
Wright noticed Parker in the corner of the bridge eying the image of the Cha’lav vessel on the bottom right of the viewscreen, looking at the tactical data.
‘Mister Mahtani?’ Wright prompted.
‘Ready sir,’ the chief science officer replied.
‘Fire torpedo.’
‘Atmospheric torpedo away, detonation in eleven seconds, receiving active telemetry from all probes,’ Gonzales informed them all.
‘Torpedo on target,’ Mahtani added. ‘Detonation in seven...six...five...’
‘Commander, back us off and retrieve the probes, now!’ Parker said.
‘Two...one...detonation,’ Mahtani said, ignoring her, as the torpedo detonated and seeded the atmosphere with scrubbing chemicals.
The effects were immediate, as the dark ash-covered air dissolved into clear purple. Wright was not watching the viewscreen and the incredible vista which was becoming apparent, but the expression on Parker’s face. He watched her eyes narrow, and her brows knit together, then her whole face darken as she moved faster than he would have given her credit for and pushed Gonzales from her console. Parker made several adjustments to the shields as Wright moved to her side, joining Gonzales as she watched over the half-Klingon security chief.
‘It’s unbelievable, the data we’re getting,’ Mahtani muttered aloud.
‘Retrieve the probes. Ensign, back us off, nice and slow.’
‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied.
‘But sir, the information we’re receiving is beyond anything we could have imagined,’ Mahtani pressed.
‘Lieutenant, retrieve the probes, now!’ Wright replied forcefully and then turned to Parker. ‘You’d better have a good reason for this.’
Before Parker could reply, the Cha’lav-Aquatic vessel fired what appeared to be streams of energy at the atmosphere. The purple surface they had seen moments ago suddenly became a dark mauve and swirled into circular patterns which could only mean one thing.
‘Hail them!’ Wright ordered as he moved back to the centre of the bridge.
‘Can we help you?’ the Aquatic asked nonchalantly.
‘What are you doing to the surface?’
‘Exactly what we said we would, solve its problem. You see, we don’t want this world if it is ecologically unsound, but once the water level has risen significantly, it will be suitable for colonisation.’
Wright’s eyes widened. ‘Gonzales, target that weapon and fire.’
The Aquatic’s “voice” rose by two octaves. ‘You would do well not to antagonise us, Starfleet. Our vessel is more than a match for yours.’
Parker stepped forward, standing just in front of Wright. ‘We live our lives by ideals that guarantee the right to exist for all sentient lifeforms. You already exist but these people won’t if you continue your actions. Find an uninhabited planet.’
‘What do you think we feed on?’ the Aquatic asked before the screen blanked.
‘Gonzales,’ Wright said through clenched teeth. ‘Fire.’
The Aquatic vessel absorbed the phaser fire easily, and kept up the energy stream.
‘What kind of energy is that and how can we stop it?’ Wright asked, looking around the bridge.
‘It appears to be some kind of visible sound wave,’ Mahtani answered as his fingers danced across the control panel. ‘I’m searching the library for anything similar.’
‘What makes you think we’ve come across anything similar?’ Wright asked.
‘He’s searching through the Enterprise mission logs,’ Gonzales muttered.
‘Of course, if any ship found something like this, it would be that one.’
‘Got it, and many of us should know this. The Whale Probe attack in 2286.’
‘I’m not up on my Terran history,’ Wright replied and Parker sighed, knowing that the man grew up on the moon.
‘In 2286, an alien probe came to Earth to find out what had happened to the humpback whales who’d become extinct two centuries earlier. It nearly destroyed Earth trying to contact them, turning our world into a class-O instead of class-M. It was Admiral Kirk who saved Earth, just before being demoted to Captain,’ Gonzales informed them.
‘We’re not likely to find any humpback whales, so see if you can find the audio frequency and jam it,’ Wright offered, wondering why people had to bring up the obscure missions of the Enterprise crew every time they encountered something unusual. It was bizarre.
‘Aye sir,’ Mahtani replied and increased the sensor gain.
‘Sir, we’re receiving a hail from the rebels through the Eeroth communications array.’
‘On screen.’
‘You are holding our people. I suggest you let them go,’ the unknown woman said.
‘I’m more interested in saving your world,’ Wright replied.
‘We can do that,’ she replied and turned to face someone off screen. ‘Watch,’ she added and the screen reverted to the familiar view of the worsening conditions on the surface.
‘Sir, some of the communications satellites are adjusting their orbital paths,’ Gonzales called out.
‘Tactical plot,’ he ordered.
Sure enough, more than thirty of the satellites were adjusting their orbit and ended up facing the Aquatic vessel. Seconds passed before a thin stream of orange-hued energy appeared at the confluence of several satellites. The stream grew as more satellites adjusted their orbit and the Aquatic vessel tried to move away but it was too slow. The energy coalesced as it impacted the alien ship which began to compact itself. Decks collapsed into one another and the energy streams it was emitting stopped. For the Cha’lav-Aquatics it was too late as their ship exploded.
‘Sir, the satellites are aligning themselves toward us.’
‘Hail the rebels using that damned relay system of theirs,’ Wright said.
‘They’re responding.’
The same woman appeared on the screen again. ‘Have you reconsidered?’
‘I have, you can take Rashal, but we’ll be keeping Teliz.’
The woman leaned forward. ‘I don’t think so, Commander!’
‘Then we’ll see just how good your weapon is against our own technology,’ he replied and turned his back on her. ‘Gonzales, launch the SPRA probes into a standard orbital pattern around the ship.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘Nothing, are you going to use your little toys on us or what?’ he asked, smiling and broke the connection.
Well, well, well...lots of crosses and double-crosses here. Very nice.
Chapter Thirteen
USS Dauntless
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 57401.5
Lieutenant Shanitalen ch’Maras ignored the tension that caused his antennae to stand tall and concentrated on the operations console in front of him. The SPRA network, when deployed, were nominally within his jurisdiction except when used by the science team or tactical. Ch’Maras thought that Wright was using them for a tactical purpose but he decided to take control of them himself anyway, with the ship at red alert, all other operational concerns were relegated to his deputies.
‘Sir, the probes are in a standard orbital formation,’ he told Wright.
Wright turned and glanced at him, as if only now realising that he was there. ‘Align them so that their micro-deflectors are facing outward and link them into our own deflector dish. Deflector shields at maximum’
‘Aye sir, realigning now.’
‘An excellent tactic, sir,’ Mahtani replied. ‘The deflection capabilities will turn their own energy against them.’
‘How many of their satellites’ energy can we safely absorb and distribute?’
‘Unknown,’ the science chief said. ‘I haven’t been able to get a definite read of the energy type.’
‘Well, we’re about to get a taste of it ourselves,’ Wright replied and returned to the captain’s chair, tapping a pad on the arm. ‘All hands, brace for impact.’
‘She’s releasing the energy,’ Gonzales said.
The orange-hued energy swarmed around the ship but with the deflectors operating at maximum, and augmented by the probes, much of it drifted harmlessly into space. The remainder, however, caused a multitude of problems.
‘Shields are being drained,’ Gonzales called out as the lighting dimmed.
‘We’re losing main power,’ ch’Maras added. ‘All forcefields are down.’
‘Go to emergency backups,’ Wright ordered. ‘Have security make sure the brig is still secure.’
‘Aye sir,’ Parker said and headed for the turbolift.
The ship shuddered.
‘Shields are gone, ablative armour is holding,’ Gonzales informed Wright. ‘We need to get out of here. The Eeroth are safe.’
‘For how long?’ Wright asked without turning. ‘Ensign, turn us around and get us out of here, we’ll make repairs and come back.’
‘Impulse and warp engines are off-line,’ Larson replied as his console went dark.
‘Weapons are down,’ Gonzales added.
‘Main power is down, auxiliary now being drained,’ ch’Maras informed Wright.
‘Hail that woman, signal our surrender.’
‘I can’t,’ Gonzales replied after a moment. ‘My station’s down.’
Mahtani moved from the rear of the bridge to the main science station and engaged a preset sequence.
‘Sir, the probes are moving out of position,’ Gonzales called. ‘They’re attacking the nearest satellites.’
‘Mahtani, stand down.’
‘No sir, this is the only way we’re going to get out of this. The fewer satellites they have, the less damage they can do. As soon as we’re out of immediate danger, the probes will return to the ship and we’ll be able to leave the system. If you want to court-martial me then fine, but you’ll have to explain why you didn’t give the order,’ the science officer stood his ground.
‘Three satellites down, the energy output from the others is falling.’
‘How far does it have to drop before we’re safe?’
‘It needs to drop below seventy percent, which will mean a loss of eleven satellites, a sixth of their total number.’
Wright sighed. He knew he should have given the order but his wish for revenge and retaliation had blinded him to it. As more satellites went offline, he realised that at least some of the crew were becoming suspicious of his actions.
‘Seventy-eight percent of normal output,’ ch’Maras intoned plainly. ‘Probes are returning to the ship.’
‘Back us off with the thrusters. As soon as we have impulse engines, get us out of here.’
‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied from the helm.
‘Mister Mahtani, you’re relieved of duty until further notice. Having Lieutenant Malling take over. You will be confined to your quarters until I come by later. Dismissed.’
Mahtani nodded, glanced at Gonzales and left the bridge.
‘Larson, find us a planet where we can set down and make repairs. Gonzales, coordinate with Parker and make sure that all systems are secure. Ch’Maras, I want a full report on all damage on my desk within the hour.’
‘Aye sir,’ the crew chorused.
‘Gonzales, you have the bridge,’ he added and entered his ready room.
‘Commander,’ ch’Maras beckoned the tactical officer over.
‘What is it, Lieutenant?’ she asked.
‘I’ve been getting odd feelings from the Commander the last few days,’ he answered, scratching at the base of his antennae. ‘So I ran some scans on him using a tricorder.’
Gonzales glanced at the door to the ready room. ‘And?’
‘Parker to Gonzales,’ the security chief called over the comm.
‘We’ll pick this up later,’ Gonzales said and tapped her combadge. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Teliz is dead, it looks like Rashal killed him when the forcefields went down.’
Gonzales sighed. ‘Is he contained?’
‘He was sitting in the brig when I arrived, sir. You’ll get my full report by the end of the day.’
‘I need it in an hour,’ the tactical and acting first officer replied. ‘I need a damage report from down there as well, same time frame, Gonzales out.’
The Andorian was about to speak when Larson interjected. ‘Sir, I’ve found a planet two light-years away. O-class, appears uninhabited.’
‘Set a course and engage at warp six.’
‘The best we can manage is warp three, sir.’
‘That will have to do.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘Sorry, Lieutenant, duty calls.’
Aye sir,’ ch’Maras replied as his beta-shift replacement arrived.
By the time he had transferred his station, Gonzales was gone. He decided to go to sickbay and see if his tricorder results could be verified but as he reached for it he noticed that it had been scorched by the damaged conduit behind his station during the attack and was functionally useless. Maybe the doctor would be able to verify the results using previous scans, he thought, and headed that way. There had to be something they could do to deal with this man, because as long as he was giving orders, they were in serious danger. His Aenar senses were telling him that because the man was hiding something, something bad.
USS Dauntless
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 57401.5
Lieutenant Shanitalen ch’Maras ignored the tension that caused his antennae to stand tall and concentrated on the operations console in front of him. The SPRA network, when deployed, were nominally within his jurisdiction except when used by the science team or tactical. Ch’Maras thought that Wright was using them for a tactical purpose but he decided to take control of them himself anyway, with the ship at red alert, all other operational concerns were relegated to his deputies.
‘Sir, the probes are in a standard orbital formation,’ he told Wright.
Wright turned and glanced at him, as if only now realising that he was there. ‘Align them so that their micro-deflectors are facing outward and link them into our own deflector dish. Deflector shields at maximum’
‘Aye sir, realigning now.’
‘An excellent tactic, sir,’ Mahtani replied. ‘The deflection capabilities will turn their own energy against them.’
‘How many of their satellites’ energy can we safely absorb and distribute?’
‘Unknown,’ the science chief said. ‘I haven’t been able to get a definite read of the energy type.’
‘Well, we’re about to get a taste of it ourselves,’ Wright replied and returned to the captain’s chair, tapping a pad on the arm. ‘All hands, brace for impact.’
‘She’s releasing the energy,’ Gonzales said.
The orange-hued energy swarmed around the ship but with the deflectors operating at maximum, and augmented by the probes, much of it drifted harmlessly into space. The remainder, however, caused a multitude of problems.
‘Shields are being drained,’ Gonzales called out as the lighting dimmed.
‘We’re losing main power,’ ch’Maras added. ‘All forcefields are down.’
‘Go to emergency backups,’ Wright ordered. ‘Have security make sure the brig is still secure.’
‘Aye sir,’ Parker said and headed for the turbolift.
The ship shuddered.
‘Shields are gone, ablative armour is holding,’ Gonzales informed Wright. ‘We need to get out of here. The Eeroth are safe.’
‘For how long?’ Wright asked without turning. ‘Ensign, turn us around and get us out of here, we’ll make repairs and come back.’
‘Impulse and warp engines are off-line,’ Larson replied as his console went dark.
‘Weapons are down,’ Gonzales added.
‘Main power is down, auxiliary now being drained,’ ch’Maras informed Wright.
‘Hail that woman, signal our surrender.’
‘I can’t,’ Gonzales replied after a moment. ‘My station’s down.’
Mahtani moved from the rear of the bridge to the main science station and engaged a preset sequence.
‘Sir, the probes are moving out of position,’ Gonzales called. ‘They’re attacking the nearest satellites.’
‘Mahtani, stand down.’
‘No sir, this is the only way we’re going to get out of this. The fewer satellites they have, the less damage they can do. As soon as we’re out of immediate danger, the probes will return to the ship and we’ll be able to leave the system. If you want to court-martial me then fine, but you’ll have to explain why you didn’t give the order,’ the science officer stood his ground.
‘Three satellites down, the energy output from the others is falling.’
‘How far does it have to drop before we’re safe?’
‘It needs to drop below seventy percent, which will mean a loss of eleven satellites, a sixth of their total number.’
Wright sighed. He knew he should have given the order but his wish for revenge and retaliation had blinded him to it. As more satellites went offline, he realised that at least some of the crew were becoming suspicious of his actions.
‘Seventy-eight percent of normal output,’ ch’Maras intoned plainly. ‘Probes are returning to the ship.’
‘Back us off with the thrusters. As soon as we have impulse engines, get us out of here.’
‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied from the helm.
‘Mister Mahtani, you’re relieved of duty until further notice. Having Lieutenant Malling take over. You will be confined to your quarters until I come by later. Dismissed.’
Mahtani nodded, glanced at Gonzales and left the bridge.
‘Larson, find us a planet where we can set down and make repairs. Gonzales, coordinate with Parker and make sure that all systems are secure. Ch’Maras, I want a full report on all damage on my desk within the hour.’
‘Aye sir,’ the crew chorused.
‘Gonzales, you have the bridge,’ he added and entered his ready room.
‘Commander,’ ch’Maras beckoned the tactical officer over.
‘What is it, Lieutenant?’ she asked.
‘I’ve been getting odd feelings from the Commander the last few days,’ he answered, scratching at the base of his antennae. ‘So I ran some scans on him using a tricorder.’
Gonzales glanced at the door to the ready room. ‘And?’
‘Parker to Gonzales,’ the security chief called over the comm.
‘We’ll pick this up later,’ Gonzales said and tapped her combadge. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Teliz is dead, it looks like Rashal killed him when the forcefields went down.’
Gonzales sighed. ‘Is he contained?’
‘He was sitting in the brig when I arrived, sir. You’ll get my full report by the end of the day.’
‘I need it in an hour,’ the tactical and acting first officer replied. ‘I need a damage report from down there as well, same time frame, Gonzales out.’
The Andorian was about to speak when Larson interjected. ‘Sir, I’ve found a planet two light-years away. O-class, appears uninhabited.’
‘Set a course and engage at warp six.’
‘The best we can manage is warp three, sir.’
‘That will have to do.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘Sorry, Lieutenant, duty calls.’
Aye sir,’ ch’Maras replied as his beta-shift replacement arrived.
By the time he had transferred his station, Gonzales was gone. He decided to go to sickbay and see if his tricorder results could be verified but as he reached for it he noticed that it had been scorched by the damaged conduit behind his station during the attack and was functionally useless. Maybe the doctor would be able to verify the results using previous scans, he thought, and headed that way. There had to be something they could do to deal with this man, because as long as he was giving orders, they were in serious danger. His Aenar senses were telling him that because the man was hiding something, something bad.
Things are definitely picking up here--it's looking like more and more of the senior officers are beginning to question Wright...sooner or later, he's going to make a mistake...
Wright continues to perplex us as to his true motives and just who he is. On tender hooks as we await the truth concerning the captain.
Yeah, something about Wright is just wrong.
What?
What?
Chapter Fourteen
The Reliquary
Ynelav IV
Stardate 57412.7
Jonek, still eschewing the title of Seer, had been in the reliquary for the last eight days, studying the ancient scrolls which told of his return to Ynelav. One of the rarest aspects of Ynelavii religion was a vision of a past life, and it was simply because in the last five centuries, only one person had ever been proved to have one. That man had gone on to lead the world out of despair and into a new era. Even so, the tales of the Seer were more allegorical than factual, and quite secular compared to the vast majority of Ynelavii religious literature. To Jonek, this was a definite sign of its authenticity, that it didn’t need to wrap itself in dogma to be what it was meant to be.
Using his heightened senses, he had kept an eye on the Romulans, who for now were content to sit in their ship and inspect every last scrap of their technology that he had given them. The newsfeeds however, were a different matter. Priests and ordinary people alike were talking about the return of the Seer, the man who will heal the planet’s scars and make her new again. He had done so, he’d instantaneously repaired the damage wrought by the nuclear disaster and fixed dams while holding back floodwaters. He had cleared the air of damaging pollutants and got people talking.
The only problem is what they were doing. Some were interpreting his wishes and punishing those who were not religious. Others were preparing for the coming of a war between the forces of good and evil which would consume the world if not stopped. Most were content to go about their lives as if nothing had happened and he admired their ignorance, but for his world to be healed completely, he must heal them as well. The High Adept approached and waited to be addressed.
‘Yes High Adept Qalas, how may I help you?’
‘The Healers are here,’ the man replied and backed away a few steps.
The adoration and hesitation was tiresome, and though he had tried to discourage it, there seemed to be nothing that would stop the devout from acting as though he were God.
‘Thank you, Qalas. I would like you to observe. Please send them in, and have the pilgrims ready.’
The High Adept nodded and disappeared. Jonek’s workout cave was large and held space for several dozen people comfortably. Today, there would be about twenty of the most experienced Healers from across the planet, all of whom had responded to his summons without hesitation. This was good for it made his job that much easier. After today, he would no longer be the only man to heal people using the power of thought. It would be up to these twenty Healers to teach the next generations the ability. The Healers, men and women, filed in and took standing positions in an approximate semicircle a few metres away from him.
‘Healers, I have asked you here to grant you an ability lost for centuries. Many hundreds of years ago, you all had the power to Heal with thought alone. This I give back to you today. I want you to teach those who learn with you how to do this as well. Some will learn faster than others, and some will Heal parts of the body better than others. Only by working together can this work. Are you all prepared?’
With some trepidation, and over almost several minutes, each stepped forward, making the semicircle that much smaller. Jonek approached each one, inquiring after their families and placing a hand on their left shoulder. He grew weaker with each one and by the time the last Healer had been granted the power, he felt extremely tired.
‘If you will allow me to rest for a moment, I have some pilgrims who require your newfound abilities. Hear this and hear it well. Any who abuse this will find it no longer works for them and they will not be able to teach it either. You must take great care not to harm others lest you became harmed yourself. Even now, you can see in your mind how to show others to perform the same Healing that you will shortly be doing.’
One of the Healers stepped forward. His long salt and pepper hair looked out of place. ‘Healing is no place for such superstitions, child. Perhaps you should go back to school.’
Jonek straightened up, and looked at the cup of water on the carved shelf to his left. He held out an arm and the cup obediently sped across the room and into his open hand, without spilling a drop. He took a long draught and the cup disintegrated. ‘Please, continue.’
The rural religious Healer stepped back. ‘I apologise for my interruption.’
Jonek nodded. ‘You must first sense the illness, then you can decide best how to Heal them. Modern medicines may work on some people, but these methods work on all people. This will revolutionise Healing again.’
‘And what of those who make their money selling us the medicines we use?’
‘They will soon make their money elsewhere, as many others will. Come, let us Heal the pilgrims who have travelled so far to be with us today.’
High Adept Qalas brought more than a dozen people, of all ages and walks of life, into the cave. A few were carried in on stretchers by acolytes and a few used stylised canes to hobble in on. The Healers, paired up, approached the pilgrims on stretchers and laid their hands on the latter’s shoulders. Jonek walked among them offering advice and suggesting other places to put their hands. From a distance, High Adept Qalas watched him and narrowed his eyes, holding his arm where he had been scratched by one of the cripples. Jonek looked up and they locked eyes, then Jonek’s vision moved to the arm where a thin line of smudged green blood was been wiped away.
The Reliquary
Ynelav IV
Stardate 57412.7
Jonek, still eschewing the title of Seer, had been in the reliquary for the last eight days, studying the ancient scrolls which told of his return to Ynelav. One of the rarest aspects of Ynelavii religion was a vision of a past life, and it was simply because in the last five centuries, only one person had ever been proved to have one. That man had gone on to lead the world out of despair and into a new era. Even so, the tales of the Seer were more allegorical than factual, and quite secular compared to the vast majority of Ynelavii religious literature. To Jonek, this was a definite sign of its authenticity, that it didn’t need to wrap itself in dogma to be what it was meant to be.
Using his heightened senses, he had kept an eye on the Romulans, who for now were content to sit in their ship and inspect every last scrap of their technology that he had given them. The newsfeeds however, were a different matter. Priests and ordinary people alike were talking about the return of the Seer, the man who will heal the planet’s scars and make her new again. He had done so, he’d instantaneously repaired the damage wrought by the nuclear disaster and fixed dams while holding back floodwaters. He had cleared the air of damaging pollutants and got people talking.
The only problem is what they were doing. Some were interpreting his wishes and punishing those who were not religious. Others were preparing for the coming of a war between the forces of good and evil which would consume the world if not stopped. Most were content to go about their lives as if nothing had happened and he admired their ignorance, but for his world to be healed completely, he must heal them as well. The High Adept approached and waited to be addressed.
‘Yes High Adept Qalas, how may I help you?’
‘The Healers are here,’ the man replied and backed away a few steps.
The adoration and hesitation was tiresome, and though he had tried to discourage it, there seemed to be nothing that would stop the devout from acting as though he were God.
‘Thank you, Qalas. I would like you to observe. Please send them in, and have the pilgrims ready.’
The High Adept nodded and disappeared. Jonek’s workout cave was large and held space for several dozen people comfortably. Today, there would be about twenty of the most experienced Healers from across the planet, all of whom had responded to his summons without hesitation. This was good for it made his job that much easier. After today, he would no longer be the only man to heal people using the power of thought. It would be up to these twenty Healers to teach the next generations the ability. The Healers, men and women, filed in and took standing positions in an approximate semicircle a few metres away from him.
‘Healers, I have asked you here to grant you an ability lost for centuries. Many hundreds of years ago, you all had the power to Heal with thought alone. This I give back to you today. I want you to teach those who learn with you how to do this as well. Some will learn faster than others, and some will Heal parts of the body better than others. Only by working together can this work. Are you all prepared?’
With some trepidation, and over almost several minutes, each stepped forward, making the semicircle that much smaller. Jonek approached each one, inquiring after their families and placing a hand on their left shoulder. He grew weaker with each one and by the time the last Healer had been granted the power, he felt extremely tired.
‘If you will allow me to rest for a moment, I have some pilgrims who require your newfound abilities. Hear this and hear it well. Any who abuse this will find it no longer works for them and they will not be able to teach it either. You must take great care not to harm others lest you became harmed yourself. Even now, you can see in your mind how to show others to perform the same Healing that you will shortly be doing.’
One of the Healers stepped forward. His long salt and pepper hair looked out of place. ‘Healing is no place for such superstitions, child. Perhaps you should go back to school.’
Jonek straightened up, and looked at the cup of water on the carved shelf to his left. He held out an arm and the cup obediently sped across the room and into his open hand, without spilling a drop. He took a long draught and the cup disintegrated. ‘Please, continue.’
The rural religious Healer stepped back. ‘I apologise for my interruption.’
Jonek nodded. ‘You must first sense the illness, then you can decide best how to Heal them. Modern medicines may work on some people, but these methods work on all people. This will revolutionise Healing again.’
‘And what of those who make their money selling us the medicines we use?’
‘They will soon make their money elsewhere, as many others will. Come, let us Heal the pilgrims who have travelled so far to be with us today.’
High Adept Qalas brought more than a dozen people, of all ages and walks of life, into the cave. A few were carried in on stretchers by acolytes and a few used stylised canes to hobble in on. The Healers, paired up, approached the pilgrims on stretchers and laid their hands on the latter’s shoulders. Jonek walked among them offering advice and suggesting other places to put their hands. From a distance, High Adept Qalas watched him and narrowed his eyes, holding his arm where he had been scratched by one of the cripples. Jonek looked up and they locked eyes, then Jonek’s vision moved to the arm where a thin line of smudged green blood was been wiped away.
Chapter Fifteen
USS Dauntless
Keleera system
Stardate 57413.3
The Dauntless slowed to half impulse as it entered the system at an oblique angle to the sun, aiming for the third planet. According to the sensors, Keleera III was a O-class planet, more than eighty percent of the surface was covered in water, the remaining twenty percent being a string of volcanic islands which stretched across the globe in a giant crescent. Ensign Larson put the ship into a high orbit as ordered by Wright. He then put the thrusters into standby mode and took the impulse engines offline.
‘I’m ready, sir,’ Larson informed Wright.
‘Bridge to engineering; Commander Xeris, take the warp core offline, vent all plasma from the nacelles and standby to engage atmospheric thrusters.’
‘Aye sir,’ the chief engineer replied.
Gonzales tapped her combadge. ‘This is Commander Gonzales, we are preparing to land the ship. Go to blue alert and all personnel go to code blue stations.’
As the bridge lighting changed from white to blue, Wright sat back down in the command chair.
‘Descent course plotted, landing zone is the largest island in the northern hemisphere,’ Larson said.
‘Very good,’ Wright replied. ‘Continue preparations.’
‘Landing mechanisms online, inertial dampers at maximum.’
‘All decks report condition blue, Commander,’ Gonzales said.
Wright nodded. ‘Take her down, Larson, steady as she goes.’
‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied as the Dauntless began its descent.
The Intrepid-class starship slipped into the upper atmosphere and descended on a glide trajectory which would reduce any stresses on the already damaged hull. The ship started to shake as it was buffeted by the high winds of the lower atmosphere but Larson kept the ship on course.
‘Status?’ Wright asked.
‘Altitude, one hundred kilometres; speed, ten thousand kph,’ Larson replied with a quick glance at the controls to his right.
‘Keep her steady,’ Wright said as the ship shuddered.
‘Twenty kilometres to the landing zone, speed four thousand kph. We’re coming through the cloud cover,’ Larson responded coolly.
‘Extend landing struts, prepare to release inertial dampers and adjust them to match the planet’s gravity.’
Larson tapped out a command sequence with one hand as the other kept the ship steady. From the underside of the engineering section, the landing struts emerged and locked into position.
‘Stand by environmental controls,’ ch’Maras added from operations.
Landing a starship was a well-oiled routine, even for those who had never done so before. All it took was for everyone to know what they needed to do and when they needed to do it. The ship levelled out and slowed further, coming in to land on an open plain at the base of a steaming volcano.
‘Disengaging engines, securing thruster exhaust, we’re down,’ Larson said as the Dauntless’ struts came into contact with solid ground.
‘Start organising repair crews,’ Wright ordered. ‘I don’t want us down here too long.’
‘Aye sir,’ Gonzales replied. ‘I’ll speak with Xeris about his prioritising the schedule.’
‘Good, I’ll be in my ready room if you need me. Have Mahtani join me.’
Wright sat behind the desk and pulled out a padd.
‘Have you been able to make any preparations on this?’ Wright asked when Mahtani entered.
‘Yes sir, I’ve made the calculations and input them into deflector control. I just need to reconfigure the dish to create the energy pulses.’
‘How long will it take you?’
‘About two hours, sir.’
‘The deflector dish took a little damage in our scuffle with the Cha’lav. Inform Xeris that you’ll make the repairs while you make some adjustments. If he asks you exactly what you’re doing, I’m sure you’ll be able to respond with a plausible lie.’
‘Yes sir,’ Mahtani muttered.
‘Is there a problem, Lieutenant?’
‘Permission to speak freely, sir?’
‘Granted.’
‘I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but I know exactly what you’re planning to do with those modifications.’
‘Do you, now?’
‘Yes sir. What you’re planning is dangerous.’
‘What I plan to do with those modifications is no concern of yours, Lieutenant. All you need to know is that if I succeed, it will be better for the crew, for this ship and for Starfleet.’
Mahtani narrowed his eyes. ‘Aye sir.’
‘Dismissed, and make sure those modifications are complete before we leave this planet.’
‘Aye sir,’ the science officer replied and left.
Wright continued to sit in the chair and gazed at the contents of the padd. There was something niggling at the back of his mind and he decided to check it out, wondering if he was being paranoid or not. He stood up and left the ready room, leaving Gonzales in charge still. The hydroponics bay was quiet and he entered without anyone seeing him. Striding to the end of the third row, he paused, noticing that the last tray was empty.
‘Computer, who was the last person in here?’
‘Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales,’ the computer answered.
‘Damn you,’ he muttered. ‘How much more do you know? How much do they all know?’
He was about to leave when he noticed that something had been left in the tray as well, half buried in the soil. A medical tricorder set to constantly record. He picked it up and switched it off, then smashed it against the bulkhead. The clever little doctor knew something as well, but the question was what. That was three of the senior staff so far, four if you included the captain, may she rest on ice forever, he thought to himself.
Wright returned to the bridge, determined to keep tighter rein on his senior officers, lest they decide they can get the better of him. Monitoring their every movement would take up too much time, but he could prevent them from meeting each other during their off-duty hours and knew that when he called the next staff meeting in eleven hours, they would have cause to dislike him. It was time that this ship started to function as a single whole, not distinct parts with officers and their agendas dictating things.
The next one to find out what he was up to would find themselves dead, in an unfortunately fatal accident.
USS Dauntless
Keleera system
Stardate 57413.3
The Dauntless slowed to half impulse as it entered the system at an oblique angle to the sun, aiming for the third planet. According to the sensors, Keleera III was a O-class planet, more than eighty percent of the surface was covered in water, the remaining twenty percent being a string of volcanic islands which stretched across the globe in a giant crescent. Ensign Larson put the ship into a high orbit as ordered by Wright. He then put the thrusters into standby mode and took the impulse engines offline.
‘I’m ready, sir,’ Larson informed Wright.
‘Bridge to engineering; Commander Xeris, take the warp core offline, vent all plasma from the nacelles and standby to engage atmospheric thrusters.’
‘Aye sir,’ the chief engineer replied.
Gonzales tapped her combadge. ‘This is Commander Gonzales, we are preparing to land the ship. Go to blue alert and all personnel go to code blue stations.’
As the bridge lighting changed from white to blue, Wright sat back down in the command chair.
‘Descent course plotted, landing zone is the largest island in the northern hemisphere,’ Larson said.
‘Very good,’ Wright replied. ‘Continue preparations.’
‘Landing mechanisms online, inertial dampers at maximum.’
‘All decks report condition blue, Commander,’ Gonzales said.
Wright nodded. ‘Take her down, Larson, steady as she goes.’
‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied as the Dauntless began its descent.
The Intrepid-class starship slipped into the upper atmosphere and descended on a glide trajectory which would reduce any stresses on the already damaged hull. The ship started to shake as it was buffeted by the high winds of the lower atmosphere but Larson kept the ship on course.
‘Status?’ Wright asked.
‘Altitude, one hundred kilometres; speed, ten thousand kph,’ Larson replied with a quick glance at the controls to his right.
‘Keep her steady,’ Wright said as the ship shuddered.
‘Twenty kilometres to the landing zone, speed four thousand kph. We’re coming through the cloud cover,’ Larson responded coolly.
‘Extend landing struts, prepare to release inertial dampers and adjust them to match the planet’s gravity.’
Larson tapped out a command sequence with one hand as the other kept the ship steady. From the underside of the engineering section, the landing struts emerged and locked into position.
‘Stand by environmental controls,’ ch’Maras added from operations.
Landing a starship was a well-oiled routine, even for those who had never done so before. All it took was for everyone to know what they needed to do and when they needed to do it. The ship levelled out and slowed further, coming in to land on an open plain at the base of a steaming volcano.
‘Disengaging engines, securing thruster exhaust, we’re down,’ Larson said as the Dauntless’ struts came into contact with solid ground.
‘Start organising repair crews,’ Wright ordered. ‘I don’t want us down here too long.’
‘Aye sir,’ Gonzales replied. ‘I’ll speak with Xeris about his prioritising the schedule.’
‘Good, I’ll be in my ready room if you need me. Have Mahtani join me.’
Wright sat behind the desk and pulled out a padd.
‘Have you been able to make any preparations on this?’ Wright asked when Mahtani entered.
‘Yes sir, I’ve made the calculations and input them into deflector control. I just need to reconfigure the dish to create the energy pulses.’
‘How long will it take you?’
‘About two hours, sir.’
‘The deflector dish took a little damage in our scuffle with the Cha’lav. Inform Xeris that you’ll make the repairs while you make some adjustments. If he asks you exactly what you’re doing, I’m sure you’ll be able to respond with a plausible lie.’
‘Yes sir,’ Mahtani muttered.
‘Is there a problem, Lieutenant?’
‘Permission to speak freely, sir?’
‘Granted.’
‘I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but I know exactly what you’re planning to do with those modifications.’
‘Do you, now?’
‘Yes sir. What you’re planning is dangerous.’
‘What I plan to do with those modifications is no concern of yours, Lieutenant. All you need to know is that if I succeed, it will be better for the crew, for this ship and for Starfleet.’
Mahtani narrowed his eyes. ‘Aye sir.’
‘Dismissed, and make sure those modifications are complete before we leave this planet.’
‘Aye sir,’ the science officer replied and left.
Wright continued to sit in the chair and gazed at the contents of the padd. There was something niggling at the back of his mind and he decided to check it out, wondering if he was being paranoid or not. He stood up and left the ready room, leaving Gonzales in charge still. The hydroponics bay was quiet and he entered without anyone seeing him. Striding to the end of the third row, he paused, noticing that the last tray was empty.
‘Computer, who was the last person in here?’
‘Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales,’ the computer answered.
‘Damn you,’ he muttered. ‘How much more do you know? How much do they all know?’
He was about to leave when he noticed that something had been left in the tray as well, half buried in the soil. A medical tricorder set to constantly record. He picked it up and switched it off, then smashed it against the bulkhead. The clever little doctor knew something as well, but the question was what. That was three of the senior staff so far, four if you included the captain, may she rest on ice forever, he thought to himself.
Wright returned to the bridge, determined to keep tighter rein on his senior officers, lest they decide they can get the better of him. Monitoring their every movement would take up too much time, but he could prevent them from meeting each other during their off-duty hours and knew that when he called the next staff meeting in eleven hours, they would have cause to dislike him. It was time that this ship started to function as a single whole, not distinct parts with officers and their agendas dictating things.
The next one to find out what he was up to would find themselves dead, in an unfortunately fatal accident.
Looks like Wright is about to make his first real mistake...
Starship landings are probably never really routine affairs, so the Big D's crew did a good job in bringing her down.
Starship landings are probably never really routine affairs, so the Big D's crew did a good job in bringing her down.
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