Frank Grayson USS ENTERPRISE--Raise the Curtain
FRANK GRAYSON
USS ENTERPRISE
#6
Raise The Curtain
Featuring
The Crew of FRANK GRAYSON ENTERPRISE
With
Narrenson
Cameos by
William Shatner
James Spader
Stephen Hawking
Liu Fong
Eli Manning
Peyton Manning
Simon Cowell
Paula Abdul
Shawana Jackson
(FLASHBACK BEGINS)
Frank walked with his older brother, Mark, along the
shoreline of Mission Beach. Their parents had died nearly ten years earlier. Their parents had lived in a house that was right up against the boardwalk. Though they no longer owned it, they liked to come down to the beach and walk along the shore, as they had done countless times before as children. Both Frank and Mark didn’t have the ability to move into the house, so they had sold it and split the profit years ago. But there were memories on the beach. Memories they still carried of better times.
Moments earlier they had just beamed down from the Enterprise. Frank had taught Austin the basics of running the Transporter machine, and the young man did a great job beaming his father and uncle down.
“So,” Mark said, “you want me to come up there and be your first officer. Don’t you think that Morton would be the better choice?”
“I trust you more than anyone else in this world, Mark,” Frank said, seeing the look of disbelief on his older brother’s face. “Yes, I trust you even though you broke my nose back then.”
“You got what you deserved, jack ass.” Mark added.
“Yeah, I guess I did.” Frank said with a slight smile.
Mark shook his head. “Two hours ago I just got done fucking Reymia on the hood of my car in the garage, had a beer, and was watching the Padre game when, next, I found myself on your ship up there.”
“Isn’t it incredible?” Frank asked.
Mark smiled, “Fucking Reymia? Yeah, she’s hot. She does this thing with her tongue...” Mark stopped from going any further. The two brothers laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean little Brother. I still can’t understand any of it, this Enterprise stuff. So you really want me to come up there and help you put together a crew of real people to run that thing. Why? What are you planning on doing up there?”
Frank listened as the waves were breaking softly, and nearly coming up to where the two barefoot brothers walked.
“Mark, I really think this ship could make a difference. We could put a dent in world hunger, stop countries from fighting. We could..”
Mark cut him off. “No, you can’t do those kinds of things Frank.” Mark said to him.
“What do you mean? You used to be the radical of the family. Save the whales, stop hunger, cure cancer.” Frank said.
Mark nodded. “I know. But if you start solving the world’s problems then you risk making the rest of mankind less ambitious. You could actually retard the world’s evolution with something like that. Do good things here and there? Sure. But the kind of changes you are talking about take ideas, not starships.”
“Whoa,” Frank said, “that sounded a lot like something Picard would have said.”
Mark nodded. “Yeah, did you catch the slight English accent I threw in?” Mark stopped walking and turned to face his younger brother. “If I come up there to be your first officer, then I want to also be some kind of, well, devil’s advocate. If you promise to listen to your older brother now and then, I will go with you.”
Frank hugged his brother, and then stood back. “Dad would be amazed seeing us getting along like this. How many times did he thump you for beating me up?”
“He actually encouraged it sometimes.” Mark said.
Frank reached out his hand, and Mark shook it. “I will never stop listening to my older,” Frank paused, “brother.”
--
As the two brothers walked further down the shoreline, two other people watched the two brothers; Narrenson and Mike Kuibicki.
“Have they made contact with you yet?” Narrenson asked Kuibicki.
“No, they haven’t; yet.” Kuibicki replied. “But I’m sure they will. We all grew up together.”
Narrenson nodded. “Yes, I know. I have the complete story of Frank Grayson’s life. And I know, as you do too, that he, or Mark, will come to you to join them. But I also have a complete story about you as well.” Narrenson said to Kuibicki.
“So you know what happened in Afghanistan?” Kuibicki asked.
Narrenson didn’t have to respond, they both knew that he did. “That is apart of it, for sure.” Narrenson said. “But Frank’s brother was once an anti-war activist. He has Frank’s ear, and trust. I fear they may use the power of that ship in ways not best for this country. My job, if I haven’t stated it well enough yet to you, is to protect our country at all cost. You also share that same belief; your country comes first. Can I count on you Mr. Kuibicki to make sure that you country comes first, up there, as well?”
Kuibicki nodded his head in agreement.
Narrenson and Kuibicki talked more about what was expected of Kuibicki. The former military man felt like he was betraying Frank, and, in essence he was. But he Mike Kuibicki agreed with Narrenson. And making sure Frank didn’t fall under Mark’s liberal views was a paramount concern for all.
END FLASH BACK)
Frank Grayson was sitting in the command chair. The moment had come quickly. The crew and the passengers of the Enterprise, were prepared to experience their first attempt at traveling faster than the speed of light. Mr. Tashiqawa was peering down into the science station’s viewer. Frank stood up and walked over to the science station. He observed Tashigawa then he asked softly;
“Do you think this is wise Mr. Tashigawa? Attempting to use the warp engines with out making sure they even work at all?” Frank asked his much older, and much wiser, science officer. Tashigawa stood up from the visor.
Tashigawa motioned to the flurry of blinking buttons and switches before him. “I admit that I am no expert with this Star Trek.” Tashigawa said to Frank. “And yet, here I am, here we all are, standing aboard this ship with this marvelous technology. I have had my molecules taken apart and reassembled as if it were no important fete; and yet it was. How any of this works, Captain Grayson, is beyond explanation. But, so far, it has all worked as your mind thought it would.”
Frank nodded. “We could all be killed if my mind is wrong about faster than light travel.”
Mark Grayson, who had been speaking with Rayana Jackson at the communications station, came over to Frank and Mr. Tashigawa. Mark put his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder.
“Don’t do this Frank.” Mark said to his younger brother. “None of use would be here ready to do this thing, if we didn’t have faith it would work. I can’t stand that show and yet, here I am.”
“You not like Captain Kirk?” Tashigawa asked. “I know very little of Star Trek but even I know of Captain Kirk.”
Mark smiled at Tashigawa. “Kirk was womanizing fool who loved to drink and ride horses and play poker.” Mark thought for a moment. “Hey, that sounds a lot like me.”
Frank chuckled. “Yeah, so shut up.” Frank said to his older brother with a smile.
Mark continued. “My point is, Frank, don’t second guess your nature. You loved the show when you were a kid, and I know you still do. God, or Vishnu, or whatever, has given you this miracle. Don’t let your fear hold you back.”
Rayana s spoke to them from her post. “Captain,” she said, “Mr. Morton has just given the all clear signal.”
Frank left the science station and headed back to the command chair. He pressed a button on his chair and spoke down to the com unit on the arm.
“Mr. Morton, I assume you are ready?” Frank asked.
Morton’s gruff voice replied. “We are ready Captain. Just give the word.” Morton even mocked a Scottish accent with those last four words.
Frank looked to the helm and navigation stations. Mike Kuibicki, who was chief of security, was also the main-helmsmen. To his right, sitting at Navigation, sat another man named Martin Ludlow. He was someone’s friend or family member, Frank couldn’t recall whom. In fact, along with the nine senior staff members, there was 325 other people aboard. All of them were in someway related to or connected to one of the senior staff. And they weren’t all just sight-seers. Mark Grayson, the XO, saw to it that everyone had something to do, even the older children.
Kuibicki looked back to Frank. “All systems go Captain, warp speed is available.” He looked over to Martin who nodded, “course plotted to the Oort Cloud.”
“Very good,” Frank said. He looked back to Rayana at the communications station. “Mrs. Jackson, put me on the ship-wide.”
Rayana, who had learned her post quite well, nodded to Frank. “Go ahead.” She said to him.
Frank’s voice echoed through the ship as he spoke. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” Frank said to them all, “this is the moment we have been headed for since we all came aboard the Enterprise over the past couple months. I am sure most of us have seen Star Trek, or Star Wars, or any of the other space shows they have on TV. We all know that traveling the speed of light, or faster, is something they seem to do all the time on those shows.” Frank said. “But real science,” he looked back at Tashigawa as he said that, “tells us it can not be done. There are those of you who might be tepid at best,” (In sick bay, Dr. Inglehopper, with his wife and daughter next to him, nodded at the use of the word tepid) “even scared.” (Austin nodded with that statement as T’var rolled the Dungeons and Dragons dice). “But we all knew it was something we were going to do. Well, that time is now. Prepare for warp speed; and may God have mercy on our souls.”
Frank nodded to Rayana who discontinued the signal. Then Frank surprised everyone with his next command to Rayana. He pivoted his chair to face her.
“Are you ready for what I asked of you earlier?” Frank asked.
She nodded. “Yes sir. I believe I can do it. And yes,” she added, “the Universal Translator is fully operational as well.”
Mark came over to his younger brother. “What are doing?” He asked.
Frank nodded one more time to Rayana. She nodded back. Frank stood up and faced the screen. The Earth was to the stern of the Enterprise, but its image was still on the screen.
“People of the Earth, my name is Frank Grayson. As I speak now my voice is being carried through-out the world via every media form possible.” Frank said finally.
At that moment the rest of the bridge crew turned to face Frank, surprised at what he had chosen to do.
--
Instantly, all around Earth, the signal from the Enterprise cut in on every broadcasted channel, and penetrated every digitalize signal as well. Every radio, every television, every signal on the Earth was now tuned to what Frank said. Those who had TVs, or computer monitors, could see the image of Frank Grayson as he stood on the bridge of the Uss Enterprise.
William Shatner, who had been aboard the ship months earlier, stood with James Spader on the set of Boston Legal as everyone stopped what they were doing to witness the momentous event. They were joined by Candice Bergman and guest stars Tom Selleck and Scott Bakula. Bakula and Shatner exchanged quizzical glances. Shatner mouthed the words “I’ve been there” to his fellow former Star Trek star.
Stephen Hawking watched from his private apartment in England as the signal started as well. He was very proud and envious of his good friend Hyato Tashigawa, who was standing at what would have been Spock’s station on the show.
Deep underground, in The Server room, Narrenson watched as well.
Somewhere in China, in a secret building, Liu Fong was busy playing checkers with Leonard and Rayana’s daughter, Shywana Jackson. He too could see the event on the television mounted on the wall. He watched intently in total disbelief at what he saw. The children around him, those who were old enough to understand, also listened and watched as well.
Even the giant screen at New York Giant/New England Patriot game projected the message. The game came to a stop as everyone watched the strange message. The two Manning brother stood together to hear what was being said by Frank.
And yes, even Simon Cowell, busy preparing for the next episode of American Idol, had to stop and watch the event unfolding on the screen. He tried to wake up Paula, but she was stone cold drunk.
Even on the XBOX360 server, two clans who were in the deep of battle on Call of Duty 4 were stopped from battle as the signal interrupted them as well.
“I know what I am about to say may sound too incredible to believe. But in the days and weeks to come, our world will look back on this day and hopefully see the crest of a new future.” Instantly a view of the Enterprise replaced the image of Frank Grayson. “This is not a TV show, nor some projection. I speak to you all on the bridge of a real USS ENTERPRISE. I have been asked by those who have been aware of the ship to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. I have been told that the rest of the world is not ready for something like this.” Frank’s image returned. “I have decided, after nearly five months of waiting, that the waiting is over. My name is Frank Grayson; Captain of the USS ENTERPRISE.”
The stunned people of the planet Earth could not believe what they had seen and heard. Most thought it was some college hoax. But in the days to come the US Government would admit to knowing of the ships existence. The stock markets would fluctuate. Some leaders of the world would denounce it as another American attempt to take over the world. Religious leaders would denounce it as well, with some religions accusing Frank to be the coming of the Anti-Christ. And for some they would believe Frank to be the second coming of Christ.
And some would continue their attempts to obtain the ship for their own selfish reasons. In that brief message Frank had hoped to change the world for the better. Only time would decide if he was naïve or wise.
“Why?” Mark asked his younger brother as the transmission ended.
Frank smiled. “Because Mark, I don’t want to hide anymore.” Frank said. “Maybe you were right, maybe it will slow down mankind’s ambition knowing we are up here. But I believe this is a good thing that I have done, and I want my older brother, not my first officer, but my older brother to tell me I was right.”
Mark thought for a moment. Then he nodded. “You got my vote, little brother.”
Frank looked to Mr. Kuibicki. “Mike,” Frank said, “take us to one quarter impulse power.”
The large Starship slipped into motion. It was aiming away from Earth. They had already gone beyond the furthest point any astronaut, or cosmonaut, had traveled. Now they were about to head to the edge of the solar system, more than a light year away. Frank watched as the stars slowly came toward the ship; it was time.
Frank looked over to Kuibicki, at the helm, “Mr. Kuibicki,” Frank said, “take us to Warp seven.”
Kuibicki flashed him a bright smile, and then turned to work the controls.
Mark came down, and stood by Frank’s side as he sat in the command chair. “How does it go?” Mark asked, “to ‘boldly go where no man has gone before.’”?
“Yeah, it went something like that.” Frank said with a smile.
The USS ENTERPRISE seemed to be going as slow as possible. Then, suddenly, with out any warning, the ship blurred into what best could be described as a rainbow. It was like a streaking rainbow that stretched into the Undiscovered Country; the future.
Continued
FRANK GRAYSON
USS ENTERPRISE
)
