Star Trek: Cayuga
10 - ‘Sic Transit Gloria Mundi’
By Jack Elmlinger
The shuttlecraft Garibaldi’s rear hatch opened downward and Aimee Maguire tried to decide whether to be more afraid of Davi zh’Tali or Sean Pasko. Doctor Zimthar Moru followed behind her.
“Aimee,” the latter breathed, pulling her into a hug,” you’re all right?” He touched the braid that ran down her back before snapping at her. “Don’t you ever do that again!”
“Hi, Sean,” she said weakly. “Ah, Commander.”
“I trust that your shore leave went well, Doctor Moru?,” zh’Tali asked the Bolian physician dryly.
Moru sighed and slung his bag across his back. “I saw all of the finest sights of Cardassia Prime that I could stomach, including a … charming little dive bar.”
zh’Tali turned toward Maguire. “Lieutenant, I am ordered to escort you to your quarters.” Maguire nodded and extracted herself from Pasko. Glumly, she followed the blue-skinned commander from the shuttle bay.
They entered the turbolift and the chief engineer shifted uncomfortably. “Well?,” she asked her.
zh’Tali glanced at her.
“No ‘How dare you abandon your duty?’ No ‘Where’s your sense of pride? No ‘Bad Aimee’?,” she demanded to know. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
zh’Tali pondered over her decision for a minute. “I like your hair. The braid suits you.”
Maguire stood flabbergasted as the doors opened. “You’re not going to yell at me?,” she asked her as she followed the commander down the hallway.
“No.”
They reached her quarters and Maguire frowned at her. “Why not?”
“I’m not the Captain,” zh’Tali said, keyed the door open with her thumbprint.
Maguire stepped inside and she dropped her bag on her desk. She glanced at the computer on the desktop, noting the seventeen messages sent to her from the Gihlan by Sam Dixon.
“Aimee?”
“Jeanne,” Maguire said as she turned towards her bed,” I suppose that Commander zh’Tali didn’t want to take you away from your big speech.”
“I’m glad that Moru found you,” Pozach said with a hint of forced civility.
“And I’m glad to have been found. After all, leaving didn’t mean that I wanted to be alone.”
“Of course, Sickbay wasn’t private enough for you.”
“Well, I couldn’t have stayed”
“Because we’ve been making it intolerable for you to live here.”
“Because I couldn’t deal with Sam!” Aimee’s gaze dropped down to the floor and she continued softly,” And because I couldn’t deal with you.”
“Couldn’t bear to be around your conquests?,” the Captain asked in a snappish manner.
“No!,” Aimee cried at her. “Jeanne, no, I…” She moved over and sat down heavily on the bed beside Jeanne. “I almost got married once when I was at the Academy. His name was Wesley and he just… lit up my life.” She looked up at her captain. “But after a few months, he decided that he didn’t feel the same way anymore. If he ever did, I don’t know.”
“What happened to him?”
“As far as I know, he evolved into a higher being or went on a journey or something.”
“Well,” Jeanne said, lifting one hand up and placing it lightly on Aimee’s shoulder,” I hope you remember where your dress uniform is.”
Maguire gave her a choked laugh. “Why? Are we having a party?”
“Something like that.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When Tom Riker entered the Patseyev’s conference lounge with the rest of the senior staff, he realized that something was very, very wrong.” We are seriously overdressed,” he muttered to Hobbes.
At the head of the table, Steven Talmadge stood up from his seat. “Please come in,” he welcomed them, and have a seat.”
The Cayuga’s crew took their places opposite their counterparts and badly tried their best to appear casual.
“With all of the action that we’ve had lately, we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other,” Talmadge explained to everyone. He motioned to the Tellarite officer sitting at his right. “My First Officer, Grudak.” The Tellarite squinted at the crew and scowled. Talmadge continued with the introductions. “Kimberly Malstrom, my Chief Science Officer.”
“This is Artie,” the woman said as she hoisted a massive beetle up onto her lap.
“Nice bug,” Maguire said with a smirk.
“She’s been enamored with it ever since Iannar,” Talmadge said indulgently.
“He,” the scientist corrected him mildly.
Talmadge smiled good-humoredly and gestured towards his other officers in turn. “Tetsuko Torushaga, Joachim Martinez, and James Mohammed, my Chiefs of Engineering, Security, and Medical, respectively.”
“A pleasure,” Doctor Mohammed said with a British-Indian accent.
“And all the way down at the end of the table is Tracy Royal, our helmswoman.”
Pasko turned towards the other pilot. A stray wisp of red hair was curled against her smooth white cheek, pointing at her lips like an arrow. “Wow,” he breathed very, very quietly. He glanced around, embarrassed and said louder,” I saw you flying shuttle runs down on Iannar. You’re better than anyone that I’ve seen come out of flight school. Where did you learn?”
Royal’s eyes focused on him and it seemed that her notice gave his heart wings to fly. However, her word pinioned them. “With the Maquis.”
Maguire shot Pozach a look and the Cayuga officers shifted uncomfortably.
“Excellent piloting,” Pasko recovered gracelessly, reaching for his glass.
“What I’ve seen of the Sr’khymer’arni has been fascinating,” Mohammed said into the silence. “Four distinct sentient species that co-evolved on the same planet.”
“Have you looked at their gene mapping?,” Moru asked his fellow physician. “They share a few traits as if each evolved separately.”
Torushaga interjected between the two doctors. “It’s impressive that they developed a single language.”
“Actually, it’s more common than you’d think,” Riker said, adding to the conversation. “By the time that they had achieved faster-than-light travel, the majority of cultures had developed a unified language. Humans are one of the few exceptions.”
With none of his usual nervousness, Hobbes asked him,” On what basis do they choose one language?”
Riker looked at him. “Commonly, it’s cultural assimilation. Other times, like the language of the Children of Tama, the language is synthesized or based on a common religion or mythology.”
Maguire frowned at this. “How does it work?”
“Everything that the Tamarians say is a reference to one of twenty-seven epic tales,” Riker explained to them, becoming more animated with each word. It had been his ‘transporter twin’ William Riker who had original contact with one of their ships aboard the Enterprise-D. “For example, if someone wanted to express a lack of understanding or frustration, you would say, ‘Shaka, when the walls fell,’ which is a reference to the tale in which the hero Shaka attempted to build a city.”
“So their entire language is based on metaphors?”
“Solkoth! His eyes uncovered!”
“Are you swearing at me?”
Pozach hid a smile behind her hand. “How is the study of the Sr’khymer’arni going?”
“They’re incredible,” Malstrom said, her pale violet eyes shining with excitement. “In less than two weeks, they’ve revered the effects of the s’rogiie and set up enclosed colonies on the northern continent. My science teams have catalogued over six hundred types of insects, including my Alfie.” She snuggled the beetle to her chest which made Maguire and Torushaga exchange glances. Alifie squirmed under the science officer’s loving devotion.
The intercom sounded for attention overhead. “Bridge to Captain Talmadge.”
Talmadge glanced up, tapping his combadge. “Go ahead.”
“Captain, we’re receiving a Priority-One transmission from the USS Starsong, care of Starbase Three-Five-Nine. The Cayuga is hailing us, reporting that they’re receiving the same transmission for Captain Pozach.”
Both captains exchanged a look. “In my Ready Room,” he said, standing up from his seat. “But, please, everyone, don’t stop dinner on our account. Starfleet probably just wants us to wash their laundry.” He and Pozach left the room, much faster than his easy tone implied.
“That would be a big load for the washers,” Maguire joked.
“Well,” Grudak snorted.
“Please pass the salad,” zh’Tali requested of the Tellarite.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The screen flashed with the Federation insignia before Captain Weynik appeared on Talmadge’s desk monitor. “Captains,” the Roylan said without any preamble,” Cayuga and Patseyev are to go to Yellow Alert and begin sensor scans of the surrounding area immediately.”
“Trouble?,” Talmadge asked him.
“The starship Warrior was sent into the Briner Nebula to check up on the cultists that Captain Pozach found there, seven months ago,” the alien captain told them, shaking his head in frustration. “They’re gone. All of the colonists and their equipment. Warrior’s science officer also reported a unique electromagnetic signature all over the settlement.”
“The Borg,” whispered Pozach.
Weynik nodded grimly. “That’s what Starfleet thinks it could be. Given their transwarp conduits, they could be back in the Delta Quadrant by now. Until we’re sure of that fact, we need everyone to keep a very careful eye open.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Could you hand me my cardigan?,” Royal asked.
She stood and the swirl of her skirts captivated Pasko for a moment. “I… I’m sorry?”
“My cardigan. It’s on the chair.”
“Oh, oh, yeah, sure.” He walked towards it but he found Maguire blocking his path.
“What the hell are you doing?!,” she hissed at him. “‘Uh, yeah, sure’. Do you remember Alice? Cute little dirty blonde with the habit of saying inane things and a complete inability to hold her liquor?”
“Yes, of course, but,” he said, glancing back at Royal,” look at her!” Realizing that they were paying her attention, Royal smiled politely, her braids sliding over her shoulders as she turned to face them.
“Let me get that cardigan,” Maguire said after a moment.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Commander zh’Tali stepped into her quarters, shedding off the white overcoat of her dress uniform. She entered her bedroom in search of a hangar, only to be completely unsurprised to find Nathan Wiebach sitting on her bed.
“How did you get in?,” she asked him, taking off the blue dress tunic and black trousers.
“Our codes still work,” Nathan said, holding up a hangar. Davi took it from him and hung her uniform up on it. “I imagine that there’s very little that we can’t do with the Cayuga’s computers.”
“I would thank you not to exercise that privilege too often.” She placed her dress uniform in her closet and pulled on a robe. “Though she has many personal flaws, Lieutenant Maguire is exceptionally skilled with computers.”
Davi left them for a moment before returning with two mugs of green tea. Nathan accepted one of them gratefully. “Have you been well?,” she asked him. “I hadn’t heard from you since…”
“Since two days after the Dominion surrendered,” he said, finishing her sentence. “I went home, actually, to my wife and sons.”
Davi smiled. “You spoke of them often.”
Nathan glanced away from her with an almost hurt expression on his face. “Yeah, I guess I did.” Davi’s smile disappeared and he continued reluctantly. “It wasn’t a good fit anymore. I couldn’t like the life that I had before the war and the 383rd.” He before adding,” I killed the dog. Accidentally, of course, but it.. Underscored why I couldn’t stay with them. So I went to look for somewhere that I could be useful.”
“I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. You weren’t like the rest of us.”
“I’m not insane, you mean,” Nathan said quietly. “Not like Terranova, or Neville, or Stavek, or Redford, or the others.”
“Or me,” the zhen replied. “Then again, at least, my insanity doesn’t lead to indiscriminate killing.”
Nathan shook himself. “But how are you? Are you adjusting to life as a starship officer?”
“It is… unsettling.” Davi stood and began to pace before the bed. “In the 383rd, there was mutual respect for ability. In my time with the Borg Defense Initiative, there was commonality of purpose.”
“You’re having trouble relating.”
Davi shook her head at him. “It’s not just that. During their downtime, they lounge or play. During staff meetings, they socialize.” She held up her hands, confused. “I feel that they waste so much.”
“That’s what people do in their free time, Davi.”
“I suppose,” she said, sitting back down next to him. “Captain Pozach informed me that this is evidence of a Borg incursion in the Briner Nebula.”
“You seem surprisingly calm,” Nathan said. “I’d expect you to advocate dropping everything to go hunt them down.”
“We have our orders. We are to keep a lookout for them. We don’t even know if they’re still here.” Her eyes hardened. “If they are, I will be ready.”
Nathan shook his head. “Keep tilting at those windmills, Davi.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
10 - ‘Sic Transit Gloria Mundi’
By Jack Elmlinger
The shuttlecraft Garibaldi’s rear hatch opened downward and Aimee Maguire tried to decide whether to be more afraid of Davi zh’Tali or Sean Pasko. Doctor Zimthar Moru followed behind her.
“Aimee,” the latter breathed, pulling her into a hug,” you’re all right?” He touched the braid that ran down her back before snapping at her. “Don’t you ever do that again!”
“Hi, Sean,” she said weakly. “Ah, Commander.”
“I trust that your shore leave went well, Doctor Moru?,” zh’Tali asked the Bolian physician dryly.
Moru sighed and slung his bag across his back. “I saw all of the finest sights of Cardassia Prime that I could stomach, including a … charming little dive bar.”
zh’Tali turned toward Maguire. “Lieutenant, I am ordered to escort you to your quarters.” Maguire nodded and extracted herself from Pasko. Glumly, she followed the blue-skinned commander from the shuttle bay.
They entered the turbolift and the chief engineer shifted uncomfortably. “Well?,” she asked her.
zh’Tali glanced at her.
“No ‘How dare you abandon your duty?’ No ‘Where’s your sense of pride? No ‘Bad Aimee’?,” she demanded to know. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
zh’Tali pondered over her decision for a minute. “I like your hair. The braid suits you.”
Maguire stood flabbergasted as the doors opened. “You’re not going to yell at me?,” she asked her as she followed the commander down the hallway.
“No.”
They reached her quarters and Maguire frowned at her. “Why not?”
“I’m not the Captain,” zh’Tali said, keyed the door open with her thumbprint.
Maguire stepped inside and she dropped her bag on her desk. She glanced at the computer on the desktop, noting the seventeen messages sent to her from the Gihlan by Sam Dixon.
“Aimee?”
“Jeanne,” Maguire said as she turned towards her bed,” I suppose that Commander zh’Tali didn’t want to take you away from your big speech.”
“I’m glad that Moru found you,” Pozach said with a hint of forced civility.
“And I’m glad to have been found. After all, leaving didn’t mean that I wanted to be alone.”
“Of course, Sickbay wasn’t private enough for you.”
“Well, I couldn’t have stayed”
“Because we’ve been making it intolerable for you to live here.”
“Because I couldn’t deal with Sam!” Aimee’s gaze dropped down to the floor and she continued softly,” And because I couldn’t deal with you.”
“Couldn’t bear to be around your conquests?,” the Captain asked in a snappish manner.
“No!,” Aimee cried at her. “Jeanne, no, I…” She moved over and sat down heavily on the bed beside Jeanne. “I almost got married once when I was at the Academy. His name was Wesley and he just… lit up my life.” She looked up at her captain. “But after a few months, he decided that he didn’t feel the same way anymore. If he ever did, I don’t know.”
“What happened to him?”
“As far as I know, he evolved into a higher being or went on a journey or something.”
“Well,” Jeanne said, lifting one hand up and placing it lightly on Aimee’s shoulder,” I hope you remember where your dress uniform is.”
Maguire gave her a choked laugh. “Why? Are we having a party?”
“Something like that.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When Tom Riker entered the Patseyev’s conference lounge with the rest of the senior staff, he realized that something was very, very wrong.” We are seriously overdressed,” he muttered to Hobbes.
At the head of the table, Steven Talmadge stood up from his seat. “Please come in,” he welcomed them, and have a seat.”
The Cayuga’s crew took their places opposite their counterparts and badly tried their best to appear casual.
“With all of the action that we’ve had lately, we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other,” Talmadge explained to everyone. He motioned to the Tellarite officer sitting at his right. “My First Officer, Grudak.” The Tellarite squinted at the crew and scowled. Talmadge continued with the introductions. “Kimberly Malstrom, my Chief Science Officer.”
“This is Artie,” the woman said as she hoisted a massive beetle up onto her lap.
“Nice bug,” Maguire said with a smirk.
“She’s been enamored with it ever since Iannar,” Talmadge said indulgently.
“He,” the scientist corrected him mildly.
Talmadge smiled good-humoredly and gestured towards his other officers in turn. “Tetsuko Torushaga, Joachim Martinez, and James Mohammed, my Chiefs of Engineering, Security, and Medical, respectively.”
“A pleasure,” Doctor Mohammed said with a British-Indian accent.
“And all the way down at the end of the table is Tracy Royal, our helmswoman.”
Pasko turned towards the other pilot. A stray wisp of red hair was curled against her smooth white cheek, pointing at her lips like an arrow. “Wow,” he breathed very, very quietly. He glanced around, embarrassed and said louder,” I saw you flying shuttle runs down on Iannar. You’re better than anyone that I’ve seen come out of flight school. Where did you learn?”
Royal’s eyes focused on him and it seemed that her notice gave his heart wings to fly. However, her word pinioned them. “With the Maquis.”
Maguire shot Pozach a look and the Cayuga officers shifted uncomfortably.
“Excellent piloting,” Pasko recovered gracelessly, reaching for his glass.
“What I’ve seen of the Sr’khymer’arni has been fascinating,” Mohammed said into the silence. “Four distinct sentient species that co-evolved on the same planet.”
“Have you looked at their gene mapping?,” Moru asked his fellow physician. “They share a few traits as if each evolved separately.”
Torushaga interjected between the two doctors. “It’s impressive that they developed a single language.”
“Actually, it’s more common than you’d think,” Riker said, adding to the conversation. “By the time that they had achieved faster-than-light travel, the majority of cultures had developed a unified language. Humans are one of the few exceptions.”
With none of his usual nervousness, Hobbes asked him,” On what basis do they choose one language?”
Riker looked at him. “Commonly, it’s cultural assimilation. Other times, like the language of the Children of Tama, the language is synthesized or based on a common religion or mythology.”
Maguire frowned at this. “How does it work?”
“Everything that the Tamarians say is a reference to one of twenty-seven epic tales,” Riker explained to them, becoming more animated with each word. It had been his ‘transporter twin’ William Riker who had original contact with one of their ships aboard the Enterprise-D. “For example, if someone wanted to express a lack of understanding or frustration, you would say, ‘Shaka, when the walls fell,’ which is a reference to the tale in which the hero Shaka attempted to build a city.”
“So their entire language is based on metaphors?”
“Solkoth! His eyes uncovered!”
“Are you swearing at me?”
Pozach hid a smile behind her hand. “How is the study of the Sr’khymer’arni going?”
“They’re incredible,” Malstrom said, her pale violet eyes shining with excitement. “In less than two weeks, they’ve revered the effects of the s’rogiie and set up enclosed colonies on the northern continent. My science teams have catalogued over six hundred types of insects, including my Alfie.” She snuggled the beetle to her chest which made Maguire and Torushaga exchange glances. Alifie squirmed under the science officer’s loving devotion.
The intercom sounded for attention overhead. “Bridge to Captain Talmadge.”
Talmadge glanced up, tapping his combadge. “Go ahead.”
“Captain, we’re receiving a Priority-One transmission from the USS Starsong, care of Starbase Three-Five-Nine. The Cayuga is hailing us, reporting that they’re receiving the same transmission for Captain Pozach.”
Both captains exchanged a look. “In my Ready Room,” he said, standing up from his seat. “But, please, everyone, don’t stop dinner on our account. Starfleet probably just wants us to wash their laundry.” He and Pozach left the room, much faster than his easy tone implied.
“That would be a big load for the washers,” Maguire joked.
“Well,” Grudak snorted.
“Please pass the salad,” zh’Tali requested of the Tellarite.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The screen flashed with the Federation insignia before Captain Weynik appeared on Talmadge’s desk monitor. “Captains,” the Roylan said without any preamble,” Cayuga and Patseyev are to go to Yellow Alert and begin sensor scans of the surrounding area immediately.”
“Trouble?,” Talmadge asked him.
“The starship Warrior was sent into the Briner Nebula to check up on the cultists that Captain Pozach found there, seven months ago,” the alien captain told them, shaking his head in frustration. “They’re gone. All of the colonists and their equipment. Warrior’s science officer also reported a unique electromagnetic signature all over the settlement.”
“The Borg,” whispered Pozach.
Weynik nodded grimly. “That’s what Starfleet thinks it could be. Given their transwarp conduits, they could be back in the Delta Quadrant by now. Until we’re sure of that fact, we need everyone to keep a very careful eye open.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Could you hand me my cardigan?,” Royal asked.
She stood and the swirl of her skirts captivated Pasko for a moment. “I… I’m sorry?”
“My cardigan. It’s on the chair.”
“Oh, oh, yeah, sure.” He walked towards it but he found Maguire blocking his path.
“What the hell are you doing?!,” she hissed at him. “‘Uh, yeah, sure’. Do you remember Alice? Cute little dirty blonde with the habit of saying inane things and a complete inability to hold her liquor?”
“Yes, of course, but,” he said, glancing back at Royal,” look at her!” Realizing that they were paying her attention, Royal smiled politely, her braids sliding over her shoulders as she turned to face them.
“Let me get that cardigan,” Maguire said after a moment.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Commander zh’Tali stepped into her quarters, shedding off the white overcoat of her dress uniform. She entered her bedroom in search of a hangar, only to be completely unsurprised to find Nathan Wiebach sitting on her bed.
“How did you get in?,” she asked him, taking off the blue dress tunic and black trousers.
“Our codes still work,” Nathan said, holding up a hangar. Davi took it from him and hung her uniform up on it. “I imagine that there’s very little that we can’t do with the Cayuga’s computers.”
“I would thank you not to exercise that privilege too often.” She placed her dress uniform in her closet and pulled on a robe. “Though she has many personal flaws, Lieutenant Maguire is exceptionally skilled with computers.”
Davi left them for a moment before returning with two mugs of green tea. Nathan accepted one of them gratefully. “Have you been well?,” she asked him. “I hadn’t heard from you since…”
“Since two days after the Dominion surrendered,” he said, finishing her sentence. “I went home, actually, to my wife and sons.”
Davi smiled. “You spoke of them often.”
Nathan glanced away from her with an almost hurt expression on his face. “Yeah, I guess I did.” Davi’s smile disappeared and he continued reluctantly. “It wasn’t a good fit anymore. I couldn’t like the life that I had before the war and the 383rd.” He before adding,” I killed the dog. Accidentally, of course, but it.. Underscored why I couldn’t stay with them. So I went to look for somewhere that I could be useful.”
“I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. You weren’t like the rest of us.”
“I’m not insane, you mean,” Nathan said quietly. “Not like Terranova, or Neville, or Stavek, or Redford, or the others.”
“Or me,” the zhen replied. “Then again, at least, my insanity doesn’t lead to indiscriminate killing.”
Nathan shook himself. “But how are you? Are you adjusting to life as a starship officer?”
“It is… unsettling.” Davi stood and began to pace before the bed. “In the 383rd, there was mutual respect for ability. In my time with the Borg Defense Initiative, there was commonality of purpose.”
“You’re having trouble relating.”
Davi shook her head at him. “It’s not just that. During their downtime, they lounge or play. During staff meetings, they socialize.” She held up her hands, confused. “I feel that they waste so much.”
“That’s what people do in their free time, Davi.”
“I suppose,” she said, sitting back down next to him. “Captain Pozach informed me that this is evidence of a Borg incursion in the Briner Nebula.”
“You seem surprisingly calm,” Nathan said. “I’d expect you to advocate dropping everything to go hunt them down.”
“We have our orders. We are to keep a lookout for them. We don’t even know if they’re still here.” Her eyes hardened. “If they are, I will be ready.”
Nathan shook his head. “Keep tilting at those windmills, Davi.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
