Star Trek Hunter: Rock of Ages
- Thread starter Robert Bruce Scott
- Start date
Astrophysicists tend to be on the bright side. I'm openly hoping that Dr. Brian May will publish the most astonishing book on astrophysics to date... Come on - the guitarist for Queen cracks the dark energy riddle...
Thanks!! rbs
Star Trek Hunter
Rock of Ages
Scene 8: The Experiment
................--------------------------....................................8
...............---------------------------.........................The Experiment
“One of their missiles is approaching that robotic probe you placed on the object!”
Captain Shelby had stormed onto the bridge, followed shortly by her the three ferengi visitors.
“They will see images of that probe before the end. That is a clear violation…” Shelby started. The smug expressions on the three ferengi were not making her mood any better.
“Sir, the ferengi probe just vanished,” reported Lt. Lin from the tactical console.
“On screen,” Shelby ordered.
“The probe is equipped with a cloaking device,” said Damon Trock. “Courtesy of our romulan friends.”
“What kind of cloaking device?” Shelby asked.
“Horo class,” Trock replied.
“Horo class?” Shelby asked. “Do you know what you’ve done? Those al semoran missiles are carrying live thorium fission reactors topped with plutonium fusion bombs! Before that missile can even detonate, it’s reactor core will interact…”
“The missile is rounding Horohondra’s Object now,” Lt. Lin reported. “It will make contact…”
“Shields up!” Shelby ordered.
Captain Shelby turned toward Damon Trock as the U.S.S. Trident’s shields came up. “You need to contact your ship. They need to raise shields.”
“Reading the Usotro’s shields at full power,” Lt. Lin reported. “They just came up.”
Trock grimaced. “No need. You raise your shields. We raise ours.”
“Reading an explosion on the surface of the object right along a natural fault line,” Lin reported. “918 megatons.”
“Now reading a series of much larger secondary explosions inside the body,” Commander Jingfei Irons reported from one of the bridge science stations. “Apparently the force of the explosion on the fault line was sufficient to set off a large pocket of hydrogen deep inside the object. The object is breaking into two large pieces with a large amount of smaller debris.”
Captain Shelby took her seat in the captain’s chair swiftly and hit the intercom switch on the arm of her chair to broadcast her voice ship-wide: “All hands, brace for impact.”
It took 18 seconds for the first wave of particles to wash past the U.S.S. Trident. In terms of explosive power, and given the distance to Horohondra’s Object, the explosions weren’t exceptionally powerful and the Trident’s shields and dampeners absorbed most of it. There was only one slight bump as a wave of dense particles from the secondary explosion washed over the Trident’s shields.
“All stations reporting, Captain,” Lin reported. “No injuries, no damage. Shields holding at 99.97%. Telemetry indicates the F.M.S. Usotro appears undamaged as well.”
“You knew that hopelessly primitive al semoran technology would interact violently with…” Shelby’s accusation trailed off as Damon Trock’s expression made it clear he was completely surprised, as was his son, Brock. The elderly lawyer, Brack, was impossible to read.
“I did not know, Captain Shelby,” Trock replied. “I was following my instructions to the letter. But I am no scientist. I am a merchant. I told you, I always obey local laws. My business model depends on my reputation. If I had known this would result, I would not have allowed the experiment to go forward no matter how great the payment. Can you project what will happen to the al semorans?”
Commander Irons responded from one of the Trident’s bridge science stations: “The trajectories of the remaining pieces of Horohondra’s Object have been altered. The two largest pieces, comprising 97% of the mass of the object, will pass close to Al Semora 5. They will cause tidal disturbances, but will not come into contact with the atmosphere. A significant amount of smaller debris will burn up in the atmosphere with a few meteors striking the surface. Not enough to present a threat to the climate or the indigenous civilization. But they will get violent storms from the tidal forces and quite the meteor shower.”
“Meaning the ferengi will not get to mine the large amounts of dilithium in this system,” Shelby concluded.
“At least not until the al semorans develop warp capabilities and are ready to trade that resource for better technology,” said Damon Trock.
“That does not seem to displease you, Damon,” Commander Irons calmly observed.
“I am a strategic thinker,” Trock replied. “It is why my family is the 8th wealthiest on Ferenginar. Ultimately, the al semorans will present a far greater profit potential than all of the dilithium in their star system. Stuff is stuff. People generate wealth.” Trock turned his attention to Captain Shelby. “And unless you have any more unfounded accusations, my son and I need to return to my ship.” The ferengi shipmaster turned toward the elderly ferengi lawyer. “Brack?”
“I am required at Trillus Prime and am willing to pay a premium for swift passage there,” the elderly lawyer replied.
Captain Shelby turned to her first officer. “Jingfei, get them off my ship!”
.........---------------------.....................................................8 of 10
Rock of Ages
Scene 8: The Experiment
................--------------------------....................................8
...............---------------------------.........................The Experiment
“One of their missiles is approaching that robotic probe you placed on the object!”
Captain Shelby had stormed onto the bridge, followed shortly by her the three ferengi visitors.
“They will see images of that probe before the end. That is a clear violation…” Shelby started. The smug expressions on the three ferengi were not making her mood any better.
“Sir, the ferengi probe just vanished,” reported Lt. Lin from the tactical console.
“On screen,” Shelby ordered.
“The probe is equipped with a cloaking device,” said Damon Trock. “Courtesy of our romulan friends.”
“What kind of cloaking device?” Shelby asked.
“Horo class,” Trock replied.
“Horo class?” Shelby asked. “Do you know what you’ve done? Those al semoran missiles are carrying live thorium fission reactors topped with plutonium fusion bombs! Before that missile can even detonate, it’s reactor core will interact…”
“The missile is rounding Horohondra’s Object now,” Lt. Lin reported. “It will make contact…”
“Shields up!” Shelby ordered.
Captain Shelby turned toward Damon Trock as the U.S.S. Trident’s shields came up. “You need to contact your ship. They need to raise shields.”
“Reading the Usotro’s shields at full power,” Lt. Lin reported. “They just came up.”
Trock grimaced. “No need. You raise your shields. We raise ours.”
“Reading an explosion on the surface of the object right along a natural fault line,” Lin reported. “918 megatons.”
“Now reading a series of much larger secondary explosions inside the body,” Commander Jingfei Irons reported from one of the bridge science stations. “Apparently the force of the explosion on the fault line was sufficient to set off a large pocket of hydrogen deep inside the object. The object is breaking into two large pieces with a large amount of smaller debris.”
Captain Shelby took her seat in the captain’s chair swiftly and hit the intercom switch on the arm of her chair to broadcast her voice ship-wide: “All hands, brace for impact.”
It took 18 seconds for the first wave of particles to wash past the U.S.S. Trident. In terms of explosive power, and given the distance to Horohondra’s Object, the explosions weren’t exceptionally powerful and the Trident’s shields and dampeners absorbed most of it. There was only one slight bump as a wave of dense particles from the secondary explosion washed over the Trident’s shields.
“All stations reporting, Captain,” Lin reported. “No injuries, no damage. Shields holding at 99.97%. Telemetry indicates the F.M.S. Usotro appears undamaged as well.”
“You knew that hopelessly primitive al semoran technology would interact violently with…” Shelby’s accusation trailed off as Damon Trock’s expression made it clear he was completely surprised, as was his son, Brock. The elderly lawyer, Brack, was impossible to read.
“I did not know, Captain Shelby,” Trock replied. “I was following my instructions to the letter. But I am no scientist. I am a merchant. I told you, I always obey local laws. My business model depends on my reputation. If I had known this would result, I would not have allowed the experiment to go forward no matter how great the payment. Can you project what will happen to the al semorans?”
Commander Irons responded from one of the Trident’s bridge science stations: “The trajectories of the remaining pieces of Horohondra’s Object have been altered. The two largest pieces, comprising 97% of the mass of the object, will pass close to Al Semora 5. They will cause tidal disturbances, but will not come into contact with the atmosphere. A significant amount of smaller debris will burn up in the atmosphere with a few meteors striking the surface. Not enough to present a threat to the climate or the indigenous civilization. But they will get violent storms from the tidal forces and quite the meteor shower.”
“Meaning the ferengi will not get to mine the large amounts of dilithium in this system,” Shelby concluded.
“At least not until the al semorans develop warp capabilities and are ready to trade that resource for better technology,” said Damon Trock.
“That does not seem to displease you, Damon,” Commander Irons calmly observed.
“I am a strategic thinker,” Trock replied. “It is why my family is the 8th wealthiest on Ferenginar. Ultimately, the al semorans will present a far greater profit potential than all of the dilithium in their star system. Stuff is stuff. People generate wealth.” Trock turned his attention to Captain Shelby. “And unless you have any more unfounded accusations, my son and I need to return to my ship.” The ferengi shipmaster turned toward the elderly ferengi lawyer. “Brack?”
“I am required at Trillus Prime and am willing to pay a premium for swift passage there,” the elderly lawyer replied.
Captain Shelby turned to her first officer. “Jingfei, get them off my ship!”
.........---------------------.....................................................8 of 10
Darn it... That's a thorium FUSION reactor. The al semorans haven't figured out fission yet...
And creating a thorium fission reactor would be quite a feat! Sorry for the technobabble glitch!! rbs
Nope - I got mixed up. The bomb is a plutonium fission bomb. It's fusion the al semorans (and we) haven't managed yet...
This is a very unforgiving BBS...
Wow, the Ferengi inadvertently saved all life on Al Semora 5, unless that had been the secret intent of whomever employed them in the first place. Hard to believe an advanced spacefaring species wouldn’t have foreseen such contingencies, given the local’s level of technology.
At the very least this spares Shelby and her crew from having to observe and catalogue the deaths of an entire species.
At the very least this spares Shelby and her crew from having to observe and catalogue the deaths of an entire species.
Just ferengi mischief gone awry... Or is it? Thanks!! rbs
Kind of telling that these aren't your run-of-the-mill ferengi.. Damon Trock let slip that his is the 8th wealthiest family on Ferenginar - which means his services don't come cheap.. Thanks!! rbs
Star Trek Hunter
Rock of Ages
Scene 9: Meteor Shower
.......................----------------........................................9
..............----------------.......................................Meteor Shower
“I don’t think anyone will ever know what happened. No one but us, and I’m not telling.”
Observer Latimah was stretched out on the park lawn, her young apprentice and lover curled up next to her. They were watching the most intense meteor shower in recorded history. The meteors had started streaking through the sky and were visible even in the daytime. Tonight, the night that their world had been scheduled to end, the meteor shower filled the sky, but tracking had indicated that very few pieces would make it through the atmosphere to strike the ground and most of those would touch down in the ocean. There would be violent storms tomorrow, but tonight the skies were clear.
While some science skeptics were calling it a miracle, most had accepted the official story that one of their missiles had set off a tremendous explosion of a large pocket of previously undiscovered fissile material, leading to an even larger explosion of hydrogen trapped deep inside Horohondra’s Object. A massive nuclear reaction far larger than all of the explosives the al semorans had ever managed to manufacture put together.
The sky was just glorious.
“So what will we do?” Allehandro asked.
“You will complete your training,” Latimah replied. “And when your training is complete, I will retire. Once you are established in your career, you will be able to marry anyone you choose. Even me, if you so desire.”
“And until then?”
Latimah smiled. “Until then, my young apprentice, we will do everything we can to not draw attention to ourselves. And we have some data to clean up…”
........------------------...................................................9 of 10
Rock of Ages
Scene 9: Meteor Shower
.......................----------------........................................9
..............----------------.......................................Meteor Shower
“I don’t think anyone will ever know what happened. No one but us, and I’m not telling.”
Observer Latimah was stretched out on the park lawn, her young apprentice and lover curled up next to her. They were watching the most intense meteor shower in recorded history. The meteors had started streaking through the sky and were visible even in the daytime. Tonight, the night that their world had been scheduled to end, the meteor shower filled the sky, but tracking had indicated that very few pieces would make it through the atmosphere to strike the ground and most of those would touch down in the ocean. There would be violent storms tomorrow, but tonight the skies were clear.
While some science skeptics were calling it a miracle, most had accepted the official story that one of their missiles had set off a tremendous explosion of a large pocket of previously undiscovered fissile material, leading to an even larger explosion of hydrogen trapped deep inside Horohondra’s Object. A massive nuclear reaction far larger than all of the explosives the al semorans had ever managed to manufacture put together.
The sky was just glorious.
“So what will we do?” Allehandro asked.
“You will complete your training,” Latimah replied. “And when your training is complete, I will retire. Once you are established in your career, you will be able to marry anyone you choose. Even me, if you so desire.”
“And until then?”
Latimah smiled. “Until then, my young apprentice, we will do everything we can to not draw attention to ourselves. And we have some data to clean up…”
........------------------...................................................9 of 10
final installment for this story:
Star Trek Hunter
Rock of Ages
Scene 10: An Undisclosed Client
................-------------......................................................................10
......------------...................................................................An Undisclosed Client
Captain Shelby had to admit that things had turned out far better than she had any right to hope for. No images of the ferengi probe had been transmitted by the al semoran missile before its destruction and both the missile and the probe, as well as a significant portion of Horohondra’s Object, had been completely obliterated. There was no evidence left for the al semorans to ever prove that aliens had interfered with their cultural development.
And from the broadcasts across all the radio frequencies their culture made use of, the al semorans appeared to be largely convinced that the explosion that had saved their world was due to an unanticipated nuclear reaction caused by their missile setting off a large amount of previously undiscovered fissile materials on the dark side of Horohondra’s Object.
“So who do you think Brack’s client was?” Captain Shelby mused, gazing at the viewscreen on the wall to the left of her desk. Pretty much the entire al semoran satellite network had been destroyed by the meteors, which made it possible for the U.S.S. Trident’s drones to capture high resolution images of the al semoran people celebrating across their world.
Commander Jingfei Irons, seated across from her captain on the couch in the captain’s ready room, briefly raised an eyebrow - it was her version of a shrug.
Captain Shelby stretched and straightened her uniform. “I met Jim Evens a few years ago,” she drawled. “He’s the human partner in Sorek, Brack and Evens. I got to talk to him after one of his lectures. Brilliant legal mind - unparalleled legal scholar. And Sorek, the vulcan partner, is considered the greatest orator of our age. That vulcan could talk all four legs off a bajoran boxer mule and then convince it to climb a mountain.”
Shelby shook her head, made an amused noise. “But everyone knows Brack is the brains of that outfit. He’s the enforcer with the offer that you can’t refuse. For Brack to come all the way out here for an undisclosed client… That would have to be someone with enormous influence. And I can’t even think of more than a handful of people who could convince Justice Cisl Mreek to issue a Cease-and-Desist order prophylactically. I’ve argued cases in front of her - she’s the most no-nonsense jurist on the Federation Tribunal.”
“This whole thing just seems a bit too tidy,” Shelby continued. “Of course it was evident Damon Trock didn’t know that antique Horo class cloaking device would interact explosively with al semoran technology. He was just doing what his client had paid him to do. But at such an incredible expense. Horo class cloaks are not easy to come by precisely because of their tendency to interact catastrophically with certain primitive technologies. This little operation must have cost a fortune. Even in the Federation, there can’t be more than 30 or so families that could easily afford such a venture and not get caught.”
Shelby turned to look at her first officer. “And only one family with a history of contracting the F.M.S. Usotro. I did a little research… There is one family that uses Damon Trock as their personal messenger boy… You don’t think the Irons family has anything to do with this, do you, Commander?”
Commander Jingfei Irons raised her eyebrows slightly: “Honestly, Captain, I couldn’t tell you.”
..............-----------------..........................................Rock of Ages
Genealogical Note: Commander Jingfei Irons is first cousin, once removed, to Justice Minerva Irons (one of the protagonists of the Star Trek Hunter trilogy and the matriarch of the Irons family.)
The Irons are a very large and powerful Chinese family (the name comes from an English forbearer who lived in Hong Kong during the 19th Century.) This family has aggressively pursued marriages with powerful families among other federation species, leading to a number of family members with multiple species hybridization.
Jingfei and Minerva share a vulcan ancestor (grandmother to Minerva, great grandmother to Jingfei), but Jingfei also has a vulcan grandfather, making her 3/8 vulcan. She is considerably younger than Minerva Irons.
Minerva’s son, Federation Council Member Ushi Irons (later Chief Counsel for United Earth Governments), would be Jingfei’s 2nd cousin, once removed.
Star Trek Hunter
Rock of Ages
Scene 10: An Undisclosed Client
................-------------......................................................................10
......------------...................................................................An Undisclosed Client
Captain Shelby had to admit that things had turned out far better than she had any right to hope for. No images of the ferengi probe had been transmitted by the al semoran missile before its destruction and both the missile and the probe, as well as a significant portion of Horohondra’s Object, had been completely obliterated. There was no evidence left for the al semorans to ever prove that aliens had interfered with their cultural development.
And from the broadcasts across all the radio frequencies their culture made use of, the al semorans appeared to be largely convinced that the explosion that had saved their world was due to an unanticipated nuclear reaction caused by their missile setting off a large amount of previously undiscovered fissile materials on the dark side of Horohondra’s Object.
“So who do you think Brack’s client was?” Captain Shelby mused, gazing at the viewscreen on the wall to the left of her desk. Pretty much the entire al semoran satellite network had been destroyed by the meteors, which made it possible for the U.S.S. Trident’s drones to capture high resolution images of the al semoran people celebrating across their world.
Commander Jingfei Irons, seated across from her captain on the couch in the captain’s ready room, briefly raised an eyebrow - it was her version of a shrug.
Captain Shelby stretched and straightened her uniform. “I met Jim Evens a few years ago,” she drawled. “He’s the human partner in Sorek, Brack and Evens. I got to talk to him after one of his lectures. Brilliant legal mind - unparalleled legal scholar. And Sorek, the vulcan partner, is considered the greatest orator of our age. That vulcan could talk all four legs off a bajoran boxer mule and then convince it to climb a mountain.”
Shelby shook her head, made an amused noise. “But everyone knows Brack is the brains of that outfit. He’s the enforcer with the offer that you can’t refuse. For Brack to come all the way out here for an undisclosed client… That would have to be someone with enormous influence. And I can’t even think of more than a handful of people who could convince Justice Cisl Mreek to issue a Cease-and-Desist order prophylactically. I’ve argued cases in front of her - she’s the most no-nonsense jurist on the Federation Tribunal.”
“This whole thing just seems a bit too tidy,” Shelby continued. “Of course it was evident Damon Trock didn’t know that antique Horo class cloaking device would interact explosively with al semoran technology. He was just doing what his client had paid him to do. But at such an incredible expense. Horo class cloaks are not easy to come by precisely because of their tendency to interact catastrophically with certain primitive technologies. This little operation must have cost a fortune. Even in the Federation, there can’t be more than 30 or so families that could easily afford such a venture and not get caught.”
Shelby turned to look at her first officer. “And only one family with a history of contracting the F.M.S. Usotro. I did a little research… There is one family that uses Damon Trock as their personal messenger boy… You don’t think the Irons family has anything to do with this, do you, Commander?”
Commander Jingfei Irons raised her eyebrows slightly: “Honestly, Captain, I couldn’t tell you.”
..............-----------------..........................................Rock of Ages
Genealogical Note: Commander Jingfei Irons is first cousin, once removed, to Justice Minerva Irons (one of the protagonists of the Star Trek Hunter trilogy and the matriarch of the Irons family.)
The Irons are a very large and powerful Chinese family (the name comes from an English forbearer who lived in Hong Kong during the 19th Century.) This family has aggressively pursued marriages with powerful families among other federation species, leading to a number of family members with multiple species hybridization.
Jingfei and Minerva share a vulcan ancestor (grandmother to Minerva, great grandmother to Jingfei), but Jingfei also has a vulcan grandfather, making her 3/8 vulcan. She is considerably younger than Minerva Irons.
Minerva’s son, Federation Council Member Ushi Irons (later Chief Counsel for United Earth Governments), would be Jingfei’s 2nd cousin, once removed.
Ha! So the Irons family may have been pulling the strings from behind the scenes all along! Well, if so, their use of Ferengi intermediaries was a brilliant end-run around the Prime Directive, while providing an (if you'll excuse the pun) iron-clad alibi.
Whether this was simply to spare the Al Samorans from an untimely demise or if the Irons & Ferengi have other long-term investment or exploitative goals in mind, the cancellation of this apocalypse is cause for celebration.
Well played!
Whether this was simply to spare the Al Samorans from an untimely demise or if the Irons & Ferengi have other long-term investment or exploitative goals in mind, the cancellation of this apocalypse is cause for celebration.
Well played!
Kudos on the first Irons pun! The family is equal parts Tong and political dynasty. Much like the Medici family (the iron fist in the velvet glove who financed the Renaissance), the Irons are primarily interested in creating a universe that is aesthetically pleasing for them to live in. Unnecessary suffering and death are not aesthetically pleasing.
Which makes the family wonderful people to have quietly pulling the strings and running the Federation from behind the scenes... Until you realize that they have every intention of being the sole arbiters of what constitutes necessary suffering and death...
Thanks for the kind words!
I was naturally very curios about this one when I learned that it was inspired by When Gods Smile.
Of course you went into a very different direction on this and made it a strong tie-in with STH. I particularly enjoyed Shelby but also the Ferengi attorney. Not a race you'd expect to make great lawyers (except when it comes to charging their hourly fees) but I could totally see it here.
And another reminder of the vast power and influence of the Irons mega-clan.
Nicely done.
Of course you went into a very different direction on this and made it a strong tie-in with STH. I particularly enjoyed Shelby but also the Ferengi attorney. Not a race you'd expect to make great lawyers (except when it comes to charging their hourly fees) but I could totally see it here.
And another reminder of the vast power and influence of the Irons mega-clan.
Nicely done.
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