Star Trek: Voyage to Mars

[RobertScorpio]

The command crew of the USS ENTERPRISE, after total acceleration had been completed, stood back and allowed the second shift to take control of the bridge. This was everyone’s first mission so it was a primary goal to make sure that all aspects of the ship were put to test, including the second shift. Commander Gary Mitchell, the ship’s XO, had hand picked the second shift based on reports from the command crew, along with USS input as well. But it was Mitchell’s crew first, with approval by Kirk, so he not only used the advice of others, but a method he did not let anyone else know about; His magic-8 Ball. It had always done well for him. (Remember folks, Gary’s ESP rating. It is quite possible that the 8 Ball isn’t as random as it may seem.)

The second crew would be under the watchful of eye of Lt. Commander Chakotay. He was of Native-American descent and wore his facial tattoos proudly, and he was the highest ranking bridge officer on duty during the second shift. The Helmsman and Navigator were both Lieutenant Junior Grade Officers. The Helmsman on second shift was Ensign Jonathan Canary. He, like James Kirk, was a young hot shot at the academy, though a couple years younger. But, just like Kirk, he also had a wild streak that would have to be contained.

The Navigator on second shift was a young woman from Brazil. Her name was Ensign Ramiz Cortiez. Her family had a rich heritage, having several historic explorers from the past in her family heritage.

Various other lower rank crew members would staff the other second shift positions. And as Kirk watched, one by one, as the command crew were relieved by their second shift counterparts, he felt confident that Gary had chosen the right individuals.

As James T Kirk watched Lt Commander Chakotay receive a briefing from Gary, he decided to activate the Spock unit which was attached to the left side of his command chair. There was a simple activation button. He eyed the device and then pressed the button.

Spock, reporting as ordered.

“Hello,” Kirk said, feeling a bit odd as he spoke to the unit, “This is Captain Kirk.”

Sir, there is no need to state who you are. My system has been uploaded with the voice imprints of every crew member.

“I see,” Kirk said. “I was wondering, have you actually noticed the passage of time since we departed Earth?”

I have indeed. I did notice a slight lag time in the implementation of your orders. This deviation from standard norm is to be attributed to the human condition best described as excitement.

“Thank you for the report,” Kirk said to Spock, “but I already have a first officer to monitor the performance of the crew.”

It is only logical, until my humanoid construct is completed, that while aboard, I too make such notations for future reference. I have been programmed to assume the duties of first officer incase of unforeseen circumstances.

“I didn’t know they were giving you a humanoid appearance down the line, and I wish that I had been kept informed.”

There was no response from Kirk.

Seeing that the debriefing was over, James Kirk switched the Spock unit off and joined Gary Mitchell in the Turbolift.

“What’s wrong?” Mitchell asked Kirk, noticing the uneasy look on Kirk’s face.

“Did you know that he Spock unit will eventually be transferred inside of an android construct?” Kirk asked.

“Do I look like I read the monthly Geek Magazine?” Gary asked.

“Well, consider this,” Kirk added, “The Spock unit already has a new job in mind.” Kirk said to Mitchell.

“Oh, it wants a new job, huh?” Gary Mitchell asked with a grin. “Well, if it has any soft porn in its memory banks, I have a suggestion for its next career move; First officer’s yeoman.”

“Ironically,” Kirk said with a grin, “Spock wants your job; First officer.”

Mitchell laughed. “That’ll be the day,” Mitchell said. “No human will ever want to serve a computer.”

“They may not have a choice; in the future.” Kirk said. “And that scares me.”

--
Richard Daystrom sat in his quarters aboard the USS ENTERPRISE. Through a special relay, he had overheard Kirk’s conversation with the Spock Unit. Daystrom was satisfied with how the Spock unit had carried out the conversation. Daystrom was confident that someday, soon, the Spock unit would be put to the test; he was right. (CONTINUED BELOW)

--

John Gill sat in the passenger seat of the helicopter as it slowly descended into the bowels of an island off the coast of Australia. Inside the giant island was a giant lair, which housed his soon to be fully operated Starship.

Gill marveled at the large vessel, which he could see perfectly as the copter slowly descended. Sparks could be seen coming from various parts of the hull where dozens of workers were working on the ship.

The Unites Space Agency had one operational Starship, the Enterprise, with eleven more budgeted for construction. John Gill had only had one soon to be operational Starship, but one was all he needed. The man who Gill had hired to oversee this part of his plan, the construct of the ship and crew selection, was a former officer of the Space Agency. His name was Colonel Phillip Green. If there was one person in this world who Green hated the most it was no doubt Colonel Christopher Pike, and through him, Pike’s hand picked ‘hero’; James T Kirk.

The copter finally landed and Gill was welcomed by Green.

“Good afternoon Mr. Gill,” Green said. “I trust your flight down here to the bottom of the world was safe.”

Gill smiled. “It was indeed. All seven of my operatives are aboard the Enterprise. Once she returns successfully from the first mission, and we have debriefed them, I am quite sure we will have enough practical data to complete the finishing touches to our own ship; the Botany Bay, and our own ship interface; the D.A.T.A unit.”

“And then,” Green said with a very sinister smile, “we will show the United Space Agency, and the UN, that they can not assume that the world will follow their decrees like toy soldiers.”

“Just be patient,” Gill advised. “We will wait for the perfect time, and then we will make our presence known. They say that time is the fire in which we all burn? Well,” Gill said, “the new UN charter will someday be yet another teaspoon of ash on pit of history.”



Continued…

 

[RobertScorpio]

Secret Island lair off the coast of Australia:

John Gill walked next to Colonel Green as both men walked past the massive Botany Bay, which was kept hovering, at stations keeping, via a magnetic field.

“She is a marvel,” Green said. “And unlike her Unites Space Agency counterparts, she will be built for battle, not exploration.”

Gill nodded in agreement. “True,” Gill said, “but I don’t want to go to war with the United Nations, I just want the world to know that there is an option to the kind of world the UN promises.”

“I know we do not want war,” Green said, “but in four months the United Space Agency will launch the Lexington, and if we stay on target, we will launch one week later. When we do launch the Botany Bay, I am quite sure the world will be surprised, and the UN will not happy.”

“Of that,” Gill said with a smile, “I have no doubt. The non-aligned nations will fall in line behind us on that day as well, and the UN’s role will be, at last, subservient to ours.”

As they walked past one of the office rooms, screaming could be heard coming from beyond the door. It was the scream of a woman.

“What is that screaming?” Gill asked.

“One of the welders, a female, was caught with an unauthorized cell-phone.” Green told Gill. “We decided to try out the new Agony-booth on her.”

Green opened the door. At the far end of the room a woman, naked, was inside of a totally transparent chamber. Her wrists were restrained to the wall inside the chamber, as were her ankles. Several electrodes were fastened to sensitive parts of her body. They were wireless devices that fed off of an electric field that was generated inside of the chamber. Her screaming had stopped, due to the devices being turned off. One of the men who stood outside the booth spoke into a microphone.

“We know you had the phone, and according to your own phone-log you were talking to your child in Manila just one hour before you were caught with the device. Do you understand that this lack of discipline is why you are here?” The man asked.

The woman, who was obviously dazed, nodded in agreement. “Yes, I am sorry. I will not do it again.”

Gill looked to Green. “I do not wish to see this.” Gill said.

Green nodded, and then closed the door just as the screams continued.

“How long must she endure the Agony-Booth?” Gill asked.

“I would guess,” Green said, “another hour, if she can last.”

The two men walked on, and Gill felt a small twinge of guilt in his stomach at the thought of such a device being used. But Gill had hired Green for such reasons, and his strong desire to run a disciplined outfit. And although Gill felt sorrow for the woman, and the pain she was enduring, Gill also knew it was sending a message to all the other workers at the secret lair. The message was simple; Stray from the rules and regulations, and you will pay dearly.

“Incase you’re wondering,” Col. Green said to John Gill, “An Agony-Booth will be part of the Botany Bay’s security section. Not only for the discipline of the crew, but for any visitors that we might get the opportunity to use it on.”

“You mean Kirk, don’t you?” Gill asked, pointedly.

“Yes,” Green said with a fiendish smile on his face. “James T. Kirk represents everything I hate about the new UN and its United Space Agency. You might say that his is the face that the UN and the Space Agency want to use as an ambassador to all the people in the world to join their idiotic cause. Someday, Kirk will be in our custody aboard the Botany Bay. And when he is, his clothing will be stripped, and he will be tortured for the entire world to see. If we can break the will of Superman, and humiliate him, then we can break the will of the world.”

They soon entered the massive mission control ops center, which was still being put together. Wires twisted, and crisscrossed, from drop areas and out of every hole in the wall.

“Impressive,” Gill said.

“I had hoped for an entire wireless mission control,” Green said, “but this will do. The extra funds we had to modernize the wiring were funneled over to the D.A.T.A. program.”

Green pointed to a strange, blue colored device that sat, blinking, inside of a glass container.

“Is that it?” Gill asked.

“Yes,” Green said, “that is the Data interface. It is just as advanced as the Spock interface program that the USS Enterprise has employed.”

“Those stolen specs were useful?” Gill asked.

“Yes,” Green replied. “They included the final command override differentials. You can tell Tom Garak that if he is done with the girl, Christina Pike, he could always bring her here to me. I could find something,” Green paused, “amusing to do with her.”

“Not now,” Gill said. “I know she is the daughter of your nemesis, Christopher Pike, but we may need her in the future. So you can stop salivating over the thought that she can be your toy; at least for now.”

Green nodded, “I can wait,” Green agreed.

--
The Agony-Booth was being cleaned out. The young Filipino-Female worker, who had been caught with the cellphone, had died from the stress of the Agony-Booth. Her blood, sweat, and feces, stained the interior and gave it a very putrid smell. The Chief of Security, Jomia Kor, nodded his head in genuine displeasure as the dead woman’s corpse was zipped up inside of a body bag, and was dragged out of the room.

“Such a shame,” Kor said to the men who were cleaning out the booth. “She was quite lovely. And now that she is dead, who will care for her two children back at home?”

The men cleaning the Agony-Booth had no answer. They had learned to never engage Kor with idle talk, only to listen to his. To do so might garner one an appointment inside of the insidious device.

“NOW CLEAN THIS BOOTH UP!!” Kor yelled at the workers suddenly. His anger was pure, and loud. “IF I SMELL THE SCENT OF HER DEATH IN HERE WHEN I COME BACK, YOU WILL ALL FEEL THE PAIN THAT CAN COME FROM MY AGONY BOOTH!!”

Kor laughed at the four workers as they began to scrub the inside of the chamber at a much faster pace.

Continued….

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to name the Botany Bay's computer Lore instead of Data.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to name the Botany Bay's computer Lore instead of Data.

You are getting to be as good as Nyrs Ghemore at guessing plot points...meaning...(shhhhhh..you are on to something)...

Rob

 

[RobertScorpio]

The USS ENTERPRISE, after successfully decelerating, entered orbit of Mars;

The Enterprise had successfully made it to Mars. The crew of the ship, the first humans to Mars, all took a moment to gaze out their windows, or used their monitors, to view the absolute beauty of the red planet beneath them. Doctor McCoy had entered the bridge and stood on the lower level, next to Kirk, who was sitting in the command chair.

“Well, we made it,” McCoy said. “When do the engineering teams head down?”

“Well,” Kirk said as he sipped a cup of coffee that McCoy had brought for him, “I just spoke to Lt. Khan and he told me they will be ready to take the two shuttles down to the planet with in the next two hours or so.”

“Do you think Khan and his construction crews will have enough of the colony up and running in time for the Lexington’s arrival next year?” McCoy asked.

“Sure,” Kirk said, “with all the pre-positioned materials the Space Agency has been sending up here over the past three or four years, they should be able to get it done on time. Khan and his crew know doubt understand the time table they are on.”

Uhura came down to the lower level.

“Sir,” she said to Kirk, “I just received a coded message. I have transferred it to your ready room.”

“Thanks, I’ll check out later.” Kirk said, “Have you gotten any word from Olivia yet? You know she wants to tell everyone back on Earth that she was the first person to talk a man from mars.”

“No, not yet,” Uhura said with a sly look, “but you’re right. I’m sure we’ll get a hail any moment. If I know her, she’s twisting the arm of a certain senator to get her air time at the United Space Agency complex in D.C.”

At that moment Doctor Richard Daystrom came out of the turbolift.

“Ah,” Captain Kirk said as he saw Daystrom survey the bridge area, “Welcome to Mars Dr. Daystrom.”

Daystrom smiled, and then started looking around at the various stations on the bridge, which were configured with many of his duotronic advancements through the years.

“So,” McCoy said to Kirk, “are you still planning on going down there when the construct-crews go?”

“Are you kidding?” Kirk asked with a smile. “The Amazonian plain, where the first automated module is already situated, and where the construct-crews are heading, is at its most clearest this part of the Martian year. The next season of wind storms isn’t due for another month. I want to see this place, and all its beauty before the sandstorms arrive..”

Gary Mitchell heard Kirk’s excitement, and fed off of it.

“You’re still going to let me tag along, right?” Gary asked from his post.

“I don’t know,” Jim Kirk replied. “The last time we talked about going down there, you said you were really going so you could take a golf club and see how far you could hit a golf-ball.”

“Ummmmmm, yeah?…” Mitchell said. “Come on Jim, you gotta know that someday they’re going to put a golf course up here. If I could get a picture of me, holding a wood, posing for a perfect shot, I could get a cover shot on Sports Illustrated.”

Sulu agreed from his post, “We could put that in your media profile.” Sulu said. “I’m talking mega-Q rise if you could arrange that shot.”

“Well,” Kirk said, “I wouldn’t press my luck. If the John Denver Society finds out you’re up there hitting golf-ball, he might find himself on their cover page too.”

“Commander Mitchell, who is going to take the pictures?” Sulu asked.

“I was going to have Jim take them,” Gary said, “but I doubt he will now. No bother, my camera has a 15 second delay on it.”

Daystrom came over to where Kirk was sitting in the command chair.

“Yes Doctor,” Kirk said, “can I help you?”

Daystrom looked at the Spock unit, on the left arm of Kirk’s command chair.

“I was wondering,” Daystrom said, “if you could give Spock an exercise.”

“Sure,” Kirk said, “What would you like me to have it do?”

Daystrom thought for a moment about the preceding conversation between Kirk and Mitchell.

“Would you be so kind,” Daystrom said “as to ask the Spock unit for its crew compliment suggestions?”

“I don’t follow.” Kirk said back to Daystrom.

“Well,” Daystrom said, “Someday a unit, much like Spock, may be called upon to designate which crew members would be necessary for a landing party .This is a perfect time to see what Spock would suggest.”

Kirk nodded, “Very well, Doctor Daystrom, I will do what you ask.” Kirk said.

With the Spock Unit on the arm of his chair to his left, Kirk pressed the inter-com switch that allowed him to interact with the advanced computer system, designed by Daystrom.

Spock reporting as ordered.

“Mister Spock,” Kirk began to say, before realizing he was talking to just a computer-interface, “Spock unit, could you please give me your recommendations for augmented landing party.”

Yes, Captain. I would select Ensign Tom Jenkins.

Kirk seemed befuddled. “Jenkins? He’s just a two year cadet. Why would you have chosen him over Commander Mitchell or my self?”

There was a brief pause.

Assigning non-essential personal is not logical. Ensign Jenkins is a skilled photographer, and has a Masters-degree in the study of Mars. Both are qualities that make him more essential to the protocols of the mission; chronicling the historic nature of the mission, while having an understanding of the surface of the planet.

“The planet is fricking red, that’s all you have to know about it. Red and it has a lot of rocks.” Gary said to the Spock unit. “Hell, why are we even talking to you, you’re just a fricking Xbox1440 with vocal chords.”

Gary stormed off and back to his post.

“Please excuse him,” Kirk said. “He’s just excited, we are all excited, having made it this far.”

“No offense taken,” Daystrom said. “Though, I do not believe the United Nations sent us up here to hit golf-balls with the taxpayer’s money.”

With that Daystrom headed up to the turbolift, and left the bridge.

“I don’t really ever agree with anything that Gary says,” Dr. McCoy said, “but that man, Doctor Daystrom, is a head case.”

“He’s a genius,” Kirk said in defense of Daystrom. “I’m sure he understands the humanity of the mission.” Then Kirk turned toward the Spock unit. “Spock unit,” Kirk said, “please classify the inclusion of Doctor Daystrom on the mission to Mars crew roster.”

There was a pause.

I have not been programmed to comment on such inquiries. Please direct this question to Doctor Richard Daystrom.

“Was that response entirely unexpected?” McCoy asked.

Then McCoy, too, headed off of the bridge via the turbolift.

Kirk looked at the Spock unit, then back to Gary.

“Let’s go Commander Mitchell,” Kirk said. “We have a date with the planet Mars.”

Gary looked at Kirk with a slight look of anger in his eyes.

“Can I bring my driver or not?” Gary asked.

Kirk smiled, “You better believe it.” Kirk replied.

Two hours later, two Omega-class landing craft exited the Enterprise’s hanger-deck, and headed down to the planet below. The human adventure, on Mars, had just begun.

--
Continued….

 

[Mistral]

Really cool, m'man. Waiting for more....

 

[Hartzilla2007]

NEED! MORE! STORY! So Please update soon.

 

[RobertScorpio]

The two shuttles, both launched from the USS ENTEPRISE, made perfect landings on the two temporary landing pads that had been landed on Mars two years previously, in preparation of this day.

The Omega-class shuttles, as proof of the international scope of the United Space Agency, were constructed in the nation of Korea. North and South Korea, after decades of strife, and mistrust, had united in 2020 and were quickly accepted into the new United Nations Charter.

The people of Korea were very dedicated, and very proud of their contribution, and, Kirk concluded after he sat in the passenger area and watched the sister shuttle set down nearly right beside the one he rode in, were also superior technologists as well. He looked over to Gary, and flashed back to the scene in the Zero-grav chamber when Mitchell had vomited all over the drill instructor.

“Dude,” Kirk said to Gary, “you’re not thinking about throwing up are you?”

The sweat on Gary’s brow was proof enough to Kirk that his friend Gary didn’t enjoy any kind of crafts that dropped as fast as the shuttle had. Kirk often wondered how Gary had made it so far in the Space Program.

“I took some sea-sickness pills,” Gary told Kirk, “they haven’t kicked in yet.”

Kirk shook his head. “And you’re the XO of an ultra-modern Starship?” Kirk asked in disbelief.

“What do you mean, Starship?” Gary said.

As Gary spoke, the green in his face started to fade. Kirk’s strategy of decoying his friend’s nausea was working.

“Sure,” Kirk said, “after we take care of Charles/Dennison, Col Pike said that we might try to test out one of the new generation engines and take a flight into deep space, even, perhaps, to one of the star systems close to Earth.”

“If you’re talking about the Star-drive,” Gary said, “that is still experimental. I have read much of Lea Brahms work, and I’m not convinced.”

Kirk shook his head. “Have you ever seen what she looks like?” Kirk asked.

“No need to,” Mitchell said as the he and Kirk stood up and started to head for the exit as the other passengers did. “Any one with the last name of Brahms is probably the product of two nerds, and probably looks like my eighth grade algebra teacher; crust and old.”

Kirk knew other wise, “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Kirk replied, knowing full well that Brahms was quite beautiful.

Kirk and Mitchell walked down the boarding ramp. For being the first humans stepping on Mars, it just seemed like another shuttle landing. Thanks to prepositioned sites, such as the two landing pads, some of the facilities were already covered by domes and had artificial air pumping inside of them. There were three large buildings, each large enough to house the landing team. Several Food-pods, also sent in advance of the mission, were easily found. Land-rovers, both brought down via the shuttles, and operated on solar batteries, would be used to collect the Food-pods.

The mission that the landing crews had, under the command of Lt. Khan, were to apply the add-ons that had been sent up to Mars as part of a five year plan to not only build a colony, but to also prepare the base for Terra-Forming. The Terra-Formers would arrive on Mars in just over a year, under the command of Dr. David Marcus. Marcus was the young genius who developed the complex constructs that would be built on the poles of Mars. They would exploit the large body of water that had been discovered beneath the surface of Mars, and use it to create a livable atmosphere with-in two or three years.

Life had indeed been found on Mars, in the large body of water beneath the surface. But it was only single cell organisms that had survived beneath the surface of the world, guarded from the radiation of the sun. With the Earth reaching population heights never seen, it was decided by the United Nations to colonize Mars to further the human race into space, rather than to treat it off-limits in order to save its indigenous life forms.

The discovery of the Charles/Dennison Asteroid only underlined the importance of creating a colony off of Earth; it would guarantee man’s survival even if an Extinction Level Incident were to strike Earth.

Kirk watched as Lt. Khan put his team to work, nearly the moment they arrived. This team didn’t have long to get this place up and running. They were all inside the large complex and were preparing for their duties. Kirk walked over to Khan.

“I wanted to say,” Kirk told Khan, “that you and your team are doing great. I have no doubts at all that you will have this place ready to go long before the Lexington gets here.”

Khan smiled. “Thank you Captain Kirk. I hope you have time to visit us again as well. I want you to come back see what we have done. And,” Khan added as he reached down and pulled a putter out of his sack of personal items, “Tell Commander Mitchell we will have a make-shift golf course up and running real soon.”

“Well,” Kirk said with a smile, “I think you’ve just cemented our return visit.”

The two men shook hands, and shared a common moment of respect. Both where unaware that not too long in the future they would be enemies; for life.
--
Two hours later, both shuttles were piloted back up to the Enterprise. With the Colony-team in place, it was time for the Enterprise to head for the Charles/Dennison. As Kirk came to the bridge, he smiled as he saw Gary showing the photos that Kirk had taken of him hitting golf-balls on Mars.

“That one,” Gary said to Chekov, as she held the picture “went seven hundred yards.”

She obviously had no idea how far that was, in terms of Golf.

“Is that a far one?” Chekov asked with a blank look on her face.

“Is that far!?” Gary replied. “Honey, Tiger Woods, in his prime, might hit one four-hundred and fifty on Earth. Yes, that’s far.”

“So,” Sulu said, as he listened in, “if you could drive it seven-hundred years, I bet Tiger could have driven it over a thousand.”

“I guess.” Gary replied, not getting the zinger Sulu had just thrown his way.

“Anyway,” Sulu said, “as soon as we get back I’ll send these to Sal and see if he can get them in Sports Illustrated.”

“That would be so cool,” Gary said.

Then Chekov came across a photo of Gary throwing up in a trashcan inside the complex on Mars.

“That’ll go good with your media file,” Sulu said with a laugh.

“James,” Gary said to Kirk, “I thought you deleted that one.”

Kirk gave in an innocent reaction. “Oooops.”

--
John Gill sat in his office on a leer-jet as it was taking him to a very important meeting in Colorado, USA. The image of Khan was on the screen of his monitor. The signal Khan was transmitting on was scrambled.

“I trust you have all arrived in one piece?” Gill asked Khan.

“We have,” Khan said. “Everything is proceeding as you planned sir.”

“Very good,” Gill said. “And what about the two spies on the Enterprise?”

Khan smiled. “They are on their way to Charles/Dennison, along with the rest of the crew.”

“Very good,” Gill said.

Gill cut off the transmission and was quite happy with the progress that had been made. But little did Gill know that fate would play a very major part in what was to come. He had no idea the monster he had created when he created Khan. And the time was coming when he would find out; and it would be too late to stop him.

--
continued..

THIS STORY WILL BE CONTINUED IN A NEW MORE "OPEN ENDED" TITLE FOR THE STORY...
I AM SIMPLY GOING TO CALL IT STAR TREK. YEAH, I KNOW, THATS THE TITLE OF TOS. BUT I LIKE THAT TITLE AND MY STORY IS SO DIFFERENT FROM STAR TREK IT SHOULDN'T BE TOO CONFUSING...

Rob

 

[RobertScorpio]

NEED! MORE! STORY! So Please update soon.

Thanks for the interest..I love seeding in already established story elements from STAR TREK...its fun to drop in Daystrom or Bashir or David Marcus here and there..

ROb

 

[RobertScorpio]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to name the Botany Bay's computer Lore instead of Data.

Actually, Hartzilla, you have actually found your way into a plot point that will be brought up much later down the line. But, wow, you are not far from what is going to happen with D.A.T.A and L.O.R.E

Rob