TITLE: The Times That Bind Ties
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYNOPSIS: Answer to Trek BBS “Ceremony” Challenge: A new Federation captain is caught in a time paradox that leads back to Beckett Mariner.
DISCLAIMER: Paramount owns Star Trek. I am making no money off this fan fic.
8
8
8
8
“Admiral Vance,” the slim, narrow-faced Vulcan woman in the red command division uniform said. She indicated the dark-skinned human at her elbow and went on, “May I present my first office, Commander Ganesh Velshi.”
They were standing by the huge windows in an observation blister in the side of a spacedock. A podium had been set up with its back to the window, and three dozen folding chairs had been set up on the other side of the podium from the windows, facing the podium. Starfleet officers and civilians milled around, including Captain Michael Burnham, her new first officer Commander Rayner, Stamets, Culber, and Doctor Kovich.
Vance smiled and said, “Captain T’Nara. Commander.”
“It is agreeable to see you again, Admiral,” T’Nara said, “though I would have not expected you at this occasion.”
“The youngest Vulcan to be promoted to Captain in the history of Starfleet,” Vance said, “getting command of one of our newest starships. And just as we have our first class at the recommissioned Starfleet Academy. Seems like a lot to celebrate.”
“Indeed,” T’Nara said. “Yet I would not have thought a *Canada* class utility ship would have been worthy of even this much…I believe the term is ‘pomp and circumstance.’”
“It’s not the ship,” a voice interrupted. “It’s the name.”
Vance, T’Nara, and Velshi turned to the speaker: Paul Stamets and High Culber were standing by the window.
“Yes, the ship does have a legacy,” T’Nara said as she, Vance, Velshi, Burnham, and Kovich went to stand by the window. “My ancestor, T’Lyn, served on the original *Cerritos.*”
Beneath them in the spacedock, the gantry arms remained connected to the USS *Cerritos* NCC-4075567. Like other 32nd century Starfleet Starship, she had a ring section floating just ahead of angular nacelles. The rear portion of the ring had a bulge containing the enormous warp core that would generate the power needed to tow things many times its size at impulse and warp speeds. The ship’s name and serial number were at the rear of the ring section. Yellow stripes and polygons on the hull and the nacelles marked it as an engineering ship.
Stamets said, “The original *Cerritos* was another utility ship. She did the grunt work that no one knew about while capital ships like the *Galaxy* class got public attention. Yet under the command of Captain Carol Freeman and thanks to the efforts of her junior officers, the *Cerritos* saved the multiverse. Imagine. Something no one expected anything from did something so significant and is remembered 900 years later.”
Culber smiled and said quietly, “We are talking about the *Cerritos,* right, Paul?”
Vance said, “Yes, well, we have a ship to christen.” He turned to the other people milling around and said, “All right! Let’s get--”
Vance’s communicator chimed. He touched, and a holo screen appeared in front of him.
He called out, “I’m sorry, but there will be a delay.” As the holo screen vanished, Vance crossed to Michael and said, “Captain Burnham. Get the discovery ready for immediate departure.”
Kovich said as he wiped way his own holo screen, “And Captain T’Nara has to come along.”
T’Nara came over to Kovich and her eyes bore into him even if her expression did not change.
Kovich added, “It’s not a red directive, but it has been classified since the 24th century. And I believe Captain T’Nara knows why.”
8
8
T’Nara and Kovich stood on either side of Burnham’s captain’s chair as the *Discovery* pulled away from Starfleet Command and the bulk of the fleet. T’Nara had a tan pouch slung around her shoulder.
Detmer said, “We are clear of Starfleet Command, Captain. Spore drive ready. All we need now are the coordinates.”
“Very well. Doctor Kovich?”
“Zora,” Kovic said to the air, “declassify files attached to mission orders. Authorization Kovich November Xray Zero One.”
(A smile tugged at Michael’ lips for a second, but no one noticed and she said nothing.)
“Files opened, Doctor,” Zora replied. “Our destination is Vandor IV. In the 24th century, Paul Manheim built a lab there to conduct his time physics experiments. The *Enterprise-D* responded to his distress signal when the portal he created became unstable. A decade later, Starfleet shuttered his lab and moved his research to Starbase Deep Space Beta Five Nine. The USS *Cerritos* was assisting with the lab’s dismantling when, according to Captain Carrol Freeman’s log, there was an explosion and her daughter was treated for minor injuries. A beacon was left at the site of the lab to monitor the system for temporal disruption. The beacon went offline six hours ago.”
Michael said, “Mr. Detmer, program jump for Vandor IV.” She looked up at T’Nara. “Captain. Any questions about the jump?”
“I have been briefed on the spore drive, captain. I do not have any questions.”
“All right then.”
“Jump programed,” Detmer said.
“Very well,” Michael said. “Black alert!”
The black alert klaxon sounded. They heard the spore drive rev up.
Stamets’ voice came over the coms, “Ready to jump at your command.”
“Jump!” Michael ordered.
The world outside the forward viewport spun and…
…[************************************. **********************************, **************************************************]…
…and stopped spinning. They were over the potato-shaped asteroid Vandor IV, lit by the blinking light of the system’s pulsar.
T’Nara’s expression did not change, but she said, “Captain Burnham, with all due respect, nothing you could have said would have prepared me for that.”
“You never forget your first one, Captain.”
“Indeed. In any event, I must go to engineering. I will need the assistance of Mr. Stamets.”
8
8
The deck rocked under Michael’s feet just as she came through the door into engineering.
Detmer’s voice came over the com: “Captain, I’m above the site of the lab, and we’re being buffeted by…I don’t know what. Recommend we get our butts out of here as soon as possible.”
“Understood,” Michael said.
Reno, Statmets, Tilly, and T’Nara were racing between consoles.
“Report!” Michael said.
Reno said, “The good news is we’re going to idle the warp drive to help…well, ask Captain T’Nara. The bad news is our warp plasma manifolds will be fried. The good news is the spore drive will be unaffected, and we can use that to get home.”
“Proceed.”
Finally, T’Nara and the engineers exchanged glances.
Stamets said, “Ready, Cap--”
The deck shuddered.
“Don’t wait on me!” Michael said.
The warp drive revved up, and the deck shuddering got worse as sparks flew from consoles. Then a swirl of light and lightning congealed in the middle of the deck, and a 20- or 30- something black woman appeared. She wore a 24th century Starfleet uniform and had curly her.
T’Nara crossed to her. She said, “Lieutenant Junior Grade Beckett Mariner.”
“T’Lyn!?” Mariner said. “What the hell’s going on? What’s up with the new uniform?”
“I am not T’Lyn. I am T’Nara of T’Lyn’s line. My family has waited a…a long time to help you get home.”
She reached into her pouch and produced a disk the size of a coin with a red jewel in the middle. She put the disk on the back of Beckett’s wrist and tapped the jewel. It expanded into a bracelet around Beckett’s wrist.
T’Nara said, “When you return to your time, you must give this to T’Lyn so she can pass it down through her family to me.”
“Ok,” Beckett said, “but where did you get it?”
“From my mother. It had been passed down through her family to her.”
“But then—oooooohhhhhhh, I get it, a bootstrap paradox.”
“Indeed.”
“That means Temporal investigations, if it still exists.”
“It does.”
“My condolences.”
“A common sentiment among humans in Starfleet to this day.” T’Nara tabbed the jewel. It began to blink. She stepped back and nodded to Stamets. The warp drive started to rev up again.
T’Nara made the Vulcan salute and said, “Live long and prosper, Beckett Mariner.”
“Take care of yourself,” Beckett said. Energy swirled around her and she vainished.
The deck shuddered worse.
Stamets raced into the spore drive cube as he said, “Detmer! Pull us far enough away from the lab to give us room to jump.”
“Firing thrusters!” Detmer answered.
Tilly screwed a spore container into her console. Spores glinted in the cube as Stamets put his hand on the controls.
Michael said, “Whenever you’re ready, Stamets!”
“Jumping!” Stamets…
…[***********! ******, ***********. **************]…
…deck stopped shuddering, but smoke still filled the air.
Detmer called, “Warp drive out, but we are back at HQ. Moving towards spacedock.”
Zora’s voice came over the speaker, “Captain, we’ve been hailed by Temporal Investigations. They want to debrief us immediately.”
“Understood.” Michael sat on the steps. Tilly came and sat next to her. Both looked exhausted.
Michael said, “I was going to invite you to lunch this weekend, Tilly, but I don’t know if we could go without phaser rifles and full body armor.”
Tilly smiled. “Type 2 phasers, and let’s go to Ten Forward. Guinan’s cool.”
“Yeah, she is a cool old lady, isn’t she?”
8
8
When Vance led Burnham, T’Nara, and the others back into the spacedock’s observation blister, they saw the podium and chairs were still there, but the officers and dignitaries had left.
T’Nara crossed to the window and looked down at her new ship. She said, “I suppose we will have to reschedule.” Her words considered the sadness her inflection hid.
Vance joined her at the window. Then he said, “Captain T’Nara, are you ready to assume command of your ship?”
“Yes, Admiral.”
“Then let’s do this.” Vance tabbed his com badge. A holo screen appeared between them with a big red button. “Captain T’Nara. Do the honors.”
Everyone came to the window, and T’Nara touched the button. A bottle of champaign (Chateau Picard 3162) was fired from a tube in the blister. They watched it hit the *Cerritos* and shatter, the champaign splattering as it froze. Burnham and the others applauded.
Vance and T’Nara shook hands.
Vance said, “Congratulations, Captain. May your captaincy be…fascinating.”
“Indeed,” T’Nara said.
THE END
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYNOPSIS: Answer to Trek BBS “Ceremony” Challenge: A new Federation captain is caught in a time paradox that leads back to Beckett Mariner.
DISCLAIMER: Paramount owns Star Trek. I am making no money off this fan fic.
8
8
8
8
“Admiral Vance,” the slim, narrow-faced Vulcan woman in the red command division uniform said. She indicated the dark-skinned human at her elbow and went on, “May I present my first office, Commander Ganesh Velshi.”
They were standing by the huge windows in an observation blister in the side of a spacedock. A podium had been set up with its back to the window, and three dozen folding chairs had been set up on the other side of the podium from the windows, facing the podium. Starfleet officers and civilians milled around, including Captain Michael Burnham, her new first officer Commander Rayner, Stamets, Culber, and Doctor Kovich.
Vance smiled and said, “Captain T’Nara. Commander.”
“It is agreeable to see you again, Admiral,” T’Nara said, “though I would have not expected you at this occasion.”
“The youngest Vulcan to be promoted to Captain in the history of Starfleet,” Vance said, “getting command of one of our newest starships. And just as we have our first class at the recommissioned Starfleet Academy. Seems like a lot to celebrate.”
“Indeed,” T’Nara said. “Yet I would not have thought a *Canada* class utility ship would have been worthy of even this much…I believe the term is ‘pomp and circumstance.’”
“It’s not the ship,” a voice interrupted. “It’s the name.”
Vance, T’Nara, and Velshi turned to the speaker: Paul Stamets and High Culber were standing by the window.
“Yes, the ship does have a legacy,” T’Nara said as she, Vance, Velshi, Burnham, and Kovich went to stand by the window. “My ancestor, T’Lyn, served on the original *Cerritos.*”
Beneath them in the spacedock, the gantry arms remained connected to the USS *Cerritos* NCC-4075567. Like other 32nd century Starfleet Starship, she had a ring section floating just ahead of angular nacelles. The rear portion of the ring had a bulge containing the enormous warp core that would generate the power needed to tow things many times its size at impulse and warp speeds. The ship’s name and serial number were at the rear of the ring section. Yellow stripes and polygons on the hull and the nacelles marked it as an engineering ship.
Stamets said, “The original *Cerritos* was another utility ship. She did the grunt work that no one knew about while capital ships like the *Galaxy* class got public attention. Yet under the command of Captain Carol Freeman and thanks to the efforts of her junior officers, the *Cerritos* saved the multiverse. Imagine. Something no one expected anything from did something so significant and is remembered 900 years later.”
Culber smiled and said quietly, “We are talking about the *Cerritos,* right, Paul?”
Vance said, “Yes, well, we have a ship to christen.” He turned to the other people milling around and said, “All right! Let’s get--”
Vance’s communicator chimed. He touched, and a holo screen appeared in front of him.
He called out, “I’m sorry, but there will be a delay.” As the holo screen vanished, Vance crossed to Michael and said, “Captain Burnham. Get the discovery ready for immediate departure.”
Kovich said as he wiped way his own holo screen, “And Captain T’Nara has to come along.”
T’Nara came over to Kovich and her eyes bore into him even if her expression did not change.
Kovich added, “It’s not a red directive, but it has been classified since the 24th century. And I believe Captain T’Nara knows why.”
8
8
T’Nara and Kovich stood on either side of Burnham’s captain’s chair as the *Discovery* pulled away from Starfleet Command and the bulk of the fleet. T’Nara had a tan pouch slung around her shoulder.
Detmer said, “We are clear of Starfleet Command, Captain. Spore drive ready. All we need now are the coordinates.”
“Very well. Doctor Kovich?”
“Zora,” Kovic said to the air, “declassify files attached to mission orders. Authorization Kovich November Xray Zero One.”
(A smile tugged at Michael’ lips for a second, but no one noticed and she said nothing.)
“Files opened, Doctor,” Zora replied. “Our destination is Vandor IV. In the 24th century, Paul Manheim built a lab there to conduct his time physics experiments. The *Enterprise-D* responded to his distress signal when the portal he created became unstable. A decade later, Starfleet shuttered his lab and moved his research to Starbase Deep Space Beta Five Nine. The USS *Cerritos* was assisting with the lab’s dismantling when, according to Captain Carrol Freeman’s log, there was an explosion and her daughter was treated for minor injuries. A beacon was left at the site of the lab to monitor the system for temporal disruption. The beacon went offline six hours ago.”
Michael said, “Mr. Detmer, program jump for Vandor IV.” She looked up at T’Nara. “Captain. Any questions about the jump?”
“I have been briefed on the spore drive, captain. I do not have any questions.”
“All right then.”
“Jump programed,” Detmer said.
“Very well,” Michael said. “Black alert!”
The black alert klaxon sounded. They heard the spore drive rev up.
Stamets’ voice came over the coms, “Ready to jump at your command.”
“Jump!” Michael ordered.
The world outside the forward viewport spun and…
…[************************************. **********************************, **************************************************]…
…and stopped spinning. They were over the potato-shaped asteroid Vandor IV, lit by the blinking light of the system’s pulsar.
T’Nara’s expression did not change, but she said, “Captain Burnham, with all due respect, nothing you could have said would have prepared me for that.”
“You never forget your first one, Captain.”
“Indeed. In any event, I must go to engineering. I will need the assistance of Mr. Stamets.”
8
8
The deck rocked under Michael’s feet just as she came through the door into engineering.
Detmer’s voice came over the com: “Captain, I’m above the site of the lab, and we’re being buffeted by…I don’t know what. Recommend we get our butts out of here as soon as possible.”
“Understood,” Michael said.
Reno, Statmets, Tilly, and T’Nara were racing between consoles.
“Report!” Michael said.
Reno said, “The good news is we’re going to idle the warp drive to help…well, ask Captain T’Nara. The bad news is our warp plasma manifolds will be fried. The good news is the spore drive will be unaffected, and we can use that to get home.”
“Proceed.”
Finally, T’Nara and the engineers exchanged glances.
Stamets said, “Ready, Cap--”
The deck shuddered.
“Don’t wait on me!” Michael said.
The warp drive revved up, and the deck shuddering got worse as sparks flew from consoles. Then a swirl of light and lightning congealed in the middle of the deck, and a 20- or 30- something black woman appeared. She wore a 24th century Starfleet uniform and had curly her.
T’Nara crossed to her. She said, “Lieutenant Junior Grade Beckett Mariner.”
“T’Lyn!?” Mariner said. “What the hell’s going on? What’s up with the new uniform?”
“I am not T’Lyn. I am T’Nara of T’Lyn’s line. My family has waited a…a long time to help you get home.”
She reached into her pouch and produced a disk the size of a coin with a red jewel in the middle. She put the disk on the back of Beckett’s wrist and tapped the jewel. It expanded into a bracelet around Beckett’s wrist.
T’Nara said, “When you return to your time, you must give this to T’Lyn so she can pass it down through her family to me.”
“Ok,” Beckett said, “but where did you get it?”
“From my mother. It had been passed down through her family to her.”
“But then—oooooohhhhhhh, I get it, a bootstrap paradox.”
“Indeed.”
“That means Temporal investigations, if it still exists.”
“It does.”
“My condolences.”
“A common sentiment among humans in Starfleet to this day.” T’Nara tabbed the jewel. It began to blink. She stepped back and nodded to Stamets. The warp drive started to rev up again.
T’Nara made the Vulcan salute and said, “Live long and prosper, Beckett Mariner.”
“Take care of yourself,” Beckett said. Energy swirled around her and she vainished.
The deck shuddered worse.
Stamets raced into the spore drive cube as he said, “Detmer! Pull us far enough away from the lab to give us room to jump.”
“Firing thrusters!” Detmer answered.
Tilly screwed a spore container into her console. Spores glinted in the cube as Stamets put his hand on the controls.
Michael said, “Whenever you’re ready, Stamets!”
“Jumping!” Stamets…
…[***********! ******, ***********. **************]…
…deck stopped shuddering, but smoke still filled the air.
Detmer called, “Warp drive out, but we are back at HQ. Moving towards spacedock.”
Zora’s voice came over the speaker, “Captain, we’ve been hailed by Temporal Investigations. They want to debrief us immediately.”
“Understood.” Michael sat on the steps. Tilly came and sat next to her. Both looked exhausted.
Michael said, “I was going to invite you to lunch this weekend, Tilly, but I don’t know if we could go without phaser rifles and full body armor.”
Tilly smiled. “Type 2 phasers, and let’s go to Ten Forward. Guinan’s cool.”
“Yeah, she is a cool old lady, isn’t she?”
8
8
When Vance led Burnham, T’Nara, and the others back into the spacedock’s observation blister, they saw the podium and chairs were still there, but the officers and dignitaries had left.
T’Nara crossed to the window and looked down at her new ship. She said, “I suppose we will have to reschedule.” Her words considered the sadness her inflection hid.
Vance joined her at the window. Then he said, “Captain T’Nara, are you ready to assume command of your ship?”
“Yes, Admiral.”
“Then let’s do this.” Vance tabbed his com badge. A holo screen appeared between them with a big red button. “Captain T’Nara. Do the honors.”
Everyone came to the window, and T’Nara touched the button. A bottle of champaign (Chateau Picard 3162) was fired from a tube in the blister. They watched it hit the *Cerritos* and shatter, the champaign splattering as it froze. Burnham and the others applauded.
Vance and T’Nara shook hands.
Vance said, “Congratulations, Captain. May your captaincy be…fascinating.”
“Indeed,” T’Nara said.
THE END
