The sky was so
blue and clear and the air so crisp and clean it was frightening. Living in
this world was so different for the young El-Aurian than his home world. Pono
Kyman had traveled with his family and several others to the newly discovered
world called Terra, or Earth, to blend in and listen to its people. Some, like
his friend Guinan, went to the cities, while others – like Pono himself – lived
with the less developed but somewhat more socially superior peoples. There Pono
learned the ways of the Shaman or medicine man in the Cherokee tribe and over
time began to feel more like them than his own race.
He
would continue to live this life for forty Earth years. During that time he
would be known as Raven, due in part to his black hair and in part to his
humorous ways of doing and explaining things. He took a wife and fathered three
sons and two daughters with her. And since he was a mere 89 Earth years old,
which roughly equaled around the age of 20 in a human life span, he was happy
and content to stay. Then, in the winter of 1849, the severe cold caused many
of the tribe to fall ill. His wife was among the more serious cases and none of
the native medicine could heal her. She died before spring. Grief stricken and
bitter, Raven disappeared from the tribe and P.R. Kyman boarded a sailing ship
bound for
Back on his home
world, the nomadic people shared the vast riches of their experiences and
travels. Teaching and learning at the same time is probably the greatest gift
of all. Years would pass before he began to long for Earth once again.
When he returned
in the Earth year 1979, things were very different than when he had left some
eighty years earlier. Though technology had made it a little harder to blend in
unnoticed, Kyman managed to integrate himself into American society and,
wanting to experience something new, he joined the U.S. Navy. After months of
basic introductory training, he volunteered for the submarine force. This
decision was derogatory to continuing his Native American practices from his
Cherokee past, but – as things sometimes do – seemed to be pre-destined. During
this time, he once again married and fathered four children. Then, in the year
1992, while Kyman was serving on shore duty, Earth became engulfed in war. Some
eighty augmented humans came to power and fought amongst themselves, drawing in
many other nations, in what was to become known as the Eugenics Wars. Chief
Kyman reported aboard the submarine USS Providence in December 1994. The
These fifty-seven
years on Earth were more or less ordinary, the events of 1996 notwithstanding.
Deciding it was time once again to return home and tell his people of what he
had heard, he and several other El-Aurians departed Earth for home in 2037…
…”Why?” said the
confused, almost crazed middle aged El-Aurian. “I must go back! Let me go
back!”
A moment after
the initial shock, he became calm, studying his surroundings and beginning to
understand. This place was new and real. Other El-Aurians were there, some
reacting much as he, others more distraught, while a few were violently angry.
Everyone was standing in what appeared to be a medical facility. Seeing what appeared to be a computer
terminal screen nearby, Kyman moved closer to it and read ‘USS Enterprise
1701-B Stardate 9715.5.’ Stardate? How long had it been? Where was he?
Questions flooded his brain. Several humans, one of whom appeared to be dressed
in a uniform, were tending to the El-Aurians.
“Excuse me, sir,
can you explain what is going on here? Where are we? When are we?” he asked the
uniformed man.
“Dis is de
Federation starship
“No, I mean the year!
What Earth year is it? I seem to be a little shaken up and I’m confused about what
a stardate is.”
“Let me see, dis
vould be de old Earth calendar date 2293. Are you sure you are okay?” the man
asked.
“Yes (?) …Yes, I
just need to rest. Thank you.”
2293!! 250 years
had passed! Or had it? It is possible that he just could not remember due to
some accident, but, no, there must be another explanation. Where had he just
been? It was as if he was back on Earth in the 1800’s with his beloved wife and
children. Then, all of a sudden he was on this ship where he knew no one. That
could not be, they were long dead. He was …he was returning to the El-Aurian
home world in 2037. Yes, he remembered. Something happened to the ship. It was
hit by some energy field like a solar flare. Then he was on Earth with the
tribe. Now he was here. If this truly
was 2293 then 250 years had in fact passed and he was 528 years old. How did he
lose 250 years? Someone must know!
Several minutes
later, after the ship had jolted violently as if hit by some large, solid
object, a new voice sounded through the speakers in the room.
“All hands, this is Captain Harriman. It is my regrettable duty to
inform you that Captain James T. Kirk, a legend in the annuls of space
exploration, was lost when the energy ribbon last struck the ship and is
believed to be dead.”
Space,
the Final Frontier...
These
are the voyages of the starship Dauntless!
Star Trek:
Dauntless
“A Blast from the Past” By Jeff Sloan
Kyman’s personal log, stardate 63915.1:
Senior Enlisted Advisor has a much different flavor than it
did some 400 years ago. ‘Chief of the Boat’, indeed! I feel more like ‘Father
Time’. Most of the members of the crew are but infants. For such a young
Terran, the Captain is very much at ease and confident. He has a knack for
gently toying with people that helps him grasp the upper hand and cope with
situations.
I find myself spending much too much time on the holodeck.
There is solace in the long past; I abhor what I know of the distant future.
Time to make the rounds.
Kyman, out.
Walking out of
his quarters, the COB of the USS Dauntless began his morning rounds of
the ship. Young, eager faces of many races greeted him as they went about their
duties. He entered the turbo-lift thinking to himself, ‘Time to see where we
are and what we’re up to.’
As the doors
opened, Kyman stepped out towards the navigation station, but also observed the
entire bridge. He sensed a bit of uneasiness from everyone, but could not quite
figure it out.
Commander
Alasdair Wallace, the starship’s second officer approached and asked,
“Everythin’ a’ right, Chief?”
“Oh, uh, yes. The
crew is happy, the ship is clean and we are ready for almost anything,” Kyman
responded.
“Almost?”
Commander Wallace barked.
“Yes, Commander,
no one is ever completely ready for everything,” the El-Aurian reminded him.
“Well, I s’pose.”
“Anything new, I
should know about?”
“We are due to
rendezvous with an’ observe an interesting phenomenon aroun’ 1100 hours.”
“Really, what is
it?”
Just then, over
the intercom…, “Chief of the Boat to the captain’s ready room.”
“Guess I’ll have
to wait and see,” Kyman half smiled. “On my way, sir”
When he arrived,
Kyman pressed the doorbell and heard a voice from within…, “Come.”
The door opened
to find Captain Peter J. Koester standing at the window, a cup of tea in his
hand, looking into space.
“What is it,
Skipper?”
“COB, how’s the
crew?”
“Still young,
sir.”
Turning around, a
half grin on his face, “You know what I mean, and sit down, please.”
“Yes, Cap’n,
they’re fine.”
“...and the
ship?”
“Clean and ready.”
“…and the Chief
of the Boat?”
“Sir?”
“COB, we’re
entering an area of space where we will cross paths with…”
Kyman suddenly
recognized the feeling that had been nagging
at him since he had arrived on the bridge.
“The Nexus, I
know,” he blurted out.
“Can’t hide
anything from you, can I?”
“I sensed an
uneasiness on the bridge and thought that it might be that. I have moved on
with my life since my last encounter with the Nexus.”
“COB, I’ve noted
you’ve been logging a lot of hours on the holodeck lately.”
“Yes, but I’m
still on top of things, sir.”
“No doubt. I
wasn’t inferring that. I was just wondering if things are okay.”
“No need to
worry, Skipper. I’ll be just fine. I must say that I do enjoy being able to
live here and in the past…at the same time. I appreciate your concern,
Cap’n. I’m happy here. I made my choice long before your grandfather was born.”
* * *
Kyman’s personal log, stardate 63915.5:
I think I finally am home. This is a good place for me and
I know I can serve well here. The occasional insights still haunt me, but it is
not yet time to be alarmed.
Kyman, out.
A short time later…
“Thanks for joining
me, Five. I didn’t want to invent someone to join me on the quest and I
couldn’t think of anyone I would rather have along.”
Kyman and Wyatt
Cerilli, the teenaged former Borg drone who still preferred to be called by his
designation Five of Twelve, entered the holodeck programmed to simulate the
American southeast of late 1800’s Earth.
Kyman had programmed the scenario for a Native American quest he had
experienced in earlier years. Kyman had been teaching the boy about Cherokee
life. Five’s part was to watch over the area in the event of an attack by wild
beast or enemy during the vision quest. Kyman, or Raven as he was to be known
here, prepared the area and directed Five to a spot just out of sight. As night
began to fall, Kyman slipped into a trance and started his quest. Five watched
the area closely and waited for any sign from Kyman, or elsewhere.
* * *
“Commander,
sensors are picking up an energy field on a collision course,” reported SFMC
Capt. April Mendez
“On screen,” said
the executive officer, Commander Setton Arbelo.
The image on the main viewer changed to show a ribbon-like energy field
extending across the screen, leaving a multi-hued trail in its wake.
“Computer
analysis indicates this phenomenon to be extremely similar in make-up to what
has been catalogued as the Nexus Ribbon,” reported the science officer, Lt.
Spot. “Most probably the same phenomenon
in fact.”
“Yellow Alert!
Helm, slow to one-quarter impulse and keep a safe distance. Shields up,”
ordered the XO. “Captain to the bridge.”
“Should we have
Chief Kyman come to the bridge?” asked Lt. Spot as Fleet Captain Koester
stepped out on the bridge and was brought up to speed.
“No, not right
now,” answered Koester. “From my understanding, I don’t think it matters that
much to him anymore.”
The Dauntless
remained a respectable distance away from the ribbon, taking detailed sensor
readings of the phenomenon, which periodically let loose whip-like tendrils of
energy. Abruptly a strand of the ribbon lashed out in the direction of the
starship, knocking it sideways.
“Shields holding
at 82%,” Mendez reported. “Ship’s systems unaffected. Sickbay is reporting only a few minor
injuries reported. There is, however…”
“Bridge, this is
Five of Twelve on Holodeck 3. Chief Kyman… he… he’s no longer here.”
“What do you mean
Chief Kyman is no longer here, Five?” Koester asked from the bridge.
“The holodeck
program suddenly shut down and I am alone on the hologrid,” explained Five.
“Captain, sensors
confirm Chief Kyman is not onboard,” reported the young officer at ops.
“Computer, locate
Chief Kyman,” Koester requested.
“Chief Kyman is
not aboard the Dauntless,” the female-sounding computer voice responded.
“What do you make
of it?” Arbelo asked.
“
“No one just
vanishes. I want answers! Exec, you have the bridge.”
When Koester
arrived at Holodeck 3, the chief engineer and his team were already there.
“Status?”
“Everything appears
to be functioning normally,” reported the emotional Vulcan Commander Jeffery
Bloom. “Running full diagnostics now.”
* * *
The aroma of
burning sage filled his head as his senses heightened and his spirit wandered.
It was as if he had left his body and the ship behind…and in many ways, he had.
The scenery took on a familiarity. He was now in
‘Ah nature,’
Kyman thought to himself, ‘brings a sense of peace not found anywhere else.’ As
he walked, he observed and conversed with rabbits, wolves, deer, turtles,
birds, and a rhyl, a small creature sometimes referred to as a palm pet. ‘A rhyl?!!
They don’t belong on Earth, at least not in 1830! Something is not right.’
Kyman attempted to end his trance, but his current reality remained.
‘What is
wrong, Raven?’ asked the rhyl.
‘What do… You
know my name?’
‘Of course I
do. Are you okay?’
Then Kyman
realized they weren’t talking, but rather communicating mentally.
“Computer, end
program!” Kyman ordered. He waited a moment, but nothing happened. He then
tried his combadge, but nothing happened.
Maybe this creature could answer some questions, he thought.
‘Where are we?
Where is the Dauntless? Where is Five?’ Kyman demanded.
‘Raven, calm down and get your bearings. You were in a very deep
trance this time. I warned you last time that I was concerned you might not
come back.’
* * *
Aboard the
Dauntless…
“I’m not
detecting any abnormalities in the holodeck controls or the hologrid itself,”
said Bloom.
“No one just
vanishes,
“Unlikely,”
replied the emotional Vulcan engineer.
“Or Five would have likely been dematerialized along with him as well.”
“Well, he didn’t
just evaporate into never-never land, Jeff.
There have to be some answers here! Keep looking for even the smallest
variance.”
“Aye, Skipper.”
As Bloom resumed
his diagnostics, Koester activated his combadge.
“Bridge, this is
the Captain. What is the current position of the Nexus ribbon?”
“We are currently
trailing the Nexus at a distance of 380,000 kilometers,” answered Arbelo. “We’re keeping our distance but still staying
within sensor range.”
“Let’s see what
we can find out about this thing.”
* * *
“So let me get
this right, I’ve been on a quest and you’ve been with me and this is my
reality”, queried Kyman.
“Yes.”
“And, forgive me
but, your name is what?”
“You’ve really
done it this time haven’t you…?”
“I guess, but
seriously…?”
“U s di I na du”,
he answered in Cherokee tongue, meaning Little Adder.
“And where are
we?”
“Ravenwoods, or
at least that is what you call it, about a half day from Tallulah”
“No! I was on the
holodeck in a quest simulation with Five. Then I was here.”
“Raven, let’s get
back to the village, get some food and maybe things will get back to normal.”
Kyman didn’t know
what to make of all this, but maybe Little Adder was right, food and rest might
help clear his head.
The village had a
familiarity, but was also strangely different. As though he had been here
before, or at least had dreamed it. All of the inhabitants seemed to know
him…and he knew them. Arriving at ‘his’ lodge, he met a ghost from his past and
suddenly lost consciousness.
* * *
“Cap’n, it is
well documented that any attempt to approach the ribbon is met with disaster
and devastation. Only one vessel that has been in contact with th’ Nexus has
ever survived intact, an’ that still had serious repercussions.”
“Do we have any
clue what the Nexus is?”
“Actually, Captain, there is not enough data
to support a hypothesis,” answered the junior science officer Lt. T’Pan. “Based
on encounters with the Nexus in 2293 and 2371, some believe it is a gateway to
another reality. Others say it is a
passageway between life and death.
Starfleet was hoping our study of the Nexus might help answer some of
these questions. It is, however, a distinct possibility that Chief Kyman’s
disappearance and his previous encounter with the Nexus could be related.”
“Do you think he
has somehow been pulled back in?” Koester asked with concern.
“Yes, Captain, I
do.”
* * *
Kyman awoke,
lying in bed, being attended by the one he had seen before he fainted.
“Ayoka?!” he
asked, not believing his eyes because the woman he beheld was his first wife, a
woman who had died on Earth in 1849!
“Raven, my
husband, you must refrain from these quests. You worry me and you frighten the
children.”
He looked around
and saw his children of so long ago. Still, this could not be. He saw her die
and saw his children grow old. Yet here they were…now, but how? At first Kyman
was too emotionally overwhelmed to do anything but bask in the pleasantness of
the experience of being ‘home’. It was as if it really was 19th
century Earth again and he was once again shaman of his tribe.
* * *
Captain Peter
Koester entered the bridge amidst a busy crew. “Report?”
“No change, sir.
The Nexus is continuing along a meandering, but steady course. Currently no
planets are in the direct path,” answered Arbelo.
“Is there any new
information as to weaknesses, composition or origin?”
T’Pan offered,
“Nothing, sir. It seems to feed off energy. Anti-matter might destroy it…”
“No, I don’t want
to risk any lives aboard my ship or any that may possibly be inside it!”
“Captain, based
on all known information, it is only by chance that anyone ever survives an
encounter with the Nexus.”
Koester turned to
look at his science officer and said, “Captain Picard survived a planned entry
and managed to leave the Nexus by choice. Kyman has survived it once and I plan
on him doing it again! According to Captain Picard’s reports, it is as simple
as wishing yourself out. I realize that may not be logical and I don’t wish to
discuss alternate realities, but I think I know the COB well enough to expect
him to figure it out. But I still want other options.” Koester then looked up toward the overhead
and said, “Captain to Five of Twelve, report to my ready room.”
* * *
His life in
Starfleet was now more or less a dream. Kyman had all but disappeared leaving
again the Cherokee shaman named Raven. How long he had been here was of no
consequence. He was here, now. He enjoyed sharing his life experiences, not
only with his wife and friends, but with his five children. He enjoyed watching
them, doing things with them, teaching them, and just being with them. He was
once again completely lost in true bliss and nothing else mattered.
Then one night after eating, he began
concentrating on his fingers. He looked at them, felt them, counted them…1, 2,
3, 4, 5. He had no reason and saw no significance, but could not stop counting
to five. Five, yes he had five fingers. He also had five children. There were
five lower tribes. Five. He began noticing fives of almost anything, but could
not place a meaning on it.
That night he
dreamed of a quest in a strange setting where he had five fires and could hear
a voice calling him by the title of ‘chief.’
But he was no chief, just a medicine man.
* * *
In Chief Kyman’s
cabin aboard the Dauntless, Five of Twelve had prepared the area as best
he remembered from what Kyman had told him. The captain had asked him to
attempt to contact the chief through whatever means he thought might work to
reach him; mentally, spiritually, or any other way. So, he had been drumming,
chanting and calling the ‘chief’ for the better part of a day when it happened.
“Red Alert!”
* * *
The energy ribbon
suddenly halted and lashed out towards the Dauntless,
narrowly missing her.
“We must act now!”
stated Commander Arbelo.
“Action for the sake
of action isn’t always wise, sir,” stated Lt. Spot.
“I should not have to remind everyone that
there are lives in the Nexus, including a member of this crew who happens to be
away from his post right now,” chimed Koester as he re-entered the bridge. “Five,
have you made any progress?”
“No, Captain. At
least not to my knowledge,” the former Borg drone Five of Twelve responded via
ships communication.
“Senior officers to the briefing room,”
Koester ordered.
* * *
“This place is
great and the animals abundant,” Raven said to his eldest.
“Yes, father, and
the creator blesses us.”
Raven was proud
of his son and pleased that he had taken to heart the teachings he shared with
him. Soon he would take his place alongside his father at the council meeting.
These past months had been the happiest Kyman could remember. There had been no
trouble of any kind. The weather had been superb and food had been plentiful.
His family had been growing before his eyes as if he had written their future
himself. He truly was blessed.
Yet he was still
having dreams involving the number five and being called chief by an unseen
voice. This he was simply attributing to a premonition of upcoming events. In
the next few days he would join the tribal leaders at the annual meeting and
hoped to bring his eldest with him.
“The five lower
chiefs…” He never finished his statement. ‘Five, chief; there it was again, but
what did it mean?’ Raven sent his son home and went to find Little Adder. The rhyl
had been the only thing that seemed out of place in his idyllic world.
“You know, even
though I am certain we have been friends for some time, I still cannot explain
why you are the only one of your kind here.”
“Me neither,”
Little Adder said. “I have been your friend as long as I can remember, but I
have no other memories here. But, on Ba’ku…”
“Ba’ku?!”
“Yes, where we
used to live and you were known as Pono.” Little Adder began telling him of the
time on Ba’ku and of Raven’s previous life in Starfleet.
“Chief… Chief
Kyman! Five… Five of Twelve! The Dauntless!
I remember!”
Kyman realized
that he was back in the Nexus. He was with his family only in his mind, but it
was a feeling he did not freely want to leave. Could he leave it? Something
seemed a bit different this time.
“You know, we do
not know much about this place. No one that had been inside had ever taken the
advantage of study while here, at least that we know of. You may or may not be
real, but imaginary or not, I can use a friend.”
“Pono, I’m with
you as much as I can be”
“We need to find
out the source of this place. Why we are drawn in and what allows us to live
here the way we do.”
“You suspect
there is an intelligence?”
“Of course I do.
Why else would we not be just destroyed? Why allow us to live in such joy?”
Kyman decided to
try communicating with the Nexus in the same manner he had used with nature on
Earth. If this place truly was alive, maybe he could connect with whomever or
whatever it was.
* * *
Onboard the Dauntless, senior staff met in the observation
lounge to discuss options.
“Captain, we all
understand that exchanging life for life is never a choice we should make. But
we also must consider the greater good,” Commander Arbelo remarked.
“I do not intend
to try to destroy the Nexus just to retrieve the COB without knowing anything
about it. We do not know if anyone is alive inside… For all we know, the Nexus
itself may be the manifestation of some sort of intelligence,” Koester said.
“Captain, we have
only one option to save Chief Kyman,” offered Lieutenant (JG) Carter Breitling,
the ship’s strategic operations officer. “We must attempt to enter the Nexus
and retrieve him.”
“How do you
propose to do that, Lieutenant?”
“As Captain
Picard reported, once inside, all you have to do is wish yourself out and you
are. Any place, any time. A modified and reinforced shuttle might survive being
drawn into the Nexus. One of us could then contact whoever is inside with Chief
Kyman and get them out.”
“But according to
Picard, Soran said you could not enter the Nexus via ship,” Koester remarked.
“If that were
true, how did the COB get into the Nexus the first time? There is a very high probability
that the ship might be destroyed, but it’s not impossible.”
The captain
contemplated the suggestion for a moment, his blue eyes looking at each member
of his crew in turn. Finally he came to
a decision.
“I’ll take the captain’s
yacht and make the attempt myself.” When
Arbelo, McIntyre, and Wallace started to object, he added, “No argument! Captain’s
prerogative. Mister Riker, ready the
* * *
“Little Adder, I
need you to drum for me. I must quest again, now.”
As the drumming
began, Kyman began chanting in a low tone hoping to contact Five of Twelve
aboard the Dauntless. He must let the
boy know he was alive and that any attempt to reach him should be avoided. As
he slipped out of his present ‘reality,’ he began envisioning his cabin aboard
the Dauntless. How would he make them
understand? What would he try to convey to his crew?
* * *
Onboard the Dauntless, Five decided to return to the
holodeck simulation where Kyman had disappeared, hoping perhaps the El-Aurian would
reappear there. As the program began, Five heard, or rather sensed, Chief Kyman
talking to him. He was only able to make out what seemed to be random words.
‘Nexus… alive…
connected… inside...’
* * *
The senior staff
in the briefing room were taken aback by Koester’s statement.
“Captain, you
can’t be serious?!” Arbelo exclaimed.
But before Koester could respond, he was interrupted by the intercom.
“Captain, this is
Five of Twelve. I believe I have made contact with Chief Kyman… sort of.”
“Understood,
Five,” Koester said before looking around the room and saying to his crew, “Yes,
I am serious. I cannot ask and will not order anyone to make the attempt.
Besides, if the Nexus is an intelligence, as I am starting to believe, and this
all works out, I want to be the one to make first contact.” Then toward the intercom,
“Five, report to the observation lounge.”
Several minutes
later, Five was telling the senior staff of his experience on the holodeck, prompting
even further argument among the crew.
“So, Kyman is alive in the Nexus,” Koester
said with a smile.
“I believe it
means something more than that. At least that is how it felt to me,” said Five.
“More, as in more
people, or more as in there’s a larger intelligence present?”
“I’m not sure,
but I know it was more than the Chief just letting us know he is alive.”
“What did he mean
by connected?” Lt Colonel McIntyre asked.
No one had an answer.
“Well, one thing
is certain,” the captain said. “I am going to attempt to enter the Nexus before
anything else happens. Monster, the ship is yours.”
* * *
As the
“Computer, record
communiqué for transmission to Cadet Gem Koester at
“Recording,” the
computer replied.
“Hi Gem. I’m recording this message for you just in
case…”
As Koester neared
the ribbon in his yacht, it suddenly lashed out towards the Dauntless and then…
Fleet Admiral
Peter J. Koester got up from the seat behind the desk in his ready room and retrieved
a cup of tea from the food replicator. He walked over to the viewport, stood
looking out into space and thought to himself how wonderfully pleasant he felt
and how much he was enjoying the day. Even his tea was perfect! Not too little
sugar, not too much. He could not
remember a time in his career that things were so ideal. He walked to his desk
and checked his schedule and message queue and found nothing. He walked out of
his ready room and onto the bridge, where aside from a brief, “C-in-C on the bridge!”
from Lt Commander Phillip Winters, everything else was as if he was watching a
Starfleet holodeck program of a textbook perfect mission.
“Report,”
announced Koester.
“Long range
sensors are clear,” reported Commander Q
from behind the science console. “No
anomalies or unusual readings within twenty light years radius. And we’ve just completed compiling the data
for the 500th new star system we’ve charted and explored this
quarter. The information is ready to be
transmitted back to Starfleet Command, per your standing orders, Pooh-Bear.”
“Excellent, Poe!”
Koester remarked. He then looked toward
the tactical post where a dark-haired woman with hazel eyes wearing a gold-collared
uniform stood.
“The latest
species we made first contact with last week has announced their decision to
ally themselves with the Federation, per your suggestion,” reported Commander
Michele Peterson. “They are already
setting up a blockade on the border with the Kairn to prevent any further
incursions into our space.” The security
chief exchanged smiles with her husband.
“Very good,”
Koester said before looking at his Chief of Operations. “Phillip?”
“We received the
latest subspace communiqué from Earth.
In spite of running unopposed, you lost the election for the Presidency
of the Federation. President Bacco will
continue in the position for the foreseeable future.”
“Well that is
good news,” remarked Koester with a grin.
“If I had been elected Federation President, it would have meant I would
have to leave the bridge of my starship.”
Koester then turned back to his wife with a broad smile and said, “Well,
I think I will spend some time touring the lower decks and maybe venture onto
the holodeck for a while. Care to join
me, Hon?”
“Sure,” Peterson
replied.
“Poe, you have
the bridge,” he said to his science officer before both he and his wife departed
the bridge and headed for engineering, walking hand in hand. Everyone they met
seemed to be in great spirits and good health and all ship’s systems were
operating at optimum efficiency. As they entered engineering, they were met by
Commander Jeffrey Bloom.
“Good morning, Skipper. To what do we owe this privilege?
“Nothing in
particular, Jeff, just out for a stroll.”
“Very well, sir.
Let me know if you need anything,” Bloom said before heading back to his
duties.
The couple
inspected each station and console, finding everything in perfect working order
and the warp core operating at 120% of rated output, smiling at each other
before leaving engineering, the captain with a spring in his step as he thought
briefly about joining the Marines for a game of cards down in the barracks, but
instead decided to take his pleasure boat out for a spin on the holodeck. Koester stopped briefly in 10-Forward to check
on his daughter Gem. When he found her, she was sitting at one of the tables
with several of her friends, wearing a gold-collared uniform like Peterson’s.
“Ensign?”
“Yes, Dad?” Gem
answered, looking up at her father.
“We’re going
cruising today,” Koester said, indicating his wife and himself. “Care to join us?”
“Thanks, but I
have to be on watch on the bridge in less than an hour. Can’t neglect my duties. Maybe some other time?”
Smiling, Koester
could not help but wonder where his little girl had gone and who this responsible
young lady was.
* * *
Koester and his
wife arrived at Holodeck 3 and the admiral loaded the program for his personal 23
foot cabin cruiser, Serenity, that he
sometimes took out for simulated fishing or whale-watching trips. Today he had
no such elaborate plans, just a relaxing harbor cruise. As he entered the
holodeck…
“Skipper, I did
not expect to see you here!”
“COB? How did you get on my boat? Where are we?”
“The Nexus, sir.
We’re inside the Nexus.”
“Inside?”
“Yes, sir,
inside. Welcome.”
“So, this is the Nexus!” Koester looked around, seeing nothing but
ocean and distant horizon around them.
“I guess you
didn’t fully understand the message I was trying to send to you and the ship,”
Kyman said. “I didn’t want anyone trying
to come here and get me. I… that is, we…
have found out some interesting things about the so-called ‘Nexus’. It isn’t anything
like what we had thought. The energy ribbons are like conduits to a central
intelligence, and, yes, there is more than one conduit. The ribbon that
‘grabbed’ us off the Dauntless is not
the same one I had been trapped in decades ago.”
“Are you certain?
And what do you mean ‘we’?”
“As certain as I
can be from my communication with the intelligence within. And by ‘we’ I mean I
have been working with what amounts to an imaginary friend, which took the form
of a rhyl I had back on Ba’ku.” Kyman
held out his hand to show the little brown palm-pet, which waved back at the
captain.
“You have made
contact with the intelligence?”
“Yes, I conveyed
that I understood where I was and that I represented a corporeal humanoid race
that sought to discover and learn of other life. They mean no intentional harm
and are somewhat remorseful of the past harm they have done.”
“So they are
non-corporeal?”
“Yes, in that they
exist outside of our plane of existence.
But when we are here, they share our experiences and emotions. This
sharing brings them joy. And they share
this feeling of joy with those inside. This is important to their existence. As
a result, if someone chooses to leave of their own free will, as Captain Picard
did but very few ever do, an echo, if you will, remains.”
“The echo is
created by the connection between people drawn into the Nexus and this
intelligence?”
“Yes. And since this place is not bound to our own space-time,
we have the ability to exit at any time or place we choose.”
“Making the
choice of where and when significantly important so as not to have a negative
impact on our reality and timeline, causing a violation of the Prime Directive,”
Koester commented.
“Of course,
Cap’n, and then there is the problem of acknowledging that this place, no
matter how perfect, is not real. It appears that my first time in this place
was also their first contact with humanoid life. They felt our emotions,
engaged in our memories, and this became a form of narcotic to them. A side-effect is they keep us feeling like we
never want to leave. When someone does leave, the ‘echo’ helps, but it is not
as fulfilling to the intelligence as the real thing.”
“Do they intend
to keep us here?”
“No, I don’t get
that impression from them. We just have to be careful not to get lost in the
moment and forget what we are doing and where we really are.”
Koester looked
over at the representation of his wife, who was now lounging on the passenger
bench on the boat’s port side wearing a very skimpy bikini, and he had to
struggle to recall his real wife was actually aboard her own starship on an
extended long-range mission of exploration.
“How do they
propose we proceed with continued contact, but in a way that prevents potential
damage to ships and injury to people? And, how can we coexist to benefit each
other?”
“That is a
problem that the intelligence and I have ‘discussed’ and it is clear that the
only safe thing for us is to avoid contact at all cost. But this would require
us to keep the truth to ourselves. They understand that not all beings are
friendly and that a chance exists that certain species might abuse the
connection and the ability to travel easily to the past.”
“The loss would
be just as great for them, if I understand you correctly.”
“Yes, but they
understand the greater good and are willing to take that chance.”
“It is a shame
that we must give up so much sharing. Is there any chance for future contact?”
“Maybe. They have
a limited ability to differentiate between vessels in our universe and also
have hopes of future contact. I believe if they think the time is right, they
will seek out the Dauntless. Until then, it must remain as it has been in
the past and we should avoid contact to prevent any possible damage to our
vessels or deaths of innocent people.”
Koester nodded as
he looked at the recreation of his wife, the woman for whom he cared very
deeply but knew would never serve aboard the same starship as he
commanded. Peterson smiled back at him.
“I have a feeling
I’m going to miss this place,” Koester commented with a sigh.
“Cap’n, you have
no idea,” remarked Kyman.
* * *
Kyman’s personal log, stardate 63923.3:
I think I finally can leave the Nexus behind for good. This
is a good life and the Captain and I know what we must do. There are things we
will have to deal with in the mean time and I still have hope for a bright
tomorrow.
Kyman, out.
Kyman pressed the
doorchime next to the captain’s ready room door and heard a voice from within
say, “Come.” The door opened to find Fleet Captain Peter J. Koester standing at
the window, a cup of tea in his hand, looking out into space.
“What is it,
Skipper?”
“We have a
tremendous task, COB.”
“Yes, sir, we do.
Isn’t it great?”
“This is real,
isn’t it? How’s the crew?”
“Cap’n, seems we
have been here before.”
Koester chuckled
as he looked at his Chief of the Boat and asked, “COB, would you care for some
tea?”
“Now, Skipper,
you know I am an old Navy Chief. I’ll take coffee.”
“Still planning
on using the holodeck?”
“Yes, as a matter
of fact. And I have a few friends in there who want me to get you to join us
for a round of golf.”
“This is the
holodeck, COB, not the Nexus.”
“I know that for
a fact, Skipper, since joy is not always present on the golf course.”
Both men smiled…
The End
Return to 2386.
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