Episode 1x05:

Flight of Amon-Ra

 

Chapter One

 

The sun reflected off the clean lines of the Serik Alliance Headquarters and President Erit smiled as she strolled through the new landscaped gardens. It had been just four months since the Alliance had been reformed after three hundred years of disputes and wars between its former members. The gardens were the most recent addition, modelled after Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco on Earth, and she enjoyed a short stroll every morning before her day officially began. Her bodyguards were never far away and from the corner of her eye she saw Numa, her lead bodyguard, deftly intercept an Archivist. Erit turned to face her bodyguards and the Archivist who was trying to speak with her.

‘Let her go, Numa. She’s no threat,’ Erit told her.

‘Yes ma’am,’ the female bodyguard replied and released the flustered Archivist.

‘What is it that you want to speak with me about?’ Erit asked.

‘You asked me to look into anything from the old Alliance records that might indicate how the member races were brought together,’ the Archivist stated nervously.

‘Yes, you found something?’

‘Not about the formation of the Alliance, Madame President, but I did find something about an annual race, all the rules are there,’ she added, handing the President a padd.

‘Not about the formation of the Alliance, Madame President, but I did find something about an annual race, all the rules are there,’ she added, handing the President a padd.

Erit looked it over and tucked it into her tunic. ‘I’ll have a proper look when I have some free time today.’

The Archivist looked askance at the President but Erit smiled and patted her tunic. The Archivist nodded and skipped away as Erit’s aide approached.

‘Madame President, the council members are waiting,’ Chay said.

‘I’m coming,’ Erit replied. ‘I want a ten minute break at some point today. I have something to take care of that could bring the Alliance closer together.’

‘Yes ma’am.’

Erit strode toward the building and Chay followed, wondering what had happened out there. She decided to ask one of the bodyguards when she had the time.

The leaders of the eight worlds of the Alliance were seated in the council chamber talked amongst themselves when she entered. They stood up and only seated themselves again when she had taken her seat in front of them at the dais. Her second in command, the Vice President of the Alliance, Roti Kei, arrived seconds later. No aides were allowed into this chamber for the duration of the meetings so Chay was forced to wait outside. Once Kei had taken his seat beside Erit, she activated her screens and the information on the current meeting scrolled down.

‘The first item on our agenda today is the amalgamation of all the military forces into the Serik Alliance,’ Erit stated clearly, making sure that everyone heard her.

‘Unacceptable,’ the Qilaa Prime councillor screeched. ‘The Qilaa Defence Force should remain apart.’

‘Why?’ Roti Kei asked bluntly.

Lord Miniga of Qilaa Prime looked around at the others, then answered. ‘The Qilaa Defence Force has many divisions. We do not want to lose our identity as the best security force in the sector.’

‘Is that your only concern?’ Erit asked.

‘Yes,’ Miniga answered.

‘The Alliance is just that,’ Erit told him. ‘An Alliance. You are Qilaani but your security force will be a part of the Alliance Protectorate, just like the military and security forces of the other members.’

Miniga thought about that. ‘What of the different divisions of the Defence Force? Will they also be made part of the Protectorate?’

‘All divisions of all security and military forces will be subsumed into the Alliance Protectorate,’ Kei answered.

Miniga appeared to consider the information and then he just nodded.

‘Any other issues regarding this item?’ Erit asked.

No one moved or spoke.

‘In that case I take it that there are no further objections?’

‘None,’ the councillor agreed one by one.

‘Then the military forces will be allied under one banner,’ Erit replied and entered such into the records. ‘The second item on the agenda is the use of the Abanaki shipyards in orbit of Abanaki XI…’

Outside the council chamber, Chay was getting antsy and strode up to the bodyguard on duty. He looked stone-faced but she asked anyway.

‘What was the confrontation about earlier?’

‘Some archivist,’ the bodyguard answered without looking at her.

Chay knew most of the archivists and, as the council meeting would undoubtedly continue for quite some time, she decided to speak with them. Whatever the confrontation had been about, she should know about it for future reference and the protection of the President. It was a short walk from the main building across the gardens to the archives building and Chay unexpectedly found one of the junior archivists, a woman called Endo, sitting on a bench in the gardens.

‘Are you alright?’ Chay asked her.

‘I don’t think the President will look at the padd,’ Endo answered.

‘What are you talking about?’ Chay asked.

Endo looked at Chay for a moment. ‘I found a reference to a race in the old Alliance archives. The President was going to look it over and decide whether to hold the race again.’

Chay smiled warmly but the smile went nowhere near her eyes. ‘I’m sure she’ll look at it.’

Endo returned the smile and stood up. Chay did the same and Endo went back inside. Chay returned to the main building and entered her private office. She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out an alien-looking communication device, then set it down on the desk and activated it. A hologram appeared in front of the desk and the man did not look like he was in a good mood.

‘What do you have?’ the alien male asked.

‘The President will be hosting a race shortly—in a few days, maybe a week—you might want to take part,’ Chay answered.

‘I will speak with my superiors. Do not contact me again,’ the alien said angrily. ‘You were warned.’

‘I thought it might be important,’ Chay replied.

‘Hah! Your species don’t think, that’s the problem,’ the alien said with a crooked grin and the hologram vanished.

Chay cursed the alien’s ancestry and returned the device to the drawer. She hurried back to the council chamber and found that the same bodyguard was still there. Her illegal communication hadn’t taken that long and she was grateful for it, she had no intention of being found out.

‘Where have you been?’ the bodyguard asked, looking at her this time.

‘Checking something,’ Chay answered. ‘Anyway, it’s none of your business.’

The bodyguard smiled smugly and Chay began pacing.

Inside the council chamber, President Erit was working through the agenda in record time. The last item had been decided and the council members were wondering why she had not yet dismissed them. She was thinking about the padd in her tunic.

‘I have one more item to discuss,’ Erit told them.

‘Madame President?’ Vice President Roti Kei asked.

She pulled the padd from her tunic and connected it to the main computer. The information was automatically downloaded to the councillors’ computers and she gave them a few moments to read the rules of the race because she was reading it as well.

Kei was the first to finish and nodded to her. ‘It looks like a good idea.’

Five minutes later all the council members had finished reading it and were looking at Erit expectantly.

‘I plan to vote on this now,’ she told them. ‘Who agrees that we should hold the race?’

All of them raised their hands.

‘Thank you all, I declare this session of the Serik Alliance over. The race will take place in ten days.’

Kei turned to face her once the others had left. ‘Good timing.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Are you going to ask Captain Astor to join us?’

Erit looked surprised. ‘That’s a great idea. You might want to sort out the route and security. I’ll contact Astor myself.’

Kei nodded and strolled from the chamber.

Erit exited the chamber moments later and, followed by her bodyguards, reached her office. Chay was already there, preparing for the next round of meetings.

‘Open a line to Captain Astor on the Osiris.’

‘Of course, Madame President. Shall I tell her what the call is about?’

‘No, I’ll do that,’ Erit answered. ‘But you can take this padd and make enough copies for all the council members and their aides, then send it to the news networks.’

‘Right away, Madame President,’ Chay replied and took the padd.

Erit went into her office and Chay quickly opened the channel to the Osiris, transferring it straight through to the President. She then went to make the copies and decided to send one to her alien employers. In Erit’s office, she was sitting behind her desk with the Serik Alliance logo—an upright sword surrounded by a circle of stars—on the screen. The rotating image faded and the visage of a middle-aged woman wearing a Starfleet Captain’s uniform appeared in its stead.

‘Captain Astor, it’s good to see you again.’

‘How are things in the Alliance, Madame President?’ Astor asked.

‘Considering that there is so much bad blood between the member races, there is peace in the sector for the first time in more than three hundred years.’

Astor smiled. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’

‘I have a proposition for you?’ Erit said and Astor’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

‘You’ve piqued my curiosity, Madame President.’

Erit gave Astor the low-down on the old Alliance and the annual race, then sent her the rules.

‘This looks like a fantastic opportunity for togetherness,’ Astor replied. ‘My crew will be glad to take part.’

‘I was hoping you would,’ Erit said and turned to face someone off-screen. ‘If you’ll excuse me, Captain, I must return to my duties.’

‘Of course, Madame President. We’ll see you in a week and a half.’

Captain Elizabeth Astor’s screen darkened and the United Federation of Planets logo replaced the President’s face. She tapped a few keys and the rules of the race scrolled down her screen. After reading them several times over she make her mind up that her crew would indeed enjoy constructing a new craft to take part in a race.

‘All senior officers report to the situation room immediately,’ she said to the omnidirectional computer pickup.

The official alpha shift didn’t start for another hour and a half but the race would probably make them forget about that. Astor was impressed. By the time she reached the situation room from her ready room, a walk of about forty seconds, her entire senior staff were assembled. Commander Aaron Wright, her executive officer, sat across from the Betazoid tactical officer, Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales. The Romulan chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Xeris, was sitting opposite the Andorian Operations officer, Lieutenant Talen and Doctor Brex, the Bolian Chief Medical Officer, was sitting across from the Osiris’ helmsman, Ensign Daniel Larson. Astor took her seat and activated the holotable. The rules scrolled down.

‘The Serik Alliance is hosting a race and they have asked us to take part,’ Astor told them without preamble.

‘We’ve got to build our own ship?’ Gonzales asked.

‘Sounds like a great idea,’ Xeris replied.

‘How long do we have?’ Wright asked.

‘Ten days.’

‘It’s nigh impossible to build a ship without a design in ten days,’ Talen said.

‘We do have a design,’ Gonzales replied, looking at Xeris.

Xeris returned the look and sighed. He didn’t think he was ready to show the ship but he didn’t know anyone else on board who was working on a ship design. ‘Computer, activate programme Xeris-5,’ the chief engineer said loud enough for the computer to acknowledge.

A ship slightly longer than the Danube-class Runabout appeared over the holotable.

‘Care to explain, Commander?’ Astor asked.

‘As you can see,’ Xeris pointed, ‘the nacelles are mounted to the aft section of the ship. The warp core can be jettisoned in an emergency. The Amon-Ra is designed to hold the ablative generator in a permanent position.’

‘Anything else we should be aware of?’ Wright asked.

‘Three phaser banks and two quantum microtorpedo launchers. There are landing struts build in to the forward section,’ Xeris answered.

‘How long do you think it will take to build?’ Astor asked.

Xeris thought about it, taking everything into account. ‘About six days, if everything goes to plan.’

‘If,’ Larson added with a grin.

‘Ensign, set a course for Yenson III, warp six. Commanders,’ Astor added, looking at Wright, Gonzales and Xeris, ‘you may start construction whenever you’re ready.’

‘Aye sir,’ Larson replied.

‘Yes ma’am,’ Xeris and the others said in unison.

‘Dismissed,’ Astor finished.

The senior officers stood up as one and returned to the bridge, except Astor. She swivelled her chair to face the viewport and watched the stars streak by. The stars changed as Larson adjusted the Osiris’ course for Yenson III. Astor picked up a small padd and studied its contents. Lieutenant Talen would no doubt have the conn as the others were probably already in shuttlebay three going over the specifications before they started construction on the prototype craft.

In shuttlebay three the senior officers stood around a small holographic representation of the Amon-Ra. Xeris looked smug but Wright was looking carefully at the warp core, the intermix chamber was misaligned—a catastrophic problem for a warp-capable vessel—but due to the actual design of the vessel itself, the warp core—taken from the Runabout—could not be aligned properly.

‘Have you noticed this?’ Wright asked Xeris, pointing to the core.

‘Yes, and I’m still working on a solution,’ Xeris answered, and held up a hand to forestall the exec’s next comment. ‘Yes, I know that I’m now working against the clock.’

Wright smiled. ‘Excellent. Now, what did you have in mind for the hull alloy?’

‘Standard duritanium alloy,’ Xeris answered. ‘The ablative armour and regenerative shielding will be the major protection against weapons fire.’

‘The weapons check out,’ Gonzales said.

‘All the conduits look like they’re in the right place,’ Wright added. ‘There is nothing to stop us constructing this craft.’

‘I’ll get my engineers on building the space frame while I redesign the warp core,’ Xeris sighed.

‘There’s nothing for me to do until the outer hull and bulkheads are in place. Then I will make sure that the tactical systems are fully operational,’ Gonzales chimed in.

‘Commander, get your engineers up here now. We need to get this ship built if we want to take part in this race.’

Xeris nodded and tapped his combadge. Hu’fret, get your team up to shuttlebay three. I’ll explain when you arrive.’

‘We’re finally going to build your ship,’ Hu’fret replied. ‘On my way.’

Xeris smiled and Wright nodded. ‘Now that we all know what we are doing, it is time to get to it. Dismissed.’

‘Yes sir,’ Gonzales replied.

‘I’ll get on with the warp core,’ Xeris added.

Wright clapped the Romulan on the back and walked out of the shuttlebay. He returned to the bridge and took over the conn from Talen.

‘Where’s the Captain?’ Wright asked.

‘Still in the situation room,’ Talen answered. ‘She’s working?’

‘On what?’

Talen shrugged. ‘No idea, sir. But she did ask not to be disturbed.’

Wright sighed. He had thought that after the Eden mission she was finally settling into command and then she did this. Knowing that he should give her the benefit of the doubt, especially in front of the crew, he took the centre seat from the Andorian.

‘She’ll be here if we need her,’ Wright said with a genuine smile.

Talen nodded. ‘Aye sir,’ he replied and returned to the Operations console.

Captain Astor had eleven padds in front of her, some with the usual paperwork a Starfleet captain had to deal with and others with personal projects. She had let things pile up and now that she would have some spare time—on the way to Yenson III—she decided to take care of as much of it as possible. The personnel evaluations and crew rosters were done so she picked up one of her personal padds and glanced at it. It was the new novel by her favourite author, and she was glad to have the time to read it. No sooner had she started to read it than the Osiris dropped out of warp. She put down the padd with a hearty sigh and strode onto the bridge.

‘Commander, what is going on?’

‘We’ve detected something unusual,’ Wright answered, too vaguely for Astor’s liking.

‘Don’t keep me in suspense,’ Astor shot at him mildly irritated.

‘A derelict vessel that looks remarkably familiar to our early space shuttles,’ Wright said and Astor turned to face the viewscreen.

Against the backdrop of stars a small vessel drifted through the void. Even Astor noticed the delta-wing shape reminiscent of the orbital craft of Earth’s early forays into space.

‘Lifesigns?’

‘None we can detect,’ Talen answered.

‘Weapons?’

‘Primitive lasers,’ Gonzales answered.

‘Anything else?’

‘It has life support and artificial gravity,’ Talen told her. ‘Better than you humans had back then.’

‘Does the vessel have any identifying marks?’ Astor asked.

‘Sensors identify the vessel as the Lutaani Orbital Vehicle Carillo,’ Gonzales answered.

‘Commander, select an away team. Beam over there and find out whatever you can.’

‘What about the race?’ Larson asked.

‘Don’t worry, Ensign. We’ll make it,’ Astor reassured him.

‘Gonzales, Talen, you’re with me,’ Wright said and the two officers headed for the turbolift.

‘Be careful, Commander. We have no idea what we’ll find over there.’

Wright nodded to her and joined the others in the turbolift. ‘Transporter room two.’

 

Chapter Two

 

The trio materialised in the cockpit of the alien space shuttle and while Gonzales had her phaser in hand, looking around for any threat, the other two had their tricorders out, scanning. Wright muttered to himself as he looked around.

‘Did you say something?’ Gonzales asked.

‘This is uncanny,’ Wright repeated.

The cockpit of the Carillo looked remarkably like its twentieth century Terran counterpart. The pilots’ seats were at the very front of the craft and there were several more seats behind them for the crew and mission specialists.

‘They’ve got better technology than you had,’ Talen said. ‘They have artificial gravity.’

‘Where are the crew?’ Gonzales asked.

‘Let’s go aft, to the cargo hold,’ Wright answered. ‘Talen, stay here and download their database.’

‘Aye sir,’ the Andorian replied and set his tricorder on the pilot’s console.

Wright found exactly what he expected to in the aft cargo hold. It was designed to carry a multitude of components but at the moment it held three bodies, all hideously killed. Gonzales frowned at the sight.

‘They look human,’ she voiced after swallowing back bile.

‘They would,’ Wright replied.

‘What do we do?’ Gonzales asked. ‘They don’t have warp technology.’

‘The Prime Directive would seem to apply then,’ Wright answered. ‘We can’t touch the bodies or move the ship. But we can find their homeworld and have a look at them.’

‘Isn’t that a violation of the Prime Directive?’

‘We won’t be interfering, just observing.’

‘Aye sir,’ Gonzales replied, neglecting to mention the observation effect to him. It was a touchy subject among the Federation’s duck-blind mission selection committee after several high-profile screw-ups.

‘Talen to Wright,’ the Andorian said over the comm.

‘Yes, Lieutenant?’

‘I’ve completed the download.’

Wright looked around and then tapped his combadge. ‘Wright to Osiris, three to beam up.’

Talen put his tricorder away and then felt the tingle of the transporter beam whisk him back to the Osiris. When he materialised beside Wright and Gonzales he noticed that it was Captain Astor that had brought them back.

‘What did you find, Commander?’

‘Three bodies, mutilated,’ Wright answered. ‘we have their database for what its worth.’

Astor nodded and turned to Gonzales and Talen. Dismissed. Walk with me, Commander.’

The officers stepped off the transporter platform and exited the room, heading for the bridge. Wright and Astor emerged a moment later, going in the opposite direction.

‘Sir?’ Wright asked.

‘If these people are parallel humans, like Emile Bernhardt’s theory might suggest, then I think it warrants a look—abiding by the Prime Directive of course,’ Astor replied.

‘What about the race?’

‘We’ll still go, but I want a team for the Mauna Loa ready to go when Talen has analysed the information from their databanks.’

‘I know just the people,’ Wright replied, thinking of the away team he would choose.

‘I’ll leave you to sort that out then. I’m going to my quarters to read. If there is anything that requires my attention let me know, otherwise please leave in peace and quiet. I’ll be in my quarters having some personal time. Understood?’

‘Yes ma’am.’

‘Good,’ Astor said and strode toward the nearest turbolift.

Wright smiled to himself and took another turbolift to deck two, where his official office was. Though every starship had a room designated as the office of the executive officer, very few first officers took to using it, preferring to spend their time on the bridge or roaming around the ship. He sat down at his desk and called up the personnel database of the crew, making sure that his choices were suitable for the mission at hand. Chief Petty Officer Michelle Malling was a sociologist with an expertise in pre-warp cultures and Carl Vallejo was a civilian cultural specialist. They would be led by Lieutenant Ryan McNamara from Security, a qualified pilot and expert in tactical extraction.

‘Computer, send messages to Master Chief Petty Officer Michelle Malling, Carl Vallejo and Lieutenant McNamara, asking them to assemble in shuttlebay one in one hour.’

‘Acknowledged,’ the computer replied.

‘Talen to Wright.’

‘Go ahead, Lieutenant.’

‘You should come up here, sir,’ Talen replied. ‘There’s something interesting about these people.’

‘I’m on my way.’

Talen was at the rear science console when Wright reached the bridge. ‘What have you got?’

‘The tricorder picked up a DNA trace,’ Talen answered. I’ve just got the results back from sickbay. These people appear to be human.’

Wright’s face was blank. ‘Doctor Brex, please report to the bridge immediately.’

Brex arrived quickly and strode to the two men. ‘Sir?’

‘Human?’ Wright asked.

‘Yes, sir,’ Brex answered. ‘They are essentially human.’

‘Essentially?’

‘Their genetic code matches ours to within ninety-nine-point-seven percent, so by scientific rationale, they are human. I haven’t yet been able to identify what the differences are though.’

‘And you would have to examine one in order to find out?’ Wright asked.

‘Yes sir.’

‘I’ll ask the Captain, this could make things more difficult.’

‘Aye sir,’ Brex replied.

Wright left the two men standing there and hurried to the turbolift. He knew that they were going to have to make up the time to reach Yenson III before the race started, so he knew that he’d better wrap up this problem as quickly as possible. By the time he reached Astor’s quarters he already had a plan of action formulated and hoped that she would approve it so they could get to the race on time.

‘Come,’ she answered when he pressed the chime.

Wright stepped inside and looked around before spotting her. Astor was reclined on the couch with a padd in her hand and a mug of steaming coffee on the glass table in front of her. There was soft music playing that Wright didn’t even bother to try and recognise. He was tone deaf and knew it.

‘We have something unusual,’ he told her.

She sat up and put the padd down on the table. ‘About the Lutaani?’

‘Yes ma’am,’ Wright answered. ‘Brex has discovered that their DNA is less than point-zero-three percent different to ours, the Lutaani are actually human. He’d like to examine one of the bodies to be absolutely sure.’

‘The Prime Directive still applies, Commander. I can’t authorise that.’

‘If they are human they got out here somehow. They may have had warp capability in the past but a major war or environmental disaster could have send them back to a pre-warp culture.’

Astor cogitated over that. It had been known for aliens to abduct humans and take them across the galaxy, hell, even to a different galaxy, but this was slightly different. ‘Computer, time.’

‘The current time is 1701 hours,’ replied the feminine computer voice.

‘Tell Brex he has three hours,’ Astor said. ‘We’ll resume course for Yenson III at 2000 hours, regardless of what he finds. Dismissed, Commander,’ Astor added as she reclined herself again and picked up the padd.

Wright nodded and left her quarters. On his way back to the bridge he tapped his combadge. ‘Wright to Brex.’

‘Sir?’

‘You have until 1930 hours to do a complete autopsy of one of the bodies. No shortcuts, this has to be by the book. You’d better get moving.’

‘Aye sir, Brex out.’

 

Sickbay had been sealed off by Brex for the duration of the autopsy. Only he and Doctor Derek Stryker were present, as well as the body in a stasis field to prevent contamination of any kind. The old days of cutting into a body were long gone thanks to the numerous recent leaps in holographic technology. It was now possible to find out how someone had died—provided of course that it was some physical wound—using what was now called forensic holography. Both Brex and Stryker wore surgical gowns, as per regulations, and were ready to perform the autopsy.

‘Computer, activate Emergency Medical Technician.’

The third generation medical holographic programme had the knowledge of a third year medical student, as the previous two incarnations had been too knowledgeable and smug and not knowledgeable enough respectively.

‘What can I help you with, Doctor?’ the EMT asked as it appeared.

‘Have you assisted in an autopsy before?’ Stryker asked.

‘No, Doctor, I haven’t,’ Charlie answered.

When Brex arrived on board a few months previously, at Utopia Planitia, he had asked his medical staff to name the EMT. After three weeks the name Charles had been the most popular, but Brex decided on the less formal “Charlie” for ease of use.

‘Here’s your chance,’ Brex replied. ‘Computer, activate forensic scan and show skeleton as it would have been in life. Allow tactile manipulation without destruction of structure.’

‘Acknowledged.’ The biobed’s diagnostic array slid into position above the Lutaani’s body and a mauve scanning beam caressed it. Moments later a holographic representation flickered into existence a foot above the body.

‘The skull appears substantially thicker than most humanoid skeletal structures,’ Charlie noticed.

Brex nodded in agreement. ‘Well done, Charlie. Computer, scan dimensions of the skull and extrapolate match within norms of humanoid cultures known to the Federation.’

‘Working,’ the computer replied. ‘One possible match found,’ the computer added a moment later and the results of that match appeared on the large screen in the centre of sickbay.

The doctors looked confused but finished the autopsy before analysing the strange match. When Brex was done he contacted the transporter room operator and had the body beamed back to the Carillo. Then went to find Wright.

‘Are you sure about the results?’ Wright asked.

‘Absolutely,’ Brex answered.

‘We’d better take this to the Captain,’ Wright said and Brex nodded. Wright tapped his combadge. ‘Wright to Astor.’

‘Yes, Commander?’

‘We’ve discovered something extremely interesting. Recommend you call a meeting of the senior staff.’

‘Do it. I’ll be there shortly.’

The doors to the situation room slid open to admit Astor and she took her seat at the head of the table. ‘Well, what’s so interesting about the Lutaani?’

Wright looked at Brex and the Doctor began. ‘The Lutaani have a genetic code almost identical to ours, with less than point-zero-three percent difference. After a detailed autopsy and check through the medical database, I can safely say that the Lutaani are direct descendents of the Neanderthals from thousands of years ago.’

No said a word as they digested the information.’

‘How accurate is this information,’ Astor asked.

‘Completely,’ Brex answered, glaring at Astor for daring to question his accuracy.

‘This is definitely worth a look,’ Astor said. ‘But we can’t afford to delay our arrival at Yenson III. Commander, is your away team still ready to go?’

‘Yes ma’am.’

‘Good. Provide them with everything they’ll need. I still want to resume course no later than 2000 hours, before, if possible. How’s the ship coming?’

‘The space frame is complete and the first components are being fitted now,’ Xeris answered. ‘We’re on schedule.’

‘Excellent,’ Astor replied and rose to leave. ‘Dismissed.’

Wright headed directly for the shuttlebay one to brief the away team. They were going to have to be extremely careful and he needed to make sure that they knew what to do in case anything went wrong. Malling, Vallejo and McNamara stood beside the Mauna Loa waiting as Wright walked in. He walked over to them and they stood alert.

‘The people on Lutaan IV appear to be descendents of the Neanderthal people of Earth, who we have assumed did not survive the evolutionary process. Your mission profile is to take as many readings of this planet and its people as possible without being seen. If you are seen or you think you might be, I want you to leave orbit and rendezvous with the Osiris at Yenson III. Understood?’

‘Yes sir,’ McNamara answered.

McNamara entered the Flyer’s hatch and the other two followed, taking up their positions in the cockpit. Wright returned to the bridge in time to hear the departure clearance.

‘Mauna Loa, you are cleared for departure,’ Lieutenant Talen, the Flight Operations Officer, said as Wright took his seat beside Astor.

The Flyer slipped away from the Osiris and disappeared into warp. Wright watched the Carillo drifting alone in space as the Osiris itself went to warp. As it did so, Lieutenant Commander Xeris sat at his desk in main engineering working on redesigning the warp core for the Amon-Ra. It needed to be roughly the same dimensions as the core for the Danube-class Runabouts but a different shape—and that was the hardest part. Designing warp cores was normally within the purview of the engineers at the Advanced Starship Design Bureau in San Francisco and people that designed their own ships usually used one of the typical warp core designs. But, he had to be different and it was costing him time. At this rate the ship would be built within four days and he had yet to hand over the new design.

As the Osiris sped toward Yenson III, the engineers were starting to install the inner workings of the new ship but they were currently working normal duty shifts, and only the alpha team were working on it, which was the reason it was going to take another four of five days to finish building it. Deputy Chief Engineer Hu’fret had his head and torso underneath what was going to be the cockpit, under the pilot’s console, placing isolinear chips and rods in their assigned places.

‘Sir,’ Lieutenant Rachel Queran called out.

‘What?’ he asked without sliding himself out of the console.

‘The bioneural gelpacks aren’t integrating properly,’ she answered.

‘Take them to Doctor Brex,’ Hu’fret screeched at her.

‘It’s the end of shift, sir,’ Queran shot back. ‘And you have your husband to go to,’ the Deputy Chief filled in the blanks. ‘Very well, leave them aside and I’ll drop them off when I go of shift.’

‘Aye sir, thank you,’ Queran replied as she dashed off.

Hu’fret heard the shuttlebay doors open and close twice in fairly fast succession and was about to call out when the person spoke up. ‘Are you planning to finish your shift this evening, Lieutenant?’ Astor asked genially.

Hu’fret bashed his head as he slid out from the console and then stepped through the hatch, narrowly avoiding the diseased gelpacks.

‘How’s it going?’ she asked.

‘On schedule, sir,’ he answered, neglecting to mention the problem with the warp core.

Astor nodded. ‘I must admit, she does  look good.’

Hu’fret turned. ‘Yes, she does.’

‘Is there a problem?’ she asked, glancing at the gelpacks.

‘Possibly, I’m going to take them to Brex now.’

Astor nodded again. ‘I’ll let you get on with it then. Goodnight, Lieutenant.’

‘Goodnight, sir.’

Once Astor had gone, Hu’fret picked up the case of gelpacks and strode from the shuttlebay, toward engineering several decks down. Doctor Brex was still in sickbay working on a personal project and looked up when Hu’fret entered, smiling thinly.

‘Are you aware that my duty shift is technically over?’ the Bolian asked.

Hu’fret smiled wanly. ‘Sorry, Doc. These are for the Amon-Ra and they don’t seem to be integrating with the other systems properly. There’s nothing mechanically wrong with them.’

‘And as they have a biological component you thought you’d come to me,’ Brex replied. ‘Sorry, Lieutenant, I’ve been wrapped up in this,’ he added, tapping the screen before switching it off. He stood up and walked over to the biobed. ‘Let’s see what we have here.’

Hu’fret placed the case on the floor and then took out the gelpacks and put them on the biobed. Brex activated the diagnostic array and this time a cyan beam pulsed over the gelpacks. Hu’fret looked nervous as Brex consulted the screen. The doctor frowned at what he saw.

‘These bioneural gelpacks have been exposed to the Tolavian flu,’ Brex told the engineer.

‘How?’

‘It must have happened where they were put together, the gelpacks are designed to be tamperproof.’

‘We picked all our gelpacks up at Utopia Planitia, does that mean that all the gelpacks there are infected?’

‘Possibly, I’ll contact Starfleet Medical myself this evening,’ Brex answered. ‘For now, I’ll introduce this antivirus into the gelpacks. This should solve the problem and allow you to integrate them into the Amon-Ra’s systems.’

‘Thanks, Doc,’ the engineer said, relieved.

Next time, Lieutenant, call ahead to make sure I’m not actually doing anything,’ Brex told him.

‘Sorry, sir,’ Hu’fret replied, rushing off with the case of healthy gelpacks.

He returned them to the shuttlebay and scurried off to change clothes. He had a dinner date with a beautiful woman and didn’t intend being late. Lieutenant Commander Xeris nodded to his deputy as the latter rushed off toward the galley and mess hall. Xeris entered what he knew to be an empty room and then tapped his combadge, speaking in a whisper.

‘Computer, activate site-to-site transport, authorisation Xeris-3-1-Omega-8-9.’

The tingle of the transporter took him and deposited him just inside Lieutenant Commander Gonzales’ quarters.

‘You’re late,’ the tactical officer said jovially.

‘Had to make sure no one saw me,’ Xeris replied

She smiled. ‘You were worth the wait,’ she said, kissing him on the cheek.

‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for months.’

‘Then let’s get on with it,’ she replied and pulled the Romulan toward the small kitchenette.

Many recent starships had replaced replicator stations with galleys for more social eating places but the Heliopolis-class was the first to include kitchenettes in all quarters for officers and crewmembers alike. Most officers still preferred to eat socially but the kitchenettes were there if they were needed for more intimate meetings. Gonzales was fully Betazoid but her parents had been killed when she was a baby and she’d been rescued by human couple. They had adopted her and she’d learned how to cook Mexican food from a very young age.

She loved Mexican food and wanted to introduce the Romulan to it, for he would have to like it if he wanted to entertain a relationship with her. While she finished cooking the food, Xeris sat at the table and whipped out a padd. He continued to work on the designs for the new warp core, but stole surreptitious glances at her just in case she saw what he was up to.

 

Chapter Three

 

Eighteen hours after leaving the Osiris, the Mauna Loa dropped out of warp as it approached the Lutaani system. Lieutenant Ryan McNamara slowed the ship to a halt as they neared Lutaan IV. He used the sensors to see what was in orbit of the planet before they got close enough to be seen by whatever scanning technology the aliens had.

‘Looks like a lot of space junk,’ Carl Vallejo, the civilian cultural specialist, murmured.

It is,’ Michelle Malling replied. ‘It was only when we started constructing ships in space that we removed our own “space junk.” Some of it was placed in museums and the rest was melted down.’

‘Are any of them satellites or types of scanning devices?’ Vallejo asked.

‘Some,’ Malling answered. ‘I’m picking up radio waves, microwaves and floating debris that looked like old ships.’

‘In that case,’ McNamara suggested, ‘we’ll stay here for now. It should be outside the range of their sensors.’

‘We could send a probe in, it’d just look like another bit of debris.’

‘Good thinking, Carl. Make it work.’

The probe was launched a few minutes later and flown into a high orbit where it started to map the surface of the planet. Such a complex programme could take several days to complete but Malling started to analyse the geological and topographical data as it came in, even as the computer began to construct a model of the planet itself. Vallejo impatiently waited for her to throw some of the cultural data his way. Several hours passed before he started to complain.

‘You could help her analyse the data,’ McNamara suggested. ‘I’m just holding us here and scanning for any approaching craft.’

‘Talking of approaching craft,’ Malling interjected, ‘I’m looking at what seems to be some kind of launching pad on a curved peninsula. And it looks like another of their space shuttles is going to be launched.’

‘I recommend that we hide behind the second moon. The probe can continue to provide its telemetry and because of the moon’s relative position to the planet we’ll still be able to receive it while being hidden from the space shuttle,’ Vallejo said from beside Malling.

‘I agree,’ McNamara replied—shooting a surprised look at the specialist—and cautiously piloted the Flyer behind the large chunk of rock that served as Lutaan IV’s second satellite.

Malling and Vallejo occupied the port and starboard stations of the cockpit, with different data flowing to each station. Malling’s screens showed architectural and technological data while Vallejo’s screens provided several hundred gigaquads of data on the Lutaani people. McNamara was watching a side screen as he also kept an eye on the sensors. His screen showed some technological information and some cultural information but he was only paying attention to what interested him.

‘In some ways they’re far more advanced than we were at that stage of development,’ Vallejo said into a recorder.

‘In what way?’ Malling asked, looking up from her screen.

‘They’ve had no wars to speak of, and the technological advances that are usually associated with war came about by other means. From what I can tell, the Lutaani are a race of artists and scientists. I’ve found no evidence of religion or even a hierarchical government.’

‘That in itself is strange,’ Malling muttered. ‘What about forms of money, currency?’

‘None that I can see so far,’ Vallejo answered. ‘They appear to work for the benefit of their species rather than for personal gain.’

‘Okay, I know you guys are the cultural experts,’ McNamara said, ‘but have you looked at the people on the South-Eastern island chain?’

The space shuttle burst through the atmosphere, surprising them, and after reorienting itself headed out of the system. ‘We might have a problem,’ Malling said.

‘What?’

‘That ship is much faster than the Carillo, it is also heading for the derelict’s last known position.’

‘Search and rescue?’ Vallejo asked.

‘Probably, that ship is capable of speeds approaching warp one, ninety-eight percent of light speed.’

‘Well, we’ll stay here for the moment,’ McNamara replied. ‘Now, what about the island chain?’

After a few minutes’ silence, Malling provided the answer. ‘Money, religion and government.’

‘How can two different sociologies like that coexist together?’ Vallejo asked himself.

‘They don’t, it’s as simple as that,’ Malling replied. ‘From what I can see, with what little data I have, it appears as if neither side even acknowledges the other. But I must point out that the governed group are significantly less advanced than the Lutaani. They don’t even have aircraft, let alone spacecraft.’

‘Record everything,’ McNamara told them. ‘I suggest that you both take a break. We’ve already been here nine hours.’

The specialists looked at each other and sighed. Both stood up and followed McNamara into the aft compartment where a table had been set out for them to eat. McNamara sat down and Malling slipped into the seat beside him. Vallejo crossed to the replicator and ordered dinner for the three of them, they had missed lunch and their stomachs were all growling.

‘Any idea how the two cultures evolved so differently?’ Malling asked the two men.

‘I’m not a cultural expert,’ McNamara answered. ‘My only theory, based on experience, is that both cultures are aware of each other but for some reason have decided not to interact with each other.’

‘Nonsense,’ Vallejo retorted. ‘We don’t know enough about either culture to make a proper determination.’

‘I doubt we’ll be here long enough to learn enough about either culture to make a sensible theory,’ Malling replied.

Vallejo leaned back in his chair and smiled. ‘I never thought I’d actually be able to go on an away mission.’

‘Why?’ McNamara asked.

‘Because Captains these days are good enough diplomats not to need a cultural specialist on board,’ Vallejo answered. ‘It is well known that the Enterprise had only Captain Picard and Counsellor Troi and they managed fine.’

‘The Enterprise has always been the flagship of the fleet, ever since the inaugural days of the United States of America in 1776, and continuing into the twenty-second century with the inauguration of Starfleet,’ McNamara said. ‘Somehow they always seem to muddle through.’

Malling smiled. ‘Always will be, too.’

‘Don’t forget that they lost their flagship status a couple of years ago.’

‘It was a screw-up of galactic proportions,’ Malling screeched. ‘But the problems were sorted out…’

‘…before the Enterprise crew went their separate ways. Picard has never been the same since Riker left to take command of the Titan. Apparently, Commander Madden isn’t quite the same as Riker and Picard hasn’t got the same rapport with him.’

‘Did the Enterprise come across anything like this?’ McNamara asked.

‘Maybe, we’ll have to look through the computer.’

‘Do it tomorrow, I’m sure that we all need some sleep.’

 

The engineering team had been working hard over the last five days but Xeris was still unable to come up with a warp core. He had two designs that fitted but neither worked in the simulations and therefore had to inform Astor that unless he could find a miracle in the next three days they would be unable to enter the race. She fumed and confined him to his quarters for insubordination when he spoke out of turn and ranted at her. So he was in his quarters looking bleary-eyed at a padd when he felt rather than saw the Osiris drop out of warp. Xeris looked out of the window and recognised the Yenson system, then sighed. He massaged the tips of his ears, as he often did when he was stressed and unable to do anything about it, and the solution suddenly came to him.

‘Xeris to Wright,’ the Chief Engineer tapped his combadge, preferring not to speak with the Captain after his recent performance.

‘Go ahead, Commander,’ Wright said, clearly aggrieved.

‘I need access to the holodeck. I think I have the solution.’

There was silence for a few moments and then Xeris heard Astor’s voice. ‘Very well, Commander, your restrictions are lifted for now. If you haven’t got the solution I will send you back to your quarters.’

‘Aye sir,’ Xeris replied.

Eight minutes later Xeris sat at the controls inside a holographic representation of the Amon-Ra. He powered up the craft and launched. Once the Amon-Ra was clear of the holographic Osiris he engaged the warp engines. The new craft streaked into warp without a problem, the nacelles were working and the core was stable.

‘Computer, end programme.’

As the holodeck programme ended, Xeris turned to leave and saw Astor, Wright and Gonzales standing by the door. He handed Gonzales the padd he was holding with the core design on and left the holodeck.

‘It will take at least two days, with the crew working around the clock, to install the core and finish construction.’

‘What else is left to do?’ Astor asked.

‘Well, the core has to be installed and the outer hull and inner bulkheads need to be welded on. The software has to be uploaded and integrated, the database has to be downloaded, and the usual tests have to be run.’

‘And after all the trouble, we really should have a shakedown cruise,’ Wright added.

Astor nodded. ‘I will leave you to get on with it then,’ she said and walked out.

Wright and Gonzales glanced at each other but the latter took the padd and headed off to engineering. Wright returned to the bridge and took his seat as Larson piloted the ship into a high orbit of Yenson III. More than a dozen vessels were already present and Astor recognised a few. Abanaki and Jumani cruisers, Qilaani starships, Denaari ships and at least five that she presumed belonged to the other Alliance races. As the ship came to a stop everyone on the bridge looked at the viewscreen as a new ship came into view. It looked like a champagne bottle with nacelles and had unique markings on the hull.

‘Sir, it’s the new Serik Alliance flagship, the Peacemaker,’ Larson said from the helm.

‘Captain, we’re being hailed,’ Lieutenant Reich replied from tactical.

‘Put it through.’

‘This is President Erit aboard the Alliance starship Peacemaker. Welcome back to Yenson III, Captain.’

‘I must say, this gathering looks impressive.’

‘Thank you, we arranged this at quite short notice. If you would like to beam down I can introduce you to everyone.’

‘I’d like that, Madame President. We’ll join you in a few moments.’

Erit nodded and signed off.

‘Commander, you have the bridge,’ Astor said and headed for the turbolift.

‘Sir, I’m coming with you,’ Gonzales added, stepping off the turbolift.

Astor looked ready to argue but thought better of it. ‘Come on then,’ she replied and they both entered the turbolift.

The transporter technician smiled at the two senior officers and beamed them straight down as soon as they stepped on to the transporter platform. They materialised in the square outside the Alliance Headquarters and Gonzales was awestruck at the sight. When they had been here just a few months before there was nothing but gravel and dust. A man wearing extravagant robes strode toward them and Astor recognised him as Vice President Roti Kei.

‘Captain Astor, it is good to see you again,’ Kei said, clasping her hand in greeting.

‘As it is to see you,’ Astor replied.

‘Is your craft ready for the race? We need to have our race coordinator take a look before the race begins.’

Astor betrayed nothing but Gonzales grimaced.

‘Not ready yet?’

‘We had a few problems.’

‘You only have two days,’ Kei told them sympathetically.

‘It’ll be ready, cutting it close, but it will be ready,’ Gonzales said.

‘Looking at everyone here I don’t think that the event hall is large enough for them all, or the rest that will turn up,’ Kei muttered, half to himself.

‘The Osiris’ mess hall should be large enough to hold everyone here, plus more,’ Astor told him with a smile.

Kei appeared to think about it for a moment, but both Astor and Gonzales knew that he set her up—she was going to ask them anyway. ‘Thank you for the offer. I will ask the President.’

‘No problem,’ Astor said.

‘Come with me, I’ll introduce you to everyone.’

Kei led them into the event hall from the anteroom and President Erit led a group of men and women toward them. Lord Miniga of Qilaa Prime stepped forward to introduce himself, then the others did so. Astor shook the hands of Regent Kanti of the Ceralan Regency; First Minister Jeen of the Trili Republic; Lady Pa’al of the Meesen Dynasty; Lord Mayor Allex Dee of the Arkan Systems and General Vai Kol of the Golniki Planetary Group.’

‘I thought that there were twelve members?’

‘The others aren’t coming, they do not have the shipbuilding facilities for small craft and the rules prohibit assistance being given,’ Kei answered.

Astor nodded, comprehending. ‘I don’t suppose they’re very happy about that.’

‘Most assuredly not,’ President Erit replied. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ she spoke loudly, ‘in eighteen hours the race will begin and in the meantime our independent engineers will look at each craft and decide whether the vessel can enter. Thank you.’

‘Wright to Astor.’

‘Go ahead, Commander,’ Astor replied, tapping her combadge.

‘Xeris reports that the Amon-Ra is ready and awaits the independent engineer.’

‘Acknowledged, that was fast. Astor out.’

Gonzales smiled. ‘Told you it would be ready, sir.’

Astor nodded. ‘We’ll see if it’s up to scratch. Come on, we’d better go back up.’

‘Aye sir.’

The two officers rematerialised in the transporter room and both immediately headed for shuttlebay three. The doors opened and Astor saw that the entire senior staff were also there. Xeris stepped through the hatch and sat in the pilot’s seat. He powered up the warp core and impulse engines and lifted the ship a metre off the deck.

‘Okay, Commander, she’s ready,’ Astor said with a smile.

Xeris set the ship back down and emerged from the hatch. ‘The engineer is on his way,’ Gonzales told him and his face sagged.

 

Lieutenant Ryan McNamara checked the sensors for the third time that hour. The crew of the Mauna Loa  had eight probes in orbit with the space junk looking down at the Lutaani people. The specialists wanted to beam something aboard and had been nagging him since they woke up from his enforced nap five days before. At first he had categorically denied them but he now saw that they were not going to get much more information on the Lutaani without seeing their technology close up. McNamara had moved their position half a dozen times and they were hidden from the advanced scanners of the Lutaani ships but still had a good signal strength from the probes. The Flyer itself was too far away to beam anything directly but the scientists had nagged him so much that he had given them a way to do it and they were almost ready.

‘Vallejo to McNamara, we’re ready.’

‘Charging the deflector. Transporter systems are at maximum efficiency. The link with the probe has been established.’

‘Deflector is charged, energising,’ Malling said.

 Both of the specialists were in the rear compartment and a forcefield had been set up just in case there was anything dangerous in the debris. The transporter beam was strengthened by the deflector dish and linked with the probe so the small satellite they beamed aboard raised no alarms, either on the Mauna Loa or on Lutaan. Malling took out her tricorder and scanned the piece of space junk. After several minutes she walked over to the computer console and entered search queries.

‘Strange,’ she muttered.

‘You found something?’ Vallejo asked.

‘Yeah, the components in this match those of our own early satellites. The alloys are identical.’

‘What about quantum dating?’

Malling did so, then frowned. ‘395.1 years.’

‘That would make it about 1986,’ Vallejo said.

At that moment McNamara appeared and sat on the bench across from them. ‘Well?’

‘I have a theory which fits the facts that we have, at least relating to the major people on the planet, but it’s got lots of holes in it.’

McNamara was the senior officer and as such had to act like a captain. ‘Okay, let me hear it.’

I think that an alien race abducted several people from the late twentieth century and brought them here, replicating our technology. Ever since, the people have used that technology as a blueprint and as they have advanced that technology they used the same style that they had.’

‘Which is why their technology looks like ours but is far more advanced than ours was at the same time,’ McNamara got the grasp.

‘Exactly.’

McNamara thought carefully. He could tell Astor about it or he could continue to collect information about these people and try to find out who brought them here. The decision wasn’t hard. ‘Do you know who brought them here?’

‘No sir,’ Malling answered. ‘We haven’t found any evidence of alien technology yet.’

‘Well, not that alien,’ Vallejo added.

‘Then get to work, we can’t just take this to the Captain.’

Vallejo and Malling glanced at each other and smiled, this was after all why they were out here.

‘Yes sir,’ they replied together.

McNamara grinned back. ‘Need me to do anything?’

‘Programme the sensors to look for anything other than the alloys found in the space junk,’ Vallejo answered.

‘Hopefully, we’ll get lucky.’

‘I’ll do continuous scans,’ McNamara said and returned to the cockpit to do just that.

After determining that there was no danger from the debris they lowered the forcefield and removed the outer sections of plating. That was when they found their first surprise.

‘That doesn’t belong in here,’ Malling said, glancing at her tricorder. ‘And whatever it is, it’s blocking our scans.’

‘Try a higher intensity scan,’ Vallejo suggested.

She did. ‘Oh, damn.’

‘Problem?’

‘Yeah, this thing is now putting out some kind of subspace carrier wave.’

‘A homing device?’ Vallejo asked, nervous.

‘Exactly.’

They both ran for the cockpit just as McNamara’s console started bleeping and alarm klaxons started wailing. He turned to face them.

‘Accidentally activated some kind of beacon,’ Malling said.

‘Well, we got lucky,’ McNamara replied. ‘There’s a ship approaching and it doesn’t match anything we’ve seen before.’

‘What do we do?’ Malling asked.

‘This is my turf,’ McNamara replied. ‘Computer, red alert. Raise shields and send a distress call on all Federation and Serik Alliance frequencies.’

‘They could be friendly.’

‘Not if they don’t say hello.’

McNamara pressed a key. ‘This is Lieutenant Ryan McNamara of the Federation vessel Mauna Loa. Please identify yourself.’

There was no response.

‘Computer, repeat message continually. People, sit down. We could be in for a rough ride.’

They did so just as the ship entered visual range.

‘It’s huge.’

The Flyer was rocked as an energy discharge struck the hull. McNamara pushed the ship into full reverse and returned fire.

‘Didn’t even make a dent in their shields.’

‘We’re in trouble,’ Malling said as the lights flickered and went out.

The emergency lighting came on as a tractor beam caught them.

 

Chapter Four

 

The members of the Serik Alliance had all gathered aboard the Osiris, and were assembled in the mess hall which had been specially cleared for the occasion. Captain Astor is with them while Commander Wright was on the bridge. When the race began, he would be on the Amon-Ra with Ensign Larson and Lieutenant Commander Gonzales would have the bridge. Lieutenant Talen would be in the astrometrics lab (having been given special permission by Astor) acting as commentator during the different legs of the race. Wright was watching the viewscreen and admiring the different designs of vessels present when another ship suddenly dropped out of warp. Gonzales immediately went on the defensive, which was justified when they recognised the ship.

‘Wright to Astor.’

‘Commander?’

‘A Xegnotin vessel just dropped out of warp.’

‘They’re hailing us,’ Gonzales added.

‘On screen,’ Wright ordered, knowing that the link to Astor was still open.

The insectoid-like visage of the Xegnotin captain appeared on the screen. ‘We wish to enter the race. The engineer can inspect our vessel at leisure.’

The image faded.

‘Wow,’ Gonzales said. ‘I could sense no dishonesty, but a desire to win, to prove superiority.’

‘Thank you for your assessment,’ Astor replied. ‘Relay that President Erit has granted permission, provided that the conditions have been met.’

‘Acknowledged.’

‘They have received the signal,’ Gonzales said.

‘The first annual Serik Alliance race will begin in one hour. All pilots are to report to their vessels,’ Talen said over the fleet-wide comm.

‘Lieutenant Commander Gonzales, you have the conn,’ Wright told her and headed for the turbolift.

In quarters assigned for the duration of the race, President Erit and Chay were sitting across from one another, the latter looking uncomfortable. Erit was holding a padd which contained damaging information for the aide. Captain Astor stood in the shadows, ignored by both.

‘Just tell me, how could you betray my trust and threaten this very Alliance?’

‘They gave me my own freighter, I’ve wanted one for years.’

‘Everyone has their price,’ Astor muttered to herself

‘It could work to our advantage,’ Chay thought aloud.

‘How?’ Erit asked.

‘We might be able to convince them to join the Alliance.’

Erit laughed. ‘Very unlikely. If we lose the race then it proves—to them—that they are superior. If they lose, they are likely to step up their attempts to annihilate all our species in an effort to make them feel superior again.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Chay repeated herself.

‘Not good enough,’ Erit told her. ‘No matter what the outcome, you’ll be fired as soon as the race is over.’

Astor and Erit left the room, leaving Chay under guard, and returned to the mess hall. Everyone crowded round the windows and the screens that had been set up to watch the small crafts speed away at warp, heading toward the Jumani system where the actual race would begin. The Osiris’ comm system had been networked with the other vessels—including the Xegnotin ship—and Talen’s voice could be clearly heard no matter where you were.

‘The first leg of the Serik Alliance race will take place in the Jumani system, just as it was before.’

Commander Wright sat in the pilot’s seat of the Amon-Ra and Ensign Larson sat beside him.

‘Wright to Osiris, Amon-Ra is ready.’

The other vessels reported their readiness and the Peacemaker suddenly fired a torpedo, detonating it to order the ships into the Jumani system, where the race would officially begin. The eleven ships all disappeared at once. A track had been laid out and it would take at least three hours for the ships to reach the Jumani system, during which time Talen would have little to do as the race proper didn’t actually begin until the craft entered the system and lined up at the beginning of the track.

 

McNamara sat in the pilot’s chair with the specialists in their seats behind him and waited for the tractor beam to disengage. He didn’t have to wait long as the Mauna Loa came to rest on a deck and the flickering lighting returned to normal brightness.

‘Now what?’ Malling asked.

They heard the hatch open and then three men wearing an obviously-military uniform holding rifles and carrying side-arms entered the cockpit. The rifles and side-arms were not the type usually used by space-faring races, they were primitive-looking projectile weapons. These people clearly preferred doing serious injury to enemies by invasive methods. They were dangerous weapons and could kill the Starfleet people easily.

‘Who are you people?’ Vallejo asked.

‘Not your concern,’ a fourth man answered, stepping into the cockpit. He wore a uniform reminiscent of the old United States Navy, and he guessed that the soldiers were probably marines.

‘Why have you kidnapped us?’ McNamara asked.

‘We haven’t,’ the man answered with a small smile. ‘You are being held by the Elmbith for damage to Lutaani property and interference in Lutaani affairs.’

McNamara grimaced but couldn’t help himself. ‘Who are you to control the Lutaani?’

‘Wait a minute,’ Vallejo screeched. ‘You have people on the island chain in the south.’

‘Yes, we do. To prevent the Lutaani exploring.’

Malling sighed. ‘Why?’

‘Because we took them from their homeworld to study them. We can’t study them if they leave the system.’

‘This is getting us nowhere,’ Vallejo said angrily. ‘Why did you take them from Earth to study them?’

The man’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Earth?’

‘That is what we call our homeworld.’

‘But you were supposed to destroy yourselves sixty years after we took them. Our mandate is to rescue doomed civilisations and study them in their new homes.’

McNamara, as senior officer, took up the story. ‘We had a world war in the mid-twenty-first century, our third, but most of humanity survived. Only three hundred million of the eight billion people died. Ten years after the war ended a scientist discovered warp drive and it changed us completely. We joined the interstellar community.’

The man snapped his fingers and the marines lowered their weapons. ‘I will of course investigate your claims. If they are true I will allow you to continue on your way.’

‘We will want to speak with the Lutaani.’

‘Not until we confirm that you are telling the truth.’

McNamara nodded and the man left the Flyer, followed by the marines, and the crew were left alone to their questions.

‘Sir, are you planning to contact the Lutaani?’

‘Yes, they deserve to know the truth.’

‘But they haven’t developed warp drive,’ Vallejo said.

‘We have developed the warp drive, and they are human.’

Malling nodded. ‘It’s the right thing to do.’

Vallejo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. ‘I’m gonna sleep.’

‘At a time like this?’

‘There’s nothing we can do until they come back,’ Vallejo answered. ‘And I am tired.’

‘He’s right,’ McNamara said. ‘Both of you get some sleep. I’ll stay on watch. And think about what time-travelling race that we know of could have provided such faulty information.’

Malling nodded, leaned back and closed her eyes.

‘Computer, dim lights,’ McNamara said and turned to face his console which still had telemetry flooding in from the probe. He kept one eye on it and thought about whether the Elmbith could travel in time or whether it was a cover story for a complex experiment. He knew he might never find the answers but it didn’t stop him from thinking about it.

Three hours later McNamara heard the unmistakeable sound of the hatch opening and returned the lighting to normal. The specialists opened their eyes and sat up just as the alien officer entered the cockpit, this time without the marines. He sighed and leaned against the rear station.

‘We have been able to confirm your story,’ the man said. ‘I am Colonel Jalik of the Elmbith Relocation Corporation. Under our laws I should arrest you for trespassing and impound your vessel. But your story is true and a review is being conducted at the highest level.’

‘Meaning?’ McNamara asked.

‘I have been ordered to let you go and release your vessel. I am advising you to leave the Lutaani system without contacting them, otherwise my bosses may decide to arrest you—and I will not be able to help you at that time.’

‘Thank you for the help that you have given us,’ McNamara replied. ‘But my people have a duty to report all human colonies because of our people have been abducted over the centuries. I will be contacting them.’

‘I did not hear you say that,’ Jalik replied. ‘Prepare to leave under your own power,’ he added and left the Flyer.

McNamara swivelled around and powered up the engines. His next stop, to which Malling and Vallejo now agreed, was Lutaan IV.

 

The eleven specially-built crafts entered the Jumani system and headed toward the track. The Xegnotin shuttle, (roughly translated into Virus), took an early lead, streaking past all the others. On board the Amon-Ra, Commander Wright was attending the engineer’s station as the impulse drive was acting up and they were falling behind.

‘Sir, reroute power from the microtorpedo systems. We shouldn’t need them,’ Ensign Larson suggested.

‘Ensign, if we should come under fire—’

‘We’ve got phasers. But we’ve got to be in the race. Xeris or one of his engineers screwed up somewhere.’

‘Xeris spent days on this ship, making sure that everything was operating properly.’ Wright replied. ‘I’m rerouting the power now,’ he added as he finished making connections under the tactical console.

Larson increased power to the impulse drive and felt the response through the deck plates. The Amon-Ra’s impulse drives glowed brightly as it slipped between the Jumani and Denaari ships, and caught up with the Virus. Wright took the co-pilot’s seat and checked the power couplings.

‘Everything is looking fine,’ he told Larson. ‘I think it might have been a faulty relay.’

‘Well, whatever the reason, it’s okay now,’ the younger officer replied. ‘The others are closing but we’ve got enough of a lead to overtake the Xegnotin ship before they reach us.’

Wright nodded. ‘We should not be reckless, Ensign. This ship is untried and untested.’

Just then the Denaari vessel overtook them.

‘What type of drive do they have?’

‘The sensors say that it’s some kind of ion propulsion drive, of a type that we’ve never been able to make work.’

‘Record everything,’ Larson suggested. ‘I’ll fly.’

Wright chuckled at being given orders but Larson was the pilot and therefore commander of the vessel, but he engaged the secondary sensors to record every iota of data they could about the ion drive. He knew that Larson was the best pilot on the ship. In fact, from what Wright knew of the younger man’s accomplishments, Larson could well be one of the best pilots in the entire fleet. Wright watched the sensors as the other eight vessels took up a standard racing formation.

Then everything went pear-shaped.

The Virus slowed and the Denaari ship took advantage by pulling ahead. A microtorpedo was fired from the Virus and the Denaari vessel was instantly obliterated.

‘Wright to Osiris, did you see that?’

‘We did, Commander,’ Astor answered.

‘This is President Erit,’ the fleet-wide comm was activated. ‘As of now the race is postponed. Indefinitely. All racers will power down their engines and wait to be retrieved by their ships. Anyone who disobeys will be instantly disqualified. There will be no exceptions.’

The Osiris arrived several hours later, during which time Wright and Larson had examined the sensor logs from the incident and found disturbing evidence. The runabouts were launched and retrieved the wreckage of the Denaari vessel. The Xegnotin ship was held in the Osiris’ tractor beam while the wreckage was examined and the Denaari cruiser hovered with its gun ports open, lest the Xegnotin try to escape. Erit had convened an emergency meeting aboard the Peacemaker and all parties, including the xenophobic, insectoid Xegnotin were present.

‘We have been over the sensor logs,’ the Xegnotin captain said. ‘We did not fire that torpedo.’

‘That has been confirmed by my own officers,’ Captain Astor stood and was recognised. ‘The debris pattern and energy signature are inconsistent with Xegnotin technology.’

‘What are you saying, Captain?’ Erit asked.

‘The Xegnotin are innocent. The race should be allowed to continue.’

‘I will decide that,’ Erit retorted. ‘Thank you, Captain.’

Astor nodded and left the chamber. She returned to the Osiris and went straight to her ready room, where she awaited the president’s decision. While she waited, she thought about what had happened. Once the Osiris arrived in the Jumani system, the runabouts had been launched to retrieve the debris. Commander Xeris had been in the cargo bay sifting through the debris when he found an unusual energy signature. The signature was not Xegnotin but the race it belonged to were hundreds of light-years away and had shown no interest in this sector of space. All Astor had done was tell the truth, that the Xegnotin were not responsible for the death of the Denaari pilots. She knew, however, that the Xegnotin were out of favour because of their beliefs. No matter what Erit decided, Astor would still try to bring the Xegnotin into the Alliance, because that’s what Starfleet did. It brought peoples together. She believed that turning an enemy into a friend was better than fighting the enemy, but she was aware that it wasn’t always possible. They had become friends with the Klingons again but had been unable to do the same with the Romulans, for the moment anyway. The Borg and the Dominion were also a sore point, even though there had been no attack from either in several years.

The door chimed, interrupting Astor’s reminiscence.

‘Come.’

President Erit entered Astor’s ready room and sat down on the couch by the windows. She looked at Astor sitting at the desk.

‘I’m sorry, Captain. What you did and said was right. I know the Xegnotin were not responsible for the destruction of the Denaari ship.’

‘I’m sorry for forcing the information upon you,’ Astor replied, moving to the couch and sitting beside the President.

‘I invited the Xegnotin to join the Alliance,’ Erit told her. ‘They refused.’

‘Thought they would,’ Astor looked Erit square in the eye. ‘What about the race?’

Erit put her hands in her lap. ‘It was unanimously decided to continue the race and include the Xegnotin as well.’

Astor smiled.

‘The race will continue tomorrow at 0900 hours,’ the Alliance President said and stood.

 

‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’ Vallejo asked from his console.

‘We owe it to them as humans,’ McNamara answered. ‘Is there any particular person we should contact?’

‘I would suggest landing in the central square,’ Malling answered. ‘They have no government as such so the most public place is best.’

McNamara nodded. ‘Sounds like a plan,’ he said as he took the Mauna Loa down into the atmosphere of Lutaan IV.

The Elmbith cruiser had returned from whence it came as soon as the Flyer had been released. Before they were released, McNamara asked if they would like to join the Serik Alliance as a gesture of peace in the sector. Colonel Jalik assured him that the point would be discussed at the highest levels of government. As the Mauna Loa descended through the cloud cover, they could all see the marvellous civilisation that the Lutaani had built up over the last four hundred years.

‘Wow, it looks much more exotic close up,’ Vallejo said with awe.

‘They’re gathering,’ Malling told them. ‘I’m picking up curious people and articles on all media channels. We’re a spectacle.’

‘Good enough,’ McNamara said, a nagging suspicion forcing itself into his consciousness. He pushed it back down as he concentrated on piloting the Flyer. ‘I hope I’ve learned enough about first contacts.’

‘Don’t carry any weapons. We can always beam out if there’s trouble.’

The Mauna Loa landed in the square and McNamara stepped into the sunlight, flanked by the two specialists. No one approached them so he took a few steps toward the growing mass of people. None stepped forward, but no one stepped back either.

‘Careful, sir,’ Malling whispered.

Suddenly three men strode through the crowd and took up flanking positions around the Starfleet officers.

‘I am Lieutenant Ryan McNamara. I represent an organisation called the United Federation of Planets.’

‘I am Atan, Chief Prosecutor of the Lutaani Justice Department.’

‘We are here to provide information on your ancestors,’ McNamara said, ignoring the fact that the man was a lawyer. He was the only one present that represented some kind of authority.

Atan’s eyes narrowed. ‘You have information about our Distant Fathers?’

‘Yes, the planet where your species originated.’

Atan smiled. ‘We know our ancestors came from Earth, Lieutenant. We have known from the beginning.’

McNamara turned to face Malling and Vallejo. They nodded for him to continue. ‘What about the aliens that brought you here?’

‘The Elmbith, our benefactors.’

McNamara sighed. ‘You are human and following the laws of our world and organisation, it is my duty to inform you that if you wish to do so, you may return to Earth.’

‘I do not think that we’ll be travelling to your world, but I will disseminate the information to the people.’

McNamara decided to ask the question that had been on his mind since Atan had first spoken. ‘May I ask why the Chief Prosecutor greets us?’

Atan smiled again but the officers didn’t like this one at all. ‘As you are no doubt aware, we have spacecraft. A few days ago we retrieved one of our vessels and found its crew dead. Upon investigation we discovered a number of DNA traces. Among them were human traces.’

McNamara slumped. ‘And you think that we are responsible?’

‘I do.’

‘We found the craft and tried to discover what had killed them. In the process we discovered that they were human.’

Atan looked at them, weighing their words. ‘Personally, I believe that you may be telling the truth but it is my job to prove otherwise.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Lieutenant Ryan McNamara, by the laws of the Lutaani Justice Department, I am placing you and your colleagues under arrest for the illegal seizure of a Lutaani vessel and the murder of its crew.’

More men arrived and clapped restraints on them.

 

CHAPTER 5 COMING SOON...