Introduction
John-Luc Picard, Captain of the U.S.S Enterprise, was relaxing. He was a man who rarely got the opportunity to do so, but he was taking the opportunity now. He was in his quarters, listening to a composition of his own making, and playing his flute along with it. He still wasn't entirely satisfied with the way it was coming out. The feeling just wasn't quite right. He was trying to get the dynamics right in this one phrase, and it just wouldn't be done!
He shook his head and muttered, then put his flute back up to his lips.
As he did so, his quarters wavered around him, as if someone had changed a holodeck program. He looked up, and saw that he was no longer in his quarters. He was on the surface of a planet. The air was hot around him and there seemed to be almost no moisture in the air at all. He looked at the flute in his hands. It was still there, and he was still dressed in his red and black uniform, but that was about the only thing that seemed to be the same. He was seated on a rock, and was not in the least comfortable. He stood, and looked around. In front of him was a small hill. There was a path leading up to an opening of some kind. It almost seemed like the top of the hill had been blown away sometime in the past. He started to walk towards the hill, and stopped. He cocked his head and listened.
There was a kind of musical sound faintly being carried on the very soft breeze that had just stirred up. He turned around and went to investigate.
Around a bend in a path, he saw a plant. It's leaves were vibrating, and he walked over to it. Very gingerly, he touched one of the leaves, as if it might bite him. Part of the sound stopped. "Interesting," he thought. "However, I need to find out where I am." He turned again, and could see the hill, and there seemed to be some activity in the opening he had noticed before. Some person was rising up inside it, as if by a lift.
Picard started towards the hill again, and then the person stepped out.
The person he saw was short and was wearing a flowing robe of some sort of metallic fabric. He (at least Picard assumed that it was a he. The facial features were quite soft and almost feminine) had a very large, bald head, and Picard could see pulsing veins underneath the skin covering the cranium.
The person started down the path which lead down the hill, and when he reached the bottom, he held Picard in a long, searching gaze. He seemed to be sizing him up, and Picard was distinctly uncomfortable.
Finally the person spoke.
"Welcome to Talos IV, Captain Picard. What you see around you is an illusion transmitted to you from my thoughts. I am the Keeper, and I am the last of my race. Would you please carry a message to Ambassador Spock?"
"Ambassador Spock?" Picard finally managed to get out. Talos IV? He couldn't believe what he was hearing!
"Yes," the Keeper affirmed. "Please tell him that Captain Pike is dead." The Keeper turned and started to slowly make his way back up the path to the lift, then the planet dissolved around Picard, and he found himself standing in his quarters. He very gently put down his flute and started toward sickbay. He needed to find Beverly Crusher. He needed to know he was sane before he told anyone else about this!
Chapter 1
Captain Picard sat at the head of the crescent shaped table. Seated around it were some of his closest friends in the world. Commander Riker, who had been his trusted first officer throughout his captaincy on board the Enterprise D, and was now filling the same spot with consumate skill on this new Enterprise E. Worf, back from his stay on Deep Space 9 under Captain Sisko. Dr. Crusher, who had been more than just a doctor on the Enterprise for many years. Geordie LaForge, who was arguably the best engineer in Starfleet. Commander Data, who had proved his skill, and humanity, throughout his serving on the Enterprise time and time again. And Deanna Troi. She had been invaluable in her time on the Enterprise as well. She had guided him in many difficult decisions, and he had learned to trust her empathic skills implicitly.
Two hours before, he had hurried to sickbay after having somehow seen a Talosian in some kind of illusion. Dr. Crusher had put him through a battery of tests, and had come to the conclusion that Picard had not been imagining things. He had subsequently called this briefing, and had just finished filling his command crew in on the details of his "illusion."
His crew seemed stunned, but to their credit, they recovered very quickly. "Who is... or was... Captain Pike?" Crusher asked. Everyone looked at Data for the answer, and were not disappointed.
"Captain Pike was the commander of the original USS Enterprise, before Captain Kirk assumed command."
"But why would he be on Talos IV?" Riker wanted to know.
"There is no record of ANY starfleet vessel ever going to Talos IV. In fact, any commander who takes his vessel to Talos IV is subject to the death penalty. That has been the consequence of going there for almost 90 years."
"Almost 90 years," mused Picard. "Around the time that Christopher Pike was in command of that first Enterprise."
"Definitely would be around the right time," Riker said. "I wish I knew why Starfleet invoked the death penalty for going there."
"It sure would help," Geordie agreed. "but how was the Talosian able to send that message to you, this far away from Talos?"
"Perhaps it wasn't the Talosian at all," Worf stated. "Perhaps it was Q." He almost spat the last word out, but Picard shook his head before speaking.
"While it may not be scientific, this didn't feel like Q's doing. And why would he want me to go to Talos IV?"
"To destroy you," Worf stated flatly.
Riker nodded. "It would certainly be in his character. To trick you into doing something that would get you killed, sir"
"Get someone else to do his dirty work you mean? Yes, that would certainly be like Q. However, I really don't feel like this was him. Q usually doesn't do things in such a direct way. In the past, he has always shown a much more... direct approach."
"Maybe he's seen that that sort of approach doesn't work where you're concerned, Captain. Maybe he feels that an indirect approach is more... subtle," La Forge surmised.
"While he's certainly not my favorite being in the universe," Picard said, "He's always played by his rules, untrustworthy as those are. In his own way, Q has always been honorable." Picard stated the last to nip any of Worf's objections to the contrary in the bud.
"If it wasn't Q then, how would the Talosian be able to make you see that illusion from so far away? We're a long way from Talos," La Forge said.
"Telepathy covering vast distances is not without precedent," Deanna stated. "Remember Tam Elbron and Tin Man. Tam felt Tin Man calling to him from a distance of many light years. A strong enough mind might reach out from an enormous distance to contact another."
"It is conceivable that the Talosian race has... or had, this power as a whole. That would definitely make them formiddable enemies. Perhaps Starfleet was afraid of this power and wanted them isolated, so they put up the no contact order," Data hypothesised.
Picard wasn"t so sure, however. "That would imply that they were a real threat, and as far as any records are concerned, there has NEVER been any contact with Talos. Not even any mention of Talos, except what is law concerning contact with them. If there was a threat, we should have heard from them in the intervening ninety years."
"How could they be a threat, Captain?" Riker asked. "The Talosian you saw said he was the last of his race. A dying race can hardly be considered a threat!"
"With this power of illusion, they might, Commander," Data countered. "If their minds were powerful enough to reach the captain this far away from Talos, I would expect that they could do much more as well. The captain said that the illusion was complete, down to temperature and smells. An illusion so complete could disguise a ships controls as anything. A person might inadvertently press any button on any control panel, thereby damaging their own ship."
A low growl issued from Worf"s throat at this suggestion. "A cowardly way to fight," he muttered.
"I agree with you, Mr. Worf. However, we need to keep in mind that this is all just speculation at the moment," said Picard, mildly. "What I would like to know, is why would the Talosian tell me that Captain Pike was dead?"
"According to our records, Captain, Captain Christopher Pike died over eighty years ago on Earth. He"s buried at his ranch in Arizona," Deanna offered.
"That's what the Starfleet records say," ventured Riker. "I wonder if we should take that with a grain of salt in this instance. They don't seem to have been very forthcoming with their information in this case, so..." His voice trailed off and a strange expression covered his newly clean shaven face. "Could Captain Pike have been on Talos instead of buried in Arizona?"
Picard thought for a moment. "It would certainly explain why the Talosian wanted me to tell Ambassador Spock that he was dead. I'll admit Number One. The thought had crossed my mind as well, but it seems pretty fantastic. Why use such an elaborate ruse as this? I remember in my history reading about Captain Pike"s heroic rescue of some children on a transport. He selflessly went into the cloud of coolant and pulled them out. In the process, he was horribly scarred and confined to a wheelchair. He wasn"t even able to talk anymore."
Geordie shook his head knowingly. "It's a horrible way to live the remainder of a life. At least with the coolant we have now, you"re gone in an instant. With those old warp engines, it could take years to die. You were pretty much turned into a vegetable. I"ve seen pictures of some of the injuries people sustained from that stuff, including some of Captain Pike. It was horrible."
"I hate to bring this up, but are we sure the Talosian was referring to the same Captain Pike that we are?" Deanna ventured. All he said was 'Captain Pike is dead.' Do we really know that he was referring to Christopher Pike?"
Data answered smoothly. "I have run several crosschecks. I find no other mention of a significant 'Captain Pike' in Starfleet records. Furthermore, I have found that Ambassador Spock was on the Enterprise during the time of Captain Pike"s command. He was listed as science officer."
Riker looked surprised about that. "I thought Spock only served on the Enterprise under Captain Kirk."
Data shook his head. "No sir. In fact, there is something else very strange that I found in my research. About two months after Captain Pike was injured in that transport accident, the Enterprise, commanded by James T. Kirk diverted to Starbase Twelve where Captain Pike was receiving medical treatment. The Enterprise picked up Captain Pike and took him to Earth. While en route, he died, and he was buried when they arrived at Earth. While researching this, I found details about his death sadly lacking, as well as of the funeral. For such a decorated captain as Pike, I would have expected there to be video clips of that, at least. There were none. Also, there were only printed logs of the trip to Earth. Not audio, and when I searched further, the computer signature of the logs clearly showed that they had been tampered with."
Picard"s eyebrows raised. "So there is definitely some question as to whether or not Captain Pike was actually taken to Earth and buried there. But why would no-one have noticed this before, Data?"
"I suspect, Captain, that people were 'discouraged' from probing too deeply into the records regarding these facts."
"Curiouser and Curiouser, Mr Data," Picard mused. He looked at each of the people seated at the table in turn. "I think we need to talk to Starfleet about this. We may not get any answers. There may be no one who knows the answers at Starfleet. But I think we need to try."
"Ambassador Spock knows." Worf"s statement was filled with a mixture of surprise, venom, and admiration. "It does not seem like Vulcan behavior to hide something like this."
"No, Mr. Worf. It doesn"t. But I suspect that the ambassador had his reasons. We will certainly find out. Or attempt to, at least." He stood up then and smoothed down his uniform. "Carry on, people."
Chapter 2
It was hot. Kathryn Janeway, recently returned from the Delta Quadrant of the Galaxy, and recently promoted to Admiral, was hot. She was wearing her fleet uniform, but over that was a hooded robe, to keep the hot wind from driving her completely crazy. She was on Vulcan, home of her former chief of security, Tuvok. However, she wasn't here to see him. Her business was at the Vulcan Science Academy. She walked into the building, and was grateful for the immediate drop in temperature that she felt when she entered. The building had no air conditioning, but was cooled naturally. It was still warm, but was cool enough to allow her to remove the robe and fold it over her arm as she went to the young Vulcan woman sitting at the receptionist's desk. As she approached, the woman looked up, and stood.
"Admiral Janeway. My name is T'Vanna. The Ambassador's class ends in 15.236 minutes. If you would like to wait here, he will meet with you as soon as it has ended."
"Thank you, T'Vanna. I'll do that."
The Vulcan woman came around her desk and stood in front of the Starfleet Admiral. "It is an honor to meet you, Ma'am. Tuvok is a distant relative of mine. We are grateful that Voyager was able to return from the Delta Quadrant. I have read what I could about your travels, and am..." She stopped abruptly and turned her eyes down, looking somewhat embarrassed about her outburst.
Janeway allowed a small smile at that. This woman was obviously quite young, and while not gushing about meeting a celebrity in the human fashion, it was clear that she was indulging in a small amount of hero worship. Especially for a Vulcan. "Our return home was due in no small part to your distant relative. He is a remarkable man, and friend," she said by way of easing the young woman's discomfort. "Is there a place I can get some water, T'Vanna?"
T'Vanna looked up, seemed to return from her embarrassed state and gestered to the corner of the reception area. "There are water and cups there, Admiral," she said as she hurried to get some for Janeway. She handed over a cup of ice cold water.
"Thank you, T'Vanna. I'll just sit here and wait for the Ambassador."
T'Vanna gave a small nod, said in the human fashion, "You're welcome," and hurried back to her desk.
Janeway sat down and mentally composed herself for meeting someone whom to her, was a hero.
She closed her eyes and started to think about what she knew of the man she would soon be meeting for the first time. She wasn't sure if she had dozed off, but suddenly a soft, but deep voice sounded. "Admiral Janeway."
She snapped her eyes open, and rose quickly to her feet. There he was, standing in front of her -- in the flesh. "Ambassador Spock," she managed to get out. Unlike T'Vanna, she had no Vulcan training to fall back on to cover her awe. "It's an honor, sir."
"For me also, Admiral," he said as he raised an eyebrow. Janeway had the distinct impression that Spock would have smiled had he not been Vulcan. Not only that, but there almost seemed a palpable curiosity emanating from the man about why she was there and had requested this meeting with him. She instinctively liked him. She knew that for someone who had done the things he had done, bringing the Romulan Empire as close to unification with the Vulcans as he had, he must be a powerful personality, but that knowledge gave no hint of the sheer likeability of the man. He seemed friendly! Yes, she was friends with Tuvok, but Tuvok carried around himself an aloofness that seemed impenetrable to people who didn't know him. She had earned that friendship over a long association with Tuvok. This man in front of her simply seemed to emanate calmness, and there was a friendliness about him that would easily draw people to him. It seemed strange, but she wasn't going to call attention to it and possibly embarrass him.
"Ambassador. Is there some place we can go to talk privately?"
His eyebrow rose even higher at the request, but he responded, "Certainly Admiral. If you will come with me, please." He turned and gestured off down a hallway, indicating that she should accompany him. As they started walking, Spock said to her, "My congratulations on your remarkable journey, Admiral. You and your shipmates are to be commended on a most difficult time."
"Thank you, Ambassador." She gave a small smile again, and said, "Coming from you, Ambassador, that's high praise."
"Indeed," Spock said as they entered an office, and he closed the door behind them. Janeway could have sworn that she saw a small smile play across his mouth as he said, "Now that the mutual admiration is out of the way, shall we discuss why you wished to see me?"
Janeway wasn't sure that she had seen the smile at first, so his statement took her off guard. Then, she saw it play across his mouth again, and relaxed. The man had a sense of humor. No doubt about it! He was teasing her. Perhaps with time, Tuvok would unwind enough to show his humor, she thought.
"Very well, Ambassador. Three days ago, we received a call from Picard on the Enterprise. He had a very strange story to tell. He claimed to have been contacted by a Talosian."
The slight smile completely disappeared from Spock's face. His only reaction other than that, was to sit up even straighter in his chair than he had already been. "I see." was all he said.
"This Talosian said he was the keeper, and claimed to be the last of his race."
"Go on, Admiral"
"He asked Picard to tell you that Captain Pike was dead."
At that, Spock's eyes closed and for a moment, his head bowed. None of this was lost on Janeway.
"I take it you know what the 'Keeper' was referring to. Ambassador, I did some checking and found after some very detailed research, that a Federation vessel did at one time go to Talos IV. It was the Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. You were the science officer on board at the time. What happened?"
"Admiral. Surely, with the research you did, you understand that I cannot divulge anything that happened during that trip. To do so, would be to risk the death penalty. Both for you and I."
"To quote an old earth saying, 'I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.' Is that it, Ambassador?"
Spock raised an eyebrow at that. "If I understand the reference, that is essentially the case, although I would be up against the same penalty, so it would hardly be me killing you."
Janeway reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a blue starfleet envelope wrapped around with a string. She handed it to Spock saying, "I anticipated your reluctance to tell me, Sir, so I brought this with me. In it you'll find that for the duration, information about Talos IV is on a need to know basis, and I am listed as needing to know. Further, I am authorized to give the 'need to know' status to anyone I deem necessary."
Spock opened the envelope and scanned it quickly. He then looked up at Janeway and seemed to consider for a moment. "Very well, Admiral. I shall tell you the story." He then reached out on his desk and touched a button "T'Mar, Would you please do me a favor and handle my afternoon Multitronic Circuitry class?" "Certainly, Ambassador Spock," came the quick reply over the intercom.
Spock looked back at Janeway, then stood up, and came around the desk to the chair sitting opposite her. He eased himself down into it and placed his elbows on the arm of the chair. He put his hands together and steepled his fingers. He gazed at his hands for a bit then said, still looking at his fingers, "There is a very good reason why Talos has been off limits for all these years Admiral. And also, a very good reason why the Keeper would be telling us that Captain Pike is dead."
He paused for a moment and Janway took the opportunity to say, "Captain Pike was not buried in Arizona, was he? Did he ever come back from Talos?"
"After the Enterprise visited there under him, yes. Captain Pike came back."
"Visited there under him. You imply that it visited there again? Under someone else?"
"Yes Admiral. The Enterprise went to Talos IV not once, but twice. Once under Captain Pike, and once under Captain James Kirk."
Janeway almost laughed at that. "Why am I not surprised to hear of Captain Kirk being involved in this? No disrespect, Ambassador, of course."
Spock stopped staring at his fingers and looked at Janeway. "I understand, Admiral. James Kirk did seem to be a magnet for adventure." The hint of the smile was back as he talked about his old friend. "And, of course, the ability to cheat death." His eyes seemed to hood for a moment, but then it was past, and he started speaking again. "Admiral, I must tell you that this will sound fantastic. But you must hear me. Years ago, I told Jim that he wouldn't believe me unless he saw for himself what had happened. The Talosians accomadated me then. Unfortunately, we don't have them to do that now. If the Keeper is dying, I fear that the strain of sending the illusions this far could in fact, finish that process. Therefore, I will have to ask you to simply trust me, and believe what I have to tell you."
Janeway nodded her head at that. "Ambassador. After the last 8 years, I find myself willing to believe just about anything."
Spock nodded. "Indeed, Admiral. I can well imagine. However, after all that I've seen, I still find this on the limit of believability."
Spock lowered his arms, and folded his hands into his lap and began. "While Captain Pike was in command of the Enterprise, we received a distress call from the Talos star group. It said that the SS Columbia was going to crash. We were on our way to a rescue situation at the Vega colony, and Captain Pike was reluctant to divert as this was a radio signal, and the crash had apparently happened 18 years before. Understandably, he didn't divert the Enterprise until we received a follow up message saying that people had survived the crash. Once we received the second message, we warped to Talos. We found several human people there. However, we quickly found that this was an illusion. There was only one human survivor from the Columbia. Her name was Vina, and she had been 'put back together' by the Talosians. We met her in the survivor camp, and she appeared to be a very young woman. Later we found that this was not the case. She was actually quite old, and scarred from the crash. The Talosians did a remarkable job putting her back together, but they had never seen a human before. They had no guide in putting her back together. Her actual appearance was quite deformed.
"Many years ago, the Talosians had destroyed their world with war, and when the surface became uninhabitable, they had moved underground. They devoted themselves to their power of illusion, and had literally forgotten how to repair the machinery left by their ancestors. They needed a race to do this work for them. They needed servants, or more to the point, slaves. To this end, they abducted Captain Pike and took him below the surface to their menagerie. In it they had many creatures from across the galaxy that they had tried to build a race of slaves with. None had shown the promise of humans.
"During his captivity, Captain Pike was subjected to many different illusions. The Talosians showed how he could create his own illusions to live out the rest of his life. Thus, his captivity wouldn't even appear to be such."
Janeway broke in: "A bird in a guilded cage."
Spock nodded in agreement. "but a cage nonetheless. Exactly, Admiral. Once the Talosians read our records on the Enterprise, they realized that nothing they would do would make the Captain accept this situation. He would rather die. Thus, humans wouldn't work for them. They let him go."
Janeway asked, "Just like that?"
Spock again nodded. "Just like that. However, human unsuitability doomed their race to extinction. When Captain Pike was injurred beyond the scope of our science to handle, they contacted me. Apparently, they had monitored Captain Pike over the intervening years. They had kept up with him and offered to take him back, not as breeding stock, but perhaps as a way of apology. Perhaps as a feeling of affection. They offered for Captain Pike to spend the rest of his life unfettered by his physical body. And Vina was there. A woman for whom he had feelings.
"So the Enterprise took him back to Talos?" Janeway asked. "But why all the secrecy about Talos?"
"That was actually the Talosians idea. Captain Pike offered mutual trade, but they declined. They did not want us learning their power of illusion and ruining our civilization. They used it as a narcotic, and their whole society was addicted to this particular... drug. They simply could not get free of it. They didn't want that happening to anyone else."
"So starfleet instituted the death penalty for going to Talos IV." Janeway shook her head. "It seems too incredible."
"Consider, Admiral. If one unscrupulous person had learned this power of illusion, what could have happened to the Federation. Such a person could make himself Emperor almost overnight. Garth of Izar was sent to a mental institute not because he had learned cellular metamorphosis, and could assume any shape. Instead it was because that ability unhinged his mind. There is an old Earth saying that 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.' This power of illusion would not only allow a person who had it to appear as anything they wanted to, but to make others think and do anything. What would that do to the Federation?
"Yes, Ambassador. I see what you mean. It could have ended our society." Janeway paused for a moment, and then went on. "So Captain Pike has been on Talos ever since Captain Kirk took him back. And now, according to the Keeper, he is dead."
"Yes, Admiral."
"What do you recommend doing, Ambassador Spock?"
"What is Starfleet willing to do, Admiral?" Spock countered.
"In my opinion, Captain Pike is a hero, Ambassador Spock, and heroes should not be left on a deserted planet. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, Admiral. I would."
"But before I let anyone go get Captain Pike's remains, I need to know. Is there a threat from the Talosians? According to the Keeper, he is the last of his race. Will he interfere?"
"Admiral. When we took Captain Pike there, there was no interference from the Talosians. And there were many of them left at that time. If the Keeper is indeed the last of his race, and I have no reason to disbelieve that he is, there will be no interference. The Talosians demonstrated an affection for Captain Pike by taking him back. They showed compassion. I see no evidence that that compassion would stop at his going home to be buried."
Janeway considered for a moment. "I agree, Ambassador. I think we need to go get him," she finally stated.
"We Admiral?"
"You don't think I'm going to let you do this yourself and miss out on the fun, do you?" She smiled at him.
"Admiral. You remind me of a captain that I once served under. Two such captains, rather. Considering the circumstances, please call me Spock, or Mr. Spock. I am not in the position of being an ambassador right now."
"Certainly, Mr. Spock." She stood as did he, and then looked at him intently. "I want to thank you for telling me about this. It could not have been easy."
"On the contrary, Admiral. After so long, it is nice to, as Dr. McCoy would have said, 'get it off my chest.'"
Janeway smiled at the reference to the Enterprise physician. She had met him before taking command of Voyager, and had found him, while a bit of a curmudgeon, a very likeable one. "Yes. I can well imagine him saying that. I'll send a message to Starfleet Command and I'll let you know what their decision is as soon as I hear."
"Thank you Admiral."
"You're welcome, Mr. Spock." With that, she left and went to send the message. Mr. Spock was right. It was an incredible story.
Chapter 3
The shuttle touched down at Starfleet Academy. It had been a long time since Spock had been there, and he wasn't sure what he thought about going there now. One of the problems with being a long lived species meant outliving many of his friends. There were a lot of ghosts at Starfleet Academy that only he would see. Jim Kirk and Christopher Pike were only two of them. There were Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov, Nyota Uhura, Kevin Riley. Spock would be reminded of them all, and much as he tried to hide his emotions, they would visit him while he was here. The simple fact was, he missed them, and the knowledge that he would not see them again was hard to take. Leonard McCoy was still alive, but he was not here. The old doctor had finally retired, although he still made occasional appearances at the Academy. Enterprise's chief engineer was also alive in this time, but Spock had no idea where he was. Last known, Scotty was at Risa. Spock wished that he could see McCoy and Scott. He would love to talk to them about the current task he found himself embroiled in. But with all his heart, he wished Jim were here to offer his suggestions.
"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Mr. Spock."
Spock snapped out of his reverie, and looked at the woman beside him. "Indeed it has, Admiral."
Admiral Janeway had quickly gotten the go ahead from Starfleet Command to retrieve Captain Pike's body. Much of Starfleet's decision was based on Spock's assertions that there would be no danger from the Talosians. Once she had the word, she had contacted him, and they quickly caught the next Federation ship heading from Vulcan to Earth. They needed to get the rest of their team together and procure a ship. Starfleet had refused to let a ship as conspicuous as Enterprise to go to Talos, no matter how much Spock assured them that there was no danger. "Just in case," they had said, and Spock had to admit that he understood their reasoning... to a point. Therefore, they were going to use another ship. Spock sincerely wished it were the Enterprise. Somehow it would feel better if they did, but that was not to be. He turned to Janeway. "Do you know which ship will transport us, Admiral?"
"I have an idea, Mr. Spock. I wish it could be Enterprise, but Starfleet wants us to use a different ship. They feel that while the danger from Talos is negligable, it wouldn't be prudent to advertise that we have an interest in the system by sending the flagship there."
"I understand, Admiral."
At his tone, she looked up at him. She could detect no emotion in his face, and because of that more than any reason said, "But you don't agree."
They had been walking towards the administration buildings, but at her statement, Spock stopped and turned towards her. How to explain to her what he was feeling? He had seen that she had great insight, and that she was trustworthy, but would she understand how he felt? "It is not that I disagree Admiral. It would simply "feel better' if it were Enterprise."
To his surprise, she smiled. "I understand, Mr. Spock. Enterprise was his ship, and even though that particular Enterprise is long gone, it would be fitting for the current Enterprise -- The Flagship of the Federation -- to bring him home. Is that how you feel?"
Spock's eyebrow shot up, and he nodded. As they turned and started walking towards the buildings again, Spock said, "It is gratifying to know that you do understand my position, Admiral."
She glanced at him momentarily and said, "It's a matter of honor, Spock."
"Indeed it is, Admiral."
Seated around the table were the command crew of the USS Enterprise. They were talking animatedly when the door opened. At the appearance of Spock and Janeway, they all stood to their feet. "As you were," said Janeway with a wave of her hand as she quickly strode into the room. She walked to the chair at the head of the table but instead of sitting down, she put her hands on the back of the chair and acknowleged each of the people seated with a glance. "We have three more people who aren't here yet. As soon as they arrive, we can get started."
Picard remained on his feet while the others sat. "While we're waiting, Admiral, I wonder if you could satisfy our curiosity," Picard said. "Why are we meeting here rather than at Starfleet Headquarters."
"Please sit down, Captain, and certainly. Starfleet security. Once again, it seems that the Romulan Empire has been receiving information that they really don't need to have. Since it is graduation time here, it was decided that, due to the sensitive nature of this briefing, it should be conducted here. No one should say much about you all being here for Starfleet Academy's graduation ceremonies. Most of you will be asked to speak, so it shouldn't raise any eyebrows at all."
Spock was seated across from Dr. Crusher, and in agreement, he nodded his head, and in fact, raised an eyebrow. There was a muffled snort from Dr. Crusher at that, and she quickly turned her head and made it into a cough. Spock merely raised his other eyebrow while Data looked around quizzically.
Crusher was saved having to explain by the door sliding open, and three people entering the room. Captain Chakotay of Voyager, his first officer, Tom Paris, and Voyager's chief engineer, B'Elanna Torres.
"Chakotay, B'Elanna, Tom!" Janeway exclaimed. "Welcome! I think you know the crew from the Enterprise."
"It's good to see you again, Admiral," said Chakotay as he sat down in one of the remaining seats. He then acknowledged the Enterprise contingent, and looked back at Janeway. "What's this all about?"
Janeway sat down in her chair finally, and looked to Picard. "Go ahead and explain what you saw, Captain."
Picard cleared his throat and then told his story. To their credit, none of Voyager's people seemed skeptical, although when he was done explaining, Tom Paris asked, "With all due respect, Captain, is there a chance you were ... uh... "
Crusher jumped in. "I ran every conceivable test on Captain Picard, and could find no indications of hallucinations, mental illness, or anything else that could explain this other than the fact that he had actually seen it."
"The illusion is consistent with what we know of the Talosians and their abilities. Furthermore, what Captain Picard describes about the planet's surface and of the Keeper. It all agrees with what I remember of the planet," Spock said matter of factly.
Chakotay looked from Picard to Janeway, then to Spock. "I take it their's much more to this briefing."
"Much," Janeway said.
"Would you mind filling me in then, Mr. Ambassador."
Spock nodded and then told his story. Janeway was the only one who had heard it, but he told it in much greater detail as it came back to him. Everyone at the table listened intently; not interrupting. When he was finally finished, everyone simply sat there, too stunned to even speak. Finally, Data broke the silence by saying, "Intriguing."
Picard nodded his head in agreement with his science officer. "We had surmised much of what you have told us. But why did the Keeper contact me?"
"I suspect, Captain Picard, because you are the current captain of the Enterprise. The Talosians had an affection for Captain Pike. They could not have probed his mind as deeply as they did without developing an affinity for him. They would know how important it would be for him to be brough home by the Enterprise. Or at least by her commander."
Deanna Troi nodded her agreement. "Such a probing would almost certainly have a very deep link as a consequence."
"Indeed it would, counsellor. And it did. That is why the Talosians never lost track of Captain Pike over the years after his departure from Talos. They knew of his pain and frustration when he was injurred and unable to move or even communicate beyond blinking a light for yes or no.
"I suspect that they not only knew of it, but that they felt it."
"Yes, cousellor. They did."
"A Klingon would rather die than live like that," Worf stated flatly. "To exist depending on others for everything..."
B'Elanna nodded her head in agreement, but it was Tom Paris who said, "and not even be able to make your needs known. To depend on someone to guess and hope they've guessed right..."
"Captain Pike probably felt the same way you would, Worf," La Forge said softly. "I don't think many people would want to live like that."
"Least of all a starship captain," Janeway said equally as softly.
"Even more so from that time period," Picard said. "In those days, the captain's chair had more of a buccaneer flavor. A captain was much more autonomous than now."
"True, Captain," Spock agreed. "And Captain Pike was more autonomous than most. In many ways, he and Captain Kirk were alike. Counsellor Troi is right. The Talosians had developed a permanent link to Captain Pike. They couldn't shut it off, and they felt that frustration acutely when he was injurred. They not only felt it, but they lived it with the Captain."
"That would imply that the Talosians took him back out of self-preservation," Data surmised.
"Not necessarily, Data. The depth of the Talosians probing of Captain Pike's mind would necessitate some absorbtion of his personality. In a sense, over time, the Talosians would display some of Captain Pike's personality. They would have a deep empathy for him. They would understand his frustration, and if he was also a very giving person..." Troi looked at Spock for confirmation.
"He was, counsellor"
"Then they would want to help him. They would absorb that trait as well. And this link had lasted for ten years after it was initiated."
"Precisely, counsellor."
Chakotay looked at Janeway and asked. "So what are we going to do?"
Janeway looked at each one at the table in turn. "We're going to bring Captain Pike home."
Chapter 4
Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:05:52 +0000
The plan was elegant in it's simplicity. Spock would go to Talos, of course, since he was the one person alive who had been on the planet's surface. Picard would go, as he was the one contacted by the Talosian, and since he was the commander of the Enterprise. They may not be able to take the Enterprise there, but it was thought that the commander of the current USS Enterprise should be there as a tribute to the commander of the former USS Enterprise. Doctor Crusher would also go as they would need a medical officer. Admiral Janeway, true to her word, was going so as "not to miss out on all the fun." Of course, the official reason was that it was her project, and she was in command.
Because of the sensitive nature of Talos, Starfleet was limiting the mission crew to seven. They would take the Delta Flyer. The little powerhouse of a ship was the brain child of B'Elanna Torres, and Tom Paris. They had built the ship on board Voyager while in the Delta Quadrant, and they would both go along as engineer and pilot, respectively.
While Spock had assured Janeway that there was no danger from the Keeper, she had still insisted that they bring a security contingent. The person she had in mind wasn't really a contigent, but he had the strength of such. Worf would accompany them.
Voyager and Enterprise were to be stationed nearby. Both ships were assigned a couple of star systems away from Talos on either side, so they could get there in a hurry if needed.
"Because of the Romulan threat, we need to avoid either ship having to go to Talos. Given what we know of Talos, we really don't want or need the Romulans snooping around, so we would prefer not to attract any attention there. The Flyer has a few tricks up her sleeve as far as armaments and weapons. Hopefully we won't need them, but if we do, we'll be ready. And with Enterprise and Voyager standing by, we should be ok," Janeway had said as she outlined the plan.
Onboard the Delta Flyer, Tom Paris sat at the controls. He was a bit surprised to find himself going to Talos. He remembered from his academy days wondering why going to Talos held the death penalty. Now he knew, and he was uncomforatably sure he was better off not knowing. Seated beside him, at the co-pilots position was his wife, B'Elanna. She was helping him go through the pre-flight checklist. Both were extremely competent, and meticulous in their work, but with this load of passengers, neither one of them wanted any problems, so they were being just that much more careful. Despite their extra care, they finished right on time. Tom signaled Chakotay to that effect.
"Ok, Tom. We'll be in position in just a few moments. Stand by. Take care."
"No problem, Chakotay. We'll be back in time for dinner," Paris joked.
"Sounds good, Tom. I'll save you a steak."
"Make mine rare!"
Just then Harry Kim broke in. "Launch on my mark, Tom. In five, four, three, two, mark!"
This particular launch was quite tricky. Voyager was still in warp space, but if anyone could do it, it was Tom Paris. As Harry was counting down, Paris was revving the little ship up, as he put it. Keeping one foot on the brake, so to speak. As soon as Kim said "mark", Tom released the external inertial dampeners, and the ship shot out of the bay, it's warp field established the moment it left Voyager's. For the launch, Spock, Picard, and Janeway had been standing in the connecting door of the Flyer's 2 compartments.
"Facinating," Spock said as he watched Paris perform the difficult lauch with supreme ease.
"I told you he was good," Janeway remarked with pride to the two men.
"Indeed," Picard said as he turned and walked back to his seat.
It was hoped that such a warp speed launch would be undetectible for anyone curious enough to see what Voyager was doing. In fact, the momentary burst of power that Paris used to move the ship out of the bay was shut down as quick as it had been applied. The Flyer maintained a warp field, but no thrust was applied. That warp field would keep the ship moving at faster than light velocities, but it would be coasting towards Talos. Hopefully with no ion trail from the ship, the warp field would be mistaken as a subspace anomaly put out by a momentary fluctuation in Voyager's own warp field. In fact, Harry Kim had written a program that would simulate such fluctuations aboard Voyager. They would happen randomly, and would lessen in intensity as time went on, as though the engineering staff aboard Voyager were making a repair. Of course, if things had actually been that way in her engine room, B'Elanna would have beaten a few heads together. There was no way she would have tolerated such a thing, but for the sake of the current mission, she had grudgingly acquieced to Harry's program. At least it was only a simulated problem. Not the real thing.
"We are on course for Talos IV," Paris said nochalantly, as he glanced back to Janeway. "Should be there in a couple of hours, Admiral."
"Thanks Tom," Janeway said. "Excellent job."
"Thank you, Admiral."
B'Elanna looked up from her board and glanced back. "Passive scans read the fluctuations from Voyager," she said. "We should have looked just the same as we launched."
"B'Elanna. You have to fix those engines," quipped Paris. "Those emissions look terrible!"
B'Elanna gave him a dirty look, then said,"Would you just get back to your flying."
Paris turned to look at Worf who was seated right behind him and grinned. "Women... Engineers... Such a temper either way."
Worf growled, and then in a low voice said. "She is Klingon!"
Paris turned back around opened his eyes wide, and mouthed an exaggerated "O.K."
Crusher, who was seated on the other side of the cockpit from Worf, saw it, and could barely supress a laugh. With the dynamics of Commander Paris' sense of humor and two Klingons in the cockpit, this should be an interesting trip. She was going to simply sit back, observe, and enjoy.
In the aft compartment, Picard, Janeway, and Spock sat talking about mission specifics.
"Mr. Ambassador," Picard began. "In the mission briefing, you confirmed many speculations about the Talosian's motives for taking Captain Pike back. Yet I fail to see how you could know these things with any certainty."
Spock looked thoughtful for a few moments before replying. This man had touched his mind, and while Spock was always careful in such times, there was a certain amount of Picard's personality that he had seen. After all, Picard had melded deeply with his father, and Picard had offered the remnents of that meld to Spock. There was a link between Sarek and Picard before Sarek had died. That meld had been truly that. A meld. And as such, it was somewhat persistent. There had been a small amount of crossover in the two personalities. It was inevitable, so when Spock touched his father's mind in Picard, it had not been exclusively Sarek. There was some of Picard intermingled with his father. But it was a good blend. Had Sarek not had the emotional control all his life, he would have been very much like Picard. So as Spock considered his response, he felt almost as if he were responding to his father.
"Captain. When the Keeper initially contacted me to request Captain Pike back, it was necessary for me to know why. I had no knowledge of what had happened under the planet's surface. The Keeper sent me those images in an instant, and also his feelings on the matter. Because I would be risking my life for Captain Pike, the Keeper was completely open with me. He showed me how his race had been effected because of the link with Captain Pike. How the captain's emotions had flooded through their minds. He explained that the emotions were so strong, they were almost impossible to ignore. Because of this, when Captain Pike was injurred, his frustration came to the forefront. Yes. They were preserving their sanity by taking him back and relieving that frustration, but also, they were compassionate about him. They wanted him to feel that relief as much as they did themselves."
"Spock. Why couldn't the Talosians have simply turned that link off?" Janeway wanted to know.
Spock looked uncomfortable for a moment, then a resolve seemed to come over him. "Admiral, this is not something Vulcans speak about, but as you are in command of this mission, I must tell you." He shifted in his seat a bit, which in her association with Tuvok, Janeway took as tantamount to standing up and pacing. "A meld of this magnitude, where raw emotions are 'lived' alongside the person experiencing them, cannot be shut down completely." Spock saw Picard nod slightly at this statement, and knew that he, at least, understood. "A bit of the other person is always there. It can diminish to a tiny spark, but in moments of extreme stress, those emotions can come flooding through, and are almost impossible to ignore. The stronger the telepath, the harder it is to ignore, because the emotions come through that much stronger. The Talosians could have been crippled by the emotions coming from Captain Pike. Had it lasted much longer, they would have been."
Picard understood exactly what Spock was getting at. He could still sense Sarek's presence in his mind, although he knew that was just an echo of what was. But he knew that he had strangely felt the Borg collective when they had been attacking Earth. He had known they were going back in time, and he knew how it was being done. That link had been created artificially, but it's presence was still there when he was upset. He looked at Spock and asked. "Ambassador, does this link go both ways? I know that the Talosians could sense Captain Pike, but could he sense them too?"
"It is possible, Captain Picard, but I doubt that Captain Pike would have noticed the connection under the circumstances. I feel certain that he had 'other things on his mind' at the time."
"Agreed," Picard said, and Janeway smiled at the expression the Vulcan had used. Picard thought about what Spock had said, however. He could sense the Borg when they were near and his emotions were high. Could they sense him too? And could they sense him only when emotions were high or was it constant? It bore further consideration. Perhaps command was right to keep him away when Borg were near. But he had proved that he was useful in such a circumstance. It was his connection to the Borg in this way that had been their undoing.
"About to go sublight!" Paris' voice came from the front cabin, "in five, four, three, two, sublight."
The stars through the front port shifted from their long streaking dopplar effect to pinpoints of light as the ship crossed the threshold from warp space to sublight velocities. The ship was still coasting, but enough drag had been created by space debris and a gradual lowering of the power given to the warp field generators that it had very gradually lost inertia. The warp field was at minimal intensity now, but was kept on, even though it wasn't needed to maintain their speed now. But relativistic velocities had a tendency to play havoc on local time. Without that minimal warp field, Mr. Einstein would be proved right and time would slow for the seven people in the little ship. Granted, now they were close enough to Talos to enter orbit in under an hour, even at sublight velocities, but there was still lots to do, and they needed to have the time to do it. Best to keep the field at low intensity, and hope it wasn't noticed. This would be the most crucial time. They could coast in at relativistic speeds, or risk an impulse burst to throw them down for orbital insertion. But the impulse burn would stand out like a sore thumb. It would be there for all to see, announcing, "We're here!" Granted, they had to be looking in the right place at the right time, but if someone was, it was like a lighthouse. The warp field at it's current intensity was like a single candle by comparison. It could be seen, but someone had to be very skilled with sensors to locate it.
Hopefully, no one would.