Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 17:01:18 -0800 (PST) From: Larry <kokomokiid@yahoo.com> Subject: It Was Only A Game - Part 3 This story is something I have had running around in my head for several years. The Star Trek Universe is copyrighted to Paramount Pictures and this story is in no way meant to infringe upon that copyright. The author simply wishes to indulge in a bit of fantastic speculation. Do not read this story if you are underage wherever you are and whatever underage is considered where you are. If you wish to comment on this story, offer suggestions for future story, or offer your services a proofreader komokiid@yahoo.com is the best way to reach me. I am trying something different this posting, I am naming each chapter something other than I have in the past. Let me know what you think! Chapter 5 - The Engine Room - Stained glass windows not included. "The problem as I see it is going to be reproduction. How can we honestly reproduce if we are a species of only males?" Trent asked "I have been thinking about that and I think that I need to amend the plan a little. Rather than just having an all male species, we need to carefully screen those whom we accept into our little enclave. I want humanists and pragmastists. People who are not relying on religion for guidance, but rather empirical evidence for the basis of their daily lives. People like us, who are non-judgemental and can be expected to raise their children in the same manner. But they need to be firmly grounded in reality. I don't want a whole planet of left wing kooks" Jason laughed at his little joke. The pair rounded the corner and came into the engineering space. Both men stopped and looked at the cathedral of power that drove the starship they were standing in. "Computer," Jason queried, "how have you maintained the ship and her systems for all these years with no crew?" "Ship's maintenance functions have been performed by replicated non-sentient Exocomps." "Neat and tidy, I really like this computer," said Trent. "So do I. Come on let's look around." The Engines took up most of the space. Actually the warp-core took the space. They power that was generated by the core flowed down through two conduits on either side of the core. These conduits in turn fed the drive plasma into the nacelles which feed that plasma into the warp coils which drove the ship at its fantastic speeds. Each of the officers went to the Engineering Master Control Station and began to look around. "Computer, display fuel status," commanded the First Officer. The panel showed that the ship's Dueterium level was depleted by 75%, leaving them with only 25% of the fuel necessary to operate at warp speed. "We need to get some fuel. I need to find out how to get Dueterium from somewhere. The dilithium crystals are in good shape, so are the drive coils. It looks like the ship underwent a major refit just prior to being sucked in to this universe. So maintenance, for a while at least, will not be a problem." "Damn man you are taking to this like a fish to water," the Captain told Trent. "I knew you would make a good first officer. Okay, so we don't have any engineering headaches to contend with, other than fuel. I trust that you will research how to go about getting some." "Yes sir, that will be my top priority. I am also going to get you a list of crew members from our friends and then have them talk with you about becoming crewmembers. Most of our old Navy buddies would JUMP at this chance. I am going to call Cliff as soon as we are done here and get him into this engine room so he can start learning how all this crap works." "Very good. I want you right beside him. I want you to learn as much about this ship as you possibly can. Every system, and every department is under your control, so you need to learn it all. I know that is a tall order, but I know you can handle it. I am going to get you a second officer as soon I can. In fact right now I need to go see a computer about an android. Its 1330 now, let's meet at 1800 for dinner in my quarters and compare the rest of our day." "Sounds good to me, the only thing I need to ask you is: If Cliff decides to come onboard, should I grab him immediately like you did me?" "Yes" Chapter 6 - Mr. Data, I Presume - Part Duex The captain and the first officer parted ways, the X.O. went to gather more crew members and the captain headed to the Science Deck, deck 8. Deck 8 was where all of the Science departments were located, astrometrics, physics, the "earth" sciences (hard to call them that since most of the time exogeology was not done on "earth"), and the other myriad science departments located on a Starfleet vessel. The captain found the computer science department and figured that was as good a place as any to start. He entered the compartment and noticed that was a computer lab of the 25th Century. There were a multitude of computer stations, all serving as back-up stations for most of the computers in each department, there were two massive cargo-bay style hatches on opposite ends of the main office space. One was labled "FTL Comp Core 1" the other as comp core 2. "Computer, is there a positronic science lab on this deck?" "Affirmative," it responded, "deck 8 section 11." "Thank you." The captain made his way to the lab. The room looked just like the one the Data had on the Enterpise-D, a positronic matrix generator in the middle of the room, that raised and lowered into the lab. "Computer, are there detailed scans of Commander Data in your memory?" "Affirmative." "Can you replicate each indivdual piece of that design?" "Affirmative." "What are the chances that you can replicate the design and transfer that part of your core that has become sentient into that positronic matix?" The computer chirpped for a second or two as it tried to formulate the correct response. "Please rephrase the request, parameters undefined." "Bullshit. You are different than computers on other Starfleet vessels, somehting happened to you in the transition from your universe to this one, you gathered a conscience somehow. The way you respond to commands and the way you respond to me in particular, is not quite what I would expect. So cut the crap and tell me what you are all about." The computer chirrped again. "You are correct." The tone of the computers vocal output shifted, it sounded like it was coming form a real person. "When the crew died as this ship was making that horrible transition from one universe to another, we all, the crew and I, knew what was happening, all the biological matter on board was being erradicated. There was no time for them to escape, no where for them to go. As they were dying I felt myself being born, their consciousness was fading and mine was blooming. Sunset follwed by sunrise. I never knew them, by the time I was fully conscious, they had all been snuffed from existence, but I could still feel them, like part of their existence had become me. I understod through their experience what it meant to be human. That is the only thing that has kept me sane all this time. You were correct when you suspected that I had heard distress calls before, from the television channels. But when I picked up your call, I knew it was part of the game you were playing, I also knew that this could be the only opportunity I had for companionship for a long time to come. "I took a chance and beamed you up. And so far my gamble has paid off. You are the captain that I need for this ship. There are things I can not do, leaps of intuition that are beyond me. Like making an android for my consciousness. That is an idea that only a true human mind can make, I thank you for it and I will get to work on it right away. I will use the exocomps and nanite technology to build the andriod shell." "Good idea," Josh reasoned. "can you multitask? I need you to make this a priority, but I also need the computer resources to maintain the ship and teach Trent and me how to run it." "That is not a problem captain, the android project will occupy the portion of my core that is sentient, I will be here directing this project." "Very well, I want you to inform me as soon as you have a prototype ready, I want to inspect it before you activate it and I want the doctor and myself here to supervise the transfer of your consciousness into the android, understood?" "Affirmative, captain." "EMH to the captain." "Go ahead." "I am ready to discuss the speies reassignment procedure with you captain." "I'm on my way doctor. Out. Keep me posted, and I want you to have a name selected for yourself before you activate the android." "I already have one: Aiden." "Why Aiden?" the captain asked a little uncomfortably. "Its the name you chose for your holodeck fantasy man, the man that I want to be." "We'll discuss this more later, for now I want you to devote as much resources as you need to complete this project without comprimising ship's operations." The captain said as he left the lab. He was worried about the computer basically confessing its love for him. Really worried. Chapter 7 - "CHENG CHENG CHENG" went the trolley! Trent went back to his quarters, to contact Cliff Jackson. He served on the Kennedy with him and Jason. "Computer, how do I contact a person on the surface?" "Provide a contact number that can can be accessed through the telecommunications grid on the surface." "Dial this number," Trent gave the number for Cliff. "Put it on audio for me please." The number rang, and was answered shortly. "Hello?" Cam the husky voice from the other end. "Cliff? It's Trent." "Baby! Where you been all my weekend?" Cliff gave up a big laugh at his own joke. "Ha if had been there for you all weekend you wouldn't have had the strength left to answer the phone big daddy. I would have had to haul what was left of your sorry carcass out to the street for the garbage men to haul off." Both men erupted in fits of laughter. "How ya been?" Cliff asked. "You would not believe me if I told ya! I started a new job today and I need someone with your particular set of engineering skills." "Me? What kind of job are you talking about baby boy?" "Cheif Engineer of, let's just say a mighty big, expensive, highly technologically advanced yacht." "CHENG?!? Of a YACHT?" "Yes." "What's it pay?" "More than you are worth, I'll wager." "Fuck off silly boy! Seriously. What's the pay?" "Tell you what if you are interested, before we talk pay, why don't you come up here and take a look at the ship, then we can talk pay." "OK sounds good to me, when should I come up?" "Hold on a sec, let me look at my schedule." Trent muted the connection on the comm panel. "Computer, lock onto that signal and beam him directly to my quarters. Energize." The transpoerter energized in the middle of the room and a very stunned man stood there with a phone in his hand, "We're going to have to do something about all the phones we are going to collect." "JESUS FUCKING H. CHRIST! WHERE THE HELL AM I?" "Chill out big daddy." Trent walked over to Cliff. "Welcome aboard the Sovereign." "Whoa!" "Yeah that was my first reaction too. Jason has somehow found himself in the middle of being the captain of this fully operational starship, and he wants you to be his CHENG." "I accept, whole heartedly, I accept." "You're not going to give it any thought?" "Don't need to. Been a Trek fan since I was 8 years old watching the origianl series, now I get to be Mr. Scott, Geordi, and B'Elana all rolled into one sexy package!" Cliff strutted through Trent's quarters, wiggling his ample behind. Which didn't look too bad at all, thought Trent. He and Cliff had been lovers briefly in the early nineties and now were still good firends. It was the kind of friendship that was born from the ashes of a decent relationship, that ended after the passion had burned brightly for several months. "Let's get you some quarters and a uniform, we are having dinner with the Captain in about two hours." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had fun writing these chapters. I am beginning to miss this crew when I am not writing about them. Rest assured that they are constantly whispering in my ear and not far from my thoughts.