Captain's Glory

27

S.S. BELLE REVE, MERCURY

STARDATE 58569.3

“Earl Grey, hot,” Picard said to the replicator in the Belle Reve small galley.

“Actually,” Kirk said behind him, “you don’t want to do that.”

“Yes, I do.”

A steaming cup of tea appeared in the dispenser slot.

Kirk gave Picard a look of commiseration as if daring him to give it a try.

Picard sipped the tea. Cringed.

Kirk pointed to a wall locker. “I have real teabags in stasis pouches.”

With relief, Picard put his teacup into the recycler and ordered boiling water. A few minutes later, he tried the fresh-brewed tea and smiled. “Much better.”

Kirk sipped his own Vulcan espresso. “So?” It was all the shorthand the two captains needed to start their conversation.

Picard began. “Starfleet Intelligence put their best analysts on the Monitor transmission. They’ve extracted a wealth of data already, and believe there’s a great deal more.”

“What kind of data?”

“The Monitor recorded the energy signature of a major projection of the Totality. Larger than a starship. A phenomenon they called ‘the Distortion.’ At the time, the Monitor was in intergalactic space, hundreds of thousands of light-years from the nearest star.”

Kirk saw why those sensor readings might be valuable. “A perfect environment for the Totality. Local gravitational effects in that region would be insubstantial at best.”

Picard nodded. “The projection is so large, we can actually see the dimensional interface between the Totality’s realm of dark matter and our own normal space-time.”

Kirk could see that Picard was building to a moment of truth. “And that’s valuable because…?”

“The dimensional energy signature is unique, and… it’s been seen before.”

Kirk waited.

“The Monitor’s deflector systems automatically went to full power as the Distortion closed in,” Picard said.

“Which means the Distortion registered as having a physical presence.”

Picard agreed, then added, “But the main sensors made no sense of what was before them. In fact, the bulk of the data we’ve recovered comes from analysis of the Distortion’s optical properties only-how it appeared to ripple the light of galaxies behind it, how it appeared visually on the viewscreen…. At first, the crew thought they were seeing a cloaking device in action.”

Kirk looked down at his espresso, trying to understand why what Picard was saying sounded familiar.

Picard continued as if prompting Kirk. “Other than the deflectors being triggered and recordings of the Distortion’s visual appearance, every sensor scan reported density negative, radiation negative, and energy negative.”

Kirk looked up with those words playing back in his mind, so tantalizingly familiar. “It’s been a long time… but I’m sure I’ve heard those readings before.” But he couldn’t place the memory.

“I actually looked them up,” Picard said, “almost three years ago.”

Now Kirk was truly confused. “That’s before any of this happened.”

“But after you told me about your first run-in with Norinda.”

Kirk nodded. “I remember. When we were in the desert on Bajor.”

Picard nodded. “On vacation.”

“What’s the connection?”

“You told me how Starfleet had ordered you to locate Norinda’s ship after they’d tracked it traveling at an impossible velocity.”

“That’s right. It was off the warp scale we used back then. Factor fifteen, I think.”

“At that factor, where did they think it had come from?”

Kirk shrugged. This was all so long ago. “They were afraid to say it at the time, but it seems they were right. It was extragalactic. From– ” And then as if he had been hit by a phaser beam, Kirk remembered where he had heard those readings for the first time.

“The galactic barrier.”

In the early days of faster-than-light exploration, a handful of ships had tried to penetrate the mysterious energy barrier that surrounded the galaxy, and they had failed.

But after Starfleet had confirmed that Norinda’s ship had indeed arrived on a trajectory from outside the galaxy, Kirk had been ordered to retrace her route. So it was that in the first year of his original five-year mission on the Enterprise, Kirk had reached the barrier and attempted to pass through it.

The effort had cost him the lives of three crew, including his best friend, Gary Mitchell.

And yet, in subsequent years and subsequent attempts, the Enterprise had managed to penetrate the barrier and survive without ill effects.

In debriefings, one theory raised by Starfleet Command suggested that the barrier had somehow “recognized” the Enterprise from its first attempt, and so had allowed it to pass.

Another theory held that the galactic barrier was weakening. Though at the time, since no mechanism had ever been found to explain its existence, whatever might be causing it to fade away also defied analysis.

Kirk saw the puzzle pieces fall into place, even though the picture they formed wasn’t yet complete. “Starfleet thinks there’s a connection between the Totality and the galactic barrier?”

Again Picard nodded. “From the ongoing research into the phenomenon, there’ve been several compelling theories advanced that suggest the barrier is an artificial construct, perhaps put in place as much as four billion years ago.”

Four billion, Kirk thought. That span of time was also something he had heard before.

Picard continued. “About six years ago, my crew took part in an experiment to penetrate the barrier by means of an artificial wormhole.”

Kirk wasn’t aware of that attempt. “Did you succeed?”

Picard’s reply was enigmatic. “It’s a long story, and by order of Command, off the record.”

Kirk knew better than to try to get Picard to defy orders. “Where does that leave us?”

Picard took a sip of his tea, as if trying to put off what he had to say next as long as possible.

But time was up.

“Jim, this is extremely difficult for me.”

Kirk went on alert. Nothing good ever came from a conversation that began with those words.

“Go on,” he said.

“Starfleet Intelligence has identified a pattern which concerns them.”

Kirk pushed ahead. “I take it I’m part of the pattern.”

Picard nodded. “You were the first to make contact with Norinda. A few months later, you passed through the galactic barrier, something that had been impossible up to that time. Then you made contact with Norinda on Remus.”

“I stopped a civil war between Romulus and Remus that could’ve spread to two quadrants. And it wasn’t all my doing, Jean-Luc. You were part of it, too.”

Picard didn’t respond to Kirk’s interruption. He continued as if what he was saying had been rehearsed.

“And now, you’ve had contact with Norinda again, this time on Vulcan-a planet which Command believes is as you described it: under Totality control.”

Kirk didn’t like where this was going, and he could see Picard didn’t either. “What’s the final conclusion, Jean-Luc?”

“The Totality has demonstrated the ability to kidnap and absorb whoever they want, whenever they want. What seems to connect their victims is a victim’s perceived ability to counteract the Totality’s actions-as if they set out to eliminate potential enemies before launching their main attack.

“They’ve also demonstrated their ability to replace virtually anyone with a precise duplicate, again to undercut our ability to fight back.”

Kirk didn’t understand what Picard was trying to say. “What’s your point?”

“Jim,” Picard said bluntly, “this is what concerns Command: Why haven’t they taken you?”

Kirk sat back on the galley bench, almost knocking over his small cup of espresso. “They’ve tried. Norinda’s tried. On Remus. At the Gateway. On the Vulcan space station.”

Picard studied Kirk with a skeptical expression. “And yet you, of all the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individuals whom the Totality’s gone after, are the only one who’s managed to evade them.”

Kirk shook his head, couldn’t believe what Picard was implying. “Jean-Luc, I escaped on the space station because Vulcan security guards rushed in and used their phasers against Norinda.”

“Vulcan authorities,” Picard said somberly, “whom you’ve already suggested are Totality projections.”

“A setup?” Kirk asked. “Is that what Command thinks?”

“Truthfully,” Picard answered, “Command doesn’t know what to think. But they are concerned that you’ve had extensive interactions with the Totality, yet have been left in peace. They need an answer, Jim.”

Kirk stared at his friend in open disbelief. “I’ve fought Norinda and the Totality each time our paths have crossed. I risked my life, and the lives of my friends, to bring Starfleet the information they need to fight the Totality. I am not a collaborator.”

Picard wasn’t swayed, repeated the question. “Then why do they leave you alone?”

Kirk had had enough. He jumped to his feet, using action to burn off his sudden frustrated anger. “I don’t know and I don’t care. I’ve done my duty. I’ve got the information and the equipment I came for. And now all I want to do is go back to Vulcan and get my son.”

Picard rose calmly.

“I’m sorry. I can’t let you do that.”

Kirk was incredulous. “You have to.”

“Jim, you’d do anything to save your son, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course.”

“That’s why we can’t risk letting you contact the Totality again.”

Kirk made fists at his sides. “You think I’ll reveal Starfleet’s strategy to the Totality in exchange for my son.”

“That’s one possibility.”

“The other one being that I’ve been feeding information to the Totality all along.”

Picard didn’t answer and Kirk knew his conclusion was correct.

“Do you honestly think that little of me? That I could be a traitor?”

“Honestly? You’re not known for playing by the rules.”

“The only rules I’ve broken are the ones that deserve to be.”

“Who makes those decisions?”

Kirk threw out his hands in exasperation. “We do. The people on the edge of the frontier. The people who do things that no one’s ever done before. Explorers, starship captains, you and me, Jean-Luc.”

Picard’s expression became almost wistful. “Once, perhaps, but… We’re from two different ages, my friend. It’s not the rules that’ve changed. It’s the playing field.”

“Give me a chance and I’ll change your mind,” Kirk said.

But Picard shook his head sadly. “Starfleet’s preparing a task force to retake Vulcan. We’ll find your son and get him back to you.”

Kirk knew then that if Starfleet attacked the Totality and succeeded in making it withdraw, Joseph would be taken from him. Norinda would see to it personally.

Not for spite or revenge, but because Starfleet was right.

There was some special connection between Kirk and Norinda.

Kirk didn’t know what it was, but he was certain Norinda did.

And to ensure that Kirk would seek her out and find her again, she had equipped herself with the perfect bait.

Joseph.

“I’m sorry, Jim.”

“So am I,” Kirk said.

“Will you come with me now? They’d like you on Mercury till this is over.”

Kirk shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

Picard sighed, not looking for a confrontation. He tapped his combadge. “Picard to Enterprise.”

The two captains held each other’s gaze.

After a few seconds, Picard tapped his combadge again. “Picard to Enterprise.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t read the specifications for this ship,” Kirk said. “Specifically, the equipment it has for blocking unauthorized communications.”

Picard frowned, tapped his combadge. “Picard to Starfleet Command.” No response. “Picard to any station.”

Nothing.

“Sorry, Jean-Luc,” Kirk said, and meant it. “But I like to be prepared. Now, are you going to come with me?”

Picard’s eyes widened. “Where?”

“You already know that answer,” Kirk said. “If I can’t change the rules anymore, then it’s time to change the game.”