Chapter 7

Thirty-six hours later:

With the Enterprise restocked and all systems inspected, we jumped to light speed. We were now following the search pattern I had devised based on the locations of the previous encounters with the sensor anomalies reported by other vessels in this sector.

I could tell Lt. Castle, our navigator, wasn’t too thrilled with the prospect of changing course on a moment’s notice, but he would simply have to deal with it. We were only traveling twice the speed of light, as I wanted to ensure we missed nothing in our search. Elizabeth Travers, our new Operations Officer, proved quite adept at her job and managed to increase our sensors’ sensitivity and range.

Curious about the extra monitors now attached to her station, I asked her to show me her enhancements. Elizabeth gleefully showed me what she had done, and I was pretty impressed. With these new enhancements, she could monitor all the sensors better.

“Nice work, Commander,” I told her, and I meant it.

“Thank you, sir,” she responded with a big smile. I couldn’t help but wonder what Bull would think of his niece if he could see her now, but I said nothing, knowing that was still a sore spot with her.

Kyra informed me that her work with the communications engineers had paid off. They were set to test the new equipment attached to the dream recorder Jim now used on a nightly basis. I wasn’t concerned with the details of his nocturnal adventures with this dream woman – I figured that was his business.

But he confirmed that the “dreams” being transmitted to him continued to take place on a nightly basis, becoming more lucid with each passing day. I could also tell that he seemed to enjoy his “encounters” with whoever was occupying his sleep. He seemed to have a new spring in his step, and his overall mood had improved considerably.

Jim showed me the readout from the device the following day before our daily briefing. Not sure what I was seeing, I asked Lt. Commander Hastings, the comm chief, to explain the output.

“According to this, it seems the transmission is coming from a point 35 degrees off our starboard bow, at roughly seven degrees up on our Z-axis,” he explained.

“Is there enough information here to triangulate the source of this transmission?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” the comm chief explained. “Maybe once we get more information, we might be able to triangulate it, but not right now.”

“At least we have something to go on,” I said. “Thanks.” Using this information, I adjusted our course, hoping to get closer to whatever was sending the transmission while assuming the source of the transmission and the anomalies were the same. Lt. Castle frowned as I handed him the course adjustments but said nothing as he programmed the changes into the nav computer.

“Course correction entered, sir,” he said when he finished.

“Make it so, Lieutenant,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir,” he replied. This cat-and-mouse game went on for eight days. Each morning, we looked at the results of Jim’s tracking device and realized that whatever was sending these transmissions was also in motion, making it impossible to triangulate a set point in space. So we analyzed the results and adjusted our course accordingly. On the ninth day, we hit the jackpot.

“Captain, we’ve got something on our sensors,” Elizabeth announced. Jim followed me to her station, and we looked at her monitors. There, on the edge of the sensors’ range, was what looked like an empty black spot, following our course and speed. “It just showed up,” she added.

“Comm, send a flash message to Star Fleet Headquarters, attention Admiral Simmons. Anomaly detected. Investigating,” I called out. “Append current position, course, and velocity.”

“Yes, sir,” the comm officer responded.

“Navigator, adjust course. Five degrees starboard, two degrees north on the Z-axis.”

“Adjusting course. Aye aye, sir,” Lt. Castle said. We watched Elizabeth’s monitors and saw the anomaly echo our movement. I decided to have a little fun with our shadow. “Navigator, adjust course. Four degrees port, three degrees south on Z-axis.”

“Aye Aye, sir,” Lt. Castle said. Again, we saw the anomaly echo our movements.

“Maybe it really is just a sensor shadow,” Jim said as we watched.

“Let’s find out, shall we?” I asked. “Helm, reduce speed to 1.5 light.”

“Reducing speed, aye aye, sir,” the helmsman replied. As we watched, the anomaly sped ahead of us.

“So much for it being an echo,” Jim said.

“I agree,” I told him. The anomaly continued to outpace us and had reached a point about two astronomical units ahead of us – about 186 million miles, or twice the distance from the Earth to the sun. Suddenly, it turned around, making a complete 180-degree turn. Now it was heading right for us.

“Helm, emergency stop,” I commanded.

“Emergency stop. Aye aye, sir,” the helmsman replied as his hands flew over his console. There was no time to warn the rest of the crew, and we all fought to keep from falling when the ship suddenly dropped out of warp. “Thrusters at station-keeping, sir.”

“Bridge, this is Engineering. What the hell is going on up there?” I heard the chief engineer shout from my console. I got to my chair and replied.

“Stand by, Engineering,” I said.

“Sir, look,” Elizabeth shouted, pointing at the forward port. I saw a bright flash of light in the blackness of space. Before I could say more, we watched a large ship barreling toward us at breakneck speed, stopping just a few kilometers away.

“What the hell,” Jim gasped.

“Weapons, stand by,” I ordered.

“Standing by,” the weapons officer replied.

“Sir, should we send a message to Houston?” the comm officer asked.

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked sarcastically. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. Yes, send a flash message to Admiral Simmons. First contact. More to follow.” I waited a few seconds for the message to get sent. “Monitor all frequencies, comm.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

“Well, it looks like we have the answer to the anomalies,” I told Jim.

“Yes, it does,” Jim said.

“Report, Number Two,” I said, seeing Elizabeth scan the alien vessel in front of us.

“Sensors are detecting a field of some kind around the alien vessel, Captain,” Elizabeth said.

“Captain, there’s an incoming message from the alien vessel,” the comm officer reported. I walked to the comm station and was surprised to see a video feed in the transmission. I was even more astonished at the image on the feed – an attractive blonde woman wearing only a sash across her chest and what looked like a utility belt. She was a dead ringer for the woman in Jim’s genetic memory.

Next to the woman was a bushy plant with what looked like a dozen green penises on the end of their respective stalks. This looked like the plant we saw in Jim’s genetic memory. I couldn’t help but wonder: what the hell is this thing? As I watched, the plant appeared to operate a console with its branches.

“You should see this, Number One,” I said. Jim stepped next to me and gasped when he saw the image.

“Mish,” he quietly said.

“What?” I asked.

“That’s her name. Mish. Short for Mishita.” I tapped my wrist communicator.

“Commander Jones, report to the Captain’s ready room immediately,” I ordered.

“On my way,” Kyra replied. I looked at Jim.

“Is this the woman in your dreams?” I asked.

“Yes, sir. It is,” Jim answered.

“Well, at least now you know she’s real,” I said.

“Yes, very real,” Jim said. Just then, Kyra entered the bridge and stepped next to me.

“That was fast,” I remarked.

“I was dropping some things off in our quarters when you called,” she explained. “What’s going on?”

“Take a look,” I told her, pointing at the monitor. She gasped when she saw the image, then looked at Jim, shocked. “Comm, send this to my ready room, then send a message to Admiral Simmons. Tell him first contact initiated.”

“Yes sir,” the comm officer replied.

“Commander Travers, you have the conn,” I said as we headed for the ready room.

“Aye aye, sir,” Elizabeth said as she took my station. We took our seats in the ready room and activated the large wall monitor. Instantly, we were confronted with the image of the nearly nude woman and the plant-being next to her.

I also noticed several other young, beautiful nude women and plant-beings working at stations in what was their equivalent of our bridge. No one seemed at all concerned about the open nudity. What the hell kind of a species is this?

“This is Captain William Jones of the USS Enterprise,” I began, not knowing if the beings on the other ship could even understand my words. “Please identify yourselves and state your intent.”

“I am Mishita, Senior Commander of the Imperial Gingravik Cruiser Tere. This is my second, Commander First Class Ra’al,” the woman said in an accent I couldn’t identify but sounded somewhat British. I was shocked that she could even speak our language and wondered how that was possible. “I assure you, Captain William Jones, our intentions are completely peaceful.” The plant-being next to her shook his branches.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain, and I fully concur with the Senior Commander,” we heard in what sounded like a mechanical voice emanating from speakers embedded in the plant’s cart.

“Thank you, Commander. It is a pleasure to meet you as well. This is our ship’s counselor, Commander Kyra Jones,” I said, pointing at my wife. “And my Executive Officer, Commander...”

“James Decker,” Mishita said, finishing my introduction. “Yes, I know. I have anticipated this moment for a long time. It is ... wonderful ... to finally make contact.”

“Oh? Can you explain that?” I asked.

“It is a ... long ... story, Captain,” Mishita said. “Perhaps we can discuss it over a meal. I would consider it an honor if the three of you could join me here, on the Tere, to discuss this.” This was not what I had anticipated, and I looked to my two companions as I considered the possibilities.

Perhaps this was an opportunity to make friends with an alien race. Or it could be a trap. Mishita’s following words surprised me.

“I assure you, Captain. This is not a trap. We have more in common than you know,” she said. Like what?

“Very well, Senior Commander,” I finally said. “When would you like to meet?”

“I think the sooner the better, as your people like to say,” Mishita stated with a smile. “And there is no need to bring security. You are completely safe in our care.” I considered her words for a moment before responding. This was a touchy situation.

If this turned out to be a trap, I would not be the only one in danger – it would also be my wife and two of my shipmates. And quite possibly the entire crew. After some consideration, I decided to take the risk – that was part of why we’re out here.

“All right, Commander. We’ll be on our way within the hour,” I said, hoping she understood my meaning.

“I look forward to that, Captain,” Mishita said with a wide smile. I couldn’t help but notice her skin appeared somewhat flush. “I will instruct our crew to prepare the shuttle bay for your arrival. Your pilot will see it as you approach.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Enterprise out.” With that, I ended the communication, then pinged the shuttle bay. “Prepare Shuttle One for launch in 45 minutes,” I ordered.

“Aye aye, sir,” the shuttle operations office crewman responded.

“What do you think?” I asked Jim and Kyra.

“Her command of the English language is impressive – and unexpected,” Kyra said. “Are you sure this is wise?”

“No, not entirely,” I said. “This is all quite new, and I’m flying by the seat of my pants, quite frankly. Call it a gut instinct, but I have a feeling this ... Mishita ... has a thing for our First Officer, and I doubt she would put him in harm’s way. How are you feeling about all this, Jim?”

“I’m shocked that she really exists, Bill. I’ve seen her in my sleep every night for quite a while, but I never stopped to think that she was a real person.”

“She’s obviously quite real, Number One,” I said, glancing at the monitor. “But she said some things that have me wondering ... I need some answers. Hopefully, she’ll provide them. Let’s change into our dress uniforms then meet in the shuttle bay.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim said.

“Sweetheart, are you absolutely certain about all of this? I mean, you’re wanting to go to that alien ship without knowing anything about them...” Kyra asked after Jim left.

“I’m not really certain, and it is a risk,” I admitted. “But we won’t know anything sitting here. C’mon, let’s go get changed.” We left the ready room, and I turned to Elizabeth. “Number Two, you have the conn. Keep a close eye on things. Commander Decker, Commander Jones, and I will be there for a while.”

“You’re going over there?” Elizabeth asked. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

“100 percent? No. But we have to start somewhere. I’ll check in once an hour just so you know we’re okay. If I miss a check-in time, ping me. If we do run into trouble, I’ll message you with a 911. Get the Marine detachment ready to roll, but I doubt they’ll be necessary.”

“Yes, sir,” Elizabeth said.

“And for heaven’s sake, please try not to start an interstellar war while I’m gone,” I added with a wry smile.

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Elizabeth remarked. I left the bridge and met Kyra in our quarters, where I quickly changed into my dress uniform. We checked each other as always, then went to the shuttle bay, where we met Jim.

“Let’s do this,” I said. Jim entered the craft first, followed by Kyra. As the shuttle pilot completed his checklist, I stepped inside and took my seat. I strapped in as the shuttle crew closed the hatch, then watched as the craft gently lifted off and flew out of the bay.

“Any idea where we’re landing over there, sir?” the pilot asked.

“I’m told you’ll see an open hatch once we get there,” I said. It felt strange seeing Enterprise nose-to-nose with an alien craft from the outside. I couldn’t help but wonder how the old girl would stand up if the two ships came to blows, then shrugged off the thought with a shudder. The last thing I wanted to see was a fight – not here, in open space ten light years from Earth.

As we drew closer to the alien craft, we spotted a brightly lit rectangular opening. We realized that was the entrance to their shuttle bay.

“Think we can fit in there, Lieutenant?” I asked.

“Easily, sir,” the pilot responded. We were inside the alien ship within minutes, and the shuttle settled on a large, lit circle. The door to the bay closed, and the pilot consulted his panel.

“The bay is pressurizing,” he said. “Atmosphere and gravity is very similar to ours,” he added with a raised eyebrow. I then realized that I had made a monumental screw-up by assuming the atmosphere on this ship would be safe for us. For all I knew, this ship could’ve been filled with acidic fumes that would kill us instantly. But it was safe for Mishita, so I figured it would also be safe for us.

I put that thought aside and made a mental note to consult with Alan about forming a protocol for first contact. Even with our technological advances, there was much we weren’t prepared for.

As we looked out the shuttle’s windows, we saw a woman enter the shuttle bay with a plant-being in a motorized cart. They were accompanied by two nude women carrying short staffs of some kind, and another naked woman followed behind them.

They stopped, and I knew that was our cue to exit the shuttle. I opened the door and stepped out first.

“Showtime,” I said to Kyra and Jim. They looked at each other nervously, then stepped out. We approached the woman and her entourage, and I realized this was Mishita, and I assumed her alien first officer.

To my surprise, Mishita had donned what looked like a very short skirt – or rather, two short pieces of cloth covering her pubic area connected by a strap. She wore a sash, but this one was more ornate than I had seen before. Her small breasts were still uncovered, and I could see her nipples were hard and erect.

“Commander Mishita, it is a pleasure to meet you in person,” I said as we stopped before them. She smiled, and a hint of a blush came to her cheeks.

“Captain Jones, welcome to the IGS Tere,” Mishita said. “Please accept my apologies for my appearance. I normally work in my natural state, but my superiors suggested I adopt a minimal covering so as not to distract you.”

“No apologies are necessary, Commander,” I said. “Let me present Commander Jim Decker, and Commander Kyra Jones,” I said, motioning to the two officers with me. Mishita smiled as she approached Jim.

“Commander Decker. May I call you Jim?” she asked.

“Of course,” Jim said.

“Thank you. And please call me Mish. You look so ... handsome ... in that covering. I forgot how titillating it can be to imagine what lies beneath all that ... material.”

“Thank you,” Jim said. “And may I say you look quite ... good ... yourself?”

“You may,” Mishita said, kissing him on the cheek. She stepped back and looked at me before speaking. “You remember my second, Commander Ra’al,” she said, motioning to the plant-being.

“Yes, of course,” I said. “It is a pleasure to meet you in ... person ... Commander.” I thought I detected the hint of a smile in the way Ra’al’s leaves shifted.

“And a pleasure to meet you. You are the first humanoid from Earth I have encountered. Please pardon me for not reaching out, but my leaves emit a dew that would be ... detrimental ... to your covering,” he said, his voice emanating from speakers in his cart.

“That is one of the reasons we prefer to work in our natural state,” Mishita said. “Will your pilot be joining us?”

“No, Commander,” I said. “He has duties to attend while we meet.”

“I understand. We have a designated companion if you feel he requires some ... company,” Mishita said. Designated companion? What the hell is that? I kept my thoughts to myself.

“That won’t be necessary, but thank you for the offer,” I said, smiling.

“Very well, but please let me know if you change your mind,” Mishita said. “Please, join me.” She turned, and we followed her and her entourage to a lift. When we got inside, I noticed one of the females with her had a strange green tattoo between her breasts, and I made a note to ask about that.

“Commander’s quarters,” Mishita commanded. Suddenly, the lift moved – first up, then laterally. I could detect the change in direction and wondered where we were headed. Finally, the lift stopped, and the doors opened.

We walked into a spacious, well-appointed room. I saw a portrait on one wall of a nude blonde woman sitting next to a bushy plant with a dozen enormous penis-like appendages. I had seen her image before, in one of the genetic memories Kyra had retrieved from Jim’s father. Mishita noticed where I was looking.

“That is Queen Tere, the woman this vessel was named after,” Mishita said. “The Gingravik next to her was her loyal and beloved consort, Lord Bernard. All of the humanoids on this ship owe their existence to her. As well as all the humanoid beings in the Empire.”

“You speak of them in the past tense, Commander,” I observed.

“Yes. They lived in harmony for many years and produced many offspring. She died not long ago, and her consort followed her. She was beloved by everyone, human and Gingravik alike, and her image spawned millions of erections across the Empire,” Mishita said. “I can only hope to be half the woman she was.”

“She was the epitome of human femininity,” Ra’al added as he wheeled beside us. “We have hope because of her, and her image continues to produce multiple ejaculations. She was the one who proved that Gingravik and humans could live and work together in peace and lasting harmony. She will always be honored in our memory, along with Marsook the Magnificent.”

“I see,” I said quietly. I had no idea who or what this Marsook was, and I was curious to learn more about this Tere woman. And what was this about erections and multiple ejaculations? What kind of a society is this? I kept my thoughts to myself, though, not wanting to offend our hosts. I saw a green mark between Tere’s breasts, similar to one I had seen on one of the women who escorted us to Mishita’s quarters.

“What is that?” I asked, pointing at the mark. “I saw that on one of the other women earlier.”

“That is her mating mark,” Ra’al explained. “Do Earthlings not mate?”

“Yes we do, but we usually wear rings, like these,” I said, holding up my left hand.

“Rings can be removed at will, Captain,” Mishita said. “The mating mark cannot. It also holds a genetic sample of the wearer’s mate.”

“Interesting,” I said. “What happens if they divorce?”

“Divorce?” Ra’al asked. “I am not familiar with that term.”

“It’s when a married couple splits up,” I said.

“That does not happen in Gingravik culture, Captain,” Mishita said. “Once we mate, it is for life.”

“I see,” I told her. “And she was ... mated ... to this Lord Bernard for life?”

“Yes, she was,” Ra’al said. “Their story is a testament of true love that transcends space, time, and the line between species. They never knew how much their love inspired our people. It is a shame she never got to leave her native Earth,” Ra’al added quietly.

“She was from Earth?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Mishita answered. “She was the Queen Mother of the Gingravik Prefect of Earth for more than 80 years. She founded it in the early part of your 21st century, and dedicated her life to the Gingravik cause.”

“I’ve never heard of this Gingravik Prefect of Earth,” I said. “Where was it located?”

“It still exists,” Mishita said. “But it has remained hidden from prying eyes since the war. And I am not at liberty to disclose its location.”

“War? What war?” I asked, totally confused.

“In the early part of your 21st century, one of your major powers embarked on a war of conquest against one of its neighbors, threatening your planet with nuclear annihilation. At the opening of that war, this power took Queen Tere and her contingent captive. She told them who she was and explained that she was on a mission of peace aboard an unarmed neutral vessel, but they didn’t believe her.

“They threatened her and her contingent with all manner of vile things, including rape and murder. But she stood firm against them and rebuffed their filthy advances.

“Squads of D’o’wr were dispatched, augmented by Lord Bernard and a hybrid named Jake. They rescued the Queen and the others with her. Vessels were dispatched to deal with this power, and they were able to stop the war and put the madman responsible for it on trial for interstellar war crimes.

“He was convicted, then returned to his native land, where he spent the rest of his miserable life behind bars in the worst prison his country ran. The Queen was recognized for her valor, and Jake was named a Hero of the Gingravik Empire, the first to be so designated in many of your years.

“Sometime after the war, the High Council classified the incident, and the Prefect went into hiding, choosing to never again interfere with the affairs of humanity. They have spent the last ninety of your years working to improve the Gingravik race while observing human events, hoping for the day when our species could once again come together in mutual understanding,” Mishita explained.

“But I don’t understand something,” I stated. “If this Prefect went into hiding, how did you come to be ... here?”

“At the end of that war, 25 female human embryos were placed on one of the ships dispatched to Earth, along with a contingent of ‘matrons’ who would look after them. They brought those embryos to the home world, where they were incubated and allowed to grow unimpeded by the problems facing your planet.

“My grandmother was one of those 25 embryos. And, I am told, she was a direct descendant of Queen Tere and Lord Bernard. From what I have been told, they were quite ... active ... throughout their relationship, which lasted until their death,” Mishita said. I saw a slight familial resemblance between Mishita and the woman in the portrait.

“So how long have the Gingravik known about Earth?” I asked.

“A long time. The Gingravik have known about the human race for about 600 of your years now,” Mishita replied. 600 years? I felt like I could be knocked over with a feather. “Ah, our meal has arrived. Please, join me at the table.”

“I must return to my post now, Commander,” Ra’al said. “With your permission, of course.”

“Of course, Ra’al,” Mishita said. “Please report if you need anything.”

“Yes, I will. Captain, it has been an honor to meet you.”

“And you as well, Commander,” I said. Realizing it was nearly time to check in with Elizabeth, I excused myself. “I need to check in with my ship,” I told Mishita.

“Of course, Captain,” she said, pressing a button on her wristband. “The channel is open for you.”

“Thank you,” I told her as I pinged Elizabeth.

“Enterprise, Commander Travers speaking,” she said.

“Captain Jones, Number Two. Just checking in. Everything is fine. We’re preparing to eat now.”

“Enjoy your meal, Captain,” Elizabeth said.

“We will, thanks. What’s your status?”

“All systems green so far. Nothing to report,” she said.

“Very well. I’ll check back in an hour. Captain Jones out.”

“Enterprise out,” Elizabeth responded, closing the channel.

I watched as Ra’al turned in his cart and left Mishita’s quarters, then joined her, Kyra, and Jim at the large table. We waited for her to sit before taking our places, and I considered the food placed before me. It smelled delicious, and I saw what appeared to be tiny shrimp in some kind of sauce.

“This looks good,” I said.

“Thank you,” Mishita said. “These crustaceans are native to the home world. The humans there consume them in great quantities, and when ground and mixed with nitrogen, the shells provide an excellent fertilizer for the Gingravik soil.”

“Everybody wins,” I replied.

“Yes, they do,” Mishita responded. We talked as we consumed the meal, which I found quite tasty.

“I must say, Commander, I am quite impressed with your knowledge of our history and your command of our language. You say these Gingravik have been watching us for six centuries? How come we’re just now hearing about this?”

“Captain, please understand something. Not only do the Gingravik have a superior libido, they have a superior intellect. No offense. They were crossing interstellar space while humans were bobbing around on the ocean in rickety wooden boats,” Mishita said. “They saw promise in the human race. And ... they were more than taken with the human female form.”

“Oh? And why would they be interested in human females?” I asked.

“A long time ago, the Gingravik home world was attacked by a hideous species known as the H’t’quiy. They unleashed a devastating disease that nearly wiped out the female of the Gingravik species. They managed to struggle but soon realized that the Gingravik race would cease to exist unless something drastic was done.

“So, Empress Tere – not to be confused with the Queen Mother – launched waves of spores into space to find other species the Gingravik could ... partner ... with. Perhaps even mate with. They had varying degrees of success but could not find a species they felt totally comfortable with – one they thought would be most compatible. Both physically and philosophically. Until they happened upon Earth.

“They watched Earth from orbit for centuries, learning as much as possible. In the process, they became enamored with the human female. It was a combination of beauty, form, and strength that won their hearts, so to speak. Finally, they felt it was time to attempt a successful mating. That took many years, but it finally happened. It marked a turning point when the Queen Mother bore Lord Bernard’s offspring.

“They successfully merged Gingravik and human technology, and with the Queen Mother’s leadership, built a substantial Gingravik community on Earth. When their community outgrew their original facility, they relocated to what is now known as the Prefect,” Mishita said.

“Why not approach the United Nations?” Jim asked, taking the words out of my mouth.

“They did,” Mishita said. “It was at the height of a pandemic. The United Nations sent delegates to the Prefect to meet with Queen Tere and her ambassador. But nothing of any real use came from the meeting.” Kyra turned to Jim.

“Your great-grandmother was a diplomat with the United Nations,” she said. “Assigned to an undisclosed location on a classified mission.” Kyra turned back to Mishita. “Is it possible she was one of those assigned to the Prefect?”

“It is quite possible,” Mishita said. Kyra pulled her mobile comm device from an inside pocket and showed Mishita a photo drawn from Jim’s genetic memory. Mishita looked at it closely before responding. “I have never been to the Prefect of Earth, but I have seen pictures. That does look a lot like what I have seen. And those appear to be Gingravik sex organs.”