Chapter 9

I sat at my desk in the quarters I shared with Kyra that evening, rubbing my temples. It had been one hell of a day so far. After our conversation, I got my report off to Alan and received his acknowledgment. He was ecstatic to hear about the shielding technology, as I figured he would be. At least there was one good thing to come from the day.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Kyra asked as she rubbed my shoulders. God, that felt so good. I closed my eyes and leaned back into her as she massaged me. “You seem rather tense.”

“The burden of command, I suppose,” I said. “You think Leesa ever went through this?” Kyra chuckled at that.

“I can tell you she experienced this at least once a week,” my wife said.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Oh yes. In fact, I had a standing appointment with her, at least one hour every week. Sometimes more.”

“I didn’t know that,” I told her.

“It never came up, and there is such a thing as doctor-patient confidentiality, you know.”

“Of course.” I should’ve known, but Leesa was so good at her job that it never occurred to me that she would even need to seek out Kyra’s professional services. “So, what’s your prognosis, doc? Will I make it?” Kyra chuckled at that.

“I think you will, with lots of tender loving care. It won’t be easy, though,” Kyra quipped with a slight smile. “Seriously, though. You have a lot on your plate. I mean, you’re nose-to-nose with an alien spacecraft, preparing to face off against hostile aliens you know next to nothing about. You have a couple hundred souls depending on you in the harshest and most unforgiving environment known to humanity – some ten light years from Earth. No pressure there, right?”

“Not when you put it that way,” I joked.

“Then it’s probably a good idea for us to talk, don’t you think?” Kyra asked in that tone wives seemed to acquire for getting their husbands to do what they wanted...

“We talk all the time,” I said.

“Yes, we do. We talk, we eat meals together. We play our instruments together. We enjoy each other’s bodies together. And I appreciate that you bring me into the section briefings. But we don’t actually ... talk. You know, about the things that weigh heavily on your mind. You share quite a bit, but you tend to keep a lot close to your chest. Let’s face it, this mission hasn’t exactly turned out the way you thought it might, has it?”

“Not ... exactly,” I said quietly. Damn, this woman was good, I thought. “I figured we would find some esoteric quality in this part of space that caused the sensor anomalies and that would would be it. I never thought in my wildest imagination that we’d encounter an alien species of intelligent plants sporting 12 penises.”

“Does that bother you?” Kyra asked.

“What? That we’ve encountered an alien species?” I asked.

“No, that this species of alien has 12 sets of rather prominent sex organs,” Kyra said with a mischievous smile.

“Are you suggesting I suffer from a form of penis envy or something?” I responded, returning her smile.

“Are you?” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that.

“Not hardly,” I said. “What about you? Are you a bit curious about these well-endowed aliens?”

“I admit, I’m a bit curious, as any woman might be,” Kyra said. “But not curious enough to take action. I have no desire to, uh, sample, what they offer. Besides, I made a promise to forsake all others for you. And that includes well-endowed aliens with multiple penises. I love you too much to do that to you.”

“And I love you more, my wonderful wife,” I said.

“Good answer, space man,” Kyra responded before kissing me.

“But I am concerned about something.”

“What’s that?” Kyra asked.

“As I’m sure you know, the crew was specifically selected for their compatibility. Every possible demographic was considered when putting this crew together. I can’t help but wonder what impact these native Gingravik might have on the balance we have here.”

“You mean, what if our female crew members decide to gravitate towards the Gingravik males?”

“Something like that,” I told her. “I mean, if I were a single man, I might wonder how I could possibly compete against a being with not one, but 12 very large sex organs. Eventually, it could cause some ... significant ... morale problems.” Kyra thought for a few moments before responding.

“I understand your concern,” she said. “But from what I’ve seen, that isn’t an issue. I’ve been watching their interaction with our crew. I get the feeling these Gingravik are quite perceptive beings. Yes, they have a very high libido. But from my observation, they don’t target women indiscriminately.”

“You mean, they’re not ‘pussy hounds.’ It’s that what you’re telling me?”

“Something like that,” Kyra said.

“That’s good to hear. Have you spoken to Petty Officer Jenkins yet?”

“No, I haven’t. I’ve been rather busy lately, but I do have her on my schedule for tomorrow,” Kyra said. “Did she...”

“Yes,” I answered before she could finish her question.

“I see,” Kyra said quietly. “Well, this should be interesting. How much do you already know?”

“I don’t know all of the specifics, but I know enough. I don’t know if her encounter has had any lasting impact on her.”

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Kyra said. I marveled for a moment at the precarious personal and professional balancing act my wife had to do; between her duty to the ship and doctor-patient confidentiality.

We called it a night and went to bed after relaxing with music and a cup of Kyra’s renowned hot chocolate. Playing music together had become a form of foreplay between us. I had to admit that my wife was becoming quite the musician. The fact that we occasionally played in the nude, or very close to it, certainly helped in that department.

Chet brought us all up to speed on his progress with the Gingravik “brain hood” during the following day’s morning briefing. I was happy to hear that he and the rest of the Engineering team had been able to get past the initial communication gap with the Gingravik.

“We’re set to perform final testing on the hoods today. If all goes well, we can start printing them out,” Chet said.

“Good work, Commander,” I said. “How much of our stock would this take?”

“Best estimate, a little more than a third, sir.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we ordered a third more than normal, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, I suppose it is,” Chet said.

“How long would it take to print out enough for both crews?”

“I’d say three to four full days,” Chet said.

“Alright. Let me know how your tests go. By the way, the Gingravik is bringing over a piece of equipment for us this morning – a device that will give us shielding. I want you to oversee its integration.” Chet’s face turned white when I said that. “Is there a problem?”

“Sir, I’m not sure that’s even possible,” Chet said.

“If anyone can make it happen, you can, Chet. See to it. It’s crucial,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” Chet said, resigned to his task. After the briefing, Chet, Jim, and I walked to the shuttle bay, where I saw everyone off. “You watch yourself over there, Number One,” I told Jim as he climbed on board with his overnight bag.

“I will, Captain,” he said with a shit-eating grin. The shuttles left after we reached the safety of the observation room, only to be replaced with the shuttles from the Tere. We greeted our guests and bade farewell to those who had spent the night. Commander Ra’al, Mishita’s executive officer, wheeled himself to me.

“I believe the standard greeting is, good morning, Captain,” Ra’al said through his speakers.

“Yes, it is, Commander. And good morning to you,” I replied.

“The shielding equipment is inside my carrying compartment, Captain,” Ra’al said. I figured out the door mechanism and pulled out a small box with a container holding smaller parts, which I handed Chet with a smile. “We brought a couple of technicians to help integrate it into your system.”

“Thank you, Commander. That would be most helpful,” I said. “Merry Christmas, Chet,” I told my Chief Engineer, who responded with a forced smile.

“I suppose I can’t ever say you never gave me anything, Captain,” Chet joked ruefully.

“Nope, you can’t. You do this, and I’ll owe you a steak dinner with all the trimmings,” I told him, knowing his fondness for grilled steaks.

“Damn right you will,” Chet said, adding the obligatory “sir” after an awkward moment. I knew he was being sarcastic, but I also detected a hint of frustration. This was way beyond anything he had ever dealt with – splicing an unknown alien component into his beloved ship that he knew every centimeter of. Part of me felt bad about putting this on him, but I promised myself I would make it worth his while if he succeeded. I left the shuttle bay, Ra’al at my side.

“I am not familiar with your protocol. How should I address you, Captain?” Ra’al asked.

“Generally speaking, you can either address me as ‘Captain’ or ‘sir.’ When it’s just the two of us, though, you may refer to me by the familiar form of my name, Bill.”

“Then you may refer to me as either ‘Commander’ or ‘Ra’al,’ if you wish ... Bill,” the plant-being said from his cart. “This is an impressive vessel. Your species has come a long way in a short time interval.”

“Thank you, Ra’al,” I said. “I’m sure it’s nothing compared to the Tere.”

“Do not underestimate yourself, Bill,” Ra’al replied. “To be honest, I am quite impressed with the way you and your crew have dealt with our initial meeting. First contact between species can be quite ... challenging. We have had our share of successes and failures in that area. Fortunately the failures have been few.”

“As I have recently discovered,” I remarked.

“I see that Commander Mishita has become quite ... close ... with your Commander Decker,” Ra’al said. The delicate nature of his comment even came through his speakers.

“I believe the feeling is mutual,” I told him.

“Mutual? I do not quite understand.”

“He has become close to her as well,” I said.

“Yes, they do seem to be genetically compatible. I hope this is not what you may call a ... short fling. I have worked with her for some time now, and would not like to see her hurt. She is like a fellow seedling to me.”

“You mean, like a sister?” I asked.

“Sister?” Ra’al asked, confused. “Ah, I understand. A female seedling produced by one’s parental units. Yes, I think you could say that.”

“I have heard him refer to her as his queen,” I said. “He tells me that is a term of endearment among your people.”

“And he is right. That is a good sign. Perhaps there may be a mating ritual after all.”

“Are you married, Ra’al?” I asked.

“You mean mated? Yes, I am. To a delightfully smooth creature named Harmonia. She is humanoid, like Mishita, and works in our mapping department. We have been mated for several cycles now.”

“Any, uh, seedlings yet?” I asked, trying to use terms he would understand.

“Not yet, but we remain hopeful,” Ra’al said. We reached the bridge, and I let Ra’al enter first. The bridge crew looked at Ra’al, but none expressed surprise or shock when they saw the plant-being. I took that as a good sign.

“Sir, there’s an incoming flash communication from Starbase One. Admiral Simmons,” the duty comm officer said.

“Very well. Patch it into my ready room, please,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” the female lieutenant said.

“Why don’t you join me, Commander?” I asked Ra’al.

“Very well, Captain,” Ra’al responded. I smiled internally, realizing that Ra’al remembered to call me by my rank in front of the crew.

“Commander Travers, you have the conn.”

“Yes, sir,” Elizabeth responded. I went into the ready room, with Ra’al close behind. I sat at my desk as he took a position next to me. Engaging the video monitor, I saw Alan with an older, impeccably-dressed man.

“Captain Jones here, Admiral. This is Commander Ra’al, Executive Officer of the Gingravik Cruiser Tere,” I said.

“Good morning, Captain. Commander. It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Admiral Simmons. This is Tsod, Ambassador to the Gingravik Prefect of Earth.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador,” I said. The older man smiled as he looked from Ra’al to me.

“It is a distinct pleasure to meet you as well, Captain. I have waited more than 90 years to see this. Native Gingravik and native humans work side by side. You have no idea how this makes me feel. My only regret is that the Queen Mother did not live long enough to see this for herself,” Tsod said. Ninety years? How old is this man? He didn’t look more than 70 years old to me. I reflected briefly that my preconceived notions and subconscious biases were getting a pretty good workout every day.

“I have heard of this Queen Tere,” I said. “She sounds like an extraordinary woman.”

“Yes, Captain, she was. Her passing has affected us all. But, as you say, life goes on.”

“Indeed. What can we do for you, Ambassador?” I asked. Tsod looked at Alan, who nodded his head.

“We have reviewed the information you provided, and the report we received from the IGS Tere. After consulting with our local intelligence resources, we agree with your assessment. From what we learned, Senator Jacoby has been in touch with Mr’rk operatives for some time, and we believe he may be attempting to acquire a shipment of quadrillium for his own purposes,” Tsod said.

“You mean he intends to present it as a form of clean energy?” I asked.

“He may,” Tsod said. “But we believe he has other ... nefarious ... purposes in mind. Military purposes, to be precise.”

“Oh?” I asked. I suddenly had a sinking feeling but chided myself for it. Was there any technology, material, or idea in the galaxy that wasn’t potentially ‘dual-use’ – commercial or military?

“Yes, Bill,” Alan interjected. “From what the Ambassador tells me, this quadrillium can make plutonium-based weapons look like mere firecrackers. That’s why he never introduced it to Earth. We’re talking potential planet-busters in the wrong hands.”

“It is vital that you do not let this Jacoby get his hands on quadrillium, Captain,” Tsod added.

“And the Darnok?” I asked.

“They are a dangerous nuisance to our recovery operations, and any assistance you can provide would be most ... appreciated, Captain. Believe me when I tell you that I speak for the Emperor and the entire High Council on this,” Tsod said.

“What about Jacoby and the quadrillium?” I asked.

“The Ambassador and I are working with the intelligence community on that, Captain,” Alan said. “I can’t say any more than that right now. Opsec, you know.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“In the meantime, you are directed to continue working with our Gingravik friends to neutralize the Darnok, and if necessary, any Mr’rk vessel that attempts to interfere with your operation,” Alan said.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, acknowledging Alan’s command.

“Just ... be careful out there, Bill. I want you and Enterprise back home safe and sound. That’s all for now. Carry on.” The video began to glitch, and I knew our window was closing. Before I could respond, the connection was lost, and the monitor was filled with static. I turned the monitor off and looked at Ra’al.

“What are we up against, Commander?” I asked.

“The Mr’rk are an aggressive group, Captain,” Ra’al said. “I have only encountered them once before and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

“Is your ship armed?” I asked.

“Only with shields and light defensive weaponry. We are not an aggressive race, Captain. The Tere can create a dampening field over the planet, but that only affects artificially-created power. It is similar to what was done during the war on Earth,” Ra’al said.

“Could this dampening field be deployed against an attacking craft?”

“It would require a great deal of engineering to make it work. The field is created by first deploying small satellites around or over the target,” Ra’al explained.

“I suppose we’ll just have to figure something else out,” I said. “C’mon, let’s get back to the bridge.” We left the ready room, and I busied myself with all the daily reports as Ra’al familiarized himself with the layout of our bridge. I smiled as I watched the crew explain their tasks to him and knew Jim was probably getting the same treatment on the Tere.

It was late in the shift when my communicator pinged. I saw it was Chet, and I hoped he had good news for me.

“Yes, Commander, what is it?” I asked.

“We just finished the final testing on the Gingravik hoods, Captain. We were able to print out a prototype that works as well as theirs,” Chet said.

“That is good news, Commander,” I said. “What about the shielding device?”

“They’re still working on that one, Captain, but they’ve made good progress. We can’t use it while the warp bubble is active, though,” he said.

“I doubt we would need it with the warp bubble active anyway, would we?”

“Probably not,” Chet said. “We’re still working on it, though. The tech behind it is solid enough. We’re just working to make sure it doesn’t affect any of our other systems.”

“Understand,” I said. “How long do you think it will take to print out enough of those brain hoods for both crews?”

“With all of our printers, probably three or four days. Remember, it’s not just the humans that’ll be using these things. We had to develop something that would protect the Gingravik as well,” Chet said.

“I see. Finish up your testing, Chet. We’ll head back to the base first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, sir,” Chet said before we ended the call. I turned to the duty comm officer.

“Open a channel to the Tere, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir,” the comm officer replied as Ra’al came to my side. “Channel open, Captain. Commander Mishita is available.”

“Thank you.” I pressed the button on my console and saw Mishita’s face on the small screen. Jim was right behind her.

“Commander Mishita here, Captain. What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be heading to our base of operations right after we get both crews back where they belong, Commander,” I said. “We’ll be there about three or four days while Engineering prints enough hoods for both crews. I’d appreciate it if you joined us so we can equip everyone and plan our operation at T-107.”

“How long would it take to reach this base, Captain?” Mishita asked.

“At our maximum speed, I’d say no more than two days,” I told her, knowing that by now, she would understand our concept of time. I could see her making the conversion before nodding her head.

“I understand. We’ll accompany you, then.”

“Thank you,” I responded before ending the comm. “By the way, could you provide me with all the information you have on T-107?”

“Of course, Captain,” Mishita said. She sent the information over, including maps and photographs, and I began planning our attack. I felt this would require a more “hands-on” approach, so I involved Marco. As the commanding officer of the Marine detachment, I figured he should play a role in the on-site planning. That night, after I made my daily log entry, Kyra massaged my neck and shoulders.

“Oh, that feels so good,” I moaned. “Don’t ever stop doing that.”

“I’ll have to at some point,” Kyra quipped. “I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”

“Yeah, me too. So, how did your interview with Petty Officer Jenkins go?”

“Went well, actually,” Kyra answered. “She thoroughly enjoyed her encounter with the Gingravik. Said it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. No surprise, given they have 12 massive cocks.”

“No kidding,” I said.

“But as much as she enjoyed herself, she said she doesn’t think she would want a steady diet of that. And she likes having skin-to-skin contact with her partner. But she did say she would like to get some of that love poetry he recited to her,” Kyra said.

“Oh?”

“Yes. She said it was like hearing and seeing it in her mind all at the same time.”

“Interesting,” I said. “Maybe I can see if Ra’al can provide some. For the ship’s library, of course.”

“Of course,” Kyra repeated. “Meanwhile, why don’t you come to bed and recite some of your own love poetry,” she added with a mischievous smile. How could I resist?

The following morning, we made the switch and jumped to light speed after ensuring that both crews were present and accounted for. The only Gingravik remaining on Enterprise were two engineers working with Chet to integrate the shielding technology.

They seemed to have no problems fitting in. However, I reminded myself that their species had regular contact with other alien species for quite some time. I made a mental note to find out more about other alien races. If the human species was going to be ‘wandering around the galactic neighborhood,’ it would be prudent to know about any local gangs.

We reached the “base” unit in just over 25 hours. After settling in, the engineers began transferring the material to make the hoods that would protect us from the Darnok brain waves. I called a meeting with Mishita, her command, and our section heads, including Marco.

I brought everyone up to speed on what I knew and laid out what I saw as the initial operational plan of attack. Everyone remained silent until I finished, and I looked at Mishita before continuing.

“What have your people found?” I asked.

“Our engineers have concluded that the navigation system of the Klagg was off by two degrees – enough to expose the ship to the Darnok. They believe it was done intentionally, but they require a component from the wreckage to confirm that,” Mishita said. “I will have one of my engineers accompany your Marines to the surface to retrieve it if that is possible.”

“I believe we can do that, right, Lieutenant?” I asked Marco, who was busy studying the map on my monitor, taking note of Klagg’s location relative to the Darnok cluster.

“I believe we can do that, Captain. I’ll assign Corporal Sampson and two Marines to their engineer. Just a thought, Captain. Why not just nuke them from orbit?” he asked. I had considered that option but didn’t want it to be my first course of action.

“Nook?” K’ew asked. “What does this mean?”

“We take the targets out with tactical nuclear warheads. Nothing high-yield. Would be a lot faster, and a lot more efficient,” Marco said.

“You have fission weapons on this ship, Captain?” K’ew asked. I could hear the shock in the voice that came through the speakers.

“Yes, K’ew, we do. Is that a problem?” I asked.

“You cannot use them on T-107,” K’ew stated emphatically. “I urge you to not consider that course of action.”

“Oh? Why?” I asked.

“First, the crust of T-107 is quite thin, and unstable. The quadrillium is formed under the crust and pushes its way to the surface as the crystals grow. There is another problem. The quadrillium absorbs and amplifies energy. The amount of energy in your fission weapons could spark a chain reaction that would ultimately destroy the planet,” K’ew said.

I understood K’ew’s objections and, in doing so, understood fully what Alan had told me earlier. And it horrified me. Anyone with even a tiny amount of this material would be able to create a “doomsday” device that could ultimately destroy Earth. A much smaller planet, like T-107, would be shattered, or possibly annihilated.

“Alright, we’ll table the nuclear option. What about standard weaponry? Lasers, and cruise missiles? The lasers emit in the red-light frequencies of our visible spectrum, and the missiles have chemical explosive warheads, though pretty powerful. Will those create a chain reaction?” I asked. I knew the Gingravik scientist had been on Enterprise long enough to be aware of our standard weaponry. K’ew thought for a few moments before responding.

“I do not believe so, as long as they do not use fissionable material,” K’ew said. “The extremely intense electromagnetic flux, what you refer to as x-rays and gamma rays, from an uncontrolled fission reaction is what would initiate a corresponding reaction in the quadrillium.”

“Alright. So it looks like we do this the old-fashioned way. Which means you and your Marines are going to get your hands dirty, Marco. I hope you and your men are up on your low-gravity training,” I said.

“Yes, sir, and we’ve been practicing our Grav Tac,” Marco said.

“Good. From what Astro reports, the gravity on T-107 is about .7 G. The planet has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, but it’s quite thin, so you’ll have to work in suits,” I said. “Will that be a problem?”

“No, sir. We’re Marines. We improvise, adapt, overcome,” Marco said. His response had the slightest hint of being ‘put out.’ He worked his Marines hard all the time; ‘not being ready’ happened to other people and was unacceptable to Marines.

“Good. Then this is what we’ll do.” I put up a larger map with T-107 in the center. “We’ll approach the system from two directions. Here, at Point Red, we’ll don our protective gear,” I said, pointing at a spot half a parsec away from the system.

“Commander Mishita, you and Tere will approach the system from the sunward side, since you’re more familiar with the approach corridor than I. Enterprise will approach from the dark side. When we’re in range, we’ll open fire to distract the Darnok and soften the target for Lt. Ruiz and his Marines. They’ll be on the Tere. When you’re in position, send them down in three teams. Lieutenant?” I asked, indicating it was Marco’s turn to brief the group.

“Gunny Sanders will lead one team from the north slope here,” Marco said, using his pointer to indicate a bluff overlooking the Darnok cluster at the bottom of a gully. “I will lead another team from the southern slope. Meanwhile, Corporal Sampson will land here, close to the Klagg. Once the enemy has been neutralized and your equipment recovered, we’ll return to the shuttles and fly back to the Tere.”

“Remember, Lieutenant, you’ll only have a few hours of air in your combat suits. And you’ll need to be careful. Even though they’re reinforced, and are self-sealing, those suits can still be torn if you encounter a sharp enough rock. Get in, do your business, then get the hell off that planet as fast as you can. Understand?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, I understand,” Marco replied.

“Any questions?” I asked.

“What if we encounter a Mr’rk ship, Captain?” Mishita asked.

“Like Lt. Ruiz said, we improvise, adapt, and overcome,” I replied, causing Marco to smile.

“Lieutenant, I hope you realize these Darnok are not like anything you have ever encountered. They are extremely swift, and quite vicious. They are not capable of reasoning and they know nothing of mercy,” Mishita said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Marco said. “I understand. We’ll just have to be more swift and even more vicious than they are. Hopefully, Enterprise will have done sufficient damage so there won’t be much left for us to do but mop up.”

“I hope you are right, Lieutenant,” Mishita said. “These creatures are sexual omnivores. Given half a chance, they will do horrific things to you and your men.”

“Then I reckon we’ll just have to give them a very hot lead-based enema, ma’am,” Marco said with a slight smile. “They’ll think twice before they mess with another U.S. Marine.” Mishita chuckled at that.

“Are you sure you’re not really a D’o’wr, Lieutenant?” she asked. “You sound very much like one.”

“I don’t know what that is, ma’am, but I’ll take it as a compliment,” Marco said, causing the rest to chuckle in response. Even K’ew seemed to get a kick out of that. I wrapped up the meeting, and we went our separate ways to prepare for the most challenging job we had ever taken on.

Life on the Enterprise was a blur over the next three days. Chet’s engineers burned a lot of midnight oil printing protective hoods and integrating the Gingravik shields into our system. That turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than Chet initially thought. Still, he eventually figured it out with help from Mishita’s scientists and engineers.

The Marines drilled for their job, all while wearing the bulky combat suits they would have to use on T-107. They even managed to integrate some Grav Tac practice while suited. I also had the weapons officer run drills to test the systems and hone his skills. His techs aligned the guidance systems of the cruise missiles to darn near absolute precision. And he augmented the cooling systems on the lasers.

I heard from Alan the night before our departure. Working with certain three-letter federal agencies and the Earth-based Gingravik security services, Senator Jacoby was arrested as he attempted to contact his Mr’rk overseer. His equipment, computers, and papers were confiscated. He now sat in a tiny cell in the D.C. Prison as grim-faced federal agents pored over his files and alien communication gear.

Our work at the base was finally done. Everyone on both vessels was equipped with a protective hood; everything had been tested and was ready to go. Marco and his Marines “saddled up” and prepared to transfer to the Tere. I gave them the usual speech to prepare them for what they would experience on the alien vessel, then sent them on their way.