"Forefathers"

[Kansas_Jones 0]

06.16.07

USS Agincourt NCC-81762

“Forefathers”

 

A nimble paw digit entered a command into the keyboard mounted flush into her desktop, switching between the data windows that were open on the console monitor; a silver toned Data Padd showing the biography of Crewman Burne rested on the desktop surface.

 

Occasionally, there was the common misconception that security officers were merely grunts – patrol, maintain the armory, shoot the nasty pirate with a phaser, and have the IQ of a brick. If anything, this stereotype was shared with the marines, and a gross insult all the way around to both departments.

 

It was convenient (or was it easy?) to forget that being a security officer did not always entail breaking up a brawl, shooting at anything that moved, or functioning as the “shoot the gold target” distraction. The investigation aspect of the job was rarely considered. And Lieutenant Commander JoNs was in the extreme investigative mode of the non science and medical variety.

 

Her key search words had been viral, change and DNA, cross-referencing any incidents occurring during the three hundred plus year history of the combined Starfleet, Federation, and early Earth Command histories. After almost giving herself a mental heart attack the likes of which since she had not experienced since her senior year final paper cram sessions at the academy, Kansas reworked the search and narrowed down her data options so as not to induce “brain meltdown due to data-overload”. It had also freaked her out the amount of DNA altering cases she had come across – the universe was a dangerous place indeed.

 

She switched screens again, consolidating her data choices into two main sources – one from the Earth Command archives, and her secondary data from the past thirty years of the Starfleet. She intentionally avoided any Borg references or data archives relating to the Collective; the feline wanted the lesser known DNA transformation cases for possible insight and answers.

 

The Earth Command case involved a mission report from the UES Enterprise NX-01, September 2153, Jonathan Archer commanding. Archer, Armory officer Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, and Comm officer Hoshi Sato, had been deployed to a planet to perform an investigation on an abandoned Xindi vessel. Obviously, this landing party was screwed the moment they set foot on the planet – they contracted a virus that altered the three humans into a primal race known as the Loque'eque.

 

The recent Starfleet case involved a Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge, 2366, attached at that time to the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 D as the chief engineer. Commander LaForge, and several former crewmates from the USS Victory had begun a strange transformation process which not only turned them into “shadow aliens”, but caused them to return to the site of the parasitic infection - Tarchannen III – a planet the Victory away team had visited about twelve years prior.

 

On a related note, Kansas was very happy to not be serving on a ship named Enterprise – all the Enterprise’s seemed to attract trouble. And don’t even get her started on the most notorious of the Enterprise crews - Captain Kirk and company. Now those people were cowboys…and the Caitian loved them for it.

 

Thankfully, all those afflicted during both these cases were cured. However, each case shared an interesting benchmark – those infected retained some small semblance of their former memories and personality. Very much like Crewman Burne in his new Soltan personality as Y’l’Sai – he retained enough of his past life to refer to her as ‘Chief’ in a past conversation.

 

But, with no cure currently offered by medical and sciences, the man was frag out of luck.

 

JoNs placed her console on standby and entered her password encrypton – standard procedure, even to protect decade’s old archival missions with low security clearances. The feline grabbed at her Data Padd and her bio mask as she exited the office. She proceeded directly to the brig, nodding at the officer in receiving and the guard on duty just outside the entrance door. She placed her breathing mask – which covered the lower half of her face and muzzle – on as she crossed over into the cell area proper, breathing in the medicinal aftertaste as the bio breathing filters did what they had been designed to do.

 

The feline security chief had been handling most of the questioning of the Soltan detainees if she could help it; she was loath to allow anyone else near them if at all possible, due to exposure. She was mildly annoyed at the unauthorized access to the prisoners by Ensign Driscol, but had every confidence in Condacin to handle her errant officer. Plus the fact, Kansas could always corner Driscol at a later date and basically ream the bejeesus out of the junior officer.

 

Standing orders to her guards in case of a breach was to shoot anything Soltan that moved, even if JoNs and any other ‘unfortunate casualty’ who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time were in the way. The good of the many came into play here - one Soltan breaking security could probably infect half the ship in a short amount of time. And even if this was not the case, could they all afford to take that chance?

 

She faced the cells where the Soltans resided, and as before Burne-Y’l’Sai emerged from the small group as the designated speaker.

 

Come on kid…if you really are still in there, I need more to go on then a ‘chief’. She spoke to Y’l’Sai. “Do you fully comprehend your current situation? You are held on this ship. There are those in favor of launching you out an airlock. The Soltans – your people now – killed you once, and then remade you in their image. There won’t be a second chance to live again if you are spaced…”

 

"I am Y'l'sai. Why have you taken us from our people? This is an unlawful act, against regulations. All regulations must be followed. You are in violation - you will be dealt with."

 

“…I get the violation part you veken zombie!”

 

 

Her blunt statement and growl carried on the air, causing Burne-Y’l’Sai to retreat a half step. The Caitian reigned in her frustration, and her tactical mind stepped to the forefront - now, had that step back been Burne reacting, or Y’l’Sai? Did it really matter at this point? No.

 

Kansas glanced down at the stilled picture on the Data Padd screen – a man and a woman, the parent’s of Burne. The mother and father of a ghost, for all intents and purposes – and Kansas had a “Mister and Mrs. Burne, I regret to inform you, but your son is dead” letter already drafted. Great Bird…he was so young…

 

“Chief, this unlawful act is against regulations. You will all be dealt with…”

 

Skippy, you really have wonderful timing…she felt her temper rise again…

…and then an errant thought smacked into the feline security officer at warp ten. “You are a zombie, aren’t you Y’l’Sai? Brought back from the dead, limited knowledge...turns others to the same fate as you…”

 

“…you strengthen your numbers that way don’t you, turning others. Is there a higher level caste in your society, directing you and the lesser soldiers doing the grunt work?”

 

The one now called Y’l’Sai made no further comment; he was either unable to, or chose not to.