"Only One Question."

[FredM 0]

"Only One Question."

Captain's Personal Log

Stardate 0307.01

 

      An enigma....that's what it was. For the past hour, Captain Michaels had sat in his chair trying to figure out the best way to describe the events of the past week. Although many things about this mission would probably be debated for months to come, the appropriateness of the word couldn't be. This mission was an enigma wrapped in an enigma and then tossed out an airlock.

 

      It had been missions like this which had prompted Fred to wish for days gone by, when instead of making the critical decisions he was simply responsible for making the Captain's impossible orders reality. In those days, he had held onto an almost self imposed ignorance about the finer details of any mission. After all, as Chief Engineer he was responsible for fixing the ship not figuring out political or diplomatic ramifications. Those were two things he was certain were going to be faced in the not too distant future.

 

      As the Captain glanced at the viewer, he looked at the shadow that was New Rigel's moon. Able to see illumination from the surface, as well as the occasional torpedo launches heading into deep space, Michaels knew there were so many answers down there but such little time to get them. What was worse, Fred was beginning to suspect whoever had been responsible for this entire situation was now focused entirely on covering their tracks.

 

      No more than an hour earlier, a communication from the head of operations at Starbase 345 had arrived at the Reaent. This was something of a surprise to almost everyone on the bridge, since the Ambassador Class vessel hadn't received much of anything from anyone in well over six days. Unknown to everyone, even Fred's own First Officer, had been Starfleet's blackout. In many ways it was logical, but had resulted in an interesting development.

 

      After the Reaent's initial findings aboard the Cairo, it had been decided by the highest levels of command to keep the matter private until all the facts were available. Though Michaels questioned if that would ever actually happen, it was a smart move given how rampid speculation could cause a panic. Terrorist attacks hadn't been common within the Federation since the days of the Maquis, but even then at least you knew who your enemy was. Yet, as the message from the operations manager on Starbase 345 had indicated, this approach had seemed to hit a snag. It was this snag that eventually, Fred hoped, would come back to haunt someone.

 

      For no more than ten minutes after Starfleet had sent out it's message to blackout all communications in the area near Starbase 345, a report surfaced on Alpha Centuri stating that a damaged Federation listening post near the New Rigel colony had detected a faint distress call by the U.S.S. Cairo. The report had also apparently indicated that efforts to find the ship had failed. Though immediately dismissed, the obvious question anyone involved would have is...how the hell did someone on Alpha Centuri know there had been a problem with the Cairo? Outside of perhaps five individuals on Earth and the personnel aboard Starbase 345, no one else knew. What was even more questionable was the fact New Rigel was mentioned....damaged listening posts and all.

 

      Though he hadn't shared this revelation with anyone given it's implications, Fred tried to find possible alternatives as to why. However, in the hour since, he could only come up with one. Someone on Alpha Centuri knew something was going to happen to the Cairo and knew the listening posts near New Rigel were going to be damaged. This left only one question...how?

 

      Fred Michaels was certain that question would haunt him for some time. Once the Reaent was finished with the rescue of the colonists, any trace of the transmission's sender would be gone. The assailant, whoever it was, would fade into the crowd of several billion people on the surface of Alpha Centuri. At some point, the Captain said to himself, they would find this person. Oh to be an engineer again....