"Checkered Fields"

[Cptn Elias Moore 0]

While most of Challenger's officers were visiting friends on family on Earth, Elias was touring the new NX vessel. This was, after all, his life. With the exception of a few scattered months on Earth during his command training, he'd spent all of his years since the Academy either on ship or station. Growing up on the dusty red planet Mars may have made life in space a lot more attractive to him. And, besides, he could think of nothing more exciting than having a firsthand look at another new NX ship.

 

As he moved through the corridors, he observed many last-minute touches being put on Columbia's interior--wires being tested behind this panel, paint job being finished up on that wall, friction dampeners being tweaked on a few of the doors. Elias was pleased to notice that many of the remaining laborers had a more rugged appearance that gave away their Martian descent. He took pride in the fact that Martian workers had been fully integrated into Starfleet's construction efforts after he suggested their participation in the Challenger project. He'd even heard rumors that the NX-06 was to be built at the old Challenger drydock over Utopia Planitia... that Starfleet was actually planning to expand those facilities to increase starship production.

 

Admiral Gardner was standing in main engineering when Elias stepped off the lift to have a look at the warp drive. The Admiral glanced aside from a conversation with one of the engineers and threw a smirk in Elias' direction. Elias never had much love for Starfleet's Admirals, but in the case of Gardner, his feelings reached a whole new level. The man was more arrogant than the others, more controlling than the others, and more bigoted than the others.

 

Elias thought of the old NX Project leader, Admiral Forrest. He and Forrest had gotten on each others' nerves on more than one occassion, but Elias always respected the man more than any of his fellows in the Admiralty. After all, it was Forrest who founded the NX Project and saw, despite opposition from the public and from within Starfleet, the launches of Enterprise and Challenger. Gardner had been one of the more outspoken opponents of the Project, voicing his desire to bolster Earth's immediate defenses with smaller, less warp-capable ships that exhausted fewer resources. It was said that he had vital connections in the United Earth Government and, thus, had the unwavering support of many of his fellow Admirals. Forrest never backed down from the opposition, however, and he saw his vision of humans exploring deep space become a reality. News of Admiral Forrest's death saddened Elias... that Admiral Gardner proceeded to take command of the NX Project surprised him. He was suddenly skeptical of the rumors that the Project would be expanding...

 

The Admiral waved the engineer away and turned his attention on Elias. "Mr. Moore! I hadn't expected to see you before the ceremony."

 

"Likewise, Mr. Gardner." The Admiral's indignation at being addressed that way was apparent to anyone who knew the signs of it. Elias simply snickered and looked down at the Core. "Heard we've managed to reach Warp 5.3 now? We're making fine progress, aren't we?"

 

"Commander Tucker is a fine engineer." Gardner replied. "And even despite the constant hassle of having to deal with your unruly Martian friends, he's finishing this ship up quite nicely for us. I heard Challenger had some problems with its protein resequencers, almost had to limp back home?"

 

Knowing what was implied, Elias sneered inwardly. "Well, we *were* forced to put her together in only four months' time. With that kind of a deadline, even miracle-workers like me and my unruly Martian friends are bound to leave a few tattered edges to smooth out. Nothing as bad as that little structural collapse that set Columbia back six months, of course."

 

"Many blamed that on Commander Murphy, but it was beyond his control. In fact, we discovered later that the components responsible were Martian manufactured. A mistake we won't repeat with future projects. Now I just need to convince my associates to send the Martians themselves back home." Gardner smirked at Elias. "Columbia will be in good hands, though, now that Tucker is here. A good man and a fine officer, that one. Next in line to get his own command as far as I'm concerned."

 

Elias looked at the Admiral and wondered. Curious, indeed, that he took charge of the Project. Was he looking to sabotage it from within, convert it to a purpose he found more suitable? For all his chauvinism, Gardner was a shrewd one. Always strategizing, even in the social arena--he was one of the few that suspected how Elias felt about Trip Tucker. Elias didn't let the comment phase him though. His time spent on Challenger was giving him fresh new perspectives, and he was going to make sure Gardner was aware of it. "Well, I'm glad Trip's got your favor. A shot at the big seat would probably teach him a thing or two."

 

The grin on Elias' face disappointed Gardner. He was hoping to appeal to Elias' competitiveness and make his proposition seem more enticing. "Well, there are opportunities for you as well, Moore. I was going to speak to you at the ceremony, as a matter of fact. You have a lot of experience with the NX Project, and I know what a big supporter of it you've always been. Though your prior work on the Project has been a bit... sloppy, I've been thinking that, with the right guidance, you could become a decent enough director of the Project. I'd like to bring you back on board and groom you to take Admiral Forrest's place permanently."

 

Coming from anyone else, the offer would have shocked Elias, but he merely narrowed his eyes and considered the implications. Gardner would never offer him such a high-level position unless he had other agendas in mind. If he had plans to shut down the NX Project... having Elias in charge *would* offer him an ideal scape goat. Plus, it would get Elias away from Challenger. Elias knew that his appointment as Challenger's first officer didn't go over well with many of the Admirals, and he could be sure that Gardner had voiced the loudest objections at the Command meetings. "My good Admiral, are you just trying to get me off of Challenger so I can't spread any more rumors about you into deep space?"

 

Gardner frowned deeply at him. "If I wanted to remove you from Challenger, Mr. Moore, I'd need only sign the orders."

 

Elias wasn't so sure that was the truth; the look on the Admiral's face belied him. Besides, if he did have that much influence, he'd certainly have used it by now. His reaction confirmed that he was, indeed, trying to get Elias off of Challenger. But why now? There were a number of high-level positions he could have offered Elias before Challenger even launched. "Of course. But I will have to decline your gracious offer. Challenger is a great ship with a great crew and I'm enjoying the service too much to give it up. Besides, there's no one I'd rather work for than Commodore Moose." He observed the results of that comment closely.

 

Gardner stared back at him for a long moment, his expression unchanging. "Moose. Indeed. Good commanding officer, despite some of his more... impractical views of interstellar politics."

 

Elias blinked at him. "And what, precisely, would a more practical view be, Admiral?"

 

The Admiral simply swept a nonchalant hand down the front of his uniform. "While I'd like to stand here and debate politics with you, Mr. Moore, I have pressing matters to attend to. Besides, we both know politics has never been a major interest of yours. I will see you at the launch." He threw Elias a half-hearted nodded and turned toward the lift, not satisfied with the things this conversation had revealed...

 

No one could speak to Admiral Gardner for any more than ten minutes without getting the quite unmistakable image of a chess board in one's head. Now, more than ever, Elias was receiving that image. Everyone the Admiral dealt with was a piece. Every action a strategy. Why was Elias now getting the impression that he had misinterpreted Gardner's strategies? "Now I just need to convince my associates to send the Martians themselves back home." A typical statement from the bigot, easy to not give a second thought. But why was Elias now considering that statement... and not believing it? The Martians... pieces. He'd assumed their increased involvement in the construction efforts had been fostered by the late Admiral Forrest, and was now being "remedied" by Gardner. But now he wasn't so sure. Rumors of the Project's expansion. Elias kept up with the politics well enough to realize that large-scale changes were occuring, that notions of peace were rapidly becoming a trend among the regional alien species. Could Gardner possibly have been warming up to the NX Project now that major alliances were being forged and Earth finding a better sense of security? Or was something else driving his actions? The words 'Gardner' and 'peace' almost seemed out of place in the same sentence, as if he was a man defined by his enemies.

 

Always the image of the chess board... and always the question of who's controlling the other side...