"The Journey"

[FredM 0]

"Nothing is so awesomely unfamiliar as the familiar

that discloses itself at the end of a journey. " - Cynthia Ozick

 

 

It was somewhat calming to think the journey was almost over. At least, that is what Ambassador Triscan kept repeating to himself as he glided down Deck 4 of the Akira Class U.S.S. Grissom. For a moment, he shifted position to the appropriate switch and caused the sled to come to a halt. The "journey" as he called it had hardly been an easy one and not one part of it was on schedule. Perhaps that's all one could expect when dealing with representatives from different governments, some of who didn't completely grasp the Terran concept of time?

 

The entire situation had started almost a year prior with the an announcement regarding the U.S.S. Hope. The ship itself was a seventy-five deck behemoth, capable of carrying over ten to fifteen thousand persons plus equipment in a pinch. Yet all of this was supposedly accomplished with a crew of fifty, roughly the compliment one might find on a Defiant Class vessel. An experimental project to say the least, once Triscan was selected as the diplomatic point person, he had learned the finer details. Conceived in the middle of the Dominion War, the ship honestly looked more like an old Daedalus Class forward boom with an enlarged Galaxy Class secondary hull. The Hope Recovery Class vessel featured four nacelles in a configuration and would be able to hold a moderate warp factor nine point seven for about twenty-four hours.

 

The most concerning part about the entire mess was the ship's computer system, a supposed bioneural network that one researcher had claimed was almost positronic in nature. The last ship to feature such a system had been decommissioned fifty yeas prior and the similarities to the failed U.S.S. Recovery were a little striking. However, unlike other disasters, Starfleet's Corp of Engineers had insisted the bioneural components were limited in scope. Their true purpose would only come into play during an evacuation, where the computer could execute the transportation of people requiring assistance. Further help to those needing medical aide would then be executed via the three hundred medical holographic systems aboard the ship, who utilized the bioneural network to communicate to one another to properly determine an effective treatment in the event of a biochemical attack.

 

Yet, with all of this, the Hope had enough defensive systems to quite possible outgun three Romulan Warbirds. Their primary goal was solely to execute defensive measures in a hot zone, though as one might expect it could be perceived as something entirely different. Triscan himself understood how a foreign government might take the ship to be a massive marine dropship, capable of landing an invasion force in less than ten minutes. While it was technically true such a thing could take place, it was not what the vessel was made for. The Ambassador shifted again, causing the antigravity sled to begin to speed forward to the turbolift at the end of the corridor.

 

This concern had been why, as with the similar project a hundred years ago, representatives from all of the major government had been invited to witness the U.S.S. Hope in action. News of it's existence and use had actually prompted Chancellor Martok to immediately hint the Klingon Empire would possibly be interested in granting the ship access to assist with any disasters that occurred within Qo'nos territory. This wasn't an odd request, especially considering the Klingon economy was still struggling to rebuild itself after having held two sustained wars within the past fifteen years. With almost all of their vessels designed for combat, very few rescue and medical barrages remained in service. Even during the waning months of the Dominion War, Federation ships had been forced to provide tug and medical assistance whenever it was required.

 

As a result, a conference had been established to witness the new ship and essentially offer it's services as a sort of "interstellar hospital" with warp engines. While unlikely all would be as open as the Klingons, representatives from the Romulan Empire, Gorn Hegemony , First Federation, Tholian Holdfast and even a representative from the provisional Cardassian government were enroute. To smooth things over, and prevent a repeat performance of historical events, a cat and mouse setup had been established to allow the meeting to take place in secret. The potential to create an interstellar war was papable.

 

Ambassador Triscan, representing the Federation, would board a ship from Starbase Nigala. This would be followed with a rendeavou with another Starfleet vessel, who would eventually beam the Ambassador aboard a designated Tholian cruiser near their border. Together, Triscan and the Tholian representative would travel to the planet Pacifica. Meanwhile, another Federation starship would be transporting representatives from the Cardassian Union and Romulan Empire. The First Federation had agreed, in unusual fashion, to allow a Ferengi Ambassador to travel aboard their vessel enroute. Finally, the Klingons would be bringing the Gorn Ambassador.

 

All of this was a process set in motion four days earlier under total secrecy. Yet, a small concern had developed. Recent situations on the Tholian border and near Klingon space were troubling. Word of holographic ships impersonating another vessels was creating concerns the conference should be called off. However, most had agreed the timing had simply been conincidental. At that, Triscan nodded...or actually pulsated.

 

Five minutes later, the Ambassador glided onto the bridge of the Grissom. They had arrived at their destination and only awaited the arrival of the other ship. "You're hospitality has been well appreciated," Triscan said thru the voice zenthiszer. It was actually the fourth model he had used during his forty year career, but the modern technology sounded more like a real person speaking than ever before. At this, the Captain only nodded and extended his hand. The Ambassador met it with his robotic arm. After all, how else would a Horta extend greetings with a Terran?