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The Runabout -1- Issue 17: March 2016 16
The Runabout -2- Issue 17: March 2016
@ttention ^ll h^nds ...
Hello and welcome to another issue of the Runabout. I hope the spring is treating you all well.
Since the start of February, I have been watching as photos pop up on people's feeds of members enjoying events and getting together. To be part of this community is a wonderful thing, and I am pleased to be here among you.
We have had our fair share of problems recently, specifically with membership packs being late. Once again, I must stress that if you joined or renewed before January 2016 and have not yet received the pack, please log a help desk ticket at http://helpdesk.sfi.org/ or tell your CO who will put it in their MSR.
If, like me, you have joined or renewed since January 2016 and have not received your membership pack yet, these are currently being produced and new materials being designed. I hope to have a further update soon.
As intolerable as these delays have been, SFI is more than two pieces of paper and a CD. Region 20 is a community. So, once again I say ... don't be afraid to get involved. Chat on our Facebook pages or contribute to this publication. Between us, let's make R20 awesome!
Dan
COMM Dan Adams
Regional Coordinator
"To Thine Own Self Be True"
The Runabout -3- Issue 17: March 2016
@@cckknnoowwlleeddggeemmeennttss Our thanks go to this issue's
contributors (listed alphabetically):
COMM Dan Adams USS Stargazer
LCDR Amanda 'Panda' Barrow
USS Stargazer
CMDR Kevin McNeillie-Welsh USS Alba
CAPT Eilidh Montgomery USS Alba
LTCDR Martin Strang USS Alba
CDR Zig Potts USS Stargazer
CRMN Fiona Quinn USS Alba The Runabout is the newsletter of STARFLEET International, Region 20. Unless otherwise stated, all articles are the property of the author. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may not reflect the opinions of the editors, STARFLEET Region 20 or STARFLEET International.
Star Trek and all related trademarks are the exclusive property of CBS. They are used here without permission for entertainment purposes only.
IIssssuuee DD^̂tteess Issue Date Deadline for
Submissions
SPRING
SUMMER
AUTUMN
WINTER
March
June
September
December
18 February
22 May
22 August
22 November
Please remember that the Editor only edits the
magazine so unless you make submissions, the
Runabout will be very small indeed. All submissions
are welcome, but the Editor reserves the right to edit,
postpone or not to publish a particular item.
Submissions should be sent to
[email protected]. If you are submitting
photographs (or articles with photographs), please
submit the pictures in JPG format. Sadly, including
them in a Word document lowers their resolution
considerably.
Many thanks.
Cover Photo: LTCDR Martin Strang, CMO, USS Alba
In this Issue ...
Attention all hands .............................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgements....................................................................................... 3 Issue Dates .................................................................................................... 3
In this Issue ... ...................................................................................................... 3 Hermes Award Stakes.......................................................................................... 4 Mercury Award Stakes......................................................................................... 4 Regional Awards .................................................................................................. 5 Regional Finance Officer's Report........................................................................ 6 Capital Con: Stardate 201602.27 ......................................................................... 7 When Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact (Part 3) .......................................11 The 22nd SF-Ball ................................................................................................16 The Secret of The Venture PART FIVE................................................................17
The Runabout -4- Issue 17: March 2016
Hermes @w^rd St^kes
HERMES @W@RDHERMES @W@RDHERMES @W@RDHERMES @W@RD B/F This Issue C/F
@lb^ 12 4 16
Bri^n Boru 1 1
C^roline 0 0
Cuchul^in 0 0
Hyperion 3 3
Iceni 3 3
St^rg^zer 10 3 13
Mercury @w^rd St^kes
MMMMERCURY @W@RDERCURY @W@RDERCURY @W@RDERCURY @W@RD B/F This Issue C/F
C@PT Eilidh D Montgomery 3 1 4
C@PT M^tthew Bergin 2 2
CMDR Kevin McNeillie-Welsh 1 1
CMDR Robb Dunphy 1 1
COMM Rich^rd S^ms 2 2
COMM D^n @d^ms 1 1 2
FC@PT Scott Peter 1 1
LCDR @m^nd^ 'P^nd^' B^rrow 5 1 6
CRMN Fion^ Quinn 1 1
LCDR Eric^ Smith 1 1
LCDR I^n Struthers 5 5
LCDR John H^rdy 1 1
LCDR Tony Burr 2 2
LTCDR M^rtin Str^ng 1 1 2
LTC J^son G^rrett 2 2
• As the Editor, I am not eligible for the Mercury Award. However, where an article is of my own origin and
authoring, it will count towards my chapter's efforts.
• Please note that to date, every article that has been submitted has been published.
The Runabout -5- Issue 17: March 2016
Region^l @w^rds
CMDR Kevin McNeillie-Welsh
For ^chievements within ST@RFLEET Intern^tion^l, Region for the period 1st J^nu^ry - 31st December 2015.
Recognising the achievements of our members is one of the most
important things we can do. The Region 20 Annual Awards gives us the
opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in the past year and to
formally celebrate the work undertaken.
With the exception of The Commonwealth Shield winner, all other
award winners are automatically submitted as the Regional nominations
for the Fleet awards, which will be announced at the 2016 International
Conference.
Full details on the awards available and how to submit your
nomination can be found on the weblink https://eSurv.org?u=R20-
Awards-2015. Please note, this is the ONLY way to submit nominations for
the awards.
Nominations are welcomed from ANY member of Region 20 SFI and
can be submitted at any time until midnight on 31st of March 2016
For further information, please contact me at
[email protected] or PM me on Facebook.
If you're not sure of a member's SCC number ask me and I'll help if I
can. Many Thanks
CMDR Kevin McNeillie-Welsh
DEPUTY REGIONAL AWARDS DIRECTOR
Details of past recipients can be found at
http://20thfleet.org.uk/awards.html
The Runabout -6- Issue 17: March 2016
Region^l Fin^nce Officer's Report
CDR @m^nd^ "P^nd^" B^rrow
GGrreeeettiinnggss ^̂nndd ww^̂rrmm ffeelliicciitt^̂ttiioonnss.. As a Region, we have very few outgoings and one of regular commitments
is the Regional 20 STARFLEET International domain name and website
hosting. Historically, this annual outgoing has been funded by the
generosity of the individual members, but one very inspired
Quartermaster, LTJG David Pilkington of the USS Cuchulain, suggested
that we should put together our very own Regional Calendar for 2017.
Our Region 20 chapters to date are at the time of printing are as follows:
• Scotland: 1
• England: 3
• Wales: 0
• Northern Ireland: 1
• Republic of Ireland: 2
The suggestion is to allow one month per chapter and make up the
remaining five with a member's favourite photograph. These can be of a
group event, a favourite personal memory or even a STARFLEET Pet
member.
Please send your photograph submissions to [email protected]
by the end of May 2016.
Panda
CDR Amanda "Panda" Barrow
STARFLEET International
The Runabout -7- Issue 17: March 2016
C^pit^l Con: St^rd^te 201602.27
We are fortunate to have a number of reports from the Capital Sci-Fi Convention
held in Edinburgh ...
LTCDR M^rtin Str^ng, CMO, USS @lb^
Me^dowb^nk Sports Centre, Edinburgh
It was a pleasant but chilly day when I,
my nephew and my friend arrived in
Shuttle Captur to the venue at the
Meadowbank Sports Centre. I had my
standard away mission uniform,
complete with 50th anniversary comm
badge, whilst my nephew went as
Deadpool.
On entering the gates, there were
two Camaro cars, one in yellow and one
as a American style cop car—were
copies of the vehicles from
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Transformers. Getting into the complex was swift and painless. All we had to do
was show our prepaid wristband and away we went.
The event was in three halls. The main event was in Hall 1, with Hall 2 being
set aside for the speakers forum, and 'shoot the alien'. This was quite good fun.
Also in this hall was the area set aside for the Jedi Training Academy, run by
none other than Andrew Lawden who played the stand in/stunt double for Qui
Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) in the Phantom Menace. I managed to talk him into
letting my nephew jump in as they were a few people down on that particular
session. Everyone got a light sabre and was taught six different moves, and the
the final 'battle' was to attack, block and strike down their opponents ... very
amusing and good fun!
The main hall had the traders and guests. In attendance was:
A Lord Vader himself (boo, hiss) Dave Prowse,
A Nathalie Cox from Clash of the Titans, Jumper and Kingdom of Heaven,
A Ross Mullan who played The Silence and the Teller in Dr Who,
A Virginia Hey who starred n the Living Daylights, Mad Max 2 and
Farscape,
A Angus McInnes who played Gold Leader, Star Wars: A New Hope and
also Judge Silver in Judge Dredd,
A Jimmy Vee who was in several episodes of Dr Who and Harry Potter,
A Rony Bridges who was the First Admiral in The Force Awakens,
A Richard Campbell from The Frankenstein Chronicles and has done
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voiceovers for games such as Alien Isolation and Torchwood and
A Katie Purvis who played the maternal mother in Star Wars: Return of the
Jedi, and also had roles in Labyrinth and played a counting goblin in
Harry Potter.
I enjoyed chatting to Katie and Richard and got both of their autographs and a
selfie with Richard! I also met up with fellow Alba crew members Karen Dickson
and Fiona Quinn. Karen was armed with a phaser and a stack of Alba leaflets! Ian
Henry was also blending in with the natives, although his camouflage was so
good I couldn't see him!
The trading stalls were a mixture of tee shirts, memorabilia, club stalls
including the Rebel Legion and the Colonial Marines (Alien).
I enjoyed looking at the Gerry Anderson stall
where they had replica puppets from Stingray,
Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space 1999. The
stall holders chatted to me about my uniform and
the comm badge, and I talked about the USS Alba
and gave them a wad of leaflets to put on their stall.
As per any convention of this nature, there was
the cosplay—Alien, Wookies, Ironman Patriot, Halo
and loads of stormtroopers ... oh! And a Dalek! The
strangest life form, though, was a stormtrooper
with a kilt!
This was a fan-run convention for fans and all
monies raised went to CHAS—Childrens Hospice
Association Scotland, and they raised over £10,000.
CRMN Fion^ Quinn , USS @lb^
A fun day was had by one and all at the Capital Sci-Fi Convention,
which was organised by The Rebel Legion and held at
Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh on 27th/28th February. The
convention was held in three convention halls with a handful of
guests from Doctor Who, Farscape and Star Wars.
There was a stunt school held by actor and stuntman Andrew
Lawden. Andrew was Liam Neeson's Star Wars stunt double
when he played Qui-Gon Jinn. The focus of the convention was
very much orientated towards all things Star Wars. There was a talk about
women in sci-fi with Virginia Hey and Nathalie Cox which was fun.
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All the star guests were delightful, friendly and funny. Dave Prowse, Darth
Vader himself, was very sweet as was Virginia Hey who played Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan
in Farscape. In fact, Virginia was especially gracious, delightful and funny. She
took the time to speak to myself and my friends for a very, very long time. I had
a fun day at the convention.
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When Science Fiction Becomes Science F^ct (P^rt 3)
CDR Zig Potts, USS St^rg^zer
So far, we have looked at manmade inventions, but the real world is full of so
many futuristic phenomenum that it makes your mind boggle. Here are just a
few ...
This alien landscape is on Earth.
Phacelia— or Scorpion Weed as
it's comminly known— grows in
deserts. It flowers only once in
several years but when it does it
bathes the landscape in purple
hues. I give you a lilac desert.
In one particular episode of
Star Trek Voyager, we are
introduced to the concept of
an orbital tether—a cable that
connects a planet's surface to a
space station in orbit. A mag-
lev carriage was a common
vehicle used for moving along
the tether, rather like a tram
but on a verticle cable rather
than a horizontal one. I wonder
if the view from a mag-leve
carriage would look anything
like this. This is Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper located in Dubai. The height of building
is 828 metre = 2,717 feet ... that's 163 floors! It is the tallest man-made structure
ever built.
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Emerald Lake in the crater of an extinct volcano. Tongariro National Park –
New Zealand
This is a unique geological
phenomenon known as Danxia
landform. These phenomena can
be observed in several places in
China. This example is located in
Zhangye, Province of Gansu. The
color is the result of an
accumulation for millions of years of
red sandstone and other rocks.
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3,500 years of Cappadocian Cave Homes
Lena Pillars. Russia, the Lena River.
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Skyscraper—Crescent Moon Tower (Dubai) ... and I love this one so much, you've
got two pictures of it.
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A poodle moth
from the forests of
Venezuela
It's not the ant that's
interesting here, but
the thing growing out
of its head.
Ophiocordyceps
unilateralis is an
entomopathogen, or
insect-pathogenising
fungus that drives the
insect to climb to a
high point, affix
themselves to a major
vein on the underside
of a leaf and then
await its death. All the while, the fungus grows out of its head finally rupturing to
release the fungus' spores. There's a brilliant video of this at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8 if you're brave enough!
The Runabout -16- Issue 17: March 2016
The 22nd SF-B^ll
FC@PT D^n @d^ms, USS St^rg^zer
The 22nd SFBall recently took place in Southampton. One of the UK's longest
running events, it is one of the last 'traditional' conventions in that it consists of
a panel, autograph sessions and talks. At a time when large comicon events are
the norm, the chance to have fun and party with the stars themselves is a rare
opportunity.
While it harkens back to events old, the Ball continues to grow. While they
were unable to attend in person, the Friday night opening ceremony featured
contributions from
Stephen Fry, and Mark
Gatiss.
Sadly, keenly felt was
the absence of Riker
himself, Johnathan
Frakes. Frakes' absence
was long predicted, but
nevertheless was a
disappointment when
officially announced.
Nevertheless, to
compensate, Enterprise
cast members Dominic
Keating (Malcolm Reed)
and Connor Trineer (Trip
Tucker) stepped up and
took part. Their stories
were funny and
informative as ever.
Also from the Trek
world were Casey Biggs
(Damar) and Vaughan
Armstrong (Admiral
Forrest amongst many,
many others). As well as
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doing the usual con stuff, the two actors gave us a performance during the after
dinner cabaret of songs from their group, the Enterprise Blues Band. After a few
initial technical glitches, the show started, and songs like 'Trekkie Dekkie' and
'Red Shirt Blues' had toes tapping and fingers clicking.
The organisers took a lot of feedback onboard from the previous event in
Southampton. The dance floor size was doubled, and parts of the autograph
process were cleared up to make it more efficient.
Sadly, to put a bitter taste on the event for myself, I lost my phone. My own
fault, but I became very distracted and I was somewhat distant all weekend. For
anyone who was there who might have noticed this, I can only apologise.
Overall though, it was another fantastic event, I value any and all
opportunities to meet with crew from Region 20, and there was no shortage of
these over the weekend.
The next event takes place on the 3rd—5th Feb 2016. While the full weekend
tickets aren't super cheap, a good way to keep costs down is to book the
Southampton West Quay Premier Inn. A short walk away from the venue, I was
able to score four nights for less than two at the event hotel.
I've already put my deposit down, and I hope to see some of you there.
The Secret of The Venture P@RT FIVE
@ sci-fi seri^l ^dventure C@PT Eilidh Montgomery, USS @lb^
Ch^pter Eight
Xander Galen was still not used to being addressed as Admiral and catching sight
of himself in his new Rear Admiral's uniform still gave him a start. He came onto
the Plaza and joined Tiberius MacAlpin at the younger man's favourite café.
It was lunch time and the crew postings were to be announced that
afternoon. Galen sat down and said hello to Lashinda who was there too. A few
moments later, Commander Ross joined them, apologising for being late.
"You're not," MacAlpin said. He pressed an icon on the tabletop touch pad
and the menu appeared as a holographic image.
Lashinda ordered sushi and Ross a pasta salad, while Galen ordered steamed
fish and rice. MacAlpin took a favourite meal of his—old style fried chicken with
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fries and corn on the cob.
They entered their order on the touch pad along with drinks and then settled
back to talk while they waited for their order to arrive.
MacAlpin turned to Commander Ross. "I told Admiral Malabaare that I want
you as my First Officer. She told me that you have requested a transfer."
Ross flushed red. "I ... that was before you spoke to me. I will speak with her."
"I already have, and your request has been denied," MacAlpin grinned.
Galen looked at Ross. "You asked for a transfer—before being assigned?"
Ross nodded, still red in the face. "I expected the captaincy after you, Xander.
When I heard them announcing your retirement, I knew I had a chance to follow
my dream ... to command the Magellan ... then they announced her
decommissioning ... so I kind of expected to get the new ship ... and then young
MacAlpin was promoted over my head. I was angry and jealous. I have had many
more years of experience, even of command, but that is past now. I am sorry
that I was angry. It is my duty to follow orders, whatever they are and I will still
get a ship one day."
"I need your experience," Tiberius said. "And your friendship."
No one said anything else as their drinks arrived and it gave Ross time to
recover himself.
Galen looked around and held up his coffee mug. "To a new era for all of us."
They clinked their mugs together.
"To a new era!"
MacAlpin sipped his drink. He badly wanted to tell them that he had been
granted permission to see the files, but he had been told not to tell anyone.
Later, though, he would tell Galen.
Their meals arrived and they settled down to eat, with the minimum of
conversation. Soon the three men were swapping stories of their first postings,
and Lashinda asked them lots of questions. She was ground crew and had never
been in space apart from a shuttle run to a starbase. They all had stories from
when they were young ensigns, and they laughed over how similar some of the
stories were.
The younger officers ordered dessert but Galen passed, ordering another
coffee instead.
Lashinda stated that she was thinking of applying for officer training.
"I love my job, but I don't want to be stuck on Earth or on a star base for the
rest of my career, especially as you are going to be away so long, Tibby."
MacAlpin looked at her. "I'll be glad to see you do that, but you are a
computer technician. That is a very important job. If I talk to the Admiral—"
"No, Tibby," Lashinda said softly. "You're the Captain. You could not be seen
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to be in a relationship with a member of the crew. Not professional."
"She is right, of course," Galen said. "It will have to be a long distance
relationship—as so many are. Keeping in touch will not be an issue."
In the Admiral's office, they were going over a list of the crew who were
transferred from the Magellan. Each name was looked at closely, the personal
file being pulled for each one. Notes were made; some names erased, others
were added. Then Admiral Malabaare looked up.
"That just leaves the choice for First Officer. MacAlpin has requested that
Ross is transferred. He wants his expertise." She pulled the file and opened it.
"Ross, Kirbie Samuel. Aged thirty-seven. Seven years old when The Venture was
lost. Only three years older than the new Captain."
"That is three years more experience than MacAlpin has," Admiral Cheng
said. "Were his parents not lost when The Venture was destroyed?"
Admiral Malabaare nodded. "Yes. He would have been on board too had he
not been ill and left with his grandparents at the last minute. If he had not gone
down with the measles he would not be alive today." And he hates MacAlpin
because of what his father did, she added inwardly. Only she knew that
however, and if anyone found out and asked her reasons, she would have no
answer.
She pressed the intercom and called her aide in and asked her to type up the
list and transmit the postings to the screens in the plaza. When the others had
gone, she looked at her copy of the list and read each name over and over again.
It was a good crew. Galen had trusted them when he was Captain.
There were a few alterations; some names were omitted, others added.
Some of the Magellan crew would find themselves transferred to other ships,
while some service with other crews would find themselves transferred to the
new Venture, with the 'untried Captain' as some called MacAlpin already.
Those who remembered their first command did not however. They had all
been untried in that situation and they sympathised with him for being landed
with what could only be termed a high profile command.
MacAlpin leaned forward and tapped his account details into the tabletop screen
and took the receipt chip it gave him.
"The crew postings should be up soon," he said. "Shall we head that way. I am
eager to know."
Galen and Ross nodded. "You will be eager to meet them and discuss actual
postings," Galen said. "You will need to decide on your department heads."
MacAlpin tried not to look panicked in any way, but he knew there was a lot
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of work involved. True he had worked with all the Magellan crew but to make
these decisions had never been a task of his.
"I will need their files," he said. "Most of them I will know and what their
strengths are, but the Venture ship's a larger crew than the Magellan ..."
"Don't worry," Galen said. "You have Ross to assist you, and I am to give you
any help you may need in preparing your ship and crew. You were always my
protégé, after all. I want to see you succeed, for your sake ... and your father's,"
he added quietly.
MacAlpin nodded and drew a deep breath. "Sorry," he said. "I am okay now—
panic over. I just don't want to mess up right at the start. Everyone would make
those I told you so noises."
"Tiberius," Galen said softly. "You need to develop a thicker skin for this job.
You have to forget everyone else and their opinions. They do not matter. You do
not have to prove yourself to anyone. You would not have been given this
position if no one thought you could do it. High Command are not stupid. I know
you care about the opinions of others—you always did. Hold onto a little of that,
so that you do not brush people off, but you must not care so much what is
thought of you in that way. You are the captain of your ship. It matters not if
your crew like you, only that they respect you for your rank and the kind of man
you are. If you are yourself and do your job to the best of your ability, then they
will respect you. Even despite the unknown past which you fear will always
haunt you." He paused and finished off his drink. "Okay?"
Tiberius nodded. "Yes. Thanks, Xander." He stood up. "I will do my best."
Galen stood up too and clapped him on the shoulder. "I know you will. You
have not worked towards this for nothing. Let's go and see the postings. I want
to know how many of my old crew are to be with you."
The four walked together out of the cafe. When they reached the Plaza, it
was crowded. The crowd was thickest around the screens where the Venture's
postings were displayed. One of the officers looked round. "Here's the Captain,"
she said, "with Admiral Galen."
The crowd parted like the Red Sea for Moses and formed two lines on either
side as the officers walked down.
Tiberius took out a wafer-thin device and touched the screen. He looked up
at the main screen and waited for the connection to be acknowledged and then
downloaded the crew roster. He glanced at it and then spoke quietly to Ross.
The Venture's new First Officer nodded and then turned around. "All crew
members must board the Venture by 16:00 hours this afternoon. The Captain
will speak to you all then."
As they walked back past the lines of officers and crewmen and women,
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MacAlpin nodded to the ones who dared to catch his eye.
Galen did feel proud of him. Plunged suddenly into a command he had not
expected quite yet, Tiberius MacAlpin was coping well, as he had known he
would. He knew he felt he had a lot to prove, a lifetime of anguish at hearing his
father's name spoken of, not as the hero he had thought him to be, that had hurt
the boy and now a man, Tiberius had to defend his belief in his father's honour.
It meant that much, and Galen was only too aware of that. There were things he
knew that Tiberius would want to know, but he could not tell.
After leaving the crowd behind them, they parted with MacAlpin and Ross
heading off to prepare to board the Venture. Lashinda headed off to work in the
big computer labs and Galen made his way to his office ... to his new desk job.
Ch^pter Nine
Tiberius let himself into his apartment and looked around. He went to his desk
for a moment, checking the computer for any messages. There was one from his
mother, reminding him to visit before he left for space. He replied, telling her
that he would. He had two days before the official launch, with the Captain and
crew on board.
He began to pack his bag. There were a few personal items that would never
be left behind, his father's photograph for instance. His father's uniform too, that
would come. He had so much to live up to; the honour of his father to defend.
His father's memory meant everything to him, especially now and he intended to
find out exactly what had happened all those years ago.
He picked up the flat disc Admiral Malabaare had given him. I contained all
the information about his father's case and he had been told not to look at it
until they had left the station. He looked at the computer. She would not know...
He slid it into the computer and watched as a box came up on the screen
"Do you wish to proceed?" it said.
He took a deep breath. "Abort," he said. He would obey her orders. "Eject
disc." He took the disc and put it in its case and slipped it into his bag. There
would be time enough to see what the disc contained. Part of him was fearful,
afraid that all those rumours were true. Something niggled at him all the time:
Xander Galen's reluctance to talk about what happened. He had managed to get
out of him that he had not been there; he had been imprisoned on the planet for
whatever reason, not on the ship with his captain and friend. There was
something that was not being told and it worried him. Surely his father's old
friend would tell him if there was something wrong. Had his father really
abandoned his First Officer and friend, leaving him to be incarcerated for
something he had not done? Was it something his father had done? The last
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time he had dreamed, it had seemed like this. The alien had called him Stephen,
and knew him.
He stepped out onto the balcony and looked out across the city.
"No. I can't believe that! You would not betray your friend!" he said. "You
could not. You were friends for so many years. That cannot be ignored!"
But, deep in his mind were always the same questions, the same uncertainty.
Not knowing was worse than even the worst news, that the stories and theories
were true. His father for some unknown reason had destroyed his ship, killing
every member of the crew. Even knowing that he had done this for no reason
other than to cover up a misdemeanour or crime would be better than not
knowing. Or would it? He did not know. He could not know until he had the facts
before him and could make his own judgement. Until then, he had to cling onto
his belief in his father's innocence and to his own fight to clear his name.
He sighed and slammed his fist onto the railings of the balcony. He knew his
search for the answers would haunt him until he had the truth at his fingertips
and could accept the past.
Xander Galen sat at the desk in his new office. He was beginning to settle into
the desk job he had dreaded while a serving officer on active duty. He leaned
back in his chair and looked around the room for a few minutes and then leaned
forward and touched the centre of the top drawer which slid open easily under
his fingers. He lifted out an old-fashioned photo frame and looked at the
photograph it contained for a long time in silence.
It had been taken the day Stephen MacAlpin had been promoted to Captain
and was given command of the Venture. They were both in it: Captain MacAlpin
and his newly assigned First Officer, Commander Galen. They were both laughing
in the picture. Galen sighed. He remembered that day clearly despite the
passage of time. They had been enthused with the same sense of adventure of
being sent on the first of this kind of mission. A new ship, going further than
mankind had ever ventured, deep into the very darkest depths of space. Neither
of them would have believed it if anyone had told them that Stephen would not
return, and that of the four hundred plus crewmembers, only Galen would
survive, and that no one would know why. If there were answers out there, they
were concealed and the case closed despite never being resolved.
They had made such plans. They had mapped out a great future for
themselves. How they would finish their careers together, spending their old age
with their families and watching the careers of their children and grandchildren
with pride.
"Damn you, Stephen. Why?!" he cried suddenly, and threw the photograph
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across the room. It struck the wall and fell to the floor with a crash as the glass
shattered. He was struck with a sudden stab of remorse and got up from the
desk.
He knelt on the floor, holding the shattered photograph in his hands. He was
so wrapped up in his own feelings that he did not hear the door open and never
saw Admiral Malabaare step into the room.
She guessed at once what had happened.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" she said quietly. "His betrayal of all you both believed
in, the betrayal of your friendship."
Galen looked up, ashamed to be found in a moment of weakness. He saw her
hand extended and allowed her to pull him to his feet. He went back to the desk
and out the broken frame down. "Yes, it hurts," he said. "The truth—"
"Cannot be told," she finished. "One day perhaps, but not now. You know
that. You will not break your word, your oath of silence?"
Galen drew a deep breath and shook his head. "I will not break my word."
"Even when he asks you? As he does."
He nodded again. "He will find out one day. You have given him access to the
files."
"Not full access. There are some things it is best not to find out. At least not
yet. He must establish his own career on his own merits, not on those of his
father."
"He has been given a hard task," Galen responded. "To follow in the footsteps
of a man he admires as a hero—and one whose memory is shrouded in secrecy.
He does not know the truth and yet we still give him an identical ship and give
him the command and send him to the same region of space. Don't forget that
Tiberius is like a son to me. I saw him through all his studies. I took him onto my
crew. I nurtured him, encouraged him to strive for a captaincy. I tried to be to
him the father he never knew. Don't we owe him something?"
Winona Malabaare listened without a word and then smiled softly. "Yes, we
owe him ... the chance to forge his own career." She tapped the photograph. "He
would be proud of his son, I know that much."
Galen sighed. "If only there was a log, even just one, that explained what
happened. Explained why he chose to destroy ship and crew without a moment's
thought."
She looked at him. "Some things will never be known. You must accept this."
She turned to the door. "If the truth is meant to be told then it will be."
Galen watched her leave and returned to his seat at the desk and looked at
the shattered photo in front of him.
"Why did I do that? Why am I so angry with you?" he asked, looking down at
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the face of his friend in the photograph. He tipped the broken glass into the
wastepaper basket and slipped the photograph back into the drawer.
MacAlpin entered his new quarters on the ship and threw his bag on the bed. He
sat down at the desk and opened up the computer. He slid the wafer-thin
information disc the Admiral had given him into the computer and waited until
the list of files it contained appeared on the screen. He studied the list and saw a
subfile named Logs.
Good, he thought. There would be something there. He touched the screen
and the first file opened. There was a routine log in it and Tiberius listened to it,
hearing his father for the first time. He bit his lip. It was just as emotional as he
had imagined. There was nothing in the log to hint towards anything untoward.
The next three logs were the same: just routine.
He touched the fourth one and a message flagged up on the screen. "Access
restricted. Please enter authorisation code," the computer said.
"I don't have a code," MacAlpin muttered.
"Access denied. This file carries a security restriction."
MacAlpin swore under his breath.
Admiral Malabaare had given him access, but obviously only to the files she
deemed necessary.
What was it? What were they all hiding from him? It had to be that. These
logs must contain something—the truth of what happened. He tried the
personal logs. They were all restricted, but for some very old ones, one of them
containing Stephen MacAlpin's delight on hearing he had a son.
"I look forward to the day I can meet him," he had said, words that brought
tears to Tiberius' eyes. His father had died four years later without ever meeting
the child he spoke of with so much happiness. That brought it all home to him
with a vengeance. His father had never had the chance. He ran his hand over his
eyes and was angry with himself when he felt his hand was a little wet. He
blinked angrily and began to search the files. All of the ones he could access
ended about a week before his father's death. No records, or if there were then
they must be the ones that were restricted.
He slammed his fist on the desk. He realised he had been tricked into keeping
silent by being made to believe he had been given access. He tried another log
and listened to his father talking about the photograph Bethany had sent of their
new son.
"She says he looks like me. I don't know. He's bald and wrinkly. I thought I
looked better than that!"
Tiberius heard his father's laugh and knew his father had been more than
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happy and was glad that he had at least seen photographs. He listened for a
while longer and then could bear it no longer and tried the restricted files again.
"Access denied!" the computer informed him laconically.
Again. "Access denied!"
He banged his fists on the desk in complete frustration. He began to type an
angry message to Admiral Malabaare, venting his anger and frustration at being
refused access. There was a buzz at the door and Commander Ross looked in.
"Captain," he began. Then he saw the message on the screen. "You haven't
sent it?"
Tiberius shook his head.
Ross leaned over his shoulder. "Discard message," he instructed. Then he
leaned on the desk and looked at the younger man. "Don't put yourself in the
wrong, however you feel about this. You think I do not understand, but I do. I
would give anything to know what happened. We all would. My parents were on
board; I never saw them again. So, you see, I do understand."
"I understand too why you must hate me—because of my father—"
"Don't be silly. I don't hate you. You are not your father. I just want to know
the truth one day. My parents were good friends with your father. I met him,
even though I was only a young kid at the time. I find it hard to believe that he
would condemn his entire crew to death without giving them a choice. No. There
is something more, and making Admiral Malabaare mad is not going to help in
any way."
He clapped Tiberius on the shoulder. "Now, I came to take you on your first
official tour of the ship. Then you need to address the crew."
Tiberius looked up. "That part is scaring me," he confessed. "They will all be
judging me."
Ross leaned forward and shook him, not ungently. "Of course they will! You
are a new captain. This is your first command; a high profile command at that,
but you are better than that! You have wanted this all your life. What others
think and say must not matter or they will destroy you."
"Xander said the same thing," Tiberius admitted.
"And he always gives you sound advice. You do not have to face them. You
will speak to them from the Bridge via the ship-wide communication system.
Now, pull yourself together, and come with me."
Ross straightened up and went to the door, holding it open for his
commanding officer to pass him.
A A A
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