Chapter 7 - The End Of The Day
Jack McCall took a deep breath as he rested in bed, reading from the book "Toward A Philosophy of Federation" with only a light above him to illuminate the bedroom of his and Mei-Wan's quarters. He hadn't opened the book in years, but something that Q had said earlier in the day had made Jack want to give it another look.
He yawned and glanced over at the chronometer which read "2241" and forced his eyes to remain open a little longer. He hadn't seen Mei-Wan much the last couple of days and wanted to stay up to spend some time with her. He returned to his reading.
A minute later Mei-Wan entered the bedroom and forced a smile on her face when she saw Jack. He couldn't help but smile back.
"I was wondering when you'd finally show up," he said.
Mei-Wan took her uniform jacket off and turned to him. "I wanted to get as much done as I could on the Hel'yra report."
"You still working on that thing?" Jack asked with a grin as Mei-Wan removed the rest of her uniform and pulled a nightshirt down over her head.
She pulled her long hair out of the collar and walked over to the bed and knelt down at the side next to Jack and looked at the book.
"Erodius? This late at night?" she asked.
"Thought I'd expand my philosophical horizons."
Mei-Wan shook her head. "Vulcan philosophy would be more fun."
"Some people think that's where this came from in the first place," he said.
"Only a human could write material that mind-numbing," Mei-Wan replied.
Jack laughed softly and looked into her eyes.
She did her best to smile. "I've got some good news about that report I've been working on."
"What's that?"
"The Archaeological Council has asked me to give the report as the Keynote Address at the Yed Post Conference in December," she said.
Jack smiled. "So, you're the reason we were called to Yed Post Four."
"The orders came already?" Mei-Wan said.
"Well, they do have to kind of tell me when they want my ship to go somewhere, Mei."
She was certain he didn't know the rest of it yet. "I doubt I'm the only reason we're headed there, Jack."
"That Archaeological Council is a pretty powerful bunch. I bet they'll stage a coup against the Federation Council any day now."
Mei-Wan tried to laugh, but what she had to say to her husband wouldn't let her.
Jack noticed something was troubling her. "Hey, I say something wrong?"
"No," she said. "I've been offered a rare opportunity."
"Really? Like what?"
She was trying to put the best spin she could on the situation. "I've been offered to lead the Council's expedition back to Hel'yra. I'll have complete autonomy and an entire starship at my disposal."
Jack smiled. "That's great, Mei."
Her attempt to smile was re-enforced by his positive response, but a moment later she could see that the details became obvious to him as his expression hardened.
"When would this expedition start?" he asked.
She looked down a moment and then back to him. "Five days after the Conference."
Jack closed his book and sat it off to the side. "Then you'll be transferred to another ship."
Mei-Wan nodded. "That is if I accept the offer."
Jack looked away from her. Every part of his mind and heart wanted to scream at her to turn it down, but he knew what this could mean for her. Not only would this expedition give Mei-Wan a place he could only guess about in Federation history, but it was everything she had ever dreamed of. How could he stand in her way?
He gently lifted his hand up to her cheek. "Mei… " He stopped himself.
"Jack, opportunities like this don't happen every day. The Archaeological Council selected me for this. How can I say no to them?"
He took a deep breath and lowered his hand away from her. "Then you'll have to make a decision."
"This isn't just up to me. You're my husband. You have some say in this."
"It's your decision in the end," he said.
Mei-Wan looked at him in silence for nearly a minute. "You want me to stay aboard the Chamberlain."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't say anything."
Jack took a deep breath. "What do you want me to say? Yes, it’s a great opportunity and one you're not likely to get a second chance at."
Mei-Wan's voice became strained. "I know that, Jack. Tell me how you're feeling about this!"
"That's not what you want, Mei. You want me to tell you what I want you to do. That's a no win situation."
"Does everything have to be a tactical calculation? Can't you just tell me what you're thinking?"
"And if I say I want you to stay and you do that, then a year or two down the road you'll regret it and you'll resent me for standing in your way. It won't take too long for that to change to hatred," he said with no emotion.
"I couldn't ever hate you, Jack. I love you more than anything in the Universe," she said with tears in her eyes.
Jack closed his eyes. His mind screamed, Stay! He didn't want her away for so long, but he couldn't stand the thought that she might learn to hate him if she did stay.
"You have to decide what you want."
She watched as he opened his eyes and turned to her. "You mean choose between you and the expedition," she said.
"I didn't say that, Mei."
She had run this in her mind a hundred times the last few hours and it never turned out well.
Mei-Wan looked at him, her face now stern. "A few weeks ago you suggested it might be better if we served aboard different ships."
Jack had done his best to forget that discussion and the arguments that had led up to it, but she was right. Now the Archaeological Council was making that decision almost irresistible for Mei-Wan.
He started to speak, but the door chime to their quarters sounded.
"Who is it?" Jack asked.
Over the speaker a voice said, "Lieutenant Commander Vargas to see you, Captain."
Jack looked at Mei-Wan who stood to her feet. "Just a minute," he said to the intercom.
He got out of bed and put a shirt on that matched his sweat-pants and walked to the forward section of their quarters.
"Come in," he said.
A moment later Melissa marched in, her face red and handed Jack a PADD.
"Here are the results of my investigation of Commander McGuire, Captain," she said with as much control as she could summon.
"You decoded his messages?"
"Yes, sir."
Jack looked at the PADD. "Did you speak to him?"
Melissa fought back the tears. For the first time in her life she wished her father had chosen to raise her as a Vulcan. "Yes. I'm convinced he's not the spy. The encrypted messages all were of a personal nature to family and friends."
"Even the two to Simmons?"
Melissa took a deep breath. "Yes, sir. Mr. Evans agrees with my assessment of Commander McGuire. He doesn't think there's any connection between McGuire and the alterations we found to the sensor systems."
Jack sighed heavily. "Very well. Good work."
Melissa forced herself to not explode as she turned and walked out the door as it slid open before her.
Mei-Wan rushed in to Jack as he continued looking over the PADD. She finished putting on a set of leisure clothes as she stopped in front of him.
"You had Melissa investigate Lee McGuire? You thought he was the spy you mentioned to me before?" Mei-Wan asked with an angry edge in her voice.
Jack looked up from the PADD at her. "McGuire seemed like a strong possibility."
Mei-Wan shook her head. "She's been involved with him, Jack!"
"What? Involved?"
"Yes, I think she's in love with him," Mei-Wan said.
Jack closed his eyes. "Oh, god."
"And you had her dig through his personal communications?"
"That's why she didn't want to do it."
"Very insightful, Jack. Their relationship is probably destroyed now!" Mei-Wan yelled.
"She could have told me about this!"
Mei-Wan shook her head. "In case you haven't figured this out yet, Captain, some members of your crew are so loyal to you they'd violate Starfleet Regulations as well as their own sense of morality. Melissa practically worships that command chair you sit in on the Bridge. She'd follow you into the pit of hell and you got her to do something that she may never forgive herself for."
"Mei, I didn't know," Jack pleaded.
"It has always amazed me how starship captains never see the dark side of the loyalty they insist on from their crews," Mei-Wan said, walking to the door.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I'm going to try to help Melissa. I think she could use a friend right now."
Mei-Wan left and the door closed behind her. Jack lifted the PADD up and stared at it. His face hardened and he threw the PADD against a wall where it shattered.
"Damn it!" he shouted.
***
On Deck Five Mei-Wan touched the door chime switch outside Melissa Vargas' quarters. The door opened and a teary eyed Vargas stood looking at her.
"Mei, I really am not in the mood to hear…"
Mei-Wan raised her hand to interrupt. "I'm not here to justify what Jack did or didn't do, Melissa. I'm here because I'm your friend."
Tears fell freely from the Vulcan looking woman's face as she motioned Mei-Wan McCall into her quarters.
TO BE CONTINUED…
GO TO STAR TREK: DARK HORIZON - ENTER PAGE
***
Dark Horizon Story and Characters Copyright ©2002 Michael Gray
