Chapter 5 - Membership Has Its Privileges
Jack McCall walked through the corridors of the Sovereign class starship, U.S.S. Venture, led by the vessel's operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Dominika Olsasky. The chirpy voiced brunette looked back at him from time to time with her luminous eyes that signaled an obvious invitation.
Sorry, sweetheart, but that is so far out of the question you can't possibly imagine, Jack thought as she walked him into a turbolift.
The Chamberlain had arrived an hour before and entered orbit around Cajma Six when Jack received word that Captain Julien Gann, the commander of the First Kel-j'na Exploratory Task Group, which Jack's ship was now officially assigned to, wanted to see him... immediately.
He'd only met Gann once several years ago and didn't have much of an opinion of him except that Simmons thought he was a great officer. Jack still wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
Fortunately, the problems with the Starfleet Corps of Engineers had resolved itself. As he'd suspected, they'd been jerking his chain. They finally admitted their cargo would be off his ship within twenty-four hours.
The blood is already in the water, Jack. Engineers are the first to see a career going down the toilet.
He told himself he should have been an engineer. Everything was physics--- predictable, safe, and you didn't have to crawl on your belly begging for scraps off a table that by all rights was yours to begin with.
That kind of attitude will get me court-martialed in a heartbeat.
He took a deep breath and decided to pay attention to the chattering of his escort. Not much trouble I can get into with that.
"I'd really love a tour of an Oceana class starship. Something that size must be a lot of fun to serve on," Olsasky said with a wistful grin.
Then again, maybe wallowing in my troubles is better.
Jack spoke as unemotionally as he could. "I'll see if I can arrange for my operations officer to give you a tour."
Dominika turned back to face the door of the turbolift, her grin replaced by a sullen frown.
He did have to admit she was more than attractive. Jack did his best not to let his eyes drift down below her waist. No reason to look at what he couldn't have.
He looked down at the floor. My God! Why the hell am I even thinking of other women? his mind asked.
He took a pained breath. Because you know it's over. You've lost Mei and it's time to move on.
The turbolift doors opened onto the bridge of the Venture. Jack noticed the ship's Caitian executive officer, K'lremi in the center seat talking to a dark-haired Betazoid woman he didn't know.
She looked up with her large golden round eyes as Jack exited the turbolift. K'lremi only nodded, but that was more than enough.
Jack forced down a grin. Yeah, keep it up, Universe. Let's get all my past lovers into the same sector of space and really ruin my life!
K'lremi was responsible for one of his most unique and enjoyable intimate encounters. What is it about females with fur?
A few moments later, Jack found himself standing before Julien Gann, a tall man of about sixty with short cropped gray hair. Gann looked up at him with a warm smile.
"Captain McCall, please sit," Gann said with a deep resonant voice.
Dominika gave a quick nod to her CO and then turned and left the two captains to themselves as Jack took the seat across from Gann's desk.
"How was the trip from Kel-j'na? Uneventful I hope, aside from the encounter with the Q."
Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. Nice and quiet." Jack hadn't reported the visit from the Vedala. Admiral Hancock had given him strict orders to keep all contact with them off the books.
"Good. I noticed the Corps of Engineers have already started their work. The Cajmians will be pleased to see the spacedock begin construction."
Jack leaned forward a bit in his seat. "Sir, I haven't yet heard an explanation as to why the Chamberlain's stay has been extended to six months."
Gann face became taut. "If it had been up to me, Chamberlain would have accompanied the Venture to Hel'yra. That was the work of the Region's Federation Ambassador, Mr. Cyrus Wakernaggle."
"How does a decision like that get left to an ambassador?" Jack asked.
"It does when a high priority is placed on getting worlds in this region of space to become Federation members," Gann said with irritation.
The Venture's captain folded his hands and leaned forward. "Wakernaggle has powerful connections with the Council and the Council President. I've tried to fight him on several issues over the last two months, but every time I've lost. I've learned it's best not to push the vindictive little son-of-a-bitch too far."
Gann chuckled. "At least not yet, that is."
Jack smiled. Gann might be okay after all. Jack detested ambassadors who had a habit of pushing themselves into Starfleet matters. It always ended badly.
"The Cajmians," Gann started, "are concerned about raids from a race called the Naitr'm and another called the Zeparans. Mr. Wakernaggle feels the presence of a ship like the Chamberlain might put those concerns at ease."
Jack's eyes widened. Admiral Simmons had given him the impression more than a month ago that it had been he who had made that call. Either Simmons or Wakernaggle were working together on this or something odd was going on. Was Simmons forced into this?
"I have spoken directly to Admiral Simmons and the President and informed them that in my opinion, we're likely to be dragged into a war by the Chamberlain's presence and the spacedock construction," Gann stated.
"A war?" Jack asked. "It was my impression that the Cajmians were a relatively peaceful people."
Gann took a deep breath. "The Cajmians are not a very forthcoming people. There is little we know about their relations with either of the races they're concerned about. It's entirely possible their past enemies have allied themselves against the Cajmians who now see the Federation as their last hope."
"Do you have anything to base this on, sir?"
"Forty years as a Starfleet officer and twenty-seven of that in the center seat gives you more to go on than gut-level intuition, Captain McCall. I've seen this type of thing before."
Jack nodded and thought back to the briefing information he'd read about the Cajmians. Gann was right about them being secretive. They revealed little about their society.
"I guess the Chamberlain will have to do its best to avoid a war," Jack replied.
Gann rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I don't think you can stop a war if it comes, especially not with that ship."
Jack frowned as he heard Gann's tone with the word "ship." Jack knew what he meant and he had a guess as to where this was heading.
"Let me be blunt," Gann started. "The Oceana class is..."
Jack raised a hand to stop the other captain. "Excuse me, sir, but I've heard it all before. How the class is nothing but a battleship, how it will cause wars, and how it violates everything Starfleet has ever stood for."
Gann let a grin creep across his face. "Well? You have another point of view?
Jack took a deep breath. "With all due respect Captain Gann, you haven't commanded an Oceana class starship for the last six months. I have."
"Did you ever ask yourself about that?"
Jack tilted his head slightly to one side. "About what?"
"Didn't it ever cross your mind why Captains McCall, Donato, Liniak, and Golu were assigned to command the largest and most powerful ships Starfleet has ever built? All competent officers, yes, but certainly none of the four of you fall into the best of the best category who usually get such an assignment."
"Yes, I've wondered about it," Jack said in almost a whisper.
"It's because Captains Gann, Picard, VanLienden, Dameron, Xoitcav, and a long list of others turned down the ships when they were offered to them."
He leaned forward onto his desk. "I was offered the Chamberlain three times. Once by special request of the Federation President."
Jack had suspected something like this. He knew that Gann was right about he and the other three. They were hardly "the best of the best."
"I've talked to the others and we all turned it down for the same reasons--- we care about Starfleet and we believe in what it stands for. We could not in good conscience command a vessel like that because we knew eventually what we'd be forced to do with it, either by orders or circumstances," Gann said. "And I'll be damned if I'll let myself get pulled into that kind of abyss."
Jack watched Gann closely. He didn't get the sense the man was gloating or this was anything like a sour grapes routine to explain why Gann still commanded a Sovereign class. He felt the older man was being completely honest.
"I still think these ships have value," Jack said.
Gann shook his head. He was about to say something when the comm sounded.
A male voice said, "Captain Gann, Ambassador Wakernaggle wanted you to know he was ready to leave."
Gann nodded. "Has Hank Evans come over from the Chamberlain yet?
"Yes, sir," the voice replied.
Gann stood and walked around his desk. "Inform them we are on our way."
Jack rose from his seat. "Why was Hank Evans brought over?"
"The Cajmians wanted a chance to discuss the Chamberlain's defensive capabilities with your tactical officer."
Jack didn't like how this was going. Gann could have at least let him retain the illusion he still commanded his own ship and crew.
Captain Gann looked at Jack. "Listen, I didn't say all that to break you or take you down a notch. I just think you should know where you stand."
"Okay," Jack replied.
Gann forced a smile. "You should also know that Admiral Simmons doesn't want your career to end up mothballed like your ship. He actually fought against you getting the Chamberlain, not to hinder you, but to keep you from getting dragged down with it. He seems to think you still have a lot to offer Starfleet."
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Be glad he's on your side," Gann said.
Jack followed him out of the Ready Room. Try as he might, he just couldn't see Simmons as someone on his side.
***
A Starfleet runabout soared down into the thick atmosphere of Cajma Six toward one of the few landmasses of the mostly water world. After entering the gas envelope around planet the small craft found itself cruising over rugged terrain in the darkness of night.
No vegetation covered the ground; only rock and dirt.
Hank Evans sat at the controls of the ship while Captain Gann took the station next to him. Jack and Gann's Counselor, Olwen Lasas, the same Betazoid woman he had seen earlier on the bridge of the Venture, were seated in the next row. Behind her sat Ambassador Cyrus Wakernaggle.
Jack looked over at the cadaverous man. He gave the appearance of someone who death had circled about for decades, but was more fearful of him than he was of it. For clothes the ambassador wore a black jacket upon more black. The only thing out of place with him was the eyeglasses he wore. Jack couldn't remember the last person he'd seen wear such things, except in old photographs.
A smile crept across Wakernaggle's wrinkled face. "The glasses, Captain McCall?" he asked with a voice that creaked like an old wooden door on loose hinges.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Jack said, embarrassed.
"Not to worry, young man. I'm quite used to it by now. I'm allergic to Retnax Seven, so my choices are limited to extensive medical procedures or the simple solution of a bygone age."
Jack nodded and smiled.
"It is one of the few parts of my life where simplicity is afforded an opportunity to exist," Wakernaggle said.
Gann turned in his seat to face them. "Fortunately the ambassador does not take the same view toward Federation membership."
The older man's brow tightened. "Is that your opinion, Julien, or your hope?"
"I have never questioned your dedication to the Federation, Cyrus."
"But you do question my assessment of the Cajmians."
"I think we've moved too fast and without enough investigation before allowing them to join the Federation," Gann said.
Wakernaggle turned to Jack. "You'll find Julien Gann has a unique view of the relationship between his own opinions and the truth, Captain McCall."
Jack tried to avoid getting involved in their argument. "Yes?"
"He sees them as one."
Gann frowned.
Hank turned his head back to the others. "We're approaching the power station."
Wakernaggle stepped from his seat and patted Jack on the leg. "Come and look at this machine the Cajmians built."
Jack followed toward the front of the cabin and stood behind Hank as the craft banked to allow them to see the ground.
They flew through the nighttime sky toward a glowing area on the surface. As they passed over the glow Jack saw a cylindrical metal pit that sank deep into the ground.
"The Cajmians derive most of their energy from geothermal reactors all over the planet like this one," Wakernaggle said.
A tall series of cylindrical structures stood in the center of the kilometer wide deep shaft disappearing into the depths of the illuminated haze. Jack guessed that was the actual reactor that siphoned heat emerging from beneath the surface.
"How far down does it go?" asked Hank.
"Five kilometers or more with this one I think," the ambassador said. "Some of the others go down even deeper."
The bright glow inside the shaft gave the surrounding area an eerie feeling that unnerved Jack. He didn't like this place at all.
He looked over at Olwen Lasas who stood behind Gann. She winced several times.
"You okay?" Jack asked the brunette.
She nodded. "I think so."
Gann looked up above his seat. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing sir," she said as she took a deep breath. "Just a... a flash of something, I think."
Wakernaggle shook his head. "I told you there was no point in bringing your Counselor along, Gann."
Olwen smiled. "I'll try not to take that personally, Ambassador."
"No offense, my dear, but as I told you. The Cajmians are impervious to any sort of telepathic probing. You won't be able to sense their thoughts or moods."
"Then I'll just take in the sights."
He grinned. "Fortunately for us, Captain Gann's Counselor happens to be a strikingly beautiful woman, wouldn't you agree, Captain McCall?"
Jack nodded.
Gann looked at Jack, but said nothing.
"On to the city?" Hank asked Wakernaggle.
"Yes, Mr. Evans. Take us out to sea."
The runabout soared away from the power reactor up into the sky and toward daylight on the horizon.
