Chapter 10 - Madness
An hour later, Jack had returned to the Chamberlain, still uncertain how to resolve the problem. He sat in the couch in his and Melissa's quarters.
She walked in. “How long have you been back?”
“About ten minutes.”
“How did it go?”
Jack took a long breath. “I don't think these people have any ill intentions, but I don't believe that will be enough for Dameron or the President.”
“You can't murder two billion people!” Melissa shouted.
“I can't allow this technology to remain! Everything we hold dear could be destroyed by it!”
“So to protect that which we hold dear, we set aside what we hold dear? That's insane, Jack!”
He knew it was.
Jack turned to her. “Eventually the Federation will come here in force and attempt to destroy these people.”
“They've held off the Borg for five hundred years,” Melissa said.
“And if the Borg beat us to it? If they got their hands on Omega technology... ”
Melissa looked at him. “I suspect these people have prepared for that eventuality.”
Jack shook his head. “Do you think Starfleet is going to be satisfied with those answers when I go back and tell them I left this planet and that technology intact?”
“No,” she said, walking up to him. “They'll come back here, and they'll try to use force.” She stopped a moment. “Maybe this is one of those situations where you need to press the issue.”
“I have been considering that,” Jack said. “The problem is, I agree with the general idea behind the Omega Directive. No one should have this technology.”
“But...”
“Committing genocide isn't a solution,” he said.
“Then find another way.”
Jack ran all the possibilities through his mind a last time. Then he stood. “There isn't another way in this case.”
“But you can't...”
Jack walked to the wall and touched the comm panel. “Commander Kadan.”
“Yes, Captain?” her voice came through the intercom.
“Prepare to leave orbit.”
“Aye, sir.”
Jack turned to Melissa. “Now I'm in the fire.”
Melissa pulled him into her arms. “But you're not alone. Every person on this ship stands with you.”
***
Four days later, the Chamberlain sailed out of the null subspace field and back into normal space.
Jack sat in his command chair as Kadan Loftus stood at her station to his right, and Melissa at hers to his left.
Todd Nakano turned back to Jack. “Sir, another ship is approaching.”
“Identify it,” Jack replied.
“The USS Virginia.”
“He didn't waste any time,” Loftus said.
“I suspect he's been here for days,” Jack said. He turned to Flanora. “Hail them, Lieutenant.”
A moment later, Commodore Dameron's face filled the viewscreen.
“Captain McCall,” Dameron said, smiling. “I'd like you to come over to my ship. I'm eager to hear your report.”
Jack stood from his chair. “The quick version is, I took no action against the fourth planet of the Geryon system. I am convinced the Cylithians pose no threat to the Federation or their neighbors.”
Dameron's smile turned into a scowl. “That was not within your discretion, Captain.”
“I believe it was.”
Dameron seemed for a moment as if he were about to scream. “Captain McCall, I hereby order you to return to the Geryon system and fire your ship's primary weapon system on the fourth planet.”
Jack McCall kept his eyes locked on those of the man on the display. “No, Commodore. That is an illegal order, and I refuse.”
Commodore Stuart Dameron started to speak, but held his response for a moment. Jack suspected he wasn't used to having his orders denied.
“Captain McCall, the Omega Directive says otherwise,” Dameron said calmly as if discussing the weather.
“I disagree, Commodore. No such directive has the power to make genocide legal or moral.”
“You are aware of the exceptions the Omega molecule presents to us.”
“I am aware this particular secret directive, one not fully exposed to the light of day, flies in the face of the free and open society the Federation claims to represent, and given this directive was instituted by a past Federation President and some key Federation Ambassadors without being put to a vote by the full Federation Council, its legality is questionable,” Jack said, taking a step toward the viewscreen. “And as you have just given me an order to exterminate a population of two billion intelligent beings, I'd further claim that directive is flawed at best, and at worst... evil.”
Dameron smiled. “I suspect that argument won't do much good at your court-martial.” His smile faded. “The Omega Directive supersedes all other orders and directives, including the Prime Directive.”
“If we set aside our principles when the situation is difficult then they aren't really principles, are they? Just lies we tell ourselves to make us believe we're civilized when the reality is we're monsters willing to murder anyone who might get in our way.”
“The Omega molecule could very well end all civilizations in this galaxy!”
“The same was said of atomic weapons back on Earth, and biological and chemical weapons,” Jack said. “But humanity found a way past that without resorting to murdering billions.”
Dameron frowned. “Your career, McCall... that's what you should focus on at this moment.”
“I'm not concerned about the ramifications to my career in Starfleet,” Jack said. “I will not under any circumstances murder two billion people.”
Dameron let out a weak sigh. “Fire your weapon at that planet, McCall. Or the lives of the trillions who are lost in the years to come will be on your head.”
“No,” Jack said. “The people of that planet are peaceful and have not bothered anyone for five hundred years.”
Dameron stared for several seconds. “Very well... Commander Kadan, I order you to take command from Captain McCall as he has violated my direct order. And I order you to...”
Kadan Loftus stepped up next to Jack. “This is exactly the kind of insanity I left when I got myself transferred off your ship seven years ago, Commodore. I am not about to follow your orders now. No, sir. I refuse.” She let a smile come to her face. “And feel free to go down through the chain of command of this vessel is you so wish. You'll not find any officer willing to relieve Captain McCall of his command.”
Dameron's jaw twisted to the left side of his face. “You do realize you're flushing your career away as well, don't you, Loftus?”
“Since I don't know anything about any Omega Directive, it seems to me you've gone batshit crazy, sir. I will of course be sure to report your insane order to Starfleet Command, suggesting you should be relieved of your command.”
Jack grinned. “That's the problem with secret orders, Commodore... they don't work on those not in on the secret.”
“I'll give you one last chance, McCall,” Dameron said. “Go back through that field and lay waste to that planet, or by this time next month, the Chamberlain will be under someone else's command.”
“They'll find it impossible to get through the field to the planet,” Jack said. “I encouraged the Cylithians to wait several hundred years before having anything to do with the Federation.”
“You are a damn fool, McCall!”
“I am willing to explain before a board of inquiry why I don't think the Omega Directive applies in this case, Commodore,” Jack said to the man on the viewscreen. “Are you willing to explain to the same board why you are letting the Zeparans use us to finish a five hundred year old war they lost?”
Dameron scowled at Jack. “McCall...”
Jack turned to Flanora. “End transmission.”
The viewscreen returned to a view of the stars.
Jack turned to Zaylie. “Set a course back to the Kel-j'na wormhole.”
Zaylie smiled. “Aye, sir.”
Jack returned to his chair .
He had cursed his luck at being the captain sent to the Geryon system to handle the discovery of Omega. No longer. Jack was certain most other captains would have simply followed their orders, and murdered two billion people who weren't harming anyone.
But he wasn't going to do that.
His life did have meaning after all. He was right where he belonged—in the command chair of the Chamberlain.
***
Xaphon heaved the table in her quarters across the room where it slammed into the bulkhead of the far wall.
“No!” she howled. “We have waited far too long! We had them! The Chamberlain could have destroyed their entire world!”
“I am sorry,” Dameron said calmly as he stood ten feet away from the rage filled Zeparan. “Captain McCall disobeyed a direct order. And I believe he intends to implicate your people as the reason he was sent to that world.”
“I want satisfaction, Dameron! We have been denied justice for too long, come too far to settle for this! You promised we would see the end of this threat!”
“I had assumed McCall would be like his father as did you,” Dameron replied. “Both were career Starfleet officers. McCall should have followed his orders even if he found them distasteful. I had not expected this from him. He was offered a promotion on the basis of fulfilling this mission. Most men in his position would have seen the need to follow through.”
“I don't care!” Xaphon screamed. “Your Federation has failed to secure the one thing we wanted!”
Dameron took a single step forward. “What would you have me do?”
“Destroy Jack McCall!”
***
A week later...
Mei-Wan walked across the narrow bridge toward the large underground structure they had been investigating for the last five days beneath the surface of the large moon orbiting the fifth planet of the Geryon system. It was definitely an Ancient Progenitor installation, but their search for anything worthwhile had been fruitless so far.
But then three minutes ago, Harold had come running for her back on the Athena.
As they entered the chamber, Emily and Susan looked up, smiling. On the table behind them sat a large metal object, glowing with a serene blue light.
“Is that what I think it is?” Mei-Wan asked, barely able to contain her excitement.
“It's a data core,” Susan replied.
Behind the data core, Dani looked at Mei-Wan. “And it holds extensive files on the military activities of the Ancient Progenitors throughout the war they waged on the non-humanoids of this galaxy.”
Mei-Wan finally let the excitement overtake her.
“Looks like we've done it,” Nick said.
Mei-Wan smiled. Yes, this one combined with the one from Uldix Two, and the one from Allatu Five-C gave them all they needed.
“So what's next?” Nick asked.
“We write our paper, and change the Galaxy.”
* * *
Dark Horizon Story and Characters Copyright ©2021 Michael Gray
GO TO STAR TREK: DARK HORIZON - ENTER PAGE
