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Written By
Michael Gray
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Chapter 1 - Reception
Mei-Wan Lau and her team entered the reception center on the ground floor of the Federation Embassy one block away from where they had given what amounted to the introduction of the paper they would soon publish on the Ancient Progenitors. The reaction to their presentation was more muted than the last time she'd been here, but it was mostly positive, including a room full of gasps when they displayed the holographic recording of the Ancient Progenitors planning the annihilation of non-humanoid species throughout the galaxy.
They let that speak for itself, ending immediately after that.
Mei-Wan peered about the assembled crowd at the reception, seeing beings from dozens of worlds. The murmuring choir of a hundred different conversations going on at once was mixed with the faint chimes of ice cubes clanging against one another in glasses filled with every possible combination of alcohol. The subtle fragrance of those drinks wafted through the air, suggesting to Mei-Wan some here were already drowning the bad news about the Ancient Progenitors her team had presented less than an hour before.
Their reason for coming to Yed Post IV finished, Mei-Wan’s team from the Kel-j’na Archaeological Institute wanted to relax and celebrate. But this was just the calm before the larger storm of peer review which would slam against the shores of their lives. This time it would be especially brutal, and the opponents of their conclusions would not be generous or kind. Mei-Wan’s team had just told the humanoids of the galaxy the beings they all came from, the Ancient Progenitors, were genocidal maniacs. There would political and cultural ramifications for the Alpha and Beta Quadrants as that message took root, and many would resist it.
The one person Mei-Wan was most curious about was Forcas, the leader of the religion which had grown out of Janus Osmand's movement. Forcas had been singing the praises of the Ancient Progenitors from the moment he appeared and swallowed up Osmand's movement, insisting the original humanoids were going to return in all their former glory and soon.
Mei-Wan fought back a laugh even now at the thought of that. Apocalyptic movements rarely lasted, and especially ones which emphasized returns of a deity or semi-deity who would set the world right ending the reign of some imagined evil. She was confident Forcas's beliefs would come into conflict with reality soon enough, ending his popularity and his influence.
Even he had to accept the Ancient Progenitor holographic recording they had presented. And Mei-Wan had to admit, she was secretly hoping to speak to him tonight to rub in the details and implications of that recording.
As she walked over to a refreshment table, a younger woman walked up to her.
“Mei?” Natalie Fowler asked.
Mei-Wan felt herself smile. “Natalie! Oh my god, you came to see the presentation?”
“Of course, I did,” Natalie said, wearing her Starfleet dress uniform. “You think I'd miss it?”
They gave each other a warm hug.
“It's great to see you again,” Mei-Wan said. “Are you still on the Chamberlain?”
“I'm the Chief Archaeologist now.”
“Congratulations! You enjoying it?”
“Not the constant reports,” Natalie said. “Sunita’s the science officer now, so it’s not so bad. Kyle Hoffman resigned about a year ago.”
“Really?” Mei-Wan asked with a grin. “I hadn’t heard that.”
“It’s not like anyone cried when he left,” Natalie laughed. “I heard a rumor he’d gone off to join some cult on Velromal.”
“That isn’t something I’d expect from Kyle unless he was the center of it,” Mei-Wan said. “I can’t imagine his ego allowing for him to submit to anyone else.”
“Neither can I,” Natalie said with a wide smile.
Mei-Wan was glad to see Natalie again. She had worried about her friend after she left the Chamberlain. It was good to see her life was working out.
“Tell me,” Natalie said. “Where did you find the datacores with those recordings of the Ancient Progenitors?”
“Several sites in the Kel-j'na region, but the one with the best recordings came from a little world, a moon actually, called Allatu Five-C.”
Natalie's eyes widened.
“You know it?” Mei-Wan asked.
“Uh... no,” Natalie said. “I was just trying to place it.”
“It's in a dead star system,” Mei-Wan said, taking a sip from her drink. “It's not surprising you haven't heard of it.”
“Yeah,” Natalie said, looking away.
Mei-Wan caught Harold waving her back to the rest of her team. “Look, I need to go,” she said. “Can we get together for lunch while I'm here?”
“Uh, I'll see what the ship's schedule is, and let you know,” Natalie said.
“Great!” Mei-Wan said. “It'll be great to just talk again.”
“Yeah.”
Natalie walked away quickly.
As she walked back over to her group, Mei-Wan was bothered by Natalie's abrupt change of mood.
“You okay?” Nick asked as Mei-Wan joined them.
“Yes,” she said. “It was nothing.”
“There he is,” Harold murmured as they entered the larger crowd.
Mei-Wan followed his line of sight, taking her gaze to a white-haired man with wild electric eyes.
“Forcas,” she whispered.
His eyes met hers.
He smiled.
“I think he likes you,” Nick said.
“That’s the smile of a predator,” Harold said.
“Best to avoid him,” Susan said. “Let him stew.”
Mei-Wan looked to Dani. “You have an opinion?”
Dani's all white eyes peered at Mei-Wan. “Crush him.”
Nick shook his head.
One of Forcas's aides walked toward them.
“Uh, oh,” Harold said. “We're in trouble now.”
A Romulan woman with short dark hair, wearing an ornate metallic dress, stopped in front of them and smiled. “Doctor Lau?”
“Yes?” Mei-Wan replied.
“I am Sirona Rann. Forcas, requests the privilege of an audience with you.”
Mei-Wan felt an urge to tell Rann to go to hell, but restrained herself that momentary thrill. Her curiosity propelled her to a different response. “Inform Forcas, I will come over to see him shortly.”
Rann hesitated then nodded. She quickly walked away.
“Good,” Dani said. “Say yes, but make him wait on you.”
“I don't think it's a good idea to mess with this guy,” Nick said. “I know he rubs you all sorts of the wrong way, but he has powerful friends.”
“All the more reason to confront him,” Harold said.
“Be careful,” Nick said. “He may be telepathic.”
“Oh?” Mei-Wan asked, turning to him.
“The content of his speeches isn’t enough to swoon a crowd the way he does. He may be influencing their minds.”
“You worried I'll fall under his spell?” Mei-Wan asked with a grin.
“Something like that.”
“I'll be careful.”
“You should take Dani with you,” Nick replied.
“That would be prudent,” Dani said. “If he does have mental powers, I would detect it.”
“I was the only one he invited.”
“If he complains, walk away,” Nick said. “He's the one who asked to talk. He obviously has something in mind.”
Dani turned to her. “Nick is right.”
“I agree,” LeAnn said.
Mei-Wan frowned. “Okay, okay.” She turned to Dani. “How about we stop by the punch bowl and then take a leisurely walk over to Forcas?”
Ten minutes later, Mei-Wan and Dani stood in front of Forcas, surrounded by his entourage. His face went sour when he looked at Dani.
“Do we need a chaperone for our meeting?” Forcas asked in a bass voice.
Those surrounding him cleared a path between Forcas and Mei-Wan.
“My team is worried you might use your wizard powers to twist my mind,” Mei-Wan said with a grin.
Forcas laughed. “I thought you were scientists.”
“We've seen enough strange things that sometimes leaving open the possibility of the supernatural seems wise.”
“I agree with that sentiment,” he said. “However, I suspect how you and I would define the supernatural might be quite different.”
Mei-Wan allowed a full smile to take over her face. “Of course, exactly how you define the supernatural is very important.”
Forcas nodded.
A waiter stopped to offer them drinks.
Mei-Wan accepted one and sipped from it. “Most of the time I would take a more naturalistic approach.”
“Ah,” Forcas murmured. “You accept the supernatural only in terms of a natural phenomenon which you don't understand rather than something truly transcendent.”
“My experience is there's always an explanation if we're willing to put in the work to look for it,” Mei-Wan said.
He shook his head. “Cutting you off from the true mysteries of the universe.”
“Mysteries are to be explored.”
“Mysteries are to be experienced,” Forcas said.
Mei-Wan smiled. “I had heard you could be rather dogmatic in your thinking.”
“Says the woman who has already made up her mind about the Ancient Progenitors.”
“The recording we presented made their intentions rather clear, don’t you think?” she asked.
Forcas glanced at Dani with a stern frown. “Does this... creature really need to be present?”
Dani stood taller. “Do I offend you?”
“What you represent does, yes,” he said with narrowed eyes.
“And what might that be?” Mei-Wan asked.
“Humanoids separated from their birthright,” he said. “We were made to rule this galaxy.”
“Why does the galaxy need to be ruled?” Mei-Wan asked.
“To transform it from chaos into an order which serves the common good.”
“A common good which only includes humanoids,” Dani said. “Fortunately, some humanoids are more enlightened than you.”
“Some have been deceived by those who would make us subservient to the agenda of others.” He glared at Dani. “Isn't your form a deception?”
“My form is no more a deception than the clothing you choose to wear, or how you do your hair,” Dani said.
“Convenient that what you've chosen serves to give the impression you are one of us when you are not.”
“One of us?” Mei-Wan asked. “All life is important. All life is an expression of the mysteries of the universe.”
“Don't waste your time with this one, Mei-Wan,” Dani said. “All he is concerned with is pitting life against life. He would rather we drown in the shed blood of warfare than celebrate our differences as the universe revealing itself to itself. Difference causes him to question the simplistic view of the universe he clings to, and that is simply too much for his feeble mind.”
Mei-Wan could see the rage in Forcas's eyes. But it quickly passed.
He smiled, and turned to Mei-Wan. “Perhaps it would be better if you and I talked alone. You could come by my hotel suite later this evening.”
“What exactly do we have to talk about?” Mei-Wan asked.
“I have access to a vast trove of Ancient Progenitor documents and artifacts,” he said. “I could make those available to you.”
He had certainly done his research on Mei-Wan, and discovered the one thing which could persuade her to do almost anything.
I have to stop being so predictable, Mei-Wan thought.
“What time?” she asked.
“Mei...” Dani began.
But Mei-Wan touched Dani's arm to signal she wanted to pursue this.
“I should be back in my room by twenty hundred.”
Mei-Wan nodded. “I'll be there.”
Forcas smiled, and completely ignored Dani.
As they turned to walk away, Dani glanced at Mei-Wan.
“Are you insane?” Dani asked.
“He wasn't going to open up in front of you,” Mei-Wan said. “I need to find out why he's here.”
“Isn't it obvious?”
“Not to me.”
“That doesn't surprise me,” Dani said.
