Unscheduled Gamma Activation

Posted on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 7:49pm by Captain Bakti Kret
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 7:50pm

1,780 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Genesis
Location: Operations, Gateway Station
Timeline: 2430-01-01, 18:00

Commander Logan Kincaid sighed as he read the next crew evaluation report in his growing collection on his workstation in the Operations Center of Gateway Station. When Captain Bakti had been promoted Logan fought and fought hard for his promotion to serve as the new Executive Officer of Gateway, but if he'd known how much of his time would be spent reading these evaluations he would've just stayed in Security and let someone else hold the title. At least there he got to do something other than stare at a computer console, and even more when Quark was feeling feisty. He was about to sign off on another when Lieutenant Marie McTaggert coughed to get his attention.

"Something I can help you with, Lieutenant?"

Their Flight Controller smiled as she handed him a mug, "I thought you could use this. You were, after all, off duty almost an hour ago and are still here."

Logan took the offered mug and smelled the pungent aroma against his nostrils, "What is it?"

"Vulcan Mocha," she answered. "It's a better option this late in the day than a Raktajino."

He took a sip of the steaming hot liquid, the faint taste of the Vulcan equivalent of chocolate assaulting his taste buds. Knowing that the Lieutenant was hopeful he decided to be a good First Officer. "Thanks," he mustered as he placed the drink on the edge of the workstation.

"Don't mention it," she replied as she stood there. "What are you working on so intently anyway?"

"Crew evaluations," he answered with the annoyance clearly in his voice.

"Oh? Mine in there?" The Traffic Controller asked.

He glanced up, "Could be. I have a long list to get through." He decided to play with her, "Why? Is the drink your way of softening the blow and getting me to override your eval with a higher score?"

She went on the defensive. Stammering, "No, Sir, I just wanted you to..."

"Relax," he reassured. "Just my dark sense of humor. Like Vulcan chocolate," he glanced back at the cup. He debated another drink to further reassure, but decided that would be pushing it. He was about to go on when he heard an alarm code from the Traffic Control station. "Maybe you should check that?"

McTaggert already was. Crossing Ops faster than Logan had ever seen her move, the XO was about to resume reading when he heard her warning. "Unscheduled Gamma Activation."

Logan looked up from the panel, "What?"

"The Gamma Quadrant Listening Post is detecting the Wormhole opening on their end," she elaborated.

The Commander rose from his chair and approached the viewer, "Ops, get me a visual. Yellow Alert."

Inside the Operations Center of Gateway Station the crew went to their stations as the yellow warning lights started to glow around them. An Unscheduled Gamma Activation was one of the most frightening situations that could occur aboard Gateway Station. It meant that someone was coming through the wormhole and they weren't following normal protocols. Ever since the Dominion War decades ago a strict policy had been put into place for any ship traveling to Gamma that was followed to the letter. If you were not scheduled to come through the wormhole you'd wait until you were unless it was a matter of emergency. Even then someone would hail the listening post to speak with Gateway Traffic Control first. This was not a good sign.

"Bakti to Kincaid."

Logan tapped his communicator, "Yes Sir?"

"Report."

"We have an unscheduled gamma activation. I've taken the station to Yellow Alert and we're working on getting a visual," the Human answered.

"I'm on my way up now."

"Understood," the Commander answered. He was hoping that the Captain didn't take too long. Gateway was possibly facing a crisis and, while he felt he could handle anything that came their way, he didn't feel like testing that theory today.

From the Operations console he got an answer to a question, "I have an exterior visual from the listening post."

"On screen," he ordered. He wished he hadn't. On the Station's Viewer a massive Dominion Battleship appeared. The time delayed transmission let them know that in mere seconds one of the largest, most devastating vessels ever created would be upon them. Since the end of the Dominion War not a single Jem'Hadar Battleship had approached the wormhole - let alone entered it. To do so was an automatic breach of the Treaty of Bajor. Effectively the Federation was now once more at a state of war with the Dominion.

He walked back to his console, "Red alert. Shields to full and prepare weapons."

His former Assistant Chief, Lieutenant Jaarra Miyatt, typed on her workstation. The ashen grey fingers of the Cardassian Lieutenant danced over the workstation with precision, "Engaging defense systems. Do I employ the minefield?"

A last ditch effort, and very much against Federation Law but given special dispensation because of the ferocity of the Dominion, Logan pondered that option. The minefield could take out that ship in the wink of an eye and it would be over before it even started. He started to answer in the affirmative when he pulled himself back from the brink. If he committed them to the activation of the minefield it would be an absolute answer.

Fortunately it was too late. On the viewer the Alpha terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole erupted to life. In the center of it a massive silver hulk of a Starship slid into view. It immediately altered course once through, approaching the station at a quarter impulse. Something about it seemed off though - almost as if it were not the weapon of war it once was. It still made him want to throw up.

"Tactical analysis," Captain Bakti ordered as he stepped through the door and into Ops.

The Science Officer, Bajoran Lieutenant Commander Yachus Ane, typed on her workstation. "Sensors confirm that it's a Dominion Battleship alright. I'm reading 2 Heavy Polaron Cannons, 38 Polaron Banks, and 9 torpedo tubes... all are offline."

Logan turned, "They're offline?"

"Yes Sir," she answered as she typed.

Captain Bakti shared a look with his First Officer. "I don't think either of us were expecting that Number One."

"I know I wasn't," Logan answered as he followed the Captain to their stations.

Commander Vergin looked up from the Ops Console, "We're being hailed by the Dominion vessel."

The Captain crossed his legs, "On screen."

On the Viewer a closeup shot of a Vorta Overseer standing in the center of a control room not too dissimilar from the one they were in. Captain Bakti immediately recognized the Vorta from his studies of the Dominion War as Weyoun, the Vorta who ran the Dominion Invasion of the Alpha Quadrant. He smiled broadly as he stood opposite them on his warship, "Greetings from your Dominion allies, Captain Bakti."

"We're not allies, Weyoun," the Bajoran Captain answered as he rose from his chair and walked toward the viewscreen. He was disturbed that the Vorta had known his name, but had a feeling that they knew more than they would lead on.

"A slip of the tongue," the Vorta dismissed, "or perhaps words of Prophesy?"

Bakti put on his best diplomatic face, "I didn't know that the Vorta were able to see the future."

"We're not. The Founders didn't see it fit to give us such a gift. Perhaps one day," he kept the grin of a used car salesman the whole time he spoke. "Captain, I am here on a diplomatic mission at the request of the Founders. We want to establish a stronger, more advantageous relationship between our two governments."

"We've heard that before," Logan spoke up from his workstation.

Weyoun looked to the XO, "Perhaps, though time mends all wounds does it not?"

"Not for some," Lieutenant Miyatt answered. "Most of my family were killed in Lakarian City."

Weyoun continued, "You must understand we were only trying to defend ourselves. The incursions into the Gamma Quadrant in the past were seen as a risk to our sovereignty, or security, but we realize now that the best interest of all our governments is for the Federation and the Dominion to become allies. You have always sought peace first. Countless times the Federation and its members have risked their lives in the pursuit of peace and friendship. In the past we chose to fight back, defend ourselves in fear. Now we chose to accept your offer. Would you rather we refused it? Are you going to let the sins of the past destroy the rewards of tomorrow?"

Bakti looked between his officers, somewhat amazed by what he was hearing. "No."

"Excellent, Captain. Believe me that our friendship will be beneficial to all of our worlds. May we dock with your station?" The request sounded hopeful. "I have with us a formal delegation to develop a treaty between us."

"You may dock with our station, Weyoun, but we have no docking bays large enough to support your vessel internally. My traffic control specialist will arrange you the ability to dock at one of our external ports. I would ask that you limit the number of guests on the station, however."

Weyoun nodded, "Of course. The Jem'Hadar don't eat anyway. I am hopeful to visit with my old friend Quark. Is he still there?"

"Quark still has his restaurant on the Promenade Level."

"Excellent," he answered nodding to someone off screen. "We have received the coordinates and will dock shortly. I look forward to meeting with you, Captain, to sign our new treaty."

Bakti interrupted, "I am afraid that won't be possible."

For the first time the smile faded, "I beg pardon?"

"I'm a junior Captain. I don't have the authority to make such an agreement on behalf of the Federation. I will, however, be making a formal report to the Federation Council and Starfleet Command. I am certain that they will be more than willing to send a diplomatic team to join us here," he returned to his chair. "Until such time you are more than welcome to visit the station, Weyoun."

"I look forward to their arrival," the screen went blank.

"I think you may've pissed him off, Cap'n," Logan teased.

Bakti nodded, "Hopefully he doesn't blow the station up while he's waiting. I'll be in my office conversing with Starfleet about what's happening. Keep the station on full alert, but don't make it look like we're on alert. I want a curfew in place while they're aboard and careful monitoring for any... surprises."

"You mean a surprise like a Dominion Battleship?" Liaison Officer Colonel Wuvi asked from the other seat in the command arena.

"Exactly."

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