Trek It!

by Robert T. Jeschonek

  Part Two: Mazeesh

  Awakened by beeping from the shuttlepod's comm panel, T'Pol answers a hail from Malcolm. As they discuss plans to retrieve Archer, Malcolm receives a signal from the captain, calling via a radio transmitter in the safehouse, and patches him in. During the conversation, Hoshi's bio signs reappear on the Enterprise's sensors; she has emerged from underground and is headed for a crowded plaza. Archer and T'Pol agree to rendezvous at the plaza, and Malcolm is ordered to leave orbit in a half-hour, which is when the invasion fleet is due to arrive.

  Revived after passing out in the nutrient mists (which was not due to foul play), Hoshi accompanies her hosts to the great plaza known as Speech Center. Every working lexicon in the world is gathering at the plaza for a language revision, and the Free Speakers plan to massacre them. When Folcrum tries to rally the assembled lexicons, Nalo mortally wounds him. Hoshi then shoots Nalo, who lunges at her.

  Chaos reigns as the Speakers slaughter lexicons in Speech Center. Hoshi incapacitates Nalo with another shot but doesn't kill him. Before Folcrum dies, he tells Hoshi that visitors from the stars were the true mazeesh, and the Vox were their oppressors and murderers. Folcrum says that the Vox rewrote history to hide their crimes, but a record still exists in the Garden of Yesterday.

  Searching for her allies, Hoshi ends up staring down the barrels of guns brandished by two Free Speakers. Unexpectedly, someone subdues the gunmen, but she can't see who it is through the crowd. Knocked over by stampeding lexicons, Hoshi is caught before she can be trampled; turning, she sees that her rescuer is none other than Captain Archer.

  The shooting ends when T'Pol arrives with the shuttlepod, but the chaos continues as fighter craft from the invasion fleet roar overhead. Contacting Malcolm, who has disobeyed orders and kept the Enterprise in orbit, Archer learns that no one can return to the ship because the transporter is under repair and the shuttlepod won't be able to make it past the fighters. Communicating via keyboard and text-to-speech converter, Hoshi reveals that the invaders might be the mazeesh. Archer decides to try to negotiate a cease-fire between the Vox and invaders, while Hoshi follows Oric and Giza to the Garden of Yesterday to try to obtain the true history of the mazeesh.

  Meanwhile, onboard the Enterprise, the Vox apprehended by Malcolm goes into respiratory arrest. With Crewman Cutler and Med Tech Khalil acting as his eyes, Phlox tries to save the creature's life. The treatment misfires when a compound in the Vox's system (which made him and his companions into walking bombs) reacts with a drug and stops his heart. Sightless Phlox performs cardiac massage to save one of those responsible for taking his sight.

  Back on the planet's surface, Archer, T'Pol, and Lyra find that the manta-like invaders have rounded up the Vox leaders at the ministry. With a universal translator, Archer deciphers the biologically-generated written language that the invaders display on their wings. He learns that they do call themselves the Mazeesh...and they're threatening to kill him and T'Pol.

  As Archer tries to deal with the Mazeesh, Hoshi discovers the key to the secret history recorded in the Garden of Yesterday: data is encoded in the arrangement of subatomic quarks in the scent compounds exuded by the flowers. Amazingly, the Vox can detect differences in quark color charge by sense of smell. With the key to the scent-based coding in her grasp, Hoshi must race against time to find, translate, and record the story of the Mazeesh.

  Meanwhile, in orbit, the invasion fleet surrounds the Enterprise, eliminating any possibility of escape. When Trip's bio signs crash, Malcolm orders an emergency beam-up. Though the repaired transporter has not been fully tested, the beam-up succeeds...but Trip is D.O.A. The medical team struggles to resuscitate him.

  Back at the ministry on the planet's surface, the Mazeesh announce that they will destroy the Enterprise as well as the Vox. T'Pol and Lyra rig up a system that will enable Archer to communicate with the invaders in their own language, projecting enlarged Mazeesh text from the universal translator onto a wall. (The aliens don't react to text on the translator's tiny display.)

  Using a translator to talk to the Vox and the translator/projector system to communicate with the Mazeesh, Archer tries to establish a dialogue, but it goes badly. The Mazeesh claim their people were oppressed and killed when they visited Vox three centuries ago; since contemporary Vox have benefited from the crimes of their ancestors, the Mazeesh hold the descendants responsible for those crimes. The Vox, on the other hand, cling to their own version of history and pledge to fight the invaders to the death. Just when the situation seems hopeless, Hoshi beams in with translations of the true story from the garden, as recorded by the Vox's ancestors themselves.

  Though faced with the evidence, including samples of the original encoded scent signals, the Vox regent refuses to accept the truth. The Mazeesh won't back down, either, insisting on exterminating the Vox...until Archer proposes the Vox work off their debt. By serving as communications specialists for the Mazeesh, who have a written language but not a spoken one, the Vox could ease the Mazeesh's interactions with speech-oriented species. To ensure that the Vox never forget their dark past, Archer proposes that the Mazeesh teach them to read and write, enabling them to create written historical records. The Vox regent rejects the plan, but her ministers overthrow her and join the Mazeesh in accepting it.

  Part Three: Hoshi

  A week after the invasion, Enterprise crew members participate in a ceremony in the Garden of Yesterday, planting flowers whose scents will record the events of their visit. The Enterprise contingent includes Trip, who survived his brush with death, and Phlox, still sightless but slated for surgery at a Vulcan medical facility. Giza, now regent, presides over the ceremony. Hoshi, whose gag has been surgically removed by the medical team, receives the honor of putting the last seedling in place, as well as a proclamation announcing the addition of a new word to the Vox language: hoshi, meaning "bringer of truth."

  FAIL CALL: Enterprise: Sticks and Stones - FAIL or UNFAIL?

  FAIL! Unfortunately, Pocket wasn't interested in Sticks and Stones. Years later, I repurposed much of the book as a non-Trek novel, Universal Language. But the original novel exists, as well, perhaps awaiting future publication.

  Number One, The Novel

  Sticks and Stones was the first big project to arise from my all-out Trek novel quest of 2003. When Pocket Books didn't buy it, I could have lost momentum, I suppose...but instead, I became more determined than ever and redoubled my efforts. I did learn one important lesson from Sticks and Stones, though: from that point on, I resolved to write the full book after getting the go-ahead from the editor.

  Following that more sensible approach, I came up with a short proposal for Number One. This project focused on the original Number One from the first Star Trek pilot film, "The Cage." That character, played by Majel Barrett, was a predecessor of Mr. Spock in some ways, with her stoic personality and air of mystery. I'd always been fascinated by her and wanted to know more about her; what better way than to write a novel about her?

  And how cool would it be to include Will Riker, Captain Picard's "Number One," in the mix? The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a book I'd love to read. It was crying out to be written, so I came up with a proposal as a starting point.

  Number One – FAIL or UNFAIL?

  Will Riker, Deanna Troi, and Lwaxana Troi are struggling to survive on Betazed, which seceded from the Federation days ago (while they were on the surface) as part of a group of worlds led by a long-missing and unexpectedly resurfaced figure from Starfleet's past: Number One. Once Captain Pike's first officer on the Enterprise, Number One (that's her real name, according to D.C. Fontana's novel Vulcan's Glory) disappeared decades ago. She suddenly turned up as leader of Betazed, announced the secession of Betazed and several other worlds, and closed the breakaway alliance's borders to Starfleet. The populations of the planets seem to be following her willingly. Picard is on his way with the Enterprise on a diplomatic mission that turns military (will a standoff b
etween Federation and secessionist ships lead to all-out conflict?), while Riker fights for his life. It turns out that Number One is under the influence of her consort, Ebon, a mind-manipulator and walking narcotic (people get hooked at the mere sight, sound, or touch of him) who is turning the Betazoids into emotion-casting suicide bombs designed to bring down the entire Federation. In the end, Riker fights Number One face to face (Number One vs. "Number One"), defeats her, and learns why she dropped out years ago: though she's a eugenically-engineered "perfect woman," she had such an intense fear of failure that she was never able to live up to her potential. After serving with Pike--and failing to win his heart--she stayed a second banana or worse and dropped out altogether, leaving herself open to Ebon's manipulation. Now an old woman (still kicking because of her superior genetics), she is trying to recapture the potential of her youth and achieve what she never dared...only now, it's just a twisted shadow of what she had once hoped for. Her example helps Riker decide to stop holding back and pursue marriage and a starship captaincy. In the end, Number One redeems herself by helping Riker stop Ebon and head off a civil war before it can begin in earnest.

  FAIL CALL: Number One - FAIL or UNFAIL?

  FAIL! Pocket wasn't interested in this one.

  Redjac: Soul of the Ripper

  Number One didn't spawn any interest at Pocket Books, so I moved on to the next project that leaped up and screamed, "Write me!" This time, I was drawn to an idea that had been percolating in my mind for a while, a sequel to two of my favorite original Star Trek episodes: "Wolf in the Fold" and "Requiem for Methuselah."

  Both shows introduced us to immortal beings--Redjac, the force behind Jack the Ripper, and Flint, a man who has lived for eons in the guise of one famous historical figure after another (Alexander the Great, Lazarus, Brahms, da Vinci, etc.). Since Trek had already established that the two immortals lived on Earth, I thought it made sense that they would have crossed paths at some point. To make it even more interesting, I conceived a rivalry between them, dating back to their earliest beginnings.

  Wouldn't it be cool, I thought, to write a book about the eternal battle between Redjac and Flint? And what if ancestors of our favorite Trek heroes were caught up in the action along the way?

  With those ideas as my starting points, I constructed an outline of the novel. It went so well, I got a little carried away; by the time I was done, the outline ran over forty pages. Looking back at it now, I wonder if it would have lived up to the excitement I experienced while putting it together. Sometimes, a project feels one way in my head and feels completely different once I get it down on paper.

  What do you think? Take a look at the full outline of Redjac: Soul of the Ripper and consider what you might have done as an editor at Pocket Books. Would you have bought the book or turned it down?

  Redjac: Soul of the Ripper – FAIL or UNFAIL

  FLINT – BETAZED, 2288 A.D.

  Flint races through the streets of the capital city of Betazed in pursuit of a fleeing figure he calls "Bard." Flint wears an armored breastplate similar to the one he wore in the TOS episode "Requiem for Methuselah," giving him the look of a Roman centurion. He is accompanied by a female who turns out to be the latest version of the Rayna Kapec android.

  The chase leads inside a school where adolescent Betazoids are trained to use their empathic sensitivity. Flint and Rayna lose track of Bard...then hear screams from nearby. They run toward a classroom, just in time for the corpse of a Betazed girl to topple out at them. More screams erupt from the classroom, followed by a shockwave of emotion so powerful it bowls Flint over. While Rayna aids Flint, the killer runs from the room and down the hall, laughing with glee.

  The killer, Bard, charges down the hallway...right into the flashing beams of weapons fire. M-12 – the latest version of Flint's M-4 robot – sails around the corner, weapons blazing. Bard darts into a room and slams the door shut behind him. M-12 dematerializes the door and follows, but Bard plunges a blade into the robot's control panel, disabling it. While M-12 sparks and weaves, Bard leaps out a window and disappears outside.

  Flint recovers and heads off with Rayna and M-12...but they're all brought up short by a trio of men entering the building with phasers drawn: Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.

  To say the least, Flint isn't happy to see them...especially Kirk. Though it's been 20 years since the events of "Requiem for Methuselah," Flint hasn't forgiven Kirk for what happened to the earlier version of Rayna.

  Flint pleads with Kirk to let him continue pursuing the killer, but Kirk insists on questioning him and won't let him pass. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy – serving onboard the Enterprise-A in 2289, between Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – have come to Betazed to investigate a rash of murders, of which these are just the most recent. Betazed, at this time, is not yet part of the Federation, but is under consideration for membership...and the killings are stirring up resentment against outworlders.

  When Kirk is introduced to Rayna, he doesn't remember her from before because Spock made him forget her at the end of "Requiem." He acts like this is the first time he's met her (which it is, really, because she's a later version of the Rayna android)...but he is definitely attracted to her.

  Just then, another shockwave of emotion crashes through, a blast of terror amplified a thousand-fold by the empathic abilities of the Betazoids. Everyone but Rayna reels from the assault; even Spock's emotional control is overtaxed.

  Kirk contacts the Enterprise and asks if there's been another attack in the city. Scotty tells him the authorities have been dispatched to the scene of a murder in the street a block away.

  Kirk's and Flint's teams race to the site of the killing and find the latest victim...a Betazoid female, surgically dissected, her organs arranged around her body. Bard is nowhere to be seen.

  Flint kneels beside the body, staring at it. Kirk presses him for information on the killer. "Look familiar, Captain?" says Flint. "It should. You've met this killer before."

  "Who is it?" says Kirk.

  "Surely, you remember Redjac," says Flint. And as he stares, the arrangement of the body and organs triggers Flint's memory of his encounter with Redjac on Vulcan.

  "I've met him before, too," he says. "Many times, I'm sorry to say."

  *******

  BERTRAND ARISTOTLE – ShiKahr, VULCAN, 2152 A.D. (pre-"Expanse")

  Jonathan Archer and T'Pol participate in the questioning of a murder suspect on Vulcan. A number of Vulcan women have been killed in gruesome fashion...victims of the first murders on Vulcan in decades.

  The prime suspect singled out by the authorities is also the only human on the planet before Enterprise's arrival: Bertrand Aristotle, a renowned logician who is studying Vulcan logic systems in the hope of applying them on Earth.

  Aristotle is controversial among humans because he's seen as a Vulcan wannabe who wants humanity to suppress emotions and become just like the Vulcans. (In truth, he just wants to incorporate Vulcan logic in human society.) Aristotle is actually Flint in his latest identity. He adopted the name in honor of logic pioneers Aristotle and Bertrand Russell (both of whom he knew personally).

  Though there is no evidence of Aristotle's guilt, the authorities (and public) are convinced he's to blame, because of course no Vulcan could commit such crimes. T'Pol points out the flaws in the Vulcan authorities' logic...as well as clues pointing to one or more Vulcans as the perpetrators. In fact, the evidence favors her theory that multiple killers committed the murders.

  The authorities admit it could be the work of the V'tosh ka'tur ("Vulcans without logic") and claim to be investigating them as well. T'Pol and Archer convince the authorities to grant Aristotle provisional release to prove his innocence with their help...under the supervision of Veka, a dark-skinned Vulcan officer who's a former partner of T'Pol's from the Ministry of Security (they worked together 17 years ago in Reconnaissance and Retrieval). Veka was a good friend but is suspicious and disapproving of he
r now.

  The pressure is on Archer to resolve the situation. Humans' future presence on Vulcan and affiliation with the Vulcan people depend on his proving that Aristotle is innocent.

  Archer, T'Pol, Aristotle, and Veka make progress with their investigation...and then see the killer in action for themselves. The group witnesses a massacre in which Redjac zips from Vulcan to Vulcan, turning one after another into a killer. In the end, when the ground is littered with corpses, Redjac leaps into Veka and talks to Aristotle and the others, boasting that he's just getting started and taunting them because they can't stop him. Redjac also tells them that since Vulcans don't provide a satisfactory meal individually because of their emotional discipline, he'll have to kill lots of them to get the fear he craves.

  After Redjac leaps out of Veka's body, leaving Archer and the others alone, Aristotle explains that the killer is an energy being who thrives on fear (though he doesn't go into detail about his history)...and T'Pol gets an idea. While Archer and the others try to predict Redjac's next move, she leaves on a mysterious errand. Veka bristles at being left alone with the humans.

  Archer and the team decide Redjac might strike next at a Vulcan festival honoring Surak and the Time of Awakening. As festivals go, it's laughably low-key (this being Vulcan), but it represents a huge gathering of people and seems a likely target. Archer notifies T'Pol via communicator of the group's destination, and they set out.