The Consortium

Posted on 07 Apr 2016 @ 2:38am by Lieutenant Commander Adam Casey & Captain Harvey Geisler

3,064 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Outbreak

With the girls sitting in his office, studying the computer at their lessons, headphones on, Adam leant back in his chair. It was a comfortable office, and he had requested an extra desk for his kids to use to study. He was looking at the PADD that he had been given by Harvey and frowned as he read the information on it. The more he read, the less he liked. He half hoped this was some kind of joke, but somehow knew it wasn't.

Harvey had not been at all surprised to hear how quickly Adam and his children had boarded the Black Hawk. In fact, he'd made sure that an information packet awaited Adam for whenever he got to it, including logs from the recent missions, information on the science department and what Command had given Harvey about the Consortium.

Of course, Harvey hadn't expected Adam to review those files any time soon. After all, he had two daughters to settle in. But, walking into Adam's office, seeing the two girls at a desk, and Adam behind his, Harvey instantly knew he should have known better. "Settling in?"

"So far." Adam agreed, looking up from the PADD. "You were right about the facilities. I'll be sorting out the holographic education system you mentioned, but they wanted to see my new office." He said, indicating the girls. "Girls, what do you think of the ship?" He asked.

"It's really, really big." Amy said, grinning as she looked up from her computer.

"And nice. But our beds don't bounce." Maria added.

"Probably a good thing." Adam said, with a smirk. "I may need to hire a babysitter at some point." He said to Harvey, as he cleared a few PADD's away from his desk. "Drink?" He offered.

"Coffee," Harvey said, stifling a yawn. "Did you girls get to see the whole ship yet?" he asked politely.

"Not yet. Papa said he will show us more of the ship later." Maria replied, as Adam replicated the drink. He passed it to Harvey.

"Headphones on, you two." Adam instructed. They nodded, and put the headphones on, giving Adam and Harvey relative privacy. "One thing I will miss about not being back home is the food and drink. I prefer real coffee." Adam said.

Harvey accepted the cup and took a drink. "The chef actually keeps a supply on board. Naturally, it's restricted, but, if you hit the mess hall early enough in the morning, you'll be able to get a fresh cup." Harvey didn't say that the supply was mainly for him, but Harvey knew that the chef brewed a full carafe and shared it with select members of the crew.

"I'll have to do that. That's the thing: on Earth you get used to real food. I placed a food order on New Risa, found some suppliers, should be up soon. I've already sent a request to engineering for a stasis fridge in my quarter's: I'll have to make a real meal. I hope the chef doesn't get jealous or angry." Adam said

"He's got to feed over 500 people a day," Harvey said with a chuckle. "I'm sure he'll appreciate a slight lightening of the load."

"I can imagine. As long as he doesn't touch the steaks I got, I'm happy." Adam said, smiling. His smile then disappeared. "This...I can't believe that this is the same Starfleet. How was this allowed to happen?" Adam asked, indicating the data on the PADD.

Harvey sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "We're still figuring that out," he replied solemnly. "All that is for certain is that this has been in the works for a very long time. How else could the Consortium turn captains or other high-ranking officers?"

"I don't know. Do you remember the conspiracy that Kirk uncovered? Wasn't in place for long, but went up really high. All it would need is people in the right place to get things moving." Adam said, as he scratched his beard, something he did when thinking intently. "But if something is going to be done, we need help from the right people. We could contact a few other Captain's, base commanders, that kind of thing. Let's face iy; we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Wasn't that Picard?" Harvey asked, thinking of the insect-like creatures that had taken over their hosts in the early 2360s. "And, yes, we need all of the help we can get. Unfortunately, the Consortium control the wormhole, which means reinforcements aren't coming. Plus, we're still pulling together our known assets, but we're still outnumbered and outgunned."

"I meant Khitomer. But that one works too." Adam said. "If we can communicate through the wormhole, I can get a message to my folks, they run a database." Adam offered.

Harvey nodded. How could anyone forget Khitomer? "We could get something through, but we'll have to get close to the wormhole to get past the monitoring stations. And, that's not going to happen for a few days. At least, not until we're done here at New Risa."

"What's here at New Risa? I mean, I'm glad you were here, especially with what I've learnt. But if you're remaining here, then there's something else we need to worry about, right?" Adam asked.

Harvey smiled. "There's nothing here. It's your typical supply run coupled with some R and R. Though, our presence is a reminder to the Consortium that the world is protected by the true Starfleet." Suddenly, a tickle in his throat forced its way out in the form of a small cough. He'd been fortunate enough to turn his head away from the girls and cover his mouth. "Excuse me," he muttered.

Adam frowned. "You okay?" He asked. "Not the first time you've coughed like that. Sounds like a tickly cough. I recognise it from when the kids had the same."

Harvey shook his head. "I'm fine," he replied. "We've been here two days, and I still haven't had a decent's night sleep. I think I'm going to spend the night on the surface though. Maybe a different bed will help tonight."

"Go to sickbay if it persists. I know it's just a cough, and I sound over protective, but I always keep an eye on these things. When the kids first developed a cough, I made sure they were checked over." Adam said.

A smirk formed on Harvey's face. "I was a doctor once upon a time, you know," he said, taking another drink of his coffee. He was grateful for the push all the same.

Adam returned the smirk. "Yes, and Doctor's make the worst patients. Don't think I don't remember you wanting to get out of sickbay after the crash." He said.

Harvey chuckled before taking another drink of the coffee. "If I go to sickbay, it'll be for a sleep aid, not a cough." He managed to prevent another cough from making an appearance before moving to return to a previous subject. "Tell me more about your communications idea."

"I've actually been working on an idea for a new communications hub, back on Earth, a hyperspace communications signal. It uses some of the theories and technology from project pathfinder, but if we can get a communications relay on our side in the Alpha Quadrant, we might be able to create a new communications network that doesn't require the wormhole. It's tricky, but it's theoretically possible." He said. "In the meantime, I can send a message to my parents, and hide several messages within. It's an old fashioned trick actually: We send something like a series of images and messages, such as holiday photos, whatever takes your fancy, but hide the coding of the message within the coding of the images. It's so low tech, whoever they have on their side won't think of it."

The Captain nodded. "Just don't mention your commission was reactivated," he warned knowing Adam was already thinking that anyway. "How long would that take? A hypercommunications signal?"

"Hard to say. I'll work on the specs, and speak to your Chief Engineer. Hopefully I'll have something soon." He said, frowning as he thought of his project.

"Don't rush it," Harvey pressed, finishing the coffee and placing the mug on the desk. Nodding to the girls, Harvey said, "You've got to make sure the precious cargo is secured first. And, rushed technology has a higher risk of failure." He didn't think he needed to say that with something so experimental that the last thing they needed was a secure transmission falling into the wrong hands.

"Don't worry, I won't cut corners on this." Adam said. "So, The Consortium. Do you know who the leaders are? Or their goals?" He asked, deciding it was time to learn the exact details. "And how much of the fleet follows them?"

"They've got sixty percent of the starships in the quadrant, including all of the heavy hitters and two of the three fighter squadrons. And Deep Space 11, which is the Task Force HQ in the quadrant. Commodore Terlexa is the only flag officer I know they have. Undoubtedly there are some other influences. Information's hard to come by at the moment, and so far, we don't know who's in command of those starships." Harvey sighed. "What we do know is that the Consortium and its agents is quite small. They just had people in the right places at the right time. As far as most of the Consortium-Starfleet is concerned, they're still following Starfleet orders. We're the ones seen as the traitors."

"The Enterprise? Titan? Voyager? Any of the big players?" Adam asked, concerned. He had met Captain Picard once before, at a Starfleet gathering, and had been very impressed with him. "If Picard, Chakotay or Riker are against us, we're going to be facing a much more dangerous foe. They wrote the book on a lot of tactics." Adam said.

"No, no," Harvey said, realizing the confusion. "Starfleet's flagships are still in the Alpha Quadrant, unaware of this threat. The Consortium is the one talking to Starfleet, and they've done an excellent job of convincing them nothing is wrong. I'm talking about our Galaxy-class starships and other dreadnoughts and cruisers."

Adam allowed a visible sigh of relief. "If we can make contact with them, then we'll have a major asset on our side. But if we're the bad guys, according to Starfleet, we need to prove that we're not. We need to show the Fleet's colours, show that we are the good guys. We might also have some allies, depending on who's in command of ships. What about the Dominion? I know, I know, we were at war with them, but from what I understand, one of the changelings, the former security chief of Deep Space Nine, went back to try and change their minds about us." He said.

"Again," Harvey replied, "we're still trying to figure out how deep this really goes. All I know is that somehow, this has to end without a blood bath. And, hopefully, we can find a way to do that. With any luck, the brass will have some answers for us when we get back from New Risa."

"Experience has taught me things don't work out the way we want, Harvey. Blood will be shed before this is over. You may be forced to take on those you once called friends, and you may be forced to strike. Trust me, not something I like the idea of, but if this is as bad as you say, then it's inevitable." Adam told him seriously.

"Indeed." Harvey sighed. "We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there."

Adam nodded. "Just remember, I'm here to help in any way I can." He said. "The Consortium wants us gone. I say we give them hell for that. Everyone has a weakness, we just need to find theirs. But one thing you do need to do: Believe in yourself, and in what we're doing. You need to believe in something, and this is what we use to guide us. We don't let anyone strike us down because that's what makes us the better men."

Harvey smiled, rising from his chair and walking over to the replicator. Rather than recycle the cup, Harvey instructed the replicator to refill it. "I swear, Adam, you could have been a counselor." Still smiling, he turned around with the refilled glass and quipped, "You've definitely missed your calling."

Adam grinned. "Maybe, but then I wouldn't get a shiny lab to use." He said, as he leant back in his chair. "But I'm always here for advice if you need it. You know I'll tell you what you need to hear." He added. Taking a sip of his drink, he looked at the PADD in his hand, and then back at Harvey. "So do we know what the Consortium are telling the Fleet about us?" He asked.

Harvey shook his head as he returned to his seat. "I'm told there's a team working on it." He took a drink of the coffee, which seemed to be a little hotter than the last time. Could just be the throat becoming a little more sensitive. "But I imagine they've spun a web inspired by their own actions. Something like they used on me when this all started."

"Yeah, sounds about right. Easier to tell a lie if you know a little of what you're lying about. Once the word is out, we're going to be facing all kinds of hell. I figure the first thing we need to do is find a place we can call safe, a home base." Adam suggested.

"Thankfully, we have that in Starbase Unity." Harvey placed his mug on the table. "It's a dilithium refinery formerly owned by the Dominion. That's where the supplies we're picking up are bound."

"So how did we get it if it was owned by the Dominion? Did they abandon it, or give it to us?" Adam asked. "Damn, all of this...none of this makes sense. But then, we're not idealists, we do the best we can with what we have." Adam said. "So where are we going from here? To Unity, and then do we have a plan?"

"We've had Unity for a few years," Harvey explained though he was unclear as to how it was acquired. "So far my plan is to give them hell. Starfleet's plan... well, hopefully they'll have something when we get back." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Adam. I really wish there was more I could tell you. Once this is all over, cleanup's probably going to take months. Who knows what damage this will do to our relations in the quadrant?"

"Cleanup could take longer. It depends on how bad the damage is, and whether it spreads. If the Consortium are blocking the wormhole, they could be trying to spread the virus across the entire Alpha Quadrant. I think it's safe to say that time is not on our side." Adam said.

"And a full out assault isn't on the table. Not unless we can beef up our numbers. Reactivating former officers who happen to be on a vacation helps, but it won't be enough." Harvey picked up his coffee for another drink.

"We go in full throttle, sure we'll surprise them, but yeah, we'll die quickly. I don't intend to die anytime soon." Adam said. He thought carefully for a moment. "How many ships are on our side at the moment?"

"Twenty," Harvey simply replied. "Aside from those still avoiding the Consortium, the rest are gathering near Unity."

"Isn't that dangerous? What if the Consortium finds out? They'll send their full strength and then we lose everyone." Adam said.

"It's a temporary necessity," Harvey replied. "They'll be dispatched before the Consortium can send a force to Unity."

"So now we're gearing up for war. Does anybody remember when we used to be explorers?" Adam asked, leaning back in his chair. "Any word on the Lagos? Captain Delaware was decent, I doubt she'd have joined this consortium."

"I don't think the Lagos is in the Gamma Quadrant." Harvey finished his coffee and placed the empty mug on Adam's desk again.

"That's something, at least." Adam said, relief on his face. "I'm kinda glad I ran into you down there. God knows what might have happened if I'd gone home as planned. But I will warn you one thing Harvey: If I get my hands on these bastards who would ever pose a threat to my kids, I won't hesitate to strike them down." He said coldly, the burning fire of determination etched onto his face.

"You'll have to beat me to it," Harvey sternly replied. He didn't like being shot, and he sure as hell wasn't going to give another soul a chance to shoot first. Noting Adam's own cold expression, Harvey quipped, "And everyone wonders why you didn't go into security."

"And give up a chance for my own lab? Not a chance." Adam replied, as he leant forward in his chair. "Besides, too dangerous, and it throws people off when I tell them I'm a Science Officer. Caused one of your ship nurses to do a double take when I said I was Science."

Harvey wasn't surprised, and he indicated so with a smile. "I'm sure you'll see a few more of those in the next few days."

"Wouldn't surprise me. I do love seeing the look on people's faces when they learn the truth. It's...special." He said.

The Captain chuckled as he rose from the chair. Sighing, Harvey said, "Well, I'll leave you and the girls to settle in a bit more. If you need anything," he indicated his badge, "I'm just a tap away."

"Thanks Harvey. I'll catch up with you soon." Adam said, with a small smile. "We'll definitely have to have dinner soon as well."

"Agreed." Harvey turned to the girls and gave them both a wave. "Keep your dad in line, okay girls?"

"Aye Captain." Both girls said, grinning and waving.

"Back to your studies." Adam said as Harvey left. He smiled as both girls went back to studying, leaving Adam to consider everything that he had been told, hoping that things would work out well in the end.

He could only hope.

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