Star Trek: Phoenix-X
"Spider Agencies, Part I"
Captain Cell is walking down the corridors when suddenly two fighting Klingons burst out a door right in front of him. The two continue to punch each other and roll around the floor in conflict.
Targon: "Argh!!!"
Amos: "GGRRGHH!"
Cell: "What the? Stop this at once!"
Targon, gets up: "But, sir. We were just having a conversation."
Kortos, also gets up: "Yes, that’s right. Our kind has evolved so much, that the mere physical movement and attack is a translation of syntax and word. It is everything in a new form of Klingon communication."
Cell: "But won’t that put the whole Klingon language to waste... even useless?"
Targon: "That is the point. You know how stupid our language is. Haven’t you ever had an annoying friend, or neighbour who always attempted to speak in Klingon just to show off his knowledge of our people?"
Kortos: "Yes, it is quite annoying."
Cell: "Well, there is that random engineering guy... I suppose you two got a point there. Carry on, I guess?"
Targon: "Aye, sir."
Kortos: "It would be an honour, Captain."
The two nod and then turn to the other, where they suddenly burst back into a violent brawl.
Cell stretches his Changeling-legs and steps over them, to continue on through the corridors, when a panel along the long line of extended wall consoles lights up. The screen shows the two Section 31 operatives Elena and Nelkast from their dark office.
>Elena: "You have some nerve, Phoenix-X. That shipment of yaks cheese was meant to be rerouted to Starbase 12. Not Starbase 55!"
>Nelkast: "It took us weeks to get the stench out of our socks!"
Cell: "What can I say? Solids like yourselves depend far too much on keeping your sense of smell. You should have a Doctor take a look at that ‘nose’ problem you all have."
>Elena: "Very informative, Captain! But you’ll pay for what you’ve done."
>Nelkast: "But not before your next mission."
>Elena: "That’s right. You’re to head to the Archanis sector, where you will observe some important talks."
Cell: "What kind of important speaking forms?"
>Nelkast: "They’re called the ‘Consideration Meetings.’ A new concept by the Federation and Klingon Council members, where the two races will meet and begin to consider direct or indirect changes to the others’ law’s based on the former’s example."
>Elena: "Therein which they will attempt to create a bill, an order of a possible law or change in the system of Federation and Klingon law. The talks are an ultimate form of common grounding."
Cell: "More like an ultimate form of foolishness!"
Nelkast: "When we want your opinion, we will demand it from you."
>Elena: "In the meantime, we simply want you to monitor the talks from the Phoenix-X, cloaked. Make sure nothing goes wrong. If anything comes up, you will be contacted with additional orders."
Cell: "Yeesh. Do you want me to do your laundry too?"
>Nelkast: "You will not insult our laundry capabilities! Section 31 out!!"
The screen clicks off.
Out in space, almost a hundred light-years away, the U.S.S. Adelphi and the I.K.S. Gorkon rendezvous’ with each other. One ship hails the opposing vessel.
Edwell: "This is Captain Edwell of the Federation starship Adelphi. We welcome you to the talks."
>Klag: "I am merely doing this as a favour to a friend on Qo’noS. Let us get on with these... boring, political intricacies."
Edwell: "Very well. We are standing by to receive the Ambassadors and Council Members... and anything else they want to bring."
Klag nods to a subordinate, who taps at the console.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix-X speeds through space on their way to the mission site.
Seifer: "Politics are so boring. Why did we even agree to this?"
Cell: "We need politics, Commander. Without them the whole of society would fall apart."
Seifer: "I think you’re thinking of the space-time continuum."
RaeLuna: "Hmm. Captain. It appears as if we are receiving another secure communication."
Cell: "What does Section 31 want now? I refuse to give them another sponge bath!!"
They all glance at the view-screen which clicks on to a view of a Starfleet Engineer.
>Armond: "Greetings, Phoenix-X."
Seifer: "Armond?"
Cell: "Armond! What are you hailing us for? It’s good to see you again."
>Armond: "I didn’t think I’d be seeing that Bridge ever again. It’s good to see you too. But I’m hailing under critical circumstances."
Seifer: "You stepped in a mud puddle?"
>Armond: "Worse. My sources here at the tech team have reason to believe that Section 31 is up to no good."
Cell: "I think your sources are newbies, Lieutenant Commander. And wasn’t your team called the X-Team?"
>Armond: "We now prefer tech team... it is a sub-sub level of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers and Starfleet Intelligence."
Seifer: "Yeah but you work for Section 31 too. So what’s the deal?"
>Armond: "Section 31 doesn’t tell us much as with you. They give us projects and tell us to work on them. My source believes that you are going to the Consideration Meetings to take aboard an operative."
Cell: "What would a Section 31 operative be doing at the Consideration Meetings?"
>Armond: "I don’t know exactly, but the feeling is that Section 31 is trying to include themselves in the upcoming law changes. Hmph. I’ll contact you again with more information."
Cell: "Understood. Thanks, Armond. And let me know if you ever want me to perform another marriage for you."
Armond has an awkward moment and then cuts the screen out.
Down in Engineering, Ensign Dan enters to help with Lieutenant Commander Kugo.
Ensign Dan: "Can you believe it?? Word around the ship is that Section 31 is up to something!"
Kugo: "I was better when you weren’t here."
Ensign Dan: "But you have to be shocked. You have to!"
Kugo: "What are you doing?"
Ensign Dan: "I’m fixing your collar. I only want you to look good for duty, you know."
Kugo: "Do not touch me! You’re relieved!"
Ensign Dan: "I was helpin---"
Kugo: "Be gone!"
Ensign Dan turns and leaves.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix-X enters and drops transwarp beyond the Adelphi’s sensor range.
Amp: "We are now nearing the Adelphi and the Gorkon."
Cell: "Understood. Cloak the Phoenix-X."
The Phoenix-X dissolves out of view.
Cell: "Take us near the ships."
Aboard the Adelphi, Federation President Bacco and her advisors meet with some of the Klingon Council Members, K’Tal, Nikorgeth, and Gukorom - a stand-in for the Chancellor.
Bacco: "Well then. Shall we begin the talks?"
Gukorom: "Yes, Madam President."
Bacco: "By the way, nice haircut."
Gukorom: "Thank you, Madam President."
The Phoenix-X nears the Adelphi and begins scanning it with undetectable scanners.
Seifer: "I installed these puppies after a special encounter with the Tree Species."
Cell: "As far as I know, the Tree Species is not space capable?"
Seifer: "They’ve found a way, sir. They’ve uprooted from their planetary attachment and become more than the sum of their bark!"
Cell: "Good for them, I guess."
RaeLuna: "What exactly are we supposed to be looking for? I scan, but I find nothing!"
Seifer: "Patience. You must learn patience."
RaeLuna: "Your patience is nothing but an excuse for lack of intellectual pursuit!"
Seifer: "Heyyy. I’m your crewmate."
Cell: "RaeLuna’s right. We don’t know what to look for."
The view screen passes birds-eye-views of corridors and rooms.
Amp: "Wait! Who’s that?"
RaeLuna stops the image sliding and peers down upon a Klingon who is talking to another Klingon. The crew squints their eyes in strain to make out the pixilated face.
Amp: "He looks like the image on the bio of the Phoenix-X’s previous helmsmen that I studied in spite and hatred for. Now I’m helmsman."
Cell: "What the? You’re right. That looks like Red!"
Seifer: "You mean, that guy that used to be on our ship?"
Cell: "Yeah. And he’s aboard the Gorkon for some reason!"
Seifer: "That jerk! He was supposed to be on a mission to kill his enemies! Now that I see him there, I will become his new enemy..."
Cell: "We’d better get down there and find out what’s going on. Are you with me?"
Seifer: "No way."
Cell: "Umm... okayyy..."
Before they know it, Cell, Kugo, and Lox beam down in alternate uniforms and ranks, to cruise the Adelphi in free. The Klingon they see as Red, is talking to another-- but instead of Red, his alias is Rouge.
Rouge: "You can’t argue that the philosophy of ‘shoot first ask questions later’ is violent. Some see firing a weapon as skilled trade of hand-eye coordination!"
Mard: "But how do you ask a question to a dead man? You’d have to be good enough to merely immobilize your opponent."
Cell: "Red! Is that you??"
The Klingons turn to see the three Starfleet officers approaching.
Rouge: "Captain? What are you doing here??"
Cell: "I was just about to ask you the same thing."
Mard: "Whoa! I can see that I am not wanted here. I’ll just go now."
Kugo: "Red, we thought you were on a mission of vengeance? The most honourable Klingon mission there ever was."
Rouge: "I was--"
He realizes his moustache is still on, and decides to rip it off. Rouge then becomes Red again.
Red: "--I mean I still am. When I left the Phoenix-X four years ago, I also left the military. I vowed to search for the two men who have wronged me, Kayjo and Dorwin..... But when I got to Qo’noS, I found that someone had released the two traitors from imprisonment. I spent the last four years in search of them."
Cell: "What a way to spend your time."
Red: "Indeed. In my travels, I came to find Kayjo, drinking himself foolish in a Klingon Bar. I killed him there and continued on in search of Dorwin. That is what led me to this ship."
Kugo: "You think Dorwin is on the Gorkon right now?"
Red: "Yes. I believe he is attempting to favour his House by supporting one of the Council members on this ship. If anything, possibly gaining his cousin Toral a seat back on the High Council through this action."
Cell: "That wouldn’t be good. His family has been the worst thing to happen to the Empire ever. They’ve always been causing trouble."
Lox: "A ruckus, if you will."
Red: "That is an additional reason to find him and kill him."
Cell: "We may be able to help you, old friend."
Red: "In my years of service to you, I was never led to feel we were ‘old-friends’."
Cell: "You jump a level when you leave the Phoenix-X."
Red: "I see."
The four return to the Phoenix-X, where they begin an investigation toward this end. Meanwhile, Ensign Dan is in 10-Forward, grumbling and vacuuming the carpets.
Ensign Dan: "Grghhh. Stupid Kugo, stupid relieving me of stupid duty! Well, I’ll show her!"
BOB: "What is going on here? Why are you not vacuuming with delight?"
Ensign Dan: "You know, Ferengi. First you had a bar, then you had a dance club, and then you had a barbershop. You don’t belong on this ship if you can’t make up your mind!!"
BOB: "How dare you say that? You will not be invited to my new fitness club!"
He stomps away in anger.
Back on the Bridge, Seifer, Amp, and Red slide through the video scans of the Adelphi and the Gorkon on a rear-end computer station.
Red: "According to what I found out, Dorwin has been going around in disguise as a Klingon named Trant. Find him, and we kill him."
Seifer: "Hmm. The manifest is showing a Trant, working in one of the lower decks."
Red: "Then that is who we should kill. Out of my way, or I will kill you."
Amp: "Whoa. You’re all kill-kill and everything. Why don’t you stop and smell a rose for a while or something?"
Red: "Word is that you are the one who replaced me after I left. You are nothing but a feeble-minded, honourless hologram!"
Amp: "That’s virus-hologram to you."
Red: "You probably pilot the ship as well as you breathe air!"
Seifer: "Calm down you two. Let’s not get all pilot-rivalry and such."
Amp: "When this is all over, I’m going to infect your laptop, Klingon! Hahahahah!"
An undercover Away Team beams down to the Gorkon, consisting of Seifer, Red, and Lox. They make their way through the ship in search of Trant.
Lox: "According to my tri-corder, he should be in this locker room..."
They turn a corner and find Trant changing.
Trant: "Ahh! Do not look at me!"
Everyone covers their eyes.
Red: "We have found, you Dorwin. Your so called ‘jig’ is up!"
Trant: "What do you speak of? I am not anyone named Dorwin!"
The Klingon puts armour on, and the others are free to uncover their eyes. Lox walks over and takes a blood-sample off Trant.
Lox: "Trant's right. My tri-corder--slash, DNA-tester shows that Trant's not Dorwin. Trant’s actually a Klingon named Shabria-buru...?"
Trant: "That was my birth name! I had to change families in order to be rid of it. I would thank you not to intrude in my business."
Red: "Fek’lhrakt!! Then where is the real Dorwin???"
Seifer: "Red, was that a Klingon swear-word? If so, then I am offended."
Meanwhile, on Earth, inside a metallic room, in the second basement of a restricted building that not even the President has access to, is Armond and his friends.
Monique: "Stop pacing. We’ll find a way to deal with this."
Borne: "Indeed. You need not waste leg energy."
Armond: "It’s just that I have been unable to get in contact with the Phoenix-X. They’re too far out of range."
Monique: "What about rerouting a transmission through the subspace transmitter stations?"
Armond: "I tried that, but it seems anything from Earth just continues to get scrambled in them."
Borne: "Section 31’s doing, no doubt. They must be on to me... Or at least suspect one of their Operatives is a traitor."
Monique: "Thanks for all your help."
Borne: "Don’t mention it. I enjoy being a traitor... there’s a certain giddiness to it. Heeheeheehee!!!"
Armond: "I must tell the Phoenix-X that Section 31 plans on altering a bill that will legalize their organization. I’ve got to leave the Tech-Team."
Monique: "That’s impossible. You’d have to resign, and then transfer to a Starship?"
Armond: "Then that’s what I’ll do."
Lieutenant Commander Armond enters the Admissions Office at Starfleet Corps of Engineers.
Zimmerman: "You can’t just leave! Aren’t you working for... you know who?"
Armond: "How did you know?"
Zimmerman: "I was hiding in the stall of the men's washroom one time you were speaking to one of them. I do that a lot!"
Armond: "Oh. Well, I was hoping to be transferred before they realized it."
Zimmerman: "I admire your bravery. You will be transferred accordingly."
Armond enters his Quarters and begins packing his bags. Just then, Monique enters.
Monique: "Now that you’re going, I don’t suppose you’ll be coming back?"
Armond: "Perhaps. But you know how difficult it is to get back into the Tech-Team."
Monique: "What about us?"
Armond: "I won’t leave unless you don’t want me to. But you may be able to follow my lead after I’m gone... you could resign yourself?"
Monique: "I will consider it. But you have to go. Our friends on the Phoenix-X need your help."
Armond, nods: "They are incomprehensibly ignorant."
Monique: "They have their strengths."
Armond: "If they do, they’ve hidden it really well. Goodbye, my love..."
The Lieutenant Commander kisses her and leaves. He transports to Starbase 01, where he awaits the arrival of his next ship. In less than a day, the U.S.S. Shark docks with the Starbase and begins taking aboard newbies.
Captain Jet sits in his Briefing Room, going over the crew roster.
Jet: "What the... Commander. Commander!!!"
Tyler, enters: "You yelled, sir?"
Jet: "My crew roster is listing a Lieutenant Commander Armond! Has my reading capability been disturbed in some way?"
Tyler: "No, Captain. That really is Armond, from the Phoenix-X. --Unless you really do have reading issues."
Jet: "It is Armond. Hahahahaha! This is great. I want him on Tactical & Ops immediately. He will reveal all the secrets of that ship to me. Finally, I’ll be able to prove to the Federation how much of a liar that Phoenix-X ship is! Finally!!! Laugh with me, Tyler."
Tyler: "Yes, sir."
Jet/Tyler: "MwahahaHAHAHAHAHhahahaHAHAHahahAH!"
Lieutenant Commander Armond enters the Bridge of the Shark, where he meets the Captain.
Armond: "Lieutenant Commander Armond, reporting for duty. What did you do with your last Tactical & Ops guy?"
Jet: "We fired him! ...Out of a torpedo tube into an asteroid."
Armond: "That seems kind of harsh."
Jet: "I’m sure you’ve broken more rules on the Phoenix-X..."
The Captain approaches Armond and begins circling him.
Jet: "...I want you to tell me all about that ship. Their secrets... their true abilities."
Meanwhile, on the Bridge of the Phoenix-X, Captain Cell and the crew watch the giant view-screen as the video-scans continue to scroll through the Adelphi.
Cell: "Finding this Section 31 Operative is impossible. What should we be looking for?"
RaeLuna: "Perhaps signs of mischief, and intrigue."
Amp, points: "There’s a guy brushing his teeth with his shoes!"
Cell: "No that’s just weird. We’re looking for mischievous."
The scans continue, sliding from one room to the next. They then see a guy tapping at a padd in Engineering and looking around hesitantly and nervous.
Cell: "Wait! Go back there. Zoom in!"
RaeLuna: "That officer appears to be out of place there."
Cell: "Oh my god... I recognize that man..."
Amp: "Who is he?"
Cell: "He’s really Admiral Theseus."
The Captain stands up.
Cell: "Contact him on the Section 31 frequencies."
RaeLuna: "It’s going through... Oh no. He just cut them. He’s attempting to block our transmission."
The screen shows Theseus in the overhead view ducking out of Engineering.
Cell: "Hail Commander Seifer!"
On the Gorkon, the three continue to be baffled by their mystery. But a comm signal from the Phoenix-X interrupts them.
Seifer: "Away Team here, go ahead Captain."
#Cell: "We’ve found that the Section 31 Op is Theseus. He’s on the Adelphi right now. Track him down and apprehend him for questioning."
Red: "Theseus? He was always the malicious one."
Lox: "Take my tri-corder."
Seifer, takes it: "Understood, Captain."
The Commander makes his way through the corridors of the Gorkon to the Transporter Room and beams over to the Adelphi. He walks through the ship passing officer after officer, while trying to track down Theseus on the tricorder.
#Cell: "What’s your status?"
Seifer: "I’ve got him... I think... his signal keeps breaking away. He must have a dampening field or something."
He looks ahead and sees Theseus crossing a corridor intersection wearing a Lieutenant’s uniform.
Seifer: "That’s him!"
He chases him throughout the hallways, but Theseus seems to evade him quite expertly. The Commander sees him go into a room, to which Seifer enters as well.
Bacco: "The Federation finds your use of knife-wielding very fascinating. But I don’t think we’ll be using it in anyway."
K’Tal: "Are you sure? There are many uses for knives in daily life, other than killing; Picking your teeth for example..."
Suddenly, the door swooshes open and Theseus comes running in with extreme momentum. The guards in his way are knocked to the side from the mere force he enters the room, and Theseus continues on over the table of the proceedings.
Bacco: "What is this!?"
Seifer runs in after, following Theseus as he runs over the long table, nearly flying over it--- and toward the end of the room, where another door is. He knocks those guards away, and exits the room; followed by Seifer.
As soon as Seifer gets out into the hallway, he finds that Theseus is gone. Looking left and right in a great tired pant, he checks his tricorder to find that there are no signs of him.
Seifer: "Dammit! He’s probably blocked his life-signs."
Guards, Council Members and the President walk out to meet him.
Bacco: "You mind explaining what the hell that was about?"
Gukorom: "You are lucky we do not kill you where you stand!"
Seifer: "I apologize, but I was after that intruder. As you can see, he got away."
Bacco: "We’ll have your Starfleet commission for this! Take him for questioning!"
She points at the guards. They nod and take Seifer away.
Bacco: "Gentlemen, I’m very sorry about this."
Nikorgeth: "Puh! If this was done on the Gorkon, this would have never happened. We keep our officers in line."
K’Tal: "It is not her fault! Let us get back to our business."
Gukorom: "Perhaps we should put the talks on hold. It appears as if these so-called ‘Consideration Meetings’ have certain people on edge."
Bacco, nods: "Very well. We will take this chance to recuperate and review with our people what we have gone over. Thank you gentlemen."
Back on the Phoenix-X, the actually non-affiliated Mr. Red goes through the Klingon database at the back of the Bridge.
Omega: "Greetings. I am the android known as Omega."
Red: "The hologram infected my laptop, rendering it useless. I do not require the company of any more non-organics! Please leave me."
Omega: "The Captain has asked me to assist you in the search for your ill-fated enemy. I notice you are searching the live Klingon database."
Red: "It’s been three hours and I have found no matches!"
Omega: "Allow me."
Red moves aside, where Omega attaches his fingers to the control panel. He links up his systems and begins filtering through all the Live data. The filtering ends when a match for Dorwin has been found.
Red: "Perhaps I did need the company of a cold and heartless machine sent from the gates of Gre’thor."
Omega: "The report says Dorwin was killed last week."
Red: "What!? ........Hmmm. This is saying my House was responsible; that my cousin Helenia had done it dishonourably whilst Dorwin was un-armed!!"
Omega: "I cannot feel the rage you do. But I can do an Irish jig."
Red looks for a wall to punch in anger, but is too far from one, so he turns and punches Omega in the stomach. The hit barely budges the android.
Red: "ARGHH!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
