//------------------------------// // Caretaker Part 1 // Story: Where No Pony Has Gone Before: Supplemental Logs. // by FoalsHalf //------------------------------// The release of Star Trek: Picard inspired me to write a little more. Note that in this timeline, Star Trek: Picard will never happen because Romulus and Remus will not be destroyed, Spock's efforts starting sooner and thus, succeeding in saving Romulus. Caretaker Part 1: Kathryn Janeway, the recently appointed Captain of the new starship USS Voyager, stepped uneasily into the spacious office of Fleet Admiral Garrett. The older woman eyeing her seemingly with a touch of amusement. Janeway was hardly uncertain of her abilities but this was the 'Hero of Narendra III', who had been invited to attend the installation of K'mpec as Chancellor of the Klingon Empire by Kang: the Arbiter of Succession and was reputed to have shepherded the careers of some of Starfleet's best officers over the last twenty-five years and had ended others with a word. One such incident had come in 2358, when the Admiral swept aboard the USS Pegasus, relieving Captain Pressman on the spot. Given that, Janeway could not help but feel just a little apprehensive, especially after having received ciphered orders, delivered by courier no less, for Voyager to report here... Wherever 'here' actually was. Upon arrival, she had been surprised to see the USS Equinox here as well. Word had been that the Equinox had been scheduled for a mission near the Badlands where Voyager would soon be heading when she had unexpectedly been pulled. If there was trouble brewing out there, Janeway had reason to be concerned. More so, as Admiral Garrett's orders had included reassigning her helm officer and her medical staff without replacement or explanation, noting that her XO, Commander Cavit would have to pull double duty as chief helmsman until Voyager returned from the Badlands. Given the sudden loss of key crew coupled with the specter of trouble in the Badlands, Janeway wanted answers. She only hoped that her career would survive demanding those answers from a Starfleet legend. "Welcome to Starbase Independence, Captain," Garrett greeted. "According to the original plans, it was to be named 'Starbase Yorktown' but Starfleet had already built Starbase Yorktown. The designs are similar but as you can see, Starbase Independence is on a somewhat grander scale." "I take it those plans arrived with Admiral Pike?" Garrett looked at her appraisingly. "How much do you know, Captain?" "I know that rumor had it that then Fleet Admiral Nogura was grooming James T. Kirk to be the next Chief of Starfleet Operations when Admiral Christopher Pike was chosen instead. An utter impossibility since Fleet Captain Pike had been horribly injured during an inspection tour on a cadet ship. Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan suddenly could be found negotiating with Azetbur of the Klingon Empire at the very same time Ambassador Sarek was also mediating with the Tzenkethi..." Garrett raised her hand. "That will do, Captain. And yes, An alternate version of the USS Enterprise did, in fact, arrive in our reality in 2270. I take it you noticed that we have a rather large number of ships stored here?" Just outside her window, one could see a row of what looked like giant Constitution-class ships. Janeway wondered exactly what she was being tested for. "Yes, It is certainly very impressive, admiral. But I'm more curious about the orders that brought me here. Orders so secret that they had to be hand-delivered, with our course programmed into the computer by your Lieutenant Monroe. No explanations are given and I'm informed that my own Chief Helmsman, my ship's Doctor and Nurse and my entire astrometrics department are to be reassigned here. Again, no explanations are given and right before we're due to head off to the Badlands. This seems very suspicious and I would like an explanation." Surprisingly, Garrett smiled. "You have a great deal of promise, Kathryn." she slid over a sealed folder bearing a unique emblem, a stylized sun- half yellow and half red- and marked 'Top Secret: Authorized Personnel Only.' "I'll specify I ordered you to read it, Captain. I assume that you are familiar with Code: Sunset?" "Like the Omega Directive. If encountered, it supersedes all other Directives, including both General Order One and the Omega Directive." "That's correct Captain. Project Sunset has existed for a hundred years." She inserted a Disc into her terminal and turned the screen for Janeway. On the screen, a disturbingly familiar figure began to speak. "I am Locutus of Borg. You will disarm your weapons and escort us to Sector 001. If you attempt to intervene, we will destroy you." Wolf 359, Janeway thought. But the video playback featured shots and angles no ship could have recorded. On-screen, the bridge of the USS Saratoga exploded. "Let's get the civilians to the escape pods, lieutenant..." No recording is this complete! Where did this come from? Garrett paused the playback. "Yes, Captain. Those are the events of Wolf 359. But they were recorded over a century ago." "But how? Time Travel? I'm sure temporal investigations would be more than unhappy about possible tampering with the timeline." "Not time travel." The admiral tapped the folder. "Something more incredible than that..."