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Copyright © 2012 Darian A. Caplinger. All rights reserved.

 

"The Long Road Home"

 

CHAPTER 1

"We're approaching the station, Captain," Lt Benbeck reported.

"Very well," Danner responded. "Lt Navarr, open a channel."

After pressing a few buttons on her console, Navarr responded, "Channel open, Captain."

"Starbase 11, this is the Farragut, Captain Danner commanding, requesting clearance to dock."

"Welcome to Starbase 11, Captain. Farragut is cleared for entry. Standby for automated docking procedures."

"Farragut clear, Starbase 11. Standing by for automated docking procedures. Helm, activate automated navigational systems and standby for guidance lock."

"Aye, sir, automated navigation engaged," Benbeck replied.

"Farragut, we've got you. Enjoy the ride. You've come a good time; we just received a shipment of Targonian citrus fruits and wines."

"Understood, Starbase 11. We look forward to sampling your provisions. Farragut out."

Annabelle Benbeck turned to her Operations counterpart, Lt Kieran McDonald, and smiled. They had been travelling for over 3 weeks, and welcomed the diversion. So much of deep space travel was a waiting game. Not much unlike shore leave, except there is no beautiful environment to visit, other than that which can be found in the Holodeck.

"Engineering to bridge," the comm buzzed.

"Go ahead, Engineering," Commander Petrolof, the ship's XO responded.

"We are prepared to receive the maintenance teams for the systems upgrades that we discussed. I'll have a team of Engineer's lead by Lt Patel and Mr Noctis standing by to receive them."

"Understood, Commander. Good job down there. Lt Jameson will have the Conn after we button down, so if you need anything, go through him."

"Aye, sir, Engineering out," Genestra said as she closed the channel. Lt Commander Sabin Genestra wasn't your ordinary Bajoran. She had left the homeworld as a child with her father during the occupation, and originally thought she would end up joining the Maquis resistance fighters. Then her father died and she was taken in by a family on Earth. How they ever got through her thick skin remains a mystery, but they did. By the time Genestra was 15, she knew she wanted to join Starfleet. It took two tries at the entrance exam before she finally received admission. She had served her early career on starbases of various types, but when she got her first posting on a starship, she fell in love.

While serving on the USS Kennedy, she learned how quickly things could go to hell if proper maintenance wasn't performed in a timely manner. When she was accepted as the Chief Engineer on the Farragut, she not only beamed with pride, she immediately went to work making sure that the maintenance schedules on board hadn't been laxed or forgotten. She quickly found the only person she trusted as her exec in Engineering when she met RD Patel. A native of India on Earth, RD came from a long line of hardworking people. Besides his almost lustful zeal for work, he also had integrity, a quality she found lacking in a lot of people these days.

She had come to the Farragut when she was a Lieutenant with Demitri Petrolof. The Kennedy was going in for a complete overhaul, and her crew was reassigned. Demitri saw something in the quiet young woman, and he didn't hesitate to suggest her for assignment on the Farragut as soon as he found out he was accepted as the new XO on the ship. The rest was history. Thanks to Lt Sabin's hard work, the ship was running at peak efficiency. Almost as well as it had back when Robert Chadwick was originally the Commanding Officer and Jarol Balryen was the Chief Engineer. What a difference 5 years made. Back then, Demitri had been the Admiral's Aide-de-Camp, and now they were serving together again, this time with Demitri as the ship XO, and Robert playing "Priority Passenger" on board. In essence, the USS Farragut had been turned into his personal limosine.

As soon as the Farragut slid through the space doors, they started to slowly close behind them. The Farragut, or as Robert Chadwick effectionately called her, the 'gut, was destined for slip C-2, that is tier 3, slip 2. It would put the crew in fairly close proximity to the main entertainment and business decks of the starbase. Some of the crew opted for the "shore leave" experience and requested accomodations on the starbase, while a few appreciated the comforts of their own beds. Lt Kethaasa Navarr had already spoken to the Captain about her reservations about how out of control some of the junior officers may become, especially if they were introduced to real alcohol, but the Captain chose to allow them the freedom of shore leave, as long as they didn't become out of control.

"Farragut, automated docking procedure complete, please secure all moorings. Welcome aboard. Our invitation to your crew to help themselves to our entertainment and business facilities is open."

"Understood, Starbase 11. Farragut out."

And so it began, hopefully during the 2 weeks they were scheduled to be at the Starbase, Captain Danner would find an able Intelligence Officer or two and replace one of his medical officers. One of his junior doctors was about to retire, having spent over 30 years as a surgeon on board starships. The CMO, Craig Mathers, was really going to miss having the old codger around to trade insults. Things weren't going to be the same without good old Doc Markinson. There was a party set in 2 days in his honor. Afterward, he'd be hitching a ride on the USS Gotlieb to whatever future he wanted. He'd be long gone before the rest of the crew of the Farragut were scheduled to get back underway.

Serving on a starship in deep space had its privileges and its drawbacks. Some days were long and boring, and others were long and hard, and others seemed just... long. The Farragut had a fine crew. Many things had changed over the years since Admiral Chadwick was her Commanding Officer, but some hadn't changed at all. For example, Chief Karen Lollard was still on board as the Master-at-Arms. When Robert retired, she was just a junior Petty Officer. The ship's lounge manager, Vic Salvatore was also still on board. The Starlite Lounge had retained its original luster and special feel thanks to his care. It was more than just a lounge and restaurant, it was a true social hotspot that had charm and dignity not unlike a 3 or 4 star restaurant back in the early 20th century.

 

 

CHAPTER 2

"Captain, we're receiving an encoded signal for you from the starbase."

Danner frowned visibly out of curiousity. "Put it through to my Ready Room." As he left his bridge, he turned to his crew, "Everyone scheduled for shore leave is dismissed. Mr Jameson, you have the Conn."

Sitting down at his desk, Brock punched in a few signals and the station commander appeared on his screen. "Something I can do for you, Commander?"

"I understand you are in the process of filling some positions on your ship," he started, but hesitated. "I've got some suggestions for you from here on the starbase. There's some I'd really hate to let go, but they'd do an excellent job for you."

"Sounds good, Commander, but why the encoded message?"

"Well, sir, I am to let you know that when you depart you'll be taking on a priority passenger. I haven't been told who it is, or what it's about, but I understand Starfleet will be briefing you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I suggest you come aboard the starbase and enjoy some down time. The upgrades to your ship are scheduled to take 2 weeks, so you've got plenty of it," Commander Vorel responded. "I invite you and your family to dinner with my family this evening."

Brock smiled to himself. He just knew that the "priority passenger" had to be Admiral Chadwick. It was no secret that Chadwick had been reactivated and was going to likely request the Farragut as his home ship. It was something he was excited to see happen. Knowing the history of Admiral Chadwick, he was certain that with Chadwick on board, he'd still retain control of the ship and crew with little interference. Safe in his assumption, Brock opted to carry on with business as usual. "I bet my wife will be happy not to have to cook this evening. We'll be there. 1800 hours?"

"Sounds good to me."

"It's a date. My wife, son and I will be there."

"We look forward to it. Vorel out."

The screen went blank, and Brock smiled to himself. He sat back and looked at the picture of his wife and son on his desk. He and his wife Elizabeth hadn't planned on starting a family so soon. They had only been married for 2 years when Liz became pregnant with their son. Brock counted the day that Braden was born as one of the happiest of his life. Fatherhood wasn't something that he had ever pictured himself performing very well, but in fact he was doing an outstanding job. He found it to be both challenging and rewarding. In many ways, Braden was not only his son and the apple of his eye, but also a friend. They loved to go camping in the holodeck, and whenever possible while on shore leave.

Brock had become a very protective father. During a family trip at Earth, Braden fell from a cliff and fractured his skull and 4 ribs. Had Brock not brought along his communicator and they been close to an emergency support station, Liz and Brock would have probably lost their son. It was a memory that Brock would never forget. They had been walking along a trail deep in the woods outside of Ozark, Missouri. Without warning, they came upon an old rock quarry that had long been abandoned. Not knowing the danger he was approaching, Braden had gotten a few meters ahead of his parents. As he took his last step, he turned to face his dad to ask a question.

Up until that moment in time, they were having a wonderful day. The weather had been nice, they had full bellies thanks to a picnic that Liz had packed, and they were doing something they always enjoyed doing... exploring nature. The only warning sign that the peaceful day would be nearly irrevocably shattered was the snap of a twig under Braden's foot. Braden never saw the expanse under him, but even from the distance between them, Brock could see something wasn't right about the trail his son had chosen for them. Helpless to stop it from happening, Brock watched as the light of his life fell over 8 stories into the deep water that had accumulated in the expanse below him. After years of unuse, the walls of the quarry had begun to cave in, leaving a jagged pile of rock that was hidden beneath the surface of the water. Had Braden's path of descent taken him just 6 inches further out into the water, he would have escaped harm.

Hearing his son scream for his life, Brock left Liz behind as he ran to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, he saw his living nightmare. His 7 year-old son was floating face down on the surface of the water. Blood had already started flowing from open wounds to his head and chest, and red streaks could be seen in the water, even from the distance between them. It was bad, and Brock knew it. He yelled out a primal yell asking God to spare his little boy. He turned and yelled for Liz to use their communicator to call for help, then he turned and took the plunge. He dove head first into the murky water below. It only took him a few seconds after he plunged into the water to reach his son.

Tears flowing from his eyes, Brock carefully turned his son's lifeless body over. He quickly noted his son was not breathing, and checked but could not find a pulse. His son was clinically dead. Liz hollered down that a shuttle would be there in just a few minutes. Brock pulled his son's body close to him, pinched the boy's nose closed, and breathed a breath into him. He repeated this process a few times. He thought about trying to do some kind of chest compressions, but while floating on the surface of the water, and with nothing to give him back pressure beneath him, Brock abandaned any hope of being able to do effective cardiac massage.

True to her word, Liz flagged down the shuttle craft that appeared over them within a few minutes. The shuttle crew beamed the three aboard, and they were taken immediately to the children's hospital in Springfield, Missouri. They quickly determined the boy's skull had been fractured upon impact with the hidden rocks beneath the water, and he had broken ribs. The doctors were able to restart the boy's heart, and had him stablized within 10 minutes of their arrival. It was still touch and go for a few days, but 2 weeks after the accident, Brock and Liz finally got to take their son home.

The thought of losing his son again scared the hell out of Brock. It was hard enough the first time. He didn't think he could survive a second time. He picked up the frame and kissed it. His wife and son were his reason for breathing and living. If anything happened to them, he knew he'd beam himself into open space, or throw himself out of the nearest airlock. If they weren't there to be a part of his life, he didn't want to have one.

Brock tapped his communicator and told his wife to get her and their son ready for dinner with the starbase commanding officer and his family. Liz had always been a very warm and compassionate woman. When they met, she was a diplomatic liaison for the Office of Starfleet Operations to member planets of the Federation. She had been working in the position for just over 6 months, and he was the Executive Officer on the USS Charybdis. He was sent to Starfleet Command to pick up the encoded orders for the ship's next mission, and when he walked in and saw her... it was truly love at first sight. Somehow he knew at that very moment, he had just laid eyes on the woman that he'd spend the rest of his life with. It wasn't a one way experience. She too knew something phenominally special had just happened. After he picked up the orders for the ship, he told her he would see her in 5 weeks when they returned to Earth. When they returned, they began dating.

 

 

CHAPTER 3

On the bridge, Lieutenant Junior Grade Ronald Jameson was monitoring the deployment of the crew for shoreleave, and logging the arrival of starbase personnel who were beginning the rapid fire upgrades the ships systems had been scheduled for. Some of the upgrades had been pending for months, but crisis after crisis kept interfering with the scheduled and routine maintenance upgrades. For their own part, the ship's Engineering team had done what they could to keep the ship's systems in peak operational condition, so there was no urgent reason to pull the ship from operational status.

Jameson was officially the Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer. His immediate supervisor was Lieutenant Annabelle Benbeck. He thoroughly enjoyed working with and for Annie (as she liked to be called). Between Annabelle, Ronald and their regular 3rd shift flight officer, Ensign Valerie Zoeller, they had over 15 years of flight experience. Both Ronald and Annabelle had almost always been pilots during their Starfleet careers, but Valerie was a crossover. Her original position in Starfleet was in Operations. She didn't mind working in Operations, but she wouldn't even look back now. She fell in love with the helm control station, and just couldn't picture herself anywhere else, except maybe in Command.

Also on the bridge with Ronald was Ensign Syrrak, the Asst Chief Operations Officer; Ensign Garrett Merriman, one of the Science Officers; and Tye Dubreas, one of the Security/Tactical Officers. They comprised of the normal 3rd watch duty crew which he commanded after working his normal 2nd shift duties at Flight Control. He split the first half of the 3rd watch center seat with Lt Kieren McDonald who came in early to fill the Command chair until 1st shift started. Today, the 3rd shift had been pulled in for early rotation during a special crew loadout for while they were in port. Once enough of the normal crew of the ship had disembarked for the station, only Jameson and Syrrak would remain on bridge duty until they were relieved later that night by the XO, Commander Demitri Petrolof and the Chief Operations Officer, Lieutenant Kieran McDonald.

"Engineering to the bridge," Lieutenant RD Patel called.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Jameson replied.

"We'll be shutting down power to the sensor arrays, holodecks, science labs and to life support on decks 12 and 13 to facilitate the systems upgrades to the computer core."

"Understood, Lieutenant. We've got security teams sweeping those decks to ensure they have been vacated. Sensors show they are vacant, but we don't want to take any chances. We anticipate being ready to hand over control to you in about 20 minutes."

"Excellent, Lieutenant Jameson. Engineering out."

Ronald turned his attention to Operations. "Keep a close eye on the distribution relays when we bring power back up. I think I remember reading something about blowing two relays during the power up procedure the last time the sensors were taken offline."

Syrrak's right eyelid shifted upward. "Lieutenant, you must have an excellent memory. According to ship's logs, that incident occurred over 3 years ago. I will monitor just to be sure."

Ronald smiled outwardly. It was rare to get any kind of compliment from Syrrak. A typical Vulcan, Syrrak had almost no sense of humor. While he wasn't totally devoid of giving praise, they did come few and far in between, so he knew to enjoy it while it lasted. "Syrrak, has the Captain departed the ship?"

"No, he hasn't," Captain Danner responded as he emerged from the Ready Room. Jameson stood quickly and apologized to the Captain.

"It's okay, Lieutenant. I'm sure you didn't expect me to spend 2 extra hours in my office doing routine paperwork. I just wanted to get it all done now so I could enjoy my away time with the family. Status?"

"Decks 12 and 13 have been evacuated in preparation for the computer core upgrades. Security is performing a manual sweep to verify the decks have been cleared prior to shutting down life support on those decks. Commander Petrolof has boarded the station and has reported all is on target for the scheduled upgrades to the ship. Doctor Mathers would like to speak to you before you depart for the station, and Lieutenant deVries has reported he's finished preliminary inspection of the applicants for the Intelligence spot that's open. He's awaiting your communication tomorrow when you are ready."

"Jesus, that's a detailed report, Lieutenant. Keep that up, and Demitri may start thinking you are after his job!" Brock joked. "Is Doc Mathers still on board?"

"Aye, sir. He should still be in Sickbay. I don't think he's going to leave until after our duty shift is over up here."

Danner shook his head in agreement. Jameson hadn't been on the Farragut for long, but his command instincts were already well honed and he showed more common sense then many Lieutenant Commanders in the fleet. "Excellent job, Lieutenant. You're help over the past several months has been well noted. Keep it up. You're going to make a really good candidate for an XO position at the rate you are going."

Ronald beamed with pride and did all he could to contain his happiness until after the Captain left the bridge. He wasn't the only one that was happy at the news. Syrrak actually let a small smile form at the corner of his lips. He was very proud of the efforts of his duty watch commander. Even though they were all junior officers, the overnight watch crew was a well rounded group of officers and enlisted personnel that were fully capable of controlling the ship in a professional and tactical manner.

After saying his goodbyes, Danner stepped onto the turbolift and ordered it to take him to Sickbay. He already figured that Doctor Mathers wanted to talk about the departure of Doctor Markinson, but he didn't dare 'assume' or presume to know what Mathers ever wanted until he could prove otherwise. Mathers was an interesting person. He was a great doctor, and appeared to be an equally equipped father and husband. Like himself, Doctor Mathers had a wife who worked on board the ship, the biggest difference being that he had a daughter instead of a son. His daughter was roughly the same age as Braden was. That could possibly prove problematic some day, as they were the only two children on board anywhere near the same age as the other, and Brock knew that Casey wasn't exactly ugly either. He had seen his son staring bit too long as Casey walked past them on occasion. Braden was almost 14 and Brock was fairly certain the Mather's girl was either 13 or 14 herself.

TO BE CONTINUED...