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OTV-561 Aurora, Enroute to American Lunar Colony Tranquility Base

2053

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The Earth/Moon roundtrip was routine by now. Zero gravity toilets, the occasional flashes of solar wind hitting your optical nerves while you tried to sleep, and the lingering smell of farts in the air recyclers. Everything she’d studied and worked hard to experience, because space was the future.

Doctor Matsunaga Keiko believed this firmly, with all her fiery heart could muster. And sure, it wasn’t a mobile suit but you couldn’t have everything all at once, right?

Given the nature of the conflict on Earth between the Allies and the Eastern Coalition, it was looking more and more likely that they’d need another world soon. Most of Europe, a few key places in Asia, the Middle East and a fair amount of Africa and South America had fallen to the ECON: Promises of genetically and cybernetically controlled populaces had seduced so many dictators and revolutionaries. Yet all of them had become nothing more than slaves. Slaves to Colonel Green, a eugenicist monster who kept court in what had been the Hague.

The Orbital Defense Network had kept them in check, from making the final push. A joint effort between the free nations and the nations that didn’t want to be slaves to Colonel Green, it was hundreds of laser and kinetic missile armed satellites in the orbitals of Earth. And right now, they were on their way to deploy the next batch around the colonies on the Moon.

Keiko was reviewing the design schematics and the activation procedures for the satellites-Each named after one of her favorite mecha. She was fortunate the head of the project was just as big a Super Robot Wars fan as her.

A head poked its way into her little alcove, as she was wrapped up in her sleeping bag. She typed furiously, the lights flashing against her glasses.

“Can I help you, Dwayne?” She asked. The other technician gripped onto the edges of the alcove, looking nervous.

“Um, Doctor Matsunaga, we need you in the cockpit,” he said. Keiko looked up from her screen, eyes narrowed.

“Look: I’m not floating all the way up just to hear something you can tell me now. So what is it?” She demanded.

“I-I just… I just…” Dwayne was deeply shaken, and Keiko immediately regretted her harsh words. She reached out and gripped his shoulder.

“Dwayne? What is it?” She asked. She checked over on her news feed… And it was being flooded. Endless posts from a single source. Her eyes widened.

“Okay, maybe I can float to the cockpit,” she decided.

The view was not much better up there. The pilot, Kurosawa Renji, was staring, pale as a ghost, at the flatscreens. Keiko floated up behind him, and took hold of the back of his seat.

“Renji?” She asked. “Renji?” She looked up, and bit her lower lip. The talking head was terrified, gripping his papers hard. Why they bothered with hardcopy anymore, Keiko had never figured out.

“To repeat: Reports are coming in from civilian satellites and from official government release, it is confirmed: The Eastern Coalition has declared war against the Allied Nations, launching from their ICBM sites across West Russia, Northern China, and Eastern Europe. The Department of Defense has ordered full military deployment of the Orbital Defense System and unlocked all defense networks. We repeat, take shelter or begin evacuation immediately if you are in the following cities…”

Keiko took a deep breath. “Shit,” she muttered.

“Five minutes ago,” Renji said. “I double checked with our satellites.”

Keiko was anxious, yes. It was natural, when hundreds of intercontinental missiles were even now streaking for your homelands. Yet she couldn’t help her smile.

“Don’t worry guys,” she said, throwing an encouraging look back at Dwayne. “I mean, this is what we’re here for. This is what we worked for. In four minutes, those missiles are going to be turned into harmless clouds of debris by the satellites. Then we'll go Akira on Colonel Green's ass, vaporize him from orbit, and his little gene puppets are going to be begging for peace.” Her smile grew, her confidence rising.

“You think so?” Dwayne asked. Keiko nodded.

“Exactly! Exactly! I don’t know why that asshole decided to try this shit now, but he’s screwed.” Keiko grinned, reaching out to squeeze Renji’s shoulder. He managed a little smile himself. “And we’re gonna be heroes!”

“R-Right,” Renji said, nodding with a smile. “Heroes.”

Another four minutes passed. Renji checked the satellite feeds.

“... Keiko… They aren’t firing,” he said. Keiko blinked.

“Excuse me?” She asked. “They’re not firing?!”

“Maybe it’s delayed,” Dwayne suggested. He moved into the co-pilot’s seat-Or tried, but Keiko beat him to it. She logged into the satellite uplink.

“Why are they not firing… They’re not even-!” She began calling up the command list. “It says they’re firing. Are they?”

“According to the observation satellites… No,” Renji said. He looked over at Keiko, eyes wide. “Are we-What’s wrong?”

“Is the ground station reporting the same thing? Are they reporting it to the DoD? To anyone?!” Keiko demanded. “Find out! FIND OUT NOW!” She looked over at Dwayne. “Start activating the backups!”

“Yes Doctor!” Dwayne responded, getting back to another computer console.

Renji tapped into the military communications net, while Keiko tried to get into the satellite network. Every time she tried to activate a satellite, the system responded it was functioning just fine-And yet nothing happened.

“This doesn’t make any sense!” She raged. “Renji!”

“They’ve been trying the reactivation codes-Nothing’s happening!” Renji shouted back. “The President’s activated the network with the orbital football-Nothing’s shooting!”

“Okay,” Keiko sighed. “We’ve tried rebooting the computers, we’ve tried the backdoors, it’s not working…” Her fingers paused. “Sabotage,” she immediately deduced. “But where? In what-”

“Keiko!” Dwayne called. “I’ve got it! I’ve checked every satellite in the network and I’ve found it! AMS-47! It’s too heavy!”

Keiko isolated the satellite in question, and looked over the diagnostics. It was too heavy, and judging from the accelerometers the weight was right over the CPU.

“Parasite microsat?! But it can’t be that small!” Dwayne gasped. “There’s no way it could-”

“They did, and it’s the only explanation,” Keiko said grimly. “How long until the missiles start hitting their targets?”

“Ten minutes for Japan and Britain, fifteen for targets in the Americas and Australia,” Renji replied, a scared, sickly laugh leaving his mouth. “Th-They’re launching the counterstrike right now-”

“We still have enough time to get these online and stop this!” Keiko insisted. She began typing furiously. “We just have to self-destruct the satellite and reset the network!”

“How?” Dwayne asked. “We’re running out of time-!”

“I’ll figure it out!” Keiko barked. “Just help me!”

“I’ve got the laser comms ready! The satellite’s coming up!” Renji said.

“Locking in the laser comm,” Dwayne stated. “Getting return signal, I…”

“It’s targeting us!” Renji shouted. He pushed the throttle on the rocket-One powerful enough to boost the ship all the way out to Mars, if necessary. “Keiko! Keiko, get in there and turn it off!”

“I’m trying!” Keiko replied, lines of data dancing before her eyes as her fingers went all over the keyboard. The code kept changing, the AI of the parasite nanosat fighting her every single time! No, she could beat this! She could stop this, she had to-!

“It’s firing-!” Renji bellowed, and the ship rocked hard. Keiko held onto her seat, the restraints holding her in tight. Renji kept fighting with the ion engine, even as one of the fuel tanks went up in a massive blast. Dwayne was tossed around, having forgotten to strap in due to nerves. He grabbed onto a harness, holding on for dear life.

“It’s charging up for another shot!” Renji shouted. The blast struck another fuel tank. Renji grimaced. “Shit! Reactor’s exposed! Another hit will melt us down!”

“Eject the engine module! Do it!” Keiko shouted. Renji nodded, and tapped in the sequence. He hit the final button, and the whole ship jolted and spun from the loss in mass. Renji hit the attitude controls, managing to right the ship and keep it from spinning-Keeping it pointed at the engine module behind. Another bright, strobe like flash and the module exploded, the laser hitting the reactor core. Keiko and Renji covered their eyes.

“Keiko! Can you get it fixed or not?” Renji cried urgently. “We’re just at the edge of its laser now!” Keiko growled and ran through the data, one more time… She found a sequence she hadn’t tried, entered it… She beamed.

“I’ve got it! Control established!” She cried. She set the reaction controls on the defense satellite to spin the AMS-47 at high speed. “Come on, come on…!”

“What are you making it do?” Dwayne asked.

“If I get it to spin too hard, the communications system will fail,” she explained. “The comms fail, it can’t control the rest of the network anymore! Reset it, and we’re back in business!”

She could see warning messages all over her screen, as the satellite’s electronics were put under more and more strain. She started up every system, maxing it out, to drive the heat up. She set the radiator system to go into test mode, ignoring the heat building up. Every sensitive piece of electronics in it had to be dying now. She checked the clock-five minutes until impact.

“Come on, come on, come on,” she chanted, eyes locked onto the screen. “Come on!”

The terminal error failure lit up her screen. Any and all feeds from AMS-47 died. She grinned brightly.

“Reset the system! NOW!” She shouted. Dwayne was elated, as Renji cheered. Keiko let out a laugh herself. She’d saved the world, she’d saved the-

The ship was stuck again. The vessel tumbled frantically, and bright shiny debris filled the viewports like shards of glass. Her screen went dead, as did Renji’s.

“Main power’s off! Something hit us!” Renji shouted. “DWAYNE! Keiko, get back there!” His own screens lit back up and he again got to work trying to right the vessel. Keiko pulled her restraints off and grabbed onto a handhold, fighting nausea from the inertial difference. She crawled, keeping her eyes on the bulkhead of the ship. Dwayne crawled ahead of her, covering his mouth as he barfed up chunks that flew off into zero gee. He still made it to the next module, opening the hatch and pulling himself through. She followed, closing the hatch behind them. It locked firmly, and they both kept moving through the tunnels into the engineering module. It held the manual controls for the solar panels that kept the ship going.

The emergency batteries kept the screens online, but a quick look through the external cameras revealed the cause of the power disruption-Something hit one of the solar panels, crumpling it like the broken wing of a bird. Keiko quickly shut off the feed from the damaged panel, and ejected it. It spun away from the damaged Orpheus, another shudder and alarm going off.

“Damnit! Okay, okay, we’ve got power,” she said. She looked through the rest of the diagnostics, her face becoming grimmer. “But the main recycler’s been hit, we’re on the tanks for air. We’ve got momentum but no main drive to slow us down… Maybe we can manage an orbit…” Her heart stopped.

“Keiko?” Dwayne asked. Keiko shook her head, adjusting her glasses with shaking hands.

“The comms array is gone,” she whispered. The external cameras showed it all: The mast full of antennas and dishes had been ripped clean away. Dwayne’s lips thinned. Keiko took a deep breath.

“What… What if they don’t-?” Dwayne asked, but Keiko cut him off.

“There’s enough smart people back home that can reset the system,” she said firmly. “Enough people… Maybe…” She hit the intercom. “Renji? Renji, it’s Keiko. We’ve got power, but we’ve lost a lot. I’ve done the rough math, we might manage an orbit around the moon. What do you think?”

Silence greeted her. Keiko frowned, and hit the intercom again.

“Renji? Renji, are you there?” She checked the internal comms-No, that seemed to be working. A horrible thought occurred, and she switched the external camera view of the cockpit module. She sucked in a deep breath.

“Oh God,” Dwayne murmured.

A large, gaping hole, the size of a bowling ball, was in one of the cockpit’s viewports. A very recent development judging from the debris still floating like a cloud of dust surrounding it. Keiko checked the internal sensors in the cockpit: They all read zero pressure, and zero oxygen. Her fingers gripped the screen, as she breathed hard, in and out.

“We… We have the telescope feed still,” Dwayne managed. “Maybe… Maybe it’s back online. Maybe they fixed it!”

Keiko nodded. Renji was a friend, but he would sacrifice himself to save the Earth. He had, hadn’t he?

The telescope feed came online, showing Earth. Still the bright blue marble the Apollo astronauts had described, even with everything that had happened. Everything humans did. She saw the familiar shape of her homeland, and zoomed in as far as she could.

Keiko could make out the large, bustling metropolis of Tokyo, her home city. The Nerima Ward, where she’d grown up. Reading manga, playing video games, working on motors and drones and dreaming of a life among the stars. Where her older brother had walked her to school, her father taken her on piggyback rides. Her mother had cooked her dinner, her little sisters had stolen her toys and they’d fought over them, many times. So many times, all flashing in her mind as she prayed, prayed that fate was kind. Prayed that she had done it…

A bright flash nearly blinded her, and she looked away. She kept her eyes shut tightly, trying to convince herself it was just a malfunction with the telescope. Catching a reflection of sunlight off something. Dwayne’s horrified murmurs made her open her eyes and turn back.

The city was engulfed by a gigantic cloud, spreading over it. She could just make out shockwaves screaming at the edges. Massive plumes of heat erupted, red and white hot fires so huge they were visible from space.

A part of her, cold and disconnected, calculated the force of the explosion-fifty megatons, at least. The chances of survival within twenty miles of the epicenter was in the single digits.

“Keiko?” Dwayne murmured from somewhere to her right. “Keiko? I… Are you…” He trailed off, realizing the stupidity of his words. She really couldn’t blame him though.

There was nothing to say. She didn’t know if there would be anything to say ever again.

- - -

Federation Starbase Deep Space Nine, Bajoran Sector

2370

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The mechanical groan of the airlock rolling out of the way was clearly in Keiko’s ears as the hatch opened. It locked and secured itself automatically, sounds soon covered by the bustle and conversations of the Promenade. She was bumped slightly from behind, and she got walking, stepping out onto the large, open space of Deep Space Nine’s inner ring. She looked over her shoulder, a little annoyed at the brightly smiling Zira as the rest of the people waiting with them shuffled out and spread into the crowds.

“Daydreaming?” The Orion woman asked. Keiko shook her head.

“No, just… Thinking,” she admitted. “The airlock cycle sounds different. I might have to take that into account for the assessment.” She immediately had her PADD out, and was taking notes. She’d agreed to do a tactical assessment on Deep Space Nine for Commander Shran, with the hopes of learning how to better defend it against a possible attack: The 477th Squadron, after all, was the closest help if the station got into trouble.

Zira smoothly moved in front of her and rested her green hands over Keiko’s. The Japanese human looked up at her with a scowl.

“You know, you don’t have to immediately start work,” Zira advised. “ We’re technically on leave, after all. Maybe you could relax a little first?” She smiled mischievously. “I’m meeting the rest of the Squadron at Quark’s. Why not come along? Try a holosuite?”

“I’m not immediately starting work, I’m just taking some notes,” Keiko protested, pulling her hands back. The Orion woman frowned as people moved around them. The human smiled back.

“But a drink does sound good,” she said. Zira beamed happily, and took Keiko by the hand. She began to lead her on, around the Promenade.

“I’m glad,” Zira said. “Usually I have to guilt Hajar into coming with me to do anything fun. I was worried you were a workaholic, with how you stay in your lab!”

“I am,” Keiko admitted, “but only because it’s fun.”

Zira hummed and shrugged. “To each their own,” she said. She grinned at Keiko a bit more widely. “But you could always stand to broaden your horizons a little.”

They came to the entrance of the bar. It wasn’t hard to find: The loud noises of laughing, arguing, drinking, and the dabo table all filtered out onto the Promenade. The vibrant, warm colors for the decor made it as a place to relax, and Keiko found herself approving.

“How so?” Keiko asked, as Zira led her in. They moved aside for a big Brunyg, who nodded politely as he went on by. “It’s not like I have a shortage of entertainment.”

The bar proper was crowded: Dozens of species, Federation and non, were drinking, eating, laughing, and talking at the bar. The Ferengi wait staff bustled everywhere, like scurry rodents in an ever changing maze of tables and patrons. Beautiful Bajoran women tended the dabo tables in shiny, revealing outfits, cheering on the gamblers. The smells of alien cooking and alcohol mixed together into a strange, pungent cloud-Not unpleasant, but ever present.

“Yes, but vids, holosuites, tinkering-It’s all of a specific genre,” Zira said, raising her eyebrows lavisciously. She turned to embrace Keiko and brought her face close to hers, staring into her eyes. Keiko blushed hard.

“After all,” Zira murmured, “you never know what might happen in a holosuite with our dear new flight lead, hm?”

“Er,” Keiko managed, her blush glowing hotter. She shook her head, too rapidly she thought. “We-We’re just friends. Really.”

“Keiko! Zira!”

Andross’ voice broke through the clatter of Quark’s. Keiko looked over Zira’s shoulder: He was beaming and waving at her from a table, where Suref, Ro’ad, Mychol, and Hajar had gathered. Keiko smiled back and waved. Zira turned and waved as well, also smiling.

“You know, I don’t just emit pheromones,” Zira whispered as they headed for the table. “I also smell them. And right now you smell pretty interested… And I don’t mean in me.”

“Maybe I’m tempted to experiment,” Keiko retorted quickly. Zira stopped their progress, and leaned in, her face getting close to Keiko’s. The Japanese woman’s face turned a brighter red as their noses touched, and their lips were getting closer… Closer…

“Ah! Stop!” Keiko sputtered, pulling away. Zira laughed, and patted Keiko on the shoulder.

“Never play gay chicken with an Orion, sweetie,” she teased, smiling warmly. Keiko huffed, and glared at the table of pilots. They were all trying very hard not to stare, save for Mychol, who was a much darker blue than usual.

“I am the best!” Zira announced, holding up her hands in victory poses. Keiko collected herself, glaring a bit at the cocky Orion. Zira just smiled back, and took a seat in Suref’s lap. The Vulcan blinked.

“Excuse me Flight Officer, I do not think this is appropriate-”

“You’re very warm, Suref, so I’m fine where I am,” Zira replied, shifting a bit to get comfortable. Ro’ad hooted a bit, and Hajar sighed. It was impossible not to notice she was trying to hide her smile though. This also left the seat next to Andross empty. Keiko noticed this easily, as did Andross. He smiled at her, and gestured to the chair.

“Come on, let’s get some drinks!” He said. “You never know when a crisis might erupt and we all get pulled away.”

“Ah,” said a deep, male voice that made Keiko jump, “that is all too familiar.”

Keiko spun around and smiled brightly. The tall, black man in civilian clothes smiled back, his white teeth gleaming.

“Commander Sisko!” Keiko said happily, reaching out to hug the tall man. He returned it, big burly arms wrapping her up in a warm hug. He laughed, patting her on the back. He pulled back, looking her over with some confusion in his eyes.

“Last I heard you were back at Utopia Planitia,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah,” Keiko began, her eyes sliding to the left. Sisko’s gaze became stony.

“Keiko,” he said, disapprovingly. Keiko took a deep breath.

“Maybe it’s something to discuss in private,” she admitted. Sisko glanced over her shoulder, and slowly nodded.

“It would be good to catch up,” he said. Keiko turned around and smiled apologetically: Her gaze focused mostly on Andross, who looked confused. Zira raised an eyebrow speculatively.

“Commander Sisko and I are old friends,” she explained. “We’re just going to catch up-Real fast, be right back!” She turned, and at Sisko’s open hand gesture, she headed for the stairs to go up to the second level of the bar. Sisko followed, stopping only when she stopped at a small table overlooking the bar. She turned and sat down, clasping her hands together. Sisko sat down across from her, his expression grave.

“Well?” He asked. Keiko winced, looking at her hands.

“I… Might have lost my temper with the new project manager,” she admitted quietly. Sisko raised his eyebrows.

“In what way?” He asked. Keiko rubbed her hands together, suddenly feeling chilly.

“In the… I punched him in the nose sort of way?” She admitted. Sisko sighed heavily, and it made Keiko wince to hear that sound.

“Keiko-”

“He was going to shut down the Defiant project and scrap it!” Keiko said defensively. “I tried arguing with him, endlessly! I really did! The project was already practically mothballed but we were still developing so much from it! Then he… He…”

“He?” Sisko prompted. Keiko looked down at her hands. She rubbed them together again.

“He… Mentioned World War 3, and… Asked if I was looking forward to repeating it,” she murmured, quiet but angry. She glared up at Sisko. “You can’t tell me he didn’t have it coming!”

“No. He did,” Sisko said gently, “but not from you. You report that to his superior, you don’t just lash out.” Sisko sighed. “What happened then?”

“Admiral Jin was in charge of the overall management. She agreed to keep it running in low preparation, given everything we’ve done but… Well, I had to leave,” Keiko admitted. “And so, here I am.”

Sisko sighed and shook his head slowly. “Keiko…”

Keiko’s eyes narrowed. Yes, he was disappointed in her but damnit…!

“I can’t believe these idiots keep getting positions of power!” Keiko hissed. “Over and over again they shove a bunch of holier than thou hippies into military projects!” She looked intensely at Sisko. “How many-How many more people have to die before these morons understand there are forces in the universe that you can’t just make speeches at to stop them?!”

“I know, Keiko,” Sisko growled low in his voice. “I know.”

Keiko pulled back, biting her lower lip. After all… She knew full well what had brought Sisko onto the Defiant project.

“The trouble is,” Sisko said, a bit more tightly but not as harsh as before, “you can’t just change everyone immediately. You’re up against almost a century of people who started to see Starfleet as a social club: A means of moving up in the world, not the organization responsible for defending the Federation and keeping it safe and free. Even the Borg aren’t powerful enough to make that shift in the organization happen immediately.” He leaned forward over the table. “More than that, we don’t just fight: We also explore, do humanitarian aid, make first contact-”

“I know, I know!” Keiko insisted. “I would never say we have to stop doing that! The militaries of my time did that too… The good ones, anyway,” she admitted. “But if we aren’t able to do the job of protecting everyone, then what’s the use of the rest of those missions?”

“‘We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm’, I know,” Sisko agreed, “but losing your temper and taking it out on these people doesn’t help. All it does is relegate you to where you can’t help anymore, all because you couldn’t control yourself!”

Keiko glared back angrily at Sisko. Sisko returned the glare, steely and unbending. Keiko sighed, and closed her eyes tightly.

“... You’re right,” she admitted quietly. “You’re right.” She looked down. “It’s just… I can’t escape seeing… All that death.”

“I know,” Sisko said, reaching out to squeeze her hand tightly. “I know.”

“I know you do,” she said softly, squeezing his hand back. Sisko took a deep breath and sighed.

“You haven’t failed, Keiko,” he insisted. “The things we worked on the Defiant-Ablative armor, the power distribution systems, the shields, the engines, the quantum torpedo-They’re all being introduced into the next generation of starships. You’ve done so much already, Keiko, despite everything that was thrown in our way. So why toss it away now?”

Keiko was silent for a while. Her eyes locked onto her hands, intertwined with Sisko’s. She took a long, deep breath, and let it out. Only then did she speak.

“Because the tech isn’t the problem, Ben,” Keiko admitted. “It’s the people. And I don’t know how to fix them.”

Sisko nodded, squeezing Keiko’s hand back. He rested his other hand over hers, making her look up at him. “I know. It’s never been easy for you. It’s not easy for us either though. We all have our own struggles. But you don’t have to face them alone.”

Keiko nodded. Sisko took another breath, centering himself. Then he spoke:

“I’m going away for a week with my son. When I get back, I’ll see what I can do about reassigning you to Deep Space Nine.”

“Ah?” Keiko asked, surprised. Sisko leaned forward a bit, a smile on his lips.

“As it turns out, I feel the tactical acumen of the station has been slipping a bit. And the Cardassians might have some things to teach us-I can’t think of anyone better for the job, and who could work with the Chief. He could certainly use your expertise, and I think you’d get along fine. He’s seen war himself. He’d understand,” Sisko explained. “Working here for a while would help raise your profile, and get you even better assignments down the line. Assignments to help protect the Federation.”

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Keiko said. Her eyes turned down to her squadron mates. Zira had slipped an ice cube down Hajar’s uniform, and the human woman had retaliated by producing a recording of the Orion on her PADD: One the green woman was desperately trying to get back from the taunting Hajar. The rest of the squadron was watching in laughter, or in Suref’s case interest. Andross himself laughed and slapped Mychol on the back, trying to get the little Tullian to loosen up. Sisko followed her gaze.

“Unless… You’re happier where you are,” Sisko said, a slight hopeful smile on his face. Keiko flushed a bit.

“They’re… They’re my friends,” she said. She knit her fingers in front of her, trying to regain her composure. Sisko nodded.

“DAD!”

Sisko turned his head. A young black boy in his early teens was grinning as he walked in, wearing a hopelessly ugly jumpsuit under a long jacket-probably one of his father’s. Keiko managed not to wince-Fashion sense in the 24th century was really terrible. She’d heard it was because aliens had different aesthetics than them and adopting those aesthetics had become popular, but she prayed it was only a fad that soon ended.

Jake’s eyes widened as he took in Keiko.

“Oh! Miss Matsunaga!” Jake said, coughing a bit in nervousness. “It’s um, it’s good to see you!”

“Hey Jake,” Keiko said with a wide, genuine smile. She stood up and closed the distance to hug the tall boy. “It’s been forever! Look how big you’ve gotten!”

“Ah, y-yeah,” Jake managed, his voice breaking slightly. He awkwardly hugged her back. “I-I’m gonna hit two meters soon.”

“Good for you!” Keiko said happily, squeezing the boy’s shoulder. He may not have been the little, fun loving boy who had visited his daddy at work anymore, but he was still very sweet. She leaned up a bit to kiss his cheek, making him blush hard. “How’s everything been?”

“It’s been great,” Jake admitted, suddenly standing up straight and trying to make his voice sound deeper. “Um… W-We’re going on a field trip to the Gamma Quadrant… F-For a science project,” he admitted. Keiko grinned.

“That so? What about?” She asked.

“Uh, planetary survey,” Jake managed. “I-I thought of it myself!” Ben stepped in, wrapping an arm around his son’s shoulders. He grinned at Keiko, and patted Jake’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be fun,” he said. “All packed up?”

“Yeah, just waiting for you, Dad,” Jake admitted. “Um, I’ll see you at the runabout then?”

“Definitely,” Sisko said warmly, with a hint of a grin on his face. Jake nodded.

“R-Right… Um… Nice to see you again, Keiko,” Jake managed. “You-You look great! I didn’t tell you before, but you look really great!”

“Thanks Jake, you’re becoming very handsome yourself,” Keiko replied with a smile. Jake nodded, and turned away to begin awkwardly heading way towards the exit. Sisko and Keiko watched him go, and Keiko waved back as the young teenager threw an awkward wave back.

“He didn’t react like that to the dabo girl he dated,” Sisko observed wryly. Keiko smirked, and posed a bit.

“Well, I did work as a gravure girl to pay for college,” she said with a smile and wink. Sisko laughed.

“Just don’t let Jake see any of that, or I’ll never get him out of his room again,” he warned. Keiko chuckled.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” she said. She turned to Sisko and smiled, giving him another hug. “Thanks, Ben.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Now go on. Your friends are waiting.”

Keiko nodded back. The commander turned and headed out through the exit. Keiko watched him go for a time, lost in thought.

- - -

OTV-561 Aurora, CIS Lunar Space

2053

- - -

Work was the only thing that made sense. And work was all she could do. As it turned out, there was plenty of work to do on the Aurora, a lot of rerouting and fiddling with the systems. Work that was vital.

She was working on one of the touchscreens. Rerouting the controls from the cockpit was the work of an hour or two. Navigation was trickier but all that was needed was the use of the telescopes. She was all too happy to turn them away from Earth and focus on the stars and the moon. To save power, she pulled out a manual and did the math by hand. It had been a very long time since she’d done this, but she found a tranquility in it. A tranquility she desperately needed.

She finished the last of her calculations, and a small smile came onto her face. It was tired and brittle, but genuine. She looked around: She didn’t see Dwayne anywhere. She took a deep breath, and took off from the power distribution module. She went through the tunnels of the large ship.

The Aurora was one of many generic multipurpose spacecraft built by SpaceX in the 2030s, designed to support the moon, Mars and asteroid colonies. They weren’t exactly ships: Each was composed of dozens of interchangeable modules. Cockpits, power distribution, habitat, science labs, cargo pods, engine/reactor modules and so on were put together like LEGOs to form large constructs. In the Aurora’s case, most of her mass was composed of cargo and storage modules for this trip.

Keiko paused at the entrance to one of the cargo pods, her fingers gripping onto the tunnel edges. She saw Dwayne floating amidst several packages and containers of supplies. He was staring at something in his palm. Something glowing.

“Dwayne?” Keiko asked softly. Dwayne didn’t respond. Keiko pushed herself into the module, floating up behind the man. She reached out a hand to stop herself, and peeked up over Dwayne’s shoulder.

A small holoprojector was running in his hand: Of a bearded man with a broad smile at the camera, helping a small girl fingerpaint. The little girl reached up and pressed her fingers against the man’s face, leaving lines of green and red. The bearded man laughed, and affectionately pressed his fingers against her nose, leaving purple.

“James and Maggie,” Dwayne said tonelessly. He sighed softly through his nostrils. “We were going to meet in London when I got back. Go see the Harry Potter museum, at long last. I’d missed so many family vacations before because of work. I promised… I promised a thousand times I would make it this time. For both of them.”

Keiko reached out to squeeze his hand. “They… They might still be alive-”

“I saw London, Keiko,” Dwayne said, his voice wavering. “I saw Boston… I saw… Everywhere.” He bowed his head, his tears pooling up on his eyelashes in zero gravity. “Everything’s ashes, now, Keiko. It’s all gone…”

Keiko hugged him tightly, her own tears stuck on her eyelashes. Dwayne managed to return the hug, but he felt so… Lifeless.

“... Did anywhere…?” Keiko tried. Dwayne shook his head, a stiff motion.

“No,” he said. Keiko nodded slowly.

“I… see,” she murmured. They were silent for a long time. Keiko didn’t even know where to begin. She didn’t think Dwayne would be very interested but still…

“I um… I have news,” Keiko managed. “I checked our course. That boost Renji,” she paused, but managed to continue, “that Renji gave us got us out of the range of any ECON weapons systems. Looks like any remaining ECON orbital fighters are too busy to bother with us.”

“I see,” Dwayne managed. Keiko bit her lower lip.

“Bad news… We’re going too fast to get into a lunar orbit,” Keiko said. Dwayne stared into the distance.

“So… Solar orbit until we run out of air, food and water?” He asked. Keiko shook her head.

“No,” she said. “We’re… We’re lucky. With a few thruster burns, we can get into Mars orbit.”

“How long?” Dwayne asked.

“That’s… The bad news,” Keiko admitted. “458 days. At best. We don’t have the supplies for that.”

Dwayne’s eyes began to focus again. He nodded with a smile.

“No, but we don’t need them,” he said. “Have you programmed the course corrections into the computer?”

“They won’t be as precise as Renji could, but yeah,” Keiko admitted. “You’d just have to initiate the program-What do you mean, we won’t need them?”

Dwayne turned and pushed himself into the cargo. He got near a very large, coffin-shaped package attached to the ceiling. He undid the wrappings, glass and advanced plastic being revealed. Keiko’s eyes widened.

“A cryopod!” She gasped. “We’re carrying them?”

“Yes,” Dwayne said, pausing a bit. “There’s one in here, and one in the other cargo pod.” He turned to Keiko, tossing the wrappings aside. He managed a smile. “This one is for emergency use only so it’s all hooked into the power system. I could start it up right now, actually.”

“Right now? I-” Keiko protested, but Dwayne shook his head.

“The more we breath, the more we use up our supplies. We don’t have time to argue!”

“Yeah but, how will you get set up without help?” Keiko asked. Dwayne snorted, shaking his head.

“Look: This is my speciality. I know what I’m talking about. I can get you set up in here, but we don’t have time. All right?”

Keiko took a deep breath. “But you need me to-”

“Look! Keiko, we don’t have time to have a debate. I can get you into cryosleep and I can get myself into cryosleep. You have the entire thing set up, I just have to start the sequence. So why are we arguing?”

“I…” Keiko began. “I just think maybe we can work this out! Consider more options!” She turned away to try and find a tablet. “Maybe calculate, at least, how this all works-”

She was stuck from behind, and slammed against the cushioned packages. Her vision went hazy as she felt dizzy. She felt Dwayne take hold of her and pull her over into the pod. He shoved her in. She felt restraints go over her wrists, ankles and waist. She found her senses in time to struggle, managing to glare at Dwayne.

“Dwayne, what the fuck-?!”

“I’m sorry,” he said. He stuck tubes into her nose, and sensors onto her wrists even as she struggled. “I’m sorry I lied. There isn’t another tube, just this one. And even if there was, I couldn’t get into it without help.”

“Dwayne! Dwayne, you are not killing yourself for me! DAMNIT DWAYNE DO NOT DO THIS YOU STUPID MOTHERFUCKER!” Keiko screamed. Dwayne sighed, and hit a button on the side of the pod. Sedatives filled her system, and she went limp. Her feelings became a confused jumbled mess, a dull haze. She glared up at Dwayne, even as he put a breathing mask over her lips.

“My life’s all gone, Keiko,” he said sadly. “My family’s all gone. I was going to die anyway, to be with them.” He looked intently at her, as her vision swam. “You? You have a future… Make it a better one than what we made.”

He shut the pod tight, and everything became icy cold. She breathing slowed, her struggled faded. She closed her eyes and everything went dark.

There was nothing… But the cold.

Everything had been slowed, slowed to nothing. To be so still, to be so slow and alone… Death was supposed to be a release but no, she was still alive. Death wasn’t what she feared. It was being trapped, slowed to nothing and forced to be nothing.

It was all so cold, a big, cold nothing of experience she was aware of but not fully aware of. Nothing made sense. Nothing could be quantified. All there was… Was the cold.

And then it was shattered.

Blood pumping through her veins. Fabrics on her skin. Air in her lungs. Light in her eyes. She began to scream as her senses were overwhelmed, thrashing and kicking furiously as the agony burned through her brain. She felt people grab her, and she struggled harder. Everything was a bright blur as her eyes slowly readjusted to being used.

Then a hiss, and a feeling of chemical drowsiness overtook her. She drifted off, despite fighting it furiously.

She dreamed. Dreamed of the icy cold of space, her tomb lost forever among the stars. She dreamed of family, frozen and silent and staring at her. She dreamed of Dwayne and Renji.

Finally… She woke up.

Keiko slowly opened her eyes, shivering. The lights were dimmer this time, and her eyes had time to adjust. A dull blue and gray ceiling greeted her, light panels embedded in it producing a soft, warm glow.

Keiko’s hands slowly slid out from her body, feeling things as she looked around. She was in a bed-Comfortable but a bit cold. She was wearing a blue hospital gown and nothing underneath. The room itself was plain and sterile save for a few paintings on the walls. There were boxy cabinets on either side of her, with several panels on the bed itself with various things being displayed. A double door was the entrance to the room. She turned her head to look behind her.

Beyond huge windows, she could see a vast expanse of gray regolith, underneath a black starry sky. Keiko awkwardly turned, getting onto all fours, and pressed her hands against the glass.

The moon… She was on the moon…?

Something hissed behind her, and she turned quick, clutching her blankets to her. A thin Filipino woman with her dark hair up in a poofy bouffant was standing in the doors with a smile. She was wearing a strange blue and black jumpsuit with a blue overjacket, and carrying a tray of what looked like food.

“Good morning,” the woman stated cheerfully. “How are you feeling?” She walked right up to Keiko, and set the tray across the bed. Small metallic supports popped up to take hold of the tray, making Keiko edge back even further. “You must be hungry. I brought you breakfast.”

“Wh-What?” Keiko managed. The woman kept smiling, locking her arms behind her back.

“I am sure you have many questions,” she said slowly and calmly. “But you really should eat first. I’m Doctor Melanie Dimaano, by the way. And your name is?”

“M-My name?” Keiko stuttered. Doctor Dimaano kept smiling.

“Yes! Your name?”

“Matsunaga Keiko,” she replied. “Doctor Matsunaga Keiko.”

“Oh!” Dimaano nodded. “You’re a doctor? Interesting! Of what?”

“Engineering,” Keiko responded. Dimaano nodded.

"Interesting. I'm general practice medical. We have a specialist in... Your situation, but she's out on leave right now."

"My situation?" Keiko asked. Dimaano gestured to the food.

"You should really eat, it's getting cold!"

Keiko hesitantly sniffed the food. She could feel the heat coming off of it, which immediately relaxed her. She took hold of a spoon and scooped up some of the porridge looking stuff. She brought it up for a taste. It wasn’t terrible, but it was very bland. That said, it was warm so Keiko could forgive it. She dug in, suddenly feeling famished. The doctor stayed at her side, looking at a tablet of some kind.

“Mmph… What’s that?” Keiko asked. Dimaano looked at her, as though just remembering Keiko was in the room. She smiled.

“Oh. This is just a PADD. It’s a small computer we use to document things,” she said. She turned the PADD to face Keiko. “See? It’s just a-”

“A touchscreen interface, yes,” Keiko said with a nod. Dimaano raised her eyebrows.

“Oh! You had those in your time then? That’s good. It won’t be so confusing for you,” she said, reaching out to pat Keiko’s palm. Keiko narrowed her eyes, not liking the woman’s tone.

“What do you mean ‘my time?’ How long have I been in cryosleep?” Keiko demanded.

The doctor hummed. “This is usually the hardest part for anyone in your… Situation,” Dimaano stated. “Maybe you should finish your food first before you hear it-”

Keiko glared at her. “Where am I, and what year is it?” She demanded. The doctor sighed.

“Very well. You’re on Luna, Earth’s moon. This is Joseph Kerwin Memorial Hospital. It is Stardate 44002.3. The Earth year 2366.” She stared intently at Keiko. “You’ve been in cryosleep for over three hundred years.”

Keiko was silent for a while. She stared at her porridge. The doctor tensed a bit, concerned. Finally, the woman sighed softly.

“Three hundred thirteen years,” she murmured. The doctor nodded.

“Yes. I’m very sorry. I’m sure this must be a great shock to you.”

“Was… There anyone else?” Keiko asked, almost a whisper. Dimaano shook her head.

“No, I’m afraid not,” she said.

“I see,” Keiko murmured, looking down at her hands. Dimaano smiled, and rested a hand on Keiko’s shoulder.

“Now. A lot has changed since you went under. It’s going to be a big adjustment. But I’m sure you’ll make it soon enough.” Dimaano turned to leave.

“Did… Did we at least win?” Keiko asked. Dimaano stopped, and turned around with a curious blink. She walked back to Keiko's side.

“Who? Win what?” She asked. Keiko looked intently at Dimaano.

“The war against ECON,” she specified. Dimaano hummed, thinking. Then she smiled.

“Oh! World War III?” She answered, and Keiko immediately tensed. “I can’t say there were any winners in it. After all, both sides destroyed one another. The whole thing was ridiculous.” She reached out and patted Keiko’s palm. Keiko’s hands curled into tight, angry fists.

“I’m sure it must have seemed important at the time, whatever you were fighting over,” she said with that damned smile, “but I’m sure in time, you’ll realize it was ultimately pointless and could have easily been resolved if you’d cared more about peace-”

Which is when Keiko slugged her.

- - -

Joseph Kerwin Memorial Hospital, New Berlin, Luna, Sector 001

2366

- - -

The next few days, Dimaano didn’t show up. Keiko couldn’t help a certain satisfaction about that. It left her with a lot of nurses and interns who entered her room to give her food, check her vitals, occasionally talk a bit but most importantly? Be bullied into bringing her things.

Like a computer or two and a few PADDs, all of which she immediately put to use accessing the hospital network and learning about this new time she was in.

Faster than light drive. Aliens. Interstellar wars. Exploration. So much to absorb, but the more she learned, the more Keiko wanted to learn more. Her mind had been frozen for three centuries, after all: She needed to get it going again.

At last, around Friday, the doors slid open and Doctor Dimaano appeared with her same smile. She reached up to touch her nose when Keiko glared at her.

“Miss Matsunaga, I hope you don’t mind if we go through a few things with a colleague of mine?” She asked. Keiko’s glare didn’t cease.

“Why don’t you apologize first, and I’ll think about it?” She retorted. Dimaano sighed heavily, like she was dealing with a child. It made Keiko’s hackles rise.

“I am sorry. I should have been aware of how… Sensitive certain topics can be,” the doctor said in a very formal, plastic voice. “It may not have been the… Best approach.”

“I’m so glad you figured that out,” Keiko replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Dimaano nodded.

“Well. Shall we begin?” Dimaano asked. Keiko returned to her PADDs. “Miss Matsunaga?”

“I didn’t say yes, and it’s Doctor Matsunaga,” Keiko shot back. Dimaano sighed again.

“Well! I thought you might be excited to meet your first alien,” she said. She managed to make her smile wider. “Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

Keiko shrugged. “You make it sound like it wouldn’t be.”

A frustrated growl rumbled from outside the door. Dimaano and Keiko both jumped. A large man, a head or two taller than Dimaano, entered the room. His forehead was large and covered in ridges, like the crest of a triceratops. His hair was long and bristly, trapped in a tight ponytail. His fingernails were pointed, as were his teeth. He wore a long, white coat with a number of red symbols on it, over a jet black tunic of some kind.

“Doctor, if you’re done wasting time, perhaps I can get about the business of speaking with the patient?” The large man growled, making Dimaano flinch. Keiko decided she immediately liked the man, especially with how fake Dimaano’s smile was back at him.

“Ah, Keiko, this is Doctor Stord. He is a-”

“Klingon,” Keiko immediately identified. “Member of some kind of exchange program, right?”

Stord hummed with a nod. “Yes,” he replied. “I see you have been catching up.”

“Beats sitting around doing nothing all day,” Keiko replied. The Klingon nodded, and Keiko studied him. “You know, it’s hard to think of you as an alien. I mean, a lot of our popular culture imagined aliens would be humanoid, but that was just because special effects sucked back then. The odds of aliens actually looking anything like us was very low.”

“Hm. We thought much the same way, for a time,” Stord replied. He stepped into the room, past the annoyed Dimaano. He took another few slow steps up to Keiko’s bedside, a PADD held out in his hands. “In our case, we were invaded and conquered by an alien race we later drove off. It left a lasting impression on us.”

“Yeah, I read that too,” Keiko said with a nod. Stord hummed, making a note.

“Indeed? Well. Perhaps we can talk more about Klingon history and culture at another time,” he stated. “For the moment, Doctor Dimaano would like you to answer a few questions.”

“Ah, yes, I would,” Dimaano stated, moving to the other side of Keiko’s bed but keeping her distance. “For instance: What were you doing onboard that ship?”

Keiko took a deep breath. “I was on the Orbital Defense System Project team for the Allies. We built the satellites that were…” She trailed off, but managed to continue. “That were supposed to prevent a nuclear exchange if ECON launched an attack.”

“I see,” Stord rumbled, even as Dimaano winced. “You were found far from the satellites.”

“We were headed to check on deployment of similar satellites to protect the Moon colonies,” Keiko explained, and the Klingon nodded in understanding. “While we were in transit, the ECON nations launched an attack… We just saw the ICBMs launching.”

“According to my research into World War III,” Stord began, flipping through his PADD, “Colonel Green had decided to launch an all out attack after turning a few key personnel throughout the Allied command and control structure. His agents launched a few parasitic satellites with what you would call ‘stealth’ technology to disable your defense network.” Stord eyed her carefully.

Keiko managed a nod. “Yeah… We figured that out pretty soon after the launch started. We tried to disable the satellite that was jacked, and we did but…” She sighed. “After that, something hit us and we couldn’t stay in contact any longer.”

“The logs recovered from the satellites indicate that someone tried to get them back under Allied control for over twenty minutes,” Stord stated. “While under fire. Impressive.”

Keiko shook her head. “I wasn’t good enough,” she stated firmly. “That’s… All it was. In the end, Colonel Green won.” Her eyes narrowed. “And in the end, what did he win? An irradiated hell with constant death and suffering.”

She fixed Dimaano with an angry glare. The doctor shrank back a bit. Keiko glared at the far wall, her fingers gripping one of her PADDs tightly. Her knuckles were pale from the strain.

“I hope they savored it,” she growled.

Stord nodded in understanding. “The Eastern Coalition was monstrous. Even by Klingon standards,” he admitted. “Green acted as a coward. His only satisfaction was a burning world, brought about by his own hands. There is nothing honorable about that.” He reached out and grasped Keiko’s shoulder, making her look up at him.

“However: To fight on as you did marks you as someone of great courage and determination. To not give up after all that, and to try and survive takes strength. No matter how difficult it may seem now, I assure you: You have the strength needed to live in this time. You will only require guidance. And many will be willing to guide one as worthy as you.”

What’s with this guy? He’s talking like someone out of my Japanese animes, her mind pointed out. Yet it didn’t stop her genuine smile.

“Thank you,” Keiko replied. She glanced over at Dimaano, and then back at Stord. “So… Um, what else can I help you with?”

Stord asked more questions, mainly related to Keiko’s expertise. He admitted that several other historians were already very interested in talking to her, but for the moment they were held at bay due to Keiko needing time to recover. Dimaano was mostly just annoyed the entire session. Which suited Keiko fine. She talked about some of her medical issues as well, and Stord patiently went through the tests with her.

Frankly, she was astonished at just how much information the little sensors in the bed were getting out of her. It was like they’d shoved an MRI, X-Ray, Thermal and dozens of other scanners into tiny panels no thicker than a few pieces of paper. Stord himself was not an engineer but he was able to answer a number of her questions about the operation of the devices.

“So, it’s not just increased resolution and processing power, you’re also using some kind of exotic particle field to measure mass displacement?” She asked. Stord nodded.

“Yes. Subspace interface technology has multiple uses. I believe that at one point, you called the missing mass of the universe and the energy that kept it expanding ‘dark matter’?”

“Yeah,” Keiko nodded. “It was really kind of a stand in for something we didn’t understand.”

“Hrm. Well, I am not a physicist but I do believe you were detecting the first signs of subspace,” Stord stated. “It is a multilayered dimensional domain that intrudes on our own level of reality.”

“So because the laws of physics are different through subspace technologies, you can bend them a bit,” Keiko said. She grinned brightly. “That’s… That’s actually amazing!”

“I suppose it is,” Stord said with a nod. His phone beeped, and he checked it. Sure, they called it a “communicator” but it was really just a phone to her. Stord grimaced at whatever he saw on the screen of his device. “I am needed elsewhere,” he said. He looked at Keiko. “If you require anything else, you may ask Doctor Dimaano.”

“Will I see you again?” Keiko asked, a bit shyly. Stord hummed.

“It is usually not a good thing to want to see a doctor more than necessary. But I would be happy to speak to you and help with your recovery more,” he said. Keiko grinned.

“That’s all I ask!”

The Klingon turned and headed out. Dimaano sighed, and finished a few notes on her PADD. Keiko looked over at the doctor, raising her eyebrows.

“You seem happy to see him go,” Keiko observed. Dimaano shook her head rapidly.

“Not at all! It’s an honor to have Doctor Stord as a resident doctor. His expertise is well established,” she said. “I suppose he can just be hard to work with sometimes.”

“I didn’t have any trouble,” Keiko retorted. Dimaano gave her a condescending expression.

“Yes. You’re a weapons designer, and he’s a warrior. There’s a natural synergy there.”

“I thought he was a doctor,” Keiko replied. Dimaano huffed.

“In their hearts, all Klingons are warriors. Even as allies, they keep trying to find excuses to fight. To war.” She looked intently at Keiko. “We’re in a time where we’re supposed to be… Better than that. I guess his race just has a lot more growing up to do.”

Before, Keiko would have just gotten angry at that. Even now, she was angry. But rather than lash out physically, she slowly nodded.

“Oh, I see,” Keiko replied. “I mean, it’s not like the Federation has had to fight to defend itself. Against, let’s see,” she began, checking a PADD, “the Romulans, the Klingons, the Tholians, the Kzinti, the Klingons again, the Gorn, the Klingons yet again, the Romulans again, the Talarians, the Tzenkethi, the Cardassians and these new guys… The Borg?”

“Wha-” Dimaano snatched the PADD out of Keiko’s hands, and looked through it. She stared at Keiko in shock. “How did you get access to these files?! These are restricted!”

“People apparently still use their birthdays for their passwords, even in the 24th century,” Keiko replied breezily. “I’m just saying, for a ‘peaceful, enlightened’ civilization you’ve had a lot of wars.”

“Minor skirmishes ever since the Khitomer Accords, at best,” Dimaano sniffed. She sighed. “I think you’ve been doing too much reading. It’s time to get out and about: It’ll do you good!”

Dimaano went over and pulled out a wheelchair… Minus the wheels. But thanks to the anti-gravity pads on it, it just floated easily. She pushed it back to the bed with that plastic smile again.

“Come on: It’s been a while since you saw the sun anyway!”

Keiko grumbled a bit. She knew the doctor was just trying to get her way and make Keiko do something to assuage her own ego… But she had to admit, she would like to get out. So she stood up, brushing off Dimaano’s attempts to help, and sat down in the chair with the imperiousness of a queen. She gestured to the door.

“By all means,” she stated. Dimaano pushed her along, and Keiko leaned back, her blanket tucked tightly around her. It was still too damn cold.

- - -

The Joseph Kerwin hospital was on the edge of the huge, transparent aluminum dome that protected the New Berlin colony. When Keiko had been to the colony last, it had been a few dozen habitat modules and 3D printed pressurized caves: Now it was a full blown city, with skyscrapers reaching for the dark night sky and aircars going to and fro. The technology was impressive, but the most gratifying sight was the Earth high above. The blue dot, thriving and living again. Even after World War 3 and the horrors that followed, it had recovered. She found herself staring intently at it, a smile on her face.

Dwayne… Renji… I’m so sorry you couldn’t see this.

The garden around the hospital was full of other patients, and had several screens displaying news from around the Federation as well as entertainment. She caught sight of several different species she remembered reading about: Andorians, Bajorans, Bolians, Tellarites, Trill, Nasat, Triexian, and many others she hadn’t read about. Despite Dimaano’s poor first impression, she was already liking the Federation. What she’d seen of it, anyway.

It was at this point though that every screen changed to a single news report: Footage from Wolf 359. Keiko looked at the reports with a frown, as numerous other eyes all turned to watch too. Dimaano shook her head.

“Oh, that. The new guys, as you called them,” Dimaano explained with a huff. “The Borg. They attacked one colony out on the rim and now are trying to come here with one ship! Can you imagine something so ridiculous?”

The grave looks on the reporter’s faces and those of the other people who showed up didn’t seem to reflect Dimaano’s apathy. Keiko shook her head.

“You’ve assembled 40 starships to fight this one ship. It doesn’t look ridiculous to me,” she said. Dimaano shook her head back, and patted Keiko’s shoulder. This made Keiko glare at her.

“Please. I’m a Starfleet officer, and let me tell you: This is just an overreaction and it’s all going to blow over soon. The Federation is enlightened. We just have to teach the Borg what they’re missing, and they’ll learn soon enough.”

It was at this point the Borg cube entered visual range. Keiko studied it intently, as she did the designs of the Federation starships she could see. Most of the Federation ships seemed built for speed as a priority, and long range-Not necessary bad things, but maybe not that tough. Then again, the Borg ship was a gigantic cube, like a brick the size of a mountain-It was hard not to look frail against that.

Out of forty ships… Four of them immediately launched forward in a first wave, while the other vessels hung back and began to encircle the cube. So far, not terrible…

“A vanguard to slow the cube down while the other ships surround it? Not bad,” she allowed. “But why aren’t they firing all weapons? Why aren’t they concentrating their fire on a few single points? Why aren’t they coordinating?”

“It’ll be fine, Keiko, now calm down,” Dimaano tried… Just as the first ship was caught by a Borg tractor beam and torn apart. Her jaw dropped, and a horrified silence began to grow as more and more ships were similarly destroyed.

The Federation ships began to attack in larger groups, raining fire down on the cube from all sides. More smaller groups broke off to engage the cube, as the rest of the fleet bombarded it. The footage was getting confused, as the feed had to keep switching from ship to ship as the cube pressed on. More ships were destroyed. More formations shattered. A small scout vessel, an Oberth if Keiko recalled correctly, tried to ram the cube but was caught and tossed aside like a toy.

The fleet had been reduced in number by half. Fires and impact damage were visible on the cube but the giant kept pushing on even as more fire struck it from all sides. The Federation ships drew back, trying to regroup around a big ship: A Galaxy-class, she believed.

It put up a valiant fight: All phasers and torpedoes firing, maneuvering hard with its companions as it kept trying to find anywhere vulnerable. Yet it wasn’t able to keep its distance. The Borg rammed through another vessel, and another, pushing to get to the flagship.

The feed switched to a civilian vessel. The reporter on the scene looked terrified, sweat dripping down his brow as the crew rushed to and fro in the background.

“The captain is ordering us to retreat. Something’s jamming us! I-I can see the admiral’s flagship! The cube has it! They’re tearing it apart! It’s coming apart! I can’t believe it!”

The ship began to shake violently around the reporter. He held on for dear life.

“The cube’s here! It’s caught us! We can’t-!”

The image jerked, janked and dissolved into static before a deep, grating electronic hum filled the air. Keiko gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly, as a pale face covered in cybernetics appeared. The face was hard as granite, yet emotionless. Then, it spoke.

“I AM LOCUTUS OF BORG. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. YOUR CULTURE WILL ADAPT TO SERVICE US-”

The screen went black. Keiko looked at Dimaano. The Filipino woman was pale, her mouth trying to work but no sound came.

“What was that you said about Federation enlightenment? I think the Borg learned something else,” she commented, despite the fear she felt.