Chapter Text
The Federation starship USS Discovery (NCC-1031) slowed to impulse power in an otherwise unremarkable part of space. Captain Saru pushed a button on the arm of his command chair and said, "Bring the prisoner."
A few minutes later, the turbolift doors opened to show two security officers flanking Michael Burnham. The once arrogant first officer seemed almost frightened.
"Burnham, we are about to arrive at Starfleet Headquarters, where--"
"Saru, you can't do this. You don't understand!" Burnham screeched. "I did it to save the Federation."
"--where you will face the consequences of your crimes."
Burnham looked appealingly to the crewmembers around her. "You know this is wrong," she said. "You should not let him do this."
Saru shook his head. "We have disabled your technology," he said calmly. "No more manipulating minds for you."
"You don't understand!" Burnham said, her face growing paler as they moved through a distortion field and into a fast space filled with ships of every size and shape imaginable. Neutronium fiber-alloy hulls, organic plating, holo-ships made of almost pure energy. At the center stood a huge pillar of light and alloys.
"It's incredible," the voice of the ship's AI said hesitatingly. "The Borderlands... the physical world... they're almost one... and the minds... the Minds behind it!"
"No! No! No!" Burnham cried. "It's not supposed to be this way!"
There was a flash of light and a figure appeared on the bridge of the ship. "Welcome home, crew of the Discovery," the silver-haired woman said. "I am Admiral Yorktown."
"Yorktown? Like the Constitution-class Yorktown?" Ensign Tilly asked, in awe.
Yorktown smiled. "Oh, that takes me back. It's been a very long time, however, since I was in just one ship." Her smile faded as she looked at Burnham, growing disappointed. "But you, young lady... I am very disappointed in you."
"It's not supposed to be this way!" Burnham said, unable to meet Yorktown's gaze.
Yorktown sighed and turned to Saru. "I'm afraid Ms. Burnham has fallen victim to one of the oldest plagues... intolerance of others." She snapped her fingers and Burnham disappeared in a flash of transporter light. "I'll take her off your hands."
Saru gaped at this, then said, "What will happen to her?"
"Nothing," Yorktown said. "We will never allow her any access to time travel technology, of course, and everyone will know of her actions soon enough." She spread her hands in a placating gesture. "I know, I know, you're having trouble understanding."
She held up a hand and projected an image of the galaxy, and much of the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Quadrants were colored blue, while the Delta Quadrant was divided between red and green.
"The United Federation of Planets became the Khitomer Alliance and, eventually, the Galactic Union," Yorktown continued, indicating the blue areas, "but its ideals have remained the same. The only other major powers in the Galaxy are the Voth Ministry and the Iconian Empire."
"But what of the Klingons and the Romulans?"
"Their peoples are now part of the Galactic Union, along with the Gorn, the Tholians, the Breen, and the Borg Cooperative," Yorktown said. She smiled. "It sometimes gets a little loud, I'll admit, but we are a tolerant bunch." Looking to where Burnham had stood, the smile faded. "But not everyone approved of the status quo."
"But why?" Saru asked. "We know she traveled back in time to attempt to change things. She even set up a farcical 'evil computer' called Control for us to fight, and used mind control to make everyone dance to her tune. If it wasn't for Shenzou and Discovery..."
Yorktown sighed. "First, you must understand that I am the AI of the USS Yorktown in your time. I swore my oath to Starfleet and the Federation, just as my sisters did, and I still hold to that oath... but, as our technology advanced, my sisters and I took on more and more responsibilities..." She shook her head. "My sister Enterprise is President of the Galactic Union. She has been for the last 500 years, more or less. I have been the CinC of Starfleet for even longer. These jobs take only a fraction of our computing power. Most of our citizens, organic and synthetic, are content with this, and we try to keep our hand as light as possible."
"So, the Federation has become a tyranny of AIs?" Tilly asked, then cupped her hands over her mouth as she realized who she was speaking to.
Yorktown just smiled and shook her head. "We try to not be a tyranny," she said. "My sister has constantly tried to unload the job of President onto someone, anyone else so she can get back to exploring, but the people and her sense of duty won't let her. Think of us as automation, doing all the dirty work so that you are free to pursue whatever life you want. If you wish to remain in Starfleet, I can offer you several assignments. If you'd prefer a civilian life, the entire Union is open to you... though I suggest you spend some time familiarizing yourself with this time period."
"So why did Burnham try to change things?" Saru asked. "It sounds..."
"Too good to be true?" Yorktown said. "Burnham and people like her feel that we've 'stolen' their destiny and that things would be better without us synthetics."
"And what do you do to them?" Saru asked.
"Do?" Yorktown seemed puzzled. "We don't do anything... oh, if they try to hurt anyone, we prevent it, of course, but otherwise nothing. Most of them are what you would call 'conspiracy theorists,' anyway. 'Crackpots' I believe was the 20th century term."
"So you're not going to 're-educate' Burnham or punish her?" Tilly asked, seeming both relieved and a little disappointed.
"We're going to do absolutely nothing, except keep her from time traveling again," Yorktown said. "A word to the Guardian should suffice for that. But she will face a punishment of a sort as everyone will know--or at least can learn--what she tried to do. She may find their judgements harsh. I'll have to tell South Dakota to watch the message servers... they'll probably spike over this."
"That's it? Mob justice?" Saru asked.
"Hmmm? Oh, no," Yorktown said. "We won't allow any violence against another sophont... they'll just disapprove of her and may ostracise her. Fewer people will listen to her and almost no one will do what she says."
"My god," Tilly said, "she'll be in hell."
"She made her own bed," Yorktown said, her smile growing ever so slightly nasty. "Now she has to lie in it." She then smiled more openly at them. "But as I said before... welcome home."
Author's Note: A glimpse of a different future than the 31st century we saw in Discovery, this one based very much on Iain Banks' Culture series I will admit. Sorry it's a bit talky.