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Expedition 8180
"Academy"
Episode / Scene: 5.7
Deck 600
Silou and Icheb have left the shower bay, hoping to keep Alak occupied while Thaddeus attempts to make contact with T'Rina. If he is right, this nightmare may soon be over. If not, they are going to have to find some way to work with the Romulan tyrant.
The urgency of the matter is as evident in Dal's voice as it is in his words, "We must hurry. One way or another we do have to get Kanar some help."
Still looking over his shoulder Kestra tells her brother, "He's right, Thad. If this is real, we are going to have to find some way to wake her up. We need to know."
Thaddeus has found the "page" on his Regulations and Protocols padd and there, as promised is a picture of the president along with a contact button that requires facial recognition to activate. "Okay, fingers crossed."
Q'ell furrows his brow as he tries to figure out just how that will help, but he does go about the machinations to cross all of his fingers on both hands. Akira elbows him lightly on the arm before anyone else notices how silly he looks. Q'ell quickly undoes his fingers and hides his hands behind his back.
Thaddeus stares at the center of the screen so that both of the small camera lenses on the right and left sides of the padd can capture the recognition points. Less than a second later T'Rina's face appears on the screen, a slight smile threatening to break across her face. "Hello, Mr. Riker."
A few moments later, power has been restored to Academy deck 600 holographic lab. The Training Bay is gone and Thaddeus, Akira, Kestra, Elnor, Dal, and Q'ell stand in the middle of lab, surrounded by the black and yellow matrix. Behind them is a miraculously cured Kanar. None of the other cadets are present.
Instead of the padd's screen, a very large projection viewer has appeared on the back wall of the lab. Staring back at them are T'Rina, Shaw, Deanna, Will, Spock, and surprisingly Captain Georgiou. Every one of them is wearing a very serious expression. Will Riker looks, and sounds, positively livid. "Blood wine! You have no idea how much trouble you are in young man! I cannot believe that..."
Deanna moves forward a bit and puts her hand on her husband's arm. "Will, please, we can talk about this later."
Riker is unappeased, ""No, we will talk about it now! This sort of behavior simply cannot stand. (to Thaddeus) Just what do you have to say for yourself?!"
Thaddeus turns red as he realizes that yes, in fact they have all been watching and heard every word. After a frozen moment or two he manages, "I'm sorry, sir... it was... it was a stupid thing to do and..."
Thaddeus stumbles for words and eventually turns to Kestra for help. She had always been so good at coming to his aid when he pissed his parents off. Suddenly the angry faces on the big screen break into laughter. Even Spock looks like he could be laughing on the inside. For her part Georgiou seems to be laughing the hardest. In her universe playing jokes was almost as unheard of as any real humor. It was nice to laugh.
All of the kids realize what is happening as relief washes over them. Every one laughs except Kanar. She allows it to continue for no more than five seconds before she abruptly cuts in. She is most certainly not drunk. "That will be enough. Compose yourselves as officers of Starfleet. Maybe."
All of the cadets quickly recover and stand a little taller as they go to parade rest. Q'ell has no idea what "parade rest" is, but as he sees what the others are doing he immediately mimics their stance.
Shaw begins, "I would like to congratulate you Mr. Riker. It was your mother who said you would be the first to figure things out and, it seems she has won the pool."
Scrolling through the padd she is holding Deanna says, "Actually Spock won. He had 1 hour 23 minutes, Thaddeus or Dal. He was only off by three minutes."
Spock does his best to look offended. "I do not wager."
More laughter from the adults, only hesitant smiles from the cadets as Kanar glares, daring them to laugh aloud.
Shaw continues, "So, as you have rightly figured out, this was a test. Not nearly as stressful as the Kobi-Ashi Maru, but it accomplished what we needed to know. I would like to welcome all of you to the very first Command Training Program."
All of the cadet's eyes go wide. Command? They hadn't even had their first day of classes yet and already they were putting cadets in various training programs!
Shaw seeing this cautions, "Don't get too excited. You are all still first years and will be expected to complete all of your base-level and above training labs. As a matter of fact, it will be much harder. Not only will you have to perform well in those areas of study, but you will do so while in command lab. If I were you I would not plan on getting too much sleep for the next three years."
Each of the cadets couldn't care less about sleep. They were excited, grateful, anxious, nervous, and elated all at once. Q'ell cannot control himself... "I want to be a pilot!"
Kanar snarls, her hands making a "wringing of the neck" motion to the eleven-year-old. Apparently she is oblivious to all of the high ranking officers watching on their monitor. Q'ell snaps to attention.
Still slightly off balance Kestra asks, "And the others sir? Did they make it into the command program? I think Icheb and Silou as well as..."
Shaw holds up his hand stopping her. "Worry not Ms. Riker. All of them have been added to the roster. It may interest you to know that three other TOGs of the seven remaining also participated in the exact scenario you experienced. Their simulation is still running and they will be evaluated accordingly. If others are identified as candidates, they will be joining your TOG."
Deanna takes over from Shaw, "There is something else that needs to be said. As you look at your group, you may get the impression that you were only selected due to family members who may have high ranking connections. This is wholly untrue. Each of you were chosen to go through the intruder scenario and from that point on, you either earned your way in or were passed over based on your merits or deficiencies in performance.
As we are all aware, there is no going back to our galaxy. We are here and there is a definite need to find replacements for all of the adults in various positions when the time comes. We must be ready to meet that need when it presents itself. This is not just for Starfleet personnel, but every job or position. Commodore Shaw and all of his staff have been tasked with preparing those who wish to fulfill those roles."
Shaw picks up again, "And that is where you come in. We must select the very best for our Command Training Program. In time one of you may very well be sitting in my chair, running this Academy. But be warned. You can just as easily earn your way out of the program as you did in. You are exemplary and will be viewed by your peers as such. Screw it up and I will be sure to make an equally vivid example of you."
He looks at each of them individually as he continues, "Tomorrow your Academy experience begins. I think I can speak for all of us here when I say congratulations on your impressive performance and we look forward to watching your progress over the next few years. Now, go get some sleep or whatever it is kids do nowadays. Or, perhaps don't do what kids do... I have no idea."
Everyone remains frozen in place, sure that the moment they move without permission from Kanar will certainly result in physical violence or worse. Riker leans in toward to camera on his side of the link.
Smiling, Riker calls to his son, "Oh and Thaddeus, I always wondered how crazy old man Thompper got his hover bike up on his roof. But you don't need to worry about me, it's your mother who can't wait for you to get home for a little talk!" Adding with exaggerated shock, "Blood wine!?
Expedition 8180
"Academy"
Episode / Scene: 5.8
Command Cube, Deck 1300
Deck 1300 on the Command Cube is primarily for Starfleet officers. This particular apartment is a two-bedroom affair that is very similar to that of Spock and Sedek, though the decor is radically different. The walls are brightly painted in bold colors and things are not nearly as orderly. It has a very "lived in" feel to it and there is a lot of art hanging on the walls. So much so, that the eclectic drawings and paintings look as if they were arranged and hung for a museum exhibit.
Una Chin-Riley is dressed in a very relaxed bit of civilian attire and she is busy making either a meal or a mess. As she works the matter is settled. It is both. Her long dark brown hair is tied up in a bun, though like the kitchen, it too is in disarray as she rushes to and fro making whatever it is she is working on. She hears the recognizable voice of Dal before she sees him. He has just transported into the apartment, and calls out, "Mom! I'm home!"
She calls back "I'm in the kitchen!"
Dal walks in, still dressed in his Starfleet cadet's uniform, a beaming smile on his face. He takes two steps into the room and begins an attempt to "download" a day's worth of events in the next two minutes. The boy speaks in one long, rapid fire sentence. "Mom, you have no idea what happened today - my first day of school I might add - no, that's not it at all - Honestly, I don't understand parents - you simply have no idea what happens in their kids' lives - huge disconnect if you ask me - well, I'll tell you."
He stops short and sniffs the air, "Hey, that smells great. I'm starving."
Una smiles. She had never really thought about what it would be like to take on the role of a parent, but she was enjoying the learning curve. "You're right. I can't guess. And, I don't understand kids, especially adolescent boys, so we're even. What happened?"
Dal is back to full speed, "Well, you won't believe it. We had assembly and there I was minding my own business and out of nowhere this giant Klingon woman, with very big breasts in my estimation, comes barging into the room drunk as a..."
After giving an account of the day's events that is somehow both compressed and expanded, a surprisingly not at all winded Dal goes into the kitchen and, opening a drawer, pulls out an apron. He puts it on and begins helping his mother prepare their dinner. He continues his story with occasional animated gestures as Una laughs at the telling.
Two weeks prior to this, Una-Chin Riley and Janeway are sitting in the small lounge set up in the far corner of the Admiral's office. They are sharing a cup of coffee and there is a plate of scones on the table between them, half of which have disappeared. After chasing down a scone crumb Janeway says, "So, you see Una, Dal has had a very rough childhood. Actually, when I think about it the way I have just explained it to you, he really hasn't had any childhood at all."
Una sips at her coffee then answers, "It does sound horrific. And the things he did on the Protostar with you, or rather the holographic version of you... Amazing."
Janeway nods, "He is a special kid and I am very fond of him. And that is why I have asked you here. You both share one thing in common, something that over time he is going to need. A safe place to explore, to figure out just who he is."
Setting down her cup and raising her eyebrows Una asks, "Are you saying he is an augment?"
After a moment's thought Janeway tells her, "In a manner of speaking, yes. He is a humanoid hybrid. His DNA is a soup of 26 different species. He does not know who his parents are, because he has none. He was created by some protégé's of Dr. Soong. The same Dr. Soong we are all very familiar with. The bottom line here is that he needs parents, or at least a parent. I thought that with Data's connection to Soong, he might be a good role model for Dal. Perhaps he could stay with him. But then Spock offered an alternate suggestion."
Una takes another sip of her coffee and then goes for another scone, not because she is hungry, but rather she is stalling for time while she works things out in her head. She suspects she knows what is coming her way. "And you want me to take him. To be his mother."
Without hesitation Janeway replies, "I'm not sure I would go that far, but yes, if you would be willing to allow him to stay with you, to provide for him that safe place to be who he is, I think it would be so good for him. He deserves it. And, it may be good for you as well."
Una still hedging says, "I can appreciate his situation and how I might be able to help him, but I fear my responsibilities aboard the Surak will not afford me the time that would be necessary to meet his needs. He would be home alone much of the time, and I'm not sure it would be fair to him."
Janeway is not through yet, "His greatest desire above all else is to join Starfleet. I am going to be enrolling him into our first class of cadets and as such he will be living on campus four days out of the week. And, with your schedule, I am sure Captain T'Pol will be able to accommodate your shifts to allow you evenings at home. Remember, this is not like the normal duty you are used to aboard Enterprise. Here everyone gets to go home at the end of the day. Sure you have quarters aboard the D'Kyr, but most officers will transport back to the cube at the end of the workday."
"I am just not sure I am prepared for taking on the role as a mother hen."
Picking through the scones and shaking her head Janeway continues, "Don't look at it that way. I am not asking you to be his mother. I am asking you to simply be there for him. A friend that he can turn to for advice or just feel a sense of belonging."
Una is more concerned with the seriousness of the role she is being asked to take on than anything else Janeway has to say. Eventually she tunes back in. "I will have to think about it. I like living alone, you know? No responsibilities outside the job, and I have my own little sanctuary to let my hair down. Not sure I could do that with a teenager banging around the apartment."
Janeway smiles in understanding and, putting her cup and saucer on the table stands, signaling to Una that she will pressure her no further. "You think about it and, at the very least, meet with Dal. Take a walk around the promenade and get to know him. If you change your mind, let me know.
Una gets up as well and follows the admiral to the door. "I will do that. And no matter what my decision is, I will make myself available to him if he ever wants to talk. I can commit to being his friend, an ear that he can bend whenever he feels the need."
As the door closes behind her Una walks down the corridor. Her mind is already made up. There is no way in this galaxy or the one she left behind where she would ever take on being nursemaid to some teenage kid. Ever."