Star Trek The Next Generation The Gift: A Star Trek SI

[DarkDestroyer]

This chapter is the start of a couple of ongoing arcs now. We're about the half way point of the story overall. The middle if you will.

 

[Goku_san]

The start of a beautiful friendship? Or also the start of me getting wiped out by everyone at the table?

Click to shrink...

Both. Be careful, Dax is going to rob you blind and fuck you into the deck plating. ;D

 

[DarkDestroyer]

Both. Be careful, Dax is going to rob you blind and fuck you into the deck plating. ;D

Click to shrink...

I'm GOING TO GET TOSSED!

 

[DarkDestroyer]

Paramount-SkyDance Own Star Trek. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Non Profit.

Tongo at first had me bamboozled beyond belief! However after a few hours...sometimes I'm a slow learner when it comes to games, and my more competitive friends seize upon this weakness early on, only to discover later on it was a mistake to underestimate me. This is not that situation! It is quite a complicated game...but it's a fictional game created for a sci-fi show that takes place in the future...so yeah. It's basically a cross of roulette (which is what Dabo is) and cards. The goal is to use strategy to "confront", "evade", "acquire", or "retreat". Say that five times fast! Put on a shirt! Each venture has a risk amount that you play, to either buy or sell. The goal is to have monopoly over your opponents by matching the cards with the dice. Like I said...it's complicated...but as much as it is designed to GAIN profit---Tongo is a primarily social game and I'm very much enjoying my time with Jadiza, even the Ferengi.

We play for hours. I have no idea how long Dax was already playing before I arrived. So long in fact that we get a visitor.

"I should have guessed I'd find you here." a voice says and I look up

"Lieutenant Ro. Uh...sir!" I exclaim as I scramble to sit up....I notice Jadzia smiling and suppressing a chuckle. The Ferengi see Ro and clear out immediately.

"You couldn't resist even just a little could you?" Ro says

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lie

"I believe the Lieutenant is referring to me." Dax says as I frown

"I am. I should've known something was up when you didn't immediately call me from the Enterprise. THIS was planned!" she exclaims

"Guilty as charged...look Curzon and I were friends before he passed away. He left me his estate on Risa, I was simply..."

"You were doing nothing of the sort. I know you Ensign Young." Ro states

She's not wrong. Jadzia starts to get up. Damn it.

"Lieutenant. I admit that coming here was planned. I was curious to meet the new Dax host...but my intentions---" the two of them start laughing. Oh.

"You should see the look on your face! I told you it would be worth it." Jadzia says as the two of them hold each other giggling. Laren is actually giggling!!!!

"Y-you're not mad?" I ask Laren and she lets out a snort she's laughing so hard


"Of course not. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist and informed Jadzia to expect you. I mean she already was anticipating you at some point thanks to her memories of Curzon, but we planned this together." she explains

"Well...I'm glad that I could provide you with such entertainment." I say--I'm not sure why I'm upset. This is actually a VERY good thing.

"Don't be upset. I made it a point to get to know Ro after we first came aboard together. We've become friends since." Jadzia explains

Well I'll be damned.

"I'll leave the two of you for now. I'll expect to see you a little later Ensign." Laren pecks me on the cheek before she leaves

"You should be proud of the Lieutenant, Ensign, she's been a stellar first officer already. She has surprised a lot of people." Dax says as the two of us leave Quark's

"I am proud of her. How's...Kira been?" I ask

"Major Kira has started to settle into her role. At first it was pretty....tumultuous, especially between her and Ro, but I think it's going to work out." Jadzia replies

"What are you doing right now?" I ask

"Talking with you." Jadzia answers with a smile

"I meant do you have any plans?"

"Not as such....except I was planning on going to sleep at some point. I am on duty at Beta Shift. What are you thinking about?"

"Uh...nothing. If you're going to bed then I should get myself to Ro's quarters." I reply

"Very well. When you're on the station next, I will take you orbital skydiving in the holosuite." she replies

"I don't think you'll...." I start to tail off

Wait a minute. Orbital skydiving. I snap my fingers and turn to Jadzia

"Can I pull you away from bed for a few more minutes?" I ask and she nods with her customary hands behind her back

"Where are we going?" she asks

"Back to Quark's, to the holosuite. You just gave me a tremendous idea!" I exclaim as I start jogging back into Quarks

"Quark...here's my credit chit again. I'm buying at least two hours of holosuite time at premium. I don't know if we will be using all of it." He smiles

"You may have given me an indirect solution to a problem I've been having sir." I say formally

"Jadzia is fine when I'm off duty. What problem might that be?" she asks as we walk up the winding steel stair case

I step outside the holosuite and start programming the control panel.

"Saving Jim Kirk!" I say enigmatically

"You know how to program a holosuite?" she asks

"Rudimentary knowledge only I assure you. Just enough to get the computer to give a rough estimation of what I want...there. After you." I say

We step into the holosuite and it's just the familiar grid pattern.

"Computer execute program parameters."

"Holosuite safety protocols to medium."

"Do you have auth---"

"Authorization Young Alpha Charlie 98 Sierra." I finish and Jadzia is impressed

"Authorization accepted. Stand by."


"What are we---"

In a slightly more dramatic than I had anticipated sequence---Tony Stark's Class A Extremis armor begins to form around my body. The technology is absolutely marvelous. I hear a familiar voice.

"Jarvis, you there?" I ask

"Yes sir."

The heads up display comes immediately online and I see Jadzia in front of me. I open the face hatch of the helmet.

"Hi...I need your help too." I say

"With what exactly?"

"Calculating the odds of creating and utilizing a quantum filament tether---length and size enough to attach somewhere on this armor---or something like it. Jarvis---show her Captain Scott's schematics."

"Doing so now."

A black super hardened hose like object appears in holographic form circling in front of Jadzia.

"Show her the Nexus."

The Nexus ribbon appears.

"Jarvis prepare booster rockets to maximum speed."

"Jadzia, I need to know basically if we are able to use THAT cord attached to this armor to get into THAT ribbon from a starship's front hull. I'll be back with you in a jiffy." I say getting cocky.

"Where are you going?" she asks

"Up." I reply as the face hatch closes and the booster rockets fire

"Jarvis project space."

Not sure how Jarvis is actually interacting with DS9's computer right now but it is. I'm not going to question it either. The holodeck grid is replaced with space....as I start to project upwards. Jadiza is already tiny looking down on the "surface" of the grid.

"Adjust our flight vector Jarvis, put us into Earth orbit. I want to be able to look down on everything."

"Yes sir."


"Patch me through to Jadzia."

It takes a moment but I can talk to her through the helmet now.

"Can I trust you?" I ask

"Y-yes of course." she replies taken back a bit

"The Enterprise collided with a quantum filament last year. Knocked out all our systems. The sheer rock solid force of the subspace distortion SHOULD be enough to anchor someone connected to it---that wants to enter into a reality construct called the Nexus, that flaming ribbon thing over there. "

"You are talking about the mystery object the Enterprise-B encountered on it's maiden voyage. Captain Kirk is...was trapped in it?" she asks coming to the conclusion I wanted

"Yes. A team headed by Captain Montgomery Scott at the Daystrom Institute has been working around the clock to figure out some way to rescue Kirk---Scotty came up with the Tether idea after I suggested we needed some kind of super dense object to enter the Nexus in."

"What you're talking about doing is impossible." Dax replies and I nod in agreement

"I agree. We have the Vulcans working with newly discovered Red Matter. You mentioned calculations....have you done them?"

"Finishing them now." she replies

"Hold that thought---Jarvis I'm going to free fall...cut the boosters until just a few seconds before I hit the surface."

"I don't think that is a wise idea Adam."

"Do it." I reply

He does so and I fall...it feels like forever but in reality it's only the length of the holosuite itself. I wait. Then I turn my hands downwards and use the repulsor beams to guide me to a safe landing. I'm showing off in front of Dax. She won't be impressed but the adrenaline rush is absolutely insane. I do a perfect Iron Man landing a few feet in front of her. Tony would be proud. Rhodey wouldn't...I lift up the helmet.

"What have you concluded?" I ask

"It is in theory possible. I calculated a 2.8 percent chance of success. There are a ton of variables involved as you've probably assumed." she replies

"Computer end program, remove Iron Man suit. Thank you Jarvis."

"Anytime sir." he replies and everything vanishes replaced by the grid

"Thank you Jadzia. Sorry about all the showy stuff. I've wanted to do that for a very long time. My training instructor refused to let me do that during my zero g..." I say and she smiles

"I'm not a bit surprised. I think you're cocky, trying to impress me, and over your head. However the suggestion is unique, and you have the right people working on it. I can compile my data and give it to you to submit to your people." she replies

"I'd like that, thank you. I am going to recommend you to the project. I assure you it won't interfere with your duties on the station." I say

"You really do know me." she replies

"I know enough to know what is really important to you." I reply smiling

"Curzon warned me about you... I should've listened." she states

"It won't be so bad. I promise you I'm not always like this..."

"So Ro has told me."

"I'm starving, you know anything open at this time?" I ask

"I know a couple of places yes." she says folding her arms behind her

The two of us head off to eat. We have a plan now. We're coming for you Jim.

 

[Marlow3]

Good grief having one legend back from the dead is already a boon for the UFP. Kirk as well would be a huge morale boost for the fleet. Especially going into the war when their lack of preparation will be on full display.
Thanks for the chapter mate

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Death by Chains]

Good grief having one legend back from the dead is already a boon for the UFP. Kirk as well would be a huge morale boost for the fleet. Especially going into the war when their lack of preparation will be on full display.
Thanks for the chapter mate

Click to shrink...

Having one or even two legendary individuals 'back from the dead' will help morale, yes, and perhaps even start inspiring up-and-comers to be less diplomatic and more dynamic, but they're not a magic bullet for all the issues plaguing Starfleet. Materially and culturally, canon!Starfleet just was not ready for someone to take a go at them on the scale of the Dominion War, and no one individual — not even a hero-captain like Kirk — can fix those systemic failings in a handful of years. They don't have enough ships, they don't have the right ships, and they don't have the right institutional mindset for an existential fight, because they'd convinced themselves such things were no longer possible!

And the thing is, Kirk being back might even be a negative, because idiots like Tim Watters will be able to point to his example as justification for their own antics. I can foresee a spike in unnecessary casualties resulting from people who don't know any better following charismatic gloryhounds into situations where a disciplined, methodical, rational approach to the problem(s) before them were discarded in favour of a vainglorious belief that personal brilliance and thrilling heroics would see them through, only to find their brilliance inadequate and their heroics smashing into that nasty wall called reality at Warp 6.

 

[SotF]

I have this image of a horde of Klingons learning that THE KIRK is back and beelining for wherever he is for an autograph

 

[DarkDestroyer]

Having one or even two legendary individuals 'back from the dead' will help morale, yes, and perhaps even start inspiring up-and-comers to be less diplomatic and more dynamic, but they're not a magic bullet for all the issues plaguing Starfleet. Materially and culturally, canon!Starfleet just was not ready for someone to take a go at them on the scale of the Dominion War, and no one individual — not even a hero-captain like Kirk — can fix those systemic failings in a handful of years. They don't have enough ships, they don't have the right ships, and they don't have the right institutional mindset for an existential fight, because they'd convinced themselves such things were no longer possible!

And the thing is, Kirk being back might even be a negative, because idiots like Tim Watters will be able to point to his example as justification for their own antics. I can foresee a spike in unnecessary casualties resulting from people who don't know any better following charismatic gloryhounds into situations where a disciplined, methodical, rational approach to the problem(s) before them were discarded in favour of a vainglorious belief that personal brilliance and thrilling heroics would see them through, only to find their brilliance inadequate and their heroics smashing into that nasty wall called reality at Warp 6.

Click to shrink...

Oooh excellent post indeed. Yes...I do have a plan for Jim. It's probably not want the majority want to see. Kirk back is going to introduce a whole slew of issues...but I DO have a plan for him I promise.