by Paxton Briggs and Salvek
81107.2300
After Pandora’s Box
-=USS Serendipity=-
81107.2300
After Pandora’s Box
-=USS Serendipity=-
Paxton sat in the first officer's office and looked around as he waited. The room was sparsely decorated and extremely well kept. Very few personal items adorned it. There was a family photo and some Vulcan art, but that was about it.
Pax figured that it was most likely a typical office of a Vulcan first officer. Everything in its logical place and no space wasted or cluttered with unnecessary items.
The sound of the door to the office sliding open drew Paxton's attention. He stood up from the simple but comfortable chair as Commander Salvek entered the office.
Paxton extended his hand. "Commander Salvek it is good to meet you."
“Welcome aboard. My apologies I did not arrive on time, but we just received orders to investigate a possibly very rare artifact.”
Paxton nodded. "I appreciate the Sera giving us a lift. I am also looking forward to working with your engineering and tactical staff. I think sharing notes will help both of our programs." He waved a PADD that he was holding. "Other then that we'll stay out of your way."
“I hope it is not an issue for you to do your work en route to Lethus IV.”
“I don’t think it will be a problem, as long as you promise you’ll let us go home when you are done. Maybe I can even pitch in with a duty shift here and there to help.”
Salvek nodded, “I’m sure something can be arranged if we find ourselves short staffed.”
Paxton smiled. “Well just remember that I am at you disposal if needed. I understand you have made some breakthroughs with sensor enhancements. That is the main thing I am interested in seeing.”
He leaned against the wall. “Indigo has some of the newest offensive and defensive technology available. Our situation as a border station has forced us to be on the edge of that technology. I’m hoping we can swap some tech.”
"Our sensor array is quite ingenious.” Salvek began, “We can share data in real time with our sister ship, the Alchemy. In effect we can extend the range of our own sensors by using the Alchemy to scout ahead of the Serendipity. The system also works in reverse if need be."
Salvek tapped a PADD as he spoke, looking through computer files for even a snippet of information on the Hugreti that may come in useful. Realizing he was, albeit unintentionally, being rude to his visitor, he set the PADD aside.
"I'm sorry Mr. Briggs. As I was saying, the sensor link is direct and real time. We do not have any delay in receiving or processing the readings, beyond the few milliseconds our normal sensors have. My Chief Engineer would be glad to walk you through the technical details of the system.”
Salvek once again picked up the PADD, and turned it back on.“May I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead, Commander.”
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Salvek handed the picture of the box over to Paxton Briggs.
Briggs looked at the picture for a few moments, and waited for the image to click in his head. “Hugreti?” He asked. The symbols were vaguely familiar but it had been a long time since he had seen anything like them. “Doing a little research?”
“Research, indeed. I’m trying to gather any information I can on the Hugreti, and I was wondering if you have any insight.”
Salvek thought back to his conversation with Kellyn after the staff meeting. She was right; Hugreti technology was dangerous, both because of its power and the fact that even if they were able retrieve a piece of their technology, they would have no idea what to actually do with it.
It was, however, not so much the fact that Hugreti technology was so advanced that its own creators could not contain it, that concerned Salvek. Rather it was the very idea that another race that considered the Federation an enemy could possibly turn whatever was in that box into a weapon to use against Starfleet, which troubled Salvek so deeply.
Kellyn believed dealing with whatever was in the box was a risk, but to Salvek the greatest risk was allowing opposing forces to use whatever was in the box against the Federation. For all anyone knew it could be empty. For all anyone knew it could hold the key to eliminating all the life from a planet.
Salvek had grave concern for what lay ahead. Something inside was telling him this was not going to be as simple as grabbing the box and returning it to Starfleet Command. He would need any and all information he could possibly obtain to make this mission work, and if Paxton Briggs knew anything Salvek did not, he wanted to know.
Briggs was looking at the ceiling deep in thought. “Sorry, I probably took the same classes you did regarding the Hugreti. Extinct if I remember correctly. I’m sure you’ve already tried everything in the database.”
“I did. So you’ve never seen anything similar passing amongst the merchants on your station?”
Briggs laughed for a moment, as he regarded the picture. “No. But, there are a lot of things that pass amongst merchants that never get seen.”
“I’ll send a coded message back to the station’s scientific department to see if they know anything more. They deal with this kind of information daily and have great contacts among the civilian scientific community. Maybe they can some up with something,” he offered.
“Very well, but please ensure your people are discreet in their lines of questioning. We do not want any undesirable individuals getting wind of our mission.” Salvek said. He waited for Briggs to signify he understood, and then continued.
“You said you have some information that could be of use for tactical systems? I believe any suggestions you could make will be of great use in the coming days. I’m afraid we don’t have time right now for long-term projects, but anything you may have to offer that can be implemented immediately would be of great use.”
“Commander Salvek, you sound suspiciously like a man that is anticipating a fight in the very near future.”
Salvek recalled an old Earth expression he had heard many times. ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.’ The burden of Command becomes an entirely different thing when you are last in the chain.
“I can of course arrange for a shuttle to return you to Earth. This is not your mission, or your ship. There is no reason to expect you to share the risk.”
Paxton stood away from the wall his tall, six-foot-seven inch frame stretching to its full height. “So, when can we get started?”
Salvek could tell by Briggs’ reaction to his offer that the shuttle would indeed not be necessary.
"I'll send the schematics of the Gateway system to your temporary quarters, and my Chief Engineer will contact you as soon as he has a moment."
Paxton shook Salvek’s hand firmly. “Thank you Commander. I’m looking forward to working with you and your crew.”
Salvek nodded to Briggs, and waited for him to leave. He pushed away from his desk, and sat down on the couch by the window. Resting his arm on the backrest, and chin upon his hand in thought, he twisted to look out at the passing stars.
Salvek had been through many battles, but for some reason, now more that ever, he was troubled. He wished he could send Arie far away from this place and what lay ahead, but there was no time for that now.
There were implications regarding this mission that would likely extend beyond his family, beyond his ship and beyond the Federation.
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one,” he said to the empty room.
Commander Paxton Briggs
Second Officer, Border Station Indigo
Currently aboard USS Serendipity
and
Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Second Officer, Border Station Indigo
Currently aboard USS Serendipity
and
Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012