Subject: Grey Stars 1

From: [email-masked] (shimkevi)
Date: Wed Jun 24 18:12 EDT 1992

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Grey Stars, copyright 1992 by Sergei Shimkevich

"Star Trek" is a registered trademark of Paramount Communications, Inc.

Dr. Matthew and his Nurse, copyright by Masamune Shirow/Seishinsha

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This is a story influenced by the works of Masamune Shirow (Appleseed,
Dominion, Ghost in the Shell), that takes place in ST:TNG universe. 

All names are strictly products of imagination. Any resemblance to real
persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

The opinions expressed in the story are not necessarily those of the author.

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Cast of Characters:

U.S.S. RESILIENT
A Surya-class starship (a Next Generation version of Reliant) with additional
modifications that include a large shuttle bay for launching planet assault
troops (the ship has a special SWAT unit for planetside operations). Assigned
to the Rapid Response Force (RRF), a semi-autonomous Starfleet unit. Duties
include (but by no means limited to) hostage rescue and anti-terrorist
operations.
The creation of the RRF was quite a controversial decision that was taken to
the Federation High Council and passed only by two votes. Many Starfleet
officers, incuding Captain J-L Picard, felt that the creation of a separate
police force is unnecessary and undermines the founding principles of the
Federation.

VILDAN CEVELEK
Captain of the USS Resilient. One of the youngest captains in Starfleet, in
fact owing her position to the creation of the RRF.
Hair: red
Eye color: green
Age: 32
Rank: obvious

JANOSZ ILLY
First officer.
Hair: black
Eye color: brown
Age: 32
Rank: Commander

RENA KAMIE
Pilot of the multi-purpose craft aboard the Resilient
Hair color: brown
Eye color: blue
Age: 21
Rank: Jr. Leutenant

AMU SAGIE
The ship's Science officer. A friend of Rena.
Hair color: blond
Eye color: green
Age: 22
Rank: Leutenant

Note: Rena and Amu are not graduates of the Starfleet Academy. Once again, the
creation of the RRF was an extremely unpolular decision in Starfleet, in fact
RRF assignments were boycotted by three graduating Starfleet Academy classes
in a row. As a result, the newly-formed RRF had to recruit people from
outside. Rena and Amu come from an independent colony world where they
attended a military school of the colony's small self-defence force.

DWIGHT BEKELE
In charge of the SWAT team on board the Resilient. Was a security chief on the
USS Amiens before joining the RRF.
Hair: Black
Eye color: brown
Age: 34
Rank: Lt. Commander

KIYOSHI MINEO
Rena's co-pilot
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Age: 24
Rank: Jr. Leutenant

HANS MECKELEIN
Ship's Chief Engineer
Rank: Lt. Commander

LUIS MESA    |
QUING SHAO   |  SWAT troopers
ANDREAS FREY |
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PELLE (lastname?)
Information trader, sometimes mercenary. Owner of Kazhar, an extensively
modified Bird of Prey (where did he get the money???)
Hair: Blond
Eye color: Grey
Age: thirtyish (?)

ARISIA
Pelle's daughter
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Grey
Are: 7-8
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1. 

The person on the screen is obviously a STA (Star Trek Alien - human-looking
with a weird bump on a forehead). He is talking into an irregular-shaped thing
that appears to be a highly stylized microphone. He is speaking in his native
tongue with subtitles running across the bottom of the screen.

Newscaster: It is now 36.67 hours (obviously the translation is being done by
a computer) until the deadline set by the terrorists. At exactly 14.32 hours
tomorrow (another computer adjustment to Federation Standard Time), unless
their demands are met by that time, they will execute the first hostage who,
as they made clear, will be the President's wife. 
So far the government has remained strangely silent with only mid-level
officials handling the negotiations, although family members of the key
government figures are among the hostages...

(The camera sweeps away from the screen which is on the wall of a briefing
room. Several people sitting at the table, most of them are not looking at the
screen.)

Amu (she is wearing boots which are definitely not uniform), speaking to no
one in particular: Nothing new so far

Janosz (the only properly dressed person in the room). Well, in our business
no news is good news. (smiles)

Vildan (she is wearing a field jacket): Hans, when are you going to fix the
climate control? It is freezing in here.

Hans: I can't, ma'am. Dwight is using all the available energy for the
holodeck simulation of the hostage rescue operation.

Vildan: Can we at least get some coffee?

Hans: I am very sorry, ma'am, until Dwight is finished, all systems that are
nonessential to the ship's operation at this point are shut down, including
the self-repair circuits and the energy/matter converters.

Amu: Captain?

Vildan: Yes, Leutenant?

Amu: Permission to get coffee?

Vildan (puzzled): Hmm...granted.

(Amu leaves. Vlidan's communicator pin beeps.)

Vildan: Cevelek here.

Voice: Captain, an incoming message from Gilchres 1.

Vildan: Transfer it to here.

Voice: Yes ma'am.

(An alien belonging to the same race as the newscaster appears on the screen.
He is dressed in a well-tailored suit, which is obviously an import from
Earth. It is not difficult to see that he is stressed and has been going
without sleep for some time.)

Alien: I'm afraid I have some bad news, Captain Cevelek. It appears that some
of the terrorists are cyborgs.

Vildan: Are you absolutely sure about that, Mr. President?

President Jhehal: Yes. As it is now, the terrorists have to switch off their
jamming field when they comminicate with us. It is only for a millisecond, but
we've been able to send in a quick scanning pulse every time they do so. After
pooling the data from all the pulses made so far, our specialists are
absolutely certain that there are at least three cyborgs in the building.
Since none of the hostages have had inorganic implants, these cyborgs must be
the terrorists.

Vildan: What is your decision, Mr. President?

President: It remains the same - the demands that they make are unacceptable.
We have no other choice, but to proceed with the operation as planned.

Vildan: We'll do our best, Mr. President. However, we'll need all the data on
those cyborgs that you can provide.

President: It is being transmitted as we speak. (suddenly looks even more
tired) Remember, I'm counting on you, Captain Cevelek.

(end of transmission)

Vildan (grimaces): Cyborgs...(Taps her communicator pin) Cevelek to Bekele.

Voice: Bekele here.

Vildan: Dwight, get to the briefing room right away.

(Another sector of the ship. The sign on the massive door reads: "Training
Holodeck". The doors slide open and a person in an orc suit steps out, holding
a phaser rifle in one hand. Takes off the helmet.)

Dwight (into the holodeck, loudly): NOT FAST ENOUGH! Shoot BEFORE you hit the
floor, that's what the auto-targeting systems are for...Mesa, when you go hand
to hand, drop to the floor and slide-kick, don't punch, you've got servos in
your suit, remember. If you feel like punching, go to a goddamn bar and start
a fight...Shao...now that's what I call an improvement...wasted ONLY TWO
hostages this time...magnificent! (stops short) All right, when I get back,
we'll do it again. (faint noises of disapproval inside the holodeck) I said
AGAI, Frey. What are you, tired? Let me tell you something, Frey: you ARE NOT
tired. Now when we are finished with the hostage business, you'll be
processing ammo requisitions. Then you'll know what TIRED really means.
Anybody else who is TIRED? (silence) Be sure to let me know when I come back.
(Dwight walks away)

(Inside the holodeck: the program has been stopped and we can see nineteen
people in orc suits sitting on the floor grid.)

SWAT Team Member #1 (Shao): Fwooh, I was sure I'm gonna get the paperwork
shit. Thanks, Andreas.

SWAT Team Member #2 (Frey) gives him an evil look, but says nothing.

(Cut to the turbolift. Dwight is leaning against the wall, still in his orc
suit. The doors open and Amu steps in, carrying four coffee cups on a tray.)

Amu: Hi, Dwight.

Dwight: Hello. Hey, where did you get the coffee? All FP's (food processors)
have been down since morning.

Amu: Heh, heh (devilish smile).

(Briefing room. Amu enters with coffee, followed by Dwight who has to come in
sideways because of the bulky orc suit.)

Vildan: Great timing, Leutenant. (takes a cup). I need this coffee. Dwight, we
have just received a message from Gilchres 1. Looks like some of the
terrorsits are cyborgs.

Dwight: Just what I anticipated all along. After all, a large percentage of
the population on Gilchres 2 has cyborg implants. Lots of work-related
injuries.

Janosz: The president has made it clear that he wishes to go on with the
operation. Can we adjust our tactics?

Dwight: Well, the trouble with cyborgs is that a phaser stun will not work -
most of them have some shielding around the brain and other key parts. You
have to use the full setting. however, when you hit soemthing with a full
setting, lots of energy gets released. The place is really packed, from what
I've heard. if a hostage nearby happens to have a heart condition...you get
the picture. Plus, some cyborgs have hyper-liquid power cells.

Amu: You hit them not hard enough, they just shrug it off and shoot back. You
hit them too hard and they blow up. There were a couple of cases when cyborgs
got hit by security autophasers in spaceports. Stun doesn't work, so the
computer puts on a high setting and BOOM!

Dwight: Exactly.

Vildan: So we cannot use phaser rifles...Projectile weapons?

Dwight: We don't have any on board. We could pull up the specs from the
computer and replicate some, but we haven't had any training with such stuff
for a long time. How much do we know about those cyborgs?

Janosz: That's what we've got from their president (blueprints and other data
appear on the screen.

Amu: Lessee, hyper-liquid...yup, dispersion shielding...yup, thermal
shielding...not really, reflex boosting...yup. Your typical BiOES-2
(Biological Organism Enhancement System Mark 2) type, probably bought the
design from the Ferengi. I am pretty sure they have some black market
modifications as well - a built-in phaser or something.

Dwight: Interesting...all their cyborgs are anthropomorphic and covered with
synthskin. Practically impossible to distinguish between them and a normal
Gilchresian without a scanner. And they've got a jamming field in there, too.

Janosz: It's mostly cultural. From what I've heard, most Gilchresians regard
molding of a living being and a machine highly unethical.

Amu: Ha! Hypocrites! (after a pause) We-e-ell, what can you expect from a
mineral exporter, anyway.

Vildan: Speaking of you, Leutenant, where did you get the coffee?

Hans (looking suspiciously at Amu's waist): Leutenant, where is your phaser?

Amu: Oh, I dumped phaser energy into one of the food synthesizers.

Hans: Leutenant, this is outrageous! "Dumping" of phaser energy into any
system is absolutely forbidden, even in emergency situations.

Dwight (in a solemn voice): It sure is. By the way, if I remember correctly,
when you bypass the primary energy feed, there are no circuit breakers in the
food synthesizer itself. How did you manage to get anything out?

Amu (innocent voice): You see, coffee is not very complicated to synthesize
and it took only about 20 seconds for four cups...Of course the machine got
fried after that...

Hans: Leutenant, are you aware of the fact that this is deliberate sabotage
of vital on-board equipment?

Dwight: "Vital Equipment" all right, hasn't been working since morning.

Hans (annoyed): You, Lt. Commander Bekele, should be aware of the fact that
several systems have been shut down to provide energy for your holodeck
training routine.

Dwight: Yes, and somehow the dining facilities are always the first on your
cutting list. Why don't you shut off the containment field in the shuttle bay
for a change?

Hans: You have brought up this subject before, Lt. Commander. I must repeat
myself, and the Starship Operations Code as well, that shutting of the
containment field while travelling at speeds higher than Warp 3 is forbidden.

Dwight: For one thing, the bay doors on this particular vessel are
reinforeced. Besides that, I've yet to hear about shuttle bay doors on any
ship flying off into space without a moment's notice.

Hans: The regulations are not designed for each ship individually, Lt.
Commander. Although I understand your concerns about inconveniences associated
with the periodical systems shutdown, they are...

(Vildan finishes her coffee.)

Vildan: Excuse me?

Hans/Dwight: Yes, ma'am.

Vildan: If you don't mind, gentlemen, we'll postpone the fifteenth or whatever
round of this entertaining discussion until the end of the operation. As for
you, Leutenant Sagie, read the Starhip Operations Code once again,
less you dump phaser energy into the main computer core next time.

Amu: Yes, ma'am.

(Vildan turns to Janosz and away from Amu. Amu seizes the opportunity and
sticks out her tongue at Hans. Janosz sees it but pretends not to notice.)

Hans: Leutenant! This is outrageous! How dare you!

Vildan (annoyed): I told her to read the manual. We've got a cyborg hostage
situation to tace care of, Lt. Commander Meckelein.

Hans: Leutenant Sagie's behavior is completely unacceptable by any standards.

Vildan: Leutenant Sagie! Explain yourself!

Amu: Nothing, ma'am. I just licked my lips, the air is kind of dry in here and
Lt. Commander Meckelein has interpreted my actions.

Hans: This was a deliberate mockery of a superior officer. Commander Illy will
prove it.

Janosz: I am sorry, chief. I was not watching Lt. Sagie at that time and I
cannot comment on her behavior.

Hans: Very well, I shall file a formal complaint.

Vlidan: As you wish, Lt. Commander. Make sure you do it after the hostage
crisis is over, though. Understood?

Hans: Yes, ma'am.

Vildan: All right, let's get back to the assault plan. Dwight, any suggestions
as to which projectile weapon might be the best?

Dwight: Not now. We'll make a computer model and cross-reference it with the
weapons database. Will take a couple of hours.

Vildan: Very well. Everyone should report to me in seven hours. If no fresh,
original and previously uncopyrighted ideas grace my desk by that time, we
stick to the assault with phaser rifles. Understood?

(Everybody nods)

Vildan: Dismissed.

(Dwight and Amu are walking side by side along one of the corridors.)

Amu: A-after the hostage crisis is over, sure. Seven hours. Ha! He'll just
finish checking all the commas in his report on me in seven hours. What a
loser!

Dwight (he is serious): Most of the Starfleet is like that, Amu.

Amu: What do you mean?

Dwight: You haven't seen much of Starfleet. Resilient is your first assignment
and it is by no means a typical Federation starship. For one thing, Vildan is
pretty mellow when it comes to protocol. Where else can you get away with
sticking out a tongue at the ship's Chief Engineer.

Amu: Yeah, I guess I overdid it. But he is such a pain, really.

Dwight: It's just his way of expressing himself. Marks him as a protocol rat
the moment he opens his mouth. Most Starfleet officers are more subtle - all
friendliness and jokes on the outside, but the moment you forget where you are
and don't salute properly, you're toast.
(after a pause)
You won't be serving on the same ship forever. Sooner or later you'll get
transferred. If you don't learn what Starfleet considers to be proper
behavior, you'll soon find yourself in trouble. Especially with your
background.

Amu: You mean that I am a colonial?

Dwight: Precisely. Look at yourself - you are 22 and already a Leutenant. Your
peers are still in the Academy.

Amu: Well, wasn't it Starfleet in the first place who decided that I am fully
qualified for my position?

Dwight: Some in Starfleet and a definite minority at that. The rest agreed to
defuse an embarrasing situation. But remember - you, colonials, are always a
thorn in their side. A good-looking thorn in your case, I must add.

Amu (with a smirk): Thanks. Guess it's for us, thorns, to do the job the roses
in the Academy won't take.
(after a pause)
What's the scoop with the Academy, anyway. Tell me more about it.

Dwight: You mean the RRF boycott?

Amu: Yes. I haven't been able to get any info about it. Almost no Starfleet
records, at least among those available to me with my clearance. The media is
full of meaningless speculations, as usual.

Dwight: Well, as you probably know, it started four years ago when the Student
Board decided that the creation of the RRF was incompatible with the
principles of the Federation. The overwhelming majority of the cadets
supported the decision and the boycott of the RRF assignments started. Riedel,
however, shrugged them off, went over the heads of his superiors - not that
there are many, mind you - and obtained the permission to hire "qualified
outside personnel" directly from the Federation Supreme Court, citing some
ancient regulation from the early days of Starfleet.

Amu (wide-eyed): Holy s**t! Directly to the Supreme Court! And they gave him
the approval, too. By how many votes, I wonder?

Dwight: That was a closed session...Anyway, the rest of the Starfleet was mad
as hell, but couldn't do anything. The Academy boycott lasted for three years,
but once the old members left the Student Board, the new ones were reasonable
enough to stop it.

Amu: Quite reasonable. After all, the longer they boycott, the RRF, the more
of us, colonials, are hired, diluting their precious principles even further.

Dwight: Don't get me wrong, Amu. The principles are important to the
Federation. It's just that they've been hardened into a dogma which hinders
anything new. Admiral Riedel is not against the principles, he is just using
them creatively.

Amu: Seems to me they were a dogma to start with. Say, how can one interpret
the Prime Directive creatively? You either follow it, or break it, like JTK
did...if you can get away with it, that is. Like JTK.
[Note: JTK - obviously James T. Kirk]

Dwight: There is more to the Prime Directive than meet the eye. True, it
sounds like a dogma and everybody interprets it as such. But it is as much a
self-preservation rule as it is a principle.

Amu: ??

Dwight: Ever heard of Vietnam?

Amu: Vietnam? The O'Neil staion in the Nutara sector?

Dwight: No, the country. Twentieth-century Earth.

Amu: Nope. They did not cover much of the Old World history in our schools.
What is it?

Dwight: It was a small country torn apart by civil war. The nastier bunch
seemed to be winning, so the United States - on of the two world powers at
that time - decided to interfere. This resulted in a long, protracted and
bloody conflict, upheaval back home and it finally culminated in a humiliating
withdrawal. If you are interested, you can look up some history files for
detail, there are plenty of them. (they enter the turbolift) Deck 6.

Amu: Deck 10. Ah, I get it. The Federation sacrifices local interest for the
sake of overall stability.

Dwight: Exactly. The problem is to keep the proper balance between the two,
something that was understood in JTK's time and what the current Starfleet
leadership ignores. They are so deep in negotiating disputes between alien
races that they forget about the true purpose of diplomacy which is a show of
force. The Borg incident aside, Starfleet hasn't been seen in "action" for the
last seventy years. Not that there has been any - there were quite a lot of
"incidents", but the policy of the Federation is to keep everyting quiet. All
such incidents are classified and the general public knows nothing. 
Admiral Riedel created the RRF not only to crack down on crime, but also to
show all potential adversaries that the Federation can be aggressive when it
wants to. Of course now everybody sees him as just another power-hungry
admiral, but he is not that kind of person at all. The irony is that he is
more true to the principles of the Federation - true principles - than they
are. He wants the Federation to evolve. Most are content with the status quo
that we have now.

Amu: From your words it looks like the Federation is having an identity crisis
and we are smack-dab in the middle of it.

Dwight: I wouldn't say in the middle. Somewhat involved, that's all.

Amu: (mock disappointment): That's just too bad. I love being in the middle of
things.

Dwight: Oh, we will be...If the operation gets screwed up, that is.

(The turbolift stops)

Amu: Better get to work. See you later, Dwight.

Dwight: See you later. (steps out)

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