MSTed: "A New Generation" [4/10] (Ratliff)

[Jamie Plummer]

>
> Chapter Three
>

Crow: Sorry about that Tom. Chicken Soup is good for the soul, though.
[Tom seethes]

> The command crew of the Starship Endeavor settled into the
> Fleet Admiral's Office. Seated, by the orders of Doctor Johnson, in
> the two chairs before Admiral Jean-Luc Picard,

Mike: Uh-oh. You guys ready for some titles?

> were Captain Marrissa
> Picard and Lieutenant Commander Clarrissa Sutter-Rozhenko. Standing
> behind them were their husbands, Commander Jay Gordon and Lieutenant
> Alexander Rozhenko. In between them, Doctor Jackson Johnson hovered,
> as if he expected their five and six month pregnant forms to burst at
> any moment.

Crow: Sounds like they've been species-norming those Starfleet MCATs.

> Up against the wall stood the mischievous Chief of Security,
> Lieutenant Shayna Sachs and her partner in crime, the Ship's Counselor,
> Martin Sussex.

Tom: They were first against the wall in Marrissa's Revolution.

> Behind the desk sat the Commanding Admiral, Starfleet;

Mike: That's one big desk!

> and father of the young Captain, Fleet Admiral Jean-Luc Picard.
> "How are things going on the Endeavor, Marrissa?" he asked,
> picking up a PADD.
> "Quite well, other than the fact that the Vice President drove
> Clara batty,

Crow: "... and I had to have her killed. Dirty business, this Starfleet."

> " Marrissa replied.
> "I know the feeling, you know Laxwana Troi once drove me into the
> Holodeck, so I could regain some composure," the Fleet Admiral responded
> in agreement.

Mike: That was back when Laxwana earned extra cash at nights driving cabs.

> "Pardon me, Admiral, but you didn't call us here to reminisce,"
> Marrissa stated.
> "No, I didn't, Marrissa," Jean-Luc Picard began. "Two days ago
> the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E was captured in Federation Space by the
> Romulan Admiral Soovik. Yesterday, Its destruction,

Crow: So the Romulans killed Pennywise yesterday?

> and that of several
> Romulan Warbirds were detected. The Romulans, However are claiming that
> they hold the crew hostage.

Mike: "They claim the bloody toe they sent us was Riker's."

> "Starfleet Intelligence has confirmed that they are still alive
> and being held on the Romulan Starbase Four. Your mission,

Tom: ... should you decide to accept it ...

> as ordered
> by Congress, will be to rescue the crew of the Enterprise-E and destroy
> the Starbase."

Tom: Good luck, Jim. This message will self-destruct.
Crow: I wish this fanfic would self-destruct!

> "Does this mean we are about to go to war?" Jay asked.
> "Congress intends to declare war the moment your new ship is
> in place," the Captain's father replied.

Crow: "As soon as you're in their sights, Jay."

> "New ship? What new ship?" Marrissa asked.
> "The Nova Class Starship USS," the Fleet Admiral began, and
> then paused. After a minute, he continued, slowly,

Crow: "I had Jell-O today..."

> "Enterprise N-C-C
> 1-7-0-1 F."
> "Thank you, Dad," Marrissa replied, smiling broadly. "I hope
> you are ready for the headlines."
> "What headlines?" the Admiral inquired.

Mike: Oh, there's Variety's "Kid Pic Dibs Ship"
Crow: Or the Wall Street Journal's "Marrissa Picard helms Enterprise,
Dow plummets."
Tom: Don't forget the New York Times: "Picard Takes Enterprise, Breaks
Seventh Seal: Apocalypse especially hard on women, minorites.

> "I'm sure my fellow officers can tell you of some of the ones
> involving them that have appeared in the tabloid press," Marrissa
> commented.
> "You mean like 'Princess Endangers Unborn Child Working in
> Engineering,'" Clara responded.

Crow: " ...leaves child in day care run by power-mad princess."

> "Or perhaps this older one, 'Princess Clarrissa Injured in
> Klingon Mating Ritual,'" Alexander added.

Tom: "My N'grath blade barely drew blood!"

> "In the news because Clara
> got morning sickness during our honeymoon."
> "That's what you get for not waiting until the wedding night,"
> Martin replied.

Mike: *Sigh* Ratliff, you're about as subtle with the message stick as Alan
Alda.

> "Martin, according the same tabloid, your virtues aren't any
> better," Clara responded. "After all how many times have I seen, 'I'm
> having Martin, Earl Flores's baby.'"

Tom: Well, MTV *does* have that one in heavy rotation.

> As Martin's face grew red, Jay interjected to calm the storm,
> "Then there is the 'Princess' Husband Leaves Ship' appearing every time
> I lead an extended away team mission."

Crow: "And every time I try to give myself to the dark vacuum of space to
escape this 'life'."

> "Of course the reverse is true," Marrissa stated. "Like
> 'Princess Risks Self and Unborn Child on Away Mission.' Personally I
> don't think Tricornus Major was that dangerous."

Mike: "We kept the fatality rate well below 90 percent."

> "That's all well and good, but why would my giving you the
> Enterprise result in such headlines?" Jean-Luc Picard asked.

Crow: "... Besides the fact that that you make *me* sick and I may have to
injure you?"

> Marrissa smiled and said, "Tomorrow's Headline: 'Fleet Admiral
> Gives Daughter Flagship.'"

Tom: Oh, so she's Kyle Chandler alla the sudden?

>
> When Marrissa entered the runabout that was to take her to the
> Enterprise with her father and her command crew, she thought the back
> of the short pilot of the runabout Dedication was familiar. It didn't
> take long for her to find out who it was. "Jackie, set a course for
> Utopia Planetea Yards, Nova Class Starship Enterprise," Fleet Admiral
> Picard ordered.

ALL: *groan*
MIKE: I think this is the much-vaunted "New Generation."
TOM: I didn't think Steve could go too long withou writing about tykes saving
the world.

> "Aye, aye, Dad," the red-headed ensign replied "Course set,
> departure granted from Air Traffic Control, San Francisco, course
> cleared by Earth Space Control."
> "Jackie?" Marrissa exclaimed. "What are you doing here? and
> how did you get that Starfleet Uniform?"

Tom: "It simply isn't you! What were you thining?"

> "She's your new Computer Security Officer," Admiral Picard
> replied. "And as for how she got that uniform, well she snuck into

Crow: "My closet. I asked for it back, but then she told me she had seen...
certain 'recreational' uniforms which she threatened to tell Beverly
about."

> Starfleet behind my back."
> "Dad," Jackie drawled in response, "you know that isn't true.
> Admiral Jerico tried to ask you but

Mike: ".. his walls were falling."

> you refused his call."
> "Start from the beginning," Marrissa requested. "Just how did
> you get into Starfleet?"

Crow: "And what took you so long? I was a Queen/Captain/quantum singularity
by your age!"

> "Well, I was over at the Academy, listening into Admiral
> Jerico's The Discipline of the Service course, CMD 216, as I've been
> doing since I was 6," Jackie began. "Near the end of class, Dad came
> rushing in demanding that security be increased on the master Starship
> prefix code file, ASAP. After class, I asked Jerico if I could be
> assistance. He said only if you can

Mike: " ... call me Al."

> break into the file and give me
> a starship's prefix code without triggering an alarm. I demonstrated
> that I could by delivering the entire file and Admiral Jerico's orders
> for Stardates 45000 though 50000."

Tom: "And then I hacked into the DOJ's homepage! It was cool."

> "And the fool gave her a full Ensign's rank," Fleet Admiral
> Jean-Luc Picard interrupted. "Then he talked with the Commandant of
> Starfleet Academy, who proceeded to offer Jacqueline credit for any
> class which she could pass the final exam on."

Mike: "What with the dire shortage of preteens in the force, he deemed it a
necessary, even over-cautious measure."

> "Over the last three months I've passed 136 hours worth with a
> n average of eighty-two percent," Ensign Jacqueline Picard responded.

Crow: "Okay, but what was your Cuccarcha Sushi time?," Captain Marrissa
Picard, of the flagship Enterprise, daughter of Fleet Admiral and
Princess of Essex retorted.

> "I've got 16 hours more than I need to graduate, and Dad can't find a
> way to keep me out of Starfleet."

Tom: Damn kids running wild, these days.

> "Dad, you should know by now that it's impossible to keep a Picard
> girl from her goals," Captain Marrissa Picard said. "After all, I'm about
> to get the Captain's chair that I set out to get a dozen years ago."

Crow: "I'll have the whole dinette set by my thritieth birthday. I WILL, YOU
HEAR ME?!"

> "I know now," Jean-Luc Picard confirmed. "However there is other
> business to finish before we arrive at the Enterprise.

Mike: "Starfleet House is again pushing back the release date for 'Last
Dangerous Visions.'"

> Alexander Rozhenko,
> come over here."
> The young Klingon moved over to stand in front of the Fleet
> Admiral. "Yes, Admiral?" he inquired.

Tom: So Picard is an Admiral, then?
Mike: I think so, yeah.

> "A several months back,

Crow: From the Augustan calendar, to the Gregorian, to the Marrissan!

> Captain Picard put you in for a promotion.
> The Promotions board has seen fit to grant that request. Congraduations

ALL: [Hum/whistle "Pomp and Circumstance"]

> Lieutenant Commander," The Fleet Admiral pinned the hollow pip on the
> collar of the Klingon.
> "Thank you, Admiral, Captain," Alexander Rozhenko, son of Worf,
> replied.

Mike: "Doctor, Captain."
Tom: "Captain, Doctor."
Crow: "Doctor, Doctor, Captain."

>
> Meanwhile, outside the runabout, the Enterprise was coming into
> view. A toy hanging from the ceiling,

Tom: Steve, buddy! This is prose. There's no fx budget concerns here.

> its length shown off. Behind it
> was the planet named for the Roman God Mars, God of war, its red in
> contrast to the white surface of the ship. The new saucer section was
> an upside down spoon,

Crow: ... for scooping out the debris left in Marrissa's wake.

> like those of the Intrepid Class. Below it an
> ovaloid secondary hull with a flattened front end served to hold up
> the warp engines. The warp engines, at this distance, appeared to be
> like those on the Galaxy class but longer and rounder.

Tom: Should we know what he's talking about here, or not,.. or?

> Closer they drew, for an outside tour, before entering the larger
> fan-shaped forward facing fighter bay they were passing now. After the
> runabout passed in front of it, it turned down the starboard side. A long
> door was visible down the side, which hid the retractable saucer warp

Tom: Looks like Ratliff's been looking to the gripping "30 minutes looking at
the new Enterprise" scene from the first Trek movie.
Mike: Actually, Tom, the 1701-A wasn't introduced until Star Trek IV. That
was just an extensively refurbished *old* Enterprise.
Tom: Trekkie fanboy.

> engines. Then along the regular warp engines they proceeded. More
> differences were visible now. The tips of the engines were cut like jewels
> with reinforcements at the intersections of the planes, whereas on the
> Galaxy class they had been smooth. Now around the back of the ship,
> runabout turned, proceeding up the underside.

Crow: *shudder*
Mike: You okay, Crow?
Crow: Sure. You just don't want to know what I was thinking of there.
Mike: Ah-ha. Sure. (yowch).

> Several shuttle and cargo bay
> doors were visible, as was the deflector dish, which was twice as large
> as the ones on Galaxy Class Starships. Then up around the front and on
> toward the fighter bay.
> As they neared the bay, Marrissa read out her new ships
> inscriptions

Tom: Oh, no. Don't tell me they gave her a fleet, too.

> with glee, "USS Enterprise, United Federation of Planets,
> NCC-1701-F"

[Commercials]
[Continued in Part 5]

Jamie Plummer jc...@virginia.edu http://faraday.clas.virginia.edu/~jcp9j
"It's merely symptomatic of our postmodern ennui. There are no
absolutes unless you perceive our world as meaningless when it's
really your own freedom you detest. I like pork." -- Brak