Jaseb Chevalier - The Last Contact

[Ollie Bergmen]

Quote

“It's been two weeks since the FNS Ujedinilac was supposed to report from its alternative propulsion test, so it's already clear that we can consider the ship lost. Unfortunately, with the loss of the ship, we also lost doctor duPont, the mother of the project, which makes it impossible for us to analyze the reason for its drive's failure comprehensively. Given the lack of evidence and the inability to determine whether the failure was due to sabotage or failed science, I hereby issue the order to close the project and order the arrest of all involved with HSB section 51-Black. Computer, end log. Seal all documents related to this investigation.”  
- Timothee Chevalier, SD 237611.07

The People’s Council Committee on Armed Services, Eltharia, 2375

The room was restless. The five representatives from the people's council seemed tired and disgusted of the man across the table.

“Admiral, we cannot approve your adjustments to the budget as they are. You came here again, asking for additional funding, again, for projects about which we know nothing, and expect us just to play the game, give you a stamp, give you money, and that’s it,” said the Committee Chairwoman. “And I stop you there. If I hear, again, that magic word of yours, which you and your colleagues love so much, I will personally shoot you, right now. These are closed committee proceedings. All committee members have a full security clearance from the Bureau of Thanators. Talk.”

Admiral didn’t move the flinch. He just nodded to the chairwoman, leaned back, and smiled.

“As a program HSB-51108-Black, I am not authorized to disclose anything about the project as it is classified under the National Defense Act of 2311.”

The chairwoman nodded and tapped her gavel to indicate she was ready to decide.

“The Armed Forces Committee rejects your motion for additional funding, admiral Cherkesov. If you want to object to this decision, come next time with someone authorized to say anything more than a single sentence. The meeting of this committee has now been adjourned.”

The room fell silent as the chairwoman directly declined the motion in the Armed Forces committee. This was unprecedented for Frontier Navy motions.

“I have a voice in this motion,” sounded by chambers as a young woman stood in the gallery. She wore a Frontier Navy cut uniform but had no insignia of her rank, division colors, or badges on her collar. Only the golden Warp Engineer insignia on her chest could reveal who she was.

“The meeting of this committee has been adjourned, madam. No other voice will be heard today,” the chairwoman said, tapping her gavel again.

A woman in an unmarked uniform did not sit down. On the contrary, she approached the chair where the admiral was sitting and put her hand on his shoulder when he tried to speak to her. She kept looking at the chairwoman, and as she stood at the table, she spoke again.

“The Father’s voice will always be heard,” she said. The chairwoman stopped tapping her gavel in mid-motion and appeared visibly shocked. She didn't know how to react but decided to set the gavel down. The gallery and committee members all stood up together and expressed appreciation for their Father of the nation.

“Hail the Father, and let us bless his wisdom with which he speaks to us.”

As they settled back into their seats, the committee members looked at each other before turning their eyes back to the woman in front of them.

When she settled down, the chairwoman asked, “Who speaks with Father's voice to this committee, madam?”

“I am Anna Marie duPont, lead scientist for the program HSB-51108-Black, madam chairwoman. I’m ready to answer your questions.”

One of the MPs whispered something to the chairwoman while Anna-Marie remained standing with a stoic expression, knowing that speaking up could have negative consequences given her precarious position. Still, her project was too important to be thwarted by the bureaucrats and inept, condescending rank-climbers from naval admiralty, who proforma were in charge of her research. As if someone could ever give orders to a member of one of the first families who colonized Eltharia alongside Father. However, even that wouldn't protect her if anyone on the Council of Twelve discovered what she did, and she'd be the one in trouble with the Thanators for violating state secrets. Yeah, Chevalier senior would have eagerly imprisoned her long ago if only she weren't his first son's fiancee.

The chairwoman tapped her gavel to silence the noise of two dozen voices in her chambers.

“Order in chambers!” exclaimed before turning back to Anna-Marie. “Madam duPont, this committee came to the conclusion that they approved additional funding for your project without further review. Admiral Cherkesov, madam duPont, you are excused from this hearing.”

Anna-Marie nodded contentedly and removed her hand from the admiral's shoulder, which she had been pushing against the chair.

“Thank you, madam chairwoman, for your condescension.”


Class T nebula, three light years from Jouret system, 2376
Fourteen months later

Anna-Marie stood next to the viewport on the bridge, looking out at the magnificent nebula. She marveled at how a simple gas mixture could create such a wondrous sight in the right conditions. But that look, being more self-pretty, wasn't what she was here for today. She turned away from the view and signaled the commander to begin his briefing.

“All probes are modified and ready. The shields of FNS Ujedinilac have been matched to the desired frequency. We are prepared to go.”

Anna was a little irritated when she was given a destroyer for her first test. However, she understood that their patrons did not want to risk one of their precious cruisers on one side and that the destroyer was better suited for the secrecy of their mission on another. She nodded to the commander and turned back.

"Launch the probes!" she ordered, observing as they slowly entered her view, closing in on the predicted shatterpoint. As the probes assumed their programmed positions, they activated all emitters and began bombarding the surrounding space with antiproton radiation. It didn't take long for the first shards of subspace to appear. She was right; it was there.

“Extend the nacelles from the hull and fill the conduits with plasma," ordered the commander, as both saw the beauty open before their eyes. The unbelievable had become a reality.

The commander turned to Anna-Marie, smiling.

"Madam, before we enter subspace, I will inform the command about our success," the commander said.

"No, commander. We will break our communication silence after we complete the test. I want to report full success or reason if we fail," she refused before he could do anything.

"As you wish, madam," replied the commander.

Both remained silent as the bridge crew prepared the ship for departure in their stations in bridge trenches. The engineering crew was the first to declare their readiness.

"The warp coils have been filled with tetrion radiated plasma. The coil is now generating a stable field," they announced. Meanwhile, a crew member from the tactical station on the opposite end of the bridge continued, "The shields are now activated and are operating at full capacity!"

“Destination, madam?”

Anna-Marrie turned to the navigation officer. “Flight plan duPont-Bravo-Two.”

“duPont-Bravo-Two, madam. Flightplan set.”

The commander made his way from the viewport to the center of the bridge, and his excitement was evident in his movements. Anna-Marie watched him with a smile on her face. 

"Open up the ship-wide channel," the commander ordered.

"Channel opened, sir," confirmed the communication officer.

The commander nodded in agreement and turned to look back at Anna-Marie.

“Attention all crew, this is your captain speaking. In this historic moment for our ship and everyone on board, I am pleased to announce that we have now confirmed and proven the long-standing theory that our brilliant scientists have been working on for years is correct. Prepare yourself to witness this achievement of our people. Prepare yourself to enter the history. Crew of FNS Ujedinilac, action stations, action stations. The ship enters the stream in thirty seconds.”

The communication officer opened a channel from the ship's corridors to be heard on the bridge. The crew shouted the Frontier Navy motto together in unison: "For the people, for the good, for the mankind brotherhood!" 

The communication officer led the chant on the bridge, and the rest of the crew followed as one.

Not Anna. Anna-Marie's smile turned slightly sad as she listened to their chant. They all believed that she had brought a new alternative drive and that they would return. No. This was a one-way ticket.

What they witnessed here was not an alternative drive or a miracle of Elthari's science and technology. 

That in front of them was her pass-out card from the hell her people had turned into.

Anna turned and looked out of the viewport, watching the ship approaching the horizon of the Borg transwarp aperture.

“Et anima mea laudate magnificat in secula,” she whispered.

Edited April 14 by Jaseb Chevalier