U.S.S. Corsair - NCC-011979
Nebula Class Heavy Cruiser
Sic Parvis Magna”
(Greatness From Small Beginnings)
“Friends In High Places”
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“Captain, I have Admiral Valtren from Earth on the line for you sir as ordered”, came the cheerful voice of the Corsair’s communications officer.
Ramius half asleep on the couch in his ready room cracked an eye at the sudden announcement. Yawning, he sat up. Several padds fell to the floor from his chest which he simply left as he moved toward his desk exhausted and miserable having only caught a few hours of sleep in the last 48, eaten little, and had had to deal with Captain Akina and suffer through another painful and tortuous episode as penance for using his unusual abilities.
Running a hand through his spiky, unkempt, hair Ramius tapped his terminal. “Alright lieutenant, I’ll take the call here.”
His terminal flashed the Starfleet logo briefly before a familiar face filled the screen.
“Admiral”, Ramius said leaning against his desk. “It’s good to see you.”
On the screen sat Admiral James Valtren, head of one of the many divisions of Starfleet Intelligence. Ramius’s guardian since youth, the two had a complicated relationship that despite its problems had stood the test of time for over thirty years – ever since the day Ramius had lost his parents and been taken away from everyone and everything he had ever known and thrust into an unfamiliar world.
Valtren, a close family friend and best friend of his father, had saved Ramius from NeoDyne’s security forces and had kept the boy safe using his influence and increases in rank throughout the years to protect and sponsor his friend’s son. Raising the boy as best he could, Valtren had done his best to see that Ramius got a fair chance in life knowing the full extent of his secrets and doing everything in his power to keep those secrets under lock and key. He’d sworn to Ramius’s father moments before his violent death to look after his children and had done so for years never once breaking his solemn vow to his long departed friend.
Unable to rescue Ramius’s twin brother, Aiden, Valtren had to settle for the one child that dark night and had since been a father figure, guardian, and in most case’s Ramius’s disciplinarian when it came to Ramius’s knack for cavalier and reckless behavior. He was not pleased with the situation Ramius now found himself having seen the reports coming in from Astate.
“Taverain Ramius”, the Admiral said sternly. “What the hell is going on out there? I’ve just been handed a dozen reports about a nuclear explosion on a Federation colony the size and scope of which hasn’t been seen in centuries. Deeply concerned with the unsettling news I continue reading and whose ship do you think I see plastered all over the reports as being in orbit when the blast occurred?”
“Hmm…Enterprise”, Ramius replied. “Lexington…no wait, the Yorktown.”
“Damn it Ramius, act your age for once and cut the crap”, the Admiral sternly replied. “What the hell was the Corsair doing at Astate? If you were somehow involved with this nuke business don’t ask for my help this time. I don’t have enough strings to pull to save your ass from something like this. Not this time.”
Ramius took a seat at his desk. “I didn’t have anything to do with the explosion. You can thank NeoDyne for providing the fireworks. They set off a failsafe device to erase their activities on Astate.”
“What activities? Your reports have said nothing about Astate or a NeoDyne connection there.”
“Captain Zane Akina was on Astate and you’ll never guess what he stumbled into accidentally.”
“Akina was on Astate? Nevermind. Enlighten me Captain.”
“Captain Akina discovered a secret research facility, sealed by NeoDyne, which he managed to infiltrate. Constructed on an island miles from any settlement it was the perfect place to hide a small research station. The entire area was perfect as it was surrounded by rock and various metallic substrates that interfered and deflected sensor beams.” Ramius could see the Admiral begin to reply, but interrupted.
“Wait, let me finish. Akina reported running into several living humans – children and young adults that had escaped their captivity and killed all of the NeoDyne personnel. NeoDyne was using the samples they obtained from my brother in an attempt to stabilize them without me. To make matters worse they were testing their experiments on children apparently conceived and manufactured for that singular purpose by the facility’s staff and machinery if you can stomach that news . Akina reported a dozen survivors and many more alive, but locked away asleep in stasis pods. He attempted a rescue, but the situation fell apart when NeoDyne activated the facility’s failsafe destruct sequence which blew the island and the facility sky high. I doubt there is much left. My scans showed the atomic blast to be ten fold the size and power needed. Obviously, Neodyne wanted to make 99.9 percent sure that absolutely nothing could survive.
I showed up to rescue Akina, who I have been following with some interest, who managed to survive the explosion, but ran into some Starfleet marines on the NeoDyne payroll who weren’t going to let him leave the island alive.
I warped in, beamed him out, and left as quickly as possible. That’s the full story. Right now, my computers are chewing away on NeoDyne encryption codes – Akina managed to strip a large portion of files and data from NeoDyne’s computer core before the explosion. If we can crack the encryption we might have the smoking gun we’ve both been searching for to finish them – this time for good. Was I there? Yes. Was it worth the risk? I think so. That about sums it up, sir.”
The Admiral sighed. “Why can’t you just be a normal CO like everyone else? If there’s trouble anywhere in the quadrant you’re always at the forefront.”
“Perhaps I like challenges”, Ramius answered.
“No, I just think you have a secret agenda to see me drop dead from a heart attack.”
“Like I would ever wish that on you, or anyone else for that matter”, Ramius mumbled.
“I wonder sometimes”, Valtren replied. “This explosion business has everyone on edge. There are going to be many questions, I hope you’re prepared to answer them. I’m afraid that our current arrangement won’t fully protect you from the situation despite the circumstances.”
“I realize that”, Ramius replied. “I wouldn’t have taken the risk if I didn’t think it was worth it. Akina did manage to come up with a name. A certain ambassador with the diplomatic corps seems to have some interesting connections to NeoDyne personnel.
“This ambassador, who is he?”
Ramius smiled. “His name is Lamont. Ambassador Ian Lamont. Ran his record down through the usual channels. Clean as a whistle, but he’s a rising star of sorts. Akina indicated his name had come up in regards to some of the business on Astate. We’re not sure what his connection is however it is possible he has NeoDyne ties though its unclear how deep them may run. Unfortunately, he’s been assigned to the USS Charon. It’s a deep exploration ship going out for a two year mission in the beta quadrant. My information indicates it left spacedock 48 hours ago.
Even if we could follow it, it would mean moving through the Neutral Zone and Romulan space to catch it, and I doubt the Romulans would allow me to chase down the Charon.
“What’s your current position?”
“We’re headed to Starbase 145.”
“Why”, Valtren asked.
“Well, Lamont isn’t the only lead we ran across. The Charon is too far away and already has a solid lead. We’d never catch it in time before it is escorted through Romulan space and even if we did talking to the Ambassador would be tricky if not impossible. He’s one fish I’ve had to let go at least for now. However, he isn’t our only or even our best lead. This should jog your memory. Does the name Artimis Ballantine ring a bell?”
“Ballantine”, Valtren repeated. “I’ve heard that name before. Wait. Is he a doctor?”
“Affirmative.”
“What about this lead?”
“We checked over the travel manifests for Astate shortly after the explosion. Seems Dr. Ballantine booked passage to the Nakadia system.”
“Hand on a moment.” Valtren checked some files on his computer terminal.
“Ballantine was most probably one of the scientists that assisted in the research your father was involved in to save you and your brother’s lives. I remember he was exposed some years later and ruined professionally as a result of his illegal experiments. He’s been virtually unseen for years. Are you sure it is him?”
“Positive ID. No question. I surmise he panicked given the attention on Astate and made a critical error one I intend to fully exploit.”
Valtren rubbed his head. The USS Corsair was one of several ships under his direct command, however, it was special in that he had seen to it that Ramius had been made its commanding officer after years of prodding him to accept the position and trade in his coveted pilot’s wings for a captain’s chair.
Starfleet Intelligence kept on open file on NeoDyne Industries after their misdeeds ten years ago in dealings with the Breen. That file and the investigative powers to maintain quiet surveillance of the company fell under his department. As such, the USS Corsair was the one and only ship authorized to keep an eye on NeoDyne activities in addition to other intelligence duties. Using this as a cover to undermine the company and subvert the wily desires of its leadership, both Ramius and the Admiral took advantage of the special privileges afforded to ships and crews which operated under the banner of Starfleet Intelligence. The Corsair, with Ramius at its helm, was the perfect unseen weapon in a silent war that few people knew existed.
News of the events on Astate had made operating under the radar somewhat more difficult especially since the Corsair had been detected in the area at the time of the explosions and left shortly afterwards having not been assigned to that area of space. Ramius had officially reported engine trouble which given his current circumstances would give additional strength to his claims at Astate about cascade engine problems which required him to stop, but Valtren knew there would be some skeptics who wouldn’t fully buy into Ramius’s explanations. He could see they were a little thin given what had occurred.
However, the news of a potential lead against NeoDyne was tantalizing. If they could crack the encrypted data or locate Dr. Ballantine it could give them further ammunition, but the risks were extremely high. Traversing Romulan and Klingon space without permission was fraught with all sorts of legal and diplomatic problems and then there was the matter of finding the doctor one the Corsair arrived in the Nakadia system.
“What is your plan for finding Ballantine? Do you intend to cross the Klingon and Romulan neutral zones and proclaim you’re on a fact finding mission?”
“No”, Ramius replied. “Akina and I have not come to an agreement on a precise plan, however I have several ideas for how to achieve a success.”
“Fail to plan…”
“And plan to fail, yes I’ve heard that saying before Admiral. But given the circumstances, what else were we supposed to do?”
Valtren’s expression changed slightly. “Wait a moment. You told him? You told Akina? Does he know?”
Ramius looked up at the screen. “Yes I told him. And yes he knows. I told him about most of my unusual circumstances.”
“And?”
“Well he isn’t dead so I suppose he decided to see things our way. He has his own score to settle with NeoDyne as well. Especially after what happened on Astate. He had to leave those children there to save himself and the data he recovered – there just wasn’t time to save them given the circumstances he encountered after the self destruct sequence had been started.”
“Those bastards”, Valtren muttered. “Using living children like lab rats to test their genetic augmentations – the researchers got what they deserved there, however for NeoDyne to so brazenly destroy its facility with such a destruct mechanism means they’re even more dangerous that I gave them credit for. Merikai, must be getting desperate. He knows obtaining you means getting to me or catching you off guard and even for him both have low chances of success without risking exposing his own interests or risking exposing NeoDyne activities. He must be trying to use your brother’s blood samples to reverse engineer the original scientific process, but we both know that will never work. The scientists purposefully used different variations on both of you to double their chances of success. Merikai cannot replicate their success without you and your brother despite their efforts.”
“I never thought he’d go this far”, Ramius almost growled. “The man has no soul, no morality. How can one man order the creation, torture, and destruction of human life without any regret or remorse? Where does he find people willing to conduct such gruesome and horrific research?”
Valtren shook his head. “Alistair Merikai is driven by one thing – a lust for power which he doesn’t even recognize. He honestly believes his father’s ideals were noble and pure even though his father was a criminal and a Federation traitor, a fact Merikai refuses to accept. He’s somehow convinced himself his father had some grand scheme to unite the universe in peace and harmony. His father only sought nothing but power and control. I almost pity him.”
“I have no pity for him”, Ramius sneered. “Merikai is a coward who hides in that black corporate tower of his behind security doors and officers far removed from the pain and anguish he deals out from a top his corporate empire. He has no regard for people’s lives only his own selfish and twisted goals which he pursues at any cost. The man has to be stopped. This deadly cycle cannot be allowed to continue.”
“The recent news you’ve provided assuming Akina was correct about the facility is most disturbing Ramius. NeoDyne is rapidly moving ahead with attempts to complete the research one way or another. It might be possible given enough time and effort that they might find what they need using your brother’s cells, but they’ve never been this aggressive before. Merikai is either becoming impatient…”
“Or they’re closer to obtaining the knowledge they seek than either of us knows”, Ramius interrupted. “I’ve always worried about the samples they took from Aiden. They had him for nearly seven years before he managed to escape. They had every opportunity to test, sample, and experiment with his blood and his body.”
“This may be a signal NeoDyne and Merikai himself is becoming bolder and more aggressive. If that is the case we may need to change our own strategy as well”, Valtren said in a sobering tone.
“My thoughts exactly. If Merikai is playing hardball, we have to reciprocate and play even harder to counter him”, Ramius replied pounding his fist into his hand.
“I don’t want you taking any unnecessary risks Ramius. The Corsair is too important to jeopardize and both of us need more information before we react to recent events. I’ll work my contacts for more information on this Ambassador Lamont, Dr. Ballantine, and shake down what informants we have on NeoDyne activities where possible.”
Ramius nodded. “Akina and I will have some time at Starbase 145 to work some of his contacts and make some additional inquiries as well.”
“Keep me informed. And Ramius…”
“Yes?”
“Stay away from the Neutral Zones. NeoDyne has raised the stakes. I need time to find out if they’re bluffing to force our hand or if they really do have new cards that could hurt us. I want you to stay put at Starbase 145 until further notice. Get your ship in order, resupply, give your crew some leave. Depending on what we can uncover you might not get another opportunity for awhile.”
“Understood”, Ramius answered. His intentions of staying at Starbase 145 were short. Despite his step father’s demands the trail to Ballantine had to be followed before it went cold.
“Very well. Give Captain Akina my regards. I suspect you trust him?”
“I’m not sure we’re at the trust stage, but he has no love of NeoDyne and he has no desire to end his own career to stop either of us from stopping NeoDyne so I think I can count on him to be cooperative seeing as he really has no other alternative than to work with us rather than against us.”
“I leave the Captain to your judgment then. I know you wouldn’t have said anything if he wasn’t in a position to assist.”
“It was good talking to you James”, Ramius said for the first time dropping the formality for only a brief moment.
“Aye. You could write or call more often Taverain. Your reports aren’t exactly what I would call writing home.”
“I’ll keep that in mind”, Ramius replied.
“I’ll be in touch. Valtren out.”
The channel closed leaving Ramius alone at his desk, exhausted, hungry and with more to contemplate. Standing he left his desk and made his way onto the bridge where his first officer Alanis Novada sat quietly overseeing operations.
“Commander, what’s our ETA?”
“Still another seven hours sir”, she stated promptly.
“Maintain course and speed. You have the bridge.”
“Sir”, Novada said standing. She had been meaning to speak with the captain about recent events.
Ramius turned his eyes sunken, his hair a mess, his expression distant as if he was thinking about something or someone elsewhere.
“Nevermind sir. It can wait until later”, she quickly stated realizing the captain appeared in no mood or mindset to discuss the last two days in any detail.
Ramius nodded and headed to the lift. He needed some food and some sleep. A fresh look on things after some sleep would help him digest recent events and help him gain some perspective. For once he welcomed the downtime that would be granted while the Corsair received repairs. It would give him time to think about things and plan his next move. Bold action was need to counter what appeared to be growing NeoDyne aggressiveness – however he needed information before any actions could be planned or taken. The time off would also allow himself and Captain Akina to reflect on the past few days.
Akina perhaps needed the time off most having just survived a hellish assignment. Ramius could only imagine what the Captain had seen and experienced. He sensed Akina was struggling to cope with the sobering experience of being unable to save the surviving children on Astate, living experiments of NeoDyne, left for dead by the company when they lost control of the facility. He could see the pain in the man’s eyes despite his tough exterior.
Ramius’s fist unconsciously hit the side of the lift with powerful force as he unconsciously channeled a sudden release of anger. He felt the urge to do something now. He desperately wanted to hit back at the company. At his command was a Nebula Class heavy cruiser with some of the best weaponry and firepower in the fleet having received weapons upgrades for the Dominion war which had just recently ended. However, he was a Starfleet Officer first, with his personal vendetta against the evil corporation a close, but second priority. Laying waste to NeoDyne facilities would end his career, solve nothing, and would only slow NeoDyne’s ambitions, not stop them. In the end he would be no better than the corporation he sought to bring down by attacking without cause or justification. He couldn’t play by NeoDyne’s rules – he had to take the high ground no matter how painful or difficult that road was to walk.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the Captain steadied himself as the lift slowed and opened. He exited the lift and headed toward his quarters.
Ramius was sure of one thing. NeoDyne would pay for their crimes. Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but they would pay for the atrocities they had committed and continued to commit. Even if it was with his dying breath he’d see the company ruined. He would ruin Alistair Merikai and destroy his wealth, power, honor, and his company. Everything the man held dear he would attack. Ramius’s own family – his brother, his father, and his mother demanded justice for what had been done to them at NeoDyne’s bloody hands.
If justice could not be served then perhaps he would have to take matters into his own hands. That time was not now, but this endless waltz could not be allowed to continue. Ramius wasn’t sure he could bear the burden of any more deaths and lost souls upon his conscious as a result of NeoDyne’s crusade to dominate men and empires.
He had to stop it and he would – one way or another NeoDyne’s ambitions would be stopped. It was all a matter of how, when, and where. He never doubted the outcome for a moment. NeoDyne’s days were numbered even if the price to end their insanity cost him his own life.
[ To Be Continued … ]
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Captain Taverain Ramius
Commanding Officer, USS Corsair
Admiral James Valtren
Assistant Intelligence Director – Division 7
