ENT - 012 - Kobayashi Maru

TWENTY-TWO

Sunday, July 20, 2155 EnterpriseNX-01

A RCHER COULDNT QUITE BELIEVEwhat Admiral Gardner was asking him to do. “You do realize that the only reason I was able to help with the crisis on QuVat was because I was used as a guinea pig for the cure, and my ships doctor blackmailed the fleet admiral?

The image of Gardner on the ready-room viewer nodded. “Nevertheless, the best xenoanthropological minds of the Coalition scientific community feel that you may be the one human to whom the Klingons are most likely to listen. On QuVat, after all, youdid become partly Klingon.

Archer shook his head, still incredulous even though the admirals reasoning made a crazy sort of sense. “Sure, the therapeutic retrovirus Phlox injected me with left some Klingon genes in my DNA. But I also spread the infection to the fleet admiral himself, not to mention several dozen of his crew. Admiral Krell has, by the way, practically sworn a blood oath on Doctor Phlox over the whole damned thing, and I suspect hed cook and eat me in a heartbeat if he could. Or maybe hed even skip the cooking, take me straight to his dining room, and do the deed raw.

“I never tire of your flair for the dramatic, Archer,Gardner said, traces of both bemusement and condescension mixing in his voice. “The Klingon High Council has agreed to grant you an audience, authorized by Chancellor MRek himself.

“This is the same chancellor who sent Duras to kill me for busting out of Rura Penthe. Just so were clear that youreaware youre sending me to face an extremely unfriendly crowd.

Gardner sighed. “Among many warrior societies, opposing leaders would often meet on neutral ground, setting aside their hostilities in order to discuss terms. Our xenoanthro experts believe that the Klingons will be much too honorable to do anything to you while under a flag of truce.

“Permission to speak freely, sir? Archer said, struggling to keep calm.

“Of course,Gardner said, nodding.

“Admiral, youre already talking as if we areat war.

“ Wewill be at war if the Klingons ignore this message, Captain,Gardner said, his voice grave. “Our formal cessation of hostilities ultimatum will be better receivedand discussedif one of our own is there to hand it to them personally.

“Have you ever heard the phrase shoot the messenger, Admiral?

Gardner offered a slight smile. “Archer, from what Ive been told, the Klingon High Council holds you in much higher regard than you think. Although the resolution that you and your CMO brought to QuVats metagenic virus crisis didnt make those affected by the cure terribly happy, the virus you helped cure would have decimated the Empire, and perhaps even destroyed it if youd left it unchecked. According to some intelligence weve gathered, a few influential Klingons have stopped just short of calling you a hero.

“Joy, Archer said under his breath. It wasnt that he minded having these people regard him as a heroit would be far preferable to being one of their targetsbut Klingon warriors were tremendously mercurial and unpredictable. And, as he had learned from Enterprises very first mission, it was a mistake to assume that members of an alien society would think, act, or react the way that humans did.

“Have you reviewed the security recording I transmitted of the Klingon woman we recovered from the wreckage here at Draylax? Archer asked.

Gardner nodded. “We did. All of us at Starfleet Command did. And we cannot support your theory that the Romulans were really behind the attack on Draylax. Just because one dying Klingon suspects it does not make it so. Your scans of the ships before they were destroyed showed Klingon crewslive Klingon crewsand despite the actions of the second cadre of battle cruisers, it is more likely that there have been intramilitary squabbles about hostilities related to the Coalition than it is that they were covering up Romulan involvement. Why would theynot want to expose the Romulans? Or are you suggesting that the Klingons are also somehow in league with the Romulans?

Archer clenched and unclenched his fists under his desk, wanting so badly to strike at something. “The Klingon woman specificallysaid that the crew on the ships that struck at Draylax were kept barely alive, but unable to act. That would explain our sensor readings. And the second wave of Klingon ships may indeed have been trying to eradicate any trace of Romulan involvement. Whether thats because they suspect it, or because they dont want to be framed for the actions of those ships

“Exactly,Gardner said, interrupting him. “The second wave of vesselsships whose actions Krell apparently authorizedwas acting inour favor. For whatever reason, they were trying tostop further attacks against Draylax,Enterprise, andColumbia.

“Or they were trying to cover up the initial attacks.

Gardner shook his head. “If they wanted to cover this thing upif they didnt care about how their actions would be interpretedthen they probably would have destroyedyou as well.He held up a hand, palm facing the screen. “Enough, Captain. The formal message you are to deliver to QonoS has been transmitted toEnterprise via subspace radio already. It is now your duty to bring it before the High Council and present it.

“What about Columbia? Archer said, squaring his jaw while trying not to look defensive.

“ TwoDaedalus- class shipstheEssex and theArchon will arrive at Draylax within the next few hours. They will continue to assistColumbia with her repairs, and render assistance on Draylax as well.

Gardners look softened a bit as he leaned forward. “Archer, whether you want to believe it or not, I do listen to what you have to say,and weigh your concerns,and present your arguments tomy superiors. But you are just a part of this organization. So am I. Starfleet is bigger than either of us. And the Coalition of Planets isimmensely bigger, even though its only been around for a few months now. You have been on the edge of discovery, have encountered new civilizations and seen things that most humans would never dream of outside of fiction. I have no doubt that history will record great things about you. Probably a hell of a lot greater than whatever it might say about me eventually.

“But for now, you have your orders, and you will carry them out. Go to QonoS. Impress the High Council. Make certain that wedont go to war. And down the road, when and if the Romulan threat really does become more apparent, you will be able to use all the experience youve gained out there on the edge of the unknownas well as the strength of a more unified Coalitionto stand up to it.

Archer saw Gardner move his hand toward the switch on his desk as he prepared to end the transmission. “Good luck, Captain. And Godspeed.

The computer screen went black

With a roar, Archer smashed his fist into the screen, sending it tumbling off his desk in a short-lived shower of sparks. It crashed into the wall before falling to the floor, where it lay broken and dead.

Archer knew it was a stupid, brutish gesture that TPol would have found appalling. Nevertheless, it made him feel better, at least for the moment. Still, he realized that the isolation and anger he felt now would be nothing compared to what he would experience when he entered the lions den on QonoS to deliver the Coalitions ultimatum.

When he faced thatchallenge, he would be utterly and terrifyingly alone.