It Was Only a Game

This story is something I have had running around in my head for several years. The Star Trek Universe is copyrighted to Paramount Pictures and this story is in no way meant to infringe upon that copyright. The author simply wishes to indulge in a bit of fantastic speculation.

Do not read this story if you are underage wherever you are and whatever underage is considered where you are.

If you wish to comment on this story, offer suggestions for future story, or offer your services a proofreader komokiid@yahoo.com is the best way to reach me.

Chapter 3 -- The Bridge

Jason woke up just before the computer announced that it was 0900 and time to get up. He was a bit disoriented; after all he had never woken up on a starship before. "Computer, lights, fifty percent." The lights in the room came up to half illumination. Jason threw back the covers and stepped on the deck. He noticed that he felt something different, then remembered that the gravity was slowly moving towards two gees.

Groggy as he always first thing in the morning, he stumbled into the head, and relieved himself. It was funny, he thought, that they never showed the people in the TV show never doing this. The toilet was pretty normal looking, but functioned without wate r. Jason thought it best not to think too much about what happened to the waste. He stepped into the sonic shower and cleaned himself again. He had used it last night, but then went for a romp on the holodeck and washed up in the holographic pond. He coul d truly get used to the sonic shower though.

Jason stepped out of the sonic and went to the closet replicator, "Day uniform," he instructed. A uniform materialized in the unit. A crimson tunic with Captain's pips, and a mostly black jumper that had gray sh oulders, with black boots and socks; Jason put it all on and again the seams just faded away, amazing.

"Bye boys, behave yourselves," he said to his cats as he stepped out in the passageway. "Computer, the cats won't be able to activate the door will they?"

"No captain, the door must be activated by a being at least half a meter tall."

"Well, Tobey can stand up about that tall, lock the door for me."

"Affirmative."

Jason made his way to the turbolift on this deck, "Bridge," he said

The lift shot off within the depths of the ship. Jason followed the progress of the car on the screen as it wound its way up to the first deck. The officer' s quarters were on deck six so it was a short trip. The doors parted and Jason stepped onto the bridge. The few other places he had been on the ship had not prepared him for this. It was beyond real. The layout was a bit different than in the last movie. The captain' s chair was not raised. There were still two flanking stations where the first officer and usually the ships' counselor. The helm and conn was a single unit more like the one on Voyager. There were many other stations around the bridge: tactical, engineering, life support, and several science stations.

Jason sat in the captain's chair and officially, more or less, assumed the mantle of command of this incongruous starship. "Computer, tie into the communications network of the United States and contact this number." Jason punched the number for his best friend's apartment. "Put it on audio."

The overhead speakers clicked on and Jason heard the number ringing, then it picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Trent, it's Jason."

"What up buddy? Where are you I tried calling you this morning?"

"I am kind of involved in a private project and got called away rather suddenly."

"Yeah right, you were up for three straight days playing that stupid game and now you are trying to catch up on some sleep. I'll bet you even called in sick."

DAMN Jason thought, "Uhm no. actually I didn't."

"So what you just didn't show up for work at your sixty thousand dollar a year programming job, because of a GAME?" Trent sounded furious.

"Its more than that, listen do you have any plans today, and are you alone?"

"Well other getting a few groceries, I didn't have any plans, and no there is no one here, not that it is any of your business," he giggled.

"Seriously, are you alone?" Jason asked with a tone that made Trent take notice that he was not engaged in the normal banter that was part of their long friendship.

"Yeah man, I'm by myself, are you OK?"

"Yup, hold on a sec." Jason hit the mute button his comm console. "Computer, lock on to his signal and beam him directly to the bridge."

The transporter coalesced in front of the conn. Trent stood there for a second with his phone still at his ear. He turned around and saw Jason, his eyes as big as plates. "Calm down buddy, you're OK. I fainted, please don't do that. "

"Wh- wh- where the hell am I?"

"You're on the bridge of the USS Sovereign. Here give me the phone." Jason took the phone and set it on the helm console. "Sit here man."

Trent sat at the helm, his breathing was erratic and shallow. "You have to calm down Trent, everything is OK, you are all in one piece."

"My God Jason. How the fuck did you do that?" Jason told Trent the story of the last two days.

"I wanted you to be here Trent. I need you here. You and I have known each other for a long time, you know me almost as well as I know myself and you are the only person I know who will tell it to me like it is. I want you to be my first officer. "

"Oh my god. This is incredible. So this ship, it's yours now? I mean you are the captain?"

"Yes, Commander, I am. And now you are its first officer." Trent and Jason had served together in the Navy on the same aircraft carrier, the John F. Kennedy, during desert storm.

The weight of the last few minutes began to lift and Trent started acting normally. He looked around the bridge and took in each and every station. "Where do we start?" he asked.

"The first thing we need to do is get you assigned some quarters, then we need to sit down and figure out how to get seven hundred of our closest friends together for a little party," Jason said with a laugh in his voice.

"Damn baby, I don't know how many other friends you got, but I can only think of about 25 or so that would even come close to being able to handle this. Cliff, chief engineer." Trent started pacing the bridge, naming names and positions. Falling into the role of the first officer without even thinking about it. Which was exactly why Jason wanted him in th at job. Jason was not sure he would be the best captain in the Universe, but he knew Trent would be the best first officer.

"OK man, lets get you settled in. I have something else I want to discuss with you too."

"Something else, other than this," Trent gestured around the bridge.

"Yes," Jason said emphatically, "I want the doctor to alter our genetic structure, to make us a new race."

"A new race, mean, like, aliens?"

Jason and Trent stepped into the turbo lift.

"Deck six. Well to us, yeah. I wan to be a mixture of Vulcan and Betazoid. The best of both species, logical and scientifically gifted Vulcans, combined with the psychically talented Betazoids, with their talent for telepathic communication, that will come in handy in command of a starship. I remember watching the captain and his crew on TV thnking to myself how many times it would have been helpful if they could just communicate with each telepathically. How is easy it would have made so many away missions if the could read the intentions of those they were dealing with. Not to mention that both species are extremely long lived.

"I want us to begin a new chapter of evolution in the Universe. Take the best and brightest minds from our planet. Those who do not espouse the religious fervor that is tearing us apart at the moment, alter their genes as well, and settle a new planet, create a new civilization, like Betazed."

The turbo lift opened on deck six and they stepped out, instead of heading left to the captain's quarters, they turned right toward the port side of the ship. Hence the captain's and first officer' s quarters were on opposite sides of the saucer section. Other officer's quarters filled in the spaces in between. Deck six was the only deck on the saucer section that went in a complete unbroken oval around the entire deck.

"Computer log in a new first officer, Commander Trent Brown."

The computer chirped and stated, "Input vocal recognition and command codes."

"What do I say?" he asked.

"Vocal imprint complete, please enter command codes."

"Computer hold," Jason interrupted. " Trent think of a series of words and or numbers that you will never forget in an emergency or otherwise. Imagine if we had to suspend the computer from being used if we were boarded, three or four code words."

Trent thought for a minute. "Command codes Charley Beta Two One Nine."

"Command codes accepted, First Office Trent Brown."

Jason beamed at his friend, and gave him a hug, "Welcome aboard Commander."

They entered his new quarters.

Chapter 4 -- Sickbay ~ again.

"Damn why do I feel so drained?" Trent complained.

"Oh I forgot to tell you that I have increased the ship's gravity, later today we should be at 2 gees."

"Well shit man I am pooped just from walking around." Trent was a wiry guy. He stood at an even six feet tall and weighed about 165 pounds. He had absolutely no visible ass even in the most flattering pair of pants. He was bow-legged and Jason thought he was sexy when he was naked. They had had sex together once years ago. Not really sex because Jason had become so weirded out in the middle of the act he got up and went into the living room. Their friendship had survived and they remained close to this very day; polar opposites, but best friends nonetheless.

Their birthdays were one day apart, Jason the 14th and Trent the 15th of March; Jason was older by one year and one day, a fact that he never let Jason forget. The trust was that Trent was everything Jason was not: flirtatious, out going, funny, and full of a lust for life that Jason sometimes (most of the time) lacked.

"We'll get used to it. Come on let's go see the doctor. Grab a uniform."

"How do I do that?" he asked.

Trent had never been the Trekkie that Jason was, which was the one draw back to making him the First Officer, but he was a quick study and had more military experience than Jason.

"Over here in the closet is the clothing replicator. Just tell it what uniform you want and it will make one in your size, perfect fit in fact."

"Cool. What is that one you have on called?"

"Duty uniform."

"Computer day uniform." The replicator delivered the requested item, and Trent put it on.

"Damn sister, you have an ass! Just like you used to have in those damned dungarees we had to wear on the ship." Jason was staring and laughing at the same time.

Trent walked over to the mirror and looked at his profile, "Well damn I DO!" He laughed too.

The two new officers walked out of the first officer's quarters and to the turbolift again. "Sickbay," Jason ordered.

They arrived momen ts later. When they stepped into sickbay the holographic doctor was going over the information that the main computer had gathered on their planet for the last twenty odd years. He had a grimace on his face, but then thought Jason he ALWAYS had a grimace on his face. "Doctor, finding some interesting reading?"

"Indeed. You were quite correct in your estimation of the human race in this universe. I am reminded somewhat of the alternate universe encountered by the Enterprise and the staff at DS9. I am amazed that humanity has even survived this long in this universe. Religious intolerance runs rampant here, as well as disregard for the rights of minorities and so-called less desirable elements of society. I am dismayed, but willing to follow through on your plans."

"Plans?" Trent asked.

"Excuse me, who are you?" the Doctor inquired.

"Sorry doctor, this is Commander Brown, First Officer," the Captain introduced his first crewmember. "He needs a complete physical, and probably the same medical attention that I needed. He is obviously in better shape physically, but worse off in the head." This earned a friendly punch from his first officer.

The doctor rolled his eyes, again. He seemed to do that a lot. The doctor proceeded to examine Trent, as he and Jason discussed his plans. "So tell me more about these plans Captain."

"Well I already told you what I plan for the species reassignment treatment, this will result in a much longer lifespan than what we have as humans. Federation humans can live as long as one hundred twenty-five years. Humans in this universe can barely live past eighty. But as a hybrid of a Vulcan and Betazoid we can expect to live to almost 500 Earth years of age. And with other treatments available like the use of metagenic radiation therap y we can double or even triple that. Long enough for us to start an entirely new civilization on a new planet, with the best and brightest minds from Earth that are willing to join us.

"The first thing we need to do is crew this ship. I am leaving that to you. But remember that everyone who agrees to come onboard as a member of the crew must agree to species reassignment also, without that it' s a no-go. Then I plan on purchasing an office building on the surface to house our surface operations, as long as i t can be made safe to use. We need to keep this as quiet as possible for as long as possible, there is no need to leak to the government what is going on until we choose to do so."

"Sounds like you have thought this out," Trent said.

"Actually I am still forming the plan, and it is subject to change. The first hurdle has already been jumped, the doctor's agreeing to help us in the species reassignment."

The Doctor looked up from his exam of Trent, "I would never have agreed had things not been as bad as you had indicated. Species reassignment is not without its risks Captain. You are going to go into the medical transporter as one creature and come out as another. I am going to have to give you lexorin to lower your psilocynine levels so that you will no t be overwhelmed with psychic images and thoughts. Then I will need to slowly lower the levels while you learn to deal with being telepaths."

"I know that you will do all you can Doctor. So what is Trent's condition?"

"Well considering the depth of medici ne on your planet, remarkably healthy. He has the same lung problems you had, but slightly more pronounced. He is within his weight range for his height, slightly elevated blood pressure, related to the smoking. I have inoculated him as I did you."

"Very well doctor, thank you. Get to work on setting up the species reassignment," turning to his first officer, "Want to see the engine room?