Part 3: Episode 3: "Janeway's Fault"
Episode 3: "" Captain's Log" posted:
After our successful rescue of the SS Azuria, we were called back to Earth Spacedock for a performance review. Although this wasn't a test, I still feel like a cadet at the academy-nonetheless, we were commended for saving the crew of the Azuria, although one had injuries so severe I had him beamed straight to sickbay rather than attempting to treat him on the spot.
After our assessment, however, I was assigned a new task: to babysit… er, transport a Vulcan ambassador and a cargo bay full of Vulcan relics back to the Vulcan colony of P'Jem. When I returned to the Benedict Arnold, I found the Ambassador had already beamed himself aboard and secured himself in guest quarters with a request not to be disturbed. It's a pity, but our transporter chief said he seemed truly annoyed to be traveling onboard a 'Cardassian' ship. Obvious annoyance seems a bit… unusual for a Vulcan, but given that the artifacts in my hold are priceless and irreplaceable, I don't blame him for not wanting to see them, er… how did the Chief say he put it? 'gift-wrapped and handed straight into the hands of the enemy'. The Ambassador would not even admit Ensign Lomak; after which I was forced to listen to Lomak muttering about "logic" and "glandular problems" for several hours.
Still, I'm looking forward to seeing P'Jem. I hear the monastery is built right into the jungles-it ought to feel a bit like home.
Youtube Version
(blipTV version coming soon (maybe)!)
"Captain's Log, supplemental" posted:
The appearance of an Undine ship was both… frightening and unexpected. I must admit I had always thought the Klingon stories of 'shapeshifting alien infiltrators' to be simply an excuse to wage war on their neighbors; but to have the Undine's existence proven so concretely is… disturbing. It feels a bit like confronting the founders, only, if Janeway's records are correct, the Undine are able to become virtually indistinguishable from the person they're mimicking: not even a blood test would show them to be an impostor.
This has me, I hope, understandably worried. I suppose it's time to turn my rampant Cardassian paranoia (and yet, I still know you're reading this, Mr. Starfleet Intelligence) to the Federation's benefit. It almost makes me wish that I was a sleeper agent for the Obsidian Order-it's just a pity the Obsidian Order hasn't existed for over twenty years.
Still, I will grow suspicious if Starfleet Command immediately points me at missions that don't involve investigating the Undine-that would be a sure sign that at least one of the Admiralty has been replaced by an Undine. Maybe.
Well, that certainly was unexpected. The entire war with the Klingons was sparked because the Gorn launched an invasion of Klingon space. The Klingons turned around and simply conquered the Gorn, but in doing so they discovered the Gorn had been infiltrated to the highest levels by the Undine. Suspecting the same to be true of all of their neighbors, the Klingons began several unprovoked raids. Unfortunately, the only means the Klingons have to "detect" an Undine is to outright murder the person they suspect to be one and see if they transform.
This Klingon witch-hunt is ultimately what sparked the Federation/Klingon war: the Klingons think the Federation is ignoring the problem, while the Federation refuses to act because the only means to detect an infiltrator is murder; and they'd much rather find a non-deadly means of testing. Unfortunately, since the Federation has been heavily infiltrated by the Undine AT ADMIRAL JANEWAY'S REQUEST, that makes any 'detection methods' suspect by default.
Romulan and Cardassian paranoia may uncover a detection method that isn't murder-based, provided they're able to resist Undine infiltration.
So, why is this all Captain Janeway's fault? Well, here's a quote from Memory Alpha that explains:
"Memory Alpha" posted:
Concerned about the threat posed by Humanity with its modified nanoprobe-warheads, Species 8472 created a simulation of Starfleet Headquarters […] in the Delta Quadrant as a training ground for a potential infiltration of the Federation, modifying many of their kind to look like Alpha Quadrant species. Their main goal was to uncover if the Federation was planning an invasion of their realm. […] Some were completely uncomfortable with the fact they were in the form of "inferior" lifeforms, who needed to eat, sleep and were unable to communicate telepathically. […] When discovered, Species 8472 captured Commander Chakotay, Voyager's first officer, believing a fleet to be on its way. Voyager managed to convince Species 8472 that the Federation had no hostile intention toward them by giving them their modified nanoprobe warheads in hope that Species 8472 could adapt their vessels [and] techniques on how to look human. Species 8472 identified humans as their primary threat, dismissing the Borg as 'irrelevant'.
So yeah, thanks Admiral. Now that they know we're not really a 'threat' to them, they've come back to exterminate us all; and only the Klingons are wise enough to see the threat a band of extra-dimensional alien shapeshifters represents.
Suggestions are currently open for:
a) Nothing, sorry; but the good news is we're about 5 levels from getting to choose a new ship.