Cascading Echoes

CHAPTER ONE

  ACT ONE: Ready Room

Captain's log, Christopher Pike.

"We've completed our mission to the Federation colony on Cygnia Minor, located in the Alpha Quadrant of the Albireo star system. This was just one of two visits to the fledgling settlement; our arrival, along with much-needed supplies, was well received by colony officials. The stay, though pleasant, was uneventful. The search for the unknown anomaly..." Pike paused, sighing. "No, computer; delete that last line and pause."

Pike leaned back in his chair, frowning at his own words. 'How do I say that without sounding so damn apathetic,' he thought. 'With all that's happened in the past year, you'd think I'd appreciate some downtime.'

The ready room door chimed. Pike sighed again, staring out through the viewport into the dark expanse of space. The stars blurred and stretched as the U.S.S. Discovery traveled at warp speed, twisting light itself.

"Come in," Pike said, still gazing into the black void dotted with countless stars.

Yeoman Para Fogdo, an Andorian with maya-blue skin, cranial antennae, and frost-white hair, stepped in, standing at attention. "Good morning, Captain. I have last night's watch logs and today's duty rosters."

"Please, set the data clips on my desk. I'll review them shortly," Pike responded, finally turning away from the stars. "Yeoman, has the acting bridge crew reported for duty?"

"Not for another hour, sir," Para replied. "However, Commander Saru has already taken the helm. He relieved Lieutenant Mixon at zero-four-hundred hours."

"Thank you. That will be all, Lieutenant." Pike nodded in dismissal.

After hearing the door close behind her, Pike returned his gaze to the stars. His thoughts drifted, as they often did these days, to his first love: the Enterprise. She had been taken from him almost eleven months ago, and the separation still left him feeling empty in ways he hadn't anticipated, and certainly couldn't openly admit. She was, and always would be, the flagship of the United Federation of Planets—its crown jewel.

No other command had ever appealed to him like the Enterprise. When Pike had learned he was being considered to take her helm, he spent two years pouring over her astro-mechanical specs, taking extra courses in Multi-dimensional Theory just to better understand her cutting-edge systems. But now, word had spread that she was to be handed over to an upstart named James T. Kirk, a man being touted as the next generation's "Christopher Pike."

The idea of not returning to the Enterprise gnawed at him, despite the fact that he had been given command of the Discovery. Pike had filed numerous complaints with Starfleet Command over the issue, citing his years of hard work, sacrifice, and his impeccable record as justification for his claim. To be kept away from the Klingon War as well had compounded the insult.

The war itself—once dismissed as a minor skirmish between ancient Klingon Houses and the Federation—had turned into something far larger, and Pike had been forced to watch from the sidelines. Starfleet Command's orders to keep the Enterprise away from the front lines in case the Federation needed to preserve continuity had sickened him. They wanted me to hide while others fought and died.

Now, Pike's presence aboard the Discovery felt like Starfleet's way of trying to rectify that mistake. The Discovery had its unique capabilities, and Pike admired the crew, even if he couldn't shake the feeling that it was all temporary. Command will always keep an eye on me after what happened on Talos IV. They won't ever fully trust me.

"I shouldn't get too comfortable," Pike muttered to himself. "This could all be over in the blink of an eye."

He turned from the viewport and sat at his desk. Catching his reflection in the glass, Pike sighed again. His temples had begun to grey, and the once-raven hair now gave him the appearance of someone older and wiser than he felt.

"Bridge to Captain," Saru's voice broke through the comms, interrupting Pike's thoughts.

"Go ahead, Commander."

"Sir, we'll be dropping out of warp in forty-five minutes. I thought you'd like to know. We'll also arrive in time to witness the X-class flare forming on the star within the system."

"Yes, I'd very much like to see that," Pike said, skimming the ship's data log. "I was hoping to study the Sigma Librae system before we reach Galorndon Core. It's rare we come this close to the Neutral Zone."

"Not often at all, Captain," Saru responded. "The star's surface eruptions should present an excellent opportunity to conduct the first series of tests assigned by Starfleet Command."

"Indeed," Pike agreed. "Upon arrival, let's prepare to launch a Cascade Zeta-E3 probe into the star. Is Dr. Asana still occupied on Holodeck Eight?"

"Aye, Captain. The professor requested not to be disturbed until the second battery of tests are underway."

"Very well, proceed, Mr. Saru," Pike said, inserting a data clip into the retrieval port embedded in his desk.

The holo-screen lit up, projecting a scrolling list of the ship's activities during the previous watch. The logs detailed every movement aboard the Discovery, as recorded by the ship's sensors. Crew movements, security protocols, and duty assignments were all cataloged and archived. Even the whereabouts of personnel near restricted areas were flagged for review.

Pike quickly swiped away the mundane reports, focusing on the morning's duty roster. His eyes landed on a familiar name: Ensign Sylvia Tilly.

You're persistent, I'll give you that, Pike mused.

Ensign Tilly's name appeared frequently on requests for away missions. Pike appreciated the ambitious spirit of his crew, and away missions were one of the quickest ways for any Starfleet officer to prove themselves. Yet, Tilly's frequent injuries over the past month had not gone unnoticed.

"Computer, pull up this month's watch logs for Ensign Sylvia Tilly," Pike instructed. "Flag all non-duty-related activities."

The holo-screen shifted, showing snippets of Tilly's off-duty training sessions. Pike watched a sparring match between Tilly and Cadet Vothi'Cha, the six-armed Phaeacian cadet. Tilly's red hair was tied back as she moved through her paces in the padded training room. To Pike's surprise, she was holding her own against the much larger alien.

Impressive, Pike thought as Tilly performed a Dolosian leg sweep, flipping the massive cadet to the ground. The alien tapped out, and Pike nodded in approval.

She's got potential, Pike acknowledged. But perhaps she's pushing herself too hard.

His thoughts were interrupted again by Saru's voice over the comms.

"Bridge to Captain," Saru said. "We'll be entering the Sigma Librae system in twenty minutes."

"Thank you, Mr. Saru," Pike said, rising from his desk. "I'm on my way."