Written in 1996, “Star Trek: Worlds of Doubt” was only my third fan fic and my first attempt at a longer, multi-part story.
Inspired by an encounter with actor Gary Lockwood at a science fiction convention, I wanted to explore the earlier years of Kirk’s command, when Gary Mitchell (portrayed by Lockwood) was ship’s navigator and the chief medical officer was Mark Piper (Paul Fix) as seen in the classic episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”
In this adventure, the Enterprise is summoned to the twin worlds of Voitaan and Dreknor to render aid after a disaster. However, Kirk and crew soon learn that there is more here than originally reported including missing scientists and a potential planetary disaster…
“Star Trek: Worlds of Doubt” – Part I
Phil Giunta
Part One: Grand Entrance
Captain’s Log: Stardate 3021.5
Responding to a request for medical assistance, the Enterprise is en route to the Voitaan system at warp eight. According to Starfleet, the Voitaan have been testing several new experimental spacecraft over the past week. Twelve hours ago, an explosion in a testing facility has left hundreds of people injured and several dead.
“Coming up on Voitaan, captain.”
“On screen,” Kirk ordered.
The double spheres of Voitaan and Dreknor appeared on the main screen, the blazing light of their sun shining like a beacon directly between the two.
“Slow to one-quarter impulse, Mister Mitchell,” Kirk continued. “Assume standard orbit.”
“Aye, sir.” Gary Mitchell was Kirk’s helmsman and best friend since their Academy days. When Kirk was promoted to command of the Enterprise, Mitchell was the first to congratulate him. In fact, when he was informed that Kirk had requested him to be at the helm, Mitchell wasted no time in accepting.
Now, as the sister planets grew larger on the main screen, Kirk was reminded that no matter how complete Starfleet records were in describing all the known planetary systems in the Federation, they were no substitute for the experience of actually being there.
Earlier, during a conference with Kirk’s section chiefs, Spock had given a characteristically well-detailed report on both worlds. Although a Class-M planet approximately the size of Earth, Voitaan has a higher percentage of landmass, consisting of nine continents and three major oceans.
At one time, there were sixteen territories ruled by five separate governments. However, over the last century, many of the territories began to consolidate during a series of minor wars. When all was said and done, there were three independent states each ruled by a distinct style of government.
Although the individual governments had different political, social, and economic structures, they finally settled their disputes and began a cooperation to further their advances in space science.
It was this agreement between the governments that helped them attain membership into the Federation only six months ago. It took five years of observation, investigation, and finally, negotiations between Federation ambassadors and emissaries from the three Voitaan governments before their bid for membership was finally accepted.
Over the past ten years, the Voitaan had established several space science laboratories and testing facilities on Dreknor. With a surface of mostly parched, arid desert and rock with few significant bodies of water to speak of, the planet is an uninhabited wasteland. These conditions made Dreknor a suitable place for the testing of various experiments that, should something go awry, would have posed a threat to Voitaan’s environment. During the Federation’s investigation into these facilities, they found the Voitaan working on a wide range of projects from the construction of new spacecraft to long-range satellites.
“We have assumed standard orbit around Voitaan,” Mitchell announced. “Though due to the proximity of Dreknor, we’ll have to make several course corrections as we travel through the gravity well between the two planets.”
“Explain,” Kirk ordered.
“According to our sensors,” Mitchell began. “The density of the gravity well is greater in some areas than in others. That kind of instability could make for a rather bumpy ride.”
From his science station across the bridge, Spock had also been monitoring the sensor readings. “Curious. The pattern of fluctuation in the gravity well between Voitaan and Dreknor is most unusual even for planets of this size.
“However, according to Starfleet records, there is a brief period of time each year when the outer atmospheres of the two planets physically touch, causing brief but severe localized natural disasters including enormous coastal flooding on Voitaan. As that time is approaching, it is therefore possible that the instability we are observing is associated with this event.”
“At any rate,” Mitchell said. “We should only be in the gravity well for about eight minutes.”
“Eight point three two minutes to be exact, Mister Mitchell,” Spock said.
Mitchell didn’t miss a beat. “Right, Spock, that’s exactly what I said.” The deadpan tone of his reply sparked sounds of barely restrained laughter around the bridge.
Spock’s raised eyebrow was his only reaction to Mitchell. Kirk learned soon after meeting the Vulcan that this was his way of expressing even the slightest of emotions from irritation to fascination. This time, it was definitely the former.
“Mister Mitchell, you did not say—”
Kirk held up a hand to interrupt the exchange. “Thank you, Mister Spock. Your precision is always appreciated. Keep me posted, gentlemen.”
He rose from his command chair and turned to face the communications station at the back of the bridge. “Lieutenant, open a channel to the Voitaan Council.”
Lieutenant Uhura held a hand up to the silver receiver in her left ear as she flipped a series of switches on her console. “Channel open, captain.”
Kirk stepped closer to the front of the bridge and faced the main screen. “Voitaan Council, this is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise, please respond.”
Within a few seconds, the image of the double worlds was replaced by the pale orange visage of a Voitaan council member. He was a thin man with receding violet hair and a stern, careworn face. He appeared to Kirk to be extremely frail and was mildly surprised by the robustness in the man’s voice.
“Captain Kirk, I am Representative Garelen of the Voitaan Council. Thank you very much for coming to our aide.”
“Of course, Mister Garelen,” Kirk replied. “If you would transmit the exact coordinates of the accident on Dreknor, I’ll have a medical team beamed down immediately.”
Garelen glanced off to the right of the screen and nodded. “They’re being transmitted now, captain,” he began. “Our medical staff will greet your people when they arrive. May I ask also if you could spare a few of your engineers? Several complex and sensitive pieces of computer equipment were severely damaged during the accident and our engineers are incredibly overworked trying to affect repairs.”
“I’ll send down my best team,” Kirk said. “Is there anything else, Mister Garelen?”
Garelen looked off to the right of the screen once more. He dismissed whoever was in the room with him and waited several seconds before speaking. “There is one other matter that I would like to discuss with you, Captain. However, it is extremely sensitive therefore it would be best if we spoke in person. Perhaps a few members of our council could join you on your way to Dreknor? We would like to inspect the situation there personally as well.”
“You’re certainly more than welcome to beam aboard my ship,” Kirk replied.
Garelen looked hesitant. He leaned closer to the viewscreen. “I’ve heard about this ‘beaming’ as you call it but I have never experienced it. Is it completely safe?”
Kirk couldn’t help but to grin at the representative’s sudden trepidation. “My chief engineer wouldn’t have it any other way.”
***
Later, in the main conference room, Kirk sat with Spock, Mitchell, chief medical officer Mark Piper, and chief engineer Montgomery Scott. Across the table, Garelen sat with two other council members, introduced as Sental and Nakor.
The meeting began as Spock and Mitchell reported that the course corrections needed to pass safely through the gravity well had been successfully calculated. “However,” Spock added, “with your permission, Captain, I would like to analyze our sensor readings as we travel through the gravity well.”
“Very well, Mister Spock, proceed. Though I’ll be assigning Mister Mitchell to the landing party so I’d like Mister Sulu to be at the helm during your investigation.”
Hikaru Sulu was recently promoted to senior astrophysicist leaving the chief helmsman position now filled by Gary Mitchell.
“A logical choice, Captain,” Spock concurred. “I will begin immediately.”
“Is this something we should be concerned about?” inquired Sental. Kirk guessed she was the youngest of the three council members as her skin was a deeper orange than either of her colleagues.
“I cannot be sure at this time,” Spock replied. “There is insufficient data from which to draw a conclusion.”
With current events unfolding as they are on Dreknor, Kirk knew the last thing the Voitaan needed was more worries. As Spock left the room, Kirk said, “As my chief science officer, it is Mister Spock’s duty to record and analyze all astronomical events we encounter in our travels.”
“If I understand your assignment correctly, Captain,” Nakor said, his tone tinged with hostility. “Your primary objective is to give us medical assistance, not studying gravity wells.”
Kirk stared at the Voitaan for a few seconds before answering. He refused to be told what to do on his own ship, especially by a bureaucrat. “I’m well aware of my objectives here, Mister Nakor, which brings me to the next issue. Mister Garelen, could you give us an update on the situation on Dreknor?”
Garelen leaned forward and folded his hands atop the table as he began. “At last report, our second largest research facility was in the process of testing an experimental plasma engine configuration for a new interstellar ship. Apparently, one of the engines malfunctioned causing an explosion that killed eight members of the research team. Hundreds more were injured as the building collapsed. Our medical staff was completely unprepared and subsequently outnumbered by the casualties. The ship itself was severely damaged along with most of the research equipment and computers. As I said before, our engineers are straining to keep on top of the situation.”
“Understood,” Kirk said. “Mister Mitchell, you and Mister Scott will lead the landing party on Dreknor. Doctor Piper, you and your staff will assist with the casualties.”
“All personnel are standing by, Captain,” Piper reported.
“Excellent, Doctor. Mister Scott, what’s your status?”
“I researched Voitaan technology on the way here, Captain,” Scott replied. “Of course, we’ll have to asses the extent of the damage as well as the cause, but it’s a good bet my team and I can handle it.”
“Very good, gentlemen,” Kirk said. “Our ETA to Dreknor is about ten minutes. Gather all the personnel and equipment you need and be in the transporter room by then. Dismissed.”
The trio of Starfleet officers hastily departed the room leaving Kirk alone with the council members. “Now, Mister Garelen,” he began. “There was another urgent matter you wanted to discuss?”
“Yes, Captain,” the Voitaan replied. He seemed unsure of how to begin and appeared to be choosing his words carefully. “Over the past eight months, nine members of our research staff on Dreknor have vanished without a trace. All of our investigations into their whereabouts so far have been inconclusive. No matter how much we’ve tightened security in and around the facilities, these disappearances continue to happen. There are no witnesses and no reports of any unusual or suspicious activity. We haven’t even been able to determine if the scientists left of their own accord or were abducted.”
Kirk took a moment to consider Garelen’s report. “Were all of the researchers working on the same project?”
Sental shook her head in response. “No. We thought that may have been a possible connection as well, but only three out of the nine were assigned to the same project.”
“Has there been anyone on either Voitaan or Dreknor that has protested or voiced even the slightest concern regarding any of the projects or experiments the scientists were working on?”
“None,” Nakor replied. “Despite Garelen’s request, I don’t feel your involvement in this matter is necessary, Captain. We have increased security on Dreknor to the point where no one leaves a building without a personal escort and our investigators are covering every possible scenario.”
“Are you certain, Nakor?” Garelen asked. “It is often the case that when you’re too close to a situation, you tend to overlook something that an objective observer may notice.”
Garelen turned to Kirk. “Nakor has been directing our investigations since the first disappearance. You can imagine his frustration.”
The councilor was trying skillfully to act as a buffer between Kirk and Nakor without upsetting either. His fellow councilor, however, would not admit defeat.
“Garelen,” Nakor began. “If I just had more time, we—”
“We no longer have the luxury of time, Nakor,” Garelen retorted. “It seems the more time we lose, the more researchers we lose with it. There is no shame in asking for help, especially when lives are at stake.”
“Captain, if I may,” Sental began as she sat back in her chair. Her tone was soft, relaxed. Kirk sensed that she was typically the source of calm among her bickering colleagues. “I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we are more than grateful for all of your efforts on behalf of our worlds. We realize we have asked a great deal of you as it is. If you’re unwilling to assist us in this matter, we will understand.”
Kirk paused for a few moments before answering. Although he made it appear as if he was considering his decision, he actually just wanted a few moments of silence. Judging from Nakor’s general attitude, Kirk doubted that Sental truly spoke for all of her council members. Nevertheless, as a Starfleet officer, there was no question that he would help the Voitaan in their investigation. Besides, he didn’t like the idea of sending his own crew into a situation where people are mysteriously disappearing.
“Mister Nakor,” Kirk said finally. “If you don’t mind providing me with a detailed report on the progress of your investigation, I’ll see what I can do.”
Nakor didn’t reply immediately. The look on his face told Kirk he was anything but pleased with the captain’s request. However, the council member knew he had no other choice but to oblige. His tone was indignant as he spoke. “I’ll provide all the information I feel you’ll need, Captain.”
This is going to be like pulling teeth, Kirk thought.
***
As the transporter beam faded around the landing party, they found themselves in what appeared to be a vast, empty hangar bay. In the center of the room, two Voitaan stood waiting to greet the Starfleet officers. The oldest of the two was a slightly rotund woman in a loosely fitted green jump suit while the other was a tall stern young man in a black uniform with an energy weapon holstered on his belt.
“Thank you for coming,” the woman said. “I’m Vanay, senior research administrator. Welcome to Dreknor.”
After hasty introductions, she promptly ushered the landing party toward a corridor at the opposite side of the room. As he crossed the hangar bay, Mitchell noticed a large oval shaped object nestled in the far corner towards the back. It was covered by a royal blue sheet tightly bound by several ropes. Six computer consoles, none of which were active at the moment, were lined up along the right side of the object. Judging by its size, Mitchell guessed it was either a small shuttle or possibly a satellite of some kind.
“We have two separate teams currently assigned to the clean up effort,” Vanay began. “The first is in the process of repairing or replacing most of the essential computer equipment in our main control room at the end of the hall. Their coordinator is Balem who oversees maintenance of all hardware in this facility. Our second team is actually just our senior engineer, Miko, and her assistant, Linar. They’re working on repairing the damage to the ZyXis, our prototype interstellar ship.”
“Have you been able to determine the cause of the explosion?” Mitchell asked.
“Not officially, though rumors of sabotage are beginning to spread like a plague. Paranoia is already running high since our researchers started vanishing earlier this year.”
Vanay nodded her head in the direction of the Voitaan security guard. “As you can see, each of us is assigned a personal armed escort almost at all times.”
Looking farther down the dimly lit corridor, Mitchell noticed a set of closed double doors off to the left about ten meters ahead. Along the seam between them were three large circular locks spaced evenly apart at the top, center, and bottom. Two armed security guards stood at attention on either side of the door.
When the group finally made it to the end of the hallway, Vanay’s escort moved ahead of them as he removed a portable control padd from his belt. He stepped closer to the doors, keeping his back to the group, and began keying in what Mitchell presumed was an access code. When he was finished, the guard placed the padd against the first lock. The status lights along the top of the padd flashed red for a few seconds while the access code was transferred into the lock’s memory. Finally, the lock disengaged and the padd’s lights quickly turned a steady blue. This same sequence was followed for the remaining two locks, with a different access code required for each.
As the doors slowly parted, the guard stepped aside to allow the group to enter. Vanay entered first, followed by Mitchell and the landing party. They had taken no more than two steps into the room when the stench of burned metal and plastic assaulted their senses. Mitchell’s eyes began to sting in reaction to the aroma of the smoke filled room.
“The ventilation system was partially destroyed in the explosion,” Vanay announced apologetically. “The secondary systems are a little slower.”
“So I see,” Mitchell replied as he rubbed his eyes.
Scattered about the floor were various articles of debris ranging from pieces of building materials to scorched circuit boards. From the ceiling, useless strands of cables and electrical wiring hung like broken string. Portable generators provided auxiliary power to emergency lighting placed haphazardly around the perimeter of the room.
Scott and his engineering team tentatively made their way to several blackened heaps of what used to be a series of computer consoles lined up along a collapsed wall at the far right of the room.
“Och, what a mess,” Scott commented as he surveyed the wreckage.
“It isn’t much better in the adjoining labs.”
Scott and Mitchell turned in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. Stepping over the rubble of the collapsed wall was a middle-aged man wearing soot blackened coveralls and gloves.
“Balem, what’s the status of Lab One?” Vanay inquired.
The man shrugged as he brushed off the sleeves of his jumpsuit. The effort made no improvement. “In terms of equipment, there’s nothing salvageable. It’ll all have to be replaced once the lab is rebuilt and all new cabling reinstalled. It’ll take at least until the end of the month before it’s fully operational again.”
“What about labs two through seven?”
“Now most of the computers in those rooms appear to be salvageable, especially in labs six and seven. I have two people in each lab assessing the damage as we speak. I should get more details from them later today.”
Balem waved his hands to indicate the area in which they were currently standing. “As far as this room is concerned, I don’t know when I’ll be able to spare anyone to start working in here. Lab One is going to keep us extremely busy for probably the next three or four days.”
“My men and I can start workin’ in here, if ye’d like,” Scott offered. “Unless ye need our help elsewhere in the complex.”
“That would be excellent, Mister Scott,” Vanay replied. “Balem, this is Lieutenant Commander Scott and Lieutenant Mitchell from the Federation ship Enterprise.”
“Glad you join the excitement, gentlemen. It’s really just going to be a cleanup effort for now. If you could spare some of your people tomorrow, I’d like to see if we could start repairing some of the computers in labs six and seven.”
“I’m sure it won’t be a problem,” Mitchell said.
“Good. I have to get back to Lab One. Vanay can provide you with any information you need about the labs or the control room, such as what they looked like before this happened since you’d never be able to tell by looking at them now.”
Balem nodded to the group and began making his way back the way he came. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back. “I almost forgot,” he said as he pointed a thumb towards the room on the other side of the smashed wall. “There are four government agents inspecting the testing room. Miko and Linar moved the ZyXis out of there about an hour ago and put it in the hangar bay.”
“Was that the object covered with the blue sheet?” Mitchell asked.
“The same,” Balem answered. “They aren’t allowed to start repairing it until the agents inspect it for possible signs of sabotage.”
Mitchell realized Balem was without a security escort. He wondered if only essential research personnel were required to have them. He decided to ask Vanay about it.
“You’re correct for the most part,” she explained. “Before the accident, just about everyone was assigned an escort and additional security patrolled all of our facilities. Unfortunately, several security officers were killed during the explosion. On top of that, even more disappeared over the past several months along with the researchers they were guarding.”
Mitchell turned to the Starfleet security team assigned to the landing party by Captain Kirk. “Ensigns Black and Dayton, you’ll escort Mister Balem back to Lab One and assist in patrolling the area. Report any suspicious activity to myself or Mister Scott and inform Mister Balem as well. Understood?”
Black and Dayton nodded their acknowledgment and escorted Balem out of the control room. Before leaving, Balem wished Mitchell and Scott luck and thanked them again for all of their efforts.
“Looks like we have our work cut out for us,” Vanay commented as she ran a hand through her thick violet hair. “Hopefully, the clean up will be fairly easy at least.”
As if on cue, the rear section of the roof caved in directly over two power generators against the back wall. Both generators immediately shut down, cutting off most of the lighting in that area.
“Still willing to bet you can handle it, Scotty?” Mitchell asked.
“Aye, I’ve always considered m’self the gamblin’ type, Mister Mitchell,” Scotty replied with a sigh. “It’s part o’ the job.”
***
“And it’s part of my job to tend to my patients’ emotional condition as well as their physical.”
“Unfortunately, Doctor Piper, we do not have time to coddle these people. Treat one and move onto the next.”
As the Senior Physician of the Voitaan medical staff walked off towards a cluster of waiting patients, Piper shook his head in disgust. “Is this a clinic or an assembly line?” He sighed and followed Doctor Seskan to a row of beds along the left wall of the clinic.
He hoped his memory of Voitaan anatomy and physiology would serve him. Whenever a new alien world became official members of the Federation, Piper made it a point to review all of the coinciding medical information released by Starfleet.
Judging by the condition of the patients he was approaching, his knowledge was about to be put to the test. A young Voitaan male, his midsection covered in red-orange blood, grimaced in pain as the medics gently laid him atop the bed.
One of the medics, scanner in hand, began examining the injured man as the other expertly removed his tunic to expose the gaping wound. “He was found under a collapsed ceiling in Lab One,” she reported. “It appears the upper concentric rib is shattered, pieces of bone have pierced the middle lung and intestinal region.”
While the first medic injected a hypospray into the man’s chest to ease the pain, the other held a large oval shaped device over the patient’s midsection. Piper recognized it as a Voitaan instrument used to stop excessive bleeding.
“Prep him for surgery,” Seskan ordered.
Without missing a beat, the medic pressed a button on a small control panel on the bed’s frame. Slowly, a set of thin metal guardrails rose on each side of the bed. When they were fully in place, she flipped a series of switches in sequence. Four small antigravity thrusters activated on the underside of the bed at each corner. Gently, the bed detached itself from the wall and the medic began pushing the bed toward the operating room doors across the room.
Piper was impressed that the patient was not jostled in the slightest during the entire process. As he moved onto the next patient, he heard the operating room doors burst open with a thunderous crash just as an explosion shook the building. He turned suddenly to see the medic no longer pushing the transformed gurney but reeling violently backward, pulling the bed along with her. The second medic ran to help stabilize the drifting bed.
He moved no more than two steps before being struck by a red energy beam—and immediately disintegrating. A smoking black mark on the floor was all that remained of him. A woman screamed somewhere behind them. Then, just as suddenly, the room fell silent.
Piper swallowed hard and froze in place as three individuals in black jumpsuits stepped casually out of the smoking operating room into the clinic proper. Their skin was more reddish than the other Voitaan and their eyes were noticeably larger. The most obvious feature of the three intruders were the energy weapons raised in his general direction.
Seskan stepped in front of Piper and faced the armed trio. “What is this?” he demanded. “Who are—”
The middle intruder, a tall, well-muscled man, pointed his gun at Seskan’s head. “Silence. We are seeking a doctor now.”
Seskan took a deep breath before responding. “I’m sorry, but you will have to wait just like everyone else. Put your weapons away, or I will have securi—”
“Your security is no longer. We have surrounded this complex. My people require medical attention. You will come with us.”
Seskan spoke quickly. “Bring your injured in here and we’ll treat them as quickly as we can. I cannot leave while I have several emergencies on my hands.” He indicated the injured man in the gurney. “Not the least of which is this man who requires immediate surgery.”
The leader of the armed trio regarded the injured man casually for a moment before turning his gun on him and firing. The Voitaan shrieked in pain as he disintegrated in a glowing red aura. The medics dove out of the way as the gurney spun out of control and crashed into a nearby wall, smoke billowing from the blackened sheets.
Piper started at the horrible sight of the young man’s violent death. The leader noticed his reaction and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. He stepped closer to Piper, keeping his weapon at chest level. “What are you?”
“Chief Medical Officer of the Federation Starship Enterprise.”
“Is that supposed to impress me?”
Piper didn’t reply.
“You still have not answered my question, doctor. What are you? I have never seen your kind before.”
“My people are called Human.”
“What are you?” Seskan asked the armed men. “I’ve never seen your kind before either.”
The man stepped away slowly turning his back on the doctors. For several awkward seconds, he did not answer. Finally, he turned around. “I am a citizen of this planet,” he said as he opened his arms wide. “My people are called Dreknor.”