“He roller-coaster, he got early warnin’

He got muddy water, he one mojo filter

He say, “One and one and one is three”

Got to be good-lookin’ ’cause he’s so hard to see.

Come together, right now

Over me.”

Lennon/McCartney – 1969

The mid-morning sun was laboring through the azure sky, intent on it’s zenith when Jimmy Conrad finally crested the ridge and arrive at the Beacon.

No longer a young man, but reasonable fit from the exertions of his younger life as a boxer, Captain James Conrad wiped an errant bead of perspiration from his balding pate and turned to squint against his upturned arm at the breathtaking vista that spread before him.

From the vantage where the Beacon blazed, Conrad could see for literal miles through the obfuscation of the mid – morning haze from this elevation. The confounded ranks of conifers that marched up the steep inclines of the mountain, that had made his progress so difficult, now spread out below and before him like a verdant blanket of varicolored lushness.

Far below and to his left, guttering exhilarations of crystal clear glacial – melt meander down the basalt channels that eons had carved from the mountainside to fill a caldera some half a kilometer in diameter, creating a shimmering natural lake some for hundred meters below.

Jimmy gratefully set down his improvised bed-roll/sleeping bag combination and took a moment to drink in the view.

“Well, yah have tah admit. Fowh a pair ah utteh bastahds, they sure can pick a sick spot!” Jimmy commented to himself in his thick Boston creole, as the wonder of creation sprawled before his eye.

With that he turned toward the eponymous beacon with a critical eye.

All through the edge of night to glittering morn, Conrad had negotiated the intervening challenges of the gully between where he had woken confused in the night, to where this towering beacon in the darkness had blazed and beckoned.

As he progressed up the steep switchbacks, skinned his palms on brackish thorny – bushes that blocked his way and scrambled in shale and boulders in the lower – slopes of the mountain, even Jimmy was forced to admit to himself that he was quietly enjoying this forced march through the wilderness of Minos Korva Prime.

The weather was fair, the way forward challenging enough to take his mind of the myriad of competing priorities that command of a starship necessitated and (after he stopped cursing his superiors for their flair and subterfuge), Conrad realised that this was the most free he had felt is a very long time and revelled in the catharsis.

The Beacon still raged in the morning light; it’s guiding light now seen close up gave off no heat whatsoever.

“Huh!” Jimmy grunted at this revelation. “A Hologram….go figure?”

To prove his hypothesis, Conrad moved over to the blaze of the beacon and passed his hand through the mirage with confidence.

His hand emerged unscathed and the Beacon disappeared, leaving him alone on the mountainside.

Jimmy laughed out loud.

“That’s a wicked funny joke, huh?” he lifted his head to the heavens, as if questioning the distant Task Force commanders way up there in space.

Returning his gaze to the small plateau that the Beacon occupied, Jimmy noted a Starfleet equipment crate that the holoprojector rested upon.

Instead of the fiery inferno that had lit up the night’s sky, the holoprojector simply projected a small rotating message that hung above it in warm, yellow script.

It simply read, as it simply rotated in the air. “Come together.”

“No way, huh?” Jimmy shrugged and took the holoprojector off the lid of the crate and cracked it open to see what was inside.

A small thermal torch, a small fishing – line and hooks, a number of beautifully woven (real!) woolen blankets, a handful of Starfleet Issue Number #3 MRU ration packs (the self – heating good ones with the vegetable curry!) and…what was this?!

Jimmy reached in and reverently withdrew a bottle of Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 82 Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

“Jeez, Mary and Joe and all the saints, thas wicked awesome!” Conrad breathed in awe as he let the gentle sunlight play through the glorious amber liquid inside the bottle. If this was real and the genuine article (and somehow Jimmy felt that it might just be) then the contents of this venerable vintage dram were probably worth more than the entire USS Speedwell.

With a faint smile on his swarthy face, Jimmy Conrad looked around the clearing and figured that he couldn’t have been the only one stupid enough to accept this hare – brained invitation from his superiors, so he went around busying himself by creating a small campfire the hard – way and to making a brew of coffee from the ration kits.

It wasn’t long before he found himself with company.

Captains Kirok Skyrunner and Sophia Rodriguez trudged through the dense forest, their tricorders scanning the terrain for any signs of danger. As they hiked up the mountainside, they noticed the various types of pine trees, various bushes, and undergrowth. Several flying birdlike creatures took off from a nearby white pine conifer, shrieking as they flew away. This wooded environment brought back good memories for both Kirok and Sophia. It was midmorning when they stopped to take in the view.

“This hiking trip, so to speak, reminds me of our first date, back on Earth. We hiked Diamondhead Crater on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii,” Kirok said.

Sophia, trailing right next to him, scanned the area with her tricorder, then replied to her husband, smiling.

“Yes, I do remember that well. That is when you got poison ivy on the hike. Then, we went back to our hotel, changed clothes and went to the beach for a walk before dinner. I clearly remember you getting stung by a jellyfish.”

Kirok gave her a side eye glance as he stopped and looked around. Kirok and Sophia looked around, they beheld what could be a picture perfect view. To the right, was a beautiful looking, crystal clear glacier and a fresh water stream running from it to a lake that reminded Kirok of his uncle’s cabin in Wyoming, near Yellowstone.

“Leave it to you to poke fun at me.”

Sophia looked in his eyes, smiled at him, then kissed him softly.

“That’s why you married me babe,” Sophia said, scanning the area.

The blazing beacon, their waypoint, grew brighter in the distance, casting a warm glow over the surrounding foliage.

“Almost there,” Sophia said, her eyes fixed on the tricorder’s readings. “The beacon’s energy signature is strong. Whatever is causing the anomaly must be nearby.”

Kirok nodded, his hand resting on the makeshift walking stick he made.

“Let’s proceed with caution. We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

As they crested a small hill, they looked up and the beacon came into view. Unfortunately, to their surprise, it suddenly flickered and died. The captains exchanged a wary glance, their hands instinctively gripping their walking sticks, that double as a cheap club.

“What’s going on?” Sophia whispered, her tricorder still active, but struggling to compensate for the loss of the beacon’s signal.

Kirok’s eyes scanned the surroundings, his senses on high alert.

“I don’t know, but let’s move in cautiously. Keep your tricorder active and stay sharp.”

They crept forward, their footsteps quiet on the forest floor. As they approached the spot where the beacon had stood, a figure turned to regard them.

 He was a balding man, dressed in hiking clothes and was next to a rolled up sleeping back with the same wood torch they have, with a mixture of curiosity and wariness etched on his face. Kirok and Sophia slowly emerge from the forest into the clearing where the extinguished beacon and this strange figure was at.

“Who are you?” Sophia asked.

The bald man regarded them calmly, his eyes taking in their clothes and equipment.

“Ain’t it a wicked nice mornin’ for a stroll? Swing by, coffee’s just about ready.” Smiled Jimmy as he squatted on his haunches by the small fire he had built, waving them over.

Kirok and Sophia exchanged a skeptical glance, unsure what to make of this strange bald man, alone and in the middle of this forest.

“What do you know about the beacon?” Kirok asked.

“Ya ain’t gonna find it no more.” Conrad shook his head. “Hologram. Gone now. C’mon, for some chowderhead coffee, this stuff ain’t too shabby.”

Jimmy stood up and regarded the pair, holding out a hand in greeting.

“Captain Jim Conway, USS Speedwell … .pleased to meetcha.”

Both Sophia and Kirok stepped forward, joining Jim around the small campfire he made. They stood next to the fire, dropping their makeshift packs on the ground and shook Jim’s hand.

“I’m Captain Kirok Skyrunner, commanding officer for the USS Carlsbad. This is my wife and formerly the commanding officer of the USS Thunderdragon, Captain Sophia Rodriguez,” Kirok introduced himself and Sophia to Jim.

Sophia stepped forward and shook Jim’s hand after Kirok did.

“Coffee smells good. Mind if we have a cup, please,” Sophia asked Jim.

“Sure is a nice place to camp,” Kirok said.

Jimmy regarded the pair, they certainly had the self – confidence of Starfleet captains, that much was evident. He smiled and nodded.

“Married eh?” Conway laughed, not unkindly. “That’s one thing I never really figured out, ya know? I seemed to be able to be a husband or a ship’s captain – but never both at once. I picked the boat, and lemme tell ya, my wife definitely scored better on that one!” he smiled depreciatingly and began to carefully pour coffee for the newcomers.

“Hey, sorry, but we ain’t got no cream or sugar. You’re gonna have to take it straight up, kid.” Jimmy nodded as he proffered the steaming tin – mugs.

Meanwhile, the trio of newcomers had marched.  Or rather, Thalissa marched.  Ramón stalked, and Michael breathlessly lumbered along as best he could.  Thalissa’s security background served her well.  She had taken point with all but a predator’s grace, scanning along with her tricorder and barely breathing hard – like this was just a jog along some promenade. 

Michael found his gaze continually drawn to her – admiring the way her hips moved, the calm efficiency of every step – and he hated himself for it.  Neither of them had openly spoke of that spontaneous moment in the ready room since that initial Vaadwaur battle, and he was still digesting it.  Letting this growing, seemingly mutual attraction rot unspoken in the dark corners of their minds like some sort of contraband, while they continued on like it hadn’t even happened.  Just two commanding officers letting this pent up tension build as they committed romantic perjury with every shift rotation.

Ramón dragged up the rear, looking like some pissed off guardian angel. That pockmarked bastard didn’t say a word, but he didn’t have to – it felt to Michael like the other man’s eyes were strip-mining him right down to his very soul.  He kept his eyes forward, pretending as if he were focused on the trail.  But in the back of his mind – right where paranoia and guilt can go fornicate one another – he could feel the counselor’s suspicion boring into his vertebrae like a goddamn psychic drill.  Or he thought he did.  Maybe Michael just felt too damned guilty.

Michael’s inner monologue had all but become a full-blown tribunal – judge, jury, and pervert – by the time they found themselves approaching their destination.  Thalissa broke the silence.  “Three life signs just ahead at the beacon.”  She was all business.  “Another one closing in soon.”  Michael blinked.  The trees were back.  Their point of convergence with the other CO’s was real again.

The clearing rolled up on them like a booby-trap.  No warning.  One minute it had been branches, pine needles, and sweat.  The next, they found themselves standing in the company of strangers discussing coffee.  The thick roasted tang coiled through the trees to tug at something primal in the hindbrain.

“Hey, how’s it goin’?” Conway greeted before turning back to Kirok and Sophia. “Time to snag some more cups, huh?”

Ramón didn’t speak – he moved.  He slung his pack to the dirt, popped a flap, and yanked out a tin cup.  No hesitation.  No social contract.  He just stormed up to the pot on the fire and poured himself a dose.  “Straight black!” he muttered in grave approval.  “Esto es perfecto!  No azucar.  No crema.  Pura gasolina!  This’ll clean the filth off your damned guts for sure!”

Thalissa just blinked, brushing a pine needle off of one of her shoulders, and gave Michael a look that seemed to ask; are we just going to let that happen?  The answer was yeah – he was. 

Clearly the man had been sent to them by Williams and Thakrass to bypass social norms.  Michael squared his shoulders and stepped into the breach, as it were.  “Uh, greetings.  I’m Captain Michael Dart, USS Fresno.  The lovely Andorian here is my XO, Commander Thalissa Zheen.  And the coffee bandit there is our new Counselor Ramón Gutierrez, apparently.”

Conrad grinned at the rampaging councilor, like his Ma had always said, there’s nothing more satisfying that seeing a man satisfy a hunger. Jimmy straightened up to his ‘full’ 5ft 7ins and dusted off his hands indicating to himself and then the senior officers from the USS Carlsbad.

“Great to meet ya, Mike and Thalissa, Ramón. My name’s Jimmy, I drive a starship, and this here is Captain Kirok and Captain Sophia, who have made it through all the Vaaduwar had ‘ta sling attem and the ups and downs of marriage to boot and are still kickin’ it!” The tough little Boston native grinned at the newcomers.

“Ain’t  Nuthin’ tougher than a tugboat skipper, or so they say.” Jimmy nodded to both command crews. “It’s a wicked confident captain, no doubt, that ain’t thrilled to see a California-class cruisin’ into view. Good on ya, kid.”

——————————————————————————————————————————-

The climb had been harder than he expected, which suited Ayres’ mood. The dense woods thinned as he climbed, and shafts of morning light stabbed through the canopy, glinting off frost-kissed undergrowth and glistening rock. Each breath grew sharper with elevation, and every step on the increasingly challenging terrain felt to Ayres like a mixed blessing; the exercise – and the natural environment – was a relief from the Sacramento, from Starbase 72, and from the lingering wounds of the Vaadwaur. But he was smart enough to realize there was a destination, and the destination was going to necessitate smalltalk.

The invitation had been nothing more than a beacon in the distance and the closer he got to it the more quiet dread he fought back. He crested a ridge and spotted the clearing below. Ayres crouched behind a cluster of rocks, squinting against the rising sun.

They were already here. Conrad, grinning. Skyrunner and Rodriguez standing close. He could see Dart near what must be his Andorian executive officer. Ayres sighed and took a breath. He tapped the rock with a closed fist, stood up, rolled his shoulders back and strode on toward the group.

Ayres said nothing for a moment, studying their easy camaraderie. Then his voice cut through the crackle, even and dry, “A welcome sight, captain. I was starting to think this was a punishment detail”

“Oh, Don’t thank me just yet kid, that’s standard-issue number #3 Ration pack ‘joe’ right there, guaranteed to keep you buzzin’ through an entire watch rotation and it can self – vulcanize pipework to boot.” Jimmy smiled at the rangy bearded man who was the last to join them, pouring him out the last from the pot. “Calling it ‘coffee’, though,  is punishment cruel and unusual enough!”

Captains Kirok Skyrunner and Sophia Rodriguez turned to face the three newcomers. Kirok offered a hand to them first. Sophia went to offer a friendly hug to Thalissa.

“I’m Captain Kirok Skyrunner, USS Carlsbad. This is my wife Captain Sophia Rodriguez, my current XO. We had a rough ride dealing with those sneaky Vaadwaur, but we managed to find a way to beat them in the middle of nowhere, with some help,” Kirok said with a grin.

 “Good to meet the command staff of the USS Fresno. Heard good things about that tough little ship. Pleasure to meet you.” Kirok looked at Jimmy, with a friendly smile. “Somehow I managed to navigate marriage and starship command.” Kirok gave Sophia a wink, who in turn playfully punched Kirok in the arm.

Now that he had been finished playing mother, Jimmy Conway stood up and pitched the dregs and grounds of the coffee pot hissing into the fire he had built.

You had to hand it to the TFSS, they sure had managed to coral a whole bunch of chiefs. Jimmy wondered to himself how long they would brave that situation until some of them had to play the part of the Indians. With that thought amusing him still, he indicated to the Holoprojector that had previously conjured up the mirage of The Beacon.

missive still insisted “Come Together” as the little holo circled the unit.

“Well, I dunno ’bout the rest of ya, but I’m itchin’ to find out what whacky scheme our fancy-pants leaders have whipped up. I’m guessin’ this gizmo’s been sittin’ here waitin’ for us. How ’bout we just toss caution to the wind and crack open Pandora’s box?”

As the captains congregated and drew close, indeed the holoprojector sprang to life and suddenly the venerable shade of Captain Trevenan Williams, Commanding Officer of Task Force 72, stood before them.

William’s salt and pepper eyebrows deepened slightly and the crows – feet that lined his mercurial grey – eyes planted themselves deeper as the holo spread his arms wide and greeted.

“Captains! Welcome!” Trevenan smiled quite impishly for a man his age.

“No doubt you’re all wondering what exactly is going on and how the hell you managed to end up here, all together?” The projection of the TFCO smiled.

“Thought had crossed our minds.” Jimmy commented with dry irony and he crossed his arms.

“And therein lies the point.”

“You’re here because, in the very best traditions of a Starfleet officer, you heard the call and you volunteered.” William nodded sagely, a tinge of quiet pride affecting his tone.

“The manner in which you were brought here is also quite deliberate and apt to the trials that, individually, you have all recently overcome with your crews.” The hologram persisted. “The Blackout forced us to work in isolation. Alone, apart, you were called upon to rise to that challenge and went through hell and back to fulfill your missions and bring your people home safe and alive where you could.”

This sombre point resonated with all that had braved conflict against the Vaadwaur, despite what outward facade of bravado was required to put a brave face on the fact of their survival.

“Therefore, Captain Thakrass and I have contrived to create an experience symbolic of your isolation and create the opportunity to come together not only as peers and colleagues, but also as people and perhaps even friends?”

Captain Williams seemed to fix each officer with a piercing gaze (no small feat as this was a recording and not an interactive holo) and smiled sadly.

“We often ask everything of you all and the cost of that sacrifice for duty and honor are never lost upon us, as the people that ask you to voyage again and again into harm’s way.”

“Therefore we have one final mission that we task you all with, as part of the conclusion to this journey…” Their TFCO smiled and held his arms out wide.

“In the morning Captain Thakrass will have more details for you, but for tonight (for the first time in a long – time) you are required to get busy doing absolutely nothing!”

As the dumbfounded collection of Captains looked on, Trevenan Williams winked.

“That’s an order. Get to it people!”