Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy #4: Capture the Flag

by John Vornholt

  They reached a door marked TRANSPORTER ROOM ONE and stopped. Other cadets hurried past them.

  “You are wise, Geordi,” said Kareem. “That’s another reason I want to join Starfleet. I want to be wise. When I return to my town as an old man, I want the young people to look up at me and say, ‘He has been places and seen things. He is wise.’”

  Geordi grinned as they entered the room. “So let’s go someplace and see some things!”

  Their names were called in alphabetical order, and the cadets stepped upon the transporter platform in groups of six. When the operator saw they were all situated, he worked the controls, and they dematerialized in columns of shimmering light.

  While Geordi waited for his name to be called, he noticed that some of the first-year cadets looked nervous, and he realized that the ones from Earth may not have transported before. He had been transporting all his life and couldn’t imagine what they were feeling.

  He glanced at his new friend, Kareem, who looked slightly paler than before. “Have you ever transported anywhere?”

  “Once,” Kareem whispered nervously. “When my family and I took a trip to Mars. That must’ve been ten years ago.”

  “There’s nothing to it,” Geordi assured him. “A little tingling, that’s all.”

  “But don’t people get stuck in those things? Or melted?”

  “Only when the transporter is malfunctioning,” Geordi answered. Then he smiled. “And that hardly ever happens.”

  Kareem gulped. “Hardly ever?”

  Geordi’s name was called, and he stepped briskly onto the transporter. This is more like it, he thought, back to the life I know—the life aboard a ship.

  Within seconds he was standing in a smaller transporter room with gleaming silver walls instead of the dull plaster of a building. Geordi took a deep breath and felt right at home as he stepped off the platform. He spotted a lieutenant, who was checking the roster on a computer padd.

  “Cadet Geordi La Forge,” he said to the officer. “Permission to come aboard.”

  None of the other five cadets who had arrived with Geordi had said anything. The officer nodded, clearly impressed. “Permission granted, Cadet La Forge. I see that you’ve been on a starship before. Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Glenn. Please exit, turn to your right, and go to the lecture hall at the end of the corridor. We’ll have a briefing as soon as everyone is aboard.”

  Geordi nodded and marched toward the door, which whooshed open at his approach. The others followed him.

  In the lecture hall Geordi quickly spotted the big Andorian and took a seat beside him. “How are you doing, Altos?” he asked.

  “Not so good.” Altos bobbed his antennae and burped. “Still suffering from sauerkraut.”

  Geordi laughed. It felt good having friends, people he could share his experiences with. He looked around and saw a podium in the front of the room and several large overhead screens that were blank. In fact, the lecture hall looked just like a typical lecture hall at the Academy, only smaller.

  He watched more cadets file in and look for seats. He waved to Jenna and Kareem when they entered, and he saw Jack Pettey as well. The big cadet looked none the worse for being unconscious a couple nights earlier. But Geordi noticed that he kept his distance from T’Lara.

  Finally Captain McKersie and Lieutenant Pantano entered the room. The captain touched his comm badge, and Geordi heard him say, “McKersie to Bridge. Ship’s complement is full. Take us out of orbit and set course for Saffair. Warp four.”

  Geordi looked around and estimated that there were about a hundred cadets. Thirty-two were from his gym class, and the others were mostly third-year students, none of whom he knew. A hush fell over the gathering as a slight hum indicated that they were moving out of orbit.

  “Welcome aboard the Glenn,” said Captain McKersie. All conversation stopped completely. “This is a Meteor-class Starfleet cruiser that has been refitted for use as a training vessel.

  “You are aware that we have two entirely different groups of cadets on board: my own Advanced Operations class and Lieutenant Pantano’s first-year Physical Education class. The members of my class have their assignments, and they will be taking control of this vessel as soon as we are under way.”

  He put his hands behind his back and looked sternly around the room. “You first-year cadets are passengers. I want you to remember that. Your quarters are on Deck Three, and you are to remain on Deck Three. There’s a recreational lounge on Deck Three, food slots in your quarters, and computer screens for reading. You are free to go anywhere you want—as long as it’s Deck Three.”

  The older cadets laughed, and Geordi knew they were the butt of a joke. But he didn’t mind. They were green cadets, and they didn’t have any business trying to run things. He glanced over at Jack Pettey and saw the big cadet stiffening in his chair. Patience, Jack. You’ll get your turn.

  The captain continued: “On our return trip we’ll give the first-year cadets a tour of the ship, but for now, you must let my class do their jobs. I will dismiss my class to take their stations, and the rest of you will stay to get your cabin assignments from Lieutenant Pantano.”

  He barked the order, “Class dismissed!”

  At once two-thirds of the cadets filed out, talking cheerfully among themselves. Like most of his classmates, Geordi felt envious, but he reminded himself that he would have a chance to be a starship crew member. He had to be patient now and remember that he was a first-year cadet.

  Emma Pantano strode forward to address her class. “You heard what Captain McKersie said, and I hope you remember it. There is one thing you will enjoy on this trip—none of you will have a roommate.”

  There was relieved laughter, and Pantano waited until it died down. “After I give you your cabin assignment, you are to go to one of the turbolifts outside this door. Just announce your destination, Deck Three, and you’ll be on your way. For your information, this hall, the transporter room, and the Bridge are on Deck One. Crew quarters are on Deck Two.

  “When you get to your room, you’ll find a special uniform hanging in the closet. Try it on and make sure it fits. lf it doesn’t fit, hunt me down in the lounge tonight, and I’ll get you a replacement. Report back here at oh-eight-hundred hours in the morning, wearing your new uniforms. We’ll be beaming down to Saffair shortly thereafter.”

  Emma Pantano checked her computer padd. “Cadet Altos, Cabin three-oh-one. Cadet Baker, three-oh-two. Cadet Bushima, three-oh-three …”

  Having the last name of La Forge got Geordi assigned to Cabin three-fourteen. The turbolift deposited him on Deck Three, and he stepped out to find himself in the recreation lounge. It was very impressive, with numerous game tables, padded chairs, music consoles, computer screens, exercise machines, and food slots.

  No doubt, thought Geordi, he and his classmates would be spending a lot of time in the lounge during the next twenty-four hours. If they had to be passengers, at least they would be well treated.

  He hurried down the corridor, anxiously looking for his cabin. When he approached the door of three-fourteen, it whooshed open. Geordi smiled, thinking of the clumsy doorknobs back on Earth. This was more like it!

  Everything in the cabin was standard issue—single bed, food slot, sink and lavatory, a small dresser. It was more compact than his room at the Academy, but that was all right. Geordi went immediately to the closet, curious about the special uniform that was hanging there.

  At first glance there was nothing special about it. The color was brown, and the material seemed to be a bit thicker than his regular uniform. Then he pulled out the tunic and couldn’t believe his VISOR. Stuck to the front of the shirt was an electronic device. It looked like a large emblem, about the size of his fist. Strange, thought Geordi. He had never seen anything like it.

  He tried to pull the device off the shirt but saw that it was firmly attached. Geordi’s VISOR let him get a sense of the inner workings of the instrument, but he still couldn’t figure ou
t what it was. He knew it was too complicated to be a decoration.

  Also attached to the shirt was a communicator badge, and that made Geordi smile. It was the first comm badge he had been issued as a Starfleet cadet. He tried on the uniform, and it fit perfectly. Now if he could just figure out what that thing on his chest was supposed to do….

  Geordi changed back into his regular cadet uniform and went out to the lounge. He couldn’t demand a tour of the ship, but he could study its specifications. From a food slot he got himself a glass of root beer, then he sat down at a computer screen to read engineering manuals.

  Around him, cadets were listening to music, exercising, playing games, or just talking. None of them were wearing their new uniforms with the strange gizmo on the chest. He exchanged a few words with the other cadets, but he was more interested in finding out everything he could about the Glenn.

  A few of the cadets who passed through the lounge seemed lost, as if they didn’t know what to do with themselves. Geordi felt excited, but he also felt at home. He wondered why the others couldn’t relax and enjoy the ride. Then he remembered what Jenna had said to him, that his upbringing made him a natural for Starfleet. Geordi had been so worried about his blindness that he never realized he was lucky in other respects.

  Old Boothby was right. Nobody has it easy.

  He turned off the computer screen and moved to a window to watch the stars blur past at warp speed. It was a familiar sight, but one that always delighted him. After a moment he felt rather than saw a presence sit down behind him. He turned and saw that it was the young albino woman—one of the misfits who had been chosen last during gym class.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “Hello.” She smiled. She really was like a porcelain doll, thought Geordi.

  “I’m Geordi La Forge,” he said.

  “Megan Craycroft.” She pointed to the window. “It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” said Geordi. “I never get tired of seeing it.”

  “You’ve made a lot of trips at warp speed?” asked Megan.

  Geordi shrugged. “I grew up in Starfleet. I think it’s strange to look out a window and see trees.”

  Megan laughed, a hearty sound that didn’t fit her delicate appearance. Then she grew serious. “I have to avoid direct sunlight because of my skin. So I think a career in Starfleet is a good choice for me.”

  “It’s interesting,” said Geordi, “how everybody seems to have a different reason for wanting to join Starfleet. As a kid, you think everybody wants the same things you do. Now you see we’re all different.”

  “Speaking of different,” said Megan, “what do you think of that weird thing on our new uniforms?”

  Geordi shook his head. “It must have something to do with the combat training on Saffair. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  Megan turned her head. “Look,” she said, “there’s Lieutenant Pantano. Should we ask her?”

  Geordi turned to see the middle-aged instructor step off the turbolift. At once she was surrounded by curious cadets. He saw her smile and shake her head. Apparently, she wasn’t going to tell them anything until tomorrow.

  “My uniform fit,” said Geordi. “How about yours?”

  “Like a glove,” answered Megan. “I think they know exactly what they’re doing. The Academy doesn’t make many mistakes.”

  Geordi watched the gym instructor walk through the lounge, saying hello to her students. The word got out quickly that she was present, and more students came out of their rooms and into the lounge. In a few minutes it was full.

  But Emma Pantano didn’t seem to want to make a speech. She just strolled around the room until she finally sat down by herself at a music console. She put on the headphones, leaned back, and listened to music.

  Well, thought Geordi, she might as well relax, too. None of us are going anywhere until tomorrow.

  Suddenly the ship rocked. People staggered to stay on their feet. A piercing alarm sounded, and the room began to fill with smoke.

  “Red Alert! Red Alert!” announced Captain McKersie over the intercom. “Battlestations! Battlestations!”

  The klaxon alarms were deafening, and smoke was pouring out of the overhead vents. The cadets screamed and shouted, rushing in every direction. Geordi jumped to his feet and looked around the lounge for Lieutenant Pantano, but she was nowhere in sight.

  “What can we do?” shouted Megan.

  The ship rocked again. “Battlestations!” announced the captain. “We are under attack!”

  “We’ve got to help them!” yelled one cadet, rushing for the turbolift. Whether they were trying to help or escape, several other cadets followed him. The turbolift doors banged shut behind them.

  Instinctively Geordi looked out the window and saw that the stars were still. The ship had stopped moving.

  CHAPTER

  4

  Geordi’s heart was pounding, but he forced himself to remain calm. He remembered countless times as a kid when danger threatened his ship or outpost, and the only thing he could do was stay out of the way. This was just another one of those times, he told himself.

  He got down on his knees to avoid the smoke, and after a few seconds he realized he wasn’t even coughing. The smoke was thick, but it apparently wasn’t deadly. Geordi crawled to the window to look out. He couldn’t see more than a portion of the surrounding space, but he didn’t see any attacking vessels. Who would attack them, anyway, this deep in Federation space?

  “We’ve got to do something!” shouted Megan.

  “No!” Geordi told her. “Just stay calm!”

  Another cadet heard him and yelled, “But we’re under attack!”

  Geordi looked out the window again. There were no telltale flashes of phaser fire. If the Glenn was under attack, it wasn’t returning fire. Geardi suddenly felt as if something was wrong, but it wasn’t an attack.

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, “but we’re not under attack. Besides, what are our orders?”

  “To stay on Deck Three,” someone answered sheepishly.

  “Right,” said Geordi. He pointed to nervous cadets waiting for the turbolifts. “Get away from there!”

  “Listen to him!” said a familiar voice. They turned to see Lieutenant Pantano striding through the smoke. She hit her comm badge and said, “Pantano to the Bridge. You may stop the simulation. How many disobeyed orders?”

  “Nine,” came the answer.

  “Shoot!” muttered Pantano. She didn’t look very happy; “That’s worse than the last group.”

  Geordi noticed that the smoke had stopped pouring out of the vents, and the air was clearing. Also, there were no more alarms or jolts to the ship.

  The turbolift doors opened, and nine very glum cadets stepped out. One of them was the Tellarite. They were followed by an ensign, who was entering their names on his padd.

  Lieutenant Pantano glared at the nine offenders, who hung their heads in shame. “By leaving Deck Three, you disobeyed direct orders,” she snapped. “You can be sure you will get a demerit for it. Three demerits, and you’re out of Starfleet Academy!”

  She turned to address all the cadets. “Things happen suddenly on a starship. There’s no time to think. There’s only one way you can survive, and that is to obey orders. If you don’t obey orders, you can see what happens—chaos!”

  The instructor took a deep breath and seemed to calm herself. “I will admit, the captain did an excellent job rocking the impulse engines. I almost thought we had been hit myself. But there is no excuse for disobeying a direct order. None. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” muttered thirty-two voices.

  Pantano held out her hand, and the ensign handed her the computer padd. “This exercise had another purpose. Based on your actions under fire, I have selected my four captains for the combat games on Saffair.”

  She punched the names into the padd. “They are Cadet Geordi La Forge, Cadet Sidra Swan, Cadet Micha
el Takama, and Cadet Jack Pettey. Now, have any of you found that your special uniform does not fit?”

  Nobody said anything, so Pantano nodded. “I’m sure you have many questions, and I’ll address them all tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred hours. Don’t be late, and be sure to wear your new uniforms. Get a good night’s rest and—whatever you do—stay on Deck Three.”

  Pantano and the ensign strode into the turbolift and were gone. Geordi let out his breath. He didn’t think he had done anything so wonderful. He had more experience aboard a starship, that’s all. But he knew that panic never accomplished anything. Geordi was more worried about what it meant to be a captain in the upcoming games.

  He looked around and saw Jack Pettey grinning at him from across the room. Pettey made a gun with his thumb and forefinger and pretended to shoot Geordi. Then he laughed and walked away. Nervously Geordi looked back out the window. The stars streaked past at warp speed.

  The cadets were subdued the rest of the evening. Most of them took Lieutenant Pantano’s advice and went to bed early to get plenty of rest. Geordi woke up refreshed and had breakfast in his cabin. Then he put on the strange uniform with the emblem on the chest. He was tempted to touch his comm badge to see if it was working, but he didn’t want torisk getting into trouble.

  Even in the corridor and the turbolift, there wasn’t much talk. Everyone was thinking about the nine cadets who had panicked and gotten demerits. Everyone was wondering if there would be more demerits handed out before this training mission was over. It was one thing to sit in the classroom and study theory, thought Geordi; it was another thing to be tested under fire.

  He entered the lecture hall and took a seat beside Megan, the albino cadet. She gave him a nervous smile. The cadets filed in quietly and took their seats. Several of them studied the devices on each other’s chests.

  Lieutenant Pantano entered the hall and took her place at the podium. All conversation came to a halt.

  “Captain McKersie says we’ll be going into orbit around Saffair in a few minutes,” she began. “We’ll be spending three days and two nights on the planet, living in tents. The Glenn will be in orbit around the planet most of that time.