Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 06

End of “Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 05”

“Ahead full. Aye aye, sir,” the helmsman repeated. I felt the extra g-forces as the ship’s speed increased.

“Engineering… status,” I remarked.

“All systems go, warp bubble forming,” the engineer said.

“Set vector for Q-point,” I said.

“Aye aye, sir,” Lt. Castle replied, his hands flying over the console in front of him.

“Now at max-Q,” the helmsman said.

“Very well,” I said.

“Warp bubble formed, light speed at your command, sir,” the engineer stated.

“Very well.”

“ETA to Q-point one minute, sir,” Lt. Castle announced. I pressed the ship-wide comm button on my panel.

“All hands, this is the Captain. Stand by for light speed,” I announced. “Pucker time,” I said after turning off the ship-wide comm. I heard light laughter from the crew in response. I pressed another button and sent a message to Houston.

“Houston, this is Enterprise. Preparing transition to light speed.”

“Copy that, Enterprise. God speed.” I looked at the countdown.

10…9…8…7…

“Stand by…”

4…3…2…1…

“Engage!”

…

And now, “Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 06”

I was quite used to the rush I felt when we made the transition into faster-than-light speed, but this was something else. The familiar rainbows of photons speeding past the viewports seemed to be somewhat different, and even the vibrations in the deck plates felt strange.

I felt the ship vibrate as we accelerated to maximum speed, then suddenly, everything leveled off, and the vibrations died down. I checked my console and saw all the indicators were green.

“Engineering, status,” I called.

“All systems nominal, Captain,” the duty engineer reported. “We are now at maximum warp.” I almost expected another answer.

“Is it just me, or did that seem just a bit… off, Number One?” I asked Jim.

“It seemed a bit strange to me, sir,” Jim answered.

“I’d better go to Engineering, see how things are down there. You have the conn, Jim.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Jim said.

“Helm, steady as she goes. Ops, expand your sensors to maximum, report anything that seems off.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” both officers responded. My wrist communicator beeped as I left the bridge for Engineering. I answered the call and saw the face of our new ship’s medical officer, Dr. Hampton.

“Yes, Doctor, what is it?” I asked.

“Is everything all right up there, Captain? That transition seemed a bit rough,” the grizzled doctor said.

“I’m investigating that now, doc. Have you gotten any reports of casualties?”

“No, sir. Not yet, anyway,” the doctor replied.

“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get outta your hair, Captain,” the doctor said before signing off. I got to Engineering and was met by Lt. Commander Chet Samuels, the Chief Engineer.

“You felt that, did you, Captain?” he asked.

“Yes, what happened?” I asked.

“The calibration on one of the Heisenberg compensators was off by by about a hundredth of a percent,” he explained. I wasn’t an engineer, but I knew enough. The compensators were designed to keep the engines balanced. Otherwise, the ship could fly apart upon entering light speed.

Samuels continued his explanation. “That would have been well within the normal operating parameters for the old engines, but not these new power plants. Fortunately, the system worked and adjusted the compensator. We’re doing a level three diagnostics on all the rest just in case.”

“Is there anything you need from me?”

“No sir, we’ve got it under control,” Samuels said.

“Alright, Chet. I’ll leave you to it,” I told him. I did a walk-through of the ship and found that everyone had ridden through the glitch without a problem. Marco met me as I entered the area set aside for the Marine detachment. A large black man stood next to him.

“Everything alright, Lieutenant?” I asked.

“We’re fine, Captain,” he said. “That… transition seemed a bit rough, though.”

“Yes, one of the devices that maintains balance between the engines was slightly out of calibration, but it’s been fixed. I just wanted to make sure everyone is okay.”

“We’re okay, Captain, thank you for asking.”

“Good to hear it,” I told him.

“By the way, this is Gunnery Sergeant Sanders,” Marco said. “Gunny, this is Captain Jones.”

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Gunny Sanders said as he extended a hand.

“And you, Gunny,” I responded as we shook hands.

“Lieutenant tell me you’re gonna show us some Grav Tac, sir.”

“Yes, that’s the plan,” I responded.

“I’m looking forward to that, sir. And I know the others are as well. You ever had a chance to put it to use… for real?”

“It’s actually saved my life, twice,” I told him. I didn’t tell them the circumstances, as I didn’t want to open old wounds. I figured if the chance came later, I might let them in on it.

“Really?”

“Yes. Listen, why don’t you get me a copy of your training schedule and we’ll work in a couple hours a week.”

“That sounds good, Captain,” Marco said. “We’ll get that to you either today or tomorrow.”

“Perfect. Carry on, gentlemen,” I told them before leaving. As promised, I got the schedule later that day, and carved two hours out of my schedule each week for their training. The first session was a simple demonstration of Grav Tac which included Kyra.

It took the Marines a bit to get used to the lower gravity in the gym, but they finally got accustomed to it. They watched closely as Kyra and I performed the kata we developed together over five years ago. When we ended the routine, I adjusted the gravity and we all settled back to the gym floor.

“That almost looks like you two were dancing. I thought for a second you were gonna do something else…” Gunny Sanders remarked, wisely leaving the rest unsaid.

“That’s what it should look like,” I told him. “But that routine can also be deadly when used properly. You see, the most important thing about Grav Tac is knowing how things react in low-gravity and using that knowledge to your advantage.

“Now, I’m going to show you some exercises. These are designed to help give you flexibility and agility in a low-gravity environment. Practice these exercises at least one hour a day, and we’ll start our next session with some basic moves.” I dismissed the Marines after that and headed for the shower.

Life aboard Enterprise settled down to a somewhat steady roar as we plowed toward our destination. Per my instructions, the communications section monitored the frequency Alan said was used for the strange transmissions. We intercepted several short bursts from the “zone” over a ten-week period, but the comm team was never able to decipher any of it.

I finally managed to finish reading Grandma Lizzie’s journal and found it quite interesting, especially the parts written after Elijah was killed at the battle of Brown’s Mill outside Atlanta in 1864.

I know that technically, Elijah and his wife Elizabeth, or “Lizzie,” as she was called, are technically my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents, but it’s easier for me to think of them as my “great-grandparents.” And simpler to say…

Lizzie wrote several entries recalling how she had seen Eli’s lit cigars in the ashtray that sat in their parlor. I found that quite interesting and tried to find a logical explanation. But my great-grandmother was clear that no one had been in that room when the incidents took place. And she claimed several times that she could “sense” his presence near her. I could understand that, given how much in love with each other they appeared to be.

One of the stranger entries, however, was after their son, Obadiah, returned to Indianapolis from Lone Pine, Texas. According to her, Obadiah, or “Obie,” as they liked to call him, claimed Elijah had saved him from a ruthless cattle baron and a crooked sheriff.

The only problem was that this happened in 1896, 32 years AFTER Elijah had been shot dead. And according to the account relayed by Obadiah, Elijah was with the Texas Rangers, under the command of Captain William Jesse “Bill” McDonald. I was able to find information about McDonald, but there was no mention of anyone named Elijah Jones.

Confused, I tried searching for Lone Pine, but found nothing. I did a deeper search, this time looking at old census records. What I found startled me. The 1890 census showed just over 2,000 people lived in and around the small town, including my great-uncle Obadiah. But the 1900 census didn’t even list Lone Pine at all. It was almost as if the place simply ceased to exist.

“I can’t understand why my father never mentioned any of this to me,” I told Kyra one evening over dinner.

“I have an idea about that,” Kyra responded.

“Oh?”

“Yes. Your father is an engineer. Like you, he deals in facts — things that can be measured and verified. I suspect he took a dim view of what your great-grandmother had to say about Obadiah’s story and the other… unexplained… events,” my wife explained.

“You may be right about that,” I told her. “I remember Dad saying that scientists dream shit up while engineers make shit real. He never was one to buy into any of that paranormal stuff. I remember he about had a cow one time when Mom and I watched one of those ‘ghost-buster’ type shows. Said there wasn’t a single thing in that program that couldn’t be explained through logic or science.”

“Maybe the next time we’re home, you can ask him about it,” Kyra said.

“I think that’s a darn good idea. I can’t get over how much I look like my great-grandfather.”

“I have to admit, the resemblance is uncanny,” Kyra said. “Maybe that’s why your father gave you that book.”

“And this,” I added, showing her the crucifix with “EJ” engraved on the back.

The ship plowed on to its destination and life on board settled into a routine of sorts. We were only three days from our objective when I heard the door chime. It was early in the morning, and Kyra and I were both sound asleep. We got up, donned our robes, and went to see who was there. I saw Jim standing in the corridor, looking as if he had just woke up from a bad dream, so I opened the hatch and invited him inside.

“Come on in, Jim. Is everything alright?” I asked, concerned.

“I’m sorry to bother you with this, Bill. I just had a really strange dream, and felt the need to see you and Kyra,” Jim said.

“Of course,” I said. “Kyra, would you mind making us some hot chocolate?”

“Not at all,” my wife said, heading for the kitchenette. I invited Jim to have a seat, and Kyra returned a few minutes later with three cups of hot chocolate.

“Thank you,” Jim said, taking the cup. Kyra sat down next to me and we turned our attention to my first officer.

“Would you care to tell us about this dream?” Kyra asked.

“It started shortly after we left Starbase One,” Jim began. “I would have it about once every few days, but it’s become a nightly thing. And it’s gotten a lot more vivid. Almost realistic. You remember that image you got out of my head — that blonde woman?”

“Yes, I remember that,” Kyra said. “You’ve been dreaming about her?”

“Something like that. In my dream, I see her, just as she is in the image. Naked. She beckons to me. Every night. Tells me to, and I quote, ‘come to me.’ She keeps repeating the same message, over and over. At first, she was kinda blurry, but these past few days, it’s like she’s actually there, in my quarters, just as real as you two are right now,” Jim said.

“And you say this has been happening every single night?” Kyra asked.

“Yes, every night,” Jim confirmed, nodding his head. “It’s gotten so that I see her image every time I close my eyes.”

“Does she say or do anything else, Jim?” Kyra asked.

“Well, just now, I dreamed that she was in my bed with me. Doing… things. I don’t want to get into that if you don’t mind,” he nervously said.

“That’s alright, Jim. We understand,” Kyra said. “You don’t need to tell us anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“She did tell me that we were destined to be mates,” Jim said.

“When we first retrieved that image, you said you had never seen her before. Are you absolutely certain of that?” Kyra asked.

“Absolutely. I’ve never seen her in my life.” I had a strange idea and decided to run it by Kyra.

“Do you think it’s possible he might be receiving a message from where we’re going? We’ve detected a couple of transmissions from that area, but comm hasn’t been able to decode it.”

“It’s not outside the realm of possibility,” Kyra said. “In fact, there’s been a great deal of study around the idea of dreams being transmitted to the brain during REM sleep. It’s thought that such a technique could help children with learning issues.”

“Interesting. What about recording his dreams? Can we do that?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s been done for years. Mental health professionals have used dream capture and analysis for decades, although it’s not something we do on a regular basis as an outpatient procedure. Privacy issues, you know. But we do have the tools here on board if that’s something you want to pursue, Jim. We can also use those tools to help guide your dreams in a different direction. Do you feel threatened by these dreams?”

“No, not at all. It’s just… it’s hard to explain. There’s a part of me that likes them. She is a beautiful woman, and she excites me to no end. But another part of me says I should run. I don’t know what to think. Am I going crazy here?”

“No, Jim. I don’t believe that for a minute,” Kyra said. “This is obviously bothering you, and I want to help.”

“Do you feel these dreams are interfering with your job performance, Jim?” I asked. The last thing I wanted — or needed — was a first officer unable to do his job because he couldn’t focus. There are too many lives at stake for that.

“No, I’d just like some answers,” Jim stated emphatically. I could understand that.

“Alright, why don’t I give you a brainwave generator to help you sleep tonight. Tomorrow, come to my office and I’ll set you up with a dream capture device,” Kyra said.

“You don’t need to wire me up or anything?”

“No, it’s just a head band with a small memory device attached,” Kyra said, chuckling. “You won’t even know it’s there.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that, right after our briefing,” Jim said, taking the small generator. “But first, I’m gonna finish this hot chocolate. It’s too delicious to waste.” Kyra and I both chuckled at that.

“That’s what he really came over for, you know,” I said, causing both Jim and Kyra to laugh. Jim finished his drink and set the cup on the coffee table.

“I’d better get back, see if I can get a couple hours of sleep. Thank you for listening without laughing at me.”

“It’s my pleasure, Jim,” I told him. “Let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“Thanks, Bill,” he said before leaving. I joined Kyra on the couch and sipped my chocolate.

“What are you thinking?” I asked, seeing her pensive look.

“That I might have made a mistake showing him that image to begin with,” she said.

“He had a right to know what you found,” I said, hoping to reassure her. “You’re not starting to second-guess yourself, are you?”

“Yes, he did. And no, I’m not. What’s going on, Bill? Really? You’ve not been yourself since this mission began. In fact, this whole mission just seems… off… to me. I mean, we have armed Marines on board.” I had been holding back, but considering my first officer’s mental condition, I decided to lay it on the line.

“I was planning to hold off on briefing the crew, but I’ll give you a head’s up, if you think it’ll help Jim. This mission is… different… from the last two,” I told her.

“Different? How?”

“There have been a number of anomalies and transmissions reported from the sector of space where we’re headed. Admiral Simmons has tasked Enterprise with getting to the bottom of it,” I said.

“And the Marines?”

“A precaution,” I told her. “Admiral Simmons wants us to be fully prepared for whatever we encounter. Personally, I think it’s overkill, but I can see his position.”

“That’s why you asked if Jim’s dream could have been transmitted to him,” Kyra said quietly.

“Yes,” I responded. “We have detected several transmissions from the sector of space where we’re headed, but no one has been able to decode them.”

“Oh, my,” Kyra said quietly as she took in the implications of what I said. “Do you think there may be an alien intelligence behind all of this?”

“I don’t know. That’s what we’re here to find out. We will be at our destination in three days. I need a fully-functioning crew, so it’s imperative you get to the bottom of Jim’s… issues… before then.”

“I understand, sweetheart,” Kyra said. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will,” I told her.

“Does anyone else know about all this?”

“You, me, and Jim. That’s it. I had planned on briefing the senior staff before the rest of the crew. That’s why I need you to make Jim’s… dreams… a priority.”

“Consider it done, sweetheart,” Kyra said.

“Thank you. Now, why don’t we get back to bed and make a few memories?”

“I like the sound of that,” Kyra said as she dropped her robe. We got back in bed and made love to each other one more time. When we finished, Kyra turned to me.

“What if it turns out there really is an alien intelligence behind all of this?” she asked quietly.

“Then everything we’ve come to know or assume about our universe changes,” I said.

“That sounds a bit scary, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe. It could mean an interstellar war if we screw it up. Or it could be the beginning of a whole new exciting chapter for humanity. I guess it depends on how we deal with it,” I mused.

“No pressure there, right?” Kyra joked. I chuckled at that and held her closer to me.

“Nope. None,” I quipped sarcastically. We kissed, then drifted off to sleep.

After the morning briefing the following day, Jim reported to Kyra and collected the dream capture device. I addressed him when he returned.

“We’re less than 48 hours from our destination, and I need to brief the senior staff. Call a meeting of all section heads, Number One, if you would. We’ll use Conference Room Three — that’s the largest room available that’s secure. Make sure you include Lt. Ruiz and Commander Jones.”

“When do you want to schedule this?” Jim asked.

“Immediately, Number One.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it,” Jim said.

“Make the call and meet me there, Number One,” I said. Jim nodded and went to his station where he sent the announcement. I knew the short notice would irritate some of the section heads, but they would just have to deal with it, I thought. My next order went to Elizabeth.

“Commander Travers, you have the conn,” I said. She looked at me, stunned, but for just a few moments. Then she realized that with both Jim and me gone from the bridge, she would be next in command.

“Yes, sir,” she said, transferring her console output to the center chair.

“Ping me if you spot anything,” I told her.

“Will do, Captain,” she replied. I gathered my tablet and headed for the conference room, noticing that Jim had already left the bridge.

“Attention on deck!” Lt. Ruiz announced when I walked into the conference room, prompting the others to snap to attention, including Jim.

“As you were,” I said as I walked to the head table. “Please, have a seat.” I sat down and Jim sat next to me. The others took their seats, looking at each other while wondering what I was about to announce.

“I apologize for the short notice and the cloak and dagger routine over the last three months. Hopefully you’ll understand better once I brief you on the nature of our mission,” I said. I laid out everything Alan had shared with me so far, and saw the stunned reactions from the other officers in the room. Lt. Commander Robyn Wilson, the officer in charge of the astrophysics department, was the first to ask a question.

“Is there anything at our destination?”

“Nothing natural. Just a standard resupply point and communications array,” I said. “That was sent out about two months before our departure. We’ll begin the search from that point.” I put an image on the overhead monitor of the sector overlaid with our search pattern.

“That’s a mighty big area of space,” Lt. Commander Chet Samuels, the Chief Engineer, remarked.

“Yes, it is,” I acknowledged.

“Do you honestly think we’ll encounter an extraterrestrial species out there?” Chet asked in a follow-up.

“I don’t know,” I answered. “It’s possible. But for all we know, this could just be a natural phenomenon unique to this area of space. Until we know for certain, Star Fleet has designated this sector a no-fly zone.”

Lt. Commander Arlen Hastings, head of the Science Division, spoke up. “And that’s why we have a detachment of Marines on board?” He looked at Lt. Ruiz, accompanied by Gunny Sanders. “No offense, Lieutenant,” he added.

“None taken, Commander,” Marco replied in a neutral tone that did little to hide his irritation.

“Yes, it is,” I told Arlen. “Admiral Simmons wants to make sure we’re prepared for any contingency. And that includes the possibility of a hostile extraterrestrial species.” I looked around the room, ready for additional questions, but none came, so I wrapped up the meeting.

“I intend to brief the crew when we arrive at our destination. No doubt, they will have questions. I’m counting on you to help deal with that. Of course, my door is always open. However, each of you have been given a mission packet so you know as much about this as I do. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any additional concerns. Any questions?”

I looked around as the other officers glanced through their packets. Seeing no indication that anyone had a question for me, I stood to end the meeting.

“Very well, then. Carry on,” I said, dismissing the others. They stood and walked out of the conference room, somewhat surprised and more than a bit stunned. Marco and the Gunny remained behind and approached me after everyone left. By then, Kyra had joined us.

“Excuse me, sir,” Marco said. “May I have a moment of your time?”

“Of course, Lieutenant,” I said, sensing that he wanted to speak to me privately. “You can speak freely in front of of Commander Decker and Commander Jones. What can I do for you?”

“Sir, I get the impression your officers aren’t comfortable with me and my men being on board,” Marco said. I had sensed that as well. Marines generally didn’t serve on space-going vessels, and to my knowledge, this was the first time any had ever been aboard a starship.

“They just don’t know you as well as I do,” I told him. Marco and Gunny Sanders chuckled at that. The fact is, I had spent considerable time with Marco and his Marines in the gym and I had developed a rapport with them. We had also built a mutual respect for each other.

“Perhaps you’re right, sir,” Marco said.

“Things are going to be a bit tense around here once we enter the exclusion zone, Lieutenant. Enterprise has enough firepower to level half a planet, but that’s not an option I really want to consider. I’ll need for you and your men to be ready to move on a moment’s notice.”

“We’re Marines, Captain,” Marco said. “That’s what we train for.”

“Good,” I said. “On a lighter note, just be glad you’re not wearing red shirts,” I added jokingly. Marco looked at me funny, not getting the old “Star Trek” reference. Gunny Sanders’ chuckle, however, told me that he did.

“I’ll explain it later, Lieutenant,” the big man told Marco with a smile.

“I’ll be all ears, Gunny,” Marco replied. “Well, we’ve taken up enough of your time, sir,” Marco told me. “We have work to do, so if you’ll excuse us…”

“By all means, Lieutenant. Carry on,” I told him.

“That went… well,” Jim said after the two Marines left the conference room. I chuckled at the way he said it.

“Yes, better than I thought,” I told him. “We’d better get back to it as well.” Kyra went back to her office while Jim and I returned to the bridge.

“Status, Number Two?” I asked Elizabeth when we arrived. She seemed a bit startled, still not used to being my “Number Two,” then quickly resumed her usual professional demeanor.

“All systems green, sir. Nothing to report,” she said while standing up.

“Very well. Thank you, Commander.” I sat down in the chair and looked around the bridge. Everything seemed normal, and the rest of the crew was busy with their job, so I turned and checked my monitor.

“I should probably do a quick check of our weapons systems, Captain,” Jim said before taking his seat.

“Good idea, Number One,” I said. “Carry on.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim said. Motioning for the Weapons Officer to accompany him, the two officers left the bridge. The rest of the shift — and the day — went without incident. That night, however, I experienced one of the strangest dreams.

I found myself standing in the middle of a dirt street in an old western town. The wooden buildings seemed vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn’t place them. I saw an old saloon, so I went inside to get out of the hot sun.

“What’ll ya have, mister?” an old bartender asked, looking at me funny.

“Beer, please,” I said. He placed a filled mug in front of me, still looking at me strangely. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I ain’t never seen ya dressed like that,” the bartender said. I looked and saw I was wearing my dress uniform, but I didn’t remember putting it on.

“I don’t recall ever being here before,” I responded, somewhat confused. I heard the saloon doors open, followed by the clinking of… spurs?

“Mornin’, Jake,” I heard a man say behind me. The bartender looked at the man, then at me. “Ah’ll have some of what mah grandson is drinking, if ya don’t mind,” the man added in a thick Texas drawl. Grandson? Jake nodded his head.

“Alright, Eli, one beer, comin’ up.” Eli? Could it be… I looked at the man and saw his grizzled face under a battered Stetson. Except for the whiskers, it was like looking in a mirror. He smiled and took a seat next to me.

“Mind if ah… smoke?” he asked, pulling out a cigarette case.

“Uh, no, not at all,” I said. He took one out, then offered on to me.

“Go on, son. It ain’t gonna kill ye,” the man said with a smile. I took the cigarette and watched as he swiped a match over his jeans to light it. He lit both of our cigarettes, and I was surprised at how smooth and… odorless… the smoke was. “Mah own special blend. Took me years ta get it jes’ right,” the older man said.

“Are you my…”

“Yep. Ah’m yer great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Elijah Jones. At yer service, sir,” he said, offering a hand. We shook hands and I felt… strangely connected to this man. This seemed so strange to me — meeting this man in my dreams, drinking a beer and sharing a smoke with him. This was like no dream I had ever experienced. He chuckled and I wondered what he found so funny.

“Are you sure about that, son?”

“Sure about what?” I asked.

“That this is a dream?”

“It seems like a dream to me. Where are we, anyway?” I asked.

“Hard Rock, Texas, circa 1855,” Eli said. Hard Rock. No wonder this place seemed familiar. “Lived here when ah was younger. Our place was jes’ about seven or eight miles that-a-way,” he added, pointing with his finger. “But you already know that. Ah’m glad you and yer perty wife finally got to see the old place.”

“You know about that?” I asked, surprised.

“Yep,” he said. “Almost said ‘hi’ to ya when you were there, but ah didn’t wanna frighten Kyra. She’s a keeper, son.”

“Yes, she is,” I agreed.

“So, yer the captain of the Enterprise,” Eli said, taking a drag off his cigarette.

“Yes, I am,” I said. He nodded his head.

“Well, ah want you to know we’re all damn proud of ya, son,” Eli said. “All of us.”

“All of who?”

“Everyone who ever came before ya. Not jes’ yer pa, but his pa, and all the Joneses before him. There’s a little bit of all of us in ya, son. I understand you read yer Grandma Lizzie’s journal.”

“Yes, I did. All of that was true?”

“Ever’ word, son. Yer Grandma was — is — the most honest, righteous woman ah’ve ever met. Yer Kyra reminds me a lot of her.”

“Kyra has been the best thing to ever happen to me,” I said quietly.

“Ah know, son. Ah know what you went through after you sent that no-good snake Bull Travers into outer space.”

“You know about that?”

“Ah was there with ye, but you didn’t know it. Ah gotta admit, I was impressed with the way you used that… what do you call it? Grav Tac?”

“Yes, Grav Tac.”

“Yeah, well, made me wish ah’d have learned some of that when ah was younger. The way you took care of him, well, it kinda reminded me of me.” He chuckled a bit at that, and I joined him.

“So, why are you making yourself known to me now? After all these years?”

“Because things are fixin’ ta change for ya, son. Fixin’ ta change for a whole lot of people. Yer about ta face the greatest challenge in yer entire life.”

“What challenge is that? What are we about to face?”

“Ah can’t get into that, son. Some things a feller jes’ has to face when it happens. I will tell ya this, though. No matter what happens, no matter where ya go, Justice is ridin’ with ye. You understand what ah’m tellin’ ya, son?”

“I… think so,” I said.

“And one day, you’ll have quite a story ta tell yer son,” Eli said with a knowing smile. Son? Kyra and I had talked about having children, perhaps after my time in space was over. We were both relatively young, and people were known to have children well into their 40s or 50s these days. “Ah also know you’ve been wondering why yer pa never tol’ ya about me.”

“The thought has crossed my mind,” I said.

“Well, let’s jes’ say every man has a right to his own secrets. Maybe one day, he’ll tell ya about it.” His cigarette finished, Eli put his empty beer mug on the bar and stood up. “Reckon ah’d better get goin’. Promised yer grandma ah’d take her on a ride.”

“Tell Grandma Lizzie I said hello,” I told him.

“You jes’ did, son,” he said with a smile. I suddenly saw a beautiful, young blonde woman in period clothing standing next to Eli and I knew this was her.

“Grandma Lizzie?” I asked.

“Yes, William, it’s really me. And it’s an honor to finally meet you in person. Doesn’t he look dashing in that uniform of his, Eli?” she asked.

“Yes, he does cut quite a figure in that uniform,” Eli agreed.

“Reminds me of you when you joined the Army,” Lizzie said, looking at her husband with pride.

“‘Cept ah didn’t have all them medals or all that brass,” Eli joked before turning to the bartender. “See ya around, Jake,” he said with a wave.

“See ya, Eli,” Jake waved back. “And you’re always welcome here, son,” he added, looking at me.

“Thank you,” I offered, not knowing if I really would be back here or not. I felt comfortable here, but the thought still sent a shiver up my spine. I followed Eli and Lizzie out the door and saw the largest black horse I had ever seen. Eli swung up on the beast, then lifted Lizzie up with one strong arm.

“You ready, dear?” he asked.

“I’m always ready, Eli,” she smiled back.

“Remember what ah tol’ ya, son. No matter where ya go, no matter what happens, Justice is ridin’ with ya,” Eli repeated, his eyes flashing. He pulled back on the reins, and the giant horse lifted up on his back legs. “HEYAHH!” Eli shouted as he spurred the horse. The giant beast with its two riders flew down the dirt street, disappearing in a cloud of dust. I stood there transfixed, and heard Lizzie’s voice a few seconds later.

“Oh, Eli, you’re so naughty,” she said. I heard Eli’s laughter in response.

I sat up in bed and looked around our quarters, the dream — if that’s what it really was — still fresh in my mind. I thought I saw a shadow shift in my peripheral vision, but nothing was out of place when I looked.

“Are you alright, sweetheart? Did you have another nightmare?” Kyra asked when she sat up.

“I’m… fine,” I told her. “No nightmare… Just… I don’t know.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” I figured it was best to deal with this now, while the dream was still fresh, so I acquiesced and told her what happened as she poured us a small cup of hot chocolate. As always, Kyra listened quietly, not saying anything until I was finished.

“That is odd,” she said.

“It all seemed so… real… to me,” I said. “And I was never scared or frightened. In fact, I felt… safe. Comfortable. Like I was truly in the presence of family. Oddly enough, I feel… comforted. Like I can handle whatever may happen. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, it does,” Kyra said. “It sounds like it was your mind’s way of coping with everything that you’ve been through. And with whatever may happen in the future.”

“Perhaps. But something about this was different from a normal dream,” I said.

“Some dreams can seem that way,” Kyra said. We talked for a bit longer as we finished our chocolate, then went back to sleep in each other’s arms. Shortly after the morning briefing on the following day, Jim and I both received a ping on our communicators from Kyra.

“I need to see you both in my office, please,” she said before ending the call. I handed the conn to Elizabeth, then left the bridge, with Jim following close behind me. We saw Kyra at her computer when we entered her office.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I analyzed Jim’s dream from last night,” Kyra said.

“And?” Jim asked, just as concerned as me.

“It was no dream — at least, not in the normal sense,” Kyra said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Experts have believed for years that dreams originate in the forebrain during REM sleep. Jim’s didn’t. In fact, I have reason to believe it didn’t originate in his brain at all,” Kyra said.

“You mean, it was transmitted to him somehow?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kyra said. “The transmission was on a frequency that would not have been detected by standard communications equipment, and it actually blocked and overrode the signals from his forebrain. It seemed very real to you, didn’t it, Jim?”

“Yes, more so than normal,” Jim replied. “Did you see what I saw?”

“Some of it, yes,” Kyra said, causing Jim to blush. “How far did your encounter with her go?” Jim looked down, not saying anything. That alone answered Kyra’s question. “I… understand,” Kyra added after a few awkward moments. “Does this happen every night?”

“Yes,” Jim said quietly, almost like a boy caught masturbating by his parents. “At first, I thought it was just my mind responding to the image of the woman you gave me. I find her… irresistible. Does that make sense?”

“It does,” Kyra answered. “She is quite lovely, and I can easily see how you would be physically attracted to her.”

“But now you’re telling me that it’s not a dream. Does that mean she’s real, and she’s out there somewhere sending these images to me? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t have the answer to that, Jim,” Kyra said. “I can’t even begin to explain it. Honestly, I’ve never encountered anything like this before.”

“Didn’t you say these dreams have become more frequent and lucid over the last few weeks?” I asked.

“Yes, I did.”

“Just thinking out of the box here, but maybe this has something to do with the anomalies we were sent here to investigate,” I suggested. “The fact that these ‘dreams’ are becoming more lucid could mean that we’re getting closer to whatever it is that causing the anomalies. Perhaps we can use this as a type of homing beacon.”

“You mean…”

“Yes, Jim. It’s almost as if whoever is sending this WANTS us to find them. But why? You say that you’ve never encountered this woman before this mission, right?”

“That’s right,” Jim said. “I’ve never seen this woman ever before.”

“I’m sorry, Jim, but you know I’m going to have to report this to Admiral Simmons,” I added. Jim and Kyra looked at me in shock.

“Bill, that could hurt Jim’s career,” Kyra said.

“Don’t worry. The Admiral is a fair man, and I won’t get into details or specifics,” I promised. “But he needs to know that an external force of some kind is capable of affecting members of our crew like this. If they can send ‘dreams’ like this, even pleasurable ones, they can also negatively impact the mental health of entire crews.”

“You’re right, Bill,” Kyra said after mulling my words for a few moments. Jim nodded his head as well.

“I agree, Bill,” he finally said. “If I were in your shoes, I’d do the same thing. And you’re right. If they can do this, who knows what else they can do to a person’s mind.”

“Alright, then. It’s settled. Kyra, is there any way you can rig something up to determine what frequency these transmissions are using?” I asked.

“I don’t have anything,” she said. “But I’ll be happy to work with communications. Maybe we can come up with something.”

“Alright. Make it so. And quickly, please. We reach the no-fly zone in less than 24 hours. I’d like to have something in place by then.” I thought about Jim’s situation before continuing. There was one very important question I needed answered, and it was hard for me to even bring it up since I considered Jim to be a friend as well as a shipmate and a valued member of the crew.

“Off the record, Jim. Are you developing feelings for this woman?” I asked. He looked at me while he considered his reply.

“Truthfully, Bill. Yes, I believe I am. I can’t explain it,” he said.

“That’s understandable. Kyra, in your professional opinion, is Jim fit for duty?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” she said.

“All right. I’m sorry to have to even mention it, Jim, but I had to know. Admiral Simmons will probably ask the same thing. Don’t worry, this is strictly between us.”

“I understand, Bill,” he said. “I’m not sure I would be so understanding in your place, and I appreciate your discretion.”

“Well, let’s get back to it, shall we? Let me know if you come up with anything,” I instructed Kyra.

“I will,” she answered. She stopped me before I could leave her office and kissed me on the cheek. “I know this was hard for you, and I just want to say I approve of the way you handled it. I love you.”

“I love you, too. And thanks for the vote of confidence.” I returned her kiss and left the office. When we returned, I motioned Jim into the ready room and closed the hatch.

“Sorry, but a couple things crossed my mind on the way back,” I said.

“Sure,” Jim said, a bit concerned.

“How far have things progressed with this… woman? Have you two…”

“If you’re wondering whether or not we’ve had sex, the answer is yes. At least in what I thought were my dreams.”

“That’s fine, I don’t need details,” I told him. “I need to send my report to Admiral Simmons, and I’m curious to know if she’s asked about the ship, or the mission.”

“No, sir, that’s never come up,” Jim stated emphatically. “There’s never been any mention of the mission details or the ship’s operation. It’s more like a… virtual booty call… than anything else.”

“Alright,” I said. “That’s all I need. Keep me updated, if you would.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim said. “Is that all?”

“Yes, Jim, it is,” I said. I put my report together and sent it to Alan through a secure comm link. I knew it would be a while before I received an answer, so I continued plotting the search pattern we would use once we reached the target zone. Three hours later, my desk console pinged.

“Captain, we received a secure comm from Star Fleet Command, sir,” the duty comm officer informed me.

“Patch it to my ready room,” I instructed.

“Yes, sir,” the comm officer said. When the message showed on my board, I pressed play, and saw Alan’s face on the large wall monitor in front of me.

“Captain Jones, I just reviewed your last communication,” Alan said. “I must say that is an… interesting… development. I agree with your assessment, and I like the idea of using this… communication… as a way to home in on the anomaly. With regard to Commander Decker, I will leave it to your discretion. If Commander Jones says he’s fit for duty, that’s good enough for me. Just… don’t take any unnecessary risks. Keep me informed. That is all for now. Admiral Simmons, out.”

The communication ended, and I felt relieved. I really didn’t think Alan would argue against my assessment of the situation, but halfway expected he would recommend I temporarily relieve Jim of duty — something that would’ve pained me to do. I wrapped up my work and headed for the bridge.

Sitting in my chair, I glanced at Jim and threw him a “thumbs-up” with a smile. He smiled back, and I could see the relief on his face. I just hoped I was doing the right thing. The first shift finally ended and I watched Jim leave with the crew for dinner. I stayed to catch up with the second shift before leaving.

I informed Kyra of Alan’s communication to me that day, and she seemed relieved as well. She informed me that the communications engineers were hard at work developing something that could interface with the dream monitor, and hoped to have a working product in a day or two.

I had hoped they could’ve come up with something sooner, but Kyra reminded me that we weren’t dealing with standard communications protocols, and they were working on something far outside their normal parameters. We ate and retired to the couch for an “evening” of music and hot chocolate to take our minds off the worries of the day before coming together in bed.

The following day, I went to the bridge, knowing this was the day we would reach the exclusion zone. After the morning briefing, Jim approached me and quietly informed me he had an even more lucid “dream” than the previous night.

“Which means we’re getting closer,” I said. “Alright, thanks for letting me know, Number One.” I took my chair and observed the bridge crew as they worked. A couple of hours later, the navigator turned to me.

“ETA to objective, one hour, sir,” he said.

“Very well. Helm, slow us down, take us out of warp,” I instructed.

“Aye, aye, sir,” the helmsman answered. I felt the deceleration and saw the shift in the rainbow effect through the front viewport. An hour later, I saw the shimmering metal of the pre-positioned supply and communication array Enterprise would use as a temporary base of operations. The helmsman expertly aligned the large vessel close to the array as the duty engineer took remote control of the other vessel.

Soon, arms swung out from the array and made contact with Enterprise. The gangplanks were pressurized and gravity applied so crews could walk and move supplies between the two vessels. I pressed a button on my console, activating my chair camera.

“All hands, this is the Captain. Stand by for mission briefing.” The bridge crew turned to me as I informed the crew about the nature of our current mission. Other than my voice, one could hear a pin drop as everyone sat or stood silently, listening to what I had to say. I eventually completed my briefing and gave the crew a final word.

“I have no idea what… or who… we might find out here. This is all part of our mission — to go where no one has ever gone before. For all anyone knows, this could be a natural phenomenon peculiar to this area of space. That’s what we’re here to determine.

“So, from here on out, I need everyone to be on their toes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your station heads as they have already been briefed. Do not hesitate to report anything you feel is out of the ordinary.

“We will remain here for the next 36 hours while Engineering performs a complete system check. In the meantime, Logistics will restock our supplies. Enjoy the next 36 hours, folks. I have a feeling it will get interesting from here on. Captain Jones, out.”

I pressed the button closing the connection and looked at the stunned faces of the bridge crew. This was something none of them had ever expected.

“Any questions?” I asked. One by one, they all indicated “no.” I nodded my head before continuing. “We have work to do, folks. Get to it,” I said.

…

To be continued…

Notes:

I had considered ending the story with this part, but as the story grew, I realized it would take at least one more part. So yes, there will be a part seven — and a part eight. What — or who — will Bill Jones and the Enterprise encounter?

The story about Obadiah Jones and the fate of Lone Pine comes from my ebook, “Justice Rides.” To my knowledge, neither Lone Pine nor Hard Rock, Texas, exists…