[snip]

“What we do with the boy is something we haven’t really talked about… and we really should have that discussion. You know… I did have the crazy idea of taking him with us back to Earth… Is it very crazy? Or just a little? The alternatives are giving him back to the Dol, or else taking him to the Alstaireans, his original destination. I think if we are giving him back to the Dol, then we might as well take him down with us now. I don’t see a reason to keep him longer. What do you both think?”

The Ship’s Anthropologist, Cara Meow, overheard the Captain. “I’d like us to keep him longer so that I may study him some more,” she purred.

Joe had gotten him a coffee and now sat looking into it as if it held the secrets to the universe. After listening to Cara Joe nodded his head and spoke saying, “Sir I would have to agree with Cara here. What we really do know about the boy isn’t enough to write a paragraph with. He seems safe enough, a nice sort. but then those of us who travel on starships seldom think of the matter ant-matter reactors as dangerous either. The child said he was to think of the people who found him as his parents. But I have yet to see him bond with anyone. He doesn’t seem to care one way or another about going back to his own people. And taking him back to Earth? Or anywhere in the Federation for that matter could be dangerous. The kid could be dangerous and even he wouldn’t know about it. I know I’m probably being negative again but he’s an unknown . I think we should find out more about him before we make a decision. And even then that decision should be cleared through command.”

“From what Miriam has told me,” said Glen, “I had thought we’d got about as much from the boy, Franz, as possible. He was a young child when he left. He doesn’t remember family, has never been to the planet surface, and his only memory is of some kind of institution. If we could find out anything more then I would agree, but we leave in 10 minutes time.”

“Sir,” Cara interjected, “Leave Franz behind on the ship. Let me speak to him when we return. I’d like to have that chance first.”

“Okay,” Glen said, “I seem to be at odds with everyone else, so we leave Franz on the Merrimack. The Dol might think it strange that we don’t bring him, so we’ll need some excuse. My idea of taking him back to the Federation doesn’t seem to be popular either… So, what else do I need to know about the boy, the spheres and the Stasis pod… That Stasis pod technology is years ahead of anything else we’ve seen here. I’d be interested to know if they acquired it from another race or invented it themselves.!

Cross always maintained that there was a third party involved or Dol was hiding more about their advance technology ‘’Captain the child looks human but his skin color is so much different how can you entertain the idea of taking him to Earth?’’ She could not fathom going through that route.

“But Earth today is filled with other Federation races, all living together in peace, especially around Star Fleet headquarters in San Francisco? Racism no longer exists on Earth,” interjected Cara. “Or, do you mean that recent scientific research from Harvard that the placement of alien adoptees, like Franz, with human parents leads them to be less integrated into society, and that the adoptees, in adolescence, do not see themselves as either human or alien and have problems when compared to their in-racially raised peers?”

“How is taking him to Earth and finding a human family for him, any different to what would have happened to him if we hadn’t intervened?” asked Glen, rather confused.

‘’From the evaluation I did not pick anything more then what Franz have said but someone who is trained on how to get away and be evasive from answering, especially with cunning or skill, I would never come out thinking that I ‘m 100% accurate ‘’.

“I always appreciate your input,” Glen told Cross, “I just don’t understand the problem. Maybe that is my fault. It matters not in any case, as I think we’ve knocked the idea on the head. We’ll leave Franz here when we leave.

Frowning in concentration the female doctor went on ‘’ The boy asked if we were his parents when saying ‘no’, he did not seem fazed and about the spheres he told us that the like shape egg inside was food best tailored for he’s nutritional needs, though he did eat some vegetable soup and drank juice which his digestive system tolerated quite well, while the spheres could charge more energy if needed for the pod’’ and Cross went on ‘’He did not ask many questions which I found strange cause he was rather inquisitive once woken up and sorry Captain with regards to the pod you need to check with the CE’‘.

“When Tia arrives she can tell us more,” Glen said, “but that is fascinating. The Spheres also seem to be unlike anything we have. So, their technology is more advanced that I originally thought. I do wonder, given that the planet doesn’t seem inhabited, whether this is a civilisation that was once much more advanced, but has fallen to a lower technological level. This was why I wanted information on the nebula we passed. In case it was evidence of some recent conflict. However, it appears to be at least 600 years since it was formed.”

On seeing thee Cmdr with a cup of coffee Cross decided to pour some for herself too ‘’Coffee Captain?’’ she asked Glen.

“Yes please,” Glen answered. “I think we just have time to drink it before we leave. Was there anything else that Franz said that was interesting?”

Cross stared to drink her coffee when she remembered a question she had asked the boy ‘’Captain when I asked the child about prison he explained how their system work, saying usually when people break their laws they are send to a therapeutic and re-education school, except for those too far gone to recover or change their lives. In that case they are put to work under supervision by the corrections division on the habitat,’’ she looked at the Cmdr then back at the Captain with the short fuse he had been exhibiting lately the CMO wondered how Glen would react to the last minute information.

Cara Meow spoke up again, this being her area of expertise. “Before the Central Bureau of Penology at Stockholm recommended that we built hospitals in which criminals are confined for their rehabilitation, we also used to have prisons. It wasn’t so long ago that Federation worlds had long term prison facilities. There was even a high security penal colony on Tantalus V, if I remember correctly. It is only very recently that we have begun to use intensive monitoring and restrictions on individuals who are convicted of crimes instead, making them prisoners of their own lives. So, not very different really, but I’d really like to study that further if I may Captain?”

“Of course,” Captain Glen replied. “Exploring new worlds and new civilisations is exactly the reason we are all here!”

William, who had been silently listening to the conversation go on piped up “Regardless of whether or not we bring the child my recommendation is that the Federation Council send a scientific and diplomatic envoy to learn more about this species if possible, they don’t seem particularly interested in having visitors but they seemed happy enough to speak with us. I’m mostly curious about their scientific and cultural history and how it led to this rather unique way of exploration.”

Cross gave the coffee to Glen ‘’Here you are Sir’’ speaking in a low tone. Was this the same doctor they had previously known?.

She hoped it was just sampling food on Dol’ s mind and not the drive enabling space warp space craft propulsion.

“Thank you,” Glen said, taking the cup from Miriam.

Turning to William, Glen said, “Thank you for the report you submitted on the Spheres. You mentioned that it contains nutrition much like a peeled hard boiled egg, that can be eaten directly, or replicated or synthesised into other forms. I’ve never heard of anything like that, so is this a technology we don’t yet possess? And what other aspects of their science and technology would you be interested in? Bearing in mind that the Dol is going to expect us to reciprocate by giving him some of our own technology, then what technological level would you place them right now? If we are to share science and technology on a reciprocal basis, then I obviously need to know the equivalence of their tech to ours. I believe Miriam is concerned that the Dol is only interested in drive enabling space warp space craft propulsion, but if he has found the secret of immortality, would that not be a fair price to pay for it? And I agree with you, I’ve never come across such a civilisation before, and the route by which their society reached this unique way of exploration has got to be almost worth the price of a ticket in itself?”

Joe finished his coffee and setting the cup down he listened and seemed to grow fidgety as he did. He stared at the tabletop with a frown on his face. Finally, as the captain paused Joe pursed his lips for a moment before speaking. “Sir they have if I remember right already claimed that they had no interest in space warp technology. If we believe that this is true , if it is then it would still leave you the bunny effect .As Australia found out so long ago cute , innocent cuddly things are often destructive . The cute little bunnies never wanted to learn how to sail but they certainly had something else in mind. Sir I would advise that we treat everything these people say or do with suspicion.”

“Well, I thought that I already was treating them with some wariness and prudence. I’ve even investigated their claim that the nebula is 600 years old,” said Glen, “but with the kind of pessimism they’re receiving here, I’m pretty sure they won’t get away with anything. We do need to give them some benefit of doubt, but caution is my middle name, especially since the Bolay Incident, when a few casual words resulted in war. Make no mistake, I’m not going to screw this First Contact up!”

Joe could only wish that he had a reason to lift his coffee cup to his lips to hide the slight smile there. “No problem, sir. With a grumpy Gus like me around there will be no chance of that. You can be the velvet glove and I’ll be the big boot.”

At the moment Cross was hearing her little voice saying Now remember behave, no running, no.. to which she blurted out ‘’Oh shut up!’’ realizing what the female doctor had done she raised her hand over her mouth ......Cross now wide eyed hoped no one had heard her.

Glen looked at Cross when she exclaimed. He looked at Joe. Was Cross talking to me, to him, or to herself? “Is everything okay?” Glen asked Cross.

She nodded furiously ,her face turning bright red ‘’Yes Captain ,nothing is wrong ,guess just that the three years I spent alone in the wilderness I took the habit of talking to myself ‘’ Cross wondered if by saying what she just said made her came across as someone who belonged in a mental asylum.

The doctor needed to put on the thinking cap and fast ‘’Captain are you and the rest of the team going down armed? A medical kit is always in a compartment of the shuttle, if anythings happens would it be wise to expose its contents if the need arise ?’‘.

Glen was both puzzled and then confused by the questions. It had always been Starfleet standard procedure for a landing party to be armed with phasers, even on a first contact mission. He couldn’t see where the question came from. “Er… yes, just as usual. Is there something about the Dol and this mission that means we shouldn’t? And I don’t see a problem with a medical kit either?” Then a penny dropped, “…Ah! I see! You mean that if they were to take the phaser or medical tricorder from us, then they could back-engineer them? I really do think we are raising the fear of the Dol to a level of paranoia now!”

Cara said, “Even the peaceful Vulcans carry arms to first contacts. And Starfleet code isn’t very helpful. It merely states that before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve non-military resolution must be made.”

Needing an alternative view on this, Glen asked his XO, “Joe, are you concerned about showing phasers and tricorders to the Dol, too?”

Joe sat rubbing his chin for a second before saying, “Sir all a person has to do is get hit in the head by anything with some weight behind it and you’ve lost your phaser. What these folk might do with it after they have it, we can’t say. They could turn the technology into anything from weapons to an energy source to make ice cream. But having recognized that we don’t know should help make our decision. I would say no. Leave them here. ” Frowning and taking a breath Joe said, “After all if they are as peaceful as they say they might be angered if we show up looking as though we don’t trust them?”

That was not the answer Glen had expected. He had never gone on any landing party without a phaser at his side and several burly redshirts to boot. He couldn’t consider going down without any weapons at all. Discretely hidden sidearms possibly, maybe only weapons for the security personnel. Not at all just wouldn’t happen. He really didn’t know what to say. Gobsmacked!

Cross jaw fell open ‘’What! Are you seriously thinking of meeting them without having your weapons? ‘’she asked dumbfounded as she looked at Joe ‘’How about saying its an order from the Federation that at no point should an away team be without them’’ she ran her fingers through her hair making it more dishevelled. ‘’Its what Dol said, how do we know if they are truly peaceful …of course we don’t trust them, guys we haven’t even met them in person’‘.

Now Glen was very confused. He had thought that Cross was arguing to leave weapons and tricorders behind, but now she seemed to be arguing to take them. Glen could feel a headache coming on. This is what happened when you let a committee decided things. It was much easier if he just dictated his orders.

“It is completely out of the question not to take down any weapons at all,” Glen stated. “We would be open to capture, and to being held hostage. Yes, we could be beamed back to the ship, but we’d need to leave the shuttlecraft behind, and the shuttlecraft is a much bigger source of technology than the phasers or tricorders. Plus, they even have some aboard in their lockers. I am however, open to other suggestions that are not quite as extraordinary!”

The CMO begun pacing and started talking not actually looking at anyone in particular ‘’The boy said that they do not have prisons ,those who break the rules are taken to a place where they are made to reform, others who are deemed to much gone are taken to work with constant supervision..it..it reminds me of certain dictators we had on Earth a long time ago’‘.

Now her gaze fell on the Captain ‘’The Dol is someone with authority over his people,Franz said a Dol may want to step down or a Dol will stay until dead before he is replaced doesn’t that ring a bell? Aren’t you familiar with history?’‘.

“I agree,” said Glen. “That tends to imply a system of government which is authoritarian, autocratic and possibly dictatorial. I have to say that on Earth in the past, states and regions were often ruled by appointed officials or even monarchs, and those officials could still rule on the basis of a constitution or with an elected parliament. However, there is a strong possibility here that the Dol rules a totalitarian state and for that reason, we cannot go down unprepared and undefended. In any case, strong rulers welcome and tend to admire the strength of other rulers. If we go there without weapons, he will think us to be weak. If he thinks us to be weak, then we will have much greater problems with him than if he thinks us to be strong.”

-Glen, CO