The Planning committee was something to see: despair, emotional paralysis, dishevelment. Dementia and absentia---I counted five empty seats. But all the Executive Council members were there, even the bishop. He sat listlessly in his chair, eyes unfocused. I could barely look at him without screaming. I wondered how many people in the room knew what he'd done.635Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNb9S134MV
Jean-Luc and Hernandez had met for several hours with Racine, Xi Jinping, and two or three others to discuss details and logistics---how long the trip would be, the fuel needs, how many people could go with each of the shuttles, how many in the harvesters, what it would take to equip and retrofit the vehicles, and on and on. They didn't need to have every specific answer, but Jean-Luc wanted to be prepared with estimates for the Planning Committee.
Jean-Luc finally called the meeting to order.
"Everyone in this room knows the situation we're in. But the reason this meeting has been called is that we have a proposal. An idea, a plan for a way out."
"What?" someone asked. "The Doyle Method? Mass suicide?"
Someone else gave a halfhearted laugh in response, but it quickly faded.
"We're going to Antioch," Jean-Luc said, replying quickly. He wasn't going to let the meeting get out of hand. "Not in the Enterprise, but in shuttles and harvesters."
The questions began immediately, as well as the criticisms and outright dismissal from a few people. Jean-Luc explained in some detail what we planned to do, then he and Hernandez spent the next two hours answering questions, responding to complaints, passing a few on to Racine or LaForge. Sulu was right; it was taking a lot to drag most of these people lout of their despair; but by the end of the second hour I could see that the mood had changed. People were coming around, slowly but surely, and a subtle but palpable excitement was growing, a blossoming sense of hope. Then Bishop Worf tried to destroy it.
The bishop pulled himself forward and rose to his feet, silencing the entire committee. I was surprised there was any life left in him; I was surprised that he'd been listening.
"I have one question," he said. "What's the point?"
He remained standing, watching the looks of puzzlement and confusion growing around him. He finally spoke again.
"They'll come and find us. They know where Antioch is, remember? They were responsible for what happened there. They'll know that's where we're headed. After all, they led us out here from Antioch."
Oh no, I thought to myself, watching the fear and panic reappear in faces all around the table, although they could not know what exactly they were afraid of, they could not yet understand what he was saying.
Bishop Worf turned and looked directly at Jean-Luc. "Tell them, Captain."
Jean-Luc nodded. "Yes, that's true. And that's why there is a second component to this plan."
"Forget the damn second component," a man called from the far end of the table. "What the hell does the bishop mean, 'they led us here?'"
Jean-Luc looked askance at the bishop; he was probably wishing he had locked him up after all. Then he looked out at the committee.
"When we were on Antioch, after the skeletons were discovered, a highly directional signal was transmitted from the landing site---perpendicular to the system's orbital plane, so we knew it wasn't meant for any of the other worlds or satellites. We couldn't locate anything it might be destined for---the nearest star in its vicinity was hundreds of light-years away." He hesitated. "When we left Antioch, it was decided that we would follow the direction of the signal. We ended up here." He turned to me and gave me a half-smile. "See, Pavel?" Everyone can make decisions that don't work out."
"Who decided?" someone else asked.
"Bishop Worf and I decided."
Hernandez stood up. "It makes no difference who decided," she said. "It makes no difference how we ended up here. What matters now is how we get out of here. That's all we're discussing."
"But the bishop is right," Candis Warbington said. "There's no point in any of this if they'll just follow us to Antioch."
I stood, intending to argue just what Sulu had said; that at least we would have a chance back on Antioch. But Hernandez spoke first.
"Let Captain Picard finish, and you will understand." She sat back down, and so did I. I wondered what Jean-Luc had in mind; we hadn't discussed any "second component."
"I will be staying on the Enterprise," he said.
I sat there stunned, not yet understanding.
"The bishop has a point," Jean-Luc resumed. "We can't leave the alien ship here, even if we escape from it. It will find Antioch again, or some other world, some other starship. We can't let that happen. Macha Hernandez and I, along with three other crewmembers, will stay aboard the Enterprise to direct it on a blind jump out of this galaxy. With luck, completely out of the universe."
This set off a lot of murmuring, questioning looks; I saw someone biting their knuckles, as if afraid for Jean-Luc and the others. I wanted to object, but I was dazed, and couldn't think very clearly, couldn't think of a reason to object. What Jean-Luc said made perfect sense, as much as I didn't like to admit it.
But LaForge spoke. "Can't we just set the ship to do a blind jump automatically?"
Hernandez shook her head. "It has to be piloted into the discontinuity. Besides, if it doesn't go as expected, we want to be aboard to make a second jump if necessary. I don't like it, but there's no choice."
Everyone was quite, letting it settle in. The bishop slowly rose to his feet again. "Then I, too, will be staying aboard the Enterprise. I will speak with Father O'Day, and ask him to be the new bishop. I will stay with the cathedral, with our archives."
Now he would be a martyr, I thought to myself. Let him.
"That's it," Jean-Luc said, essentially ignoring the bishop. "If we're to have any chance at success, we need the full support of this committee. There's way too much that'll need to be done, and it needs to be done quickly."
The vote was unanimous, but I felt sick to my stomach. I was losing nearly everyone who'd meant anything to me. I considered offering to stay with Jean-Luc and the others, but I recognized the urge for what it was---a fear of appearing to be a coward; a conceit.
"One more thing," Jean-Luc said. "I want to nominate Geordi LaForge to replace me as Captain."
Though LaForge was surprised, he reacted as a fine future captain should----he accepted the nomination with grace and respect and sincere humility. His nomination was seconded by Hernandez. That vote, too, was unanimous.
And so the meeting came to an end. A dozen smaller meetings would take place almost immediately. We adjourned. Preparations began.635Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufw4JncFRU
