Disclaimer: Not Mine. No money exchanged. No
profit anticipated or sought. Enterprise characters the property of others. I'm
only moving the pieces around a little
Author’s note: How about a look into the future…but not very far.
-
author
Phil Van Ostrand
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A lot of gold braid gathered for Starfleet Academy graduations, but this was
exceptional. The campus in the rolling hills north of San Francisco was overrun
with high-level officers, diplomats, and educators from across the galaxy, and
the commandant was more than a little uneasy about the level of scrutiny.
Farragut Station's commander was suffering the same anxiousness. Starfleet's
flagship, Enterprise, was moored near the station as was the A'rmath, lead ship
of the Vulcan deep space flotilla. Both Enterprise and A'rmath had arrived at
the station with little notice following long, high warp voyages.
The protocols for greeting Vulcan's special emissary to Earth, the newly named
Vulcan ambassador, and the Vulcan High Command's chief of staff were a challenge
to the station crew, and when the trio of ranking representatives arrived at
Starfleet's landing facility in San Francisco it was an all-hands affair.
Fleet Admiral Daniel Ryes-Davis, his deputy, Admiral R'phaf of Vulcan, and the
Academy Commandant were surprised when retired Starfleet commander David Forrest
also stepped off the Vulcan shuttle with the visiting dignitaries.
Appropriate flourishes were sounded, the colors were presented, and the visitors
reviewed the assembled corps of cadets honor guard before being taken to the
graduation program at Cochran Arena.
'It's been a long damn time since I was this nervous about anything, much less a
sitting around for an academy graduation,' though Ryes-Davis, 'but, this is a
very unusual moment....' Further ruminations were cancelled as the first few
bars of The Victor's March were sounded heralding the entry of the graduating
class.
After the 80 members of the class were in position the Commander of the Corps of
Cadets quick stepped to the proper position before the Academy's Command Master
Chief.
The tall, trim cadet faced the CMC and in a penetrating parade deck voice
announced the class was formed with all present. The Chief nodded acceptance,
did an about face saluted the commandant before shouting that the class was
formed.
Graduations were a study in tradition handed down from the earliest days of the
service academies. As Starfleet incorporated more and more of its leadership
from earth's many tradition forces the informed observer could find elements of
Royal Navy, United States Naval Academy, the old Russian Naval Academy, even the
'youthful' United States Air Force Academy traditions blended into the no longer
earth-bound fleet's formal occasions.
Vulcan and human stood in a prescribed arrangement behind the speaker's podium
as the music finished. At the last note the CMC loudly called "Seats!"
After the formal introductions were completed and the opening ceremonies
concluded, the day's business was at hand. The academy adjutant walked to the
podium, opened his folder and surveyed the corps of cadets and the audience
before him.
"Mr. Ambassador, Admirals, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen it is my sincere
pleasure to certify this class of cadets has complete the prescribed program and
it eligible for graduation with degrees in science, technology, and the arts,
and the class is formed for commissioning as ensigns in Starfleet." At the
conclusion of his part the adjutant gave the folder to the commandant as he
approached the speaker's stand.
"Thank you Captain Romanov. Today's graduation marks several 'firsts' that must
be noted. This is the largest commissioning class in this institution's history;
this class also marks the entry of the first men and women who are the progeny
of earth's first generation of 'deep space' explorers...young men and women who
do not remember not being able to move among the stars.
"Graduates, each of you are standing on the shoulders of the giants who went
before you, and each of you, in your own unique way, will be responsible for
continuing to explore, grow, develop and defend our growing alliance."
Although his speech had been written, revised, altered, and approved at the
highest levels of Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command, the commandant was
uncomfortable with speaking about political developments he was not completely
at ease with.
"As you go into the fleet you will find responsibilities and opportunities that
simply did not exist before. You will become an integral member of an emerging
organization that reaches well beyond the 'surly bonds of earth' and for the
first time in human history be able to reach 'The high, untrespassed sanctity of
space' John Gillespie Magee wrote so eloquently about in 1941."
As the commandant concluded his remarks Admiral R'phaf took the podium to
introduce the program's ranking guest, Ambassador Savikl. The aristocratic
Vulcan walked slowly, as was his custom, to the podium. He placed his hands on
the speaker's stand and surveyed the audience before turning to look carefully
at each member of the official party.
"Vulcans and humans have over the last 150 years struggled with how to recognize
our common needs," the Ambassador opened without preamble. "Vulcans, for our
part, have engaged in the ancient human behavior of 'looking down our nose' at
mankind's growth and 'puny' development. Zephram Cochran's watershed development
of warp drive was seen as an accident equivalent to the proverbial blind hog's
discovery of an acorn, to use the particularly appropriate earth homily.
"Humans were seen by many, myself sadly included, as bumbling, irrational,
impulsive children unprepared for interspecies association on anything less than
strictly managed terms.
"Time and circumstance have proven that view to be in error.
"Humans have seen Vulcans as arrogant, cold, unfeeling automatons interested
only in preservation of the status quo, standing in the way of development and
fulfillment of their 'manifest destiny' to explore, learn and grow.
"On many occasions we have seen each other as duplicitous, dangerous allies
advancing a hidden agenda to the determent of the other and more than capable
and willing to sacrifice a human or Vulcan without a second thought.
"This was seen as 'logical' in Vulcan terms, but, in retrospect, that was not
logic at work. It was rationalization of resistance to change.
"A new order was emerging from the old. Earth's first deep space capable ship
was completed and outfitted for its initial voyage 30 years ago, despite many
reservations held by members of the High Command, the Vulcan Science
Directorate, and others.
"That voyage was to be the seminal event in our relationship at many levels.
"Earth's best and brightest selected a man to lead that initial foray into deep
space, and in turn he selected a unique crew to make it possible.
"Head strong, willful, Vulcan-hating Jonathan Archer was named Captain. He in
turn selected an even more impetuous Chief Engineer, a linguistics expert afraid
of space travel and interspecies contact, an armory officer with a quick trigger
finger, and a 'boomer' pilot born in space to vagabond traders to key positions
on Enterprise. To this mix was added a curious chief medical officer of wide
experience from the Interspecies Medical Exchange.
"The High Command concluded the only logical course of action was to send a
representative to control access to the Vulcan database and navigation aids
effectively managing Enterprise's initial voyage. The selection process was
rigorous, and the committee chose a sub commander assigned to the Vulcan
consulate in San Francisco, holder of the Science Directorate's mantle of merit
for interstellar research, and a guest lecturer on logical research at the
Science Institute.
"So, Sub Commander T'Pol of Vulcan was sent to Enterprise to 'watch over'
Earth's maiden voyage to the stars.
"Friends, little did the High Command realize the proverbial fox had been sent
to watch over the human chicken house, and 25 standard years later we find
ourselves here, in San Francisco, for a very special graduation.
"In closing I want to remind each of the graduates that a growing federation of
worlds is watching your achievements and missteps that are certain to come as
you travel Flight Officer Magee's 'high, untrespassed sanctity of space.'"
The ambassador and the commandant took their positions as the CMC called the
graduating class to attention.
"Traditionally there is no ranking of the graduating class," the Chief announced
as the line formed, "Tradition also requires the Corps Commander be graduated
first to become senior to the other members of the class.
"Cadet Commander T'Lin Archer step forward and be recognized as the senior
member of the class and receive your commission!"
"Yes Sir!"
As the tall young officer walked across the stage to exchange salutes with the
assembled admirals and diplomats Vulcan's Special Emissary to Earth for
Federation Affairs T'Pol Archer and the commander of the new Federation's Deep
Space Fleet Commodore Jonathan Archer were each touched with a small tear of
pride, although the Emissary promptly dismissed the idea of pride as
'illogical.'
FINIS