S01 E01: The Kettirohm Sovereignty: Home for the Lost

 

S01 E01: The Kettirohm Sovereignty: Home for the Lost

 

               Special Envoy Rayla Retaci was watching all the people arrive on the planet Phaleon. She recognized many species--Orion, Cardassian, Deltan, Ferengi, and Pakled, human, Vulcan, to name a few. Some were members or allies of the Federation and some were not. Rayla herself was El-Aurian, a race that was scattered across the galaxy and not unified enough to join the United Federation of Planets (at least not unified in the time since the Federation was formed). But she was a Federation citizen and was trained as a diplomat. This was only her second assignment as a diplomat, and it was a hefty one. She was here to help the Kettirohm Sovereignty--of which Phaleon was one planet of ten  in the system--to build an embassy for foreign visitors. Plus, her secondary mission for the next few days was to oversee a science conference with speakers from all over the alpha and beta quadrants. Kettirohm had had an isolationist policy for two thousand years. They had chosen to end their isolation and asked the Federation for help. 

               Rayla met with Tirinor Karese, the leader Phaleon. (“Tirinor” was the title of a Kettirohm planetary leader.) Karese told her that everything was ready for the science conference. The United Federation of Planets had arranged to have a science conference on Phaleon as a way for the locals to interact with other cultures while sharing good will. Karese said she had another meeting and would meet with Rayla later to discuss more issues that had to be taken care of. Rayla thanked her for her time. As Rayla walked out of the Tirinor’s office, she had a strange El-Aurian sense that there was more to the Tirinor than she was letting on.

***

               Dr. Zytti carried her luggage through the crowded lobby. Looking around, the Denobulan did not see any signs that said “Registration”, not that she could read Kettian anyway, but she saw no signs at all. How do they expect anybody to find anything? She thought. Then, Dr. Zytti suddenly found herself face-to-face with a smiling young Bajoran woman. “Excuse me,” said the woman, looking way too excited about something. “Aren’t you Dr. Asha Zytti?”

               “Uh, yes.”

               “I’m Rocti Ania. Your paper on artificial intelligence and self-awareness of leadership in computers was the most spellbinding and evocative paper on AI to come out in the last ten years. And you brought out some great points in your ethical arguments.”

               Zytti smiled and tried not to bob her head in annoyance. While it was nice having fans, she considered her work to be for the purpose of contributing to the culture of science and not for doting youngsters to goober over her. But she replied in kind. “Um, thank you. I’m glad someone likes my work. If you cou-”

               She was suddenly cut off by an approaching Aenar. “Dr. Zytti,” the Aenar said, “doesn’t know enough about artifical intelligence to know how to find the brain of an android.”

               “Dr. Shiliss,” Zytti addressed the Aenar male. “I thought you were back on Andor. You never want to attend these ‘lowly’ conferences where I am asked speak.”

               “I thought this event could use a REAL expert on the subject,” Shiliss said as he turned to the young woman. He told her, “I’m the one who won the Canshes award for artificial intelligence. I do hope you’ll come to my lecture tomorrow on the varying needs of AI in different cultures.”

               “Of course,” said Rocti. “Your work is also fascinating.”

The partially blind Aenar bowed his head and walked on into the crowd. Zitti kept looking around. “Could you tell me where registration is?” she asked of Rocti as she smiled at her.

***

               Rayla studied the Orion woman, Jalla. She seemed very serious for an Orion. She wore her black hair up in a bun. She was fully clothed in a two-piece, loose-fitting suit. Definitely not a typical Orion.

               “We will not tolerate any activity by the Orion Syndicate in this sector,” Rayla told Jalla.

Jalla replied, “You don’t understand. Just because I’m Orion doesn’t mean I work for the Orion Syndicate. I want to be part of your embassy. I am in contact with a freedom group that is trying to free as many beings from Orion slavery as they can. I was hoping they could bring the freed slaves here.”

               Tirinor Karese looked up from her computer screen and said, “There’s no record of a group that frees slaves in the Federation database.”

               “The Federation doesn’t know everything,” Jalla said. “The group is covert, as well they have to be. The Orions don’t know about them either.”

               The Tirinor said, “And what are we to do when the Orions come here looking for their slaves?”

               “They won’t. The slaves will be brought here secretly, and the Orions don’t look for their lost slaves any more. It makes them easy targets for Feddies and other do-gooders. We are trying to bring down their whole slave trading business, but that’s a much slower process.”

               “I see,” said Karese. “I’ll have you consult with my interstate relations minister. You can give him the details of everything you need. You will have an office here in the Statehouse building. Any freed slaves who come here will have to be registered. And eventually they will be given jobs to earn their keep, if they are able.”

               “Of course,” said Jalla. “That’s all we want. A chance for them to start new lives.”

Karese stood from behind her desk, indicating that the meeting was over. Jalla thanked her and left the office.

Now that Rayla was alone with Karese, she had some questions about the history of the people of Kettirohm (Kettians). She knew that the Kettian citizens were actually Bajorans who had left the Bajoran homeworld a little over two thousand years ago. “Why did the Bajorans leave and come here?” she asked. Karese explained, “There was a group of around twenty-five thousand Bajorans who were unhappy with the way they were being treated. They were part of the worker caste, Ke'lora, who suddenly became a minority when workers from a neighboring city came in because their city was flooded and they needed new homes. According to legend, the Prophets instructed them to go to the desert. There, the Orb of Empathy teleported all twenty-five thousand Bajorans to the planet Adoroth, which later became the Kettian capital. In the ancient Bajoran language, ‘Kettirohm’ means ‘home for the lost’. ‘Bajdon’ --which they call their race to separate them from the Bajorans -- means ‘those who are far from home’. The name ‘Kettian’ can refer to both the Bajdon and my race, the Relamqu.”

Rayla knew the Bajorans were aware of the Kettians. The two disparate peoples did not seem interested in reuniting. The Kettians did keep up with some news of the quadrant, and were aware of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. They expressed concern, but did not believe they could take any action against the Cardassians. Since the end of the occupation eight years ago, the Bajorans and Kettians still did not express any interest in communicating, much less getting reacquainted.

“And what about your people,” Rayla said, “the Relamqu. Where is your race from and how did they become the rulers of the Bajdon?”

Karese seemed very stoic as she spoke. “We were on Adoroth. When the Bajdon came, we welcomed them. They were famished, poverty stricken from the lives they had been living on Bajor. We taught them more advanced ways to farm and build, helped them form their society. Made them healthy again. In return, they made us their leaders.”

“They just willingly let you rule over them? The Bajorans who were occupied by the Cardassians fought back with a passion.”

“We were not overlords. We were kind. Took care of them. They were weak. And as I said, they were workers, laborers. Over the years, they have thrived as a civilization under our rule. And now some of them have taken other jobs in art, science, teaching, politics, engineering, anything they want.”

“But only your race, the Relamqu, can be a Tirinor--system leader. Only the Relamqu can be the Lor’Kael --the supreme leader. And the Lor'Kael is an inherited position instead of elected, and the all of the Tirinors are appointed by the Lor'Kael.”

Karese knew that the Feddies were philosophically opposed to monarchies. But it was the way of her people. Just as it was the Relamqu's way that the citizens would always be treated fairly. There would be no tyranny. They, as rulers, would never be cruel. But Rayla had seen many historical examples of good intentions of leaders becoming something hideous. Karese explained that this monarchy had been in place for two thousand years and would continue. The Relamqu fancied themselves like the earth’s old British monarchy--a ruling class that would always be treasured and loved.

“I know it’s been stated,” said Rayla, “but please tell me again why Lor’Kael Jazen has asked for Federation assistance.” Karese’s face was completely expressionless as she answered. “Many reasons. There was the Dominion War and the Borg invasion that made us realize we needed to be part of a larger community as a matter of self preservation. Also, after so long in isolation, the Bajdon have become restless. Even the Relamqu are seeking more. Seeking for more than what they have always known. We are trying to breathe new life into a bored, stagnant, and even depressed culture. We have had very few scientific or social innovations in the last century.”

“And you are aware that opening your borders brings more problems? Problems of adapting to change. New challenges from an influx of new people and diverse cultures. These kinds of changes cause most societies to have more social unrest and a higher crime rate, at least in the short run. And it will probably take at least ten years, probably more, to sort everything out. Are you and the other Tirinors and the Lor’Kael ready for that?”

“Certainly. We are not naive. We are prepared for this.”

I hope so, Rayla thought. I hope *I* am ready for it.

 

***

Karese introduced Rayla to Imec Jotrat, the Kettian protocol officer. Imec and Rayla went to the room where Rayla would be giving a speech that night on behalf of the Federation and how they would help Kettirohm to expand their social paradigm and broaden their horizons. Imec showed her the Kettian sound/video system and amplifier. The system didn’t appear as advanced as Federation technology, but it was adequate. He told her the speech would be broadcast live to all ten planets of Kettirohm. He said it was customary to begin by saying, “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

               Rayla said, “That’s an interesting quote. Where does it come from?”

               Imec  told her it was from an old story about how darkness and light always work together. He mentioned to her that there would be extra lighting behind her that may cause some in the audience to blink more than usual. He told her not to worry; it was not harmful and the lights were necessary for the video transmission. Rayla thought that was surely something in their tech that should be upgraded.

***

               After Rayla left, Imec Jotrat met with his wife Imec Bellan (the Bajdon had kept the Bajoran tradition of using their family name first). “Everything is in place,” he said. “Good. The transmitter backstage is ready to send the signal once I punch in the code.” said Bellan. “Everyone who sees the broadcast will fall under our spell.”

***

               Pragg was setting up his genetic scanner. He was scheduled to give his panel tomorrow, and he wanted everything to go smoothly. A voice from behind him said, “I see you found the room.” Pragg turned to see a human-looking male standing in the doorway. “I’m Okat, the conference director,” he said to Pragg.

               “So you’re one of the Kettians.”

               “That’s right,” said Okat.

Pragg did not see the ridges on the man’s nose. “You must be a Relamqu.”

               “Right again. I just wanted to make sure you have everything you need for tomorrow.”

               While Pragg was warming up his scanner, he looked at the holoprojector. “Is this thing voice activated?”

               “Sure is. Takes any voice commands from anywhere in the room. You can stand in the front or the back of the room. Before you start,  tell it to lock in your voice so it only takes commands from you during your panel.”

               Pragg was excited. He didn’t get much accolades from his family for becoming a scientist. But he felt it was his calling. Business, his father had said. Business and profit.  That’s what Ferengis do. But Pragg was no ordinary Ferengi. Just like his friend Nog had paved the way by being the first Ferengi in Starfleet, Pragg was the first Ferengi to become a scientist. His study of neural augmentation got him excellent peer reviews and a slot in this conference. He was proud of what he had achieved.

               He looked at the readings on his genetic scanner. He had built the scanner to identify genetic makeup without having to use a DNA sample. It was rudimentary at best, but he knew he could improve it over time. The scanner picked up an unusual lifeform in the room. Since Pragg and Okat were the only ones there, it had to be Okat. The man had some pretty sturdy genes, according to Pragg’s scanner. He was like a genetically engineered humanoid. More muscle mass than most humans. And a different brain structure. Are all Relamqu like that? Pragg wondered to himself.

***

               Rayla was sitting in the back of the ballroom. She was happy to see that every seat was filled. It was a successful first-time science conference on Phaleon. She and the Federation were off to a good start for getting this system known to the galaxy. She watched as the Deltan, Dr. Gilee, powered up his quantum entanglement device. She knew nothing about this particular area of science. She thought it an amazing idea, from listening to Gilee’s theories. His machine was creating a quantum entanglement field right there in the ballroom. As the audience was silent with anticipation, the only sound in the room was from the machine. There was a burst of white light in the air above it. His device was not only combining subatomic particles, but it was doing so through subspace. This would open up new particle innovations for subspace communications, warp travel, industrial replicators, and a slew of other technologies.

               The audience watched in awe as the quantum entanglement generator started vibrating and the light above it grew larger. The light started expanding horizontally in all directions and changed its hue from white to blue to deep red. Then, there was a popping sound and a small circular white light appeared below the deep red.

               Then, in a flash, a beam of light came through the white light and enclosed a female in the audience. Before she even had time to react, she was sucked up into the white light.

               There was screaming from the audience.

               Dr. Gilee’s jaw dropped. “By the gods…” he said. Rayla called security to come and clear the room. Then she walked up to Dr. Gilee. “Do you know what just happened?” she asked him.

“She must have been taken into subspace. But the machine has never done that before.”

               “How do we get her out?”

               “By Jibali’s ring. I wish I knew!”

***

               A Kettian scientist, Jurnu, was scanning the quantum entanglement field with his portable subspace scanner. He said the small circle of white light was a tear in the subspace continuum. The woman had somehow been taken into subspace. She was probably still alive. The deep red pool of  light was still scattered around the ceiling of the room. It had been generated by the quantum entanglement field generator, which Dr. Gilee had been told not to turn off, lest the subspace rupture be closed and then all hope of rescuing the woman would be lost.

               Imec Jotrat exclaimed, “That’s my wife, Bellan, in there. Is there nothing you can do?”

               Rayla tried to assure him they were doing everything possible. In her own heart, she felt responsible for this tragedy. Tirinor Karese said, “Can we send another person in to rescue her? Perhaps with a tether on our end so we can pull them back.” This was one of the Tirinor’s own people in need of rescue. She was the one responsible, and she was determined to get her back.

               Jurnu and Gilee both said it would be dangerous to risk sending another person inside the rift. Dr. Zytti, who came to offer assistance as soon as she heard, said she had a probe with an artificial intelligence program that could be sent in to find Bellan. Dr. Gilee explained that it would need to be adaptable. This part of subspace would be filled with quantum entanglements. To find Bellan, one would have to sort through many particle arrays to trace where she had been and determine her next destination in subspace. She was floating from one quantum area to another. Dr. Shiliss, who had also come to help, said he could help Dr. Zytti program the probe with an artificial intelligence that could adapt to the quantum entanglements. They could also attach an apparatus to the probe so that it could safely bring Bellan back. Gilee said he would give them the proper equations for the spectrum of the entanglements. The three of them started working on it.

***

               Rayla and Karese had questioned whether Rayla should still give her speech that night. The three scientists were still working on the probe to rescue Bellan. Rayla decided that she would, though the content of her talk would be different. She would speak to reassure the people that this was only a temporary setback to their plans. The new embassy to welcome other species to Kettirohm would still be formed.

***

               As Rayla took the stage, Imec Jotrat was in the control room working the video and audio feed. He was still very concerned about his wife’s abduction. He could have let someone else do his job tonight, but he wanted to do it. He was fuming that this happened to his wife. He wanted everyone to pay. While Rayla was speaking, he would send a subliminal transmission alongside her speech, just as he and Bellan had planned. The subliminal message would tell the Kettian people not to accept the Federation’s help. Not to allow a foreign embassy. Jotrat and Bellan were part of an isolationist movement in Kettirohm. Another in their group had set up the message they were going to transmit. Jotrat pulled out his disc with the message. He inserted it into the drive in the video console. When he heard Rayla say “Only in the darkness” he flipped the switch. Or rather, he reached for the switch. Another hand grabbed his before he could move it.

               “Imac Jotrat, you are under arrest,” said a Kettian policeman.

               Jotrat was shocked. Tirinor Karese stood before him and said, “Rayla alerted us to you.”

               “Rayla? How did she know?”

               “She asked me about the quote ‘only in the darkness’. It’s from one of our poems about dissension. But the real clue was when you told her the audience would be blinking from lights behind her. She asked me about our usual stage lighting. After what she told me, I had my people investigate you. They found out about your concealed isolationist movement. Of course, we had already heard rumors about it, but now we actually have you, one of the leaders of the group.” Then the Tirinor had Jotrat carried off to jail while Rayla finished her speech.          

***

Rayla sat in Tirinor Karese’s office. Rayla said, “Dr. Pragg’s genetic scanner picked up some interesting readings on some of the Relamqu.”

Everyone knew that the Relamqu were not the same species as the Kettian citizens. But what were they? Their story, their TRUE story? Rayla had figured it out. Some of it she got from Pragg. Some of it she got from talking to some of the Bajdon, who knew the truth but weren’t always forthcoming with it. And some of it she got from her own El-Aurian senses. She told Karese outright, “You’re members of the Q continuum. Outcasts, perhaps?” The El-Aurians had a history with the Q. And there were Federation records of a particular member of the Q continuum pestering a Starfleet ship.

               Karese said, “You El-Aurians. You always seem to find us. Does the Federation know? Is that why they sent you?” Rayla shook her head. “They did not suspect a thing. I got an odd sense whenever I was around you and the other Relamqu.” Karese admitted the truth. “We left the continuum willingly. We wanted to be mortal. Our lives as Q had no meaning. The other Q who keeps harrassing Starfleet gave the Federation the wrong impression of us. We are not all arrogant pranksters. There were nine hundred and fifty of us who wanted to leave the continuum. After much discussion with the rest of the continuum, it was decided we would be allowed to leave and become mortals. We were put on Adorath right before the Bajdon arrived. We were put here because we knew the Bajorans would let us take care of them. The Prophets had told them to accept us. It gave us a purpose. They are the ones who named us Relamqu, meaning “demigods who walk among us”.

               Rayla knew the Federation wouldn’t like this. But what could they do? There were known Federation records of Q being transformed into humans. The Federation would just have to hope these mortal Q were nothing like the other Q. Some of the Q actually feared El-Aurians, so she may be able to use that if she ever needed to. But she didn’t sense any fear from Karese. She felt as though she and Karese could build a good working relationship, now that she knew the truth.

***

               Dr. Zytti and Dr. Shiliss brought their probe to the room with the subspace tear. Dr. Gilee was already in the room. He said, “I have been monitoring the rift. It’s getting smaller. We must hurry.” Zytti held up the probe. It looked like a vertical rectangular box with two mechanical arms. She flipped a switch on the probe and then released it. It floated on air. There were three blinking lights on top. Then it spoke. “Awaiting your command.”

Gilee was amazed. “It’s a robot?”

               “It’s an artificial intelligence inside a mechanized computer,” said Zytti. Shilis gave it a command, “Go into the rift. Find the woman and bring her back here.”

               “Command received,” said the AI probe.

“And you’re sure you gave it the correct equations that I gave you?” asked Gilee.

               “Yes,” said Shilis and Zytti at the same time. “It’s all ready,” said Shilis. “We programmed it to adapt to what it finds in subspace so it can search where it needs to.” The probe floated higher into the air. Then they saw it float into the subspace tear. They could not longer see the probe, only the white light of the opening to the tear. They waited.

Gilee said, “I went back over my equations to try to figure out how this happened. I think I had the quantum frequency set too high. This was my first demonstration in such a large room. Oh, this is all my fault. I do hope the probe finds her.”

               Zytti said, “We are all doing the best we can.” And Shilis added, “May Uzaveh help her.”

“If only--,” Gilee started to say something, but his generator started sputtering. He looked up at the tear. “Something’s happening!” The circle of white light started oscillating. A bigger halo of light formed around it. Gilee kept staring at it. He put his arms up. He almost felt as though he could touch it. His generator made another popping sound, and Gilee saw something coming from the light. It was the woman! She was being carried in the “arms” of the probe. It floated gently from the light down to the floor and gently laid Bellan down. She was unconscious.  Zytti immediately called for a doctor. “We did it!” exclaimed Shilis. “We all worked together, and we were able to save her! This is a glorious day. Three scientists, each from a different world, worked together and saved a life.” Gilee and Zytti were also relieved.

***

               Jotrat was sitting in jail when he was told he had visitors. He looked up and Bellan and Rayla were standing in front of his cell.

               “Bellan!” he said. “They rescued you!”

               “Yes,” she said. “It is good to see you, even if it’s here.”

               “Oh. I don’t care that I’m in jail. I just wanted us to be together. In peace. Not wrapped up in so much Federation politics. If we deal with them, there will be so many problems. Aliens, their drama, war. Their social issues.”

               Bellan walked up to his cell and reached between the bars, and they held hands. Rayla stayed back and said to Jotrat, “I’m so sorry you can’t see how this would be a change for the better. There is so much to learn from those who are different. Cultural exchanges.”

               Jotrat bellowed, “When our people left Bajor two thousand years ago, we were spared the plight of the Bajorans who stayed. Those who had to endure the Cardassian occupation. We formed our own society, and it is all we need. Bellan, tell them how we don’t need them!”

               He looked into his wife’s eyes. They did not look the same as before. She no longer had the loving look that was just for him. She now looked at him with pity. “What has happened to you?” he asked her.

               “When I was trapped in subspace,” she whispered gently, “I saw our son.”

               “Our son Decon? What do you mean? He’s dead.” Their ten-year-old son had died in a traffic accident five years ago.

               “Yes, but I saw him. Maybe it was an illusion. I don’t know. But he spoke to me. He told me we should continue to live. We should open our hearts to strangers, to new people, to different beliefs. He wants us to be a part of this world and its growth.”

               “Bellan, we don’t need the Federation or the other worlds. We only need Kettirohm. We don’t need to meet other people; negotiate with them; make trade agreements. None of that matters. We have what we need.”

               “Jotrat, we have become stagnant. We never have new ideas. Everyone here is so used to the old ways. I was told that three scientists worked together to save me. Three people, each from a different world. That’s what we can accomplish if we work with other people. The fact that I am here now is a testament to what interspecies cooperation can do. Oh, my husband, don’t you see?”

               Jotrat sat down in his cell and cried.

 

               Mission log. Special Envoy Rayla Retaci reporting. After awhile, Bellan was able to convice Jotrat to stand down with his isolationist movement. However, there are still some fifty people in the movement who could not be convinced. Tirinor Karese ordered those people to be put on an island where they could be alone with all the food and shelter they need. The will have what they want--isolation. They will be able to live the rest of their lives on an island while the rest of their world welcomes other races. I think it was a good demonstration of Karese’s benign intentions toward the Bajdon. The supreme ruler of the Kettirohm Sovereignty, Lor’Kael Jazen, has asked to meet with me in two days. I will take a transport to meet him on the capital planet, Adoroth. For now, the Federation has read my report and ordered me to stay and carry out my assignment. They have not changed my orders, except to add that I should be cautious of the “Q”. I will endeavor to do so. However, Tirinor Karese seems to be of sound mind and good intentions, despite her heritage. Perhaps not all Q are untrustworthy.

 

 -by the Honorable Kavura

 

Thank you for reading my Star Trek Adventures: Captain’s Log mission report. Captain’s Log is a solo roleplaying game by Modiphius Entertainment.