Boldly Going

Chapter 2: Back To Basics

***

The past two months aboard the Galaxy-class vessel had proved two of the most interesting months of his life, Kazuya decided; to say the least. The most fascinating part about it, and in his opinion, the most pleasing part, was the fact that no one knew who the hell he was. No one had bothered checking up Starfleet records; all they knew is that two new arrivals to this century, Anderson and Mishima, were former businessmen. Unlike Anderson, who’d taken to drinking in Ten-Forward to drown his sorrows, Kazuya was constantly milling about the ship amongst the crew, taking tours from Riker, learning as much as he could about the new century.

Other crew members had begun to recognise him as they became acquainted with his constant presence, and since none knew who he was in the past, he found it incredibly easy to create companionships. To them, he was just a young Japanese man from ancient Earth. That, he decided, was the way he wished things to remain.

Today, he was sitting in Ten Forward, watching the stars rush toward him and past him; it was the best place on the whole damn ship as far as views went. This inherent curiosity that grew within him, this urge to discover and decipher the unknown, had compelled him to make the single most life-altering decision he’d made, ever. Finally, after two months of acquainting himself with the present, he’d decided to involve himself in it.

In half an hour, he and Anderson were due for a scheduled meeting with Picard in his ready-room as to where they would be headed in the future. Anderson didn’t want to be anywhere in this timeline, Kazuya had learned, but he on the other hand had planned out his near future very carefully. The Enterprise was due for rendezvous with Spacedock in another four months – which worked perfectly for him.

Time, as per usual, passed in an uncanny fashion as he stared into the stars, and before he knew it, he was being called to the Captain’s ready-room. The idea of communicators connected to one’s shirt, rather than a cell phone, was something he was still getting used to, and at the same time, something he thought of as a marvel of technology. He left his half-finished meal on the table, and headed up to deck one.

When he arrived, Anderson was already there, bitching and complaining as usual. Picard looked as if he was glad their next stop at the nearest Starbase was only a few days away. Smirking to himself, Kazuya sat down in the empty chair opposite Picard, patiently waiting for Anderson to stop ranting and raving about how disappointing, badly organised, and ridiculous the 24th century was. Finally, however, it ended, and Kazuya sat forward on his chair as the Captain began saying what he had to say.

“As I’m sure both of you are aware, we will rendezvous with Starbase 243 in just over three days. You have the choice of stopping there, where you can be taken to wherever you wish from there; or, alternatively, you can stay aboard the Enterprise for an extended period while you decide on your future.”

“Where is Earth? I’m sick and tired of staying on this godforsaken ship!” Anderson appeared to dislike the confinement of the six hundred metre long space-faring vessel.

“Well, Earth is quite a number of light-years from here. The planet Starbase 243 is based on, however, is terran in nature, and is startlingly similar to Earth. The Earth you knew is long gone in a sense of change, so Starbase 243 would be equally as unfamiliar. You can stop there and make a new life for yourself, or you can continue your stay on the Enterprise.”

The aging man fumbled a moment with words, then sighed. “I...I need time to think about it.”

The Captain nodded, and turned his attention to Kazuya, hoping that his answer would be a little less frustrating. “And you Mr Mishima...do you have any idea what you wish to do?”

Kazuya nodded once, sitting forward on his chair. “As a matter f fact, I know exactly what I wish to do with my life. Being on this vessel has given me the opportunity to experience the goodwill and unity of the Federation in full flare, and I’ve accustomised myself with so much of this century, all the races it has to offer, its technology...if I were to stop now and begin a new life on another planet as a civilian, I would undoubtedly lose my mind. So, if you think if fit...I wish to continue aboard the Enterprise to Earth; from there, I can enter the preliminary stages of Starfleet Academy.”

For a moment, Picard was spellbound...eventually, he clasped his hands together on the desk, leaning forward. Out of sheer curiosity, he felt compelled to ask, “You want to become an officer?”

The Mishima smirked somewhat. “Indeed. I realise what a disadvantage I’m at with my lack of familiarity with the times, but I’m ready to embrace solid hard study and intense work to catch up and excel. After all, I think a complete change from my past will help me to blend more than scrabbling at the dying embers of my legacy.”

After a few seconds, Picard nodded, and sat back. “Fair enough; perfectly understandable. I’m sure we can help bridge the gap in your knowledge by educating you on ship-wide systems and technology...that is, until we reach Earth. From there, you can enter the precursor year at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco.” He smiled. “I believe you’ll have the time of your life while you try and create a new one for yourself, Mr Mishima.”

Kazuya smirked back. “Believe me I will. If anything, it’ll be a joy to leave my past behind.”

***

Times had suddenly become rather tough on Kazuya, in the sense of free time. He, over the last three months, had been spending almost every hour of his day learning the functions of the Galaxy-class cruiser, and for some reason, fatigue hadn’t yet taken hold of his energetic body. The basics of Warp propulsion weren’t too hard to grasp, and Commander La Forge wasn’t a bad tutor by any means; it was the stellar cartography and sensor systems that still baffled him. How things from such great distances could be detected was still beyond him; all he had to do was nod and smile as he was told, and left the actual understanding for later.

Anderson had evidently been left on the planet they stopped at last, at Starbase 243, but he’d stayed on board to learn as much as he possibly could before entering the Academy. An application had been sent ahead to Earth, and in a month’s time, he would be enrolling for the August semester; when the Enterprise arrives at Spacedock.

Morale was noticeably high lately, since almost all of the one thousand and nine crewmembers aboard had at least some relation to Earth, if not, were born there. After the four month voyage in space, Kazuya too, was looking forward to setting foot back on good old mother Earth. He knew everything had changed, and there would be nothing familiar except for the fact that the sun still shone and the birds still sung. Nevertheless, he still felt that affinity for his home planet, and having never really consciously left it before; he missed it, and was glad to be heading home.

Since it was finally time for a break, he had made himself comfortable with a mug of synthesised coffee, watching the stars from a table near the massive windows of Ten Forward. After staring at the stars for so long, he finally felt a presence...he turned, only to see the dark-skinned bartender standing beside him, watching him curiously; though she appeared middle-aged at the very most, he knew she was centuries old...and no one could mistaken her for anyone else on the ship, since her choice in hats was always bizarre to say the least.

When she saw she had caught the Mishima’s attention, she smiled benignly. “May I join you?”

He raised both brows, the corners of his lips rising slightly with them. “Of course...”

She sat down opposite him, and looked over her shoulders at the stars zooming past the window like little fireflies in the night. “You never grow tired of the view here, do you?”

He chuckled, and set his mug aside. “I doubt I’ll ever grow tired of the view, Guinann. I’m an Earth-boy, remember? From pre-warp civilisation...six months ago I never thought it possible to get into space if you weren’t a NASA astronaut...but here I am, on a Starship, travelling light-years and light-years from system to system...”

The woman smiled, and clasped her hands in front of her on the table. “Well I guess I can see the sense in draining in as much as you can...in another month, you’ll be watching over the San Francisco bridge at night, rather than the stars...”

“So the old bridge is still there...” he smirked. Well, at least there’ll be something to remind him of home.

“Well, the original bridge was destroyed in the third world war...they rebuilt it along with half the city. Oddly enough your hometown hasn’t changed as much as most places...I believe the Zaibatsu is still there.”

For a moment, the colour drained from his face. She knew?! He’d wanted to keep his identity a secret.

Guinann raised both hands and smiled. “Don’t worry Kazuya...your secret’s safe with me. Everyone deserves a second chance. And I know you’ll make good use of your second chance...most aren’t brave enough or willing enough to embrace change as you have.”

He smiled again after a moment, and sat back in his seat. “Domo arigatou...you’re fantastic, you know that don’t you?”

Again, she beamed gently back at him. “I’m just a friend. If you ever need one in this strange and new world...I’m right here.”

***

It was midday, as the clock at his bedside told him, but somehow Kazuya felt as if it was twelve hours later. Then again, he wasn’t used to constant night outside, even though he’d been living with it for the past half year. Still, he had ample energy to burn, and had set his brain to work studying more technological breakthroughs made after his time.

The few hours of studying that followed were interrupted eventually by a call from the bridge. The captain’s voice broke the silence in Kazuya’s quarters rather suddenly, but oddly enough, he wasn’t at all surprised enough to drop the Padd he was working with.

“Picard to Mr Mishima. If you’re not too busy, you might want to report to the bridge...this is a sight you probably don’t want to miss.”

He tapped the combadge on his shirt. Yes, he was already getting into the full swing of the future...armed with the combadge and everything! “Acknowledged. I’ll be right there...”

Putting his work aside, Kazuya hopped up and headed toward deck one. No doubt they were about to enter Earth’s solar system by now...they were due for arrival any day now. As he wandered onto the bridge, he froze in the doorway...

On the main screen was the most beautiful view of his home planet he’d ever seen. It took up at least half the screen, and was glowing back at them in all its blue and white glory; brightly contrasting the sheer black of the space behind it. It was incredible.

Almost mesmerised, he stepped forward and leaned against a console near the Klingon security officer. After a moment, he realised the entire bridge crew was watching his reaction...and smirked. “It’s amazing the first time you see her from above...”

Picard chuckled, turning in his seat. “Well Mr Mishima, in a day or so, you’ll be seeing her up close and personal once again. We’ve just received word from the academy...you’ve been accepted, and you’ll be starting this coming semester...two weeks away.”

He arched a brow. “So soon? Ah well, it won’t give me any time to worry about it I suppose, which is a good thing...” he smirked somewhat again, and folded his arms over his chest. “With any luck, in the next four years, I’ll be seeing you again...only wearing the same uniform.”

The bridge crew returned to their work, and Picard turned back around in his seat. “Indeed. If you like, you can stay on the bridge as we come into orbit around Earth; we’ll be docking at Spacedock in a few minutes...it’s usually quite a sight to behold.”

Still standing beside the towering Klingon, Kazuya watched on, not fazed by the massive alien’s presence. Indeed, what he saw over the next few minutes was never to be forgotten...the massive Starship turned and headed toward the glowing blue-and-white planet...and a massive shining silver object floating around it lazily, tilted on an angle. That, he presumed, was Spacedock. As they drew closer, only then did he realise just how massive it was...the Enterprise looked like nothing compared to this beast of a space station. In fact, the small-looking entry doors on the upper half of the silver mushroom-like station opened wide enough to let another Starship through...this one, Nebula class, was not a small ship at all...almost thirty decks high, and five hundred metres across the saucer section. The station was indeed a testimony to mankind’s prowess with technology.

The Enterprise was going into dry-dock this time around; after the Nebula-class strike cruiser had left the vicinity, the doors opened wider...and slowly, under the careful and rather nervous piloting from the teenage boy at the helm, she eased inside, amongst many other ships docked within the huge hall. It had to be huge...there were massive Starships for kilometres. Not many were nearly the size of the Enterprise herself – she was the flagship of the fleet; the most powerful, most versatile, and had the range of a reconnaissance vessel – but with the twenty or thirty flying office blocks docked within, it was obvious just how much this station would have cost to build!

He shook his head as he walked toward the transporter. It would have cost nothing; there was no concept of monetary gain in the 24th century.

These would be his final moments on the Enterprise...but soon enough, he would be on good old Earth. The mere thought evoked a smile of satisfaction as he stepped up on the transporter pad.

The woman at the controls smiled and nodded at him as he stepped up. “This your first time, isn’t it?”

He nodded, letting his bags plop to the ground beside him as he held the handles low. “Yeah, but I don’t see what the big deal is. Unlike Lieutenant Barclay I don’t have paranoia issues.”

Chuckling, she prepared to activate the transporter. “Well, then I wish the best of luck to you with your studies, Mr Mishima...since I won’t have to wish your stomach luck with holding its lunch down.”

He smirked. “Thank you ensign...”

With that, she hit the button, and the Mishima disappeared from the Enterprise in a rush of blue energy.

***

He had to admit, it was very disorienting randomly disappearing and reappearing somewhere completely different. His head spun for a moment, and stars floated around it in orbit...but a quick shake of it back and forth cleared that up. The room he was in was futuristic to say the least...but pleasant nonetheless. As he stepped down from the transporter pad, others arrived behind him and stepped off casually, heading in their own directions. The room itself was surrounded by windows along two walls; the side to his left was a reception area and entrance to the rest of the building. Outside the windows, to his delight, was sunshine, tall buildings, and in the distance, the great iron bridge at the heart of the city.

“Kazuya Mishima, I presume...” A man garbed in Starfleet apparel stepped up to him, and hoisted up one of his two bags. He was young, energetic, and the uniform he was wearing – black, aside from the red shoulders – revealed he was a cadet from the nearby academy.

“Indeed.” He gave away nothing else, and swung his other bag, the larger of the two, over his shoulder.

“I’m Gary Hodges; I’ve been assigned as your room-mate for these next two semesters at the academy.”

Kazuya bowed his head slightly in the traditional greeting he’d been brought up with. “Pleasure to meet you.” Seeing it as quite a novelty, the cadet returned the gesture, beaming form ear to ear. “Man, this is going to be so much fun...”

Cute kid; so hyperactive and excitable. He could see this was going to be an interesting year. He followed Hodges out the doors and down to what might be interpreted as a bus...unlike the space movies and suchlike, this one still had wheels and windows, and vaguely looked like a bus...only, very...futuristic. They climbed on board and sat up the back, and the vehicle hummed off down the street. Nope, no internal combustion engine...nothing around here seemed to run on it any more. Then again, plasma fusion was safer and more economical – not to mention better for the environment.

On the way to the academy, there was nothing but idle chit-chat exchanged between the two...Gary was quickly learning that Kazuya was a figure of enigma; he was hard to figure out, and harder to get information out of. But nevertheless, he seemed pleasant enough.

The bus stopped outside a large field surrounded by gardens and littered with threes...off in the distance was an array of little buildings, all surrounding a few massive skyscrapers; this was Starfleet Academy. The two headed toward one of the larger buildings, and headed inside. It was obviously a residential area; times hadn’t changed so much that Kazuya was unable to recognise reception lobbies and the like. It was very student-oriented as well, from what he could see...nothing classy, just all school and business.

After a short ride up in the turbolift, Gary came to a door that opened as he entered. By now Kazuya was used to the recognition system within Starfleet when it came to quarters; doors would only open for residents of the quarters, and those that had high enough security to pass in without having to knock first.

The room inside was fairly small, but adequate. It was symmetrical – a bed on either side of the room with a fairly wide walking space between the beds, a wardrobe further along each of the two facing walls, and a desk and hutch set-up on either side of the door. One side of the room was a pigsty; the other was unoccupied.

Gary laughed nervously. “Eh-heh...no marks for guessing which side of the room is yours...”

Kazuya simply chuckled and tossed his two bags down at the end of the bed. “It’ll probably stay that way too...I’m a fairly tidy person...that, and I don’t really have too many belongings as of yet.”

For a moment, there was silence as Gary sat down at his desk. “Heh...oh yeah, you’re from the past aren’t ya?”

Kazuya smirked. “I was born in 1968...”

The youth’s eyebrows shot up? “Really? Damn! No wonder...so you don’t have any of your old stuff...”

He shook his head as he began to unpack the bag with his clothes in it. “Not a thing. Most people wouldn’t know who the hell I am anyhow, so there’s no way to find any of it. Not that it matters; the world I once lived in was a crazy place...I’d prefer to start fresh in this one, and leave my past as my past.”

After another pause, the youth shrugged. “Fair enough. So uh, what subjects are you taking?”

He hadn’t thought of that. There was a Padd on his desk, which he reached over and grabbed, after which, he sat back down on the bed. “Well, apparently I’m doing basic engineering, physical education, basic Starfleet security, and the foundation course on general technology...whoopee.”

“Physical education? Why you doin’ that?”

He shrugged. “I’m going into security and tactical. Apparently I have to do PE to be eligible...though I don’t see what benefits it’ll grant me.”

“Actually, I heard it’s pretty gruelling...a lot of people drop out.”

Again, Kazuya shrugged. “You don’t know gruelling until you’ve lived my life. I’ve been doing martial arts all my life, and believe me, after fighting some of the most elite warriors of my time, I’ve learned the true meaning of speed, strength, stamina, agility...but most of all, pain.”

Yes, this was going to be an interesting year after all! The young cadet was almost bouncing with excitement. “You’re a martial artist?!”

“You could say that, though I doubt anyone uses the style I do. It’s well over four hundred years old by now.”

“You’ll have to show me some stuff sometime...”

Kazuya distracted himself with putting clothes away on shelves and hangars, and putting his few belongings in places other than his bag. “I might. You’ll have to catch me training sometime. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for that too.”

“Heh. Sounds great.” Gary put his stuff away on his desk – by simply adding it to the already impressive mound of junk on one end – and turned around on his chair. “Hows about we go get dinner in a few minutes? The Mess Hall opens at five for dinner.”

“Hm? Yeah sure, dinner would be great.” Funnily enough, it just didn’t seem like dinner since it wasn’t going to be in ten-forward. He knew he’d miss the Enterprise crew...but with any luck, one day, he might serve on that vessel. Then again, knowing his luck...he’d end up being captain of a ship in no time...he had a nasty habit of becoming the leader of whatever he was in at the time with frightening speed.