Strangers in A Strange Land

Posted on Sat Apr 5th, 2025 @ 7:03pm by Lieutenant Ayana Hillis & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson & Lieutenant Inara Senn & Lieutenant JG Kate Kono & Lieutenant JG James Phoenix & Lieutenant Seth Travis

2,258 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Genetic Purity
Location: Planetside/ Colony
Timeline: After An Era Best Forgotten

The trip to the planet's surface was quick and uneventful. Jon landed the shuttle on the outside of what appeared the center of colony. Once down, he and Ayana went through the process of turning the shuttle's engines off and locking everything down. "Implement full security lockdown Ayana." He said before turning to the others. "Be observant and diplomatic." The last said with a look at Inara. Do not volunteer information. Seth's the diplomat, follow his lead. We're to get answers."

"Full lockdown. Computer is encrypted, level 3 security code required" Ayana replied as she enabled the security procedures. She looked to Phoenix, "Stay close to Callie, Inara, and Kate. They are in your charge. I'll stick close to the commander and Travis. Set phasers to stun but keep them holstered for the time being." She looked at Jovovich, "You'll be rear guard, as such. Head on a swivel, attention to detail, full diplomatic curtesy for the time being. And remember where we are as compared to the shuttle. If we need to get back here in a hurry, I don't want people meandering."

"Understood ma'am" Jovovich replied checking her phaser setting before holstering it.

"Aye Lieutenant" James nodded to Ayana as he moved close to Callie, Inara, and Kate as ordered before he set his phaser to the highest non-lethal stun setting.

Kate made sure to throw her personal replicator into the secure storage compartment since some killjoy told her that she couldn't take it with her. She internally mumbled about how the replicator only made water, snacks, and marshmallows, but she never verbally said a word. Kate made sure her phaser was set to medium stun because the last thing she wanted to do was to be impolite to anyone that she had to shoot. She pulled her tricorder out and began scanning everything she could.

"Sir, I'm detecting some good restaurants in the area," Kate stated matter-of-factly. "I'm picking up pizza, marinara sauce, high-salt content. Italian cooking?" Kate saw a building in the distance that was labeled 'Baston.

“Sounds interesting” Callie offered a smile before checking the setting on her phaser and putting it away again. “Right now, I’m not sensing any threats, mostly curiosity and some concern at our arrival. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

Jon took all the discussion in, then replied. "Okay game faces on. It is time to meet our hosts as well as get some answers." He pressed the door lock key for the shuttle door to open. "Oh, everyone remember where we parked."

Ayana was a little concerned with what Kate said. "Not sure how I feel about that. I mean, not sure why you'd detect Italian food in a German colony. I would expect bratwurst, sauerkraut, schnitzel, pretzels, beer and strudel. Traditional German cuisine." She shook her head and got very serious as Jon ordered. It was time for her to be at the top of her game. The shuttle door opened and as the head of security Ayana stepped out first, with Jon and Travis immediately behind her.

Ayana looked around, the buildings having an old feel to them compared to the sort of structures she might normally see at colonies. "Interesting architecture, reminiscent of Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt with the Gothic architecture and lots of stone buildings, and also over that way" she said pointing in the distance, "that building looks quite similar to the Reichstag in Berlin. It is almost like stepping back into the past." She looked around, "Look at the people. I suddenly feel a bit out of place."

Kate smiled and waved happily at a couple of blond-haired, blue-eyed people that walked by them as they entered town. She giggled and smiled at the others. "I'm taken, I know, but -- they are kinda cute." The Asian girl happily pointed at a few people as if picking the right kind of cherries off trees. "Cute, cute, cute, cute, cute... And cute.... They should smile more though... They all look like we killed their dog or something."

"You understand they are German, right?" Ayana asked in a serious yet deadpan manner.

"A little professional decorum Kate." Jon replied in mild reproach. Explain it to her, Ayana." Jon instructed the security officer.

“I know some basic German phrases if we need to speak the language, but I doubt we’ll have to” Callie smiled. “Everyone here seems quite content.”

"Good to know and thanks Callie." Jon answered. He looked around, "You're right. Everyone does look content. I wonder if that's true or just a mask."

"Oh... Genetic engineering. How Quaint." Inara flipped out a tricorder and started scanning them. "Yep. They've all got very similar genetic base pairs. How lame... a world full of blondies." She noted. "Well, nothing to see here, looks like they're all genetically altered. Why don't we take the shuttle back to the ship and unleash a planetary bombardment? Isn't that protocol now when we encounter Augments and genetically enhanced people?" Inara mentioned.

Looking back at Inara, Ayana quipped, "Not at all. We can always send them to a gulag if that will be more within what you consider acceptable."

“Should we be talking about our hosts like that?” Callie gave Inara and Ayana a look. “We’re their guests remember?”

"Callie is right. So can it Inara. We're here to see the colony not pass judgment on it... at least not yet." Jon answered as they away team moved closer to the center of town.

Kate happily waved at a few of them as they made it to the center of their town. She leaned over to Callie, "Sooo, like, do we just stand in town center and wait for someone to greet us?"

A group of four men dressed in black leather uniforms approached the away team, a fifth man with them in a gray dress uniform reminiscent of military uniforms from the 20th and 21st century Earth. the man in gray came to a stop in front of Jon, snapped to attention with a boot click, and then spoke with a thick German accent, "Ich bin General Schultz. Du wirst jetzt mit mir kommen."

Ayana leaned into Travis, "You remember to set your universal translator for German?"

"Something about -- General Schultz, and he's coming?" Kate raised a brow and shook her head. "Maybe he means that he's General Schultz and we have to come with him? Or that some guy named Schultz is extremely happy. My foreign language isn't too good," Kate whispered just loud enough for Jon to hear as she attempted to be helpful. She offered a kind smile and a slight wave to the very severe looking man.

Seth nodded, "Yes, I did, He said he's General Schultz and he wants us to come with him now." Seth stepped forward and introduced himself and the rest of the away team and then waited for the General to reply.

Callie had nodded politely as introductions were done; she could only wonder what the General thought of their group.

"Sehr gut, Ambassador" the General replied. "We go to see the Chancellor now." He turned sharply and then marched towards a large domed building, which appeared to be the building that Ayana had said looked like the Reichstag.

Seth turned to the others. "Come on, we're going to meet the Chanceller now. We don't want to look unfriendly." He then turned back and followed the general and the others toward the building.

"Oh Yay, we're going to see the Ambassador. This will certainly end well." Inara mentioned in a low voice.

Kate kept her smile as she looked around at the architecture, the streets, the people, and the various signs. She took notice that the billboards didn't change, and they weren't made out of screens or holograms. The place reminded her of almost a time where she was from that she rarely told others' about. Despite the fact she couldn't actually read what the signs said, they showed happy faces, pictures of steaming food, beverage advertisements, and book/novel recommendations. Overall, it looked like a normal town, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling of an underlying unease behind it all.

James had the same unease as Kate. Even if World War 2 happened only decades before he was born, it was close enough that he knew all too well what toll it took on Earth. Academy classes didn't do quite the justice as his high school history courses and even then, while those courses did a little better at explaining Germany's actions, he'd also never fully know what people went through. He couldn't begin to imagine.

A small child ran out into the streets. Kate was quick to check for any hovercraft nearby that might smack the kid, but it seemed that, although the town had streets available for vehicles, they were seldom utilized. The child, probably ten, or twelve years old smiled at Kate and pointed a fake pistol at her.

"Bam bam!" The kid said.

The slender Asian jerked twice, pretending as if she had been hit and fell over onto the street. Kate and the child shared a giggle, but the child's parents ran out into the street and yanked the kid away at the same time that Kate stood back up to dust off her Starfleet uniform. With a raised brow and a fast-dissolving smile, she gave a look to James as her dark brows furrowed slightly and she shook her head slowly at the actions of the parents.

Things were getting weirder, and weirder as they continued to follow the leader to -- wherever it was they were being taken.

As they continued to walk and get ever closer to the Reichstag, Ayana took note of the ominous building that was immediately to its right with a massive symbol emblazed upon it that she recognized from the material Deanna had sent them to be that of the Thule Society, and across the way was an equally menacing building with a symbol on it that she could not recognize. It was a skull with what appeared to be tentacles. Both building seemed to have far more visible security than the building they were approaching.

Ayana leaned in so as to speak in hushed tones to Jon and Callie, "Are you noticing the buildings?" she questioned as she glanced subtly at the two buildings that were giving her uneasy feelings. "That one has the markings for the Thule Society, but the other, that one is a mystery, and I might add, has more security out front than you'll find in an entire Galaxy class ship."

"Because this city is an exact reproduction of Germania." Inara noted. "How Original, going forward by going backwards." Inara mentioned. "Also they speak very fluent German."

"Kate, stop playing around...." Inara noted as she played dead.

Kate continued to dust herself off a little as she walked next to Inara. "Hey, when a child hands you a plastic comm badge, you answer it," she stated as a euphemism for being playful and not murdering the imagination of the innocent.

Jon gave a subtle nod. "Yes, I am Ayana. Which means we need to be especially alert. make sure Kate gets the word."

Kate looked up at the building. "Davey Jone's castle, here we come!" Instinctively, Kate gripped her elbows with both opposite hands as she chewed apprehensively on her bottom lip.

"If we were smart, we'd turn around and head back to the shuttlecraft. Any word you tie with Socialism, is a disaster waiting to happen." Inara mentioned. "Five strips of latinum says they are going to try and murder us."

"While I'm not against us returning to the ship, we do have orders to meet and properly evaluate this place and these people" Ayana noted. "And no bet here. You know damn well I'm going to have to phaser us out of here eventually."

The away team was led into the Reichstag building. The inside looked far more advanced than the outside facade. Still not as advanced as the Washington, but for a group that had managed to advance into 22nd century technology, it was impressive. They were led to a large room that looked similar to the conference room aboard the Washington. Waiting inside was the Chancellor, along with two other men dressed in uniforms different than that of the general or his four stooges, and a female dressed in a white uniform that made her look an academic of some sort.

The general turned and looked at the away team, "Darf ich Ihnen unseren Vorsitzenden vorstellen, den Kanzler des Neuen Deutschlands."

The Chancellor nodded in the direction of Jon and the away team. "I have to apologize. I didn't inform the General that you speak English. Who is leader of your contingent?"

Inara pointed towards Jon, and in a way that indirectly said. 'He's in charge of this train wreck, and do not look at me, as I am an innocent party in all of this.'

A small, almost unnoticeable grin sprouted on Kate's lips. And just like that, she realized she was no longer going to be designated nugget during the debrief of this mission.

Jon stepped forward. "I am sir. Commander Jonathan Grayson and these are the members of my away team." Jon then went and introduced each member of the away team, saving Seth for last. "And this is Lieutenant Seth Travis our chief diplomat."

Seth nodded and spoke, "Chancellor, it is a pleasure to meet you."


TBC

 

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