Post 432: Alchemy

Stardate:70902.2245
Title: Alchemy
Author: =/\= Zanh Liis
Scene: Starfleet Command, Earth
Time: Following "The Finest Line"
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James Kelly looked at Zanh for a long time before answering. His eyes appeared suddenly tired, and shadowed, and he looked as if he wished he could say something other than he was about to say.

"I can't let you, Liis. I'm sorry."

She didn't need to ask why.

The Independence was the Federation flagship- and she had mission plans and requests for her presence from here to eternity. She was simply too large, and too valuable, to send on assignment to the Gamma Quadrant for who knew how long.

She hated to admit it, but she did understand his answer.

"I have some other news that might help to cheer you up a little, though. Take a walk with me." Kelly's expression changed, and Liis followed as strode through the doors and indicated that N'Dura and Salvek should follow as well. "I have something to show you."

They took several restricted access turbo lifts, and then moved into a transporter room that was also protected by several layers of security protocols.

When they materialized again, they were at space dock- and standing outside a bay with a large sign on the doors that read "Restricted"

"What the hell?" Liis whispered to Salvek, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Commander Salvek," Admiral Kelly began, as he keyed a security access code into the lock and moved closer for a retinal scan to confirm his identity, "Do you think that you could modify the Starion landing bay to support a new craft?"

"Sir?" Salvek actually sounded alarmed. "Starion will be returning to us. Would it not be unwise to,"

"Salvek, Starion is in the Gamma Quadrant. No one knows how long she'll be gone," Kelly said, putting a hand on the Vulcan's shoulder.

"She has also taken beatings beyond imagination in the past decade. Independence needs at least a temporary replacement, so we'd like it if you could test this ship out for us. See if she has what it takes."

Kelly grinned as the doors to the bay opened, and Salvek actually leaned his hand against Zanh's shoulder as he stumbled backward a step.

"Salvek?" Liis was concerned, "Are you all right?"

"I. . .I do not believe it." Salvek's eyes were wide and he hurried forward, putting a hand on the enormous hull of the ship trying to believe he was seeing something real. "I do not believe it."

"What is that. . .thing?" N'Dura remarked, taking in a class of ship she had never seen before.

"It is. . ." Salvek said, still shaking his head with disbelief. "Our ship. The ship Kellyn and I spent seven years designing,"

"Yes, Salvek. You are seeing the very first prototype in a new class of Starfleet ships. This is the USS Alchemy."

"Alchemy," Liis said, her face reflecting pure pride in Salvek's accomplishment. "Interesting choice."

"Commander Salvek worked nothing short of magic with the designs," Kelly replied. "It seemed only fitting."

"What can she do?" N'Dura asked as Salvek, who was bouncing up and down in a very uncharacteristic display of excitement, paced up and down alongside the ship.

"May we see the inside, Sir?"

"Go ahead. Take a look around. She's your baby."

"Commander Salvek to Alchemy, four to beam to the bridge." Salvek commanded after tapping his badge. A moment later the ship had automatically beamed them aboard and he exhaled sharply. It was all as he'd seen it in his head, all as he'd designed it himself.

"To answer your previous question, Lt. Commander," Salvek glanced at N'Dura, "She's capable of short trans-warp jumps," he sat down at the Conn and analyzed the displays.

"She can land on planets. She has the ability to support a crew of forty-five. She cannot cloak, but she has special trans-phasic shielding that imitates a cloak and can camouflage the ship temporarily, even while she is moving. Even with shields up. There is. . .so much more to her than there appears to be."

Zanh whistled. "I'm getting the feeling we're seeing the birth of our future here. Well done, Salvek."

"This test ship will make the Indy a target of the curiosity, and perhaps the schemes of those who will surely want to get their hands on the technology once word gets out, Captain," Admiral Kelly warned. "That is the downside. But I have no doubt that your able crew can protect the Alchemy even as Lt. Commander Lair and her staff continue to fine tune her and put her to the test. With Commander Salvek's oversight, of course."

Salvek suddenly wished once again that he was still Chief Engineer, and not acting XO.

"Don't worry Salvek, I'll be sure you get ample time to play with your new toy." Zanh promised.

"Thank you, Captain."

"You'll have to do it en route to your next assignment," Kelly advised, "The presence of the Independence has been requested at Yensul IV. We need you to do a little investigating for us."

"Investigating?" N'Dura said, raising an eyebrow. "Yensul has always been a very closed society. Non-Federation. Very close to the Breen border."

"They are petitioning to join the Federation. We need someone to go on a fact-finding mission to see if they are even anywhere close to being ready for us to consider their request. We want Indy to conduct that mission."

"The Yensuli have always had a real dislike for dealing with anyone off-world," Zanh remarked. "Curious that they're suddenly interested in making friends."

"My thoughts exactly, Zanh Liis. That is why you will go."

Zanh nodded. "By your leave, Admiral."

Kelly smiled at Salvek again. "If you'd like, Commander, you could fly the Alchemy back to the Indy. You should be able to make do with Starion's bay to house her for now until you make the modifications you need to handle her best. Be careful starting her up, though. Test pilots told me she's got a hell of a kick to her thrusters."

"That would be," Salvek remarked, almost appearing amused as he began to run pre-flight checks on the new ship, "My wife's doing."

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=/\= Zanh Liis
Acting CO
USS Independence NCC-90791