Star Trek: Fortitude
Season Four, Episode Twelve - “Letters from Home”
By Jack D. Elmlinger
PROLOGUE
Three letters for three crew members…
They had undertaken a very long journey to reach Jason Armstrong’s operations console aboard the USS Fortitude. Relayed from two different worlds, Earth and Bolarus IX, they had met at Starbase 499 over Santrag II and they had been flagged for forwarding to the Intrepid-class starship before making the final leap into the distant reaches of the Beta Quadrant. Lightyear after lightyear had passed by in subspace.
With a yawn, Ensign Armstrong waited for the three PADDs lined up before him to finish uploading the letters. It took some restraint to keep from peeking at the third one which was addressed to him. Well… he knew it would be personal. Official Starfleet correspondence came through official channels, not the civilian networks. His shift had been a long one. The young Kentuckian was anticipating a nice cup of coffee with his boots off and his feet up on his couch… then he would read it.
First, though, he had to deliver the other two letters.
“Commander,” he called out to the engineering station, the PADDs in his hand, heading for the turbolift via the port side of the Bridge,” you’ve got a letter from your homeworld.”
Sollik turned his seat around, got up and walked over towards the Ensign. Taking the PADD from him, he gave it a quick scan and felt his jaw clench. Slowly, the Suliban nodded his gratitude to Jason. Obviously, it was expected. A family member, perhaps, or an old friend? Would it be an ordinary letter or maybe bad news? Jason didn’t like to ask. It was personal after all.
* * * *
The Captain’s quarters were next.
“Come on in!,” the familiar Welsh accent called out.
“Sir, I have a letter for you,” Jason revealed, stepping briefly inside.
“Oh, thanks,” Ewan Llewellyn nodded, taking the PADD. “Fancy a cup of coffee, Ensign?”
“With all due respect, sir, I have my old letter.”
“Say no more. See you tomorrow!”
“Goodnight, sir.”
ACT ONE
Dearest Jason,
We both hope that this letter finds you well. Given recent events, we thought that it was best to contact you first. All of the news channels are talking about subspace being jammed by communications during the Dominion War, but… Well, you will have doubtlessly heard about this before you finally get to read this, but it’s over! They say that Cardassia was quite the battleground. Some of the pictures… Again, you know more than us. We rarely get the time to watch the latest news feeds, what with the farm being clogged at this time of year. In fact, we almost hate to mention it but the Dominion War had been good for our productivity. We were being forced to increase output to keep up with supply and demand. The expected downturn, now that the war is over, won’t be a problem though.
This new treaty of theirs seems to be holding. Some of the neighbors were talking about how fitting it was to call it the Treaty of Bajor. I guess we’re entering a truly new age. The Alpha Quadrant is safe again. Peace is here and we don’t constantly watch the skies for Jem’Hadar attack ships. Some of us were beginning to forget what living in peacetime was like! It could be better news.
Is there a strong chance that you might be called upon to help with the rebuilding efforts? It would be lovely to see you back on Earth sometime. We know and understand from our visit last year how important your work aboard Fortitude is. Truly we do, so this is no added pressure on our part. Still, you’ve been an Ensign working the operations station for almost four years. Even if you remain based out of the Santrag system and Starbase 499, are there any whispers of a promotion? From what we manage to scrape together through the channels, you’ve had a relatively calm year out there when compared to the Alpha Quadrant! We continue to think of you every day and hope we’re correct in our assumption. What with all of the suffering that Starfleet had been through recently, it’s nice to know that you’re far from the bloodshed. Just remember it doesn’t take big flashy events to climb a rung or two of your career ladder!
Okay, we’ll stop nagging. In fact, there’s also some further news. We apologize in advance for possibly opening an old wound, but we were attending a farming conference near San Francisco last week and we bumped into Jim’s parents.
While it has been two years since his passing, time hasn’t helped them. We know what you’re thinking, that we only met them at your Academy graduation, but they recognized us and came over to our table, and… well, this must be a little hard for you to hear, son, but apparently Jim never stopped talking about you. They were filled with nothing but praise for our little computer. We were so proud! They wanted us to pass on a message to you. They wanted to say thank you for making their son so happy and being there for him during the Academy and aboard Fortitude. Oh, they’re such lovely people, Jason! Whenever you get back for a visit, you must meet them. Don’t worry. We’ll be right there alongside you, but it might do you some good.
Anyways, we’re going to have to wrap this up. You know how many free moments we get in our day after all! There’s no hurry to reply, but now subspace is a little more vacant. It would be lovely to get a reply, just to make sure that you’re okay. We continued to miss you and love you in equal moments. Stay safe, okay?
We look forward to hearing from you.
All our love,
Mom and Dad, XX
Jason took a deep and calming gulp of air.
There was a dried trail down his cheek, left behind by a tear that had fallen down during the part about Jim. it was an understandable reaction, of course. He longer saw his emotions as a weakness. A younger version of himself might have bottled the tear up and stored it away for when things truly got tough or for when he really needed to burst out to scream and yell… but not today. Today, he welcomed the tear.
The rest of the letter had been so uplifting. It seemed that the whole of Starfleet went on a three-day party after the conclusion of the Dominion War had been announced over subspace. Even the crew of Fortitude, in their quiet little corner of space, had cheered as one. Jason was pleased to hear that his folks had shared in the celebrations. Earth was safe and it was good news.
Tapping on the PADD in his hands, he decided to reply right away.
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thanks for your letter. Yeah, a bit of a roller coaster, that one! It was all good news, though, so I can’t really complain. First up, the Dominion War. Yeah, Starfleet lost a lot of good people and a lot of good ships and has been for ages. I guess we should count ourselves lucky out here that Fortitude, a fully operational Intrepid-class starship, never got called to the front lines. With that said, some of the reports that I’ve read… yeah, we get more than you civilians, as you can imagine. Boy, I would have loved to teach those Jem’Hadar a thing or two.
You know, one day you’ll write to me and forget to put in a comment about a possible promotion. Don’t worry because that’ll be the day that I freak out and panic that something’s up with you! No, honestly, I’m happy with my role as Operations Officer, and I’m a trusted member of the senior staff. I don’t need an extra rank pip to tell people that I’m important. In fact, I shouldn’t really tell you this but you’ll get a kick out of it. Just before reading your letter, I dropped by the Captain’s quarters and he invited me in for a chat. A few months ago, I was his go-to guy for a very personal issue. I think he understands, and I therefore understand too, that my being a lieutenant would have no bearing whatsoever on my place on the senior staff. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give me the ability to order Arden around.
I’m kidding!
Anyways, I’m really glad to hear that you’re doing well and that the farm is still going strong. Something positive to take from the Dominion War, and I guess you guys snagged the silver lining pretty well there. As for your trip to San Francisco and meeting Jim’s folks, what can I say? Thank you for passing their message on. Thank you for deciding to mention it. Just… Thank you. It helped, seriously. There isn’t a day that goes by without me thinking about him, and I miss him like crazy but these things were to be expected. Hey, I guess it comes with the job.
I’m going to wrap this up now, and head to bed. We’re nearing a dark matter nebula and we have some charting to do tomorrow. As always, you have my love and thoughts. Take good care of each other and the farm.
As for returning home any time soon, well… you never know what will happen.
Lots of Love,
Jason, XX
ACT TWO
To: Sollik, Lieutenant Commander, USS Fortitude
From: Sekena, Kalrak City, Siberius Prime, Sector 3641
Subject: N/A
Sollik stopped reading immediately. No subject line. She had been in a hurry, hadn’t she? Probably written this long in advance, the Suliban chief engineer told himself, and sent it as soon as subspace was cleared of war-related communications traffic. Flexing his wiry frame as he sat down in his quarters and prepared himself for the coming letter, he swallowed a mouthful of Vulcan tea and continued, against his better judgment, to read.
It was a reply that he had been expecting for just under a year.
I am in shock. To learn that my brother harbors such secrets. It was not a welcome letter that I received from you, Sollik. Why didn’t you ever come forward before and tell your family about the abilities? We could have helped you. I think you’ve been serving in Starfleet for too long to realize that society has moved on here on Siberius Prime. A few months ago, one of the leading politicians in the central government was revealed to have the genetic markers for the abilities. He was treated with compassion and understanding by the doctors who attended him. I’m sure if you were to come home and get yourself fixed that they would show you the same compassion.
What I can’t believe is that you told your Captain first! I know you explained the situation, and that you had to save his life… but, Sollik, honestly, how could he understand such things? He’s Human, isn’t he? His people have never had a shameful secret to hide from so recent in their history. The Cabal and their horrific actions were two hundred years ago. There are those alive who had parents become members of the Cabal, and those who remember the terrible things that they did.
Humans?
I’m not aware of anything in their history books about spawning an interstellar terrorist organization or forcing people to undergo genetic enhancements. I’m genuinely surprised that you weren’t booted out of Starfleet all together. You should think yourself lucky.
I won’t be able to send this reply for quite some time. The war has the subspace channels jammed, even if the battle lines are far away from Sector 3641. One day, you’ll hear this, though, and on that day, I want you to think of your family. Think of your sister writing this and think of the emotional impact that your news had on me. Do what is right, Sollik. Come home and let the doctors fix you.
You still have my love.
This letter is sent to you along with it…
Your sister, Sekena.
With a hiss of rage, Sollik threw the PADD across his quarters.
How dare she?! How dare she use such blatantly intolerant and bigoted language to speak of her own brother? It wasn’t his fault, damn it!
The abilities that he had been gifted with were the results of his own illegal actions. They were the echo of a dark chapter in Suliban history. If anything, the chief engineer felt that she should speak out and stand up as a reminder to this generation, teaching them to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Sollik thought back to the previous year when he had revealed his abilities to the crew of Fortitude. It hadn’t been long before he picked up his PADD and started to write to his sister. The reactions had been entirely positive from the myriad of species that served alongside him. Not one single instance of intolerance had greeted him, despite showing his own intolerance, rather blatantly to a select few crew members over the years. It had enthused him, inspiring him to tell more people and to tell his sister back on the Suliban homeworld.
What a mistake.
It was starting to dawn on Sollik. His people were full of phobias, of fear and bigotry.
It was the 24th Century and the Suliban were members of the Federation.
Sollik shook his green-scaled head in shame, his yellow eyes blazing. This kind of reaction made him ashamed to be a Suliban. Four years ago, at the beginning of his posting aboard Fortitude, he wouldn’t have given a second thought to prejudice. He had grown up with them, harboring them all of his life while harboring his own secret. Now, after four years with Captain Llewellyn, Commander Archer, Lieutenant Vuro, and Ensign Armstrong, in particular, he recognized just how damaging prejudice could be.
Stuck for a reply to his sister, Sollik decided to sleep.
He would tackle that little problem in the morning.
* * * *
Meanwhile, Ewan Llewellyn was thinking about anything but sleep.
The PADD containing his letter still rested in the mechanical grasp of his left hand. He had already read the damned thing once. It was difficult to get through. It had been a difficult read and completely unexpected. He had no personal connection to the author. Nor had he ever met them… and yet they had written to him. They had involved him. Fuck them for doing so! No, wait, that wasn’t fair on them.
The door to Ewan’s quarters chimed and he answered it quickly.
“Trouble sleeping?,” Valerie Archer asked him upon seeing his tired face.
“Thanks for coming,” he simply sighed.
“No problem. Although I thought it was my place tonight?”
“I don’t think it’ll be any place tonight. Sorry. I just got a letter.”
Valerie stepped inside and took the PADD that was being offered to him. She felt bad reading something that wasn’t addressed to her, but then her role as First Officer including her Captain and, well, he looked like he could use some support.
Carefully, she began to read.
Dear Captain Llewellyn,
My name is Matthew Blackmore. I am the younger brother of Rear Admiral Edward Blackmore, whom I understand acts as your superior officer. I have just been informed of the tragedy that has befallen him and his current comatose status. You have my deepest sympathy at this time. I know that you and him are close friends.
I write to you from my station aboard the USS Testudo, an Akira-class starship stationed at Deep Space Nine and tasked with fighting the Dominion. When our job is done and the Alpha Quadrant is safe, I’m hoping that I might be able to take some time to visit Starbase 499 and the Santrag system. I would very much like to see my brother. It has been almost six years since we last spoke. The age gap between us was large enough to make rank an issue in our relationship. In fact, I probably shouldn’t mention this but we hardly parted on the best of terms. With Eddie now in a coma, I… I just hope that I’ll get a chance to patch things up again.
A reply from you might help persuade my Captain, a rather stubborn Vulcan, to grant my request for a leave of absence. I know that this is a highly unusual request but given the circumstances… Hell, I wasn’t even told about Eddie for months! Please, Captain Llewellyn, endorse my request for me. I would be forever in your debt, sir.
Thanks in advance,
Yours faithfully,
Commander Matthew Blackmore, First Officer, USS Testudo.
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Valerie breathed upon finishing. “Still, I never knew that the Rear Admiral had a brother. I guess they did part on bad terms, given that he’s never mentioned him before. What’s the problem?”
Ewan’s face was a tragic picture as he spoke, his voice cracking. “The Testudo was destroyed over Cardassia Prime. Matthew Blackmore is dead.”
ACT THREE
Breakfast in the Mess Hall had a secondary objective for Sollik.
Having slept on the thoughts buzzing around his head that had been instigated by the upsetting letter from his sister, the chief engineer had awoken with a determination to avoid the pitfalls of Suliban prejudice. Composing a reply to Sekena would come later in the day. Engineering was running at peak efficiency and he could assign some of the junior engineering officers to perform the menial tasks on his to-do list. For now, at breakfast, he had to start fixing the mistakes of his past.
Jason Armstrong sat, smiling, over a plate of strawberry cheesecake.
Yeah, fine, it was a little early for dessert, but Jason didn’t care.
The letter that had finally come through from his parents had put him in a good mood while simultaneously refreshing the memory of losing Jim, which countered the good mood with a hefty dose of melancholy. The only thing that the young ensign could think of to combat such a confusing imbalance was, as usual, strawberry cheesecake.
Sollik approached the table slowly. Pangs of regret blasted through his body. It hadn’t been until yesterday that he truly knew how Jason and Ensign James Morgan must have felt during those first few years aboard Fortitude. Serving alongside somebody opposed to their very existence…
The strange thing was that he could still feel the dying remainder of his homophobia. It was a feeling that made him uneasy and a little sick. Suliban culture drove these phobias into each child. They were a challenge to overcome for those Suliban who left their homeworld and explored the wide culture of the Federation and other star systems… but if Sollik could do it, why couldn’t everybody else?
“Ensign,” he growled with caution.
“Sir,” Armstrong replied, detecting the uncomfortable atmosphere,” care to sit down?”
“Yes, thank you. Listen, I have something that I wish to speak to you about. I suppose it’s actually more of an apology than a conversation.”
“An apology,” the blonde Kentuckian frowned,” for what?”
“If, at any stage in your career aboard Fortitude, I have subjected you to prejudice or hatred… no, wait… I have subjected you to my prejudice, haven’t I? I did the same to Ensign Morgan before he left. I want to apologize. You are a fine officer, Ensign, and a credit to this crew. I am deeply sorry.”
Jason was stunned.
“Uh… thank you,” he managed to say. “May I ask… why now?”
“I finally realize what it feels like to be on the receiving end of such prejudice.”
That letter, Jason remembered, the one that he had delivered yesterday… it must have been something huge, personal and horrible. Something that hit Sollik so hard that it was changing his very beliefs. Not knowing what else to say, he let the silence across the table run for much longer than it should have.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he finally answered truthfully.
Sollik left the Mess Hall in short order.
Jason simply watched him leave, his frown still securely in place.
What had been in that letter?
* * * *
To: Sekena, Kalrak City, Siberius Prime, Sector 3641.
From: Sollik, Lieutenant Commander, USS Fortitude.
Subject: My Genetic Abilities.
If you are in shock about the news of my genetic abilities, dear sister, then I am in outrage at your response. The way that you refer to the extraordinary things that I can achieve, and speaking of them as if they’re wrong… As if I’m wrong.
I am appalled at the levels of bigotry and prejudice that you display. It’s not as if I joined the Cabal and asked for these abilities bestowed upon me. They are the effects of a long-dead mistake, just like the loss of our first homeworld was a mistake. Does that mean that I should cover myself in shame or consult with doctors to remove my abilities? Absolutely not!
Do museums in Kalrak City brush over the darker chapters of Suliban history?
You know the answer to that. We went there together as children! You and I both learned history together at school. We learned about the Cabal… and we are no different from other races and their problems. You’re wrong when you assume that Humans have never faced difficulty like the Suliban. They, too, have struggled with the terrible truth of genetic engineering in their past. Even so, whether they have had experience or not is irrespective of their compassion and understanding.
If I had come forward on Siberius Prime and exposed my genetic abilities, I would have been treated with scepticism, fear, and mistrust by my own people. Yet here aboard Fortitude, and surrounded by all kinds of other races, I have not encountered anything but sympathy and genuine kindness. You will never know how that feels, to be more accepted by any race other than your own. I used to think that rules and regulations mattered and that the prejudice that I was brought up with was the be all and end all. Now I see how blind that the Suliban are. You said in your letter that you were surprised that I wasn’t booted out of Starfleet. Well, I’m surprised that the Suliban haven’t been booted out of the United Federation of Planets.
As a race, we continue to let our past fester in our subconscious. We have let it damage our integrity and fuel our discriminatory ways. We think that strict social rules will save us from reverting to our previous nomadic forms.
I have just returned from apologizing to one of my fellow crewmates. He was in a mono-gendered relationship, four years ago, when Fortitude was launched and I made my intolerance clear to him for a long time. I made him uncomfortable and sneered at his behaviour from a distance because I was Suliban and that’s what the Suliban believe. This particular Suliban, my dear sister, isn’t like that anymore. This Suliban believes in tolerance and fairness, the same tolerance and fairness that he’s been shown by Captain Llewellyn and the crew of Fortitude.
I fear that I wouldn’t be returning to Siberius Prime any time soor, dear sister.
I have no reason to, for it is no longer my home.
EPILOGUE
Captain Llewellyn sat on the Bridge with a heavy heart. His fingers were arched in contemplation, biological tissue meeting with synthetic skin, inches from the tip of his nose. He let his breathing fall leisurely as he gazed at the viewscreen and the uncharted stars that it displayed. The letter weighed on his mind since he could not reply to it.
Matthew Blackmore, defending the Federation, fighting for freedom… and all he had wanted to do was to see his brother and patch things up before it was too late. Rear Admiral Blackmore might be the one in the coma, he thought, but Commander Blackmore had been the one to throw himself into danger. How ironic that it was the unhealthy injured brother that would survive a galactic war. How tragic that one day, Boxer would awaken to the news.
Walking down towards her seat beside her lover, Valerie Archer saw Ewan’s expression and instantly guessed the topic of thought. There was no getting over this one, she knew, not for somebody like the Captain. Although he had never known him, Matthew Blackmore would be mourned, and because the letter would be impossible to answer, it would be read several more times before it was ever filed away in Fortitude’s database.
“Hey,” the First Officer said, smiling with perception and empathy.
“Hey,” the Captain replied weakly.
“How about we get this show on the road?”
Llewellyn flashed her a lopsided grin, even though he didn’t feel like grinning. There was one last thing to do before the Intrepid-class starship could be propelled between those uncharted stars on the viewscreen, and before it could allow her Captain to move on.
Turning his head, he caught the attention of Ensign Armstrong.
“Are you finished?”
Jason watched as his LCARS display signaled in the affirmative.
One to Earth, and one to Siberius Prime. The replies had been sent.
“Aye, sir.”
“Well, then… Helm, resume our previous course. Warp Six. Engage!”
The End.