Star Trek(19)
Now, Pioneer had been sent to the sole remaining Kaferia in the hopes that Mayweather could build on his past relationship with the natives and find some basis for a higher-level partnership. But while the Kaferians had been as friendly as ever, they were still just as determined to stand alone. “They’ll be good trading partners, Admiral,” Mayweather concluded, “but a formal alliance is too much to ask.”
“Then that’ll have to do,” Archer said with a sigh. “I have no doubt you did your best, Travis.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Fortunately, I have some better news on another front. The Rigelians have finally issued a formal petition for Federation membership.”
Mayweather beamed. “That’s great!”
“Excellent news, sir,” Reed added. “Congratulations. I take it the next step is an ambassadorial conference?”
“That’s the next step for me,” Archer said. “T’Pol will be escorting Commissioner Soval and myself to Babel aboard Endeavour. But I have something a little more interesting in mind for Pioneer.” The admiral paused before continuing in the deliberate, almost lecturing tones he sometimes adopted. “I’ve realized that there’s still a lot we don’t know about the Rigel system, both its planets and its peoples. And there’s still a lot they don’t know about us, too. If we’re going to become partners, it’s a good idea to have a cultural exchange. You know, get to know the new neighbors.”
Mayweather chuckled. “I’ll tell the steward to get started on a green bean casserole for ten billion.”
“Very funny, Travis. But there’s more at stake here. A lot of Rigelians still have doubts about us, questions about what the Federation’s really like. And, let’s face it, a lot of people in the Federation have doubts and misconceptions about Rigel—ones that the presidential campaign isn’t doing much to clear up.”
Reed nodded. “And you want us to bring more facts to the table. Let people see what Rigel’s really like.”
“That’s right. I’ve only seen parts of the system myself. We’ve all been to Rigel X more than once, but that’s an independent port run by the Xarantine. And I’ve been to Rigel V a couple of times now, done the tourist thing when I had the chance . . . this last time I got around to visiting the cabarets on Rigel II.” He gave a conspiratorial grin. “We’ll . . . talk about that sometime when we aren’t on an official channel.” Reed and Mayweather exchanged an intrigued look.
“Still, Admiral, since you called on me for this mission, I assume you’d like us to be more than just tourists.” Pioneer may have been a ship of exploration, but there were other captains better suited for pure science or diplomacy. Reed was still a soldier and defender at heart.
Archer grew more serious. “That’s right, Malcolm. There are some security concerns worth exploring. For instance, the First Families of Rigel IV. They’re not part of the trading community, and they’re basically pirates and gangsters. But they have a strong influence on much of Rigel II and the Colonies. I’d like to know if their corruption spreads even farther, and how much of a threat it poses to bringing Federation law to Rigel.”
“Understood, sir.”
“There are also some lingering questions about the Trade Commission. They say they do have some mechanisms for regulating commerce—and despite appearances, their methods can’t be completely hands-off or the system would be in chaos. But they’re reluctant to go into specifics, and nobody else seems eager to talk about it either. Whatever it is they’re doing, I think it’s important to know about it before we invite them in the door.”
Reed nodded. “Of course, Admiral.”
“Also . . . there’s the mystery of Rigel VII.”
“Still no luck getting the Rigelians to tell us about its natives, sir?”
“That’s right. I’d like you to look into it—but discreetly. If we’re treading on some cultural taboo, then we need to approach it with care. But we still need to find out if there’s anything going on there that could affect the Federation’s decision about granting membership.”
“I understand, Admiral.” Federation membership entailed certain ethical standards. If the Rigelians had some reason for being ashamed to talk about the Kalar, then it would be incumbent upon Pioneer’s crew to find out.
“But don’t get the wrong idea, Malcolm. Your main mission, as always, is exploration. True, this time you’re exploring a system where humans have gone before, but it’s such a large, complicated system that there’s still plenty left to discover. And there are plenty of people there who are eager to learn more about us.”