Chapter Text
March 10, 2387
Geordi La Forge walked through the halls of the Tucker Memorial Building, the Earth-based headquarters of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers with a sense of urgency, and if one looked closely enough, unease.
He tried to play it cool, to muster up the charm and appearance of easiness that made him an easy friend to many, saying his Hellos and Nice To See You’s. He even beared with the junior engineers who felt the need to call him a hero and a role model, no matter how old it made him feel.
The truth was… well the truth was two things. While the Corps of Engineers was most certainly his tribe within Starfleet, a group he always tried to represent to the best of his ability, he hadn’t actually been back here in quite some time.
“When you’ve been the Chief Engineer of two Enterprises, you tend to find ways to keep busy.”
That was how he always explained it. People always laughed, some understanding what that really meant, some not.
Even in harrowing crises, Geordi usually found some way to keep his cool. Sure, he was no Will Riker, and though he’d only met her once and had primarily worked with her successor, he knew that he was certainly no Jadzia Dax, but he could maintain an aura of self control and casual calm in even the most dire situations.
Well, not on dates. It had taken him quite a while to work on that…
And like on so many failed dates, Geordi was nervous, and uncertain what would come next.
He had received a Priority One transmission at the end of the Enterprise’s patrol tour of the Deferi Sector to disincentivize attacks from the nearby Breen, who had been raiding Deferi transports in recent months, partially prompting contact with the Federation and the breaking of the Deferi’s isolationism.
He still clearly remembered his surprise when Captain Picard told him that the call was for him specifically.
And he had been even more surprised when he heard what the message said.
“It’s about Captain Scott.”
That was all Geordi needed to hear to request a runabout and set course for Sol. Having a similarly high opinion of the legendary Starfleet engineer, Picard allowed him to go without further protest, assuring him that the Enterprise would do fine while he was gone.
Geordi had chosen to pilot the ship itself and thus take on no additional passengers, which did raise some complaint from Tamala Hastard, one of his girlfriends, but she desisted when he promised to say hello to their shared lover, Doctor Leah Brahms, on her behalf.
Truthfully though, he wasn’t sure he would be able to get away to see her. Geordi silently cursed himself for not asking for more information before saying “I’m on my way”.
The circumstances through which Scotty had been lost were… unique, to say the least. A Mobius Strip halfway between the Milky Way and Andromeda, a risky plan to slingshot a massive Romulan dreadnought back into familiar territory, the loss of the USS Challenger.
It was one of the most unique experiences Geordi had ever been through, and not one he would soon forget.
Ambassador Spock had told him that if anyone could survive the spatial anomaly which claimed the Challenger, it was Scotty, and Geordi well and truly believed him.
But as the years crept on, that hope seemed to grow fainter.
To see it explode into living color once more, well… he wasn’t sure how it made him feel. Or how it was possible.
As Geordi realized he’d found the right office, he realized he would soon find out.
Ringing the door chime, Geordi was let into a modest office with a few decorations. Family photos, pictures with colleagues. A desk that seemed to take up half the room, adorned with a few trinkets, including recognizably, models of the USS Voyager and the MIDAS Array.
The man behind the desk stood to greet him.
“Commander La Forge,” he acknowledged.
“Captain Harkins,” Geordi said in return, shaking the man’s hand.
“I must say, it's an honor to meet you in person,” Harkins admitted. “Your friend Mr. Barclay always spoke very highly of you.”
“The honor’s all mine,” Geordi said humbly, and with a smile. “The lead engineer on Project Pathfinder? You’ve made strides even I couldn’t dream of.”
“Team efforts, I assure you.” Harkins said, putting up his hands as if to push back the praise. “As I’m sure you’d say about your achievements on the Enterprises.”
“A Chief Engineer is nothing without a good team.” Geordi replied.
“Indeed, though some, they say, can work miracles.” Harkins said with a chuckle.
“It’s part of the job, I’d say.”
Geordi looked behind him to see an old friend, Sonya Gomez, standing with a smile on her face and an energy that suggested she was already a few cups of coffee deep.
Geordi could certainly relate.
“Captain Gomez, glad you could make it.” Harkins acknowledged, reaching past Geordi to shake her hand.
“Sonya!” Geordi exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“I got the same call you did,” Sonya explained. “From what they tell me, you might need a wingwoman.”
Geordi couldn’t help but betray his confusion.
“You did listen to the whole brief, didn’t you?” Gomez asked.
“I uhh…”
“It’s alright,” Harkins assured. “No need to embarrass the man, I can explain everything.”
“Ohh I’m just teasing,” Sonya promised. “Geordi and I go way back. The Enterprise-D was my first assignment out of the academy.”
“And now here you are outranking me.” Geordi complimented.
“Only by technicality, Mr. Voluntary Demotion.” Sonya continued to tease.
“What can I say, I like where I’m at.” Geordi shrugged.
“Well, I hope we can change your mind about that.” Harkins said.
“Wait, is Command transferring me?!” Geordi questioned.
“Just…” Harkins spoke cautiously. “Take a seat, and I can explain everything.”
Geordi and Sonya both sunk into the chairs on the other side of Harkins’ desk, and he dropped into his.
“Roughly thirty-eight hours ago, we picked up a long-range transmission from the MIDAS Array,” Harkins explained. “It came from the Alpha Quadrant edge of the Galactic Barrier. and its source is getting closer to Earth at extraordinary speeds.”
“A ship, then. How fast are we talking?” Geordi questioned.
“Based on preliminary readings, we think some kind of transwarp,” Harkins detailed. “We briefly detected a source of energy which might suggest something akin to wormhole generation travel, similar to the ‘jaunt ships’ developed by Memory Omega in the Mirror Universe.”
“Do you think it’s a dimensional crossing?” Geordi asked.
“No,” Harkins answered definitively. “We included quantum in our scans, and the results came back that whatever it is, it's definitely native to this reality. We haven’t ruled out foreign components, but the energy output of what got past the Barrier read more like an Iconian Gateway, and seemed to match what we know about Gateways in our universe. Though I admit, in our contacts with the other side, Iconian Gateways never exactly came up.”
“Iconian Gateway?” Geordi learned forward in his chair. “We’ve never seen one installed on a ship… and, if whoever sent this transmission had access to that kind of technology, why aren’t they already here?”
“We’re not sure,” Harkins admitted. “But we need to intercept and retrieve that ship.”
“Retrieve?” Geordi repeated. “It doesn’t sound like one of ours… you’re not suggesting we steal it, do you?”
“It’s already stolen.” Harkins said simply.
“What?” Geordi questioned. “And wait, what does any of this have to do with Scotty.”
Harkins swiveled his desk monitor towards La Forge and Gomez.
“This was the transmission.”
The screen flickered to life and revealed the face of Montomgery Scott, looking haggard but still with that warm twinkle in his eye.
“This is Cap–”
There was a loud sound of distortion that sounded sort of like buzzing.
“-n Montgomery Scott,” Another buzz. “Of the United Federation a’ Planets–” Buzz.
“To anyone who–” Buzz. “Hears this.. I’m–” Buzz. “-questing immediate assistance.” Buzz. “--Need safe harbor.” Buzz. “Got passengers.” Buzz. “Check your sensors. They–” Buzz. “--Come at any time. Hurry!”
“So he really is alive…” Gerodi said first, still taking in the contents of the transmission.
“And it sounds like he might be in trouble,” Sonya noted. “You weren’t kidding about the situation being urgent when you called,” she said to Harkins. “I’ve already gotten my crew prepared. The Da Vinci is ready to go as soon as we’ve got the go-ahead.”
“My recommendation was to send you to scout ahead,” Harkins agreed. “You’d take on Commander La Forge as a specialist advisor and that would be the mission. However, analysts from Starfleet Intelligence think the transmission indicates that Captain Scott is being pursued by an unknown party.”
“I see how they would." Geordi admitted.
“Do you think my crew’s not up to whatever we might find out there?” Gomez questioned.
“Your crew is exceptional, Captain Gomez,” Harkins swiftly complimented. “It's your ship. There are some concerns that the Da Vinci may be too lightly armed for a potential enemy encounter. It’s part of the reason Command was trying to get you to take the Archimedes."
“I can command a different ship for this mission, but I don’t want to lose the Da Vinci,” Sonya said firmly. “I owe it to Captain Gold to keep her flying. Besides, you mentioned I’d be going with backup.”
“That was actually the change from my original recommendation,” Harkins revealed. “Commander La Forge.”
“Yes sir?” Geordi asked.
“Command has decided it’s time to restore you to the rank of Captain.”
“Sir…” Geordi said cautiously, almost disbelieving. “I meant what I said. I’m happy where I am, I’d like to stay on the Enterprise.”
“Command believes that's not the best use of your abilities, Mr. La Forge,” Harkins said plainly.
“Let me talk to Admiral Riker.” Geordi requested.
“He’s actually the one that pulled the strings to get you your new ship,” Harkins revealed. “He, and others in the admiralty, firmly believe that you’re ready to take on a long-term command.”
“Well, I’m flattered, but…” Geordi paused to think. “I’m just not sure. It would be a big change, and quite frankly, I’ve always felt that I do the most good as an engineer.”
“And that’s not being taken away from you,” Harkins assured. “Your ship will be connected to the Corps of Engineers, much like the Da Vinci, and it's a specialized engineering testbed that to be honest, sounds like a lot of fun to play with. It’s the kind of posting I’d jump at if I were qualified and hadn’t worked ground assignments my whole career.
You though, you’ve really been out there. The officers who’ve served under your authority have all spoken very highly of you. Starfleet is always looking for capable captains, and you could be one, Mr. La Forge. The Challenger mission was your field test, the way Command sees it.”
Geordi shifted in his chair, his ocular implant-adorned eyes looking off through the window behind Harkins as he became wrapped up in thought.
Being offered a new command was the last thing he expected after returning to the Enterprise when the Challenger was lost. But it seemed that Starfleet Command, and in particular his old friend Will, saw potential in him as the captain of a starship.
Did he see that same potential in himself?
“Maybe…” he relented to himself.
He certainly could do it… but was it the place where he could truly make a difference?
As he considered it, Geordi came to his answer.
Maybe with the right crew…
“I’ll take it,” he finally said aloud. “On one condition.”
“Name it.” Harkins responded.
“I pick my own crew,” Geordi said simply. “Senior staff, at least. You want to give me a ship? It’ll be my people.”
Harkins seemed uncomfortable, but remained polite.
“I’ll delay the mission,” he explained. “But I'll send it up the chain. No guarantee they’ll agree.”
Geordi shrugged. “Then no guarantee I’ll take the job.”
“You’re living dangerously, La Forge.” Sonya quipped with a bemused smirk, crossing her arms as she took in the situation.
“Better than boring.” Geordi said deferentially.
“… Until I can get a response from Command, you’re dismissed,” Harkins chimed in. “But we need you on this mission one way or another, La Forge. If we have to replace the vessel you’ve been offered with another, we will, and you’ll go from a mission lead to an advisor. Understood?”
Geordi took it in stride. “Alright.”
“I’ll contact you when I have an answer.” Harkins added.
Geordi nodded, and he and Gomez got out of their seats.
On their way out, Sonya was quick to catch him.
“Geordi! Where you headin’?” She asked.
He turned around to face her.
“Well, first I gotta borrow a comm so I can message HQ, then I’m heading off to Berlin to see Leah.”
“Why don’t you come up to my ship?” Gomez offered. “You can use the console in my ready room and then we can beam you right down to Berlin.”
Geordi smiled.
“I’d have to be an idiot not to take you up on that.”
Sonya chuckled. “Probably.”
Geordi gestured towards her. “By all means, Captain.”
Sonya beamed proudly and tapped her combadge.
“Da Vinci, two to beam up.”