Stardate: 70723:2251
Title: Time's Judge
Author: Vaebn Kehn
Time: Current
Scene: Bridge


The senior officers strode out of the ready room onto their places on the bridge, except for Captain Deadilus, who stood in the center before his chair.

"Open a channel to the other Horizon."

<Bleep!>

"Captain, we have made our decision. We are grateful for your warning but feel that we can not take your advice. Beyond the ethical considerations, it is our belief that fear of new civilizations can never be allowed to stop the progress of exploration and the acceptance of new species. That would be even more destructive to the fabric of the Federation then any civil war."

{It is unfortunate that you believe that Captain Deadilus," the future Horizon's Captain responded. "Whatever you may feel, I cannot allow you to endanger the Federation. If you make any move towards the planet, we will be forced to open fire. Please do not force our hand.}

With that, the other Captain closed the communications channel.

Captain Deadilus stood in deep thought, but not entirely shocked. Continuing on their mission despite danger was one thing, but firing on another Federation vessel to do it...

He hit a button on his control panel. The whistling noise that echoed across the ship told everyone that the Captain was addressing them all.

"Attention crew. As many of you know, while travelling to our next mission, a potential 'First Contact' scenario with an advanced alien race, we were interrupted by a ship from the future. This ship, in fact. They have warned us that continuing on this mission will eventually lead to a civil war that destroys the Federation."

Captain Deadilus paused for a second to let that sentiment sink in and to form his next thoughts.

"We have decided that we have no other choice than to continue on with our mission. We cannot continue to second guess all of our actions. The future is NOT written yet. History will judge our actions, it is true, but it judges all our actions the same. This mission is no different just because that judge seems to have arrived early. All we can do is make the best decisions possible at the time, and that is exactly what I am sure you will all do. If we do that, history can never judge us fools. Deadilus out."

The bridge sat in silent contemplation for a moment. Scott sat down in his chair and put on his game face.

"Ensign, plot a course for the planet, full impulse. Engage!"


=====================
Lieutenant Vaebn Kehn
Acting Chief Science Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
=====================