The Planet: Daran V

The Continent : Cibola, by far, the largest continent (there are seven) on Daran V. The continent straddles the equator. It stretches for nearly a quarter of the circumference of the planet.

The City : Portalis, a city of nearly two-million inhabitants situated adjacent to the Federation spaceport's planetside facilities. The city was founded by Spanish colonists nearly two-hundred years ago on the grassy foothills which lead to Cibola's Eastern Range of mountains. It is both a spaceport and a seaport.

The District : A section of the city originally called "the Megrim," a district which offered most anything that a person might desire. It is currently noted on maps of the city as "The Entertainment District." The district was that part of the city which predominately catered to the needs and desires of "transients," those in the city for short intervals after which they'd be gone. Typically, one could find most anything here, if the consideration was right.

The Inn : One could get lodging for the night or for a week at any number of small inns which dotted the business district. The charge was seldom more than a few Federation credits. One such inn was situated on the edge of the district farthest away from the transporter station many Starfleeters used on their trips planetside. It appeared that the owners had purposely tried to hide it's location. More likely, it had once been closer to the center of activity. Time and progress had marched in another direction. Now, it was a slightly decrepit, slightly in need of a renewal, slightly in need of a little paint, a little upkeep. The most noticeable aspect of the inn was it's bar, the food was adequate, the sleeping quarters were comfortable, but the bar was... well let's say that it was the primary reason that Peter Sullivan found The Bonaventure so ... relaxing. One might expect to find this bar in a town like Tombstone in the old Terran Southwest, not in a rundown section of Portalis Cibola! It offered the privacy and solitude that he needed when he had to get away from it all... to "recharge his batteries," as he frequently referred to it in his logs.

His favorite thirst killer? The bartender called it The Daran Delight - equal parts Aldebaran whiskey and juice from the buleyberry (pronounced b'yoolyberry) fruit, an exotic fruit native to Daran V, truly a potent recharger for the dead batteries of a tired old Captain.

The Manager : S'Tor, born in the Vulcan home world in the year 2090, had been an outcast in Vulcan society since his eighteenth year. In his teen years, he had publicly rejected the tenants of logic and emotion deprivation. He had chosen to become an expatriate for much of the past two-hundred years, well over a hundred of which he had spent roaming this section of the galaxy. S'Tor had been the manager of The Bonaventure some forty years ago when as a young ensign, Sullivan had shuttled to the surface on his first shore leave after being posted to the old Ptolmey Class transport Galileo [NCO 3308. Over the decades, he never failed to return to his haunt on each trek through this sector. He liked the old Vulcan. They had shared many an hour in idle conversation. He had promised himself after his last trip that on his next visit to Daran V, he would ask about the title... why it was called... The Bonaventure.

The Help : As has always been the case in the less-than-affluent sections of a city, it is next to impossible to determine the owner of a piece of realty. Having watched the old Vulcan exercise authority for these many years, most assumed that he was the owner. Anyone with any understanding of the Orion nature would immediately reject that idea, for all of the help at the Bonaventure were Orions. The patriarch called himself Drelk, with emphasis on the "K." The young ones came and went. While they were there, they learned the trades, then they were gone. Some believed the inn was just a training ground for those on the way to the triangle to make their fortunes. The old one, the one they called Drelk the fortunate, evidently shared in their fortunes... that's where "The fortunate" came from. In his younger years, the patriarch managed much of the business. Now in his eighties, he was satisfied to run the bar.

The Plot : Captain Peter Sullivan decided to spend the last weekend before the CONCORD'S outbound trek at the Bonaventure.

The subject of the origin of the name "Bonaventure" came up during a conversation with the Vulcan.

To his surprise, Sullivan learned that the old Vulcan had named the inn after the UNSS [United Nations Solar Ship] Bonaventure, a space vessel from old Terran times.The class had an active operating life of eighteen years; 2116 to 2134. History records show that the Bonaventure disappeared while on her third mission in space, a trip from Terra to Sirius. S'Tor credits Captain Hadrian Huckleby and his solar ship with saving his life.

Sullivan enquired about the destruction of the Bonaventure. He learned that there was no destruction.

He learned that the Bonaventure was captured, not destroyed. When asked why this information had not been forthcoming before, the old Vulcan replied, "No one asked."

The Captain enquired about whether there were descendants of the Captain, his officers and the forty-man crew of the aged solar ship.... He learned enough that Third Fleet authorized a shake down cruise for the Concord on it's outbound journey.

THE BONAVENTURE... AN UPDATE

The year was 2108, just days before he was to become a man in the eyes of society. He'd had enough. All these years trying to conform to what his elders had taught had come full circle. He'd tried to follow directions. He'd tried to do the things that were being taught. But things just weren't working out. He found joy and mirth in things. He found sadness and sorrow in others. Why were these feelings so wrong? Why did he feel that his parent's society had made a wrong turn somewhere in their past? In any event, he'd have no more of it. He was through trying. Packing the few things he could call his own in a duffle bag he had secreted in his room just for this purpose, he trudged out the door of his home, took a few slow steps down toward the road that led into town, then turned for one last glance at what he'd called home for all his years. It was his last look. It would be years before he saw the 40 Eridani A system. His ships had orbited T'Khasi numerous times over the decades, but S'Tor never again saw his home.

Off down the road he went, picking up the gait as he neared the business district. On the far edge of town where there was room for the shuttlecraft to maneuver, he found the shuttle he was looking for and the blue-faced Andorian who felt he had waited too long for this young man to show. Captain Kazanga was his name and his masters papers documented that he was certified to skipper the Natokk, a civilian cargo vessel owned by a combine out of Andor. The captain was short a navigator or more precisely one assistant navigator. His crew member had taken advantage of the vessel's call at T'Khasi to return to his roots. The navigator had trained his assistant well. So well that he had little difficulty making him the replacement. But Kazanga liked a back up aboard on his runs. A good navigator could make the difference between making a port on time and not. He liked Vulcans as navigators. They were all so precise in their duties. That's what one needed in a navigator. The interview had lasted only briefly when the captain was convinced that he had the man for the job. S'Tor remained "The man" for the next sixteen years.

In the decade that followed, the Vulcan became a trusted associate of the Andorian. Not all business transacted by Kazanga could be described as "above board." S'Tor quickly learned that there were times when one never saw, listened or spoke about what was being loaded into the holds of the cargo vessel. It wasn't a hard lesson to learn. If his childhood had taught him anything it was that there were others in this world that are different. It's not your business what they do, it's their business. Where he learned it he had not a clue, but one time he found himself saying to someone, "if a man is paying your salary, you owe complete allegiance to him. If you can't give it to him, then you have no business taking his credits. S'Tor had no difficulty in that area.

At the end of his second run on the Rigel System the Vulcan become the senior navigator. Again, the senior man left the ship never to return. Rumor had it that Kazanga had something to do with the disappearance but S'Tor didn't give it a second thought. By the time he had reached his thirtieth year, being navigator was more of a sideline. His main thrust now was driving the bargains which allowed the cargo ship to maximize her profits. He became the right-hand man of Kazanga. Soon "The Combine" that owned the Natokk became aware of the Vulcan who was making the increased profits available. The friendship that had lasted through the years now became uneasy... forced. He found himself having greater difficulty getting the ear of his captain. Things came to a head when the combine offered the Vulcan the position of First Mate. The Captain accused the Vulcan of leading a conspiracy to take his command from him. Try as he did, he could not convince the Andorian otherwise. He was placed in irons until the cargo vessel neared a planet he believed to be Rigel XII. He was summarily shuttled to the surface with only the clothes on his back. He was left to die. It was his 34th birthday.

2124... AN OVERVIEW

An overview of the year 2124 can best be illustrated by selecting news stories that have emerged in the financial, research, defense and political sectors in recent months. From these "headlines" one could discern what was going on in 2124.

From the financial sector comes the story of an illustrious Captain of the first interstellar vessel from Terra. Roger Tauber, Captain of the ICARUS on her maiden voyage to Alpha Centauri, assumed the presidency of Rantura Lines this past week. The New CEO, in an exclusive interview revealed that he is readying another Rantura Lines vessel for an inaugural run to an as yet undisclosed world. Discussions with citizens of Alpha Centauri and Tau Ceti point toward another world within our reach. Rantura desires to be the first to welcome the new neighbors to our expanding world. Rantura's next departure for Tau Ceti is November 8th, for Alpha Centauri, December 21 at.

Ronal Dykstra, head researcher at Terratech (TT), a privately funded research and development facility headquartered in Lakeside, California, announced several recent breakthroughs in the development of "Warp Radio." Dr. Dykstra predicts that warp communication many times as fast as the warp of our space vessels will soon be possible. "If research continues along the same path, we may well have warp communication within the decade," the expert stated. "As you know, communications with Alpha Centauri takes over four years. The resulting logjam is stifling commerce with our neighbors."

Lois Rans, Secretary General of the United Nations announced at a press conference today that further progress toward a one-world government is becoming a necessity, not a luxury. "We must reject the antiquated notion that countries, even those as powerful as the United States, can stand alone against whole worlds which are bound to be discovered... some of which may be hostile to us and our way of life. She continued, "Only an entity which speaks for us all will suffice in any future interworld hostility."

Boeing Space, LTD of Wichita, in their quarterly summary of research projects reported that no further work is to be expended on their Molecular Reintegration Project (transporters). A spokesman for Boeing reported that today's computers just do not have the capacity to do the job. MRP is to be shelved until further breakthroughs are made in the computer field.

A report from the Sandia Laboratories facility in New Mexico states that they have perfected a fusion torpedo capable of use in spacecraft of the future. . These defensive weapons, though highly radioactive, are a necessary interim defense against attacks on our vessels in space. Upon questioning the spokesman about the need for such a defense, she replied, "Better to have the capability in place than to wait until it is needed. We don't know who's out there!"