The Falthgood Devices

In responce to Project Mystery Train, Admiral Robert LoDona and Rear-Admiral Richard Ian Lee gave former-Captain Zachary Falthgood the use of a ship to recover three devices that he had hidden from his time under Admiral Doenitz, to use against him.

All three Devices are Iconian or Inchon, both ancient civilizations of a level far beyond Federation Technology. Their uses are described below in the posts, each of which was written by J Trout.

See also: Sociable Device, New Destiny Device, Trinity Device

Finding the Devices

In the Past, Being Ordered to Recover the Devices

NRPG: This all starts with a dream, a dream that hops into three distinct time-periods. RPG:

(Dreamscape, Sytav VII - Main Temple Chamber - Captain Falthgood - Long Ago)

"We found them, Sir." the security guard said unnecessarily. Behind him were three people, two of them scientists. Zach, his arms behind his back, turned away from them briefly, deep in thought. All three were gagged, they made little sound, and his security force was one of the best trained in This Mans Starfleet... they wouldn't have said a word unless it was deathly important.

Finally, Zach held out a hand, "Phaser."

One was slapped into his hand almost immediately. He gestured to the door; all four security guards immediately stepped out. Once the door was closed, the Captain sat down heavily upon a chair. His face was rock, the phaser held lightly in his hand, but his eyes gave away the callousness of his projected attitude.

After long moments he took a deep breath." I know you three were trying to escape with the device, and I can appreciate why..." he began slowly. "But none of you ever had a chance. Whatever your motivations were, you were watched from the start."

HE sighed, "I can sympathize. After all these years, I've finally had enough." he almost regretted saying that, the gleam of hope that entered their eyes was just too much to bear. He forced himself to remember the price of failure, and said "I will be leaving all this shortly, by ways that cannot be refused. But to do that, all major witnesses to what we uncovered must be silenced. And the devices we've found here must be hidden away, never... ever... to be found again. The price of failure in this is too high to contemplate, and if certain people within the fleet get a hold of them..." He let his voice die, the consequences didn't need to be muttered. The hope died in the eyes of all three, the scientists and the one Starfleet Officer.

Zach brought up the phaser, "I'm sorry. Rest assured, I have my own little piece of hell waiting for me at the end of all things."

The scene shattered with the phaser beam, and he was no longer sitting in judgment over several scientists in the ruins of an ancient temple. Zach looked around and noted the office of his boss, on board the Indefatigable.

~The face of Rodrigo Doenitz,~ Falthgood mused for the thousandth time, as he found himself looking at the Boss, ~Is rather humorous when its turned beet red.~

Captain Falthgood waved his hand, "It's that simple, Admiral." he finished. "I'm out."

Doenitz said nothing for long moments, but his face did turn several more interesting shades of red. Falthgood didn't so much as twitch a muscle; he remained standing with his hands behind his back, gazing impassively at the Admiral. He was now engaged in the most dangerous of games, one that had gotten thousands killed in years past.

After long moments, he said; "Nobody leaves, ever, Mr. Falthgood. You know that as well as I do."

"I'm an exception." Zach said, coldly. "Break me, rip apart my bio and send me to the furthest ends of the galaxy. But don't think to threaten me. Everything I know has been safely hidden, ready to break if I should suddenly come up missing." He came to attention briefly and then turned for the door.

He paused just before the door, his head raised high. After several seconds he came to a decision, and he began speaking without turning back around. "One more thing, Admiral Doenitz." he said in a solid voice. "I have the Trinity, Sociable and New Destiny devices. One last bit of insurance for my sake, and the sake of all others. Continue your projects, you will have nothing to fear from me." he turned slowly so he could see the Admiral out of the corner of his eye. "But I swear to whatever Gods above, if you ever come after me or mine, Ill bring those devices out of storage and show you their full capabilities. Not even your mighty fleet could save you then, think on that in your darkest nightmares."

Doenitz said nothing. Zach reached up and unclipped all but two of his pips, and dropped them to the ground. And then, without another word, he stepped out of the office and out of Doenitz's Reverse Technologies group for what he hoped would be forever.

He turned a corner and found himself stepping into a very small space, a turbo-lift. He shuddered briefly as he caught look at his passenger. He brought his hand up and touched his face briefly.

Zach's face was haggard, pinched. Pulled back in a way that made him look skeletal. Where grins and conspirital smiles usually rode, now only death was written. His eyes, usually joyful, were haunted and sunken.

Across from him in the turbolift, Richard Lee looked no better. After two hours in close conference, his own jovial look had been replaced with one of great worry. Even the stress of controlling the strategic assets of the fleet hadn't hit him as hard as Zach's news.

The door opened, two soldiers snapped to attention. Zach and Rich stepped off on the same foot, into the Admirals' Quarter, the section of the Talons devoted to Fleet Command. LoDona's new permanent residence.

"Come in gentlemen." Came the weary voice from behind the Admiral's desk at the far side of the room. Zach took a moment to look around, it was less of an office then a gigantic room separated into 'working areas' by nothing more then tables or computer consoles. There was nobody in here now, the room was quiet. Lee had called ahead and requested a private audience.

Apparently, they had caught LoDona's interest.

They both came to attention before LoDona's desk, but were waved off and pointed to a chair. Robert LoDona looked exhausted, which was to be expected. They were all fighting for their lives; the Admiralty would be feeling the strain.

Zach settled himself in the seat, which groaned ominously, and crossed his hands over his stomach. Rich did much the same. In the mean time, the Admiral looked at both of them. "Speak." He finally said.

"Sir," Zach began. "You know by now what I was part of, long ago."

The Admiral nodded an affirmative.

Falthgood paused to gather his thoughts, and to work up some courage. "Sir, one of my old projects has come back to bite us in the ass. Project Mystery Train." He paused again, "To keep it short Sir, it's a temporal gate which can transport anything from one place to another near instantaneously. Think of it as a portable wormhole. I got a hold of some intelligence, they continued the project after I had thought it closed. and now it's operational. We had some, start-up difficulties, originally."

"Any way to counter it?"

Zach smiled grimly, "Yes Sir."

The Admiral must not have liked the look on Zach's face, because his own tightened and he leaned forward. "If I were going to like this news, you two wouldn't have asked for a meeting. So, out with it."

Zach looked over at Rich, who nodded shallowly. Zach turned back again, "Fear, Sir. There is no way to stop it directly, not without a lot of preparation time that simply isn't practical in combat situations. The only thing that Doenitz ever respected was fear." Zach paused again, if he continued he would be committed.

~I already am.~

He shook his head and stood up, looking off in another direction as if looking into the past. "When I left Doenitz's team and Reverse Engineering Technologies, I needed a trump card. I had seen thousands killed to keep the secrets that we were researching; I would be no different unless I had a trump card. So. I took three of the major devices that we had found and figured out, weapons of awesome power. Things that frankly scared the bejesus out of us all, and there were some very heartless men on my team. I used them as my trump, I threatened Doenitz and his empire with their use, along with releasing all the information I had accumulated about his black projects if I so much as sniffed an assassin coming my way."

Zach turned back stiffly. "I still know where those devices are kept, Admiral. Doenitz will not even consider mothballing Mystery Train unless you give him proper incentive."

LoDona leaned back in his seat again. "And what do these devices do?"

"Do you really want to know?"

The Admiral searched Zach's face for long moments. "Their use will make us monsters, yes?"

Zach nodded.

"Then no, I don't." LoDona folded his own hands together. "Alright, Mr Falthgood. You're going back to the Nimitz, but be ready for a call from us."

Falthgood nodded and turned to leave, but was immediately stopped in his tracks by LoDona's call. He turned back around, "Sir?"

"Is there no other choice?"

"Yes, Sir. There is always another choice. We can loose. I don't know which would be worse at this point."

Grabbing the Devices

Stardate: 2407.01.14

(USS Sycophant - Bridge - Lieutenant Falthgood - 0700)

Zach, covered in sweat, shot up from his bed. His communicator was buzzing, he hit it without a second thought. "Falthgood."

-^-We are approaching your designated coordinates, Sir, forty-five minutes at present speed.-^-

"Very well, I'll be right up."

He cut the line and swung his legs over. He had been a week out from the Nimitz when he had suddenly been recalled, the Sycophant had picked him up a day later and off they went, as they said, into the wild blue yonder. It was almost a shame, Zach had liked the Nimitz, there was no guarantee he would ever see it again. He stood up and walked into the bathroom. A shower... yes, a shower would be good.

(USS Sycophant - Bridge - Lieutenant Falthgood - 0746)

"We are approaching the planet requested, Captain."

The Captain looked at his guest, who had spent so much of his time hidden in quarters. Zach said nothing, just watching the screen. A water planet, long since dead and nearly impossible to work because of intense radiation filled the screen. It hadn't changed since Zach had last been here, not long before he had pulled out of Project Sociable, the last project he had been involved with before pulling out of Doenitz's group altogether.

~So much history, lost like sifting sand.~ he mused, uncommonly philosophical.

"Sir, these are the coordinates specified." The Captain said, somewhat on edge. Zach, out of habit long dead, snapped "I am aware, stand too and wait here." He turned on his heel, mostly to hide the shudder that came. He had commanded men for a long time; it was a habit he had long sought to break.

But, now, coming back...

He stepped into the transporter room. "You will find coordinates already entered into the computer, Falthgood Site A. Beam me there, no questions, await my signal and prepare to beam three objects to the secured shuttle-bay."

The Chief looked at him oddly for only a moment. "Aye Sir."

Zach stepped onto the platform, nodded once, and closed his eyes. The beam gripped him...

Into the Past Again

(Tulev VII - Underwater Temple Complex, Anti-Chamber - 0751)

... and he found himself in a room ringed with several high-power transporter enhancers, he could hear their power-hum and could recognize their distinctive whine. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Everything was unchanged, through all the years; everything was exactly as he had left it.

This was another Inchon site, a race that was closely related to the Iconians and Iccobarians. This site, a temple which had sunk deep under the oceans hundreds of years ago, had been one of the first projects he had ever worked on as a fresh young Ensign under the command of a Commander Doenitz.

It had also long-since been abandoned, records of its existence erased.

There were only three people in the universe who remembered its existence at all, the rest had been vaporized after the project had been completed and its technology removed.

It should have been destroyed, but Fate is fickle and Zach... even then buried up to his nose, hadn't set the charges. The thermal power generator, a device that had burrowed into the mantle-rock to within a few hundred meters of the liquid core, continued to provide power for a set of force-fields which had operated long before Man had been recording history.

Even better, all the technology that the Reverse Engineering group had left behind had remained untouched. Only one person had been in and out of this set of ruins in twenty years, that man was Falthgood.

He had rigged the entire place to explode if anyone had approached it or beamed in without the proper access codes. And even then, there was only one spot out of twenty-five that could be safely beamed into; otherwise the explosives would go off. Zach had created a place where his secrets could be buried, near-forever if need be. Even so, as Zach looked out one of the 'windows' at the dark, cold sea beyond the protective force-field... he wished he had never had to return.

Zach stepped off the pad and tapped some long-remembered passwords into the transporter console, disabling all his prior security systems. They would never again be needed after today as he planned on taking everything with him that he had secured here over the years. The Console beeped twice, after which the lights brightened to full luminosity. The entire complex would be powering up now in preparation for people.

The Scientist crossed his hands behind his back and walked out and into the main corridor. There were elongated portholes all along his left side, he was in an out-side track of the entire complex; it was set up much like a spiral with cross-walkways cutting across the complex at various spots. It would have taken him hours, but he could have followed his current path all the way to the center where the primary power-core lay.

That wasn't his destination though, and he took the first right into the complex, bypassing much of the 'living' spaces of the temple. After several more minutes he took another turn, followed by another, until he found himself before a storage room, one that had been little used, even when this place had been under full scrutiny. He carefully put his hand against a place and said "Zalahoom, C'kah" A second passed, and then the door opened slowly. Zach hesitated a moment, and then stepped inside...

Back to the Sycophant

(USS Sycophant - Cargo Bay 3 - Zach Falthgood - 1027)

Zach rubbed his temples after arriving and chuckled bitterly. Within the next month, his name was going to become infamous. All his life he had worked for what he thought was the betterment of the Federation. He had made decisions which had crippled his good name in that pursuit. Now, some of the fruits of his earlier life were going to haunt him forever, far worse then they already had. He was going to become the boogey-man that children had bad dreams about.

There were twenty other men in the room with him, Marines and Security provided by LoDona for the effort he was undertaking. They were fanatically loyal, utterly determined to see their mission done. In them was more then a passing resemblance to the security forces he had once commanded, though the comparison gave him an uncontrollable shudder whenever he thought of it.

Sitting in the middle of the otherwise empty cargo-bay were three separate devices, each covered with a silvered anti-radiation blanket that also served as a cheap dust-catcher. Two of them were small; they looked like they could be picked up by a couple men. The third was easily ten feet tall, and half as wide as a house. These were the devices he had packed away so carefully, so many years ago. They were things he had never wanted to see again.

"No one touches this equipment." he said darkly. "And nobody gets in. You have license to kill, and the crew knows this. You will show no mercy."

The Commander of the security force, a Marine, snapped to attention. No words were necessary; they understood very well the price of failure. Zach had been sure to describe it to them in gory detail during their trip here.

These twenty would battle the entire ships compliment of the Sycophant, if necessary.

~All this for Mystery Train.~ he thought, bitterly, as he walked to a rigged and secured communications panel that he had brought with him. He keyed his personal code and brought it up, addressing a message to Admiral LoDona and Captain Lee. After several moments of silence, he looked up at the screen, "Operation Derailment is a success, returning to Meeting Point Beta for transfer of the railroad spikes. Falthgood out."

He stepped back, his eyes dull and his expression slack. "I am a herald now, and my horn calls nothing but Death."

Transferring the Devices to Richard Ian Lee and Admiral LoDona

Stardate: 2407.01.13

Describing the Devices, Promotion to Captain and Admiral's Aide Again

(USS Night's Watch - Capt Lee & Lieutenant Falthgood - 1450)

"Its time," Rich said as he gestured to the three devices that had just been ushered into the shuttlebay of the 'Watch. Falthgood mused for a few moments about the path that they were taking, and then made a mental shrug.

Zach put his arms behind him and stood like a rock as he faced the first of the three devices. It was the smallest, generally shaped like a console with a giant cylinder jutting from the back. "First on the left, the Sociable device. It's a retrovirus creator, Sir. It's designed to be some sort of healing device, it creates retro-bugs. But we also discovered it could create the worst plagues known to man. Provide a sample of DNA and it can be tailored from basic DNA structure for all species, or a species... right down to individual or family DNA. Making it the ultimate in tailored bio-warfare. It's healing potential is absolutely incalculable, but so is it's terror value. We could wipe out a race with this, or an individual or blood-line."

He closed his eyes, "The middle device that looks like a giant reliard penis is the New Destiny device. For simplicity sake, consider it the Genesis Device take-two. It is... something like a transporter/replicator system. It reorganizes matter into a matrix we desire, on a planetary scale. It can use all matter in a given area to do so, as well. Even better, it can be programmed to specifically use, or ignore, specific types of matter... such as living beings. I could completely redo Earth without touching any of her native plants or animals, only living human beings and artificial structures. Its computing and sensors systems are far superior to our own.

It uses some sort of crystal matrix processing system that out-performs the entire fleet put together." He sighed, "It takes approximately six hours to complete a transformation the size of Earth with no special functions. If you give it a lot of do's and don'ts, it can take upwards of 12. But in the four tests we put it through, it never failed. The only casualties we found among the test subjects we forbid the device from harming were environmental and accidental, a cat jumped off a brand new cliff or a desert dweller drowned in a stream. Etc. It takes the device approximately one day to recharge for future use. It works on zero-point energy, so theoretically its power source is infinite. With this device, you can take a week and completely destroy a few star systems worth of enemies and their bases, while leaving lower order life-forms alive and well in whatever new eco-system you program."

He swung his head a bit and cracked his neck. "Third and last is the Trinity device, the only pure-weapon among them... as far as we could tell anyway.

It absorbs any energy sources in the area and directs a mutli-phasic pulse which, for lack of better terms, liquefies living matter. We used it against all types of test subjects, from Carbon based life right down to all forms of silicates. Depending on the base structure, it either breaks down all living matter into its basic compounds, or in a silicates case, utterly crystallizes all materials into something solid." He paused, "Whereas this doesn't sound any worse then some of the weapons that we've devised in the past century, this one works on a system-wide scale. And nothing we devised could stop it... trust me, we tried a lot. Not even the Inchon level technology we had made more then a small dent in the final outcome. This seems to have been an Inchon or Malcorian doomsday device."

Zach paused for a few moments, and then continued. "All energy sources in its directed path are sucked dry within moments. Shields are stripped away like they aren't there, generators, batteries and warp-cores last for maybe 30 seconds. And all the while the pulse is building in strength. You could wipe out all of Earth, the Moon, the Mars Defense Perimeter, Christopher's Landing on Titan and all Starfleet ships and bases within 45 light-minutes of the target point within 25 minutes with this device. Zero error, zero chance to live. Even better, it uses a portion of the captured energy to shield itself and create an interdiction zone. Once this thing starts, it doesn't stop until it's programmed function has been completed."

He didn't have to say that, in testing this device, it had been used to end several systems. The probability for survival was a figure come by honestly after much testing.

Zach opened his eyes and turned to face the Captain, whose face had gone quite pale as he considered the implications. "These are what I was ordered to bring back Captain, this is the fear you can deal to Doenitz. He knows I have them, he knows I could give them up to you. The code names themselves were buried in ten levels of black bag-dom. Whether or not he believes you'll use any, or whether you will indeed use them, is now out of my hands."

He handed over a PADD, "These are the complete notes on working the devices, and the results of all the tests that were conducted."

Rich took the notes, but his eyes never left the devices. "Very well," he said after long moments. "I'll take them into storage." He turned back, "Lieutenant Falthgood, I am instructed to tell you that you are now listed as a special aide of Admiral LoDona with the rank of Captain and command codes to suit." He pulled out a PADD and handed it over to the frowning Falthgood. "But only we're going to know that, you'll go back to the Nimitz as a Lieutenant. Your promotion will be buried and sealed, for now."

Zach rubbed at his temples, "Why?" he finally growled, "I was quite happy as a Lieutenant, d*mn you and your admiral anyway!"

"Because you might need that rank and privilege." Rich said dispassionately. "You know how to act, and you're quite used to usurping command. Your status as a special aide gives you that power, if you need it. Though be warned, you'll answer to LoDona if you do."

"I won't." Zach replied flatly. "Captain Sash is quite capable of commanding the Nimitz."

"But not in recognizing the danger signs you see." Lee sighed, "Use it, don't use it. I would prefer you didn't, but you might find yourself in a situation where quick orders are needed. If nothing else, you can command any Starfleet assets if the need arises. You're rank confers upon you a special dispensation from Strategic Operations."

"How lovely." Zach said acidly. It had finally been enough. "These are the same smooth words I heard from Doenitz once, long ago."

Rich's face turned red and he stepped up to Zach. They were both of the same height; they could look into each others eyes. "Mr. Falthgood, I will make this very clear." Rich said harshly. "I don't care. I was asked to confer this to you in case of dire emergency; you're one-of-a-kind in this fleet. I actually had to argue him down, he wanted you at his side, but you're both safer while you're on the Nimitz. At his side you could remain a Lieutenant and he would give the orders. If you're going to be on your own, you might very well require this. You can recognize threats that no one else in this fleet is qualified to see until well after it's too late. If you have a problem with this, take it to the Admiral."

He stepped back again, "In the mean time, I suggest you get on your shuttle. It leaves for the Nimitz is twenty minutes."

Falthgood, now a Captain who was playacting as a Lieutenant, growled and spun on his heel. He had just about stepped out the door when Lee's voice rang out again. "Captain, one more thing."

He stopped and turned, Rich had turned to face the devices. "Record a message to Doenitz and forward it to myself and LoDona. The fact we have these devices will be better received from you, Doenitz knows you well." Lee turned on his heel, "And if you can scare him properly, we'll be able to bury these forever."

Warning Admiral Doenitz to Back Off

Stardate: 2407.01.15

(Runabout Des Moines - Ops - Lieutenant Falthgood - 0850)

Two days out from the Night's Watch, closed into his small personal cabin of the specialized courier shuttle, Falthgood sat down heavily on the bed and looked at the screen for what had to be the fiftieth time. He had managed to get nowhere, he couldn't stop his mind long enough to consider just what he wanted to say to a man he had never wanted to speak to again.

What scared him especially is how much he WANTED to make this message, to scare and anger Doenitz for the hell he had raised in the last year.

~This is getting you nowhere, you WILL knuckle down!~ he thought furiously.

He considered the devices for long moments, their purpose and history, and what they would do if LoDona grew brass balls big enough to deploy them.

Zach had wanted to slam Lee into a wall after receiving this order. But only because he knew that Lee and LoDona were right. If they wanted to avoid using the devices, then the fear would have to be struck by someone Doenitz knew, someone with knowledge worth being feared. Nobody would have to demonstrate the power of the devices if word of their deliverance came from Zach's mouth.

He took a breath, "Computer, begin recording message for Admiral LoDona and Captain Lee."

The computer beeped, leaving Falthgood in front of a blank screen. He carefully folded his hands in front of him and left his face as an expressionless mask.

"Mr. Doenitz, a pleasure speaking to you again, I'm sure. I trust your war has lived up to expectations? You've certainly had your pieces in play for long enough." His upper lip curled, ever so slightly. "Of course, I doubt it occurred to you that so many would oppose your New World Order. Through all the years, all the undying obedience you managed to work up, did it never occur to you that people liked things as they were?"

Zach's lip curled back down as he gestured off to the side to something Doenitz wouldn't be able to see. "And the board has become so interesting lately, all these new pieces to contend with. I saw the Klingon declaration of War. It gave me shivers, those drums of war and the particularly harsh condemnation from the High Council, especially." He grinned slightly, though the amusement didn't touch his eyes. "And that, of course, leads us to the purpose of this message... I've gotten wind of Mystery Train. You were always a crazy bas*ard, there's no denying that. But resurrecting Mystery Train?"

Zach paused for a moment, then put his finger up to the screen and shook it slowly with a theatrical flourish as he made loud 'tsk'ing sounds with each wiggle of his finger.

His face turned hard and he folded his hands together again, "Because of that bit of foolishness, Doenitz, I've had to go and do something particularly rash. Do you remember the last words I ever said to you?"

He paused for a moment, letting Doenitz think. His last words had been a warning about the three devices he had hidden. He had heard from channels that enormous effort had been put into tracking them down. Nothing had ever been found. Falthgood nodded a couple times, "Oh yes, Mr. Doenitz. I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. I have New Destiny, Trinity & Sociable. Your foolishness has necessitated that I resurrect them as promised."

Falthgood leaned forward. "So let this be the only warning I will give you, Admiral. I will sit on them if you behave like a good little school boy. If you don't, though... If you pull out Mystery Train or any of the other little black projects we played with, I'll show you just how far I got in researching these devices. I will decimate your forces, Admiral. You will watch helplessly as I first hunt down your fleet. And then your friends. And then your family."

"And then, Admiral, when I am done with everything you've ever held dear and you have nothing left but the hatred that drives you, I'll come for you."

"I promise you this; you'll watch your entire universe fall apart from the inside out, all you'll hear is the sound of my laughter."

He leaned back. "So, Admiral, I leave it up to you. We're in a war of you're making. You've driven us to the very brink. But the winds of change have come upon us, everything is going to be different from this point on, your order is going to be washed away no matter what you do. The only question remaining is how much pain you want to be in when the fall finally comes."

Zach leaned forward again, his face animated for the first time with the hate and loathing he felt. "One way or the other, Admiral, we're coming home."

(more to Follow)

This article relates to the Federation Civil War