Course Correction Studio

Author: Brandie

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 15. These Dreams

    Dani didn’t remember going to sleep, but when she woke up, she was in her quarters onboard Enterprise again. Had what she’d just experienced in Archer’s bedroom – his bedroom in San Francisco – been real? Or had it only been a dream?

    “Archer to Janeway.“

    Dani rose from her bed and walked over to the comm unit on the wall. “I’m here, Jon,” she said.

    “This may sound a little strange,” Archer began.

    “I bet it won’t,” Dani said. “I just had a really strange dream, and you were in it…but I don’t think it was a dream.”

    “It wasn’t,” Archer said. “It really happened.”

    Dani looked at the chronometer on the desk. Any minute now, Kyle would be setting their plan in motion to steal the temporal transporter. But after her and Jon’s visit with Daniels, she knew that couldn’t happen. She must prevent Kyle from going through with the plan.

    “Jon, I’ve got to go,” Dani said. “I’ve got to stop Kyle from doing something.”

    “What?”

    “I don’t have time to explain right now. I’ll fill you in as soon as I can.”

    xxx

    “Don’t do it,” Dani said. She’d caught up with Kyle just as he was about to walk into Engineering.

    “Why not?” Kyle asked, turning around to face her. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to go home?”

    “You know I do,” Dani said. “But this isn’t the way to get there.” She stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. “There have been some developments that I think you should know about.”

    Archer had wasted no time summoning his senior officers to the bridge and setting his own plan into motion.

    “The circuitry in there isn’t compatible with our technology,” Archer said. “We’ll have to create an interface.”

    “What for?” Hoshi asked.

    “We’re going to be retrieving some Suliban data discs,” Archer said. “I have no doubt you’ll be able to handle the content, but before you can do that, we’ll have to find a way to access the data.”

    “And Daniels claims this is Suliban technology?” T’Pol asked.

    “Everything he’s told me has checked out so far,” Archer said. “I have no reason to doubt him about this.”

    “We’ll do our best, Captain,” Hoshi said. Archer began to head to the turbolift.

    “Captain,” T’Pol began, “the Vulcan ship we were headed for, it’s no doubt detected we’ve altered course.”

    Archer stopped walking and turned to Hoshi. “Have they tried to hail us?” he asked.

    Hoshi shrugged with mock innocence. “I wouldn’t know, sir. Our comm is on the fritz.”

    Dani and Kyle followed Archer into the turbo lift. “I think Kyle and I should be the ones to retrieve the discs from the Suliban,” Dani proposed once the doors closed behind them. “We have experience with their ships – I do, at least. I can’t speak for Kyle.”

    Kyle nodded. “I’m more than qualified,” he confirmed. “We’ll leave it at that.”

    Dani looked at Archer. “We’re not even supposed to be here,” she said. “So it would be minimal risk.”

    “It would not be a minimal risk,” Archer countered.

    Dani’s brow knitted in confusion. “Sir?”

    The turbo lift came to a stop, and the doors slid open. Archer looked at Kyle. “Could you give us a moment, please?” he requested.

    Kyle nodded. “Of course,” he said. He stepped out of the lift, leaving Dani and Archer alone as the lift doors closed again.

    “I don’t understand,” Dani said. “What is it about my plan that doesn’t make sense? I honestly can’t see how this doesn’t mitigate the risk for you.”

    “I think there’s one hell of a risk to you,” Archer said. “These people are serious. If they catch you…there’s no telling what they’ll do to you.”

    “This isn’t my first mission like this,” Dani said.

    “I realize that,” Archer said. “I know that’s how you ended up here. But I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you, especially because of me.”

    “It wouldn’t be because of you,” Dani said. “I’m volunteering.”

    “Dani,” Archer said, “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

    Dani leaned back against the turbolift wall. “Let’s say something happens to me,” she proposed. “Wouldn’t that make some of your problems go away? You wouldn’t have to worry about trying to send me back to my own time. And that would be one less thing to distract you from your duties.”

    Archer closed his eyes. “I was wrong,” he said. “I was upset, and I didn’t mean it. I regret saying it.” He stepped toward Dani. “What I don’t regret is any moment I’ve spent with you. I’ve cherished them.”

    Neither Dani nor Archer noticed that the turbolift had begun to move again after Kyle had gotten off, and they were surprised when the doors opened and someone almost stepped into the turbolift with them. Archer and Dani both flashed the young man a look that told him he’d better not step onto the turbolift. The man, a crewman, seemed to understand and nodded. He took a step back and let the turbolift doors close.

    Archer turned his attention back to Dani and stroked her face. “I may not get another chance to say this,” he said. “I love you, Dani.”

    “Don’t say that,” Dani said.

    “Why not?”

    “You’ve only known me for a few months. How could you possibly know that?”

    “When you know something, and you feel it, you don’t need a lot of time to figure it out,” Archer said. “You don’t feel the same way?”

    “I do. But it’s not fair because I’m going to have to leave you – one way or another,” Dani said. She pressed a button on the wall, halting the turbolift at the current level, and she stepped out.

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 14. It’s Not Over

    “The mission’s been cancelled,” Archer announced to Trip, T’Pol, Dani, and Kyle, who’d all assembled in Archer’s tiny Ready Room.

    Trip didn’t attempt to contain his shock and dismay at all.  “Cancelled?” he asked.

    “From what the Admiral tells me, Ambassador Soval will use this to convince Starfleet that we need another 10 or 20 years before we try this again,” Archer explained.

    “Twenty years?!”  Trip was livid.  “Starfleet won’t buy that for a minute.”

    “Won’t they?” Archer countered sullenly.

    Trip turned to Dani.  “Tell him he’s crazy!  Tell him that’s guilt talking, not Jonathan Archer!”

    Dani couldn’t find any words.  She was just as shocked as Trip, and that was saying something, considering that she was supposed to already know what happens to Enterprise.

    “The Vulcan ship will meet us in three days to get you and Dr. Phlox,” Archer told T’Pol.  “Please inform Mr. Mayweather to head for these coordinates.”  He handed her a datapad.

    “Where does this leave us?” Dani asked.  She added, “Kyle and me, I mean.  Are you still sending us back?”

    “I can’t,” Archer said.  “Starfleet Command is taking over your case.”

    Trip wasn’t ready to give up.  “I can’t believe you’re letting them do this to us.  You’ve waited all your life to command this ship.”

    “Dismissed,” Archer ordered.

    “But sir—” Trip protested.

    “I said you’re dismissed,” Archer reiterated.  His eyes slid to Dani for emphasis.  “All of you.”

    Dani, not surprised but disheartened that he would dismiss her so easily, filed out of the room with everyone else.

    xxx

    “If Starfleet Command gets involved on a larger scale, this has the potential to spiral even ore out of control than it already is now,” Dani said.  She sat on her bunk in hers and Kyle’s quarters, and he leaned against the desk, facing her.

    “I know,” Kyle said.  “I think this is going to call for radical action on our part.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “I know it’s better to do things through the protocols of this period,” Kyle began, “but we can’t risk anyone else finding out about us.  I think we should steal the transporter from Engineering and send ourselves back to the future.”

    Kyle recognized and sympathized withe the apprehension that clouded Dani’s features.  “I don’t want to do it, either, but how else are we going to get home?”

    Dani reluctantly nodded. “When?”

    “Tonight.  We should have no trouble getting access to it.  Security protocols during this period weren’t nearly as good as what we’re used to.  And no one would think twice about me being in there and handling the device.”

    Dani nodded.  “Okay,” she said.  “Once you have it, meet me here in our quarters, and we’ll make it happen.”

    xxx

    Dani laid down on her bed in hers and Kyle’s quarters.  She needed sleep.  With everything that had happened over the last day with Archer, the temporal transporter, and Paragan, she was drained, physically and emotionally.  She was supposed to meet Kyle tonight after he retrieved the temporal transporter, so she wouldn’t be able to sleep a full eight hours.  Even if she’d had the time, she doubted she would be able to sleep that long.  But at least she could try for a nap.

    When Dani opened her eyes,  she didn’t know how long she had been asleep, but she knew that she wasn’t waking up in a bedroom and a bed that she didn’t recognize.  Archer was beside her in his pajamas, looking just as bewildered as she felt.

    “From the look on your face, I’d say this isn’t where you were expecting to wake up, either,” Dani said.

    “I was just in my quarters,” Archer said.  “I’d just fed Porthos and laid down for the night.  When I opened my eyes, I was here.”

    “Do you have any idea where we are?” Dani asked.

    “I know exactly where we are,” Archer replied.  “This is my bedroom in San Francisco.  The question is how the hell did we end up here.”  Archer rose from the bed and walked over to the window, peeking at the view of the city.

    The comm beeped, and Archer walked over to the unit on the wall across from the bed. “Hello?” he said.

    “Sorry to call so late, Captain,” Trip began, “but all three inspection pods are getting their weekly overhauls tonight.  They tell me they won’t be ready ’til noon, so I figured you might want to sleep in.”

    “What do you say to breakfast at 9:30, space dock cafeteria?” Archer asked.

    “You must be reading my mind again,” Trip said.  “I was just about to suggest the same thing.”

    “See you in the morning,” Archer said.  He turned to Dani.  “If someone’s trying to tell me the last ten months was a dream, I’m not buying it.”

    “Of course not,” Dani said.  “That doesn’t even begin to explain how I ended up here with you.”

    Archer walked over to the monitor on the desk a few feet away.

    “What are you doing?” Dani asked.

    “Performing a test.  I know where we are, but I need to be certain when,” Archer said.

    “When?” Dani repeated.

    Archer nodded as he activated the monitor.  A woman’s face filled the screen.  “IME,” she said. “Can I help you?”

    “This is Captain Jonathan Archer, Starfleet authorization alpha-six-four,” Archer said.

    “I know who you are, Captain,” the receptionist said with a grin.  “What can I do for you?”

    “Do you have a Denobulan doctor in the Interspecies Medical Exchange?” Archer asked.

    The receptionist momentarily turned her attention to something off-screen, then turned back to Archer.  “Yes,” she said. “A Dr. Phlox.  He’s assigned to Starfleet Medical here in San Francisco.  Would you like me to contact him for you?”

    “No, that’s all right,” Archer said.  “Thanks for your help.”  He ended the comm and, forlorn, turned to Dani.  Dani had slid out of bed and was walking towards Archer.

    “I didn’t even know Phlox existed before they brought Klaang in,” Archer muttered.  “And that was the day after the late-night call from Trip.”

    “You’re not dreaming, Captain.”

    Dani and Archer turned, both shocked to find that Crewman Daniels had appeared in the room with them.

    “Daniels,” Archer said.

    “This must be very disorienting,” Daniels said.  “I apologize, but I had no choice.”

    “Commander Tucker told me told me you were dead, that Silik killed you,” Archer said.

    “He did, in a manner of speaking,” Daniels confirmed. “We have to talk, and it’s essential that none of the other factions know about it.  I doubt any of them would think I’d bring you here.”

    “So, you’re telling me you brought us back, what, ten months ago?” Archer asked. “How about Jonathan Archer ten months ago?  Where’s he?”

    “He’s you,” Daniels replied.

    “Then who just climbed into bed aboard Enterprise?” Archer asked.

    “That hasn’t happened, yet.”

    “That’s a load of crap, and you know it,” Archer said, growing agitated.

    “I’ve had this conversation with half a dozen people,” Daniels said.  “It always ends the same way.”

    “Can’t you ever give a straight answer?” Archer asked.

    “It depends on the question,” Daniels replied.

    “Time travel can get really confusing, Jon,” Dani said.  “It’s best not to think about it too much or try to figure it out.”

    Archer looked at Daniels again. “All right – try this one,” Archer began. “Why am I here?  I thought you were supposed to protect the timeline, not screw with it?”

    “It’s already been screwed with, Captain,” Daniels said. “That explosion at the Paragan colony – it wasn’t supposed to happen.”

    “Of course it wasn’t.  It was an accident.”

    “That’s not what I mean,” Daniels said.  “History never recorded the disaster.  Someone violated the Temporal Accord.  Someone who doesn’t want your mission to succeed.”

    “That’s why I don’t remember reading about it when I was preparing for my mission,” Dani realized aloud.

    “Are you telling me that Enterprise didn’t cause that explosion?” Archer asked Daniels.

    Daniels responded with another question.  “Do you remember the Temporal Cold War I spoke of?”

    “It’s kind of hard to forget.”

    “Then listen to me carefully,” Daniels said.  “We don’t have much time”

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 13. Fate

    The next morning when Dani woke up, Archer was dressing. “Good morning,” she said.

    Archer, whose back had been turned to her while he’d been pulling a shirt over his head, turned to the bed. “I hope I didn’t wake you,” he said, walking over to the bed.

    “You did,” Dani said. “But I don’t mind. I wish you’d woken me earlier, when you got up.”

    “I wanted to let you sleep.” He sat down in front of Dani on the bed. “You were up late last night because of me, and honestly, I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed.”

    “I don’t want to spend any more time sleeping than I have to,” Dani said. “I don’t want to miss out on our last hours.”

    Archer nodded. “I wish I didn’t have to go down to Paragan,” Archer said. “It doesn’t seem right to spend time on that when you’ll be gone in a few hours.”

    “You have your duties,” Dani said matter-of-factly, “and I have mine. Yours, in this case, require you to visit the Paragan colony – mine is to get back to the 24th Century so that I can be debriefed. I guess it is what it is.”

    Archer, surprised by her words and her attitude, blinked. “You seem to be taking it pretty well,” he said. “How can you be so accepting of the situation?”

    “It’s not that – it’s just that I’m resigned to our fate,” Dani corrected. “There’s no point in fighting what we can’t change.”

    “But we can change it,” Archer said. He held Dani’s gaze. He knew that she knew what he was suggesting.

    “We could, but we probably wouldn’t like the consequences,” Dani said. “If Command found out that the transporter works and that I didn’t go through, think of the consequences it could have for you. They might strip you of your command or even court martial you. And that cannot happen. Your mission is way too important…Even if it didn’t happen that way, do you honestly think that the Temporal Police would let me stay here?” Dani shook her head, resigned to their apparent fate. “We might as well enjoy the time left and accept it for what it is.” She peeled back the covers and rose from the bed.

    xxx

    Dani was in the mess hall for her morning coffee break when she saw the initial bursts of orange appear in Paragan’s upper atmosphere. One burst turned into two, then three. Within a minute, it seemed like the entire atmosphere glowed orange. Her coffee and bagel unfinished, Dani abandoned her table and the mess hall and headed directly for the shuttlebay. She didn’t say anything to anyone along the way, but she didn’t need confirmation from anyone to recognize that something had gone horribly wrong on Paragan II.

    xxx

    Kyle was already standing outside the entrance to the shuttle bay when Dani arrived.

    “Did you see what happened on the surface?” asked Dani as she approached.

    Before Dani could reply, the doors slid back, and Archer, T’Pol, Trip, and Malcolm stepped out of the shuttle bay and into the corridor.

    “Lt. Hicks, Commander Janeway,” Archer greeted.

    “Captain, I saw the planet,” Kyle said. “What happened down there?”

    “We’re not exactly sure, yet,” Archer said. “Right now, we’ve got to get Commander Tucker to sickbay for treatment. I’ll have to brief you later.”

    Kyle nodded. For the first time, Kyle and Dani noticed that Trip had been injured somehow during the mission. He and Dani watched as Archer and the rest of his team continued down the corridor.

    xxx

    Dani was waiting when Archer emerged from Sickbay. She reached out to him as he passed.

    “Jon, what is going on?” she asked him. The look on his face told her that the answer was bad, but she wanted details.

    “There was an accident,” Archer began. “Somehow, the planet’s atmosphere was ignited.”

    “What about the colonists?”

    Archer closed his eyes and shook his head. “They’re gone.”

    “All of them?”

    “We’re trying to figure out what went wrong. Lt. Reed insists that everything was within the required parameters with regard to our shuttle. But somehow the tetrazine particles in the atmosphere were ignited.”

    Dani knitted her brows. Something wasn’t right here. Why didn’t she remember reading about this? Surely, an event this catastrophic would have surfaced during her research on NX-01 and Archer.

    “I don’t remember reading about this event,” Dani said. “And it seems like too significant of an occurrence to just go unnoticed by history.”

    “I’ll have to brief you later,” Archer said. “Before you and Kyle go back.”

    He moved away to go to the bridge. Dani was left wondering whether any of this could have occurred due to her and Kyle’s presence here. If that was the case, maybe she and Kyle weren’t going back to the 24th Century so soon, after all. They had to figure out what went wrong and why history never recorded this event.

    xxx

    Dani met Kyle in their quarters. He had been waiting there for her to return with news of what had happened to Paragan II. She still wasn’t over his involvement with the Cardassia Prime incident, but there were more immediate matters that needed to be attended to right now.

    Dani already knew what Kyle was waiting to hear, and she wasted no time obliging. “Something really bad happened down there,” she said.

    “What happened?” Kyle asked.

    “All the colonists have been wiped out,” Dani said.

    “What?“

    “Somehow, the tetrazine in their atmosphere was ignited, which caused a shockwave. Everything down there is gone.”

    “But…I don’t understand,” Kyle said. “I’ve never heard of that happening to Paragan II. It’s a thriving colony in the 24th Century.”

    “I know. Shouldn’t we try to find out what went wrong?” Dani asked.

    “I have a feeling that Captain Archer has every intention of doing just that,” Kyle said.

    xxx

    Dani pressed the chime on the door to Archer’s quarters. “Come in,” she heard him call from inside. The door slid open and she stepped into the room. Archer was at his desk with Porthos in his arms, scrolling through a long list of images on his computer terminal. Dani assumed they were the images of the lost colonists. Archer seemed entranced. He didn’t even acknowledge her entrance into the room.

    “Jon?” Dani said.

    Without turning to her, he said, “If it isn’t anything urgent, I’d really rather be alone right now.”

    “I know you don’t have a counselor on this ship, but talking can be a big help in situations like this,” Dani said.

    “Talking isn’t going to bring those colonists back,” Archer said.

    “No, but it might help,” Dani said. She took a few steps closer to him. “You don’t feel guilty about any of this, do you?”

    Archer finally turned to her. “My guilt is warranted.”

    “You did everything you could,” Dani said. “You followed all the protocols. There’s no way it could be your fault.”

    “Well, somehow, I must have missed something somewhere,” Archer insisted. “I have been…distracted lately.”

    “By what?” Dani asked, taken aback by the words. She couldn’t miss the underlying insinuation. She shifted her weight, fighting the urge to become defensive. “By me?”

    “The truth is I haven’t been paying as much attention to my duties ever since we got back from Risa. Maybe my preoccupation with you has caused me to miss something, something crucial, apparently.”

    Dani stood silently, unable to generate a response to Archer’s statement. She couldn’t believe she was hearing these words come out of his mouth. Obviously, she didn’t know him as well as she’d hoped she did if he could turn on her and blame her for this. Instead of responding, she merely turned around and walked out of his quarters.

  • Edge of Heaven – Chapter 12. Good News

    The first person Dani saw when she entered the mess hall-turned-movie theater was Kyle, who was seated near the middle.  They made eye contact briefly, but neither of them moved to close the distance between them.  Kyle kept his seat, and Dani kept on walking.  Prior to Risa, Dani had a permanent seat next to Kyle, not just on movie night but every time they were together.  But that wasn’t an option now.  It had been a little over a week since Enterprise had left Risa, and Dani still couldn’t bring herself to talk to Kyle about his mission to Cardassia Prime.

    About the fact that he murdered Marac.

    Dani pushed the encroaching memories of that night out of her mind and continued to walk through the room.  She took one of the empty seats near the back of the room.

    The mess hall doors opened, and Archer stepped in, his eyes scanning the room.  They stopped on Dani.

    Dani turned her attention to Archer and smiled as she watched him approach.

    “Hi,” he said once he’d reached her.  He lowered himself into the chair beside her.  “I would’ve been here earlier, but something came up at the last moment that needed to be taken care of.”

    “That’s okay,” Dani said.  “You haven’t missed anything.”

    “Do you want anything?” Archer asked.  “Popcorn?  Something to drink?”

    “I’m fine.”

    Archer looked around at the rest of the audience.  The movie would be starting soon, and the room was starting to fill up fast.  His eyes found Kyle Hicks, who was looking their way.

    “How are things between you and Kyle?” Archer asked.

    “Frosty would be an optimistic way to describe it,” Dani said.  “Nothing’s changed since Risa.  We try to avoid each other.  I try to avoid him, at least.”  She looked at Archer and smiled.  “Thankfully, I have somewhere else to sleep at night,” she said, lowering her voice.

    Archer returned her smile.  He wanted to lean in and kiss her but thought better of it, given their surroundings. “Well, that’s one good thing,” he said.

    xxx

    “What did you think about tonight?” Archer asked.  After the movie, he and Dani had enjoyed a quiet meal in the Captain’s Mess and then returned to Archer’s quarters. “It was our first time out here.”

    “I thought it went well,” Dani said.  “I noticed a few people staring, but it wasn’t too bad.  I think they’re still curious about me and Kyle.  I had a good time.”

    Archer wrapped his arms around Dani’s waist.  “I’m glad to hear that,” he said.  “I know it probably doesn’t compare to whatever they do for fun in the 24th Century.”

    “You’d be surprised,” Dani said as she fought the urge to tense up.  “Do we have to talk about the future right now?  One of the good things about this place is that it’s so different that there’s not a lot that reminds me…”

    “I’m sorry,” Archer said.  “I wasn’t thinking.”

    “It’s okay,” Dani said.  “The longer I’m here, the less likely we are to find a way back.  I’d like to start thinking of here as my home, but it’s hard to do when I’m always thinking about my old life.”

    Archer nodded.  “Of course.  I won’t bring it up again.  Promise.”  He kissed her.  “In fact, I’ve got something that I think will do a wonderful job of keeping your mind occupied.”

    “Oh, is that so?”

    “Mm-hm,” Archer said.  “It seems to have done the trick before.”  He kissed her again.

    xxx

    The comm couldn’t have chimed at the most inconvenient time.  Archer and Dani were tangled up in each other in his bed, practically devouring each other. 

    “Engineering to Captain Archer.”

    “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Archer said, annoyed.

    “Such is the life of a starship captain,” Dani said.

    “I’m sorry about this,” Archer said.

    “It’s okay,” Dani said.  “Trust me when I say I understand.”

    The comm chimed again, and Archer reached up to the control panel directly above the bed.  “Archer here, go ahead,” he said.

    “Captain – It’s Trip,” he said.  “Sorry for interruptin’, but I wanted to let you know that we’ve had a breakthrough down here.  We’ve cracked the code.”

    Archer and Dani exchanged shocked silent glances.  He carefully disentangled himself from her.  ”Trip,” Archer began, scooting into a sitting position.  ”I think I know what you’re saying, but I want to make absolutely sure I understand correctly.  You’ll have to spell this out for me.”

    “Captain – the temporal transporter is operational,” Trip said.

    Archer looked at Dani again.  They both knew what this meant, and they didn’t need to say it out loud.  It meant that Dani would have to go back to the 24th Century.

    xxx

    Dani and Archer walked into Engineering, where Kyle and Trip proudly displayed the functioning temporal transporter.  It was illuminated and looked like it was ready to go.

    “And you’re sure it will work?” Dani asked.

    “We haven’t tested it,” Kyle said.  It was the first time that words had passed between him and Dani since Risa. “It appears to be functioning correctly, from everything I can tell.  But there’s only one way to find out if it works again.”

    Dani and Archer looked at each other.  This was supposed to be good news, but both of them were finding it difficult to see it that way. 

    “Is it stable?” Archer asked.  “The power source, I mean.”

    “Yes, sir,” Trip said. Why would the captain be asking about the power?  He already knew that the issue had been Daniels’s missing code and nothing else. 

    “I don’t see any issues with power,” Trip continued.  “We’ve repaired the issue that was preventing it from working.  It wasn’t a power issue.”  As soon as he said it, he realized what the captain was really asking.  “We have the ability to activate and deactivate at will without any apparent loss or other degradation of function, if that’s what you’re asking, Captain.  There’s no urgency; we can send Hicks and Janeway back anytime we choose.  Right now, tomorrow…”

    “Is there a way to test it?” Archer asked.

    “We’d have to send someone through it, and they’d have to come back to confirm that it worked,” Trip said.

    “Not necessarily,” Kyle said.  “We could set the destination for only a few minutes into the future and transport a test object.  If the time passes, and the test object reappears, theoretically, that would serve as confirmation that the test was successful.”

    Archer nodded.  “Schedule a test for tomorrow afternoon following our meeting with the Paragon colonists.”

    “Aye, captain,” Trip said.  He turned and walked away with the transporter.

    Kyle beamed.  “I can’t believe it,” he said. “We’re actually going home!”  He turned and followed Trip.

    Dani looked to Archer, shaking her head.  She didn’t know what to say.  Wasn’t this what she’d wanted since the moment she and Kyle had landed there?  Then why was this hitting her the same way that bad news would?  Archer nodded knowingly and ushered her out of Engineering.

  • The Senator, The Socialite, and Their Bratty Son

    The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America’s First Black Dynasty by Lawrence Otis Graham

    Published June 27, 2006 by Harper

    The Senator and the Socialite is the true story of Blanche K. Bruce, a Mississippian who was the first elected black senator to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate. In the book, Graham chronicles the Bruce family’s rise to prominence during the 19th Century, a time when blacks were truly on the bottom rungs of society. Graham also relates the story of the family’s subsequent decline in the 20th Century.

    As a black Mississippian, I’d heard of Bruce before reading this book. He was one of the famous names that Mississippi school children hear about as they’re growing up and learning about state history. But I’d never read more than paragraph about him, even in grad school. When I first noticed this book on my mother’s dresser, I couldn’t pass up the chance to read a whole book about not just Bruce but also his family.

    The Senator and the Socialite starts off great. It’s historical non-fiction, but it’s certainly not a dry read. Graham is a very capable writer. As expected, I learned a ton of new stuff. For example, I had no idea that Mississippi has had a black Lt. Governor. Alexander K. Davis served as Lt. Governor under Adelbert Ames. Even more amazing is that Davis and Ames were elected in November 1873.

    The more I read about Bruce and his wife, Josephine, the more I didn’t like them, which is something I hate to admit. They both seemed extremely opportunistic, and there doesn’t seem to be any justifiable reason for it. They both wanted to acquire and hold onto power, even when it meant neglecting their extended family. When I think of historical figures who accomplished great things, I tend to think of them as having pure reasons for their actions, and I find myself holding them to a kind of lofty ideal. When I read accounts like what’s in The Senator and the Socialite, it brings these people down to reality, and I realize that they were humans with flaws, like the rest of us. I guess that can be both a good and bad thing.

    Unfortunately, my dislike for the Bruces isn’t limited to Blanche and Josephine. I feel the same about Roscoe, their son, though, his personality isn’t totally his own fault. His parents were often so busy with their own professional and social obligations that they didn’t spend any time with their kid. It’s heartbreaking to read about how he wanted to get to know them, how he yearned for closeness with them, but they just weren’t there for him emotionally.

    In Chapter 15, we finally get an instance where Roscoe doesn’t seem like a snob. Josephine wanted him to marry someone from a wealthier family so that problems wouldn’t arise due to mismatched financial backgrounds. Her brother’s first wife was a woman from a family of more modest means than theirs, and when they split, she took everything he had – literally. The woman took all his possessions. Josephine didn’t want Roscoe to succumb to the same fate. But Roscoe didn’t budge. He wanted Clara, even though her family was middle class and not as wealthy as the Bruces.

    As I began Chapter 15, I thought that Roscoe may have matured and turned over a new leaf, but my thoughts were premature. Right before his marriage to Clara, he was such an ass about the wedding and who was supposed to pay for it. He wanted a grand wedding but he wasn’t willing to help Clara’s family pay for it, even though they couldn’t afford all the things he demanded. I’ve never heard the term groomzilla, which would be the male version of a bridezilla, but I would say Roscoe definitely qualified. He wouldn’t help pay for the wedding, and he was unwilling to postpone it so that Clara’s family could save some more money for it. Also, he made Clara leave school to marry him and suggested that she was immoral for wanting to postpone so that she could finish. What a jerk!

    Josephine had at least one moment of redemption, too. In Chapter 16, she decided to pay her workers, going against the advice of her asshat brother-in-law. So the Bruces weren’t totally opportunistic about everything. To be fair, the Bruces aren’t the only ones who seemed less shiny to me by the time I finished the book. Through the accounts that Graham decides to include, he also manages to make Booker T. Washington seem like a total dick.

    Final Opinion

    While it was certainly interesting to read about this extraordinary family, I can’t help but feel sad about the outcome. In a way, even the modern family doesn’t leave any hope for a happy ending for the “dynasty”. Nearly all of the Bruce descendants have disappeared or have chosen to obscure their family ties to the family. Some of the descendants live as white people and refuse to acknowledge ties due to racial reasons. And many of the family members who look black don’t necessarily feel the need to embrace the family history.

    Honestly, my opinion of Bruce and his family kept declining throughout the book, and they never really were able to redeem themselves to what my opinion of them had been prior to reading the book. Granted, prior to reading the book, I’d known very little about them, but I’d had a positive perception because of Blanche Bruce’s role in the history of Mississippi and the nation. The Senator and the Socialite was a great book, but the story it tells is overwhelmingly sad.