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Chapter Text

The Star Beagle Adventures                                                
Episode 3: Yours Is No Disgrace
Scene 10: Checkmate

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Checkmate

Captain Skip Howard, Commander Dutch Holland and Sakura Nakamura Holland, the U.S.S. Beagle’s Dean of Ship, had been summoned to the Beagle’s main conference room the day after the discovery of the battle fleet being assembled within the Al Seribo binary star system. As they rode a lift through the engineering floors and walked into the hallway leading to the conference room, they were having a hushed but quite animated conversation.

“So yesterday you thought they could launch this armada within the hour. Then it was in a day, maybe a week,” Skip Howard said, gesturing dramatically with his hand. “Now you’re telling me they could have gone 30 years ago and you have no idea when they might launch their anti-biological pogrom?”

“Our readings are clear.” The musclebound engineering luchador was clearly both annoyed and mystified. “Those engines can shatter their way into subspace. They’ve solved all the problems. There are no technological reasons they couldn’t have launched years ago. We have readings that indicate these engines are at least 30 years old. We thought they were in the final stages of assembling their ships.” He shrugged and looked at his wife.

Sakura picked up the explanation. “The moment they get one of those engines completely assembled…”

At this moment, the door into the conference room opened at a command by the person who had summoned them there: General Krank.

A large, virtual Tri-D chess set was displayed in the center of the conference table. Several pieces had been captured and a game was evidently on in earnest. 

Dr. Arthur Rush, the UFP sociologist and first contact specialist, was holding his own against General Krank.

Commodore Yui Song was also present, watching the game with interest. Captain Howard and the Hollands took places around the conference table. 

“I take it the Al Seribo armada is not launching today or in the next few days?” the general asked. “King’s bishop to white level 4B.” It was an aggressive move. 

“Their ships could have gone 30 years ago,” said Sakura Nakamura Holland. “But the moment any engine is completely assembled, they begin stripping it all the way down to the rivets - all the way down to its component parts and then they start building it again.”

“Pawn from white level 2C to 3C,” said Dr. Rush. The white pawn now threatened the klingon general’s bishop.

“Perfect timing,” General Krank observed. “And they’ve been assembling and disassembling that fleet for at least 30 years? King’s bishop will take the proffered pawn and that makes check.”

“The wear patterns on some of the assembly equipment indicates it is at least 30 years old, but there are freshly built tools, so for all we know, this strange behavior could have been going on much, much longer,” Commander Holland observed.

“Rotate King’s attack board 90 degrees,” said Dr. Rush.

“Hold game and detail the last move,” said General Krank.

“And there it is…” the klingon general gestured to the chessboard as the moveable attack board rotated, moving the king out of check and simultaneously protecting the piece from any diagonal attack. “The Zakdorn Twist. One of the new rules initiated by the Zakdorn to make it much more difficult for a computer to reliably win the game. And at the same time, the machine armada has exposed their weakness.”

“I can tell you have a point in all of this, Krank,” Skip Howard observed.

“There are some parts of federation history that klingons are often more familiar with than humans,” Krank rejoined. “Because klingons hate to lose and because we admire success. One human successfully managed first contact with a machine intelligence, not once, but three separate times. And each time he used an unexpected move to take advantage of an exposed weakness. The same man who was the only human to ever win the Vulcan Science Academy’s annual Tri-D Chess tournament… A contest won more often by machines than by vulcans...”

Arthur Rush's eyes lit up. “Captain James T. Kirk!” 

“His career is required study for any klingon who wishes to become a general,” said Krank.

“Because klingons admire success,” said Captain Howard.

“And we hate to lose,” Krank continued. “It seems the machine armada has conflicting priorities. Probably programmed into their most primary level of code. If you want to prevent this armada from launching on their voyage of destruction, you must successfully manage first contact. And to do that, you must understand the exact cause of these conflicting priorities. Get it wrong, and you may resolve this internal conflict in such a way that it no longer hinders the armada from launching.”

“And the key to doing that is to understand how Captain Kirk did the same thing,” mused Dr. Rush. “Not once, but three times.” He returned his attention to the chess board. “Release the game and return to comprehensive view.” Rush turned his attention to the klingon general. “Checkmate in three moves.”

“WHAT???” Krank roared and and focused intently on the board. The look of rage grew on his face. “DID I NOT JUST TELL YOU WE HATE TO LOSE?”

The middle-aged diplomat was neither large, nor athletic in any way. Pudgy, somewhat short and clearly terrified of the enraged klingon across the table from him, he appeared to be cataloguing the potential exits from the room.

Krank burst into laughter and slapped the table. “Well done, Doctor Rush!”

Skip Howard, who had taken a seat near the diplomat and across from the elderly klingon, leaned over and squeezed Dr. Rush's shoulder. Turquoise fingernail polish. “Klingons also admire success.” The Beagle’s captain stood and slapped the conference table. “Well, it seems some study of relevant logs of one Captain James T. Kirk would be in order…”

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