"Future futures, black as night"
 by Lieutenant jg T'Kang
 Chief Tactical Officer - USS Tempest
 http://come.to/tkang


T'Kang slotted the chip and activated the recording.

The image of an old, gray hared, Klingon Warrior appeared 
on the monitor.   It was indeed T'Kang, only much older.  A 
hundred years older.  The warrior wore a tattered Klingon 
Defense Force uniform, with the medallions of several rival 
houses decorating his sash.

"Hello old friend."  The future T'Kang said in a gruff, sagely 
voice that was overly raspy; no doubt from the massive scar 
tissue that covered half of his face and neck.

T'Kang was transfixed on the view screen as he leaned back 
into his chair.  He was some what relieved that he had 
proven himself to be right, that this recording was not made 
by his father as the Yiridian had wrongly claimed, but by his 
future self.  Still, there was sadness in his Klingon heart, as it 
had been many years, what seemed like a lifetime, since 
he'd heard his fathers voice.

"You are probably wondering why I am sending this 
message to you in violation of the Temporal Prime Directive.  
Right now you are thinking to yourself, this is a violation of 
the laws I've sworn to uphold.  A dishonorable thing to do.  I 
know this because, I know what it is to be you my young 
friend.  But you do not know what it is to be an old man!  To 
live with a century of mistakes that should not have 
happened, in a galaxy where the darkness lurks everywhere 
and has no honor."  the elderly T'Kang grumbled.

"If the Yiridian did as he was told, you should have received 
this message before you've detected a Cardassian ship on 
long range scanners.  Do not be fooled, as I was my friend.  
It is a trick.  A clever ruse by the Ferengi Consortium to lure 
the Tempest into a deadly trap. . . ."  the old Klingon paused 
long enough to swallow.  His lips looked parched and his 
skin dry and withered.  Such pain and suffering T'Kang never 
imagined possible to rest upon a face; his own face.

"That Cardassian signal is actually a fleet of Marauders 
heading to destroy the Tempest.  By the time the Ferengi 
deception is discovered it will be too late.  The Tempest was 
captured and her crew taken prisoners by the Consortium.  
Some were sold off as slaves, others met their deaths in the 
arenas as wage fighters, while others simply were blown out 
into the cold darkness of space."

The elderly T'Kang's eyes narrowed pointedly.  "Beware my 
friend.  Commodore Mitchell is about to make a grave 
mistake.  He fancies himself one of the Q, and of this he is 
correct.  However he was under the assumption that he 
didn't use his powers because he chose not to.   If you do 
not warn him, when the time comes and the Ferengi 
deception is discovered, he will attempt to use his powers 
only to discover the Continuum has taken them away; The 
penalty for choosing a life with mere mortals in Starfleet.  In 
the back of the Captain's mind has always been this 
subconscious thought that if things get out of control he can 
always use his Q abilities to set things right again.  Indeed, 
the Commodore has gone into more than a few encounters 
with this haughtiness.  But when he finally crosses that line, 
when he finally reaches back and tries to flex his continuum 
abilities, that is when he will realize for the first time how 
fragile he and his crew are.   You must tell him this.  Tell him 
so that he doesn't make the same mistake with you and your 
crew."

T'Kang swallowed again.  It was obvious that it was hard for 
the elderly Klingon to continue speaking, but he droned on in 
his horse voice.  "So much about my timeline I could tell you 
my friend.  Yet, if you do the right thing, none of it will 
happen.   Turn away from the Cardassian ship.  Don't fall for 
the Ferengi trick.  Let the Commodore know of his own 
powerless immortality so that he doesn't place the ship or 
crew in unnecessary risk.   Do these things and perhaps the 
darkness that permeates my galaxy will not get a foothold in 
yours."

The elder T'Kang swallowed again.  "Go back.  Back to 
where the Tempest first entered this timeline.  Your 
engineers and scientists already have the technology they 
need to defeat the warp limitation of this period.   There you 
will find the real Cardassian vessel, still trapped in the rip 
through the fabric of time and space.  Free her and return to 
where you belong, making this place, this universe, and this 
old man a whisper of a thought.  You do not want to live the 
life these eyes have seen my friend.  And I do not wish you 
to.  That is why I speak to you now in this way."

T'Kang's breath grew short for such a long message from an 
old man.  Painstakingly, he continued.  "One last thing.  The 
Yiridian is not to be trusted.  Once you have received this 
message, leave him behind, or the infiltrators that plague my 
galaxy will soon plague yours and it will be your destiny to 
repeat the mistakes my eyes have seen.   Die well my friend. 
Qapla!"

The recording faded to black.   T'Kang glared at the screen 
for a moment before extracting the chip and rising from his 
seat.   With renewed sense of purpose, he exited his office 
and proceed toward the Bridge.

The turbolift opened and the Klingon marched out, his eyes 
finding the Commodore's.  "I must speak to you Captain."  
T'Kang said in his urgent, no nonsense manner.

Taddy glanced at the Chief Tactical Officer.  "T'Kang.  We 
are tracking the Cardassian vessel, it's on an intercept 
course." the Captain informed.

"I know sir.  It is a trick.  I believe you should view this 
recording. . . ."  T'Kang glanced around, "In private."

Taddy took the isolinear chip from T'Kang and flipped it over 
in his fingers before glancing back at his Chief Tactical 
Officer.

"It's a message from the future. . . ."  T'Kang explained with 
eyes widening just slightly; an indication of the 
enlightenment contained on the tiny little chip.