The Long & Winding Road

Posted on Sat Jun 7th, 2025 @ 6:59pm by Commander Gil’an Tyris

760 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Prologue
Location: Starfleet Command, Earth
Timeline: August 25, 2375

For seven days, Gil Tyris has been comfortably ensconced in the buildings of Starfleet Command. He had been poked and prodded, scanned exactly fifty-eight times with a medical tricorder. And of course, he had been subjected to a complete battery of neurological and cognitive testing. It had been an exhaustive process, but it was about to bear fruit.

For the duration of the testing, Gil had been provided unfettered access to unclassified Federation databases. A small but cozy suite of quarters had been provided; this included a sleeping area with a firm bed, a bathroom and wash area, a small sitting area, a food replicator, and a desk workspace. The Bak’u knew that his whereabouts and search history in the databases was being closely monitored; any Government worth keeping would do the same. And of course, Captain McIntyre had visited him twice. Gil had started to enjoy the Caitian’s company; he was not aggressive or adversarial like the databases characterized his species.

Gil had spent a significant fraction of the morning in front of the computer terminal. The Federation, by the standards of a simple person from an agrarian world, was a vast organization. It encompassed over 150 worlds, and over eight thousand light years of space. The UFP also had a vast database of knowledge, which made Gil very happy. His eidetic memory meant that he absorbed information like a sponge, and the well known Bak’u clarity of perception helped him to make connections that others could not see; this gave him a fresh perspective and could hopefully shed light on a variety of topics.

Feeling the need for a short respite, Gil powered off the computer and stood up from the small desk. He walked slowly to the replicator terminal and ordered a Vulcan Spiced Tea, iced and sweetened. As the drink appeared, the chime for the door chirped.

“Please come in,” said Gil. He lifted the glass of dark amber liquid from the replicator delivery pad as the door swished open. Two figures entered the room, only one of whom Gil had met. Commander Darvin Toll, a Betazoid and one of the senior Counselors that Gil had met, spoke first.

“Good morning, Gil,” said the Betazoid cheerfully. “How are you today?”

“Good morning Counselor Toll. I am doing well, thank you for asking. I have spent most of the day so far looking at some of the projects Starfleet Science is currently pursuing.”

“And…?”

“Some of them are promising. Some of them are a waste of time.”

“A bold statement from an individual that does not even hold a degree,” stated Commander Toll’s companion. Gil recognized him as being middle-aged and from the planet Vulcan, and the insignia on his collar denoted a Starfleet rank of Rear Admiral.

“Gil, this is Rear Admiral Xon,” said the Counselor, gesturing toward his companion. “He is the Vice Commandant of Starfleet Academy, and he is administrator of the abbreviated Officer Candidate Program we have discussed. I thought it was time that you two met face to face.”

Gil nodded respectfully toward the Admiral, bowing his head firmly a few seconds. “Admiral Xon, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise, Mister Tyris,” said the Vulcan flatly. “Counselor Toll has been discussing with me the results of your cognitive testing. I understand that you have already absorbed a significant portion of the knowledge in the Starfleet databases.”

“Yes Admiral. To date, I have parsed and committed to memory over 20 billion teraquads of information.”

“Yes, the Counselor says that you have a true eidetic memory. An uncommon trait, certainly.” The Vulcan folded his hands behind his back. “Mister Tyris, I will be brief. Starfleet Academy has reviewed your testing results, and we are impressed. I am formally extending to you the offer to take the Academy Entrance Exams. If you meet the Admission criteria, you will be admitted to the abbreviated OCS program that begins in three weeks.”

“Thank you Admiral,” said Gil calmly, taking a small sip of his iced tea. “When do the exams begin?”

“Tomorrow morning, 0700 hours. Be prepared for three days of testing, eight hours each. Commander Toll will be here at 0630 to escort you to the testing area.”

“I will be ready, Sir.”

“See that you are, Mister Tyris.”

With that, the Admiral turned on his heel and headed for the exit. Commander Toll smiled at Gil, nodding his head in acknowledgment, and left with the Admiral.


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Gil’an Tyris
Future Starfleet Officer

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