TITLE: Star Trek: The Discovery

DISCLAIMER: All things Star Trek belong to their various owners, Deep Space 9 and Next Generation characters belong to Paramount TV, and New Frontier characters and The Excalibur belong to Pocket Books and Peter David. All things from Smallville belong to Warner Brothers, the CW, DC Comics, and their respective creator.

The idea for this fic was brought to life by Marcus Rowland's 100 drabble Space Oddity.

Stardate: 31988.25

Starbase Six Two One

Commander Vatika raised his eyebrow as he walked down through the halls of the Starbase towards the medical section, today had had a few surprises already, with a monthly probe from the Tzenkethi coming into their space a few days earlier than expected, causing more than a few alarms to go off in the process, but then only a few hours after the probe had left their sensor range the Stargazer had hailed them to confirm they were on route and would be arriving within the hour at high warp.

Everyone onboard Starbase Six Two One was used to seeing the Stargazer by now, they were on a two-year long mission to map the sector for spatial disturbances and update the federation star charts, as much as they could when half the sector was taken up by the Tzenkethi Coalition that wouldn't allow any Federation ships within their space.

As far as he'd been aware, the Stargazer was coming to the end of its mission in the sector and would have been heading back to Federation space within the month for a refit and shore leave before moving on to the nearby Maxia sector, which didn't leave them any reason to come back to his Starbase.

He moved to the medical bay, the doors opening automatically for him to step through, leaving him slightly confused at the sight inside. Captain Picard was there, watching his first officer Commander Crusher holding a small child that was wrapped in some sort of red blanket, sleeping in his arms while Doctor Summers was performing what looked to be routine scans on the child.

"Captain?" Commander Vatika asked, waiting for an explanation.

Captain Picard nodded to acknowledge him, moving quietly over to the side of the room where Commander Vatika was so he wouldn't wake the child when he spoke. "Commander, my apologies for intruding on you once more. We have a rather, unusual situation here."

"The child?" Commander Vatika said simply.

"The Stargazer was mapping the Helaspont Nebula when sensors picked up a small energy reading." Captain Picard explained. "When we investigated, we found a small life pod containing the child in stasis."

"Stasis?" Commander Vatika raised an eyebrow at that, no warp capable civilisations he knew of used stasis technology anymore.

"My thoughts exactly," Captain Picard nodded in agreement, knowing what Commander Vatika was thinking. "The pod masked the child's life signs at first, we beamed what we believed to be a damaged probe of some sort onto the Stargazer. It wasn't until Commander Crusher was investigating the damage to the pod that he discovered the child."

"I see." Commander Vatika nodded. "The child appears human." He said as Doctor Summers came over.

"Only in outward appearance Commander." Captain Picard explained.

"I have to agree with Captain Picard on that." Doctor Summers said as she approached the pair, leaving Commander Crusher quietly trying to set the child down on one of the beds without waking him. "His genetics are beyond anything I've seen before Commander. Certainly not a race the Federation has ever encountered."

"Our doctor said the same," Captain Picard nodded in agreement. "But the Stargazer medical bay isn't as advanced as the one here." He said by way of explaining why they'd come back to Starbase Six Two One.

"He is approximately two standard years old, though given what Commander Crusher has been telling me about the stasis technology found with him, he could be much older." Doctor Summers explained.

"What about his pod?" Commander Vatika asked, turning to Captain Picard. "Any information there on his home world? His race?"

"Nothing," Captain Picard shook his head. "The pod was badly damaged, possibly from micro-meteor damage or weapons fire. The pod itself is made of an alloy our sensors can't penetrate, and appeared to have been adrift for quite some time." He explained, bringing up a PADD he'd been holding and tapping the screen a few times before turning it around and handing it to Commander Vatika. "This was discovered with the pod." He explained as Commander Vatika looked at the pictures of the fractured octagonal disk that was being displayed.

"These markings?" The Vulcan commander asked, looking at the broken disk being shown to him.

"Unknown." Captain Picard nodded. "There are no records of any symbols like that in the Federation database." He explained, the mystery tantalising his explorer instincts.

"Interesting." Commander Vatika said, using the PADD to zoom in on the pictographs shown on the two halves of the octagonal disk.

"Commander Crusher says there were similar markings displayed inside the pod where the child was found, but power failed before we were able to record them." Captain Picard explained. "The Stargazer just isn't equipped with the necessary tools to decipher these symbols and perform tests to identify the life pod." He said with a small sigh, letting Commander Vatika know how disappointed he was to be handing over a puzzle like this. "Not to mention finding a suitable home for the child while we investigate his appearance."

"I agree with your decision Captain," Commander Vatika nodded, handing the PADD back to Captain Picard. "The USS Gordon is due to pass this sector tomorrow on its way back to Utopia Planitia for a refit. It would be logical for Captain Johns to transport the child and pod back to Federation headquarters where more equipped science teams can take over."

"I quite agree Commander." Captain Picard said firmly. "Three days of having the child on my ship caused enough disruption." He said, then continued when Commander Vatika looked at him for an explanation. "The crew, spent more time fawning over the child off duty than getting the rest they needed."

"Ah," Commander Vatika nodded back. "The pre-occupation with young, especially ones that have been abandoned and in need of protection, is a trait found in most species."

"I have no problem with them being protective over a child," Captain Picard frowned. "Just, not when it interferes with their duties."

"A logical position, Captain." The Vulcan Commander nodded. "The young have no place on a starship."

"On that we can agree Commander." Captain Picard smiled slightly, amused at having found something both he and the Vulcan actually agreed on.

"I will contact Captain Johns and appraise him of the situation." Commander Vatika explained. "If you have the Stargazer transport the life pod and send over the data you have collected so far, I will have it taken back to the Federation science teams with the child."

"I'll see to it personally." Captain Picard nodded in agreement, gesturing for them to leave the medical bay.

Commander Vatika nodded his consent as he followed Captain Picard out of sick bay, leaving Doctor Summers to return to the child with Commander Crusher. "I believe this will be the last we see of you Captain."

"It appears that way Commander." Captain Picard said as he matched step with Commander Vatika while they walked through the corridors of the star base. "Without any further distractions, we should be finished mapping the Helaspont nebula within the week, then then heading out of your sector."

"The Maxia sector I believe to be your next destination, correct?" Commander Vatika asked.

"Correct," Captain Picard nodded. "A largely uninhabited sector from what we know of previous scans taken, the Stargazer will spend the next year mapping the sector properly and sending data of any M-class planets on to Starfleet for follow up expeditions."

"A detailed and thorough job," Commander Vatika agreed. "I find myself finding the prospect of such an undertaking to be almost, appealing." He said with a nod.

"Well, yes, the exploration and mapping of uncharted sectors is quite rewarding." Captain Picard smiled. "Chance encounters like the boy however are few and far between."

"Perhaps you will find the child's home world in the Maxia sector Captain." Commander Vatika said thoughtfully. "It is illogical to assume that a life pod without warp capabilities could have got very far."

"Perhaps." Captain Picard nodded in agreement. "But given how sophisticated the sensors registered the pods stasis field to be, it's entirely possible the pod has been drifting for hundreds of years, through countless systems, before being discovered. If we hadn't found him, it's doubtful the stasis field would have lasted much longer, leaving the next people to come across the pod a rather more disturbing discovery"

Commander Vatika nodded at that, the thought of leaving an infant out to starve and suffocate inside a small life pod as its power ran out was quite an abhorrant one, even to his Vulcan sensibilities. "Making the prospect of finding its origin without further information extremely unlikely." Commander Vatika said, realising that with a sophisticated stasis system in place, the pod could have drifted for hundreds of years, if not more.

"Precisely," Captain Picard said. "Sadly, it's entirely possible the child will never find his home world or know where he came from."

"Then what will become of him?" Commander Vatika asked.

"The Federation has encountered situations like this before, while abandoning a child is rare in civilised systems, sometimes events can leave a child without parents or family, and there are systems in place to make sure the child is taken care of until they are old enough to make their own choices for their future." Captain Picard explained.

"I see," Commander Vatika nodded. "It is likely, if his home world is not found, that the child will be integrated into these systems then?"

"He'll be taken care of yes." Captain Picard said with a nod. "The Federation will take care of his needs until he's old enough."

"A ward of the Federation then." Commander Vatika said simply.

"Very much so." Captain Picard said in agreement. "Perhaps when he is old enough, he will search for his home world himself, or join Starfleet and continue his search there."

"That would be the most logical choice." Commander Vatika said appraisingly.

"Perhaps." Captain Picard smiled. "Though children are not the most logical creatures Commander." He said with a small laugh.

"On that, we agree again Captain." Commander Vatika said as he led the way through to his ready room where he could contact the USS Gordon and Captain Johns before Captain Picard made the arrangements to have the child's life pod and information transported aboard for later transport back to Earth.