We the people of Earth greet you in a spirit of peace and humility as we venture out of our solar system. We hope to earn the trust and friendship of other words" the recording say before Janeway turn it off.
"Friendship One. I memorized that recording in third grade." Harry Kim say with a smile and Tom Paris snort and nod
"Me to. I even built a model of the probe."
Janeway get out of her seat and walk around the table in the meeting room to the viewscreen "Then this should look familiar.". She turn it on before facing the group again "It was launched in 2067." and Tom nod as the screen show the probe.
"It was just four years after Zefram Cochrane invented the warp drive." he say and I cant help but smile slightly. For once I actually know more about a historic event in this timeline than he do. Cybernetic lifeforms from the future indeed...
The basic mission of the probe was basically to do the same thing as the Voyager probe did back in my timeline. Carry a message to the stars saying "Here we are!" as well as containing information on how to build subspace transmitters and other similar technology.
It was launched way before the formation of the Federation so no prime directive.
And now starfleet want us to locate it...and I know what are waiting when we do.
It took days, but we managed to locate the probe on a planet with a highly radioactive atmosphere. The interference make it impossible to beam it out or even get a good lock on it(big surprise there).
The place is a radioactive hellhole that would make Fallout look like a tourist spot...and there are still people down there.
They captured the awayteam and when they found out who they where...they blame humanity for what happened on their world.
The probe crashed on their world and they managed to reverse engineer it. They where barely at 1990 level technology when it happened. They used it to build WMD's as well as other technology.
The fools. The unbelievable fools.
They used planetary antimatter reactors. There was a containment breach...they where lucky it didn't crack the mantle!
Now they blame Earth. They think Earth sent them new technology so they would destroy themselves with it so Earth could take their planet.
Fools! Fools all of them!
The rescue operation was a success. The Doctor infiltrated the enemy camp as they captured Tuvok and stunned the guards.
Once everyone was safe, Neelix and Tom Paris convinced the Captain to help the people on the planet.
One of their researchers had theorized a method to do it, but they didnt have the means.
Voyager do.
Several modified photon torpedo detonated at low altitude to spread a catalytic agent that would start a chain reaction in the atmosphere would form a isolytic reaction that would almost completely neutralize the atmospheric radiation.
It worked.
It didn't save the millions of lives lost because some idiot thought AM reactors on a planet was a good idea, but at least the few thousand survivors can now start to rebuild...after the Doctor spent a week or so giving them injections to repair the worst of their genetic damage.
A few days later I once again meet Janeway in the messhall while looking out at the warp field reaction against interstellar dust. The flying past stars effect.
"Captain." I say while glancing back at her with a mechadendrite when she enter and she nod
"Mr Hiver. Some tea?"
"Yes please. White today I think." I answer and move to sit down as she get her coffee and my tea before joining me.
"Thinking about the planet?" I ask as I take a sip from my cup. White tea is best tea but damn expensive in quantity if you go for quality back in my time.
She nod with a sigh "Yes. I cant blame our ancestors for wanting to explore, but all the lives lost.."
I look down at my cup as I set it down "Yes. The damage done was great, but they cant be blamed for it. It was not their fault some aliens used technology they wasn't ready for to destroy themselves."
Janeway frown "This is why we have the prime directive now. To stop this kind of thing from happening."
I take another sip with a small frown before putting my cup down "I'm not sure I agree with the prime directive. It sound good on paper...but I am not sure it stand up to reality. You yourself have needed to bend it in the past."
She nod "The Prime Directive is there mainly to get the Captain to think about what they are doing when dealing with primitive species and it is a good guideline. With our power we would be like gods to a less advanced world. We could solve every problem they have..."
I slowly nod "And give them a bunch new ones at the same time. As well as likely wiping out their culture in the process. I don't say that non interference is a bad thing...It's just that. I dont know, it just feel like taking the easy way out."
Janeway smile slightly and drink her coffee "There are starfleet officers with the same kind of thoughts you know."
Shrugging I drink my tea "I just think each situation need to be addressed on its own. Perhaps a less advanced civilization need to be guided carefully. What if a world with a people at a iron age technology level are discovered where they systematical enslave and mutilate one gender are discovered. Should it just be left alone to follow their natural path of development? Or should undercover agents be sent in to slowly guide their development?"
She sigh and shake her head "Those kind of questions where asked in xenophilosophy at the academy. What would cause more damage? What make our view of the world more valid than theirs? I almost failed that course."
I snort slightly "That's why I would never join starfleet. In my view there is only one way to solve that kind of situation."
The Captain smirk and drink her coffee "Let me guess..." and I nod
"If their culture can not survive equality, it do not deserve to survive. Sometimes interfering is a bad thing, yes...especially if you go about it half arsed. If you are going to interfere, you do it completely with the intention to integrate them as full members with equal rights in your faction. You can do it slow, but always have the aim to follow through. Dont bugger off in the middle and leave them hanging."
She frown slightly "That sound a awful lot like colonialism. Even back in your time they knew that that kind of thing was a bad idea."
I shake my head and drain my cup "Colonialism is a different thing captain. It was a way to get resources and went about things in a half arsed way. I'm talking full integration, equal rights." and then I snort "But I don't mean starfleet should go around conquering every primitive world in sight. Just...hell, I dont know. Perhaps the Prime Directive is the best we can do for now. Humans are Humans, the risk of messing up is very real."
She nod and then finish her coffee "Good night, Mr Hiver." as I stand up
"Good Night, Captain."