(Setting the stage for a seaQuest -> UEO/Chaodai War -> Third World War -> First Contact -> Starfleet unified timeline.)
 
 
(Transcript of one of the few remaining official records from the 2000-2050 era.)
 
United Earth/Oceans Organization: Records Office
Transcript: Commanding Officer, UEO Ticonderoga, DSCH-9463
Personal Log Entry: 9 July 2029 - 2135hrs
 

“They say obsession is the cancer of mental illness, but if you ask me, anyone who can ignore their gut was never sane in the first place.

Ten years ago, Captain Nathan Bridger was forced to sacrifice his creation... to give the order to destroy seaQuest in a last-ditch attempt to save the planet from environmental annihilation. And for the last ten years, I've been patrolling the world's oceans trying to maintain the peace without the super boat to back me up.

Following the economic summit of 2025, the UEO lifted the ban on colonial deregulation, putting more than 250,000 square kilometers of undeveloped basins back on the market. Overnight, hundreds of new colonies spang from the sea. But without the seaQuest, the UEO was powerless to control the explosion of commerce, and the fallout of the associated wealth, power, and greed.

They found themselves outmanned and outgunned. I was ready to retire, but they offered me triple the pay and any boat I wanted... The problem was, the only boat I wanted was a radioactive puddle under the Australian tectonic plate.

While I was losing the peace in the Pacific and Bridger was fighting an uphill battle to complete seaQuest II at the UEO shipyards in Newport News, Virginia, the Northern Pacific Confederation was secretly building their own version at the original shipyards in San Fransisco.

The political fallout of that news going public was fast and extreme. The Alliance of Macronesia, formerly New Australia, decried the move. They were still trying to recover from the disaster that had been the UEO-backed World Power project. Within minutes of being sworn in, President Bourne carried out his campaign promise and declared Macronesia in abeyance of the 2017 United Earth’s Oceans Treaty and began a unilateral military buildup. Using the technologies developed to repair the Australian basins destroyed by World Power, they began engineering ridges all around the Pacific. They got rich fast and it went to their heads.

It wasn't long before UEO ships were being harassed in the Pacific by Alliance vessels; and elsewhere around the globe by other powers emboldened by Macronesia's growth and success; and by the continuous delays at the Newport News shipyards. The UEO considers this a trade embargo against the non-aligned nations. I call it war.

For ten years now, the UEO has been struggling to maintain peace and seeking a diplomatic solution to the rising conflicts beneath the sea. But with thousands of UEO peacekeepers stationed around the globe, they have only two choices: pull back and let the colonists fight for themselves… or commit the world to war.

seaQuest is our last hope for maintaining peace, however fragile. Maybe Zeller was right. This peace has been a charade. But the fact that we came together after the incident at Livingston Trench and formed the United Earth's/Oceans Organization in the first place, shows that even if it is a charade, it's one we truly want, even if we don't know how to get there.

It's going to take a miracle of biblical proportions to pull back the tides of war and save humanity. Six days ago, UEO satellites detected a massive wave of Alliance vessels breaking dock and forming up into a flotilla in the South Pacific. There can be only one conclusion drawn… they intend to strike San Francisco before NORPAC's new seaQuest can set sail.”

*** ( bosun's whistle ) ***

"Bridge to Captain Hudson. Sir, FLASH traffic from UEO Command. They flooded the dock during the night... she's put to sea!"

"I think we might have just gotten that miracle."

 
Hudson, O; Capt. UEO-NP-37215-B3-063
Transcription Complete. Runtime: 3min 55.47sec.
 

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United Earth/Oceans Organization: Records Office
Transcript: Commanding Officer, UEO seaQuest II, DSV-4601
Personal Log Entry: 23 October 2037 - 2210hrs
 

“Seven years as Captain of the seaQuest. Seven fabulous years. This has been the greatest honor of my career, and getting to know the people who crew it has been the greatest privilege of my life. The crew thinks Bridger is back for a couple weeks to hold the helm till the new Captain arrives.

It will be my supreme honor to promote Commander Ford as my last action as a UEO Naval Officer. Who would have thought 40 years ago I would make Admiral? Rear Admiral Oliver Hudson… Soon to be Secretary General of the UEO. I don’t mind admitting it here that it scares the hell out of me. I’m going to go down in history as the man who led the UEO into the Third World War.”

 
Hudson, O; RAdm. UEO-NP-37215-B3-063
Transcription Complete. Runtime: 1min 26.79sec.
 

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United Earth/Oceans Organization: Records Office
Transcript: Official Video Record, UEO seaQuest II, DSV-4601
Bridge Event-Recorder: 24 October 2037 - 0900hrs
 
{ A.I. - Annotated Transcript }

{ Bridger: } "As the designer of the seaQuest-class submarines, voluntarily surrendering command was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. But surrendering the helm to Captain Hudson was the right call. As a result, the UEO has seen fit to invest in me special authority and orders. It is with supreme honor and gratitude, in accordance with the authority invested in me by the UEO, that I here-by bestow upon Captain Oliver Hudson the rank of Rear Admiral, with all the rights & privileges there-to. Congratulations Oliver."

{ Hudson: } "Thank you Nathan. Commanding this boat and this crew has been the greatest honor in my career. Commander Ford. Front and center!"

{ Ford: } (snapping to attention in front of Hudson) "Reporting as ordered Capta... Admiral!"

{ Hudson: } (paper rustling) "I want you to know Commander, this decision was made against my most stringent arguments."

{ Ford: } (confused) "Sir?"

{ Bridger: } (Reading from paper)
"From: UEO Command,
Office of Deputy CNO.
 
To: Commander Jonathon Devin Ford,
Executive Officer, UEO seaQuest II, DSV-4601.
 
Effective 24 October 2037 at 0930hrs, your appointment as Executive Officer of the aforementioned UEO seaQuest II is terminated pending new assignment.
 
Signed;
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations,
Vice Admiral Jeramiah Stukov
UEO Command, New Cape Quest, Florida.
Captain?"

*** ( a figure in the background moves forward ) ***

{ Ford: } (surprised rustling from assembled crew) "Katie?"

{ Hitchcock: } (hands two envelopes and a small box to Ford) "Good to see you again Jonathon. Wish it was under better circumstances. Could you hold these for me please?"

*** ( surprised rustling from assembled crew ) ***

{ Bridger: } (directly to Hitchcock) "Last chance to change your mind Captain."

{ Hitchcock: } (confidently) "Offer appreciated sir, but I definitely want this."

{ Bridger: } (pulling a sheet of paper from his breast pocket and unfolding it) "Very well...From: UEO Command
Office of Deputy CNO.
 
To: Captain Katherine Hitchcock
UEO Maritime Commission, Merchant Marine
 
Effective this date, 24 October 2037 at 0930hrs, your UEO Naval Commission is reinstated, retroactive to 1 August. You are hereby promoted to the rank of full Commander, also retroactive to the aforementioned date, with a commensurate increase in pay and all the rights and privileges there-to.
 
Furthermore, upon receipt of this notification, you are requested and required to assume the position and duties as Executive Officer of UEO seaQuest II DSV-4601, pending final approval of incoming Captain of seaQuest.
 
Signed,
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations,
Vice Admiral Jeramiah Stukov
UEO Command, New Cape Quest, Florida

*** ( paper rustles as Bridger folds letter ) ***

Congratulations Commander and welcome aboard."

{ Hitchcock: } "Thank you sir. It's an honor and a privilege to be back. Commander Ford?"

{ Ford: } (warring emotions in his eyes and voice) "Yes? Sir?"

{ Hitchcock: } "Admiral Hudson has something for you."

*** ( Bridger takes the box from Cmdr. Ford ) ***

{ Hudson: } (pulling out and unfolding a piece of paper) "Yes, it is that time, isn’t it? Commander Ford. As the UEO’s newest Rear Admiral, it gives me great satisfaction to recognize your years of selfless service to the Navy and to the UEO by presenting you this…

*** ( opens box, displaying new gold UEO collar tabs and a set of Captain’s rank patches and bars ) ***

Congratulations… Captain Ford!

*** ( thunderous applause echoes from around the seaQuest bridge - Hudson pulls out a second piece of paper and verifies contents ) ***

From: UEO Command
Office of the CNO.
 
To: Rear Admiral Oliver Hudson,
Commanding Officer, UEO seaQuest II, DSV-4601.
 
Pursuant to discussion of 18 October 2037, your recommendation is accepted and approved. Here-to-fore, effective 0930hrs on 24 October 2037, your commission as Commanding Officer of UEO seaQuest II is terminated. You are requested and required to relinquish command to the new Captain at that time.
 
Signed;
Admiral Akari Yamamoto,
Chief of Naval Operations
UEO Command, New Cape Quest, Florida"

{ Bridger: } "Captain Ford, for the 20 months we sailed together aboard seaQuest, I never had cause to question your honor, bravery, dedication to duty, or ethical compass. You were my right-hand, and I don’t believe I could have done the job with anyone else beside me.

Through nine years of battle with bureaucratic middle-managers, pencil-pushing bean-counters, and pompous politicians to get seaQuest II built, you never gave me pause; reason to question your professionalism, loyalty, or integrity. Though I don’t mind admitting, as you turned down command-offer after command-offer, I did occasionally question your sanity.

*** ( interrupted by quiet chuckles from assembled crew ) ***

As a result of your unwavering dedication to the seaQuest team and the ideals of the United Earth’s/Oceans Organization, UEO Command has seen fit to bestow special recognition of your service…"

{ Hitchcock: } (whispers to Ford) "You might want to open that envelope now Captain."

{ Ford: } (paper rips as he opens envelope and pulls out single sheet of paper and begins reading to himself)

{ Hudson: } "Ship’s company… attention! Don’t forget Captain, its tradition to read it aloud..."

{ Ford: } (still in shock of the news) From: UEO Command
Office of the CNO.
 
To: Captain Jonathon Devin Ford.
 
Effective 0930hrs, 24 October 2037, you are hereby requested, required and ordered to take command of the ballistic missile submarine UEO seaQuest II, DSV-4601.
 
Signed;
Admiral Akari Yamamoto,
Chief of Naval Operations
UEO Command, New Cape Quest, Florida"

*** ( Thunderous applause, whoops, hollers, & other shouts of congratulations and celebrations ) ***

{ Hudson: } (drawing himself up to full attention, saluting, and speaking over the noise) " Captain Ford, I am ready to be relieved."

{ Ford: } (drawing himself up to match Hudson's precise posture) " Admiral Hudson, I relive you sir."

*** ( Image sputters and audio spits static, then clears up ) ***

{ Hudson: } "Captain, I stand relieved."

{ End appended video record transcript. }
 
Transcription Complete. Runtime: 1min 26.79sec.
UEO seaQuest II, DSV-4601: Bridge Event Recorder, Official Record.
 

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