Changeling Infiltration Alert Canceled, Starfleet Academy Halloween Event Blamed

Posted on 239711.20 by J'mai Osen in Life & Travel

SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH – Earlier today, Starfleet Security issued a retraction of their previous alert, bringing the Sol system’s defence status officially back to ‘green.’ (Editor’s note Green = ~ 560–520 nm ~ 540–580 THz).

Apologizing for the public disruption caused by the false alarm, Commodore Raoul Oterboro was quick to spin the situation positively.

“Our alert was sent after we received credible holo footage of numerous individuals on the Starfleet Academy campus seemingly changing shape, size and appearance at will. By the time we realized the Academy’s Halloween Gala had been rescheduled and our ‘changelings’ were engineering students using a novel personal holoprojector, the damage was done. Starfleet Security regrets the disruptions to trade, communication and travel which occurred.”

When pressed for followup information, Commodore Oterboro apologized, claimed he couldn’t hear us and that he was ‘going through a wormhole,’ and closed the connection.

Academy cadets were not as tight-lipped about the incident, but none wished to go on record by name.

When asked about the incident, a senior cadet chuckled, “Halloween wasn’t a thing in my colony, but apparently it’s something of an informal competition for some of the Humans and a few other species around here. Gets crazy every year for a few weeks. Last year’s winners had a team Horta costume that was fantastic – looked so real.”

A junior cadet wandering by overheard our conversation and volunteered the following, “I heard that the whole engineering school is spending the rest of the semester repainting the undersides of all the rocks in the Commandant’s garden. Worth it though – those people are absolute legends.”

A few other cadets had less positive feedback about the disruptive nature of the misunderstanding.

“The Human fascination with fantasy and the procurement of nutritionally deleterious confections has once again thrown a world into peril.” The junior cadet arched an eyebrow before continuing, “I abandoned my studies and sought shelter per procedure when the alarm sounded. It was a deeply inefficient use of my time.”

The Commandant’s office did not respond to questions directly, but a later press release on the subject affirmed that they would not cancel the annual event in the future, but that they will make every effort to remind the public and the relevant security agencies well in advance next year.

About the Author
More Posts

About J'mai Osen

J'mai Osen is a Trill writer whose travels have taken him around most of the Federation. He has developed a reputation for finding small, person-orientated angles within larger sociopolitical events. He is an accomplished Tongo player, and his hobbies include a passion for cooking and an affinity for Romulan ale.