Historians note: This story is a sequel to "Be Someone Who Makes a Difference."
Epilogue and Prologue
After five weeks the Excelsior warped out of Earth orbit for its longest deep space mission. But first, a brief stop at Toshina Four, formerly known to a few as the Guardian Planet, to drop off supplies for the small civilian archeological base there.
Lieutenant Ahida Uhura was granted permission to beam down for a brief visit. Toshina's feeble sun was about to drop below the horizon. Ahida once more stood in front of the Guardian of Forever. She glanced back at the small base. She could see the lights and imagined the scientists settling in for a long cold night. This is how it should be, she thought. Scientists doing science, no cloak and dagger.
She placed her hands on the Guardians cold stone and whispered, "l allowed people to use me. People who could have harmed the shape of time, the very thing you protect. For that I'm truly sorry."
She listened, but the only sound was the eary sound of wind blowing through the ancient ruins. She was about to let go when she felt a gust of hot wind and the smell of the Vulcan desert.
"Come on Teela, we're almost there." She opened her eyes and watched her younger self and the selaht Teela as they scrambled up the side of Mt. Selaya and onto the path and the last few meters to the Lodge. Her communicator beeped.
"Excelsior to Lt. Uhura." It was Captain Sulu. She flipped her communicator open.
"Uhura here."
"I hate to rush you, but we do have a long way to go."
"I'm ready. One to beam up" she closed her communicator and watched as she and Teela reached the Lodge, they had made it.
A moment later the transporter swept her away to a brighter future.
Captain's log, Stardate 7182.3. After nearly a year at warp, Excelsior has crossed the line into unexplored space. Beyond the Gorn Hegemony and despite the loss of my first officer, morale is high, as the crew looks forward to what wonders, what dangers, await us.
0300 hrs. Excelsior engineering.
Lieutenant Jess Tyler was bored beyond belief. He glanced up from his console, fourteen feet above on a catwalk, Ensign Tashaun, an Andorian, was performing routine inspections of power relays. At least he's doing something, he thought, theoretically these engines can operate at maximum warp for a hundred years with only minor tweaking that could be done by a computer, or a monkey.
But, Starfleet had always mandated a human presence as much as possible. The main door to engineering opened, Jess turned expecting a Red Shirt making rounds. Instead.
"Ahida?" He said as he sat up straight. "Kinda late to be up, isn't it?"
"Couldn't sleep." She said, "Besides, I hoped I'd find you here."
"Umm...me?" He stammered nervously. "Well...umm... I like your hair. It's different?"
"You like it?"
"Yeah...umm...makes you look a little wild."
"Glad you like it."
Jess turned his attention to a beeping on the console. He made a minor adjustment. He felt Ahida's fingers gently massage his shoulders.
"Umm. Lieutenant, I don't know..." He felt the fingers of her left hand tighten and he slid unconscious to the floor.
Ahida's hands danced over the console.
"Warning." The computer announced. "Warp core breach imminent. Thirty seconds... twenty nine... twenty eight..."
A panicked voice came over the intercom. "Bridge to Engineering. Why are we locked out? What's going on?"
"What have you done?" Tashaun shouted from the catwalk. He started down a flight of stairs. Ahida drew a phaser and fired.
The beam struck the hand rail. Sparks exploded in the Andorians face, he retreated and took cover behind a support collum. Ahida waved her phaser, keeping him at bay. Alarms sounded throughout the ship. Desperate voices shouted over the intercom.
"Ten...nine..."
Ahida retreated from the engine room. Tashaun, didn't bother with the stairs, he leaped from the catwalk. He landed beside the console breaking a leg. He pulled himself up and began frantically pressing buttons.
"Two...one...warp core breach averted."
When the alarms sounded, Sulu had grabbed a kimono as he bolted out of his quarters. He was still wearing it when two red shirts ushered a confused Ahida into Excelsior's main conference room. He pointed at the main view screen and shouted.
"Lieutenant, explain this."
She watched in shock as the security recording replayed the incident.
"Captain, that's not me."
"Lieutenant, a few minutes ago this ship was one second away from going off like a supernova. You better have a better explanation."
"Captain, I... I don't know what to say. I was asleep when that happened."
"I've known you all your life. That is you."
Acting first officer Tuvok, had been standing back watching. He could sense Sulu was seething and Ahida was on the verge of panic. The situation needed to be de-escalated.
"Captain," he said, mustering as much Vulcan calm as he could, "perhaps the Lieutenant is correct. I've known her a long time as well. This is not in her character."
He walked up to the screen. "Computer, enhance the face of the female suspect." Ahida's face filled the screen.
"Facial recognition mode. Identify the suspect."
"Lt. Ahida Uhura. Ninety nine point four percent probability."
"Identify the female standing in this room."
"Lt. Ahida Uhura, one hundred percent probability."
"Why the point six percent discrepancy."
"The suspect has a two percent deviation of the nasal septum. Lt. Uhura has no record of such an injury."
"Captain," Ahida said, "I know who she is. This is classified, when I was stationed at the Guardian base, I encountered my counterpart from the Mirror Universe." She held up her fist. "I punched her in the nose, really hard."
"The Guardian?" Sulu asked. "Could she have used it to come here?"
"I'm skeptical of that. The Guardian became very particular about who and why it granted access. That could explain how she penetrated our shields."
"That brings another issue." Sulu said. "Commander Tuvok. The ships internal sensors should have detected an extra body and set off an intruder alert. Why didn't it?"
"Unknown. Possibly, if the bio signatures were identical, the computer may have become confused and not considered two Lt. Uhura's as a threat."
"I want that fixed now." Sulu ordered.
"I will have that rectified in minutes." He said, as he left the conference room.
"Chief Roy," Sulu addressed his security Chief, "I want extra security posted on the bridge, engineering and all critical areas. Also, all ships personnel are to be briefed and armed with phasers locked on stun."
"Aye sir." The Chief and other red shirts left, leaving Sulu and Ahida alone.
"I'm sorry. I should have suspected there was another explanation."
"Your reaction was logical. I was the only suspect." She looked at the screen and her counterparts face. "Why are you here?"
When Ahida returned to her quarters, she considered getting some sleep. But how could she sleep knowing her doppelganger could appear at any moment. Besides, as the ships acting Chief Science Officer there was plenty to keep her busy in the main lab.
She freshened up, pocketed her phaser and headed out into the corridor and was immediately struck by a phaser blast.
She awoke in Sickbay with a splitting headache. She sat up and groaned.
"Ah, you're awake." Dr. Pholaun, the ship's Denebulan Chief Medical Officer said, as she came over to Ahida's side. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've been hit by an asteroid. Otherwise, I feel great. What happened?"
"Needless to say, but after the incident in Engineering, everyone is a bit on edge. When you stepped out of your quarters you startled Ensign Tatuuna and she opened fire. If it makes you feel better, she feels really bad about what she did."
"Funny, her feeling bad isn't helping my headache."
"I'll get you something for that." She walked over to a medicine cabinet. Ahida noticed the large red shirt standing across the room.
"What are you doing here?"
"Captains orders." The man said. "Until this matters is resolved, he wants you to have a security escort, to avoid any further friendly fire incidents."
"Friendly fire?"
"Here take this." The doctor said, as she handed Ahida a pill and cup of water. "Sounds like one of your human oxymorons."
"Yeah, friendly fire isn't very..."
"Intruder alert, intruder alert," the ship's computer voice boomed through the ship," deck five, section C."
"That's right out side." The red shirt said as he drew his phaser and bolted for the door.
Captain Sulu had just stepped out of the turbo lift unto Deck Five. He had no time to react, before a dagger came flying out of nowhere and was impaled in his chest. He slumped against the bulkhead.
He looked up in shock, as a savage looking Ahida came skipping down the corridor. With one hand she grabbed Sulu by the collar and with the other, she grabbed the blades hilt.
"Two Sulus with the same blade. I'm loving this." She was grinning from ear to ear and was about drive the knife deeper. She heard a shout and glanced back. It was the red shirt, his phaser leveled on her. She swung Sulu around and shoved the injured Captain towards the guard. He had no choice but to catch his Captain.
The Savage skipped into the turbo lift. Ahida came running down the corridor. Just as the door closed the Savage, Waved and whispered, "Bye bye."
The door slid closed. Then opened as Ahida rushed in. But the lift was empty.
"Where'd she go?" Ahida asked. She looked back. Dr. Pholaun and the red shirt were kneeling over the Captain, a pool of blood slowly spread across the floor.
"Sickbay, before he bleeds to death!" The doctor screamed.
Ahida, Tuvok and a small group of red shirts waited outside sickbays operating room. Finally the doctor came out.
"The Captain is out of danger. However, he did lose a considerable amount of blood. He will be incapacitated for several days. Mr. Tuvok, I suppose this makes you acting Captain."
"Not a promotion I was seeking. I will be on the bridge, if needed." He left sickbay with two red shirts on his heel.
"Doctor, is there anything I can do?" Ahida asked.
"No. The Captain needs rest, not visitors. And you should get some sleep as well. That was a nasty phaser stun."
"Won't argue with that." She said,as she started for the door. She felt the hand of her body guard on her shoulder, holding her back as he stepped in front and went out the door first. Where were you when I needed you, she thought.
"I think I'll be alright in my quarters." She told the red shirt, when they reached her door.
"Yes mam. I'll be out here if you need anything."
Once she was inside, she rubbed her temples, the headache was back, she whispered to herself, "What else can go wrong today?"
She opened her eyes and realized she was standing on a transporter pad, in a transporter room like none she had ever seen before. Two guards held phasers on her. On their red shirt was Earth with a dagger through it. But what really caught her eye was the bearded Vulcan standing in front of her.
The face was unmistakeable, but it was the face of a man who had seen and committed much evil.
"F...father?"
The bearded man looked her up and down.
"I am not your father. Send her back." He said addressing the transporter chief.
"Wait." She said as she stepped down from the pad. She winced when one of the guards jammed his phaser into her ribs. She bared her teeth and hissed. Startled, the man backed away.
"So, not as pathetic as my Ahida led me to believe." The Terran Emperor said. "The two of you may have more in common than you realize."
"I doubt that. Why are you here? Is this an invasion?"
"No." Spock looked troubled by something. After a pause he asked. "Are you familiar with Benzaires Disease?"
"It's rare. It afflicts people like me. People of mixed species. I had it when I was fifteen."
"I find that unlikely. You would not have surv...unless there is a cure in this Universe?"
"There is, I was only in the hospital a few hours."
"My daughter was diagnosed with Benzaires two weeks ago. A death sentence in our Universe. She began to act irrational."
Ahida had to bite her tongue, her human side almost blurted out: How could you tell? Her Vulcan side reminded her that this was not the time for rhetorical questions.
Spock continued, "We have recently developed technology that allows us to travel to your Universe. As a member of the Royal family, and one of my advisors, she had access to that technology. She was obsessed with returning here. She could not tolerate the thought that you might go on living. She took a small scout ship. She is nearby and cloaked. When we picked up your bio signature, I had hoped you were her."
"If she is here, you must hail her, let her know we have a cure."
"Obviously, we have tried. She has so far ignored us."
"Your excellency." A man at a nearby console said. "I've picked up the princesses bio signature. She's in the engineering section of the Federation ship. An unoccupied area."
"Beam her aboard." Spock ordered.
The transporter operator worked at his controls for several seconds and in exasperation said, "I can't. She's surrounded by an energy field. I can't get a lock."
"Beam me over." Spock said.
"No." The first man said. "I'm picking up an explosive device. It maybe to dangerous."
"Let me go." Ahida stepped up on the transporter pad. "I might can make her listen."
Spock nodded to the transporter operator.
A moment later, she was in the engineering section.
'Well, look who's here." The Savage version of Ahida said. "Little pathetic one, I was about to page you. You've saved me some precious time."
Ahida noted an explosive device mounted to a power conduit that led to the anti-matter containment field. Also, the way her counter part was moving. It was obvious that she was in great pain.
"You don't have to do this." Ahida pleaded.
"I don't have to do anything. But, oh, I want to do this. I want to see your face when I push this button." She pointed at a remote control strapped to her left wrist. "I want to end my pain, before I become a sniveling little creature like you."
"You have Benzaiers your father told me. We have a cure."
"You lie. You'd say anything to save yourself and this pathetic ship. My father would never speak to someone like you."
"Yet I have." The bearded Spock said as he stepped out of a shadowed area where he had beamed in unobserved.
"Father! Go away, I don't want to hurt you." The Savage pleaded.
"They have a cure here."
"Father, she's lying. She'd say anything."
"Perhaps, but follow the logic I have tried to teach you, you should take a chance for life. Destroying this ship and killing the crew will serve no purpose." He continued to walk toward his daughter.
"Father, I'm hurting so much. Go. Let me end it."
When Spock reached her, he reached down, grabbed her arm and removed the remote. She collapsed into his arms.
Ahida rushed up, pulled her communicator. "Transporter room, medical emergency. Three to beam directly to sickbay."
"She's in the final stage of Benzaires." Dr. Pholaun said as she turned from her patient.
"You can treat her?" Ahida asked.
The doctor looked at Spock.
"Sir. I need a blood sample from you and the girl's mother. Is she..."
"No." Spock said tersely.
"Then there's nothing I can do."
"Me." Ahida said. "I've been treated for Benzaires. The cure is in my veins, plus I carry my mother's DNA."
"Lieutenant, the two of you are from different universes. I don't even know if you're really related." She glanced back at the dying young woman.
"But, I suppose it's her only chance."
The doctor took a saringe and two vials. She took a sample from Ahida. Then walked up to Spock.
"Sir, please." Spock lifted an arm, pulled back his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of Earth with a dagger thrust through it.
"Interesting art work." She said as she began to draw the blood. "I believe the continents are backwards."
"No." The Emperor said. "They are backwards here. However, there is much I admire about your universe."
"There. That's enough." She took the vials and headed for sickbays lab. "It will take a few minutes to synthesize the serum. Nurse, prepare the patient for surgery."
"Surgery?" Spock asked.
"Yes. The serum needs to be injected directly to the adrenal gland. A simple procedure, but still, a bit more complicated than a simple injection.
The Savage felt as if she were floating, the pain was gone. She wondered if she were dead. She heard a distant voice.
"Ahida?... Princess, or whatever you are called. Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered open. A face hovered over her. It came into focus.
"Denebulan, get away from me or I will rip your face off."
The doctor turned around and smiled. "I believe that she will be just fine."
The Savage sat up and looked around the room. Ahida, Tuvok, two red shirts and her father were there. Spock went to her side and took her hand.
"T'omdach." He said. An old Vulcan nick name for a cherished daughter. Ahida was shocked to hear it. Her father had never used it. To hear it from the Terran Emperor, was almost surreal.
For that brief moment they looked as if they belonged in this Universe. Then the Savage glared at Ahida.
"You, is it true? Am I cured?"
"Yes." The doctor said. "I syn..."
"Someone make that thing shut up."
"That thing," Ahida said, "saved your life. And yes, you are cured."
"Good." The Savage slid out of bed and realized she was nearly naked, wearing only a hospital gown. She screamed, "Someone get me some clothes."
"Oh, yes Princess Ahida. Anything you say Princess Ahida." Ahida said. She opened a small storage locker and took out the clothes the Savage been wearing.
The Savage snatched the clothes away. After she was dressed, she looked at Spock.
"Father, I assume your command ship is here?"
"Of course." He replied.
"Good. Let's go."
"Wait." Tuvok said. "First there are some matters that need to be addressed."
"How dare you." The Savage said. "Do you realise what my father's command shi..." She winced in pain as Spock grabbed her by her elbow.
"A bit of civility directed at the people who just saved your life will do you no harm. Captain please continue."
"As I was about to say, twice in the last twelve hours, you have attempted to destroy this ship. You attacked and nearly killed our Captain. As Acting Captain, it is well within my purview to place you in the brig pending an investigation and filing of formal charges. However, in the interest of peace between our mutual Universe's, I believe it wise to remand custody over to your Emperor."
"A wise decision, acting Captain." Spock said, placing extra emphasis on the word acting.
"Gentlemen, would you please escort us to your transporter room, so that we can make a proper departure."
"This way, sir." One of the red shirt said.
A few minutes later, the pair took their place on the transporter pad. Spock topped open a communicator.
"Wait." The Savage said, as she stepped down and came face to face with Ahida. "It is fortunate for you that my father wishes me to be civil. Otherwise, I would punch you square in the nose."
She stepped back onto the pad. A moment later, they were gone.
Everyone in the transporter room, including Tuvok, let out a sigh of relief at their departure.
"Such, reprehensible people." Tuvok commented.
"You're fortunate you didn't encounter your counterpart. To see yourself the way they are, is quite disturbing." Ahida said.
"You know," Dr. Pholaun said, "a century ago, my great-grandfather took off with your Captain Archer. He said he was looking for adventure but found a family. I shudder to imagine what his counterpart there found."
"Agreed." Ahida said. "My brief encounters with their Universe, has been a painful reflection."