A Tale of Temporal Gifting
Prologue
6 December 2408
New Brisbane, New Queensland, United Commonwealth of Planets
Karen 'Kezza' Allenby arrived home from the University where she had spent her day over her research notes from her trip to the jungles of Ipswich Island a few months before.
"An Urgent call is awaiting your attention!" the computer said as she came in the door. Kezza froze. She knew of only one person who would be wanting to contact her urgently.
"Open the channel," she said, with a nervous edge in her voice.
The call started on the main screen. It was the Head of the Estaria Sector Division of the Commonwealth Interstellar Intelligence Agency, William Samuels.
"Miss Allenby, I have just been appraised of a situation that requires your attention," he said, without preamble.
"What is the situation?" she asked.
"A member of Section 31 has taken it upon herself to travel back in time and change the timeline, the Enterprise is enroute to New Queensland with the information you need. They will beam you up and then slingshot around the local sun," Samuels said.
"How do we know it hasn't happened yet?" Kezza asked.
"The Department of Temporal Affairs is monitoring the situation, and are saying that your follow up incursion must take place within a very short time before the timeline changes. The Enterprise is entering the New Queensland system now, start packing!" Samuels said. "Good luck M-" Samuels was cut off
"Message interrupted by subspace disturbance," the computer said.
'It may be already changing!' Kezza thought. She quickly packed, and was ready when the Enterprise signalled.
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CSS Enterprise NCC 1701 F
Kezza jumped off the transporter platform after she had materialised. "Welcome to the Enterprise Kezza," Samuel Lewis said. He was an old friend of Kezza's who was also the ship's chief Conn officer.
"Have you received the present that I had sent you?" Kezza asked.
"Yes, I have. It remains unopened of course, until the actual day. But I have it," Samuel said.
"Coo1," Kezza said.
"Anyhow, I need to escort you to the Bridge, where Captain Walker will brief you on the information that the CIIA has sent," Lewis said.
"After you," Kezza said, indicating the door out of the transporter room.
The bridge of the Enterprise was full of activity as Lewis and Allenby exited the turbolift. "Welcome to the Enterprise Miss Allenby," Captain Michaela Walker said, as Lewis and Allenby walked out.
"Good to be here. So what are the basics of the information that the CIIA has sent?" Kezza asked all business.
"Come, sit and I'll tell you," Walker said. She went over and sat in her command chair, she indicated that Kezza should sit in the vacant seat to her left.
As Lewis took over at the Conn, Kezza sat next to the Captain.
"The Section 31 agent is intending to head back to the 2360's and alter the timeline by releasing Malware at Memory Alpha. It is more complex than that, but that is where she is going first," the Captain said.
Alarms sounded! Sensors are picking up temporal distortions, captain. The Timeline is changing! The New Queensland System will be overtaken in less than 5 minutes!" the Science officer, Sarah Livingstone, said.
"Confirmed. Chroniton readings are off the scale! The temporal ripples will reach New Queensland in 4 minutes, 45 seconds," the Operations Manager, Yolanda Hernandez said.
"How long until we enter the Slingshot manoeuvre?" the captain asked.
"One minute, 45 seconds, captain," Lewis said.
"Warp Two, Warp Three, Warp Four, Warp Five," Lewis said, as the ship accelerated.
Another alarm sounded.
"The temporal ripple velocity is increasing! We now may not reach the Star in time!" Livingstone said.
"Warp Seven!"
"Bridge to Engineering, we need as much power as possible to the engines!" the Captain said.
"Warp Eight, crossing the orbit of the innermost planet! Warp Eight Point Five!"
The bridge lights dimmed to the emergency lighting.
"All possible power diverted to engines Captain," the Chief Engineer said.
"Warp Nine, Nine point Three, Nine point Six, Nine point Nine,"
"We are going to make it," Livingstone said.
"Warp Nine point nine nine nine!"
The Enterprise hurled around the New Queensland Star and trading spatial distortion for temporal distortion, fell through time. Had they began their journey through time a second later they would have been as nonexistent as the time they came from...
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Time Sequence
"The temporal ripples have sped up! We now may not reach the Star in time!"
"I would surmise that this starship may be from the future."
"Trust me Captain; you do not want to know what I am capable of!'
"Fascinating," "Is that all you can say, you green blooded computer!?"
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13 December 2368
In the star system that would, in the correct timeline, begin hosting a Commonwealth colony named New Queensland in another 20-30 years time, the Enterprise from 2408 fell out of its timewarp in flash of ceronkov radiation.
"Are we when we are supposed to be?" the Captain asked.
"Affirmative, we are now reading the Commonwealth Time Base Beacons. It is 22:15 hrs on the 13th December 2368."
"Where is the Enterprise D supposed to be now?" the captain asked.
"According to the records, they are returning to Commonwealth space after Captain Riker had his experience with the Ressikan Memory Probe. Their next major mission will be at Deviidia II, where the Deviidians were interfering with history in the late 19th Century. The Enterprise will be there on December 30 if the timeline is restored," Hernandez said.
"Transfer the Enterprise's route from the encounter with the Ressikan Memory Probe to Deviidia II to the helm," Captain Walker said.
Hernandez tapped a few 'buttons'. "Done," she said.
"Enterprise D course received," Lewis said.
"Lay in an intercept course and engage at Warp 9.995," Captain Walker said.
Lewis laid in the course and initiated it. The Enterprise F went to warp. "We will meet with the other Enterprise in 2 days," he said.
"Good," the Captain said. She then continued telling Kezza about the information that they had received from the CIIA.
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To be continued.
The Enterprise-D will appear in the next chapter.
