I will probably upload a new chapter every three or four days. They are numbered in the order as they have to be read, but they are not in the right chronological order for the two main characters, Theresa and The Doctor, due to time travel. Please pay attention to what a character has already experienced and what he/she hasn't.
At the end, I will add a table including the right order of the chapters for The Doctor and Theresa and I will probably summarise them quickly. If you do have questions concerning the order of the chapter, just ask. Neither do I bite nor am I a Zygon in disguise.
Chapter 0 – Chapter 7 from Theresa's point of view – Chapter 3 from The Doctor's point of view
It had been a long day with a double shift on the bridge for Lieutenant Commander Riddle when she entered the bar Ten Forward on the tenth deck of the Federation space ship USS Enterprise. She sat down at her usual place and looked around. It was crowded as always and she felt safe among the many people.
She had felt isolated for too long. After she had found out who she really was, a lot of things had happened to her. She had to testify in front of several courts of the United Federation of Planets, proving that she still felt being the same person as she had been before. But for her personally, things also changed. First she thought that the multiple 'Theresas' became one but then she figured out that only the telepathic relation had been lost. Now, she could mentally link to the other 'herself' who lived in a parallel time to her, but in different time and spaces throughout the universe.
"What can I do for you today?" asked Guinan, the barkeeper of Ten Forward. She was El Aurean, also hundreds of years old and could listen quite well. Theresa had told her about her feelings and her past and despite the fact that she was a cruel murderer of her own race, Guinan had listened and understood her.
Theresa had a look at the digital menu on the padd, an electronic reading device. "A Saurean Nectar, please," she said with a smile. She hated repetition and tried something new each time.
Guinan had just returned with a glass of steaming green liquor when all senior officers were called to the bridge. "I'm sorry," the Lieutenant Commander said and proceeded to deck 1. She met Counselor Troi in the turbolift and they exchanged quick looks. None of them knew what this was about.
On the bridge they were directed to the Lounge, the meeting room of the Senior officers, by the current officer in charge. The automatic doors opened and some officers already waited there. Troi and Riddle sat down without a word and waited until the Chief Engineer and the Second-in-Command appeared as well.
"As we're now all assembled, we can begin," Captain Jean-Luc Picard started to say. "An hour ago I received orders from Starfleet. Stellar cartography of Sector 047 can wait and the Excalibur will take over this mission. However, we shall change course and fly to Dorvan III and bring medical supplies. There has been an earthquake and the political structure of the capital is in danger."
"Isn't the Dorvan Sector inside Cardassian territory?" Commander Riker, the First Officer, asked skeptically. Since the end of the Dominion War, Cardassia was no longer an official enemy of the Federation, but they were no friends either.
"Yes, it is. But Cardassia reassured that no Federation ship will be harmed when it is flying on a direct course to this solar system. As Cardassia still suffers from the War and the plague, we have to help them. It might be an advantage to have a friend in the uprising Typhon Pact-Cold War."
"With all due respect, Sir. Even if we could regard the Cardassian Union as friends, their military support will be minimal. They do not even have a proper government anymore," Tactical Officer Lieutenant Worf answered.
"Even if they cannot help us as much as we wished, they will not help the enemy. Staying in good contact, despite the ongoing war preparations, we could use a new ally," Riddle proposed.
The Captain nodded. "That's what ambassador Garak also said. However, I told the helm to change course and Doctor Crusher, you will have to make sickbay ready. We will also deal with the political situation and establish a sub-government of the Cardassian Union. As the consequences to the earthquake are not widely known, I say we should prepare for the worst. Lieutenant Commander Riddle, you have had medical training. You will support Doctor Crusher. We will arrive in two hours at the Cardassian colony. Dismissed."
The officers left the Lounge and Doctor Crusher and Officer Riddle stepped into the turbolift. "I will have to call in some nurses from their free time," Crusher said when they walked down the corridor towards sickbay. "Can you help Nurse Ogawa prepare the biobeds and hyposprays so far?"
Riddle nodded and entered sickbay and spend the next two hours preparing for Cardassian colonists.
"We'll need an away team. There're too many people beamed up here," Crusher decided when she helped a young girl onto one of the beds and scanned her bleeding front head. "Riddle, Ogawa, McIntosh, you go down. Report to transporter room 3," she added and the three Officers grabbed the med-kits and hurried out of the crowded sickbay.
"Three to beam down," Riddle informed Transporter Chief O'Brien. He nodded and within seconds, the two nurses and the tactical officer were down on the planet. They hurried off in different directions immediately.
The planet looked worse than it had been described. The earthquake had destabilised most of the architectural infrastructure and hundreds of people were lying under half-collapsed buildings or running around covered in dust.
The Lieutenant Commander ran towards a big governmental building and started to crawl over piles of rubble and dust. She noticed a nearly silent scream next to her and to her astonishment she recognised a young boy. She pushed away a stone block off him and pulled out her Tricorder.
"You'll be alright. Don't worry," she said and loaded a Hypospray with some tranquiliser. The Cardassian boy breathed slowlier and she started bandaging his wounds. After a while, her hands were completely covered in brown blood but she was sure that he would survive. He did not say anything and was probably still under shock.
"Do you know where your parents are?" she asked but he shook his head. "Can you stand up?" she wanted to know and helped him to get to his feet. In this moment, an elderly Cardassian came and hugged the little boy.
"You're his father?" she asked.
He nodded, "thank you."
"That's why we're here," she muttered, knowing that the Federation wasn't welcome in this Sector under no circumstances. She continued walking and stumbling through the dust on the search for more injured people. She was close to turning around and heading in a different direction, when she heard a familiar voice. Absolutely sure it couldn't be what she thought it would be, she turned around. Her mouth dropped open and formed a big smile when she looked at a face she had never seen before. But her glance remained on the sonic screwdriver that this person held in his hand.
"Hello, Miss Riddle," The Doctor said and walked towards her. "Haven't seen you in quite a while."
"Well, two months. Isn't really an eternity."
"Two months? It was nearly four years to me," he said and regarded her with an intense look.
"Why are you here?" Theresa wanted to know.
"I chased some Zygons. They were responsible for the earthquake. I nearly had them but I have a trail now."
"Why don't you follow it?"
"I first wanted to help here," he said. He looked at her and sighed deeply. "Last time we met you said you didn't want to travel with me. Not yet."
"I didn't mean now. I didn't know we'd see again like this."
"Then what did you mean?"
"Spoilers," Theresa said and smiled but quickly remembered that he wouldn't understand the meaning of this word yet.
"Come on, just a quick Zygon-hunt. You'll be back in a second," he proposed.
She sighed but then nodded.
"By the way, the thing...you wanted to do. Did you do it?" The Doctor asked when he brought her to the TARDIS.
"No, not yet. At least I don't know yet about. It's complicated. And as I said, only two months. it needs preparation."
"And you're sure you don't want to tell me about it?"
"You'll see. In two hundred years," Theresa said and smiled when she entered the TARDIS. Mentally, she quickly linked to the Theresa of 2014, the one with whom she most stayed in contact. She telepathically told her that she was about to travel with the Doctor but did not intend to spoil anything about her/ their identity.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"Oh, England. 15th or 16th century. Probably we're going to meet Elizabeth The First."
Theresa nodded and closed the TARDIS doors behind her. In her mind, the only phrase that the 2014-San-Francisco-Theresa responded was, 'Spoilers'.
Please review. :)
