Spreading like a wild fire across his fleet as news of the discovery of a vessel from the future had broken across the Romulan ship and beyond, Commander Bochra had called for the commanders of the nine ships to compare sensor data on the mysterious vessel, whilst sending for reinforcements from the closest commands to his location. With the prospect of a escalation of the war with the Earth Starfleet growing by the day as Starfleet had begun to enter their territories under the flag of exploration, the constant expansion of their sphere of influence could no longer be tolerated by the Romulan Senate while all available vessels had been moved to patrols along their previously established space.
"The vessel is far more advanced then anything then we have seen before Bochra. Although I hardly believe that it is a future vessel. Somehow, they have managed to construct such a ship without our knowledge and placed an energy signature around such a vessel, to confuse your sensors. It is my belief and the belief of those around me, that the vessel is a prototype ship with advanced weapons and shielding provided by our Vulcan brothers and the Andorian people, who are now their allies"
"I do not share your belief my old friend, our readings are clear…"
"Commanders, whatever the origin of that vessel. It must be dealt with, and soon" Called out the young female Sub-Lieutenant. "The Human plague has approached our territories far to often and is currently spreading out faster then we had anticipated, and their alliance of worlds is growing. Although their technology is less advanced then our own, they are learning at an impressive rate. It is my belief that the vessel is a ploy, a last ditch attempt at technological breakthrough to combat our own ships. How else can they have detected our vessels through the cloaking systems? We must capture that vessel and use it against them before they turn it against us"
"And just how do you suggest that we achieve such a task Lieutenant, ask them to hand it over?" An aging Commander replied with laughter.
"In fact, yes! I have analysed my readings of the vessel. Although highly advanced, it has a flaw that we can use against her commander and crew. During our attack on the vessel, I noticed that their shields had a small hole for a brief moment, they are not fully operational. I was able to locate her computer core, with a sustained attack and when that hole appears once again, we could transport a small team through that hole and take the ship" The Lieutenant said with a large smile. "There was only nine people on their bridge at that time… let me do this. Give me three of your most experienced officers, I'll take the bridge and flood the ship with a gas and then, take the ship back to Romulus under your flag Commander Bochra"
"You will be a hero to the Empire, Bochra… you could use that ship and finally restore your family to their rightful place within the Empire, as leaders" Called out a Commander from the shadows.
"We will need more ships" Bochra said with a large and greedy smile.
"I have three on their way, with others waiting for the call. Praetor!"
Travelling the short distance to the Enterprise while the USS Nimitz hid herself from sensors, inside the large gas giant, Captain Archer and his command staff had begun to assist the commander herself with the recovery of the lost sensor data for transmission back to the ship, hidden nearby, yet also away from the sensors from the Enterprise herself. Sworn to secrecy over what he had seen whilst onboard the much larger vessel, Captain Archer almost yearned to rip apart the Nimitz for her secrets, however the argument in the Captain's private office still weighed heavy on his mind as he finally requested that the Commander join him in his own private office.
"What was all of that about, you said that you would take over… Amanda, what is happening?"
"Ericson Taylor is a good man and a fine Commander. Sixteen months ago, we where sent to bolster the defences of an outlining colony, light-years from here. We arrived to late, the Colony had been almost destroyed. The First Officer, led an away team to search for survivors…"
"I thought that you where…"
"What I didn't know at the time, his wife and daughter where supposed to meet him there for some leave, they where already dead when we arrived. With an away team on the surface, we traced the ship responsible for the attack and set a pursuit course, Nimitz was faster and more powerful, but… they had two other ships waiting for us. Their plan was to capture a Starfleet ship and use it for their own needs. Overcome with his own grief and personal anger, something strange happened to Eric, he froze, he couldn't move. I had no choice but assume command in his place and we fought our way out, we took heavy damage but lost no one. I swore the bridge crew to secrecy about what happened with the Captain, I saved his career. Starfleet was told that he was knocked unconscious during the attack… I didn't want it, but I received a promotion to Lieutenant Commander for my actions"
"And he is still in command?" Archer said with disgust.
"It had taken about six months to repair the Nimitz, Eric took some personal time to deal with is own grief and three months ago, the X-O took his own personal leave to return to Vulcan, I took his place as Acting XO, during which time I have worked so damned hard to keep Eric on the straight path. He's lost his way John, perhaps that is why we are meant to be here? I have no idea. No one knows that I practically command the ship, not even my cousin. Three weeks ago, I even turned down a position as First Officer on another ship to remain here"
"I don't pretend to know about your situation or your time, but your Captain has to make his own choices. What would Starfleet do if they found out?"
"He would be forced to either retire, or take a desk job someplace, personally, I would be pushed out of the service and banned from serving within the fleet. But that's already a possibility because of what you and your crew are learning"
Entering the Captain's ready room, seemingly unannounced, Commander T'Pol apologised for her interruption as she placed an Enterprise tablet computer into the Commander's hands and spoke with an unusual calm in her voice after almost sensing the heavy air in the room from the conversation.
"Captain and Commander, I apologise for interrupting. I have discovered that the anomaly which had brought you here, will reappear beside the Enterprise in three hours. It may be possible for your shuttle and vessel to pass through to whatever timeframe that you have come from"
"If I read this right T'Pol, my shuttle created the anomaly and the weapons fire from the Nimitz, has drawn it in?"
"Correct, Miss Connor. However, I believe that a sustained burst from your shuttle's deflector will force the anomaly to open much sooner…" T'Pol replied, slowly.
"Wait a minute, this may work… it will almost deplete the shuttle's reserves, but if I do it right, I can send us back to a point almost seconds before we left? Everything that I have done here, will not exist… and time, will continue on it's original path"
"Could it be done?" Archer said with a sigh of relief.
"The calculations are, delicate Captain" T'Pol said slowly.
"I can do this, if I fail the Shuttle will be destroyed but the Nimitz should reappear in her own time. You and the rest of your crew will continue on from this point, I will be posthumously court-martialled and dishonoured for my actions, or we could simply return to our original time with all memories intact, and I will be arrested and court-martialled… and spend the rest of my life in prison. I'm willing to take that chance sir"
"And the forth option, you may fail entirely and the Nimitz will remain in this timeline" T'Pol said slowly.
"There are other ways Commander, more dangerous, but there are other ways. I have faith that my captain and crew will find their way home safely or simply vanish from records and Starfleet"
"I see, However, another situation has come to light…"
Turning slowly towards the Vulcan officer she had heard many stories of down the family line, Amanda's anger grew with each word which had passed her lips. Although part Vulcan by birthright as much of her physiology was in fact Vulcan with the exception of the Vulcan traits of slight points on her ears, as displayed on her cousin Mandy, she had lived at peace with both sides of her biology, utilising both aspects of her ancestry to find a common balance as what she had called, her own path. Her anger swelled to almost boiling point as she instantly left the ready room with the Captain mere seconds behind her. Entering the turbo lift on the bridge with all eyes upon her, her own personal anger had changed her usual calm demeanour as she stood clenching her fists before reaching into the pocket on her Enterprise uniform to retrieve her 24th century Starfleet communicator and called for a beam out back to her shuttlecraft while the Captain shook his head slightly, as he apologised for the actions of his junior officer, to the empty space before him.
Stood in the shooting range of the NX-01 which was nothing more then the Gymnasium with all equipment stowed away as a makeshift target floated through the air, energy beams from the standard Starfleet Phase-Pistol ripped through the air while the Chief Armoury Officer, Malcolm Reed continued to fire at the targets before him. Resetting the level of the test to the next level, he dropped the tablet on the ground next to him before an energy weapon fired rapidly at all targets which floated before him. Turning instantly in shock, he saw the Amanda Connor walk towards him with the silver-bluish weapon in her left hand as she reset the energy level and fired at the tablet on the ground, vaporising it before his very eyes as she pushed the weapon into his chest.
"Where is it?"
"I don't know what you mean" He protested.
"The Data that you stole Reed, where is it?"
"I deleted it, from all records"
"Bullshit! I know you Reed, I know you better then you know yourself, you kept a backup copy of the designs of this weapon. I want it back now!"
"I erased it, Miss Connor! I saw the power of that weapon, I believe that Starfleet isn't ready for it, or you and your ship"
"Why do I not believe you Reed. I know all about you and your… previous colleagues. What did you do, send them the designs and readings you took?"
"I thought about it. Those designs are centuries beyond our own… But I couldn't do it. I deleted them from all back-ups Commander, I heard the rumours floating around the ship, speculation about who you are and why you are here. You know that ship of yours could be of huge help to Starfleet, more so now?"
"I know what my ship is capable of, Lieutenant. I have everyone looking at me, almost begging to know what happened to them in their life, the truth is, I know Reed… I've studied this ship for a very long time. But your journey has only just begun and I can not interfere with that… I'm no engineer, just a pilot with a passion for history. I'm a trained field medic and field engineer… but my knowledge is centuries beyond your own. I seen the face of an enemy which can freeze the soul of even the most battle hardened Starfleet officer, even yourself. The knowledge locked away inside of this brain of mine, must stay there…"
Stepping backwards three steps with a deep sigh, his eyes instantly looked at the weapon in her hand as she knew exactly what he was going to ask. Shaking her head slightly in disbelief, she watched her own hands almost present the weapon to him as she closed her eyes as he took the phaser from her hands.
"It's called a Phaser. Levels set from light stun to vaporize…"
"Feels almost, natural in my hands" He said with a large smile.
"Be careful, you take out this entire room if handled wrong. From what I know of you Reed, you're on the right track with your own weapons. You need to be patient… don't take this Quantum Leap to soon, as the results can be… dangerous"
Spinning the weapon around in his hand, he presented the curved handle towards the Commander from the distant future as he nodded slightly with a slight one-sided smile on his face as he spoke.
"I could have taken this design myself, made that leap forwards. I would love nothing more then to talk with you about what advancements are coming, what dangers are out there…"
"You know that I can't do that. Shit, when I return home, I'm so screwed anyway. You have a long life ahead of you Reed, you do have a path, chose the right one. I wish that I could tell you more, but I can't… I'm going home soon and when I do, I will submit myself for arrest"
"You could stay here?" He said slowly.
"You know, I've thought about that? But I have a family back home, my Cousin is on that other ship, she's closer to me then anyone, almost like a sister. We had a plan, one day I would command my own ship and she would be Chief Science. Our fathers are twins and we where born on the same day… and raised together. But the truth is, I've always felt that I was just visiting that time… like I was meant for something else. Do me a favour? If you have any information of this weapon, destroy it?" Slowly, she leaned forwards and whispered into his ear. "But, remember?"
"Why?" He said slowly, with shock.
"You're a smart guy, figure it out"
Almost the instant she spoke, her eyes welled with tears as Amanda looked up at the ceiling and wrapped her hands around the sleek weapon as she mumbled under her breath, turning instantly she left the room while Malcolm Reed stood motionless as he saw both pain and joy in her eyes at the same time. Leaning against the bulkhead of the corridor, she instantly reached into her pocket once again and called for a beam out to the shuttlecraft as her heart pounded with both fear and excitement as she stepped into the pilot's seat and quickly considered her options.
"Computer, override lockout. Baker-17-9-9-3. Search historical databanks, Vulcan… Subject… My family history"
"Amanda Connor…" Called out the computer.
Materialising on the bridge of the USS Nimitz to an almost stunned crew, as they remained hidden and with their shields raised due to the effects of the gas giant, the Captain instantly leapt onto his feet as Amanda slowly walked towards him with a serene look in her eyes and a comforting smile upon her face.
"I've found our way home. It was the new engines of the shuttlecraft, it was an imbalance which had created a kind of, worm hole, a rip in space and time. There is a problem however, we'll have to expose this ship to Enterprise to get home. If we do and succeed, none of this will have happened, if we fail… We will set course for a planet beyond the rim of Federation space, far away from history and wait for time to catch us"
"That's over two hundred years…" Mister Finch said slowly, as he stood from his seat. "I have a wife and children, grandchildren"
"So do many others, Mister Finch. I will transport back to the shuttle and activate the Engines, I believe that it was the catalyst. If Commander T'Pol is correct, we should arrive mere moments before this mess happened, and nothing that we have done here would have happened. If I am wrong then this ship will simply be destroyed… we can live out our lives here and risk altering the timeline, or we can all go home?"
"How long will it take to…" The Captain said slowly.
"Already done Sir. We should occupy the same space and time as our younger selves, our memories of this incident will not have happened?"
"Do it!"
"Of course sir. Before I leave, may I have a moment with my Cousin in your ready room?"
Nodding slowly, the Captain looked up at the ceiling as his acting First Officer nodded towards the ready room. Once confused as twins, the two women entered the ready room alone while Amanda stood before her lifelong friend with a large smile on her face as she held her hands and looked into her eyes for a brief moment.
"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Did I ever tell you, how much I love you? You're more then a Cousin to me, closer then even a sister would be"
"A few times" Mandy said with a smile.
"You're smarter then you know, Amanda Sloan… you can be so much more, you would just need to learn how to let go and trust yourself"
"W-What are you talking about?"
"What happened to Ray? You where in love with Ray?"
"Ray? He… transferred to the Farragut, you know that"
"He made you more happy then you realise Mandy. You two where the perfect couple, you looked so amazing together everyone said so will you do me a favour? Go and get him, marry him and leave this ship and have a family?"
"Amanda, what has gotten into you? What's going, are you feeling okay?"
"For the first time in my life, I am fine. Amanda Connor to Shuttlecraft Redmond, one to beam over… energise"
Dematerialising before her cousin, her almost twin, tears rolled down her eyes as she nodded while giving the traditional Vulcan Salute, something that she had never done before despite her Vulcan heritage. Raising one eyebrow as she stood for a moment in shock, at her cousin's behaviour, her eyes instantly fell to the deck plating where Amanda once stood as a small ancient coin caught her attention, a coin given to Amanda by her own mother when she had joined Starfleet Academy, something that she had considered an almost good luck charm.