Chapter Four - "Determination"
Spock sat at the science station with a distracted expression on his face. Captain Kirk was busy coordinating repair priorities with Mr. Scott and the rest of the bridge was a kinetic flurry of activity. Spock hardly noticed. His mind was filled with information and impressions that he busily went about computing in his complex Vulcan brain. In his thoughts he heard someone in the presence of his counterpart, state facts that he himself had not considered. He instantly went to his sensors and ran a localized scan of the immediate area. Spock had no doubt about what he would find, he had begun to trust the mental link he had joined regardless of how it seem to threaten his logic. Once he completed his investigation he left his station and joined Kirk and Mr. Scott. In a low tone he addressed his fellow officers. "Captain, the anomaly has disappeared. I can find no residual traces within the range of our sensors." Spock paused a moment for the information to sink in. "Further, I find that our present location in space/time has been altered rather dramatically. Our current position is in a remote section of what we would deem the Delta quadrant, nearly sixty thousand light years from where we first encountered the anomaly and approximately one hundred and six years into the future. I will endeavor to provide more precise estimates as soon as possible. Unfortunately I do not have enough data with which I may formulate a hypothesis as to the cause of our current status."
Kirk stared at his first officer; the blood in his veins began to boil. "This just gets better and better."
Scotty appeared to share the Captain's opinion. "Aye. I don't fancy havin' ta figure how we get ourselves back home."
Kirk put his hand to the back of his neck and walked a few steps away then returned. "It seems the key to all of this lies with the Klingons. They are just as out of place as we are. Open a hailing frequency. I want to try to talk to their captain. Even the Klingons have got to want to get home."
Captain Janeway was getting frustrated and she wanted answers. "Somebody please explain to me what is going on."
Seven immediately proposed a possibility. "It is possible that my Borg ocular implants are preventing my perceptions from being interfered with in the way that the rest of the crew seems to be." Seven momentarily turned and shot a glance at Tuvok. "There is also the matter of the Commander's assertion that there is a Vulcan male aboard the other ship. If it were actually the Kazon we were dealing with, it would be highly unlikely that they would be in the company of a member of such a peaceful and logical race."
Janeway turned and looked at the faces that surrounded her. The beleaguered captain wondered privately if she could trust anything that she heard or saw. "Okay. If that's the case, if we are being manipulated in some way we can't explain, who or what is behind it all?" Janeway ran her hand through her hair and paced in front of her crew. "My God, of all the people in the universe to have gotten into a battle with why James Kirk? Why not George Washington?" Captain Janeway continued pacing for a moment and then suddenly stopped. She had come to a decision. "Harry, what is the status of the Kazo.I mean Enterprise?"
Mr. Kim tapped a few commands on his console and reported. "She's eight hundred kilometers off our stern, pacing us. She seems to have suffered damage of her own during the exchange. It still reads as a Kazon ship though."
Janeway then walked over and dropped into her chair. "Open a channel. I'm going to try to contact that ship again. This time I want Seven to handle the controls. Tuvok interpret what you can. Let's see if we can break through this charade and find out what really going on."
Seven walked over to Harry's station and began tapping commands. "Captain, we're being hailed by the Enterprise. Captain Kirk coming on now."
Tuvok couldn't help but squint his eyes as he was assaulted by the dual image on the main viewer. The pale outline of a Kazon officer was superimposed over the image of Captain Kirk. The screen seemed to shimmer and crackle as he attempted to concentrate on the genuine transmission. Paris, Chakotay, Harry and Captain Janeway all saw the blurred image of a Kazon Captain and ships bridge. Seven had no difficulty seeing or hearing the legendary Enterprise captain until something changed. The screen suddenly went black. No one else seemed to notice. Then slowly the image shifted to the bright orange color of fire. Seven started to sweat her pulse began to race. She shook her head threw her hands to the sides of her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks and then she noticed at the center of the conflagration the shape of a human skull growing larger and larger until it filled the screen. Only Seven could see the image and only she could hear the warning. In a voice like the sound of an earthquake it spoke to her and filled her with dread like nothing she had never known.
"Listen." It hissed. "Listen to me mortal. You have encroached upon my person like a virus to your fragile human bodies. I am the universe and I will exact payment for your crimes against me." She shook as the icy cold power of its words plunged ever deeper into her mind. "Your time is at an end and I will work my will through you to eradicate you all!"
Everyone on the bridge suddenly turned as Seven began to scream.
Spock sat at the science station with a distracted expression on his face. Captain Kirk was busy coordinating repair priorities with Mr. Scott and the rest of the bridge was a kinetic flurry of activity. Spock hardly noticed. His mind was filled with information and impressions that he busily went about computing in his complex Vulcan brain. In his thoughts he heard someone in the presence of his counterpart, state facts that he himself had not considered. He instantly went to his sensors and ran a localized scan of the immediate area. Spock had no doubt about what he would find, he had begun to trust the mental link he had joined regardless of how it seem to threaten his logic. Once he completed his investigation he left his station and joined Kirk and Mr. Scott. In a low tone he addressed his fellow officers. "Captain, the anomaly has disappeared. I can find no residual traces within the range of our sensors." Spock paused a moment for the information to sink in. "Further, I find that our present location in space/time has been altered rather dramatically. Our current position is in a remote section of what we would deem the Delta quadrant, nearly sixty thousand light years from where we first encountered the anomaly and approximately one hundred and six years into the future. I will endeavor to provide more precise estimates as soon as possible. Unfortunately I do not have enough data with which I may formulate a hypothesis as to the cause of our current status."
Kirk stared at his first officer; the blood in his veins began to boil. "This just gets better and better."
Scotty appeared to share the Captain's opinion. "Aye. I don't fancy havin' ta figure how we get ourselves back home."
Kirk put his hand to the back of his neck and walked a few steps away then returned. "It seems the key to all of this lies with the Klingons. They are just as out of place as we are. Open a hailing frequency. I want to try to talk to their captain. Even the Klingons have got to want to get home."
Captain Janeway was getting frustrated and she wanted answers. "Somebody please explain to me what is going on."
Seven immediately proposed a possibility. "It is possible that my Borg ocular implants are preventing my perceptions from being interfered with in the way that the rest of the crew seems to be." Seven momentarily turned and shot a glance at Tuvok. "There is also the matter of the Commander's assertion that there is a Vulcan male aboard the other ship. If it were actually the Kazon we were dealing with, it would be highly unlikely that they would be in the company of a member of such a peaceful and logical race."
Janeway turned and looked at the faces that surrounded her. The beleaguered captain wondered privately if she could trust anything that she heard or saw. "Okay. If that's the case, if we are being manipulated in some way we can't explain, who or what is behind it all?" Janeway ran her hand through her hair and paced in front of her crew. "My God, of all the people in the universe to have gotten into a battle with why James Kirk? Why not George Washington?" Captain Janeway continued pacing for a moment and then suddenly stopped. She had come to a decision. "Harry, what is the status of the Kazo.I mean Enterprise?"
Mr. Kim tapped a few commands on his console and reported. "She's eight hundred kilometers off our stern, pacing us. She seems to have suffered damage of her own during the exchange. It still reads as a Kazon ship though."
Janeway then walked over and dropped into her chair. "Open a channel. I'm going to try to contact that ship again. This time I want Seven to handle the controls. Tuvok interpret what you can. Let's see if we can break through this charade and find out what really going on."
Seven walked over to Harry's station and began tapping commands. "Captain, we're being hailed by the Enterprise. Captain Kirk coming on now."
Tuvok couldn't help but squint his eyes as he was assaulted by the dual image on the main viewer. The pale outline of a Kazon officer was superimposed over the image of Captain Kirk. The screen seemed to shimmer and crackle as he attempted to concentrate on the genuine transmission. Paris, Chakotay, Harry and Captain Janeway all saw the blurred image of a Kazon Captain and ships bridge. Seven had no difficulty seeing or hearing the legendary Enterprise captain until something changed. The screen suddenly went black. No one else seemed to notice. Then slowly the image shifted to the bright orange color of fire. Seven started to sweat her pulse began to race. She shook her head threw her hands to the sides of her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks and then she noticed at the center of the conflagration the shape of a human skull growing larger and larger until it filled the screen. Only Seven could see the image and only she could hear the warning. In a voice like the sound of an earthquake it spoke to her and filled her with dread like nothing she had never known.
"Listen." It hissed. "Listen to me mortal. You have encroached upon my person like a virus to your fragile human bodies. I am the universe and I will exact payment for your crimes against me." She shook as the icy cold power of its words plunged ever deeper into her mind. "Your time is at an end and I will work my will through you to eradicate you all!"
Everyone on the bridge suddenly turned as Seven began to scream.