Infinite Regress by Marianne
Mars 2264 – Edgars/Garibaldi Industries
He began to feel ill just after a staff meeting, his head aching and sight blurring, but stubbornly carried on for the rest of the working day, and beyond. He got half way home before he collapsed and could faintly hear a stranger's voice saying, "are you all right?" And just had enough time to think "What a stupid question" before the floor came up and hit him.
He gradually regained consciousness, glad not to feel quite so ill, although his head still hurt and he could feel a large lump on the side of his skull. He'd get it in the neck from Lise, for not telling her he felt so sick, he smiled to himself as he opened his eyes. The smile froze on his lips – where the hell was he? He must be hallucinating or dreaming. If he didn't know better, he could swear that he was in a holding cell on Babylon 5.
Before he could collect his thoughts, the door opened and two security guards strode in, shackled his wrists and frog-marched him towards the Chief's office. Well perhaps Zack could explain what the hell was going on. The guards propelled him through the door and he came face to face with Stephen Franklin.
"Doc, what the hell is going on?"
One of the security guards moved swiftly, and he felt a hard blow to his ribs. "Show the Chief respect, Lurker scum!"
Franklin smiled, "Alright Sam, I know he is a murdering rapist, but we have to go through the motions."
Garibaldi's head was spinning – this can't be real – Dr Franklin, security chief? What did they mean, Lurker scum?
"Garibaldi, we now have a witness who saw you with the deceased half an hour before her body was discovered. So much for your story that you had never met her."
"Body.... What are you talking about? Come on Stephen; is this some kind of joke, or what?"
The security guard hit him in the same place "I told you, show respect!"
"So, are you going to change your story?"
The Babcom unit behind Franklin suddenly came to life. "Chief, you are needed at Command right away – there's a ship that we think is alien approaching the station!"
There was a familiar ship on the monitor.
"Centauri ship" mumbled Garibaldi. Franklin swung back to look at him, and Garibaldi flinched away before he could stop himself.
"Take him back to his cell" Franklin snarled as he half ran out of the door and Garibaldi found himself dragged back to his prison, his mind whirling.
Judging by the number of meals they had grudgingly served him, two days must have passed. Garibaldi had given up trying to ask questions of his guards – they took any excuse to "Teach him some manners" in a very painful way. What was happening to him? This was going on too long to be a dream, and surely hallucinations didn't last this long? The doors opened and the same two guards shackled him and took him to the office, where Franklin was waiting.
"I'm taking you to see the Captain – make sure you mind your manners – if you have any. I warn you, keep quiet until you're told!"
They marched him down the familiar corridors and into the turbo lift to the Captain's office. He was beyond surprise when he was announced to the Captain – Zack Allen. Zack eyed him coldly "What did you call the alien ship?" he said without preamble.
"It was a Centauri ship" Garibaldi said patiently.
Zack swung round to Franklin, "How the hell would he know that?"
Franklin shrugged, "Nobody knew what it was when he saw it. There is no way he could know, but he did!"
They both regarded Garibaldi.
"So how did you know?" Zack demanded.
Garibaldi's head was swimming again – why were they asking such a stupid question? It was if they had never met an alien before. He was floundering hopelessly, when he had a sudden thought, "What year is this?"
"He's raving, it must have been a coincidence – I'll have him taken back to his cell!" spluttered Franklin.
"This is too important not to investigate thoroughly" Zack said thoughtfully turning to Garibaldi, "its 2156"
A hundred years in the past! His crazy theory must be right, somehow he was in an alternate reality or something – where everything was out of kilter. The Babylon project had taken place before contact with alien life.
"This is going to be real hard to explain, and even harder to understand, but I think I must have come from an alternate world. Where I come from, alien contact has already been made."
"Oh, for God's sake! He's raving!" Franklin's fury was only just contained.
Zack looked at the prisoner, "OK, describe a Centauri" He looked over to the Security Chief. "If he can answer that, I'll be half way to believing him. Only a handful of people have made contact with them, as you know, and no pictures have been released."
Garibaldi told them about the crest of hair (hoping that they looked the same in this universe). "They look human, and they tried to pass themselves off as a long lost human tribe, but they have certain physical attributes that we don't – like two hearts for instance. If they follow the same pattern, they will try and convince you that they are the only alien race in existence."
Zack slowly sank down into his chair. "He knows too much for it to be a coincidence. I shall have to contact the President immediately." He looked over to Garibaldi, "How close did you get to them in, er, your universe?"
"I was a friend of Londo Mollari, the Centauri ambassador, for about 4 or 5 years," he said modestly.
There was a spluttering sound from the direction of Franklin; Zack shot him a glance "Find Garibaldi some quarters while this is being sorted out."
"With respect Captain, he is due to go on trial for murder in a couple of day's time. You can't ignore that!"
"Well then, put him under house arrest, and have him cleaned up – he smells like a refuse chute!"
Later, feeling much better for a shower and a change of clothes, Garibaldi was taken back to see Captain Allen.
"I have spoken to the President, and you are to go and see him in New California on the next available shuttle. We have postponed the trial, until we have decided what to do about you." He stopped, looked Garibaldi up and down curiously, seemed about to ask a question, and then shrugged. "Well, you had better get going."
A/N
What do you think? Worth going on with? Let me know.