Chapter Four
Alternatives
"Captain's Star Log, supplemental. It has been several hours since Lieutenant Reed and I were rescued from the planet's surface by Commander Tucker, Sub-Commander T'Pol and Ensign Mayweather. Their use of the previously captured Suliban cell ship and its cloaking device resulted in no further physical evidence to contaminate the indigenous culture.
"However, though efforts were made to minimize the exposure of a technologically advanced alien race, we were unable to avoid affecting the balance of power in that civilization. As a result of our presence and exposure, they now believe their nearest neighbor, the 'Alliance', is capable of creating mutated soldiers, coherent energy weapons and invisible vehicles. Only time will tell how our influence has affected this society and its development.
"I hold myself to blame for all of the damage.
"I am implementing a new series of controls over future landing party procedures, to make certain this type of thing does not happen again. This time we got away without any fatalities, but it is still a very bad situation." He turned off the recorder, sitting back in his Ready Room chair and closing his eyes.
"I'm afraid you have no idea how bad the situation is, Captain."
Archer's eyes snapped open at the unexpected intrusion, seeing a familiar figure before him. He had not expected to see this man again, and frankly he could have gone the rest of his life without doing so. The last time he had, he had been transported 1,000 years into the future ahead to a dead Earth, and had come forcibly to understand that it was his actions, and those of others, that had killed a world, a future, a hope. It was a sobering thought indeed.
The man who stood before him again was not particularly tall; his most notable feature was piercing, discerning eyes that seemed to hold a wealth of knowledge and experience. He appeared to be about 35 years old; though Archer was certain this was misleading. When he first knew him, the man had been masquerading as a Steward aboard Enterprise. Now he wore a black ribbed uniform of undetermined (read 'secret') origin, and an air of mystery like a cloak. "Well, I'll be damned."
"I hope not, Captain. We need you at your best." Former-Crewman Daniels told him.
"Well, what is it this time?" He asked, leaning back in his chair, trying to adopt a blasé manner. "Revolt in the Klingon Empire? Silik and the Suliban making more trouble in your Cold War? The Andorians still upset over that listening post at P'Jem? You know, it's been some time since we've seen you. I was hoping things were going to quiet down."
"Actually, Captain, it's been about five weeks, but the fact that you cannot remember that is just one facet of the problem." The dismissive manner Archer had been trying to adopt evaporated. He stopped leaning back in this chair and faced the man with full attention.
"Five weeks?"
"Since the incident at Vendikar." The word meant nothing to Archer. "Eminiar VIII?" Still nothing. "Well, it and Eminiar VII are now lifeless fragments of their former selves." A chill washed through Archer's body at the bald description of a concept too devastating to take in. Two whole planets, dead? Destroyed? Two planets he seemed to be expected to know, but had never heard of? "Regrettably, they are not the only ones."
"What can we do?" Archer asked in a dead voice, distress washing over him and kept at bay only by strict discipline. The image of Earth, wreaked crumbling buildings and destruction for as far as the eye could see came back to him with horrible vividness. He worked to push it down, to focus on the situation.
"I'm afraid this time I have to speak to your command crew as well as yourself. This is larger than the usual matters I can brief you on."
"The Time Line's been damaged?" He tried to keep his voice level, fearing the worst. Maybe the planet below, despite his best efforts at 'damage control', was in the future a burned out, blasted wreck; all because of the Enterprise's presence.
Daniels shook his head. "No, Captain, the Time Line's been devastated."
x
On the Bridge of the massive starship, the Temporal Agent was in a very unfamiliar state indeed. Through his entire career, he had made a consistent effort to keep others from learning of his duties, his orders and missions; even of his existence. Now he was in the odd position of having to reveal a massive amount of information in order to set the Time Line back to normal. This was something that, if he was right, Jonathan Archer could not accomplish, yet it would take his approval for the one best suited to succeed to even act. But before then, there was much he had to do to convince these people that they should do something they would fundamentally not wish to do.
His foes had indeed scored a major blow, in some senses even worse than the 'destruction' of Earth, since so many other planets were involved. He needed the combined talents of these special men and women if he was going to be able to correct the devastation that had already occurred. And the very people who were needed to accomplish this task were, he knew, going to be his greatest obstacle.
He stood now before the pilot station, facing the Command crew of a starship whose destiny was nothing short of historic; men and women who faced a combined future of great triumph and greater tragedy. He had to be very careful which one he brought about.
"The information I have to impart involves things that I am unable to prove through anything in your history or experience, because the very existence of the physical evidence that could substantiate my claims has been obliterated. Thus, I must ask you to take certain things I am going to reveal on faith, rather than science."
"If that's your plan, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong crew." Archer warned him from his command chair.
"Indeed." T'Pol seconded from the Science Station to Daniels' right.
"I hope not. My experience with this crew is that you are able to open yourselves up to new possibilities; though I have to admit that some of them have been disrupted along with the Proper Time Line."
"Proper Time Line." Trip Tucker repeated from his position near Tactical, having picked up on the verbal capitals. "What is that?"
"Who's to say that this one is not the right one?" Travis Mayweather asked from the pilot seat before him.
"Yeah." Trip continued. "What is the 'Proper' Time Line?"
x
Daniels could feel the situation already slipping out of his control. He knew he had to get it back quickly, or he was lost. "Captain, do you recall a mission to Beta Aragon III?" Archer nodded; a sour expression on his face. It was not one of his more illustrious moments.
"We were sent by Starfleet to negotiate a treaty and try to arrange mining rights for the planet's tremendous supply of dilithium."
"Did you get it?"
"No. The Aragons had this test of our motives. I was ordered by Starfleet to get the treaty at all costs. I failed their test."
"In my history, you succeeded. The treaty you signed will last at least two generations."
He thought it over. "Well, that's gratifying, but hardly overwhelming. We'll find dilithium elsewhere. Maybe not as much, or as easily attained, but we will find some."
Daniels looked at Hoshi. "Tell me about Elizabeth Cutler?"
The woman was taken aback for a moment. "Liz?" She shrugged. "There's not much to tell. She transferred off Enterprise about four months ago. She …" She glanced at Phlox, who stood with Tucker near Malcolm Reed, wondering how carefully she could phrase this. "She had … hopes … that she was unable to attain. Last I heard; she's serving on a Scientific Research Station."
"Yes. Cold Station 12. You'll encounter her again, though briefly and not in person, about two years from now. She will be enmeshed in a hostage negotiation between a Dr. Arik Soong, his Augmented 'children' and yourselves.
"She will die from forced exposure to Symbalene Blood Burn'."
x
He watched the shocked reaction spread across the bridge. All had known the woman, many had worked closely with her, and all would regret her death. Those like Phlox, who knew the details of the Symbalene Blood Burn, were even more deeply affected by the image of the friendly and personable young woman torn apart internally by the fearful pathogen. "In fact, in the 'Proper' Time Line, it is another Researcher who dies, since Elizabeth Cutler had never left Enterprise.
"She has, in fact, been involved in a different relationship than the one you mentioned and, though she is not yet aware of it, she is at this moment pregnant.
"Her child, Michael Cein will, 32 years hence, make a major contribution toward the success of treaty negotiations with the Tholian Assembly."
x
Daniels particularly watched Hoshi Sato's reactions. They were the most open of all, and he recalled the two women had been good friends for a long time. This was more so in the 'Proper' Time Line, but even here they had a history together as close friends. He could probably count on her being his strongest backer in convincing Jonathan to intervene in this history, as he had serious doubts of his chances of success without swaying several of the Enterprise crew to his side.
He could see the toll these revelations were taking on them, and wished he could leave it at that. However, there was far more to reveal if he was going to obtain their motivated help.
"Captain, what do you know of Cygnet XIV?"
Archer thought about it for a moment. "Nothing." Then he forced himself to ask a question he really did not want to ask. "Should I know about it?"
"Definitely. You make First Contact with a significantly advanced race from that world, the Bravinan, while visiting another planet, Caldis III. You cede possession of that world to the Bravinan colonization contingent in exchange for advanced interactive computer technology that will revolutionize your people's exploration of the stars. Without it, your exploration will be considerably hampered. Oh, it will take place, but at a significantly slower pace."
Archer glanced at Trip, who did nothing to hide his impressed feelings. He turned back to Daniels. "Interactive?"
"Yes. It will take the resources, many years from now, of a scientist named Richard Daystrom to truly comprehend what he will come to call 'duotronics', and to fully apply them to Earth's computer technology. The breakthrough in computer technology will be his, but the inspiration will come from the extremely complex information provided by the Bravinan people, information so complex that you will not be using the full extent of it in your lifetimes."
"And for this I gave them a planet?" Archer did not know if he should be impressed or dubious.
"You considered it an excellent investment at the time."
"So, why didn't I meet them?"
"That is because of a long chain of circumstances. All of the incidents I cited occurred because of the presence of a member of your crew who is not present in this continuum. She joined your ship, in the Proper Time Line, nine months ago, and your decisions which were influenced by her presence and contribution to your crew resulted in your being in the places I cited at the key times. I'm sure you can appreciate how the presence or absence of individuals can affect circumstances, can cause changes in personal relationships, can give input on command decisions, et cetera.
"On Beta Aragon III, her insight at a key moment allowed you to find the key you needed to solve the 'puzzle' the Aragons presented.
"Elizabeth Cutler did not leave your crew four months ago because she developed a friendship with this person at a time when her decision to leave or stay was at its greatest point of flux. She stayed long enough for another person's influence to have a major effect upon her life. She is therefore not doomed to die, in the Proper Time Line, two years hence. She will, in fact, live to see her grandchildren.
"Though this added crewperson did not influence your being in the vicinity of the Eminiar system, small changes in circumstances over many weeks did have you nearby, not at the far side of the sector.
"Without her presence, you followed a different path and were elsewhere when each of the incidents took place. You were, in fact, some 85 parsecs out of position, and on a different course, so you did not visit Caldis III at the key time to meet the Cygnet XIV, or 'Bravinan', colonists. There is a colony on that planet now, but their presence had nothing to do with your negotiation, so you derive no benefit from it."
x
"What caused all this?" Trip Tucker demanded from near Reed's Tactical station, unable to stand much more. Daniels addressed him directly; for this was the moment he had been leading up to.
"Actually, the pivotal event that disrupted the time line involves your wife; and her journey sixty-six terrestrial years into the past of her own planet, known as Aura, in an attempt to –."
"Wait a cott'n pickin' minute!" Tucker exclaimed, silencing the man. "I'm not married!"
Daniels nodded, conceding the point. "That's true. Even in the Proper Time Line you are not married. Yet. You will be, however. And in a little more than two years your children, Charles IV and…"
"Hold it." Trip started across the bridge, advancing on the man, the better to emphasize the point as he came around the pilot station. "I'm – not – married!"
When Tucker was close enough, Daniels held out a Padd, which was already activated. Trip took it, looking at the image displayed on the small screen, and was instantly silenced. "This Padd contains all the pertinent information you need." As Trip stared at the unfamiliar face on the screen, Daniels reached across Travis Mayweather's board. "If I may, Ensign?" He touched a few controls, and the image on the Padd was displayed in full size on the huge viewscreen.
Trip looked at the larger image, which showed a young woman apparently in her late twenties, with long golden hair that flowed down her back past her waist. She had a stunning – in fact; astonishing – golden complexion and equally startling golden eyes. "Tia Anlor, a native of the planet Aura; presently 22 Earth or 19 Auran years old –."
"That is most unlikely." T'Pol interjected from her station, cutting him off and seizing the bridge's attention. "When you first mentioned Aura I accessed the Vulcan Star Charts. The planet Aura, at coordinates 179-080-109-758, was devastated in a war with the Silurian Empire over 60 years ago. Its people were annihilated.
"The Auran race is extinct."