"OK, we'll put the tired over here, the poor over there, and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free over there." - Chief Wiggum
As always I want to thank my Beta Readers who's sadistical torture is able to pull me out of my procrastination and actaully finish another chapter. Tyr and Rastamon, Thanks a bunch, and Rasta gets credit for the Sinclair scene!
Chapter 4
"Yes, Captain, I do believe it is imperative that you talk to Dr. Adams before we see Commander Sheridan," implored Mr. Spock.
"If you think it's that important." he paused. "Computer, Deck 10. Has Scotty been able to give an estimate on what repairs need to be done to the Lexington?"
"Commander Scott signified that minimal repairs would need to be done as long as the Lexington was towed back to Earth." Spock replied. "The dry dock facilities there will be more than adequate to perform the intensive repairs needed to restore the Lexington to its optimal functions once again."
"I'm sure that Commander Sheridan will be happy to have our help." Kirk chuckled lightly. "We could use a re-stock ourselves."
"Agreed," nodded Spock. "Jim, after you hear from Dr. Adams, I think you might find the situation more grave than is apparent."
"I... see. Should I be warned of anything?"
"Only that I believe you had experience with at least one instance of this." offered Spock. "I am still going over what I was told."
The doors to astrometrics swish open as the sensor inside is activated letting the Captain and his first officer inside the test lab. Methos was sprawled out in the chair next to a plethora of monitors monitoring several streams of data at the same time not even noticing he had company.
"Ahem." coughed Commander Spock.
"Ahh... Commander Spock, Captain Kirk, glad you could join me. Have a seat, mi casa es su casa." Methos turned and grinned boyishly at them. "Good thing that the Universal Translator doesn't translate everything."
"Commander Spock said you had something important I should know?" asked Kirk.
"Yes sir. I assume you are aware that my job is to figure out where the hell we are?"
Instead of speaking Kirk nodded his head in reply.
"Cassandra, please locate the current position of the Enterprise," Methos asked the computer.
"Computing..." said the computer in a sexy female voice. "The Enterprise is currently located in the Oort cloud of the Cor Caroli system."
"Congratulations, and the prize is... our new safer than last location, the Cor Caroli system." Methos said imitating a game show host. Then he held up his hand to forestall any comments. "Yes, yes I know. Not only is this not Psi 2000 its nothing like what it should be. Its missing one of its suns and 90 of the radiation among everything else. I've also found out that Vulcan has moved 14 light years towards the galactic center, and virtually every other place you could think of is either moved, missing, or... different."
"Earth?" asked Kirk.
"Strangely enough, that is the only star that is in its rightful place." Methos mused a moment and then ventured a comment. "The only logical conclusion I have made is that we are no longer in our universe."
Kirk immediately thought back to Spock's warning. "We aren't some how in the Terran Empire are we?" He asked nervously.
"No Captain, the quantum signature does not match that of the one i have recorded." Spock calmly replied.
"I'm not really sure what this Terran Empire is about," a confused Methos said. "However like Mr. Spock was talking about we are no longer in our own quantum universe."
Kirk waved it off, "One of this ships earlier adventures. Classified."
"Have you found out any information that would be of assistance to us?" Asked Spock.
"I already checked," Methos answered. "Uhura informed me that space is devoid of sub-space transmissions."
"This is damn peculiar, no longer in our... Starfleet?" murmured Kirk. Methos shrugged and looked apologetic.
"This is most distressing Captain," stressed Spock. "Usually the method we used to switch universes lingers on to give me something to study, but there is nothing here. No exotic subspace material, or particle transmissions, nothing Captain."
Kirk looked at Methos, "Is there any way to go back home, Doctor?"
"If we were still in the Psi 2000 system Commander Spock and I could study the sensor logs. As it is, we're not, and Psi 2000 is one of those missing stars I mentioned earlier." Methos said mystified. "We're lost."
Kirk like any rational human being began to to feel the stress of command. Knowing he was incharge of the well being of the 400 some odd crewmen under him. 'There has to be some way home,' he thought. 'Something that hasn't been thought of yet. Perhaps if the Tholians were around we could take a look at the interphase, or perhaps see if the Guardian of Forever is in this universe.' Spock noticed the expression on Kirk's face.
"Jim…. Even if we find or create a device capable of interspatial travel, it will be highly improbable that we would ever find out home universe. According to the Theory of Quantum Mechanics, the number of universes we need to search is almost infinite. Each original universe would branch out into an unknown number of sub-universes according to decisions made. In essence, each universe is a complex tree in a forest of universes. Looking for our home will be like looking for a twig in that forest. A most daunting impossible task."
'If only we had been more careful on our last mission we wouldnt be marooned here in some god forsaken unknown universe.' Kirk continued thinking while listening to Spock. 'I am the Captain though, no matter how bad the situation is, I will pull this ship and her crew through it!'
"There's not much else I can do for you here," shrugged Methos and pointed to one of the monitors. "A good bit of information can be acquired on that ship over there."
"Captain, it would be most expedient to allow the crew the choice of making this universe their new home. May I suggest initiating First Contact protocols with the Earth Alliance through Commander Sheridan?"
Kirk noded, distancing himself from his previous thoughts. He began to wonder. Dr. Adams had said Earth was still there, and Earth is Earth, it might be as good as home. Even if a little work was needed to cut a perfect diamond. "I agree, this is as good as a First Contact situation."
"Do you mind if I go with you?" asked Methos excitedly. "Given my doctorate I might be of some use to you."
"Your studies of history should be useful." Kirk agreed. "We are headed to the shuttlebay now, if you need anything to take, grab it now."
Methos grabbed a tricorder hanging on the chair, "I'm good, lets go."
The three of them walk out of astrometrics and head to a turbolift. As they entered the shuttlebay and older man in a blue uniform called out, "Well its about time you got here."
"Nice to see you too Bones," said Kirk with a smile.
"Captain I would suggest we use the gravity boots," Spock suggested.
"Ah yes, good suggestion Mr. Spock," replied Kirk. "I almost forgot they have no gravity."
"No gravity! They're in space!" cried out an extremely shocked McCoy. "Why can't they have gravity like any damned civilized race?"
"One mystery at a time, Bones"
Scene Change---------------------------------------------
"What've you got?" Commander Sheridan asked. They had just received a signal from space. A ship was approaching and signaling on a frequency not used regularly. The most unusual thing was that it didn't seem to use hyperspace, it just showed up on the sensors. "Alien?" Sheridan asked.
"I'm not sure yet captain its totally different than anything I've seen before..." Said the sensor officer. "Wait I'm receiving a signal" He pressed a button and put the signal on speaker. The voice was recorded in English. The short message kept repeating: "This is the Enterprise. We are responding to your distress signal and are sending over a shuttle and a doctor to help."
"...A doctor to help? ...Enterprise?" Sheridan looked extremely confused. "Is the interlac protocols translating that from an alien equivalent name?"
"No Sir, everything checks out ok," the sensor officer replied. "Its on of the few systems that wasn't damaged."
As the ship slowly approached closer, they could make out letters on its hull, "Those looks like letters... its English!" one of the bridge officers yelled excitedly.
"USS Enterprise," read Sheridan. "That isn't an Earth ship? I've never seen this design before!"
Suddenly the speaker came alive shaking everyone out of their shock, "Lexington this is the Galileo, permission to dock?"
"Granted. Acting Captain Sheridan will meet you," replied the comm officer after composing himself.
"Acknowledged we are looking forward to meeting him," came the reply.
Four men disembarked the shuttle with ski boot like gravity boots on and walked over to meet Sheridan who just swam in and waited for them near the door next to a hoop in the wall. Sheridan was more than slightly shocked at the fact they are walking normally when there was no gravity on the ship. He was also very interested to note they looked rather human.
"Hello, I'm Captain Sheridan and i want to thank you for so promptly responding to our distress signal, I apologize for the conditions we happen to be meeting in."
"Nice to meet you Captain and totally understandable," Kirk said with a grin. "I'm James Kirk Captain of the Enterprise, this is my first officer Commander Spock, our ships physician, Dr. McCoy, and this is Dr. Adams, our resident astrophysicist and historian."
"Pleasure to meet you gentlemen. At first we thought you were more Minbari coming to finish us off, but we are all very glad to know your friendly."
"Ahh, so the angelfish like ship was the Minbari?" asked Methos.
McCoy cleared his throat, "Ahem, Captain do you mind if I see to the wounded?" He then looked over at the Captain of the Lexington, "The critical cases we will beam over to our sickbay on our ship if you don't mind?"
"Beamed? I hope you don't mean beaming as in knocking people unconscious," a horrified and totally confused Sheridan asked.
"No no, Jeez! We're not ignorant savages! I'm not an primitive sail ship doctor!" yelled
McCoy aghast.
"Its our method of transport. Much more efficient than the shuttles," said Kirk.
McCoy scoffed and mumbled under his breath, 'blasted infernal machine' and walked off to do his job his gravity boots locking and unlocking sounding like air being pushed out of balloon and ending with a click then a clank as each foot touched the deck
"Please come with me," Sheridan said and started floating down the corridor while Kirk, Spock and Methos followed. Along the way crewmen stopped to stare at them walking in amazement, as they floated in the nullgrav environment. About halfway to the briefing room the Lexington was buffeted by an asteroid. Kirk asked Sheridan, "Captain, do you mind if we pull your ship out of the asteroid field?"
"I wasn't sure if your ship could do that, I was hesitant to ask," came the chagrined reply. "Please do, the ship cant take much more of a beating."
Kirk taped on his arrowhead shaped communicator badge, "Kirk to Enterprise."
"Enterprise here," came the scottish reply.
"Scotty can you pull this ship out of the asteroid field?"
"Aye aye Captain," said Scotty. "Hold on wee bairn second... there your out. Sir, there's many small breaches in thee Lexington... thee atmosphere's slowly venting. So Captain ah am ginna extend thee shields around thee Lexington ta hold thee air in an vent some of our own air ta keep thee crew alive an breathing. With your permission?"
"Granted Mr. Scott, Keep up the good work, Kirk out."
Immediately they feel the ship stop its slow spinning as the Enterprise's shields cover the Lexington as they arrive at Sheridans new Captain quarters. Kirk asked Sheridan if he could give him some background information on Earth, Earth Alliaince and his attackers.
Sheridan nodded and gave a brief history of earth and the attackers.
"After first contact with the Centari in 2050, we set up colonies and staked out territory on every planet and solar system within 20 light-years of Sol. Colonies on Proxima Centauri, Wolf 359, the Luyten stars, Cygni Alpha and the Ross stars." he paused and then took a breath to continue. "Then in 2245 a fleet of our ships sent on a exploration mission into Minbari territory. No one at the time seemed to know anything about them. Captain Jankowski accidentally came upon one of their fleets. From the report Jankowski attempted our first contact tachyon messages but the Minbari War Cruisers approached with their weapons ready. They scanned us and somehow disabled our ability to retreat back into hyperspace. Jankowski thought they were about to be attacked, and gave his crew the order to open fire. We succeeded in damaging the Minbari Cruiser and destroying a support craft before the scanning stopped and we were able to escape into hyperspace and back to home."
Kirk looked a little dismayed at this information, while Spcok just raised an eyebrow. Methos goodnaturedly considered it human nature as Sheridan continued.
"It was all a stupid mistake, yet we are facing an enemy that is apparently thousands of years ahead of us technologically. We are not equipped to handle the Minbari's military, and many of the League worlds that had pledged themselves to assist us quickly abandoned us." he kept talking his voice thick with emotion. "Our victories have been far a few between. Even those battles which were won by the Alliance were not true victories, all we've managed to do is drive the Minbari attackers off. They refuse to listen to out repeated attempts to apologize and make peace, or even to surrender! 2 months ago they attacked Vega, and wiped out all military forces killing 10,000 of them. Since then it has been defeat after defeat where we have lost over 70 ships, 5 space stations and 3 planetary bases totaling another 30,000 service men and women killed. We came to slow the minbari advance at Jericho... but it was useless. We failed as miserably as the walls of Jericho came crumbling down!" Sheridan almost brokedown in tears thinking about all the good service men and women lost in vain. "The mission was to see if we could salvage the Jericho space station, but they were waiting for us. We were ambushed, and I was just barely able to keep us alive. If that trick of mine with the tactical nukes didn't work we wouldn't be here now."
After a few moments he was able to compose himself enough, "I'm very grateful for all your help," he asked. "But can you give me some information about you?"
"We are an alliance of semi-independent worlds dedicated to peace, free trade and mutual defense," Kirk said. "Diplomacy's not really my strongest suit. How about I have the Doctor tell you the rest?"
Spock raise an eyebrow, but made no other comment. Then Kirk gave the floor to Methos to explain the federation.
"Instead of the Centari, we were found by the Vulcans," said Methos in his teacher lecture mode as he pointed at Commander Spock. "They helped us and over the course of years and with a few other species we banded together for mutual protection, peace and free trade. Most of the major problems facing the human species have been resolved; material want and money are no more. People, while not perfect, appear to trust each other more, work together more harmoniously and feel a greater sense of community and mutual responsibility. Individual planets or species retain sovereignty, giving up only very limited powers to the Federation government. Citizens are protected from Federation overreaching, but planetary governments are beholden unto themselves within reason. The Federation Prime Directive is non-interference with the internal affairs of others, and applies to Federation members and non-members alike. The Prime Directive dictates that there be no interference with the natural development of any primitive society, chiefly meaning that no primitive culture can be given or exposed to any information regarding advanced technology or alien races. It also forbids any effort to improve or change in any way the natural course of such a society, even if that change is well-intentioned and kept totally secret.
"What, there are no downsides to your federation?" asked Sheridan slightly worried his Earth might not be up to the Federations Prime Directive standards.
"Well, yes... we have our fair share of problems. Like Colonel Green, who sterilized hundreds of thousands of radiation poisoned humans in World War III to prevent their offspring; or Governor Kodos, who while trying to prevent the starvation of 8000 colonists began implementing his own theories of eugenics and subsequently executed half of the colonials. We also have 2 cold wars going on, one with the Romulan Star Empire and the other with Klingon Empire. So to answer your question, no nothing is perfect." said Methos still in his teacher lecture mode.
"Our ship was on a mission to the PSI 2000 system to pick up a scientific outpost before the system went nova. Unfortunately there was a extremely rare waterborn virus on the planet that the scientists had fallen victim too, and almost us as well. Half the ship was mad as a hatter, totally insane, as the PSI 2000 sun went nova. We still aren't totally sure what happened. One minute we were about to crash land attempting to perform a theoretical escape maneuver with half our crew not at their posts and the planet breaking up below us, the next thing we knew we were in the Cor Caroli system. When we finished the repairs to the ship our sensors picked up you and the Minbari ship. Only this isn't the Cor Corali system to you is it?" asked Methos.
"No this is the Jericho system." Sheridan replied.
"Captain if I might suggest. We need to re-supply the ship, why not tow the Lexington to Earth and find out more there?" said Commander Spock.
"We would appreciate the help, and in return Earth can help feed your crew?" Asked Sheridan.
Kirk paused and looked contemplative for a moment or two and he thought about the proposition. "Agreed, it's the best option we have right now. Captain Sheridan, if you'll excuse us we will go back to the Enterprise and begin our trip to Earth."
"Again, Captain Kirk, we appreciate all the help you've given us." thanked Captain Sheridan.
Scene Change------------------------
Jeffrey David Sinclair opened his eyes in darkness relieved by the systematic pulsating red emergency lights. He put up a hand to check his face.
He forgot he was wearing the fighter pilot's helmet.
Even though he couldn't use his hands to check his body, he could tell that it was all right, if bruised. The dull pains brought recent memories back into his mind.
His squadron had been ordered to suit up and get in the starfuries when the Minbari transport was detected by the fleet command on the Lexington. They couldn't be too careful even though it was just an unarmed short-range transport, not when it was Minbari. The starfuries lined up in the launch bay, awaiting further orders. Then the world tumbled.
Sinclair's mother ship was the Nova-class ship whose engines were sheared off by the Black Star's jump point. The burning ship tumbled, twisted at an angle, rattling everything inside. Sinclair was shaken so much as if a giant child picked up his fighter and used it as a rattler. It was too much for him. He blacked out.
Sinclair squinted into the darkness punctuated by the waxing and waning of the red emergency lights. He could see stars. That meant a large part of the ship's hull has been torn, exposing the innards to space.
Fortunately, his starfury was still attached to its launching arm in the launch bay or it would have wheeled out into space dangerously during his blackout. Sinclair ordered the computer to release the docking clamps.
"Unable to comply."
The starfury pilot frowned. He tried the thrusters to shake the fury free from the clamps. The fury shook in a swinging vibration, and then the thrusters fired themselves out. "Firing fuel out."
Sinclair then tried the communication array to see if there was anyone left alive in the ship or even in the fleet. "Communications disrupted," went the computer.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to breathe fast. Oxygen was now precious and limited. First, figure out what was working in the starfury.
Sinclair struggled with his controls. The computer was a fountain of good cheer. "Navigation system inoperative. Communications disrupted." He tried the thrusters once more.
"Negative function."
Sinclair sighed. 'Just making sure. Now to wait for a rescue, if any.'
He activated the distress beacon, hoping the Minbari warcruiser wasn't still around to intercept it. Even if it was, it was perhaps better for him to die in fire rather than suffocate. Better, even, than watching Earth burn someday.
Sinclair refused to believe that Earth would burn someday soon. He had always somehow known in his very soul that he was destined for something great. That could not, of course, be realized if Earth was to die.
Catherine Sakai.
Now there's a woman for him to look forward to Earth staying alive. If, somehow, Catherine was to fall into a hole in space and gets lost in time, Sinclair would purposefully march into that hole and find her. He felt that Catherine felt the same. Even so, they've kept their relationship open since before the beginning of this damned war.
Damn... Sinclair was sick and tired of this seemingly un-winnable war. Catherine Sakai. Catherine….
Tired, Sinclair's eyes drooped. He fell asleep with a whisper on his lips. "Catherine…"
Time passed in a haze of nothingness, like being underwater and then suddenly breaking the surface.
Sinclair jerked awake. That wasn't his imagination. His starfury was shaking as the ship shook and tumbled again.
The Minbari! They've intercepted his distress beacon!
But the broken ship's shaking wasn't caused by weapons fire.
The starfury's computer chirped. Make that direct weapons fire. Sinclair could see that his fighter was detecting elevating radiation levels outside the ship. A nuclear detonation had recently occurred. The Minbari?
The computer chirped once more. "Oxygen depleting."
Oh hell! Somehow, the shaking caused the fighter to spring a leak! Sinclair immediately readied the emergency oxygen tank for his spacesuit for when the atmosphere in the starfury had completely leaked out. Damn it…. Where was the rescue?
He settled in, waiting. To prevent the boredom from making him restless, he went back to his memories of his Jesuit education. Specifically, to the meditation before class each morning. He began to slowly breathe rhythmically and blanked his mind. In, and out. In, and out. Slowly to let the oxygen last longer.
As the minutes stretched and ticked by, Sinclair's head began to feel light. He began to feel slightly drunk and slightly happy.
Hypoxia, oxygen deficiency in the human body.
Sinclair reached down to connect the emergency oxygen tank to his suit and open the valve. Satisfied, he returned to the rhythmic breathing exercises of his Jesuit meditation. This time, his mind was filling up with thoughts of Catherine Sakai.
Somehow, the possibility of death didn't hold any dread for him. It was likely due to the hypoxia-induced euphoria. At least, the happiness of euphoria colored his thoughts of Catherine Sakai and himself favorably.
Catherine…. The blood-like red flashing lights mocked him tempting him to give in and stop fighting.
No! He couldn't possibly die here and now! Not when his soul had seemed to cry throughout his life for some sort of grand destiny! He remembered the few strange dreams he had. Dreams of a city of sorrow. Crystalline towers soaring and glittering into the sky. Faceless armies darkening the horizon, proclaiming Sinclair as their savior. They chanted the name Valen, his name he was certain of that however bizarre it was. Then as always came the unendurable defiantly strange shrieks in space that chilled the soul. Impossible! No one could hear you scream in space.
Nevertheless, the dreams reflected his soul's calls of destiny.
A tingle was felt in Sinclair's body. It felt like ants crawling all over his skin. That was definitely not a symptom of hypoxia. Or was it? He couldn't quite remember.
Then he saw motes of blue-white light filling his vision. Hypoxia was supposed to trick the brain into seeing beautiful colors just before the blackness of death. Was he dying already? Was the emergency oxygen tank really already empty?
Sinclair readied himself, coming to terms with his death. Catherine!
The motes of light obliterated everything in sight, and then cleared away to reveal a room and several people in unfamiliar colorful uniforms. Somehow, Sinclair knew in his inner being that he didn't die. A rescue! The shock of this and the effects of hypoxia combined to make the floor rush up to meet him, darkening, just as the aging human man in blue was reaching for him.
Scene Change-------------------------------------
"Lock on with the tractor beam," ordered Captain Kirk.
"Aye, aye Captain," Sulu enthusiastically replied.
Blue glow emitted from the dome at the bottom middle of the saucer section and made contact with the Lexington.
"Captain I would suggest we do not travel past Warp 5 for safety reasons," said Mr. Spock. "Any faster than that would cause grave harm to not only the Lexington, but our own ship as well. At that speed we should arrive in a few days."
"Noted, ahead warp five, set your course for sector 001… Earth," Kirk said, the excitement of going home to Earth alive in them all even if it wasn't their Earth.
"Course laid in Sir," said Sulu.
"Engage!" And with that order given the Enterprise seemed to shine just a little brighter as it began to elongate carrying the Lexington along with her as if a mother caring for her child. A rainbow like glowing line seemed to form from nowhere as a bright flash of white light heralded the beginning of the journey home.