Captain's Log, supplemental. Through use of the Iconian gateway system, Pon and I have reached a habitat deep in one of Terminus' oceans where we believe Avala and Rylek have been taken. Their captor appears to be Romulan, and for reasons we don't understand, they've been placed in a simulation where they've returned to Icarus. We've made contact with them but are having difficulty maintaining the signal.

"Any luck?" Captain Rashid asks, examining her surroundings. They are in an underwater garden atop a habitat similar to 45 Exai, perched on the edge of a deep trench which plunges into darkness. The sun's light casts dim rays through the dark water above their heads. The garden is lit by phosphorescent corals, some as tall as trees, casting the garden in pale blues and greens. They are surrounded by a dome of air bounded by an invisible field.

"None yet." Pon scowls at a jury-rigged component on her tricorder and adjusts it aggressively.

"What exactly is the problem?" Rashid walks to the edge of the dome, examining the still, vertical surface of the water where it meets the air.

"Hard to explain. It's like they're here, but they're also not here, because here stops being here. Hard to get a signal through that. Almost like trying to send a message to a parallel universe. Which I've done, by the way. Not easy."

Rashid reaches her hand forward to touch the surface of the water. It recedes from her touch, forming a bubble of air around her hand several centimeters from her skin. Slowly, she steps through the surface, and the bubble grows to surround her, connected to the dome by a path formed wherever in the underwater garden she walks.

"They didn't seem to believe me when I told them they were in a simulation," Pon observes.

Rashid returns into the dome and the bubble disappears behind her. "It's probably quite a frightening situation to be in. It would seem completely real to them – they'd have no way of detecting otherwise." She steps closer to look over Pon's shoulder at the tricorder. "Do you have any idea where they are?"

"Well, I'm not reading them anywhere, but there are some areas on this habitat that I can't get any read on, and I think that's where they may be. Actually, the largest area is right over there, on the other side of this terrace." She gestures to the west, where a faint green glow can be seen in the distance, past the reef.

"Let me take a look at that." Rashid takes the tricorder from Pon's hand. "Wow. Those are some strange readings. Do you know what it almost looks like?"

Pon nods. "Some kind of localized micro-universe."

"Huh."

"Yeah."

Rashid puts her hand on her phaser. "Well, keep trying to reach them. But we should be prepared to go in there. Let's get a closer look."

She approaches the edge of the dome again and steps into the water, once again surrounded by a thin film of air. Pon follows close behind, still engrossed in the tricorder.

"Assuming we can get in," the captain continues, "we'll have to be able to get out again. We should keep the gateway open while we search for them. But we also need to find a way of knowing for sure whether we are out, and not still in the simulated reality."

"I'll try, but I don't think that should be our highest priority." Pon does not look up from the instrument.

"Why not?"

"Well, what's the worst-case scenario? We think we've escaped but we haven't, but have no way of knowing, and presumably live out our lives never being the wiser? What's the difference?"

Rashid raises an eyebrow. "Well, your kids, for one thing. Our families would think we were dead."

"Yeah, but we'd never know."

"And second, it isn't real. It's a simulation. Remember before, when they simulated your mud and you said it wasn't the same as the real thing?"

Pon eyes Rashid. "Well, that's different."

"How is it different?"

"It's mud. It's different."

A pale green dome looms before them. As they approach it, there is a beep from Pon's combadge, which is attached to her tricorder through one of the modified add-ons.

Rashid looks quizzically at the Tellarite, who taps the badge. "Pon here."

"….Commander?" a voice crackles. "Can you hear me?"

She steps toward the Tellarite. "This is Captain Rashid. Who is this?"

Pon adjusts the configuration of the tricorder and the signal clarifies somewhat. "Captain, it is good to hear your voice. Commander Sparks here."

She smiles. "Isaiah. It's good to hear from you too. Where are you?"

Standing in a cramped chamber near the top of the central dome of the Cenobium, near a window offering a high view of the surrounding jungle, Sparks grins at Alomar and Sorensen. "We've made contact with an Iconian civilization here, captain – a monastic community. They've given us access to a radio transmitter. I'm here with Susan and Tomas, in the wilderness on the large continent. We got separated from Vanda and Rylek."

"We know; we believe they're being held captive by a Romulan. We've located them and are trying to make contact."

"You did! I'm glad to hear that."

Over the faint static of the hand-wrought radio speaker, they hear Pon say in a low voice, "I don't think it's actually them."

Sparks leans forward. "I'm sorry, I didn't copy that?"

"You're not going to asks us for some Currency, are you?"

Sparks exchanges confused looks with the two officers. "No…?"

They hear Rashid say something inaudible in a stern whisper. "It's a long story, commander. Listen: we've gained limited access to the Iconian gateway system. Right now we can use it planetside, but assuming the auto-repair sequence worked, we may be able to use the gateways to get back to Icarus. We would need a large amount of Iconian currency and permission from an Iconian."

"Well I haven't seen any sign of use of currency by these people, but we've developed a good rapport with them and I think they'll be willing to help us out."

"Good. I'm glad to hear first contact went well – good work, all of you."

"Thanks, captain. We had a few problems but we managed to work them out together. I'll fill you in later."

Rashid nods. "Understood. Try to use the radio transmitter to make contact with Icarus."

"Should be possible if we can get enough signal. What's your status?"

"We're going to try to get Avala and Rylek out of what seems to be an artificially-generated micro-universe. We'll try to maintain contact. So stand by for now – we'll set up a gateway to transport you to the capital city. We can use the central gateway there to transport to Icarus."

"Aye, captain. Good hunting."

"You too, commander." She reaches an open hand toward the glowing green dome before her. "Rashid out."

Sparks examines the transmitter, adjusting the configuration of the ornate knobs. "Sparks to Icarus. Requesting your status." He ends the transmission and says to Sorensen and Alomar, "It may take a few minutes depending on the ship's position. Let's stand by for now, and we'll re-adjust it if we need to."

"I must ask," Alomar says to Sorensen, "and by all means, you may refuse to answer. You and Ctai…?"

Sorensen looks between them, blushing slightly. "It's alright, doctor – it's not a secret. I… uh… hope I haven't violated any protocols."

"It's alright," Sparks reassures her. "You're part of a long line of explorers. Required some creativity though, I bet."

She hesitates. "Yeah."

Alomar smiles. "As far as I know, my husband and I are the first Xeleth-human couple. It's been a rather interesting journey, to say the least. But endlessly rewarding."

"This is the first time I've been with a non-human." She pauses. "Well, there was a Vulcan once. But I don't think that counts – humans and Vulcans have been interbreeding for hundreds of years, so that path is well-trodden." She looks between them and quickly adds, "It wasn't Rylek."

"What about you, commander?" Alomar inquires. "During your time in the Gamma Quadrant?"

"I had some encounters," Sparks replies. "But for most of that time, I was dating a Bajoran woman. You want to talk about challenges – you'd think being with a Bajoran would be a lot like being with a human. But I can tell you it is quite different."

Alomar raises an eyebrow. "I am intrigued."

"Well, there's this…" Sparks is interrupted by the crackling of the radio speaker. A female voice can be heard. "This is Icarus. The auto-repair cycle is complete. I'm in a geosynchronous orbit seventeen million four hundred fifty six thousand kilometers directly above your location."

Sparks smiles. "Copy that, Icarus. Stand by for instructions."

"Icarus has rebuilt itself!" Alomar says. "Imagine. I am reminded of the philosophical puzzle of the ship of Theseus. Is it still the same ship if every component has been replaced?"

"It's an interesting question, doctor, but for now I'll be happy if it can get us away from this planet." To Sorensen, "You should get Ctai and see if she can help us access the central gateway. We'll stay here and wait to hear back."

"Yes, sir."

"And Susan? You can take your time. We'll get you if we need you."

She smiles. "Thank you, sir."

"But how do we know the signal was the real Pon?" Avala asks as she paces Rylek's quarters in her nightclothes. "What if we're on the real Icarus, and this is just the Iconian security system trying to lure us back to the planet?"

"A troubling prospect." Rylek is sitting cross-legged on the unmade bed. "However, that would not be consistent with what we have observed of Iconian technology. Thus far, it has tended to use more direct means of control, and has been uninterested with communicating with us."

Avala frowns. "She did this. Lerex did. She never wanted us to get off this planet."

"I am not certain of that. I see no logical reason why she would want to confine us."

"Come on, Rylek. She's not like the Romulans who live on Vulcan. The nomadic castes only care about strength and dominance. She can control us this way."

There is a pale green shimmering and Rashid and Pon seem to step through thin air into the room. Rashid smiles when she sees them. "Lieutenant. Ensign. We're here to get you out of this place."

Avala's antennae extend toward them. "That sounds good to me, captain. Is… is it really you?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," Pon says, examining her tricorder. "Seems like it. But I suppose there's no real way of knowing."

Rashid looks between them. "Are you alright?"

Rylek nods. "Yes, captain. We… had some difficulties, but we do not currently appear to be in any danger."

"How do we get out of here?" Avala asks.

"Well, that's kind of an interesting question," Pon tells her. "We're in a micro-universe outside of normal spacetime. But I think if I recalibrate the deflector array to emit an inverted transphasic variance field, we may be able to depolarize the subnucleonic field structure of this universe, causing a rift in the local spacetime, and I may be able to beam us back into our universe."

"Kind of like being buried in the snow and digging yourself out," Avala says.

"No, because if you were digging, you'd be…" she pauses. "Never mind, it's too complicated. Suffice to say we need to get to Engineering." She faces the wall near the porthole. "Computer: access panel."

A computer terminal appears in the wall and Pon begins keying in a series of codes. "What are you doing?" Rashid asks.

"Locking the crew out of the main computer so they don't try to stop us," Pon says while working.

"No! Don't do that. We can find a less aggressive way to do this."

Pon glowers at the captain. "We can try asking them if you like, but I can tell you right now that if there's a duplicate of me in Engineering, she's going to think I'm the duplicate and there's no way she'll give me access to deflector control for such a crazy procedure." She grunts. "And what about the time when we first got into the Core when we found your future self? You weren't about to give her free rein on the ship. I don't know about you, but I'd like to spend as little time gnarfing around in here as possible. Captain."

Rashid looks exasperated. "Alright, point taken. Let's just get this over with." She turns to Avala and Rylek, who are putting on their uniforms. "I realize that everyone in this simulation probably feels real to you, and I'm not going to order you to take up arms against them. But if we fail, you need to convince them to undertake Pon's procedure. The specifications are on her tricorder."

"We'll have to convince them that they're part of an artificially-created universe," Avala says, hesitation in her voice.

"I realize that. But staying here isn't an option."

"Good luck," Pon adds wryly as she enters her access codes.

She glances to Rylek, then faces Rashid. "We're with you, captain."

"Good. Let's get going." She draws her phaser, then leads her crew into the corridor outside Rylek's quarters. As they leave, the lights dim and a klaxon sounds, and a strip along the wall glows a dull red.

"That got their attention," Rashid says. They run down the short corridor and reach the turbolift, and Rashid taps the access panel. They wait for a moment and she taps it again.

"The other me is probably trying to lock us out of ship functionality," Pon says.

Then they hear the sound of a hatch being opened at the far end of the corridor. Rashid gestures to a nearby door. "Get to cover."

She draws her phaser and fires a warning shot at the entry to the Jeffries tube, and the hatch quickly draws shut. She dives through the doorway as a return blast of phaser fire strikes the turbolift door behind her.

The door closes behind Rashid and her eyes dart around the inactive holodeck. Avala and Rylek rush to her side.

"We should trap them in a holodeck program where they think they've captured us," Pon chuckles. "See how long it takes them to figure it out."

"I have a better idea." Rashid steps back towards the door, phaser drawn, and makes a shot down the corridor after a split-second glance, then immediately darts back into the holodeck. Her shot fells her duplicate as she runs along the port side of the corridor, head down. Sparks, close behind her, ducks into the doorway of his quarters.

"Who are you?" Sparks shouts. "What do you want?"

"Sorry about this, Isaiah," Rashid calls back. "This is an Iconian computer simulation, and I'm sorry to say you're a part of it!"

"What are you talking about?" comes the reply.

"Listen!" she calls to him, her back against the wall next to the doorway, clutching the phaser with both hands. "I'm coming out! I just want to talk, so don't shoot!"

She steps into the corridor, hands above her head, phaser in one hand.

Warily, Sparks emerges from his quarters, his phaser trained on Rashid. "How do you know you're not the simulation?" he asks.

"I can explain. Just, let's talk about it."

She relaxes her stance and steps toward him, and he lowers his phaser slightly. Seizing the moment, she shoots him in the shoulder, and he crumples.

Avala steps out, followed by Pon and Rylek. Her antennae point toward the other Rashid and Sparks, lying unconscious on the floor of the corridor.

"The key is to know your adversaries," Rashid says. "Come on."

They crawl into the open Jeffries tube access hatch, and climb towards the aft of the ship and down two decks into the stern section. Near the hatch leading to Engineering, Pon opens a panel and pulls out a small Type I phaser. She crawls next to Rashid, who silently counts down from three with her fingers. Then she opens the hatch and rushes forward, crouched behind a console on the lower level of Engineering. Pon trains her phaser on the upper level of Engineering and shuffles forward after Rashid.

A second Pon appears on the catwalk at the top of a ladder to the upper level. Rashid pushes the trigger on her phaser, but nothing happens. Behind her, Pon unsuccessfully tries to fire her phaser.

"What, did you flood Engineering with an ionized antiproton field?" she calls out to her double.

"Obviously. And I'm going to vent this entire deck into space unless you tell me what the gnarf is going on."

"This is all a simulation, including you." Her double begins to speak, but she interrupts, saying, "Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Maybe you're the simulation!' I have the data to prove it.

The other Pon does not step away from the environmental console. "Let's see it. Slowly."

Pon casts a glance at Rashid, then discards her phaser and climbs the ladder to the upper level.

The other Pon is glaring at her. "Alright, give it to me." The first Pon hands her the tricorder, and she examines it. "What is this supposed to be, a micro-universe?"

"Yeah. Yours."

"Well, how do I know it's not just the access point to your simulated universe?" she counters.

"Well, if you look closely, you'll notice there's another variable under the coaxial phase variant…" She sucker punches her double in the side of the head, and she falls against the console and to the ground.

"All clear, captain!" Pon calls, striding toward the deflector control station and activating it.

Rashid climbs the ladder, followed by Rylek and Avala. "Computer," the captain says. "Where are Alomar and Sorensen?"

"The bridge," the computer replies.

"Flood it with anesthizene gas."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Would I tell you to if I wasn't sure?" she retorts.

"Dispersing gas." The computer pauses. "Dr. Alomar and Dr. Sorensen are unconscious."

"Good. Download the transporter subroutine from Pon's tricorder and stand by to energize on my mark."

"Are you trying to beam to another universe?" the computer asks.

"Yes."

"Initializing."

Rashid steps next to Pon. "How long until the deflector is configured?"

"Not long. Ten, fifteen minutes, maybe? Less if you don't talk to me."

"Alright. But you and I need to have a talk when we get back to the ship." Rashid leaves the deflector control station and walks toward Avala and Rylek. "How are you two doing? How exactly did you get here?"

Avala meets her gaze. "Well, for starters, I disobeyed a direct order from Commander Sparks." She explains being processed at the Iconian detention center, released into the empty city, and their encounter with Lerex.

"I'm glad you're alive," Rashid tells them.

"We're ready," Pon calls from deflector control.

"Engage."

Icarus drops out of warp, and the deflector dish fires a beam of multicolored energy into the space in front of the ship. A rift opens, warping spacetime around it so that the starscape behind it seems to twist and bend.

"Computer," Rashid says. "Transport me through that rift according to the instructions you just downloaded."

"If you say so," the computer replies. Rashid dematerializes. A moment later, Pon's combadge chirps. "Rashid here. It worked."

"I told you it would," Pon says smugly. "Alright. You ready?"

Avala and Rylek nod. "Energize," Pon instructs the computer.

They materialize in an underwater garden, each of them surrounded by a thin bubble of air.

Rashid leads them through a thicket of coral into a large dome-shaped bubble of air. A gateway shimmers in the center of the bubble, showing an image of a white room with a window overlooking the sea. "Welcome back to reality," Pon says.

"This gateway will take us to another habitat," Rashid tells them. "From there, we're going to try and contact the ship. Let's go."

She and Pon step through the portal. As Avala and Rylek begin to follow, Avala's combadge beeps. She casts an anxious glance at Rylek and taps the badge. "Avala here."

"Avala," a garbled voice says. "Pon here. Are you kids hanging in there?"

She looks through the gateway, where Pon and Rashid can be seen talking to each other. Tension in her voice, she asks, "What are you talking about? You just got us out of the simulation…"

"No, we just got into the simulation. There's a valley, and a mountain, and some lava and shit. I think it might be Romulus. Stand by, we're on our…" The signal ends abruptly.

Rylek is breathing rapidly. "No. That cannot be them, can it? Are… are we still in the simulation?"

Avala swallows. "It's trying to trick us. Make us think we've escaped."

"But... if they are indistinguishable, how can we ever know for certain if we make it out?" Rylek shudders. "No. I cannot live like that, never knowing if I have escaped from the simulation. It is not logical…"

"Rylek! Rylek! Listen to me – we're going to get out. And next time we hang out with Jacques and X'thara and the others, we're going to have this crazy story to tell them. Okay?"

He nods. "Yes, Vanda. I… I do appreciate you coming for me. I do not believe I would be able to do this without you."

She puts her hand on his arm and nods sadly. "Yeah. I just… I couldn't lose you."

She squeezes his hand. His composure regained, Rylek walks alongside Avala through the gateway, leaving the underwater garden behind.

Rashid and Pon walk along a twilit hillside near the edge of a cliff, beyond which a deep chasm is lit by a flow of brilliant lava flowing from a dark mountain side. A grey planet hangs in the air near the horizon.

"So do you think it's Romulus?" Pon asks.

"It would make sense," Rashid answers. "If there's a Romulan here who can access the computer systems, chances are this is the environment she'd create."

They walk cautiously toward a small rectangular hut near the edge of the cliff. As they approach, there is a blur of dark movement which lunges towards them. Rashid draws her phaser and fires, stunning the approaching creature.

"A set'leth!" Pon exclaims. "I've never seen a living one before."

"Probably for the best." Rashid stuns the creature again for good measure. "Come on, let's try to find our people."

The door to the hut slides open and Lerex steps out, casting a suspicious glance in their direction. Valis toddles behind her.

"Get back inside, Valis," Lerex says to the child, who obeys dutifully. To Rashid and Pon, "Leave. Now."

"We're looking for our crew," Rashid explains.

Lerex strides toward them, and Rashid fires. The Romulan raises her cybernetic hand and space seems to twist around her, refracting the beam away from her. Her palm flashes red, and Rashid's phaser begins to emit a high-pitched whine. As she throws it away, narrowly avoiding the explosion when it overloads, Lerex walks through the rift in space in front of her. She emerges next to Pon, clenches her cybernetic fist, and strikes the Tellarite in the face before she has time to react.

As Pon collapses, Rashid turns to shoot again, but Lerex spins and strikes her hard in the chest with her organic hand. Rashid gasps and falls onto her back, wheezing for breath. Lerex seizes her by the throat and strides purposefully toward the edge of the cliff, dragging the captain in her organic hand.

Lerex reaches the edge of the cliff and thrusts Rashid into the air, suspending her by the throat over the steep plunge into the frothing pool of lava below. Rashid struggles against Lerex's grip, her legs flailing to find solid ground.

"This is MY world!" Lerex's eyes flash with rage. "You shouldn't have come here!"

"This world," Rashid gasps. "This world you've created. It isn't real. You're living in a fantasy!" Lerex tightens her grip, and Rashid chokes. "You can kill me, but it's not going to change that. This isn't where you belong. You created it, and it feels real, but it's not real!" Rashid wheezes for air. "It's a fake!"

Rashid begins to lose consciousness. From the corner of her eye, Lerex sees Pon approaching. "Stay back, Tellarite!"

"Listen!"

"I will drop her – do not test me!"

"Listen!" Pon barks. "It's her, isn't it? Your daughter."

Lerex opens her cybernetic palm facing Rashid, suspending her in the air, and releases her grip on the captain's throat. "Don't talk about my daughter," she says to Pon in a low voice.

Pon looks into her eyes. "I know. I understand why you're doing this."

"You cannot know."

"Yes. I can. I know what it's like to lose a child."

A moment of silence passes between Pon and Lerex as Rashid floats weightlessly over the precipice. Pon continues, "My son. My oldest. He was on an away mission on a Y-class planet, and an ion storm hit. They didn't expect it, and they tried to bring the away team back, but they didn't have transporter functionality and... and then he was just gone." She swallows. "And all of a sudden, I lived in a universe without him. So I understand what you've done here. Why you've built this world. But killing us isn't going to make it better." She stares at Lerex, expressionless. "Nothing does. Nothing can."

Lerex stares back at Pon, then casts the captain to the ground near Pon's feet. Rashid begins to cough uncontrollably.

"It was the Syndicate," Lerex says, her eyes moist. "When she was born, her father told me he would let me raise our daughter because he cared about me. But all they wanted was for me to form an emotional bond, so they could take her from me. Use her to control me." She chokes. "One day I tried to rescue her. I… I thought it would work. But it didn't. And to punish me, they… they…" Tears stream down her tattooed face. "I can't live in a world without her."

Pon's expression is grim. "I know. And it doesn't get better. It's a pain you're going to feel every day until the day you die."

"How do you live?" Lerex asks quietly.

"I work. It's the only thing I can do. I design and build things so that we can keep pushing forward, every day, into whatever frontiers are left. Because what else is there?"

Lerex faces her, eyes moist. "I am not strong enough to live in that world."

"I know. It's okay. Just let us go." She puts her hand on Lerex's shoulder. "Why do you need to keep Avala and Rylek here?"

"Because I told her to."

Pon turns to see Valis toddling towards them. "It's so rare that we have visitors on Terminus," the child says, an eerie expression on her face. "They're fascinating to observe."

With bloodshot eyes, Rashid looks at the child, massaging her throat. "What are you?" she asks in a weak voice. "An Iconian?"

The child blinks at her. "In a sense. The Iconians don't exist anymore in a form you would recognize. They aren't individuals. You might think of them as a cluster of technologies, some more directly derived from organic neural patterns than others. But in fact, the only thing that's really preserved from their existence as organic lifeforms is the ability to experience pleasure. As a result, they can't directly communicate with you."

"But you can," Pon observes.

"I was born from the network, and I am the network," Valis says. "And I'm going to release your crew members. There's no reason to keep them anymore. Because of you, they know they're being held captive, and creatures that know they're captives have a greatly reduced life expectancy. But we don't need captives anymore." She points a stubby, greenish finger at Rashid. "Because of you."

"Me?" Rashid asks suspiciously. "Why?"

"You know why. Because of what you are."

The captain says nothing. Lerex holds Valis close, sobbing silently. Valis smiles. "The Iconians were particularly fascinated by this one. The parent-child bond is alien to them, but it reminds them of their origins as organic beings. And she'd convinced herself that I was her daughter for a long time. But you ruined it. I can tell."

Lerex whispers to Valis, "I know you are not my daughter. I know that, and… I've always known that. But you look like her, and you smell like her, and your… your laugh… and everything about you."

"I understand," Valis tells her. "I appreciate what you have done for me. It was an experience like no other, to be loved."

"What will you do?" Lerex asks, her voice shaking.

"I will return to the network. Through me, the Iconians will know what has happened. They will be pleased."

She spreads her tiny arms and dissolves into nothingness.

Lerex crouches in the space before where she was, her head bowed. Rashid walks to her side. "What are you going to do?"

In a low voice, she says, "I was sent to this planet by a man called the Exarch. He is a great leader of our people. He rescued me and gave me purpose. I was sent here to learn about this world and gather their technology for use as weapons." She closes her eyes. "But I failed. By our code of honour, I should take my life."

Rashid leans close to her. "There's another way. Come with us. We have the ability to travel through this region. We could bring you back to our space. Maybe you could join one of the Romulan communities in the Federation."

Lerex looks up. "You would allow me aboard your ship?"

"I'd have to give you restricted access as a security precaution. That's standard procedure for non-Starfleet personnel. But yes, you could come aboard Icarus. We can even provide quarters for you."

Lerex takes a last look at the firefalls. "Very well, Captain Rashid. I can't stay here. I'm in your debt."

The Romulan sky fades above their heads, and they are in a dome of air surrounded by dark water lit by glowing corals on the habitat at the bottom of the ocean. Avala and Rylek are standing nearby, examining their surroundings and looking bewildered.

Rashid rushes to their side and pulls both into a tight embrace. "It's okay," she whispers. "It's okay. You're safe."

"Captain…?" Avala asks, unsure.

"It's over," she reassures them. "You're out of the simulation."

Avala begins to sob. "I want to believe you, captain… I really do…" She blinks back tears. Rylek is breathing heavily.

Rashid turns to Lerex. "We need to get off this planet. The rest of our crew is in position at the central gateway in the capital city. Can you help us?"

"Yes," she murmurs. She raises her cybernetic hand and a gateway appears.

Rashid nods. "Good." She stands and says to Avala and Rylek, "Take Lerex and go through the gateway. Isaiah and the others are waiting for you. Then stand by – before we leave, we're going to need some Currency. And there's something I need to do."

"Understood," Avala replies. Rylek approaches Lerex. She stands, and the trio passes through the gateway.

Rashid puts her hand on Pon's shoulder. "Pon," she whispers. "I'm so sorry about your son. I had no idea."

"Yeah, well I don't exactly advertise it in my records. People treat me differently when they know. They don't want to argue with me anymore."

"I'll still argue with you," she says with sincerity.

"I know. That's because you're my friend. I don't mind my friends knowing." She swallows. "He was a great kid, though. You would have liked him."

"I'm sure I would have." She glances across the terrace. "That thing Valis said about me. Do you know what she was talking about?"

"I have a theory," Pon replies. "But I don't think you're going to like it."

"I don't either. But I have to know."

They leave the dome of air and walk in silence through the garden to the still-open gateway on the other side, enclosed in their individual bubbles of air.

Avala and Rylek emerge in a grey room. There are red diamond-shaped markings on the wall and floor, and at one side of the chamber is a wide portal showing a hazy image of a desolate, crater-scarred planet. It changes to show a scrubby field with a large rock formation in the background pointing towards the sky.

"We appreciate you agreeing to use the gateway to get here," Sparks is saying to Ctai and Ixu.

"I believe if Koshal Vail were here, she would encourage us to take a flexible view of ritual purity." Ixu glances over Sparks' shoulder.

Sparks follows his gaze and notices the newcomers. He smiles and strides briskly to Avala and takes her in his arms in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry," Avala sobs. "I'm so sorry."

"We'll talk about it later," Sparks tells her. "Yes, I'm disappointed in you. But I'm just so goddamn happy you're alive." There is a tear in his eye.

Sorensen smiles at Rylek and gives him a hug. He casts an unsettled glance at Sparks and Avala.

Alomar draws his medical tricorder and scans Lerex. "You are the Romulan the captain mentioned."

"Yes," she replies, eyeing him warily.

"The captain decided to take her aboard Icarus since she was stranded here," Avala says to Sparks. "I understand that I'm in absolutely no position right now to question that, but it's my opinion that she's a security threat. She has advanced cybernetic enhancements and she already lied to us once, and put us in a simulated reality. I think she's dangerous."

"That may be," Sparks replies. "But granting humanitarian assistance to people in need is at the core of our mission. If the captain believes it's worth the risk, I agree with her assessment."

"I understand. I'm just concerned about the technology on Icarus falling into the wrong hands."

"'If we can't recognize the inherent dignity of all sentient beings, then the Federation is meaningless,'" Sparks quotes. "Ambassador Picard said that, during the Reunification negotiations. A lot of people were opposed to bringing over five billion Romulan refugees into the Federation after the destruction of Romulus and the Klingon invasion. But now it's considered one of the greatest humanitarian gestures in our history – one of the defining moments of the Federation." He gestures to Lerex. "We owe this woman no less."

"Commander," Alomar calls, "Look at this."

He gestures to the gateway, which shows an image of a disc-shaped building. Sparks walks toward it. "Hey, isn't that Toronto?"

The image changes to a smog-choked world. Borg drones are visible in the foreground, shambling from task to task while a sphere flies among black spires which pierce the clouds, and Sparks and Alomar recoil. "Don't want to go there," Sparks says.

Avala gives Rylek a warm look, and in spite of himself, he smiles back.

"You're certain you want to see this, Zia?" Zey-Ar asks.

"I'm certain."

"I believe you will find it quite troubling."

She turns to him. "I understand that you're trying to protect me. But I'm not like the Iconians were. I'm not interested in living in a universe where you shield me from the truth. I'm an explorer. A scientist. I'm committed to understanding this universe as it is."

He bows his head. "Very well. Come with me."

A gateway opens up and they pass through it, emerging in a cylindrical room with no windows. A dim blue light comes from the ceiling. In the center of the room is a rectangular block. On top of the block is the charred remains of a Starfleet environmental suit.

Rashid steps closer. The faceplate of the suit is broken, and through it she can see a burnt, blackened skull. Below the neck are the tatters of a red Starfleet uniform, with four command pips above the black piping.

Tears in her eyes, Rashid faces Zey-Ar. "Why?"

He looks perplexed. "You were going to die."

"I did die!"

Zey-Ar stares at her. "Was I wrong in creating a copy of you?"

Rashid looks at her charred corpse. "I don't know. I'm alive, I suppose. In a manner of speaking. I guess I should thank you."

"Your neural pathways are identical to hers. By any of your standards of measurement, you are a fully organic being, the exact same person as she was."

Pon narrows her eyes. "By our standards of measurement?"

"She was generated by subspace computer technology which is built into her atomic structure. It allows her to leave Terminus," Zey-Ar explains. "It is far beyond the capability of your instruments to detect."

"Why wasn't she affected by my computer weapon?" Pon asks gruffly.

Zey-Ar regards Pon. "The subroutines you brought from the homeworld were fascinating from an archaeological perspective, but they never posed any serious threat to the core functionality of our systems."

"So when we disabled the Iconian probe that attacked Icarus, were you just humouring us or what?" Pon asks, irritated. "And when Lerex disabled the sphere that was attacking Avala and Rylek…"

"I believe that the components of the Iconian network were more than willing to sacrifice a few vestigial systems in exchange for the opportunity to fulfil our functions again."

"Don't tell anybody about this," Rashid says to Pon, staring grimly at the corpse. "I'm not ordering you, but asking you. As a friend."

Pon meets her gaze. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Thanks."

"But you shouldn't feel like this makes you any less… you," Pon adds.

"But it does."

"Really, it's not that different from taking the transporter."

"Except for that." Rashid points at the body. "Zia Rashid is dead. I'm a duplicate created by alien technology."

"Well, yes. But I mean, what is it that makes you you? Is it your neural pathways? Because those are the same. Your molecular composition? Also the same. Your personality and the way you act? Same, as far as I can tell." She sniffs. "You see, this is what we Tellarites call one of the Great Arguments. Arguments that have been ongoing since prehistoric times, and still nobody's got a definitive answer. Because there isn't one. And that's what makes it great, because we can just keep shouting at each other about it for generation after generation." Pon puts her hand on Rashid's shoulder. "And I'm happy to keep arguing with you about it, Zia."

There is a tight-lipped smile on her face. "Well, I appreciate that, Pon."

"Because I'm right."

"I don't know about that." She looks up. "Let's go make some Currency. Zey-Ar, I want you to create an environment for me."

"Of course, Zia," he replies.

Rashid walks away from the corpse, and a gateway opens in front of her. She passes through it, Pon and Zey-Ar close behind her. The gateway closes and the lights dim, casting Captain Rashid's remains into darkness.

"Alright. Let's do 'Blue Velvet.' The arrangement from the 2028 musical of the same name by Annie Clark."

Rashid stands on an empty stage in a dimly lit room, a dark curtain behind her, with Zey-Ar to one side playing a grand piano. In a soft, clear alto, she sings into an early twentieth-century condenser microphone:

"She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars…"

Rashid and Pon are standing beneath the starlight in the terrace atop the habitat, their heads bowed. Zey-Ar pushes a plain black casket which hovers above the ground. Inside the casket is the charred body of the dead Captain Rashid, removed from the environmental suit and washed.

"She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet were her eyes
Warmer than May, her tender sighs
Love was ours…"

The blackened skull seems to gaze at the stars with empty eye sockets. Rashid stands over the body, whispering in Arabic. She places three small pieces of earth in the casket.

"Ours a love I held tightly
Feeling the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow…"

Zey-Ar creates a folded square of blue cloth in his hands, and it billows outward, expanding into a Federation flag. The casket closes and Rashid and Pon help drape the flag across it. A grave opens in the ground beneath the casket, and it slowly lowers beneath the surface of the terrace.

"She wore blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm a memory through the years…"

As Rashid watches, her eyes downcast but dry, the edges of the grave begin to enclose, obscuring the blue of the flag draped over the coffin.

"And I still can see blue velvet through my tears…"

Seated near the center of the empty auditorium, Pon claps alone, and it echoes through the simulated hall. She stands and walks down the aisle as Rashid leans on the piano. "Do we have any buyers?"

"Yes, Zia," Zey-Ar replies. "There has been a great deal of interest. The prevailing opinion is that the Iconians would greatly enjoy this authentic moment of Terran culture."

"Authentic," she repeats.

"I've placed Currency into Commander Pon's account amounting to two million three hundred thirty eight thousand."

"That's great," Rashid says. "Enough to get us off this planet." She leans closer. "Listen, Zey-Ar, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us. For me."

"It is my function to help you, Zia. I am pleased to have been able to do that."

"What will you do now? When we leave? Will you be alright?"

He runs his hands along the keys of the piano. "I will return to an incorporeal state in the habitat computer."

"You'll be alone. Potentially for a very long time."

"Not alone. I am connected to every other computer system on this planet. I will continue to be as I always have been."

Her dark eyes are wide. "Are you alright with that?"

"Do not worry about me, Zia. How will you cope? Now that you know what you are?"

She is silent for a moment. "I'm not sure. I… I'm glad I know, but I guess I have no idea how to process it. How I'm going to live with it. But you saved my life. I'll never forget it." She leans in and kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you."

There is a blank expression on Zey-Ar's face, and he says nothing.

"Hey," Pon calls, standing at the front row of seats and banging her palm on the stage. "Are we done?"

Rashid glares at her, then turns back to Zey-Ar. "We're ready to go to the central gateway."

"Of course." A portal opens at the edge of the stage. "Goodbye, Zia."

She smiles, sadness in her eyes. "Goodbye, Zey-Ar."

She walks toward the portal. Pon is awkwardly climbing onto the stage and grunting.

"You know," Rashid says to her, "I appreciate what you said earlier, that you consider me a friend. And I consider you a friend too, Pon, I really do. But do you really need to intentionally antagonize me?"

Pon climbs to her feet. "Hey, if you were a Tellarite, you'd understand that I'm treating you with the utmost respect. You should appreciate it."

"Well, I would think you know me well enough to know how irritating it is. It's rude, and disrespectful, and completely intolerable. You are intolerable."

Pon grins. "I believe you have a Tellarite soul, captain."

Rashid suppresses a smile. "What did I just say about intentionally antagonizing me?"

They step through the portal, and it closes behind them.

Alone on the stage, Zey-Ar stares at the piano. He plays the opening chords of "Blue Velvet."

"Report." Rashid and Pon emerge into the central gateway chamber.

"We're ready to get underway when you are, captain," Sparks replies.

"Good," she says, taking stock of the crew. "Were you able to access the portal?"

"Yes, thanks to our Iconian friends, Ctai and Ixu. The portal recognized their authorization for us to use it."

"Excellent." She faces the aliens. "On behalf of the Federation, we thank you, and hope to continue to have good relations with your people. And I'm glad to have had the opportunity to meet you, even briefly. I regret that we don't have more time, but you were in good hands with Commander Sparks."

"Thank you, Captain Rashid," Ctai replies. "We understand that when an opportunity to leave Terminus presents itself, it is often best for aliens to take it."

She nods. "We appreciate your kindness." Facing the portal, she asks Sparks, "So how do we use this? Do we wait for Icarus to show up, then jump through?"

"From what we can tell, it can detect from your thoughts where you want to go, and will create a portal to that location. It seems to be a more advanced system than the gateways Starfleet has encountered before."

"Yeah, but those were free," Pon adds. She addresses the gateway. "I have the currency. Take us to Icarus."

The Icarus bridge appears in the gateway.

"I will recite the Twelfth Incantation," Ixu announces. He walks toward the portal, saying something in Iconian. Then he turns back to them. "It is ready. May the Aeon guide you to true knowledge."

"Thank you, Ixu," Sparks says, shaking his hand. "You too."

As the crew passes through the gateway one by one, Sorensen takes Ctai's hands. "I guess this is goodbye. You know, I… I'd offer for you to come along, but…"

"I had been considering it," Ctai confesses. "But my place is here. Perhaps someday, if it is not too dangerous, you may return."

"I'd like that," Sorensen replies, tears in her eyes.

"In the meantime, I believe the sorrow will remind us that we are living beings, and both emanations of the cosmic Aeon." She pauses. "Goodbye, Susan."

Sorensen embraces Ctai, burying her head in her robe and sobbing. Ctai's tongue attaches to Sorensen's cheek.

Then they hold each other at arm's length, and Sorensen opens her mouth to speak, then closes it. Giving Ctai one last wistful look, she follows the crew through the gateway.

Then she is on the bridge of Icarus, and the gateway closes. After a stunned moment, she takes her station.

Rashid leans back in the command chair and crosses her leg. "It's good to be back. Rylek, why don't you plot us a course out of here. Warp 3. We'll contact Starfleet and continue our mission. But in the meantime, I think all of you deserve some rest."

"I can take the first shift, captain," Sparks volunteers. "I've probably had a night's sleep more recently than you."

"I'd appreciate that," she says. To Lerex, "I'll prepare quarters for you. Let me know if you need anything. We're heading toward a Starfleet message beacon that relays our comm signal back to Federation space. If there's anyone we can put you in contact with…"

"Thank you, captain," Lerex replies, a dead look in her eyes.

The crew filters off the bridge, and Avala approaches Rylek before noticing that he is catching up to Sorensen. He turns back to her. "Vanda."

"Hey," she smiles. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright."

He looks around. "I believe so, relatively speaking. Under the circumstances. Are you alright?"

"Yeah." She takes his hand and squeezes. "I'll catch you later."

"Of course, Vanda."

He catches up to Sorensen, who is smiling. "Okay, so I met this woman who I have to tell you about…"

At the command chair, Alomar puts his hand on Rashid's shoulder. "I'm glad you're back, Zia."

"Me too, Tomas. Want to get together later? There's a new holoprogram I want to try out. It's called Trump: The Musical, about the lead-up to the Third World War. Mid-twenty-first century, one of Lin-Manuel Miranda's last works before he died. Pretty bleak stuff, but great music."

"Most definitely."

"And I was thinking that at our next dinner, I might invite Pon. What do you think?"

Alomar raises an eyebrow.

Rashid's ready room door chimes. "Enter," she says.

Avala steps inside hesitantly. Rashid gestures to a chair in front of her desk. "Have a seat, lieutenant."

The Andorian sits in front of her. "I've spoken to Commander Sparks," Rashid says. "He told me what happened."

Avala's antennae droop but she meets the captain's stern gaze. "I understand, captain."

"What you did was incredibly reckless. By disobeying the direct order of a senior officer, you endangered not only your own life, but all of our lives. Do you understand?"

"Aye, captain," she says softly.

"And quite frankly, given your record and the commendations from your references in the Imperial Guard, I expected better from you, lieutenant. I understand that Rylek is your friend, but by disregarding the chain of command, you made the situation worse."

"Yes, sir."

"This incident will be noted in my log and will go into your permanent record, and there will be a disciplinary hearing when we get back to Federation space. You should also know that if this ship had a full crew complement, you would be relieved of duty."

"I understand that."

Rashid takes a deep breath. "But since we don't, I'm prepared to keep you on active duty for the time being. Understand that I'm not doing this as a favour to you, or because I'm in any way overlooking the seriousness of your conduct, but because we just don't have the option of being shorthanded on this ship. And from now on, I expect nothing less than total respect for the chain of command. Is that clear, lieutenant?"

"Aye, captain."

They stare at each other for a long moment, then Rashid leans back. "Good. At ease, lieutenant." She pauses for a moment. "I understand that you and Rylek went through quite an ordeal."

"Yes, captain."

"I'd imagine you're not totally convinced that it's over, either. That this isn't just another simulation."

"No, sir." She hesitates. "And, if I may say so, sir, this isn't the first time I've had this conversation. I suppose it's appropriate that I'd be dressed down again and again for my mistake. Sir."

Rashid smiles humourlessly. "Well, for what it's worth, I hope it's the last time you need to have it. With me, anyway."

"I appreciate that, sir."

"How's Rylek doing?"

She relaxes somewhat. "He's doing alright, I think. He hasn't been in many situations like this. But I'd say he's handling it admirably."

"He's lucky to have a friend like you." Rashid leans forward. "You have the potential to be a great Starfleet officer, Vanda. If I put in a good word for you at the hearing, they'll almost certainly find in your favour. And I'm prepared to do that, if you give me reason to."

She meets the captain's gaze. "You have my word that you will."

"That's all I ask." Rashid smiles compassionately. "Space can be a very strange place, and some of the things you experience as a Starfleet officer can really affect you. Change you. Make you unsure of who you are, and whether you belong in this life. But I think we have a lot more in common with the Iconian computer systems we met on Terminus than we may think. For them, the most important thing was to fulfil their functions as best as they could. It's a lot like us. We explore new worlds, seek out new frontiers. That's what makes us who we are. What else can we do?"

Avala nods silently.

"And in doing so," Rashid continues, "we make connections with good people around us. And whether it's strictly real from an objective standpoint or not… who's to say." She opens a drawer in her desk. "Would you like some marijuana?"

"Sure," Avala replies. The captain loads her vaporizer and puts on experimental Andorian music.

The dense starscape streaks by outside Rashid's window.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it - let me know what you think! Happy International Women's Day and goodnight.