Captain's Log: April 1st 2156. (Secured Log Entry)
We are ready, hopefully Commander Amanda Connor is correct in her calculations and we will re-enter our own timeline, several minutes before we left our time, over 220 years into the future. I must admit to feeling a little apprehensive of this current situation since I will not remember any of. On our sensors, we can see the legendary NX-01 Enterprise, and she is magnificent, beyond what any of us could have imagined. Several hours ago, we witnessed the destruction of the Earth Starship Discovery, as has history had intended… I felt sick to my very core at what I saw because I knew that we could have helped those lost souls, but that would have changed our own history. Commander Connor has transported onto the shuttlecraft and has begun to open the anomaly before us.
As a precaution, we have requested the Enterprise leave this system to avoid any instability in the anomaly itself.
Motionless before a slowly forming anomaly, a large deep red and orange looking triangular vortex, reminiscent of an artificial wormhole appeared as it grew in size while a long beam of energy streamed from the smaller shuttlecraft itself. Although seemingly unstable as it flickered in and out of existence, they all knew from what had been seen on their sensors that the timing had to be perfect for the USS Nimitz to enter before the tiny support vessel itself would enter, moments before it collapsed. Calling out the status of her small vessel to the mothership itself, Commander Connor wiped a single tear from her left as she maintained and almost Vulcan stoicism to her voice as she had finally understood the real reason for her being in this time.
"My energy levels are at 45% and falling. I can not hold open the vortex for much longer Captain. Now is the time…"
"Very well, Helm. Set course for the centre of the vortex, one-quarter impulse power"
"Aye sir, one-quarter impulse power. Once we are inside, Shuttlecraft Redmond, you will follow us in" Called out the Helm Officer.
"I will be…only moments behind you. Good luck Nimitz, I will see you soon"
Slowly entering the large anomaly before them, alert klaxons echoed through both the USS Nimitz and the shuttlecraft while a large fleet of Romulan vessels decloaked around them and quickly fired upon both vessels. Although entering the anomaly, their weapons and shields had failed due to the unusual effects of the anomaly itself while disrupter and torpedoes slammed against the bare hull of the USS Nimitz. Banking instantly to port to avoid a torpedo impact, Amanda smiled widely as she informed the Captain of the Nimitz to maintain his course deeper into the anomaly, while she would use her shuttlecraft's own limited weapons to create an interference and blocking all access to the ship itself.
Looping around the nearest vessel, the phasers instantly fired upon the nearest Romulan vessel to the Nimitz, collapsing it's delicate shields before she targeted the port warp nacelle. Crippling the vessel with her second volley from the phaser array, she once again stun the highly agile shuttlecraft around whilst avoiding all weapons fire, using their own weapons against them as she continued to avoid their weapons while they slammed into their own starships.
Keeping her eyes on the sensor display at her side, she smiled slightly as the USS Nimitz had finally vanished, turning back towards the anomaly, and the crippled Romulan vessel on the rim of the vortex itself, a long and sustained blast from her phaser banks finally destroyed the Romulan vessel and creating an explosion which had collapsed the anomaly itself, sealing her fate within the 22nd Century.
Stardate 57773.4, the experiment had failed, and as such Shuttlecraft Redmond has been destroyed which had resulted in the death of Lieutenant Commander Amanda Connor, our chief helm and acting first officer. I don't understand it, the shuttlecraft seemed to disintegrate before us with no explanation of how or why. All tests had proven the concept… as a result, I have shut down all research into the new system until we figure out just what the hell happened. We spent a day, searching for the shuttlecraft itself, nothing… not even debris to analyse.
We've now set course back to Vulcan, our home port. I hate writing those letters to loved ones and family, but Lieutenant Amanda Sloan; Connor's own Cousin has decided to speak with her family herself, I do not envy her in her task. I've tried to relieve her of duty, but she is as stubborn as her Cousin was. Amanda will be greatly missed by all.
Arriving at the Planet Vulcan and slowly entering orbit of their home port, assigned to them by Starfleet Command after the Dominion War had ended, Lieutenant Amanda Sloan materialised on the outskirts of the City of Raal, before a large and ancient home where her ancestors had lived for centuries. Her palms had begun to sweat as the feeling of butterflies in her stomach instantly overtook her as she as she opened the door to her childhood home where she had lived with her Cousin before they had joined Starfleet Academy together.
Almost something of a family joke while they had been children was the fact that they where twins, even given the same name by their parents, although Sloan had chosen to be known as Mandy to distinguish herself from her Cousin, with the exception of the slight points on her ears.
Stepping into the main living area of the large home, Amanda's Mother stood and nodded slightly as she approached her niece and held her as the two had wept in each other's arms. Stepping backwards slightly, Mandy raised an eyebrow as she saw what her aunt was wearing, the traditional Vulcan attire of mourning the loss of a family member.
"You know?"
"Yes my niece, I have always known that this day would arrive. You must come with me, all will be revealed"
Reaching down onto the table before her, she opened a small silver box which Amanda had never seen before as she held it close to her chest before opening the box slowly and pulled out a Starfleet Communicator. Raising an eyebrow slightly, Amanda Sloan felt a transporter beam capture her as she vanished from the room and moments later, found herself inside of a room which she had never seen before. The room was dark, warm and almost silent as her Aunt gently took her hand and entered into the darkness as the echo of their footsteps continued into almost eternity while lighting appeared before them and vanished behind them, barely lighting the way forwards as she strained her eyes to focus on what lay before her.
"Passed down from mother to daughter for over 200 years, a secret has been kept by our family since the earliest days of Starfleet. I did not want to believe it myself, but the moment that I saw you, stood before me, I knew that this day had arrived"
"What day?"
"Your… Warp test, My daughter was piloting a shuttlecraft, am I correct?"
"How did you know that? That was classified!" Mandy said instantly.
Stopping at a large metallic door, Amanda Connor's mother stood before her as she lowered her head and took a deep breath before she spoke.
"It had always seemed that, to know my daughter, your cousin was to have the sense that she was merely a visitor in this life. Amanda was not killed during the warp test… in fact, she lived a long and healthy life. Are you ready to understand a truth that our family has hidden for 224 years?"
"I do not, understand!"
"Neither do I, what is behind that door was meant for you and you alone. I have seen several old files which had requested that I bring you here, now. If you wish it, I can go with you?"
Taking a deep breath, Amanda Sloan nodded as her aunt bowed softly while she typed a series of codes into a control panel next to the large door. Instantly, a text appeared on the small screen which had asked for Amanda Sloan's personal access code. Raising an eyebrow with shock, she leaned forwards to type in her security code, given to her by Starfleet and finally, the large metallic doors slide open with rusty screech as Amanda's jaw dropped at the sight of the missing shuttlecraft before her, covered in centuries of dirt and dust.
"This is, not possible" She said slowly.
"Voice recognition, confirmed. Sloan, Lieutenant Amanda. Displaying file" The voice of the shuttlecraft computer, called out.
Activating instantly, the warp engines on the shuttlecraft glowed as if to power whatever machinery was around the vessel while a hologram appeared before the two women. Their jaws dropped instantly as Amanda stood before them wearing Vulcan attire.
"Hello Mandy, if I'm right then the warp trial had failed? That is not what had really happened, you see Mandy the USS Nimitz had been thrown back in time 224 years, six months and fourteen days, eighteen hours and forty minutes, give or take a second or two. There was an imbalance in the warp engines of the Shuttlecraft that I was piloting and as a result, it tore a hole in space and time… I was thrown into a different location then the Nimitz, almost crashed into the NX-01!"
"This has to be a joke!" Mandy said with a smile.
"This is no joke, sweetheart. I broke so many regulations… but I got you all back, we where attacked by Romulans, from that era. I managed to take out a few of their ships with the shuttlecraft before I took heavy damage. I sent Enterprise away from the area, because I knew that the Romulans wouldn't be far behind… when the anomaly that we used to send you all back collapsed, I leapt into warp instantly, towards the NX-01 for safety, I was to fast for those Romulan Bastards to catch. I know that you don't believe me, so I've left all of the data that I collected in the shuttle's database, do with it what you need to do. I'll be long dead by now anyway… I love you Amanda, please tell my mother that I am happy back here and not to worry about me?"
"This is insane!" Mandy replied to the holographic recording.
"It is insane, you're right. Don't worry, I'm just guessing that you said that. You see, when I reached Enterprise, they called for a Vulcan ship a few days latter to take me back to Vulcan, in secret… I built the house that I lived in or will live in, but I buried this shuttle, deep underground and told no one that it existed. An officer of the Vulcan ship, was assigned to monitor me by the High Council in secret, only he and T'Pau knew who I really am and where I am from. When the war with the Romulans exploded, he lost his wife on a Vulcan cruiser, two years later… after the war ended, he entered into his Pon'Farr, he was my friend and with no wife… well, let's just say that I helped him out and six months later, we married. That was two years ago, from my point of view. He has a daughter that I have adopted as my own child and I am helping him to raise her. I have the family that I have always wanted Mandy, now it's time for you to have yours. Be safe, my good and dear friend, my one true sister… do not grieve for me. Because I am long since gone… goodbye. I love you and always will"
Tears rolled down Mandy's cheeks as she looked up towards the holographic image of her long since dead cousin and closest friend as she reached out with her hand before the hologram faded away. Instantly, all lighting in the cavern slowly powered into life as she stood motionless, with her hand extended as Amanda's mother wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke.
"Amanda lived a long and happy life, Mandy. She changed her name, shortly after recording to that message to T'Lana… I see that you recognize the name?"
"T'Lana? But she was…"
"I know. The girl that she had adopted was called T'Lara, she always held a fascination with Amanda when she was younger, do you remember? The three of you where so close. Amanda raised her as her own child. I did some digging in the history files, Amanda or T'Lana helped to found the Federation itself. Do you remember when you where in school and you had to learn that speach that Archer gave? It's unconfirmed, but a legend has it that it was given to Archer by someone else… I believe that was my daughter. She always did love that speech… Honey, Amanda is why we have the Federation in the first place. She helped to reform the Coalition of Planets into the United Federation of Planets, from the sidelines of course. There is more, hidden inside of that shuttlecraft I would bet. But it's for you, not for me…"
"Aunt, if I may ask? Amanda was part Vulcan, we all know that… she also had a Vulcan lifespan, did you ever meet her?"
"The truth? I did. How strange? She was an old woman by then… and I was only seven years old, because she would avoid me, I had to push the issue of meeting her, but when I finally met her, she would tell me stories of a young woman that she once knew, unsure of herself but very intelligent and beautiful… she once slipped in one of her stories, she called her 'A Mirror Image of Herself', when you where both born, I had already known of the history… it was you, Amanda. My daughter loved you with all of her heart and more so, now honour her memory, and be happy? I know that you miss her and will for the rest of your life, as will I. But if you think of it this way, she has gone back to the beginning and from her point of view, you will see each other again, as you will both be born again. I cherish every memory of my daughter, and the elderly woman that I once knew. When you are ready, we will talk more"
"I heard the stories of T'Lana, it should have been me that went back, not her. I was ready to take that flight, but she pulled rank on me. For the first time in her life, she pulled rank on me… She said that I could take the next flight…."
Studying the database on the now ancient Shuttlecraft, Amanda Sloan had discovered more messages from her Cousin to herself, hidden in the database as she watched while the woman that she once knew, seemingly grew older before her very eyes while tears rolled down her face.
Gathered in the large hand built home, her extended family of both Humans and Vulcans had been called to gather for important news. Slowly stepping into the living area of the large home whilst wearing her Starfleet Dress Uniform, Amanda Sloan looked around at the faces before her as she slowly lowered her head with sadness as she spoke.
"I am the messenger of sad news. Several days ago, Amanda Connor boarded a prototype shuttlecraft for an engine test. Soon after entering warp, the shuttlecraft was destroyed… Amanda was killed in the accident"
In the Earth Year 2267...
Disobeying orders from Starfleet Command, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 had returned to Vulcan were and unusual ceremony had been completed by the First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Spock as he fought with his own Captain to an almost fight to the death. Believing that he had killed his own Captain and friend, he returned to the USS Enterprise and finally discovered the truth about the incident as his captain had been mistakenly injected with a Neural-Paralyser Drug, which had simulated his death. After returning to the bridge, an unusual order had come through the Vulcan High Council itself as the Enterprise was to wait to receive a guest for a brief inspection of the ship itself. Beaming onboard the vessel, an elderly woman wearing traditional Vulcan Attire had ignored her own request for an inspection of the vessel itself as she made her way to the bridge of the Starship along with her aides.
Stepping onto the bridge of the ship as Vulcan First Officer stood and offered the traditional salute, she nodded slightly as she returned the salute herself before her eyes fell upon the Captain's chair as the Captain stood.
"Madam T'Lana, we are honoured by your presence" Spock said slowly.
"No Commander, it is I, whom is honoured to be here. For many years, I have followed your careers with satisfaction. I once stood on the bridge of another ship named Enterprise… Thank you, all of you for this opportunity"
"Madam T'Lana, may I present…"
"James Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise, the youngest Captain in Starfleet history. I have also followed your career with satisfaction Captain. It is good to see you once again, Captain Kirk"
"Jim, you know her?" The Doctor replied slowly.
"When he was offered Command, he almost turned down the offer"
"I was waiting for another ship, Madam T'Lana… changed my mind, thank you"
"You don't sound like a traditional Vulcan, Madam T'Lana" The Chief Medical Officer said with a half smile.
"Traditional or not, Doctor McCoy… I am Vulcan, more or less. I foresee greatness in this vessel and her crew, and I do know that your journey has only just begun…"
Earth Date: December 1st 2381
Location: Planet Vulcan
Resigning from Starfleet to take up permanent residence on her homeworld of Vulcan, former Lieutenant Commander Amanda Sloan had begun to build a life for herself on her homeworld as a part-time teacher and historian of Federation history. Spending over a year studying the extensive historical database on the hidden shuttlecraft, many hidden secrets had been revealed to her about her cousin's life in the distant past from her assistance in reorganising the Coalition in the Federation, to an image of the elderly Amanda, or T'Lana as she had called herself, sat in the Captain's seat of the Enterprise NCC-1701 with James Kirk and his crew, stood around her. Discovering one more folder, buried deep inside the database, Amanda smiled as she played the image as her friend and cousin sat in the same seat as she was, many years earlier.
"It's me again Mandy, I dread to imagine what I must look like to you now, old and grey? I've come to accept that as my reality. I always imagined that we would grow old together… I miss you Mandy, have I said that enough?"
"Yes, you have" Mandy replied to the Computer.
"When I began these recordings, I thought that I had lots of time… but something happened today that has changed all of that, T'Lara gave birth to a beautiful baby girl several months ago, whilst on Earth. I hadn't seen the child until this morning. It was the strangest feeling as I knew who the child was, or will be. Nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of looking down at that baby girl. T'Lara knows who and what I am, but not who the girl is or will be, my mother. What do I say Mandy? How do I tell her that her infant daughter will be my own mother in the future? Time has finally caught up with me. Did you see the picture of me with Jim Kirk and his crew?"
"I did, you're so lucky to have met them all and sat in that chair"
"Remember when we where kids, when your father took us to the local holosuites? It was the first thing that we both called up and sat in that chair, one at a time… when we visited the Fleet Museum, we both sat in the replica ship's command chair. Beyond everything else, I wished that you had been at my side. Anyway, to my report on what I have observed since I recorded the last message…"
The End?