30 Worlds: Royal Megaforce, Episode XXIV: "Cats Can Dance, Part I"
CHAPTER ONE
William, Sofia and Rose stepped onto the Bridge of the Enterprise, accompanied by a Scarlett Army officer in civilian clothes but with a Scarlett Army commbadge.
"Everyone, this is Nick Stokes from the Scarlett Army's Office of Special Projects," William said. "He will be the OSP's observer on this mission. In the event Lady Mal, Queen Sofia or myself are not available, Mr. Stokes will take command of this vessel. Nick, would you care to say a few words?"
Nick, whom William realized had more than a passing resemblance to Jack Dawson Jr. from the Unaligned World of NCIS, smiled at the Bridge crew. "Hello, everyone. I look forward to working with you all on this mission," he said.
William gestured for Nick to assume one of the normally-unmanned stations on the perimeter of the Bridge. "OPS has already cleared us to depart for the Dindal Anomaly," Mal said. "Thanks, Mal," William said as he made his way to the observer's bench next to the first officer's chair. Mal took William's action as a signal to assume the command chair.
"Moorings cleared, Lady Mal," Sito said. "Very well, Lieutenant," Mal said. "Chad, take us out. ¼ impulse power on aft thrusters, port and starboard at station-keeping." Chad nodded, then tapped the keys on his panel necessary to carry out Mal's command.
On the viewscreen, William watched as the spacedock doors grew then disappeared. "We are free and clear to navigate," Chad said. "Chad, set course to the Dindal Anomaly, hyper-light factor 6," Mal said. "Yes, Mal," Chad said.
The standard view of stars in space stretched into rainbow lines as the Enterprise leaped into hyper-light drive. "Nick, since we have a few hours before we reach the Dindal Anomaly, let me show you around the ship," William said. "Sofia, please keep an eye on things here on the Bridge."
"Will do, William," Sofia said before William led Nick to a waiting turbolift.
Jack Dawson Jr. and Angus "Mac" MacGuyver were headed to the Haruki-ya lounge for a bite to eat when a nearby turbolift door opened, revealing William and Nick. "Deck 10, home of Haruki-ya, our crew lounge," William said. Jack looked over, intending to say hello to William.
Instead, he wound up face to face with Nick. "Woah," Jack said. "It's like looking into a mirror," Nick said. "William, who is this?" Mac asked, gesturing to Nick.
"Angus MacGuyver, Jack Dawson Jr., this is Nick Stokes. He is a member of the Scarlett Army's OSP unit," William said. "Office of Special Projects, right?" Jack said.
"Yeah," Nick said. "Heard of us?" "Only that you took the name of your unit from the NCIS unit we know in our world," Jack said. "We of the Phoenix Foundation have worked with them before," Mac said.
"He's gonna be working with us on our next mission," William said. "We're going back in time to 1939 in order to protect the OSP unit's leader, Danny Goldsmith, from Darla Dimple and the A.I.C. Briefing files are in the computer."
"Got ya," Jack said. "Nice to meet you, Nick." "Same here, Jack," Nick said. As Jack and Mac made their way into Haruki-ya, Nick shook his head. "This job just gets stranger all the time," he said.
A few hours later, William and Nick had barely made it to the Main Engineering when Mal's voice came on the comm. "King William, Mr.. Stokes, to the Bridge, please," she said. "On our way, Mal," William said.
On the Bridge, William and Nick stepped out of the turbolift and saw the multi-colored event horizon of the Dindal Temporal Anomaly grow on the viewscreen. Mal gestured for William to assume command.
William sat in the command chair, while Mal sat in the first officer's chair. "Attention, all hands. This is King William," William said. "In a few moments, we will be entering the Dindal Temporal Anomaly and traveling back in time to the year 1939 A.C.E. It might get a little rough, so brace for impact. King William, out."
William then turned to the Tactical console. "Blue Alert, Sergeant," William said. Sergeant Tamora Calhoun nodded, then tapped a control on her panel. The Bridge lights dimmed and alert panels began to glow blue as the Bridge crew engaged their restraints. "Entering the anomaly in 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..." Chad said.
The Bridge began to shake as the Enterprise entered the anomaly. Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, the viewscreen cleared to reveal Earth...but without Challenger Base orbiting. "Astrometric sensors confirm we've arrived in the year 1939 of the Common Era," Sito said.
William breathed a sigh of relief as he disengaged his restraints. "Nick, Mal, Sito, Ferb, Sofia, with me," William said. "Chad, due to the time period we have arrived in, I'm gonna have to leave you on board and in command while we're down there. No offense."
"None taken," Chad said. "Mal, Sito, Ferb, report to Sickbay for temporary cosmetic modification. Doc McStuffins has already been briefed on what needs to be changed," William said. "Once you're done, report to Transporter Room 3. We'll deploy in two hours."
Mal, Sito and Ferb nodded, then left the Bridge.
Ship's Log, DDV Enterprise, Mission Date 1,245—subjective dating, Chad Danforth recording.
King William and his away team are ready to transport to the surface in order to begin our mission to protect Commander Goldsmith. I have been left in command of the Enterprise due to the racial injustices perpetrated against African-Americans in those days. I wish to state for the record that I had no objections to King William's decision to sideline me from the away team on this mission.
The away team resolved from the Enterprise transporter on a rooftop overlooking the enormous backlot of Mammoth Pictures, the film studio that made the movie Danny referred to back on Challenger Base. "In three days, the Lil' Ark Angel premiere will occur at Grauman's Chinese Theater," William said, gesturing to an Asian-looking building down the street from the building they stood on.
"William, look!" Sofia said, gesturing to a soundstage far below. William looked down and saw an enormous wave of water burst through the door of the soundstage. Floating on the wave was a giant replica of Noah's Ark.
William closed his eyes and, using the powers of the Scarlett Warrior, separated his consciousness from his body and flew alongside the Ark. After traveling all over the Mammoth Pictures lot, the Ark finally came to a stop. Studio head L.B. Mammoth ordered all of the animal actors thrown off the lot.
The animals then stood, horrified to learn that Darla Dimple had arranged the demonstration. The animals then stormed off in disgust, leaving Danny alone on the side of the street—his Hollywood dreams apparently in tatters.
William then rejoined his consciousness to his body and opened his eyes. "Why didn't you...?" Nick began. "Mr. Stokes, when Master Yen Sid sent me on this mission, he forbade me from changing history if I ever traveled back in time," William said.
Sofia put a hand on William's shoulder. "When we traveled back to 9/11 in the World of Girl Meets World, it was the saddest moment of the mission," Sofia said. "I have never seen William cry that hard in the time I've known him."
"Besides, history needs to proceed on its proper course until the Lil' Ark Angel premiere three days hence," William said. "We just need to get down there and get our feet on the ground."
::TBC::