Chapter 11: Mercy Street

"Captain." Becky said.

"Yes Miss Korff?" Kirk said, smiling like he would right before trying to hit on her.

Becky shivered at the thought.

"We need to go here." She said blandly, showing Kirk the coordinates.

The day before, Becky had to convince Uhura to fake a message from Starfleet, saying that we were to scout this area. Out of pity for Jenny's sake, and her overwhelming ability to be somehow right, she did so.

"I know Miss Korff. I seemed to have forgotten though."

Kirk looked over at Navigations, seeing the day dreaming officer who sat there. He was surprised to see her smiling.

"Miss Hoffmann?"

I finally realized that Kirk was talking to me. I spun around in my seat. "Yes, sir?"

"Change course to these coordinates please."

He handed me the PADD that had the coordinates on it. I didn't have to look at it to know what they were.

I smiled at him, which he returned with a creeper smirk. "Aye, sir."

'Your inability to let things go is surprising, even to me. And I know everything.' House said in my mind.

'Yeah right.'

He shrugged, playing with the giant tennis ball he always had sitting on his desk.

'Is this gonna happen often?' I asked him.

'What?' He asked, like he didn't already know.

'This. The hallucination that you're here.'

House faked a frown. 'That's not very nice. It's almost like you don't want me helping you.'

I tried to keep it cool. 'How are you helping anything? I'm still trying to get over the fact that—.'

'The fact that the only guy you've ever really liked is dead and it's all your fault?'

'Don't judge me! There was nothing I could do!' I screamed at him.

'Alas. Where you have gone wrong. You believe there was nothing you could do.'

I had to let him explain. If there was even a chance that I could fix this…

He twirled his cane in one hand. 'You refuse to see the possibilities. You ignore the clues that surround you. You convince yourself of a lie.' He smiled. "Unlike most humans, you discard the past easily. In doing so you may have just locked the door and thrown away the key.'

I opened my eyes slowly, and found to my disdain, I was still on the Bridge. I glanced around, trying to see if anyone had noticed. Becky was looking right at me, a question clear in her eyes. She wanted to know if I was okay. I smiled at her for a second and then stared at the view screen, concentrating on the constellations as they flew past.

It seemed so odd. Hallucinating that is. Probably wasn't a good thing either, I could really blame my drinking problem on that.

Not that my drinking was a problem. I drink, I get drunk, and I fall on the floor.

No problem.

I looked briefly at a small clock at my station, noting that I had maybe ten minutes before someone would come up and let me go.

That was odd. Time really was flying

So, to pass the time I just put in some headphones and listened to some classical music. It was a coincidence that most of the composers were Russian, but it still bothered me, so I changed it to George Winston.

Riley came right on time, down to the last second in fact.

I was surprised to see someone when I turned on the lights on in my room

There, standing in the middle of my room was an odd creature.

What looked like a black tiger cub with wings and was probably the size of full-grown panther, sat licking its paws. When it noticed me, its fur rippled and changed color to a light gray. It's eyes, a shocking florescent blue, locked onto me.

I need your help. I heard a quiet voice tell me. It continued, saying, and you need mine.

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly, unsure of what it wanted. It looked liable to strike out if I made a wrong move.

You have met with one of my kind before, though you saw her in a form you consider more humanoid. I could easily tell she was female, for she was extremely kind.

Most would agree that men normally lack that. Also, her voice was higher pitched.

"How can you communicate with me?"

Where as I speak in your mind you understand because in your thoughts you speak no true language, so you understand me. I am a higher creature. I live on all planes and in past present and future. I have learned your language easily enough.

The creatures' fur changed again, this time to a deep blue. A small growl emanated from within her throat, showing that she grew impatient. She uncrossed her paws and stood.

"I think I know who you're talking about. The one who attacked me, after I left Sickbay."

Not attack. Warn. She was trying to warn you get away. The creature shook her head. You humans always seem to walk toward problems, even the ones you can't fix.

"What is it you want me to help you with?" I asked her, marveling at the way her fur shimmered and changed as she explained.

The place you're heading to is the base of Burning Fate. They have taken Micalsonsiasha. No doubt they are trying to force her to their will.

"What do they want?"

They wish to change something they had done in the past. I do not know what though, but surely not for any reason of good.

"You want me to try and find her?"

Not alone. I will help you.

"But—."

At that moment Becky walked into my room. The lights flicked off, hopefully before Becky saw the telepathic creature sitting in the middle of my room.

"What are you doing?" She told the lights to come back on.

Where the creature had been sitting before was now a little tribble.

I squeaked without warning, surprised by the sudden shape shift.

"Where'd you get a tribble?" She asked suspiciously, picking her up gently and looking at her. As if on cue, she started purring.

I lied on command. "I've had her for a while."

"How do you even know it's a her?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, just seems that nothing that's that cute is ever a he*."

"Wellll, McCoy wanted me to check and make sure you were okay."

"Yeah."

"You want to come down to the mess with me? Don't think I've seen you eat in a while," She offered, obviously hopeful I would agree

"Err…. I can't. I gotta clean my room." It was true. I hadn't cleaned it in a while and stuff was starting to pile up in corners.

Disappointment was clear on her face as she said okay and left.

The creature morphed back into her previous form.

We shall arrive in approximately an hour. Will you help?

"Wait. You said that I needed you. What do you mean?"

We are going to fix the time line. When we do so, the one you grief so badly will once again be alive.

No one was supposed to be going to the planet the Romulan used as a base. I was already breaking multiple protocols by doing so.

The thing about time travel is though, you can be anywhere at any time, if you have the ability to do it, or have someone who will do it for you.

We arrived in front of the prisoner ward, ten minutes before the ship would have even been in transporting range. That meant I disappeared off the ship, some time after Becky had checked on me.

Worry not. They cannot see or hear you.

Why not? I asked finally talking to her in my head

We are on a different plane. You humanoids only live on the first of the seven.

Fascinating. I heard myself think. Things were mostly the same, but some other creatures, ones we couldn't normally see often floated about, never giving their location a second thought. And I knew cause I could hear them. It was so weird, knowing and hearing the thoughts of everything and anything… It was almost overwhelming.

Concentrate. She told me.

What's your name? I asked, curiously, as we walked through hallway after hallway.

She seemed unsure what to tell me.

My name is hard to pronounce in your language, but you can call me whatever you wish.

Hmmmm. What would be a good name for you…How about…Elvira?

Elvira seemed to shrug, which was kind of odd looking for a cat with wings.

An angry spout of romulan dialect interrupted us.

They know we're here! Elvira hissed. She started to run fiercely, and after a moment of hesitation, I followed.

How'd they see us? I asked fearfully.

As in most races, some are born with a small ability to see what most cannot. They were lucky.

We continued running through the halls, now visible on all planes.

Here She said, turning sharply to one detention cell. I quickly disengaged the force field. There she was.Micalsonsiasha sat in a wolf form, one leg shackled to the wall. The shackles disappeared along with force field.

I shot at the many romulans, whom were trying to stop us.

I cried out when one of there shots hit me heavily on the shoulder, making me stumble.

"Anytime now!" I yelled, quickly running out of charge for my phaser, and also losing a lot of blood as well.

There are more complicated bonds holding her here, we need more time to—

We don't have time! We have to go now!" I practically screamed.

Hold on. She told me. I grabbed a fistful of soft fur and the scene changed—

The Enterprise. We were home again. We were back in my room. I could still feel the injury I had received.

Elvira sensed my thoughts, and said in a bemused tone. Even we have limits.

I flipped open my communicator, and called Becky, even though her room was right across from mine. I would never be able to make it over there.

"Jenny?" She asked.

"I need a medic," I said. I fell to the floor weakly.

I heard her briefly calling for help, but took no notice of it. I was floating. Elvira sat next to me, and curled into a ball by my side, now in the form of a gray wolf. Micalsonsiasha changed into a tribble very similar to the one Elvira had been earlier.

I passed out before anything else happened.

The next time I woke, it was in the blinding whiteness of Sickbay. My shoulder felt stiff and useless. McCoy hovered somewhere nearby, muttering to himself about something in my vitals.

I could feel the weight of the cat that sat next to me. Elvira had changed into a pure black cat with piercing green eyes. She stared at me with mild interest.

"I see you're awake." McCoy grumbled.

I had only a second to think, Well, here we go again.

It seems I've had to explain a lot lately. They believed me, but simply because they had no other choice.

Think of an animal from your planet. Elvira thought toward me, after they had let me to sit there and listen while they contemplated.

Why? I asked. The first thing that came to mind was a parrot.

Elvira changed into the same exact parrot I had imagined. Oh. She wanted some different forms to change into.

"What are we going to do with you?" Kirk sighed.

I shrugged, feeling defiant. Then my head started to swim.

"Whoa," I muttered. McCoy flashed a pen light in my eyes, looking at my pupils.

I breathed deeply, trying to get oxygen into my blood. It was becoming harder with each intake of air.

Not getting enough oxygen. Your pupils are barely there…" McCoy muttered. He walked away quickly to a stock room and came back with a hypo. He gave me the shot and then frowned.

"The time travel must've messed you up. That should've worked." He said quietly. While it eased my harsh breathing slightly, I still felt like Darth Vader was force choking me because I failed him for the last time.

McCoy ran off again, but I didn't see where too. My mind was going fuzzy and dots swam in front of my eyes… another shot slammed me back to reality. Gotta love cordizone.

"Why…?" Kirk asked, so obviously competent.

"Where ever your Kinatchi friend took you," He said directed at me, but answering Kirk at the same time, "You don't want to go again. If that happens again you come to me. You black out, you die."

"Can you fix the time line?" I asked Elvira and the other Kinatchi who's name seemed impossible to say.

"We do not know what we need to fix." The one beside Elvira said, now a small pterodactyl looking thing.

"Can I just call you Mic?" I asked. Her name was such a mouthful.

She seemed amused by the prospect. Certainly. It matters not.

I let out a long breath, and said with careful words, "I need to know what you were trying to do. The night you were on the Enterprise."

I was trying to warn you.

Warn me about what? I asked finally talking in my mind

The attack the romulans would have on our people. I tried several times to tell people. Burning Fate has been planning this for a long time. They need us in order to fix something.

Weren't you there long enough to figure out what they wanted?

Time has little meaning to us, but yes I figured out something.

Someone they killed had knowledge about wars between them and the Vulcans.

Something I had told him, in return for telling Starfleet of the impending attack upon our people. She shook her head. The small piece of the information he had, somehow got to Burning Fate, but not until after he had been killed deemed to important an adversary to the Federation.

I put that in the back of my head for later.

But what did you mean other times? It sounds like you have tried more than twice to get the point across.

Mic changed form again into a familiar face. The Romulan Goddess.

This is one of my better shifts, but the Vulcan was the best. It took me a long time to master these two forms, and I can travel to the future. A small smile lit her face. When you came to that planet, I knew you were closer to solving the mystery than all the Kinatchi combined. She changed back. That was the first time I had ever witnessed love. I saw the way he looked at you. Saw how oblivious you were while it was obvious to everyone else there.

But how was the planet involved with this? Iasked incredulously.

The planet was once a romulan colony that had survived the war. They had believed in the goddess so it was the form I took. They went there shortly before they went to Romulus and Remus.

So that was you… I mused to myself.

Yes.

I only had one more question. What was the name of the person you told the romulan secret?

My breathing suddenly shortened as my heartbeat quickened, forcing blood without oxygen through my body. I pressed the comm. button to medical three times in succession. Right before McCoy ran in I heard Mic say quietly,

It was Rebecca Korff's father.