Disclaimer: Star Trek and all its characters belong to Paramount Pictures. Carrie belongs to author Stephen King but the words are mine. The characters of the Four Orders (FO*) are entirely my own.

Requested Story by T-Rex-1000

Part Two:

AU/Multiple Star Trek Shows/Carrie: Having become part of 24th century, Carrie White is enlisted in the clandestine organization Section 31 to help protect the Federation from a looming threat that has the power to change Starfleet's future forever.

Chapter 22

Stardate 46683 (07.09.2369)

Carrie's transport dropped out of warp early in the morning above the Trill homeworld. She was glad the trip was finally over as she was going stir crazy in this flying coffin. While technology had advanced considerably since her time, some distances were trying for the soul.

The planet had a weird purple tint that Carrie understood were the oceans. She tried to imagine what purple water looks like and more to the point how it tasted. According to the guide she had it should be suitable for her. The shuttled landed just outside the capital Mak'ala.

It was not that the capital did not have a landing port but it was moved temporarily as it was under reconstruction. A land shuttle took the passengers to the city itself. As Carrie noticed, there were a lot of gardens, more than she had ever seen in a single city.

She had come to love the outdoors with lots of trees and flowers and bushes. That was hard to come by on a space station something that she found difficult to understand. Garak explained that while Cardassia Prime had lots of green the same was seen as useless on a space station meant for mining ore.

She was certain to spend much time in these lovely gardens. But first she had to present herself to customs which in this century was something of a formality. The usual questions of business or pleasure followed. She was here on something like both. As this formality was completed her hosts guided her to an accommodation that was more than adequate and had a lovely view of the outside.

She stood on the balcony until sunset immersed in the beauty of this city. Her mind wondered back to Earth and her time. Her mother kept her indoors as though she was some kind of treasure. Now that she thinks of it she was somewhat grateful for that act that she no longer found to be unkind.

This century had started to rub off of her. Her view of things that transpired had changed significantly. The people of this time lived in somewhat perfect harmony with each other and while malevolent behavior was not a thing of the past it was much less than her own time. She counted herself lucky to be here and to be accepted for whom she is rather than what others wanted her to be.

She had been most grateful to the crew of the Enterprise and Ella. Speaking of Ella, she needed to call her. Lately she had been so busy she had barely time for herself let alone her dear friend Ella. She used the console to call Earth.

Ella appeared on the screen more radiant than before. Carrie noticed her bosom was bigger and her cheeks redder.

"Oh, hi," Ella beamed.

Carrie looked her over. "Are you pregnant?"

"Oh, hello to you too," Ella said.

"Yeah, of course, hello Ella, are you pregnant? Who's the lucky guy and why haven't you told me about him?"

"Oh, ok, slow down," Ella said raising hands defensively. "Telling you would imply that someone calls regularly and not every six months or so."

"Yes, I am sorry. I have been very busy."

"I know. His name is Brax, he is Ktarian. He works in the grounds of Starfleet Academy under the dutiful tutelage of Boothby."

"How's the old goat?"

Ella smiled. Carrie was one of the few graduates who had the audacity to call the groundskeeper an old goat and get away with it.

"He is his full self and very energetic for his age."

"I'll bet." Carrie mumbled. "Well, when did it happen? Right after you hooked with Brad?"

"Brax, his name is Brax. And no, it did not happen right away. He has been courting me since I came back to Earth and even a bit on the Enterprise."

"How is it that you have never mentioned him?"

"It really never came up. We were busy at the time with other things if you care to remember."

"True,"

"So, sometime after I returned to Earth, we started meeting more often and then one thing led to the next, and hop, yes, I am pregnant."

"Oh you are not getting away so easily. I want the juicy details."

"Carrie, please, this is private thing…"

"Oh, please, don't start using the private words again, it doesn't suit you."

"You know me too well." Ella said but she was smiling. True, they knew each for three years now but Ella had been in coma for most of her life. So knowing Carrie for that long has been the longest period of time she had known anyone other than her father.

Carrie spent the next six hours listening to Ella who told her everything in such great detail that it was as though she had been there when it had happened. Ella had a gift for gossip. This is how Carrie learnt most of the things about people in and around the academy grounds. Ella was simply an inexhaustible source of gossip.

Carrie loved her time spent with Ella. The gossip revealed important information for her. It concerned Carrington's boss – Deville. He had been on Earth and on Academy grounds for nearly a month sniffing around the office of the Professor. Then he had departed to location unknown.

Carrie made a mental note to contact the Professor. She needed to know about Deville's movement but she did not want to use the public database in case someone was monitoring it for information on him. Carrington warned her to trust no one as apparently they were playing cat and mouse with an unknown opponent. She had begged Carrington to tell her about them but he had adamantly refused.

The next day having slept like a baby Carrie was taking her time exploring the gardens of the capital. She had studied the schematics of where the caves of the Guardians were as well. She wanted to know everything about her surroundings. One has to be prepared at all times for everything.

The symbiont guardians were like monks and ventured rarely outside of their caves. The file mentioned they were a bit out there – the medical term would be odd, well, as well as the normal one. She knew very little about them but she hoped to learn.

Her straw took her near the caves that were guarded. The guards did not seem eager to let her in but the passing of a guardian changed that. He took an interest in Carrie and she was allowed in.

"It is quite something. Come with me." Guardian Xai led her down the cave stairs cut right into the rock. The way was not steep but eased slowly. The walls were moist and glowed with a dim but visible light. Carrie wondered where it was coming from – probably some kind of luminescence or phosphorescence.

The way leveled up and she could see the reflection of water onto the walls. As they reached the bottom of the cave, she could see pools of water or something similar. In it, she noticed subtle discharges of energy.

"Ah," Her guide Xai followed her gaze. "These are the symbionts that still have no hosts."

"And the discharge, is what?"

"This is how they communicate with each other."

Another guardian appeared completely ignoring them. He knelt and took out some kind of stick and poked the water.

"He is testing the viscosity of the water and the temperature." Xai explained. "It is necessary to maintain it at optimal level."

Carrie approached the pool. The discharges increased as number of symbionts had approached her position obviously startling both guardians. Never before had the symbionts displayed such interest in a stranger, and even more so, an off-worlder.

They looked at each other puzzled. This was very interesting development.

"You think we ought to let her in?" The other guardian asked.

"It has never happened before but it would be interesting to explore." Xai replied.

"In?" Carrie looked puzzled at them.

"Come," Xai gestured her to follow him.

Carrie moved away from the pool. She wondered what they meant but obliged. She had noticed the unusual looks the Trill threw each other. As she knew next to nothing about their culture, she was not sure what prompted that exchange of looks.

She was led to another chamber. Xai returned shortly after with a white gown. "Put it on." He had said. Carrie understood she had to undress and put it on. Xai left her the privacy to do so.

Weirdly enough it reminded her of the worst day of her life. She was not very keen on putting it on but she did not want to offend her hosts either.

Xai appeared and smiled. "Come." He gestured her again to follow him. They returned to the pool, which was now populated by more guardians. Apparently, the news has reached the others too. She wondered what had prompted such interest.

"Step into the pool." Xai spoke.

"Into the pool?" Carrie repeated. She wanted to ensure she heard him right so not incite an intergalactic incident.

"Yes, do not be afraid," Xai confirmed. "Symbionts can sense fear."

"Good for them." She spoke. She noticed her voice had gone softer and quieter. She was not afraid but uncertain. Her last experience in white was not stellar so it was normal she was a bit apprehensive.

"Reach the middle and do not be startled by the discharges. You feel a tingle or a prick on your skin. That is the way they would communicate with you."

"Why am I doing so this again?"

"The symbionts seem to be attracted to you. That has never happened with any outsider or off-worlder. We are interested to find out why they feel this way for you. If you are willing to cooperate of course?"

Carrie came here to learn as much as she can about the symbionts. It seems that direct contact with them would be the perfect opportunity. On the other hand, she feared this contact. She had never interacted with any other species on this level, not even with the Vulcans although they were telepathic.

Still there was something soothing in this environment. At least, what little information she had on the symbionts suggested that they are peaceful. So, she stepped into the water. Her first touch with the liquid told her that this was not what she would call water. The liquid was not cold but rather warm still nice to the touch.

She advanced slowly as she did not know how deep or how the ground beneath her would shift. Reaching the middle of the pool, she noticed the discharges but none of them reached her. They were exchanged only between the symbionts.

And then, acting as one, the discharges sped and converged on her. She felt it and it was definitely not a tingle it was a proper charge that knocked her out. She sensed her body falling under and then nothing but darkness.

She opened her eyes and found herself in that cursed school. She did not want to be here at all. Why would these things bring her here? She was in the corridor surrounded by her would-be friends. They were heading to the Great Hall.

She looked at them with disgust and sensed her darkness crawling out of her subconsciousness. Still time seemed to have taken a beat. She wondered why until she saw a glow. The glow took the face of a symbiont. It gestured her so to speak to take a better look.

She looked at the faces around her. Weirdly enough she could not recall their names but then again names were not necessary. Her 'friends', they all had a glint in their eyes that she had noticed only after they soaked her with the pig's blood.

Now she also realized that she had been hearing their thoughts though at the time she had attributed the sounds to the ones coming from the Great Hall. Not of all of them was in agreement with what was about to transpire. But as they wanted to be part of the group, they had pushed away their doubts.

That was something that she could understand now. She knew the need of having friends that you can count on. Before all this, she had always been alone but now she did not want to. At the time, she craved for the glimpse of such happiness so she had ignored the signs.

As they entered the Great Hall, she noticed the looks around her. Some knew of the upcoming fun others did not. Some were fascinated by her and others admired her courage. Those that were not part of the prank but knew of it seemed nothing short of being afraid of her so-called friends.

She now better understood the mood around her. And then the bucket fell over her. She noticed then that there were many who were shocked and disgusted. They definitely did not approve of this display.

But it was too late as her darkness was unhinged at that point. She saw genuine fear in those that realized she was responsible for what was happening. Some of them felt for her, some just now understood how unfair it is to be alone. There was genuine remorse in the hall. They were frightened but understood why and had forgiven her instantly for it.

At the time, she blamed everyone though mostly herself for being so naïve. She knew that she could stop herself but she did not want to. She wanted to pour her hatred for everything in her life on them so they could feel her pain for a beat.

When she had left the school on the way home, her screams had turned into such powerful darkness that she destroyed everything in her path, be that an innocent or not. She hated the world for being so cruel to her. She wanted to end it all.

All this lasted until she had reached the point of no return. She remembered that in her final moments she punished the girl that led her believe she had a shot. She did not kill her but her sentence was worse than death. She implanted her with a memory that she would see every time she went to sleep. It will torment until life would become so unpleasant and unbearable that her friend will end it on her own.

Everything around her melted and she found herself in some sort of cave with tentacles. Each pulsated and she soon realized she was in some sort of limbo between consciousness and subconsciousness. It was between her and the symbionts.

They took the shape and the form of her former friends. Carrie took a defensive stance but the people around her were not people. She knew that almost instantly.

"You have experienced darkness that most could not imagine." One of them spoke.

"And yet you clang on the hope of a better life,"

"We do not often converse with other species but you are special."

"I am not special." Carrie countered.

"Yes, you are and the fact that you do not see it that way elevates in everyone's eyes."

"Who are you?" She asked though she already knew the answer.

"You know who we are but if it would prefer a name then my name is Tal."

"You don't have a host?"

"Not yet, and I don't think I will have one for a very long time." Tal replied. "Though I hope they will be just as interesting as you are, and who knows maybe in the future the gap between us will be shorter. Your species is most interesting."

To be continued….

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