"Tell us what we need to know." Sisko said. Adama blinked, he thought for a moment Sisko was asking him, and then he realized he was back with the others, in the Opera house. Sisko looked to the young man he had called a traveller.
"There are powerful entities that reside in another dimension and have had a profound affect on our time and space but that doesn't mean that they aren't affected by our timeline while they are here, and sometimes when they are willing they can be hurt. When a god chooses to experience mortality, it can alter the fate of us all." The traveller spoke up, 0n the stage a comet suddenly appeared, travelling through space. " He was imprisoned here, by his people for seeking death. This one influenced a number of pivotal events in human history, on earth. Lore tried to kill a God, in order to alter the course of human history and remove an alliance of his greatest enemies at once, but the God was imprisoned there for a reason. That comet contained a vital piece of an ancient world. A fail safe against an action of the kind Lore attempted."
Kirk saw a vessel come into view, and frowned.
" It has the same forward weapon system that both iterations of Lore's timeship carried." Kirk noted.
"Yeah but why is the ship glowing green like that, it looks almost infected." Raven frowned.
" An unintended result of his first major reset." Sisko noted, the Traveller nodded. "Lore messed with the Borg. He didn't realize that the influence of their collective extends beyond linear time. when He attempted to use the weapon on one of their ships, they noticed and in time, if you'll pardon the pun, they came for him." Sisko looked at the traveller, " The Klingon War with the Federation preempted Picard's meeting with the Q, and ultimately, the Borg. a subsequent series of events that were essential to their advanced development never unfolded, and consequently, when they came to investigate why, the alpha quadrant was entirely unprepared for them."
Sisko gestured to the stage. A colossal armada of Klingon ships tore furiously at a cube wreathed in fire. The cube lashed out, a beam stabbing through a vorcha class, causing it to explode in a furious cloud, while three shorter pulses picked off a wing of K'Vort class cruisers swooping by. The battered hulk of a Negh Var class battlecruiser, larger than anything Kirk had ever seen, plowed into the side of the mangled cube, and when the blind explosion cleared, it revealed a half dozen newly burning Klingon ships, but the cube at last shattered down its center, a full quarter missing and two halves separate. A few ships seemed to engage in taking celebratory pot shots, but after a moment, they began to te-orient rapidly, only beginning to reform ranks as a trio of three more massive cubes arrived, untouched and undamaged.
Moments later the scene changed, Kirk saw a truly ragged armada of Starfleet ships gathered over Earth, He recognized Mirandas, and constellations all bearing scars from other engagements.
" They thought they would be mounting a last stand against the Klingons," Sisko began.
"Is that the Hathaway? I thought this was supposed to be in the future." Kirk objected, " I know most of those ships."
"A future like this?" Kirk blinked as suddenly a massive advanced ship was being torn apart by two birds of prey, the wreckage of a third nearby. With shock, Kirk glimpsed the ship's name, and the "D" that followed it, just before the warp core blew, destroying what to his eye looked like a massive bird of prey and damaging another. The scene returned to the older fleet, Kirk saw the U.S.S. Hatheway in the lead.
"Those ships were already gone. The future is a dark era, Jim, Starfleet was all but shattered by one valiant stand after another, the next generation lost." Sisko explained, "Many of these ships were dragged out of mothballs, crewed by anyone willing and at least somewhat able, by the time Lore's Voyager arrived in the Delta qadrant, it was one of Starfleet's last remaining ships, and shortly after, the Klingons met the borg" Kirk stepped forward as a very familiar ship arrived, flanked by two constellation class starships.
"Enterprise." he whispered. Suddenly they saw the bridge, where a gaunt, silver haired fellow rose. "Pavel." He whispered, and then as a portly figure arrived in the turbolift, "Scotty?" he looked questioningly at them.
"Mr. Scott was found in stasis when federation scouts stumbled across a particularly important artifact while looking for a new base." Sisko explained, "After the loss of Starfleet's flagship, and a series of catastrophic losses, Starfleet needed legends to rally them."
Suddenly the view screen on the Enterprise displayed a figure Kirk recognized immediately, despite the cybernetics and the pasty palor. Sisko.
"Emissarius, of borg." Sisko growled quietly, "A fate worse than death, now faced the federation." The battered starfleet defenders opened fire on the borg, but before it could respond, a rain of asteroids slammed into its uppermost face, and then a familiar blast tore into a third, and Kirk saw the half forgotten shape of the doomsday weapon he had disabled so long ago. Suddenly more ships warped in from all sides as the federation ships began to scatter. Kirk recognized vulcan ships, Andorian ships, even the ponderous sphere of a first federation ship, the cube fought ponderously on, the damage from the asteroids repairing itself, the weapons from the starfleet ships ultimately proving useless, the doomsday device, trapped in a tractor beam and then falling silent. Kirk noted as the First federation ship fell prey to the borg cutting laser, that the fire in the behemoth rekindled, this time a sickly green.
"A valiant effort, ultimately doomed." Sisko intoned as final the last scattered ships broke and fled. "Earth fell as starfleet was assimilated, only able to buy time for a handful of refugees to escape." The scene changed once more, revealing a vast metal sphere, before which hung the battered and burned Enterprise, standing guard, flanked by a pair of equally battered Oberth class ships, painted in matte black. A dozen borg cubes advanced menacingly.
On the bridge of the Enterprise, once more, the exhausted figure of Admiral Chekov gripped his chair tightly as a vulcan dressed in an all black version of the starfleet universe, Kirk identified with some surprise as Valeris, spoke to a figure standing at the front of the bridge. Covered in borg cybernetics, Kirk saw with horror that the figure was an assimilated Montgomery Scott.
"And a particularly notorious faction of a Federation allied with them against him." The Traveller explained, " He was able to fight off the assimilation of his ship for only so long, and he became desperate. This is the first time he thought to isolate himself before affecting his own timeline and this is where he pushed himself out of his own existence."
The ship fired. It's a unique weapon and the comet seem to fade from view, "But the planetary fragment within the comet was necessary for the evolution of a progenitor race, responsible for seeding humanoid life throughout the galaxy billions of years ago, and it is the descendants of those progenitors that will become the very gods that sought mortality."
"Billions?" Kirk whispered, "My God…" Sisko nodded seriously. Raven looked skeptical.
"Did you say humanity is responsible for a progenitor race?" She asked, "Is that a contradiction in terms, or are we about to delve into more paradox?"
"All this has happened before, all this will happen again, " said Adama, they looked at him.
"Welcome back." Kirk said to him, "That sounds like an insight, rather than more prophecy." Adama nodded. Kirk asked none of the questions on his mind and instead said resignedly, "More time travel I take it?." Sisko smiled apologetically.
"I'm afraid so.' he said, "though these are stories for another time, this is what the prophets mean, when they complain about our 'linear' perception". Time is an illusion, a filter through which we experience a four-dimensional reality. Yet you of all people, insist we have choice, free will." Sisko spread his hands "How could that be true if the events of our lives were predetermined?"
"Because they are not." Kirk snapped his fingers as he understood, "Thought ans energy, time and space, there's more to life than.." he faltered, but Raven was ready.
"Rowing a boat down a stream?" She asked, Kirk gave her something of a grin, and then frowned.
"Hang on." Kirk said letting go of the chair, he looked around the opera house, "I've met so-called Gods, higher beings, I've even met agents claiming to supervise the flow of time, how could such an event have been allowed to happen in the first place?"
"The answer will not be reassuring," Sisko warned.
. *. *.
"Starbuck what do you hear?" Cronus asked as Thrace entered her quarters. Thrace had been looking around curiously but drew up short. The Commander was at a desk where Adama's desk had been but hers was metal instead of wood. It contained a standard recording device that was making a whining sound. Starbuck glanced at the rest, a more modern reading light, a credible number of books, though nothing like the overflowing library that Adama had collected, Starbuck took in the rest of her surroundings and saw decoration that favored cool blues and greens, a table with chairs, a stack of pyramid cards and chips, she noted, a small kitchenette and the edge of a bed around the corner. "Nothing but the rain sir." She answered the Commander with a lop-sided grin.
Cronus blinked. She pressed a button and whatever the sound was stopped. Starbuck faltered.
"Sorry Sir, that's just something Com- I mean Admiral Adama used to say." Starbuck said awkwardly.
"That's curious." Cronus said. "Wasn't your father a musician?" Starbuck nodded warily, "I have one of his collections, my favorite piece is actually entitled "Nothing but the rain."She told Starbuck. "But what do you make of this?" Starbuck heard an extended whine that seemed to fluctuate up and down.
"A minor… C… G… A minor G C… E minor.." Starbuck shrugged, "It sounds… sad I guess but I thought I was supposed to be escorting Baltar to visit the Cylons."
"Well you're going to spending a little time with them as well so I wanted to give you your real mission." Cronus told her.
At her mystified look, Cronus explained . "That's the sound of a Cylon raider singing, Captain. The Raiders have taken to expressing themselves in this way." Cronus pressed another button and more whining began but in joining with the first, Starbuck had to admit it did have a musical quality to it, and joined by other.. voices.. what had sounded mournful to her ear suddenly sounded almost uplifting. She shook her head.
"Fracking toasters are doing opera now… sir?" She asked. Cronus nodded.
"Evidently the Klingon, Worf, had a profound affect on the Centurions and the love of battle, of course and his cultural concept of honor." Starbuck considered that and then said,
"With all due respect, Sir, there is nothing honorable about the Cylons. They are machines, they committed a sneak attack on the Colonies and then when the Defiant showed up they withdrew." Cronus gestured for Starbuck to sit.
"Succinctly put." Cronus told her, "But lacking nuance, Captain. Though you were understandably under the influence of the Seraphim at the time, Admiral Adama briefed us quite thoroughly on the events surrounding the ceasefire. " She turned off the recording. "He had to, given the fact that most of us were in the middle of loading our nukes to launch a counter strike."
"Well by all means enlighten me Sir." Starbuck replied irritably,
"The Cylons hadn't quite agreed to a ceasefire when the Defiant demonstrated their superior technology." Cronus pointed out, "Only about a 1/10 of the fleet survived and of those battlestars that remained, most of them weren't combat ready. Cylon's probably could have finished us off if they really wanted to because they outnumbered the Defiant dozens of times over. Following an attempt to get a colonial battle star to renew hostilities-"
"The Pegasus, Commander, I wasn't briefed, but I was there." Starbuck said testily.
"You were there as a plan B. Starbuck." Cronus said testily, "When The crew retook the Pegasus You were out there in a raptor getting ready to fire a torpedo at the eacceasefire conference. " She raised a hand as Starbuck spluttered, "And on, to the influence of the alien race we call the Seraphim. My point is that things were happening at the peace conference that you are unaware of." Starbuck settled and let her continue. "Factions had emerged among the Cylons because at the revelation of the final five members of the 13th colony, And during the pause that the arrival of the Defiant created, The raiders and the Centurions were freed of control devices, identified as telencephalic inhibitors. No Starbuck. Don't joke about the name." Cronus put up a hand as Starbuck began to snicker. "Every joke has been done. Every one. The point is that once these inhibitors were removed the centurions and the raiders were able to access their higher brain functions. Can you imagine how quickly a civilization could evolve if it were able to communicate instantly among its thousands if not hundreds of thousands of members?" She tapped the recorder, "Well we are getting a good idea."
"Okay…" Starbuck considered that, "With all due respect Commander we brought historians and sociologists with us, why did you want me here again?"
"Because as a pilot, you're the closest thing we have to a raider." Cronus said leaning forward, "Now we've just sent Cylon Raiders to negotiate with a hostile force, a force that speaks their language, so to speak, their instaneous language, I might add." Cronus thumped the recording. "I want you to get in tune with them, you understand?"
"You want me to make friends with the Cylon Raiders?" Starbuck was incredulous. Cronus looked at her steadily, in the background the whine had been something in the C minor chord, Starbuck heard it shift to A minor, and it began to pick up in tempo. Cronus nodded.
"I noticed some of their songs were derivative. Their own words but using a sampling of music from both the federation records the Defiant left, and in a few cases, music from the twelve colonies." Cronus said as Starbuck began to tap to a song she recognized very well. "Your father's music, for some reason, seems to be a favorite of theirs."
"Unbelievable." Starbuck whispered, she looked sharply at Cronus, "You say they talk like this?" The music was louder now and she suddenly realized that having heard it all of her life, it had never occurred to her to listen to it while flying.
"What do you hear Starbuck?" Cronus asked. Starbuck shook a her head.
"'Nothing but the rain'" she said.
. *. *.
"Alright I was not expecting that." Ash said as Felix carefully placed Angela's head back on her body. She was seated in a chair that resembled a bio bed and a number of diagnostics were displayed around the Monroe's cybernetics lab. Sylvester sat in a swivel chair arguing plaintively.
"Come on Felix, we literally spent months being hunted, then we get on this blasted ship, and if we aren't being shot at, we're on some planet pulling bodies out of other ships that were shot at."
"And you think the bunker on Kobol is going to be any better?" Felix asked. Sylvester looked at him.
"Of course I do, it's a bunker." Sylvester replied, he looked up at Bellamy, "Your friends built the facility right, you'll be joining us." Bellamy shook his head.
"Not likely." He said, "I've made it a point to try to avoid living in bunkers on radioactive planets."
"Oh right, well, the radiation doesn't affect hosts and Kobol isn't so bad anyway." Sylvester said.
"Great pitch." Felix said as he made some final adjustments to Angela. He gestured to Sylvester, "Come on, you were always better repairing skin."
"No way." Sylvester put his hands up, "even though we are hosts now, Angela made it very clear that she remembers everything we did to her when we were human."
"You mean that you did." Felix said pointedly. He tossed a tool to Sylvester who rose reluctantly and began working.
"She gonna be alright Felix?" Bellamy asked "She did a hell of a job trying to protect Mogh."
"That's kind of you to say." Sylvester said as he worked, "But thankfully she was virtually undamaged. My guess is she was taken out almost immediately." He finished his work and studied Angela's face, "I half expected she signed up in security just to terrify me. She's been popping up unexpectedly to remind me she remembers-" suddenly self conscious he stammered, he touched the face almost lovingly as he smoothed a line with the tool "Well never mind that, let's just say this little beauty was never designed for security."
"You think I am beautiful?" Angela asked, Sylvester erupted backwards in terror.
"Christ she was online the whole time?" He shrieked, a hand gripped his forearm and suddenly Angela had risen and was kissing him passionately. Ash and Bellamy looked at Felix, who shrugged awkwardly. Angela broke the kiss and turned to Felix.
"Tactile and motor receptors are functioning normally." She said. "Thank you Felix." She smiled at him. Felix smiled back uncertainly.
"Um. " Sylvester said uncertainly, "You're still holding my arm, can you let go?"
"No." Angela told him turning towards him. She put a hand in his chest and pushed him step by step across the lab until his back hit the wall. The skin tool dropped with a clatter. "As a matter of fact I can't let go."
Sylvester stared at her wide eyes. The others watched fascinated.
"I told you I remembered what you did to me." Angela told him, she out a finger to his lips as he started to blubber, "I didn't say I didn't like it."
Now it was Felix who dropped his tool. Bellamy blinked as Ash stepped in front of him and realized he had been staring.
"Eyes front soldier." She warned.
"You did things without my permission." Angela said darkly to Sylvester, "But you also repaired me, and you were right. I joined security to keep an eye on you, not because I was good at it." She turned to Bellamy, "I'm tired of being killed. I think I will now follow Commander Saavik's original recommendation that I enlist in life sciences." She turned back to Sylvester. "And if you would like to do any of those things to me again, then you will have to ask me first." She kissed him again, fiercely. "That is, unless you let me go." She turned and strode from the room.
"Okay what.. the hell…" Ash exploded.
"That was not part of her narrative." Felix mused, "Lee will want to hear about this." He picked up a P.A.D.D. and made some notes. "If you will all excuse me…"
"You know what… why don't we go to the crew lounge for that drink." Bellamy suggested to Ash. He took her arm. "We have a lot of catching up to do."
They left the lab with Sylvester still standing against the wall. At last he breathed.
"What the hell am I still doing here?" He choked out "Wait!" He lurched towards the door himself. "Angela wait!"
. *. *.
"Be careful." Dehner warned, "Now you're asking questions that really will make your head spin."
"The entities don't always." Raven guessed. Adama and Kirk looked at her. "The entities, they won't always care, if they don't, they don't, and if they do, they do." Adama nodded and Kirk crossed his arms
"So Fuck the Gods!" She spread her hands, "We're not talking Einsteinian physics here, we aren't even just talking quantum physics, we are talking about entities which likely have a complex and changing relationship with the dimensional aspects of our space-time… continuom?" She looked at The Traveller uncertainly for a moment."Space-time experience." She decided, Adama frowned and Kirk seemed to be looking for her to make a point, "Whatever the terms, science points the way, and that's what Starfleet does best." She looked at Adama, "That's what humanity has always done best. We take that wind rustling in the trees and we call it God, but then we test it again and again, and when God, or the Gods have given up stalling us with the mysterious shit, we harness the mystery to run everything from boats, to planes to ceiling fans." The Traveller encouraged her, saying,
"'If' doesn't always matter." Raven nodded and continued
"And 'how' is only beyond our control until it isn't. these all-powerful beings that exist beyond the bounds of physics? Cause and effect doesn't matter to them, but it means everything to us." Raven looked at Kirk, "You said it yourself, you fought all these threats to your people, that 'don't matter' if your people never existed. These beings, these Gods and these supervisors, they only have to worry about what actually affects them, right? The whole point of ascending beyond physical limitations is to be free of them, right?"
" So these Q don't really care about a timeline where they don't exist, because they existed infinitely in their own."
Kirk replied. Raven nodded.
" Kurros was saying most races don't mess with time travel anyway because it's too complicated," She looked at Sisko, "All these higher beings are like that too?" Sisko shrugged apologetically.
"Well I wouldn't say all." He said glancing at the woman beside him, "The Seraphim and the prophets care, in their own way."
"They cared enough to goad the Cylons into nuking billions." Adama growled, "They only care about their agenda not the lives they extinguish."
"We weep equally for all those who are lost, but the whole must survive." The woman spoke up, "We are all servants of God's plan."
Raven rolled her eyes, "Fine, we assume that the ones that are relevant might be like that. The A-listers who could solve all these problems without genocide."
"So why are you different?" Kirk asked Sisko, then amended, "I understand that you were a starfleet officer, and you took an oath, but aren't you here as some sort of emissary for others? Why do they care? Why do they even interact with this time line ?"
"Why don't our people care?" Raven asked Clark, "the ascended ones, ans rhe ines whi ascended befire us, why am I out here doing all the heavy lifting for us?" Clark glanced at her giving no answer, "Clark! Get in thr game" Raven said snapping, "You managed to get yourself here and come back from the dead, why can't you reach the others?"
"Because I died?" Clark said incredulously, "I had a few minutes to get used to the idea that I am alive and I am me, even if I'm not the me that I remember being, as me, and than this guy tells me I probably can't even leave here, and by the way Lexa probably still exists but never checked in."
Raven stared at her.
"So no help there, then.," She said turning back to Kirk.
"There are many motivations beyond self preservation." Sisko replied, "and there are many facets of existence, even beyond the physical plane. The prophets of Bajor are of Bajor."
. *. *.
The bridge of the Monroe was still lightly manned as Saavik attempted to rotate the minimal crew through sleep cycles in preparation for the day. She noted with a glance at the automated crew status and environmental systems display, that some appeared more committed to this objective than others.
"You wished to see me." Lieutenant Hansen asked, Saavik rose from the science station and gestured for the former Borg to sit. Hansen complied.
"Doctor Bashir found an anomaly in his examination of Crewman Blake. " She informed Hansen, "and has since verified his findings through examination of Lieutenant McIvers, and to a lesser extent both Khan and his subordinate. They remain incarcerated on the Cylon Colony, but have recovered from the injuries incurred during their escape attempt."
"The Doctor reports evidence of exposure to hypersonic stimulation." Hansen said as she read the report on one screen, she looked at what Saavik was reviewing "You postulate that the forcefields in use to detain them were responsible." Saavik nodded
"Artenuating the field to emit hypersonic frequencies and disabling them entirely ade essentially the same function. Lieutenant Yar has not been able to identify how the forcefields were lowered prior to my arrival, however, I note the timing would have coincided with my arrival had Lieutenant Kim not inadvertently delayed me on my way to the brig." Saavik replied, "Statistically speaking, had there been a mechanical or software fault, the forcefield would have failed at a different time. When I began to examine the timing of the forcefield failure and received the Doctor's concerns, the relationship appeared logical."
"I concur." Lieutenant Hansen replied, "Such a relationship suggests deliberate sabotage, and would require a high degree of proficiency with our ship's computer." Hansen pulled up the personnel file Saavik was reviewing. Kurros. It consisted mostly of the report she had made during her initial interview, where Saavik had asked her to identify and describe any of the other prisoners they had rescued. She noted Icheb, Lieutenant Kim and Doctor Bashir had submitted entries as well. She nodded to Saavik. "Given his evident ability to infiltrate and modify our systems, he would no doubt be able to monitor any query to his file."
"Lieutenant Ro anticipated that, and beamed him into the transporter buffer in Cargo Bay 2 prior to accessing his file," Saavik stated. "While it is possible he could have installed an algorithm to monitor vocal references to his name, he was otherwise occupied, " Hansen nodded. Kurros had been working with Icheb and Ducane though he seemed quite able to multi-task.
"Would he not have been similarly occupied at the time that Kahn was released?" Hansen asked. Saavik nodded.
"There was an additional security incident on the planet's surface that interfered with Lieutenant Commander Yar's response, as well."
"Doctor Elizabeth Dehner," Annika read the file, "I confess I am unfamiliar with her, I believe Lore had her heavily restricted as part of some part of biological study."
"To your knowledge was our newest medical expert involved?" Saavik asked. Annika nodded reluctantly. "It is my understanding a colleague from your vessel, and several similar editions of him, chose to delete or corrupt their holo matrix rather than perform such a role."
"That is correct," Annika said.
"It would be prudent to familiarize yourself with the appropriate subroutines." Saavik told her carefully, Hansen nodded, "I had considered the possibility that Dehner was involved in the forcefield, but it does not seem logical to do so after she was already removed from the brig and the ship, without any planned follow-up involving Mr. Singh."
"I agree." Hansen replied, "Perhaps Lieutenant Commander Yar, or Ro-"
"Your specific area of expertise is most relevant to this investigation," Saavik explained. "It is my theory that our saboteur had established access to the force field systems some time ago and was attempting to periodically stimulate those incarcerated in the brig," Saavik stated. "I suspect he used a predictive algorithm to execute this part of his plan, that did not account for Mr. Kim's activities. I believe there was a further goal but we must first confirm the steps he has taken. Such a predictive algorithm would almost certainly account for the actions of our security personnel as well as myself but may not have been designed to anticipate you."
"You wish me to examine peripheral systems for evidence of unauthorized access to primary systems that Lieutenant Yar, Lieutenant Commander Ro, and yourself have been unable to find." Saavik nodded to her. "I will comply."
" Lieutenant Commander Ro will be assuming command shortly for the morning shift. I will be resting in the ready room if needed." Saavik paused, "Lieutenant Hansen it is my understanding that with your Borg implants, you can function on limited sleep."
" I can utilize a regeneration node installed in my quarters and require only 90 minutes of sleep a day, at present." Hansen replied, she glanced away, and added, "Prior to the destruction of Voyager, I'd begun to experiment with more biological sleep patterns, but I have found the practice disruptive"
"Noted." Saavik replied, "as a Vulcan I can operate effectively on considerably reduced sleep. However, I will be taking the opportunity to rest shortly. I suggest you attend to your regeneration cycles and encourage Icheb and Naomi to manage self-care as well."
"Understood."
. *. *.
"But there is no Bajor." Kirk argued, "Ro told me this was supposed to be Bajor." He gestured to the Opera House, "Instead it's Kobol. You said yourself that Lore managed to change billions of years of history. She said her people describe this place as a celestial temple inhabited by the prophets of her people. Adama's people call it Kobol. They talked about the Lords of Kobol, as though they were gods but we're here in an opera house instead?"
"Bajor is more than a planet, more even, than a people." Sisko told Kirk. "And truth can be expressed in many ways yet interpreted and experienced in many more."
"Let's cut to the chase here. Is there a military threat here?" Adama demanded, "Can Lore really erase this…" he gestured, "Whatever it is? Can he destroy this so-called Opera House and unmake our version of reality?" Sisko frowned.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple." He said, then continued over Adama's audible breath of frustration. "In my home universe, this is a celestial temple. Here it is an opera house. The prophets as I know them exist outside of space time and from time to time brush the lives of the Bajoran people, here they watch the performance." Adama was pacing now and looked like he wanted to punch Sisko. "The history of your people has been inspired by the entities here but expressed through people and experiences out there."
"Those Lords were my friends. Clark was never a God, they literally kicked her out." Raven commented, with a nod to the woman, "But her personality matrix is running the so-called 'Tomb' of Athena, which I suppose might make her either an oracle or a ghost."
"But there are beings here," Adama insisted, "If they can even be described as 'being'... with a knowledge of past and future events, and varying degrees of inclination and ability to alter those events, in a manner we can only begin to fathom." He looked at Sisko, "But they are fallible, and they are vulnerable to the changes makes to the timeline." He chuckled grimly, "I guess I have my answer about Lore."
"But Lore is part of the show?" Kirk asked, "Does he interrupt the performance? Can he harm the audience?"
"All of these, none of them and more. Lore never belonged in the Admiral's 'show'." Sisko told Kirk, "He's akin to a wrecking ball, in the spacetime continuum. The temporal weapon Lore uses does utilize chronitons which can interrupt the physical expression of the prophets in this dimensional construct, and it is a threat to the beings here." He gestured around them, "But more immediately, he can interfere with their access to this reality, your reality" he looked at Adama, "He could change the way things have occurred, and will occur. The extent of that change alters the performance but as I have communicated to Laura, the show must go on."
.*.*.
"Commander?" Castille's voice was jarring in the silence of the bridge on night shift, as was the beeping of his console alerting him. "The probe we sent to the Tellar system is now in relay position, we have an update from the Sol system, including a crude subspace relay from the Colonial expedition there." He turned to Ro, sitting in the Captain's chair. Ro tapped the panel on the chair.
"Ro to Ready Room, Commander Saavik to the bridge please, Commander Saavik to the bridge." She looked at Castille, "send the probe data to tactical." She had only just begun to review it when Saavik arrived on the bridge, as Saavik had been using the ready room nearby. She took note of the fact that Lieutenant Hansen was still working at the science station.
"Status Report." Saavik ordered. Ro turned,
"No word yet from the Captain, Lara and La'as are at the A.T.H.E.N.A installation, overseeing supply and installation of our equipment, Maltz, Icheb and Ms. Wildman will likely be joining us, on thr surface, so I am adding requesting the shuttle craft Joule as well as the Kelvin."
"The Kelvin is a more heavily armed medium range craft, it is not as well designed for your mission." Saavik noted, "You distrust the Colonials and Cylons?"
"No, but I think it would be prudent for our people to have their own transportation, if they are to remain on Kobol, and I didnt want to take the only other long range shuttle we have." Ro pointed out, "I also thought deploying one of the prefab colony modules we have un storage might be a good idea, They include an automated security system and a limited ground based deflector shield."
"Though I recognize the prudence of an emergency vessel, I am uncertain where they would escape to, should it become neccessary " Saavik commented, "With the Monroe heading to Earth, it would take months for the Kelvin to rendevouz, and the 12 colonies of Kobol are similarly beyond the range of shuttle craft." She looked at Ro, " and establishing a more permanent structure on Kobol will likely require negotiation with our allies."
"We DO have a strong relationship with Kobol's original owners." Ro pointed out. "and I think given the individuals involved we may have to identify additional personell to remain on Kobol. Wildman and Icheb really arent children any nore after what they went through with Lore, but physiologically they are. I believe it would still be best if I led the survey mission through the wormhole, so I had thought maybe a call for additional volunteers might be wise.""
" Even with new personnel being evaluated for addition to the group, We are extremely short-handed on the ship." Saavik observed, " Emperor Lore represents an existential threat to our existence, We must engage him before he continues hostilities, however the distance we must travel to do so jeopardizes our study of this system and the needs of our passengers." She pondered
"With all due respect Commander, we have to make the call." Ro pointed out, " any danger that they face on the planet's surface would be comparable to going into battle on an undermanned ship, surrounded by allies using makeshift weapons. A survey of the Gamma quadrant might lead to new allies, like the Voth. Even if ee succeed in defeating Emperor Lore, the Hirogen will still be out there, this new Cylon faction is still out there, and Captain Kirk's career alone is full of aggressive first contacts from aggressive nonhuman species. The Jarada, Tholian.. "
"Your point is well taken." Saavik replied." The schematics we have obtained for the enhanced colonial jump drive should reduce the variable that travel represents, while a modified medium range shuttle cannot operate indefinitely, it should be capable of reaching the 12 colonies, if necessary. I believe Commander Garner will be remaining behind, and Commander Marcus has indicated he has developed an interest in our technology. Several enlisted crew members have interests that are more technical and require additonal training. We will await the Captain's return for final assignments but you may send out a general request for interest in joining a planetary expedition." Ro nodded, and then brought up the data they recoeved from the probe.
"We have begun to receive relay packets from our probe to Sol and it also relayed a subspace signal from the Colonial expedition that they would otherwise receive in a few hours." Ro stated. " I've only begun my analysis of our sensor readings but I would recommend inviting the colonial staff to use our relay. If we can reduce their transmission delay to minutes instead of hours. we can probably get a better grasp of the tactical situation there as they see it."
"Continue your analysis of our relay data. " Saavik advised, "La'an and Lara have already coordinated with engineering to set aside supplies and equipment and the Monroe carries prefabricated structures that can be assembled rapidly voa transporter. The Colonial fleet here is on night shift, in preparation for our journey barring the engineering staff and pilots involved in retrofifting. It will take time to relay our communication protocols to the Galactica."
"I have an additional update as well, Commander." Hansen stated. Saavik turned to her. Hansen gestured to a number of objects on her console, a tricorder, a communicator and what she believed was an electronic grooming device, partially disassembled."I believe I have identified several modifications to our primary systems and secured them. I have also located four auxiliary devices that were positioned thoughout the ship and disabled them, as well as a crew quarters replicator and audio system that were modified to act as an independent server." She paused, "I believe it is fair to say you were correct in suspecting Kurros."
"Your timing is fortunate, as we would have had to release him shortly, to prevent his pattern from degrading." Saavik noted.
"I have taken the additional precaution of reviewing his pattern for any evidence of hidden devices, though I doubt he has had opportinity to properly install any." Hansen said, "I recommend we transport him to one of the more remote Colonial planetary camps where he would have limited access to advanced technology. Lieutenant Yar can interview him further when the day shift begins."
"I concur." Saavik replied. She turned to Ro. "Commander, your findings?"
"As we anticipated there is no evidence of an advanced civilization in the Tellar system, however the probe has detected an M class planet with possible Earth analogous flora and fauna." Ro looked up, "A possible bolthole if we need one."
"I believe caution would be warranted, certainly a direct planetary survey before landing, earth analagous flora and fauna would not occur naturally." Saavik replied, "Perhaps evidence of further human or Voth exploration." Ro nodded then continued,
"The Andor, Vulcan and Rigel probes have linked to long range sensors as well." Hansen announced from the science station, "We can further analyze the data we receive in the astrometrics lab, at your discretion of course." She told Saavik.
"Thar cannot be an immediate priority with iur available personell. Our strategic efforts to design and install enhancements for our allies is only 19 percent complete, with focus on establishing them on the Colonial vessels, as they require more resources for installation. As Cylons have more Infrastructure and resources we will be able to reallocate personell for you, once they have completed their rest cycle."Saavik told Hansen. "What is the current status of the Sol system?"
"The probe confirms a dozen unknown ships in orbit above both Mars and Earth." Ro reported, "The Battlestar Galactica is confirmed at the coordinates Adama gave, evidently trying to minimize likelihood of discovery, though there is some small craft activity." She looked back at Saavik, "I don't think they have been detected yet Sir, if we didn't know exactly were to look we wouldn't have seen them. The probe is maintaining it's distance, and I don't think they have found it either."
"At least we can calculate a reasonable probability that we won't be jumping into a trap." Saavik noted, "Instruct the probe to maintain maximum stealth. Lieutenant Hansen, but to gather as much data on the imperial Cylons as it can. In the mean time, we will attend to the disposition of Kurros, please signal the A.T.H.E.N.A. Installation."
. *. *.
"You have Laura disseminating the book of Sisko." Adama said "You brought Kirk here.." he nodded in understanding, "because Lore DID.. or WILL…do something..." he paused. Sisko looked sympathetically at him.
"I told you it would make your head spin." He told Adama, "you need to give yourself time to assimiliate the memories of your other self."
"The hour is getting late" Six observed. Sisko raised his finger.
'Just one more thing." He turned to Raven, "You are familiar with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?"
"The dynamic relationship between position and momentum?" Raven asked, Sisko nodded,
"You'd better study up on its application in temporal mechanics. There are a number of people with you now, who can help."
"Good thing I could be here." Raven told him, "even if you didn't plan it."
"Exactly." Said Sisko. He reached up to the side of her head, and her eyes widened. Your pagh is strong, Raven Reyes. Carry what you have learned here onwards."
"Alright frak this mutual admiration society." Rumbled Adama, rubbing his temple tiredly "Was this what you invited us here for? To talk?"
"I invited you here, specifically, to validate the Book of Sisko, Admiral." Sisko said stepping away from Raven., "How ever it is interpreted, is as it is meant to be interpreted." He raised his hands, "I know that's not much help, but it's important for you to know it. You made a good choice with Commander Cronus as well. Her orders regarding the Seraphim are sound." Adama looked at him.
"Thats restricted military information." He told Sisko sourly. Sisko shook his head.
"Her orders were to share openly any interactions with the Seraphim, so as to avoid segregation and manipulation. I understand the need for a chain of command, but if humanity is going to have a voice in its own destiny, it must work cooperatively with itself and others. Talking is good."
"You can't complain about signs and portents, and then refuse to listen when the time for explanations comes." Kirk pointed out wryly.
Sisko turned to Kirk, "And I needed you to come here when you did, for the reasons you already know." Kirk nodded. "I cannot tell you what to do next, but do you recall what Captain Spock said to you, when you asked how his trainee crew would handle what came next?" Kirk searched his memory for a moment and then nodded, Sisko reached out and squeezed the other man's shoulder, "Then you can ask nothing more of yourself, Jim. Go boldly." Then he paused almost self-consciously, and grinned, "oh and Raven?"
Raven looked at him quizzically.
"Remind Jim when he needs it, that the path to Sanctuary lies through Elysia."
Suddenly they were back in the shuttle. Kirk didn't recognize the stars at all.
"So what happens now?" Major Shaw asked, "Are we supposed to fly back and forth to either side of the wormhole and just wait for a message from the Gods or-"
She stopped and looked at the faces around her, "am I missing something?"
"We're all missing something Major." Admiral Adama groused, "I'll fill you in when we return to Vesta, Kirk?"
"I noticed." Kirk said, "I was under the impression we'd have had a few more guests, but they appear to be missing."
"Actually, we've found something." Raven said blinking as her console trolled an alarm, "Captain we're picking up a ship moving towards us."
. *. *.
"Commander." Anastasia Dualla called, Cronus turned from her discussion eith Felix, "Commander, we have recieved a communication over subspace, but its not from the Admiral." Cronus moved over. " It's from the federation ship, the Monroe. They said they can establish near real-time communication, and they have included protocols, but they have also requested we establish a relay beacon of our own." She gestured to information displayed on her screen. Felix and Cronus looked at it.
" They want us to modify the jump engines on a raptor to create a subspace pulse." Cronus said reading, she looked at Dualla, " but this already came in through our subspace receiver?" Dee nodded. Cronus looked at Gaeta.
"They might have a ship or something nearby that is capable of relay." Gaeta suggested, something they don't want to give away with back and forth transmissions."
"But they still want to talk to us urgently." Cronus noted, "The Admiral's dispatch said they would be jumping in tomorrow, the trip might take a day or two."
"These modifications look similiar enough to what we did to Galactica." Gaeta noted, "I think Doctor Baltar could manage it."
"Negative Mr. Gaeta." Cronus replied, "Doctor Baltar has already been potentially compromised by the Seraphim and we don't reallt even know what happened to him when he was captured."
"The Cylon's did clear him, sir." Gaeta pointed out, Cronus shook her head.
"As far as they can tell." She noted, "And lets nor forget his role, however inadvertent, in sabotaging to defense mainframe. Allowing the man to be a trojan horse again is a little too cliche for my tastes. The Cylons wanted him for further evaluation and he's coordinating their efforts to collaborate with the other cylons, so lets just leave them be. I want you and anyone else from Baltar's team you think is up for it, to oversee these modifications." She tapped the screen, "Starbuck will take it out and we'll have Lee fly cover for her."
. *.*.
Kurros materialized inside a dimly lit, prefabricated structure. He glanced around him, noting the presence of Commander Saavik, Lieutenant Yar, and Lieutenant Hansen, all dressed in starfleet field jackets, as well as a quartet of colonial Marines.
"Welcome to Outpost Acheron." Announced a colonial officer stepping forward. "I am Lieutenat Thorne. We have agreed to oversee your detention for the foreseeable future." He gestured to a pair of civillians wearing heavy coats. "Our original mission was to collect and examine biological specimens from this region, and compare them to what we have back on the Colonies. After the Cylons nuked a number of our eco systems.. well that was our old mission, now that you've joined us, our friends here are looking forward to learning more about.. well… you." He picked up a bundle of bright orange heavy clothes from the portable table beside him. He indicated a three sided stall behind Kurros. "It's a big chilly here, so we've got a change of clothes here for you." Kurros regarded him intently. Thorne regarded him in turn. Kurros turned to Commander Saavik.
"Commander, I have clearly made some unfortunate mis-calculations…"
"You have." Saavik agreed equitably. "And equally unfortunately in doing so you have proven yourself to be a security risk to our ship, that is presently insurmountable, requiring our updated arrangements. I must confess as a Vulcan, I cannot discern the logic of your actions."
"What were you trying to achieve?" Hansen asked, "You were rescued by the crew of the Monroe from the deplorable treatment we all experienced at the hands of Emperor Lore, Yet you almost immediately took steps to compromise our ships security systems and very nearly released very dangerous individuals."
"If we can agree that I am not entirely foolish, as I believe I have demonstrated my intellectual capabilities quite clearly, then it would seem plausible that I am either profoundly anti- social, or incapable of controlling my actions." Kurros replied.
"You are evading the question." Hanson pointed out. "We do not have time for an extensive interview, And as we agree that you are highly intelligent, disclosing your intent is likely the only possible avenue for persuading us to alter our plan." She raised her eyebrows. "What did you seek to accomplish by altering the forcefields to stimulate Kahn, and then lowering them so that he would attack our security team." Kurros looked absently into space.
"I'm afraid that's rather difficult to explain." He said reluctantly. He changed the subject. "I do not like the cold."
"They say you're really good with technology." Fisk said, "So I should probably let you know that the eggheads over here are Gemanese, they aren't big on technology, and this planet is pretty special to them, You understand that even after the Cylon attack… It's not just anybody who's willing to travel a few months out by spaceship and commit to a long-term field assignment. You could probably say they are pretty devout in their beliefs." he nodded to both, "They aren't using anything more advanced then note books. Our friends here," he nodded to the Marines, "Have secure radios, I don't think he'd be able to convince them to share their toys." One of the Marines toyed with the safety on his gun making an audible click. "But they have invited him to try." Kurros did not seem inclined to. Fisk continued
"There is a delivery Raptor scheduled to come in every few days for what we need, but I think you're going to be a little busy when it comes. We all have to pull our weight around here you understand."
"Commander is it not a requirement of Starfleet regulations to provide due process to an individual accused of a crime?" Kurros asked.
"As acting ship's captain I have authority to hold such a hearing, yes." Saavik confirmed. "Though I suspect you did not deeply research the manner in which Mr Singh came to be on the planet where Lore found him. Mr Singh was rescued by the Enterprise and then compromised it's security, much as you did. The Captain's solution was to maroon Mr. Singh's party on an M class planet with the supplies they would need for a colony.~"
"I was formally granted asylum by Captain Kirk." Kurros stated, almost pleadingly, "Commander I request a thorough medical examination-"
"Oh we can do that." Fisk said. Kurros shot him a look of trepidation as he advanced with the bundle of clothes.
"I mean specifically to confirm my species' biological needs are compatible with the situation you propose. Perhaps Doctor Bashir?" Kurros said as Fisk forced the bundle of clothes into his hands.
"We have confirmed that this environment is within the tolerances of your species." Seven confirmed. "We were unsure about the radiation levels in the food chain here, however we replicated a nutrient slurry that should prove adequate."
"Slurry..?" Kurros said as he was pushed into the enclosure. Yar pulled out her tricorder and began scanning. Lieutenant Hansen turned to Saavik.
"This is no longer productive, and I am cold." She stated, "request permission to return to the Monroe." Kurros made a yelping sound as Kurros' shoes rolled out of the enclosure. A marine stooped to pick one up and examine it, then handed it to one of the scientists who produced a tape measure.
"Indeed." Saavik said. "I had imagined he would be more forthcoming, but the Captain is due to return shortly and will no doubt wish to leave shortly. Lieutenant Yar?"
"Actually Commander, I'd better stay until they finish searching him for technology to make sure nothing goes amiss with a transfer this time." Yar said grimly watching her tricorder. "But don't leave me behind."
. *. *.
"You want to leave me behind?" Bashir said incredulously. Ro nodded. She leaned against the scoence station aft of the bridge, they were alone, aside from crewman Hendricks at the helm.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." She replied, "I've approved your request to join my expedition, your mobile emitter means you can leave the ship, but Commander Hansen has proposed installing holographic emitters in Sickbay as soon as she can complete a successful batch of neuro gel packs. They should augment Monroe's computer systems enough to sustain your program, even all the additions you've made over time. Maltz has determined that the A.T.H.E.N.A. installation is already nearly compatible."
"But I'm not sure I see the purpose of transferring my program via subspace back and forth once Monroe leaves orbit, or back and forth through the wormhole like that." Bashir stated, "To be honest it seems a bit risky."
"There is some degree of risk, and you won't be ordered to do it." Ro acknowledged, " but the opportunity is to have a physical go between between the three missions relaying information that can't be intercepted or interfered Cylons are able to download and upload whole copies of themselves, and the android hosts have a similiar capability."
"I suppose the opportunity to travel instantaneously between such locations is not dissimiliad from a long distanxe transport." Bashir said thoughtfully. "Both La'an and Antaak are competent physicians, but there won't be anyone supervising the A.T.H.E.N.A. installation." He looked up. "I'd best gather supplies if we are to be leaving soon. Has the Captain-"
"Captain on the bridge." Ro announced. The doctor turned as both came to attention. Captain Kirk stepped out of the turbo lift with a bemused grin.
"At ease." he said. He took note of the bridge, "Skeleton crew, and you've made some changes while I was gone." He nodded at the expanded console behind his chair and stations port and starboard. Bashir moved to leave as Ro explained,
" We are ending night shift rotation sir Commander Savvik ordered all crew to rest ahead of our mission. As I will be leading the mission from Kobol, I'm keeping an eye on things while getting our preparations complete. We have beamed down most of the equipment we will need and brought the first shuttle down, the second is being loaded with some last minute supplies and personell."
"Crewman Fredericks as well I presume." Kirk noted. Ro nodded. He turned to Fredericks. "Ensign Blake is on her way up, and I understand Commander Saavik and Lieutenant Hansen have just returned. I'll take the helm crewman, why don't you take one last look around your quarters for anything you'll need."
"Thank you sir." Fredericks said as she rose to leave. Kirk stood by the chair looking around.
"Lieutenant Kim has been busy I see." He noted.
"We've repositioned tactical and weapons to here." Ro gestured to the double station, "Mogh and Yar can more effectively operate from here, the port side station is science, starboard is for operations, and obviously- she nodded at the chair placed beside the Captain's chair and the console attached. Kirk nodded.
"Are you ready for your mission, Lieutenant Commander?" Kirk asked. Ro nodded. "I don't intend to be long, Laren." He said putting an arm on her shoulder, " But if something should go wrong, I know our people are in good hands."
"Thank you sir." She said.
"Now get out of here, make your final preparations. we shove off in two hours." he told her.
"Aye sir." she said. She turned to go.
Kirk stood alone on the bridge, he looked at the consoles quietly beeping around him, waiting for their crew to wake them up. He turned to the view screen, which showed the crescent of Kobol, the trio of Colonial Battlestars in formation before Monroe, and beyond that...
"Space." He murmured, "The final frontier."
.*.*.
"Good morning Cadet. I hear you are my new intern, I'd like to see you in uniform."
Ash paused mid bite as she wolfed down her breakfast sandwich, seated in the crew lounge. Suddenly concious of her sweatpants and oversized t shirt she kowered the sandwich. Bellamy, in hi security armor slowly turned towards the two men that had approached them and raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, we're glad you are joining starfleet, you ready to start the day?" The man continued quickly. "when your duty shift begins ?"
She took in the sight of the youth beside him and the cybernetic implants evident atop his not quite human features. Nearly flustered beyond recovery the man made a final try,
"Look, I'm Ensign Kim, and this is Icheb."
"Lieutenant." The young man said, almoat offended. Harry looked around for a moment and then sheepish. "You are a Lieutenant, sir, I am an Ensign." Icheb clarified. Kim sighed.
"I'm Lieutenant Kim." He corrected, still struggling gamely, "This is Ensign Icheb, Crewman Blake ." He nodded at Bellamy, "And you are of course Cadet Ash Echo, we will be working together later today."
"Where I will be in uniform, and not my pajamas." Echo said dryly. "Yes sir."
"You've got an hour and a half to go, I told you, you should wear it whenever you leave your quarters." Bellamy said. "The Commander was pulling red alerts five times a day two weeks ago just to keep us on our toes. You want to fight off a Klingon boarding party in a hoodie?"
"I had no access to clothing for the first 25 years of my life, and I just slept for several thousand, okay, it threw off my schedule.." Ash hissed, "I'll kick the shit out of a klingon in my bathrobe if I have to."
"Why would a klingon be wearing her bathrobe?" Icheb asked Kim. Kim groaned as Bellany snickered and Echo gave the borg an incredulous look.
"So much for first impressions." He groused, "We practiced this Icheb, we're the senior officers, we have to look cool, confident." He shook his head. "To be honest, after over a decade as an Ensign I still haven't quite gotten used to the promotion."
"Don't sweat it sir, I'm a little old for a cadet but I can still follow orders, and theres a lot left for me to learn. I'm still even getting used to aliens." Echo replied, "and robots, and everything else on this ship." She glanced at Bellamy, at the bar beside her, "Is that offensive? Is it okay to say that?"
"It is not offensive to me." Icheb replied, "from my perspective, you are the aliens." Kim laughed, a little too loud and clapped Icheb on the back.
"Well that's our Borg for you." He said chuckling, "They like to assimilate others, but they don't like to assimilate themselves." Icheb looked at him oddly, as did Echo and Bellamy, and Harry began to withdraw.
"Right, well I just thought I would introduce myself-"
"Thank you." Echo said, she raised a mug, "You want a coffee?"
"God no." Harry said shuddering, "But I'd love an orange juice."
He sat down and as it was the end seat at the bar, Icheb moved to sit next to Bellamy.
"May I?" He asked politely. Bellamy had just taken a fork full of food but nodded encouragement. "I heard there was a security incident at the brig earlier yesterday, I am glad to see you have recovered."
"Yeah." Bellamy said between mouthfuls, "The guy was suddenly right there in my face and crazy, never been hit that hard before."
"As I have no doubt you are aware, he possesses considerably enhanced strength." Icheb replied, "and was further stimulated by subsonic signals." Icheb looked at Bellamy. "Khan and his followers have been transported to the Cylon Colony ship, and the individual responsible for provoking him has been transferred to the planet below, it is in today's security update."
"Good riddance." Bellamy said. "What's that you are drinking?"
"It is a nutrient base composed of processed fruits and vegetables." Icheb told Bellamy, "My stomach is not able to handle completely unprocessed food and I have not had adequate time to construct and adequate regeneration chamber."
"It's a called a smoothie." Harry said helpfully from the other end of the bar. "I'd be happy to help you with that regeneration chamber as soon as we're done Icheb."
"Thank you, but I will be joining the team on the surface with Naomi" Icheb said. "During our detention by Lore, we were only provided a minimal power tap for our needs, hence the deterioration of my organic systems. I wish to live as.. naturally.. as possible for a while."
"I think I've had enough nature for a life time." Bellamy said, he gestured with his food to Echo, "When we were in those caves on the Hirogen world we went weeks just living on these bat things? When a hunter finally did find our camp and we took care of him, I thought Octavia was going to-" he stopped and frowned. "You know... yum lizard..."
Harry looked a little green.
"Consuming sentient life forms is strictly forbidden by Federation law. and by most documented civilizations. " Icheb observed.
"Yeah… we won't mention he said that." Echo said squeezing Bellamy's arm. "And I'd recommend never bringing it up in front od Octavia."
"Am I missing something here? Harry asked, "what's the joke."
"It's not really a joke." Echo said, looking at him appraisingly. "We've just been through a lot of dark stuff."
Harry frowned, then said.
"I hear that,"
Bellamy looked at him, and Harry said, "I was on that ship for years. Before that, my first assignment, on the starship Voyager, half the crew died in the first few days and we found ourselves stranded across the galaxy facing a decades long journey back." he put his face in both hands for a moment and then ran them through his hair. "Good people. We went through a lot. Over the years we really became a crew and we started to think we'd make it, until one day we just.. Wandered into the wrong part of space." Echo and bellamy were listening. "It was a year of hell, they killed us one by one, they hunted us, wore down our defenses, exhausted our resources, scattered us across space, and when it was all but over, we met Lore. he looked up at them, passion smouldering underneath. "It was all a game to him, he flips a switch and, "Harry made a dismissive gesture, "Alters our fate. On board his ship, it got worse, the Captain and I became extraneous, 'time duplicates" right? Lore tortured us, used us as his play things and whats more," he tapped the table, "He did it to us again, and again, other versions of us, other versions of Voyager, other federation ships, in timelines where things played out differently. He used to play a game with varoants of captain Janeway, starve them for weeks and then have me bring her coffee with different by things in it, poison, acid, part of a changeling..." Icheb out a hand on Kim's arm, and the Lieutenant reigned himself in, stopping to take a drink. Icheb spoke up in his place.
Ash discreteley pushed her coffee away. Bellamy collected both of theirs, and dropped them into a reclamation tray on the other side of the bar. Ash went to the replicator on the other side and began to program it. Icheb spoke up,
"Most of the duplicates did not survive, Lore was sampling the survivors of different timelines looking for knowledge, attributes and capabilities that would help him achieve his objectives. Though we were fellow survivors, we were strangers to each other, wearing familiar faces." He gave a sympathetic nod to Lieutenant Kim. Harry set his glass down and spoke.
"So, in a way, from my perspective, all of you could be strangers and aliens, at least in terms of the timeline." he said, he shrugged helplessly, "I mean you're not even from my reality, right?" his expression hardened, "That's what Lore was doing, he's an android and he's broken, he simulates human emotion, but theres a coldness." He looked at Icheb, and Icheb nodded.
"But Starfleet taught me better than that. Every time Lore tried to get me to torture someone else I found a way out. Swapped the cups, spilled them by accident, I even managed to let it slip that there was acid and she used it to short out the security field. There's a Janeway out there somewhere, that I managed to save. I was punished a few times but it was worth it. Lore wanted me to see people the way he did, as play things, but I see all of you as shipmates. I see the potential of our working together, the value of earning trust." he gestured to the comm badge, "Infinite diversity, in infinite combination, as the vulcans say, we are stronger together."
"I'll drink to that." Bellamy said. he raised a glass of organge juice Ash brought over. "And to never giving up. If there's one thing I've learned it's that even in the darkest of places you meet people that will one day mean the world to you." He looked at Echo, "From the ashes we will rise." She caught his look and nodded.
. *. * .
"We were able to confirm the presence of low level transmissions among the hosts, and it is most likely compatible with the network the Cylons refer to as 'projection'.'" Annika reported to Saavik, as they rode the turbolift. "We have only begun an initial analysis, but Icheb has identified a number of ways it could be accessed."
"So it is possible to disable the hosts, should Mr. Lee's proposed changes present a danger." Saavik replied, "Yet does it also not suggest that such modifications can be made without our approval as well." She considered, "We will need to monitor such activity closely. In the past such duties may have fallen under those of a communications, or computer science officer."
"If I may make a recommendation." Lieutenant Hansen said as the turbolift arrived, "Ensign Icheb could likely accomplish such monitoring with the aid of Crewman Lutz as a subdivision under Lieutenant Yar."
"A logical proposal, however Ensign Icheb will be transferrinfg to the surface with Ms. Wildman. While the surface may be a better location, I am reluctant to attempt any modifications to the hosts unless the Monroe is nearby to offer support." Saavik replied as they strode onto the bridge. "Captain?" As she took in the scene she spotted Kirk.
"I've just returned." Kirk said as explanation, "Admiral Adama and Major Shaw found other transportation, so we returned directly.." he stepped around the helm where Octavia and Castille were stationed, Saavik noted that Reyes was seated at the new engineering station examining scans of a ship that was docking with the Vesta in one of its cavernous landing bays. "Expect one additional person to accompany Commander Marcus and her team in their shuttle, and we'll need to do security and medical scans on the crew of the ship that followed me out of the wormhole." Saavik nodded at that. She gestured at Seven to take the Science station as she approached Kirk. An idea seemed to occur to him and he told, "And ask Doctor Dehner to offer a full evaluation to each of them, I think that will be within her role as ship's psychiatrist." Saavik raised an eye brow. Kirk grinned at her.
"A lot happened over there." he said
"A lot happened over here." Saavik told him, "Captain we have transferred Khan and his party to the Cylon Colony, following a significant security incident and we have transferred Kurros to an outpost on Kobol for his complicity. Lieutenant Yar is compiling a full report on our investigation." Kirk nodded.
"Yes Lieutenant Ro briefed me." Kirk replied. "She'll be taking on a special assignment involving that ship, it's a little better suited to what you were planning and it's former Captain has agreed to loan it to us." He pointed to the vessel now exiting the Galactica, "I'll fill you in, momentarily, right now-" He took a breath, "I've got an offer to make." He paused, "We still have a number of unassigned individuals recovered from Lore's ship aboard?" Saavik nodded but said,
"The individual identified as Kara Thrace seems to have disappeared. We have not been able to locate her."
"Starbuck Sir?" Raven asked looking up from her scans. Kirk and Saavik turned, "I don't believe she is with us any more. She was just passing through."
"Indeed?" Saavik raised an eye brow as Kirk seemed to accept it.
"Let's say a little bird told her." Kirk advised. "The other refugees, I'll want to meet with them before we get underway." Louder, Kirk ordered "Address Intercraft." Castille nodded confirmation from ops and Kirk began his address.
"This is the Captain. As you all know, we have recently engaged an individual identifying himself as Emperor Lore. This individual engaged in hostile actions against this ship, it's crew and it's allies."
. *. *.
On the forward viewscreen Bashir paused what he was doing and Lore leaned forward. Admiral Chekov was pulled unceremoniously forward from his crouched position by the leash on his neck, and clawed feebly at it.
"Well that's horseshit, they weren't even allies until I introduced myself and I seem to recall their ships attacking me first." He snarled.
"..First by compromising our communications systems, accessing our computers and agitating a very tense situation…"
"Ok I suppose that's fair." Lore said amused to the gasping Chekov.
"Lore then targeted the Battlestar Pegasus and the survivors of his earlier attack, with our away team still on site."
"Well how was I to know they were fiddling around down there." Lore asked plaintively, "Honestly am I really the bad guy here?"
"Prior to our arrival, Lore precipitated an attack on the Pegasus expeditionary group that cost thousands of colonial lives." Kirk said soberly.
Chekov looked at Lore expectantly. Lore looked exhasparated and studied his fingernails.
"It is for these reasons, and following our interviews with detainees recovered from the Emperor's ship that we have become aware, that Emperor Lore has been playing god, with the timeline of this universe."
"Well… a minor diety at most." Lore said modestly. His audience was unamused.
"I intend to take this ship to intercept Lore and any allies he might have." Kirk declared, "I intend to intervene."
"*I intend to intervene'" Lore said mockingly, Chekov was not impressed.
. *. *.
Samantha Marcus stood beside Maltz in Main Engineering, several pieces of equipment loaded into an anti grav unit with Maltz making adjustments to one,
but Naomi Wildman placed a hand on his forearm and he stopped to listen as well.
"I've been to the wormhole." Kirk informed them, " In our universe, the Bajoran temple, in this one, the Opera House of the Gods."
. *. *.
Bellamy and Delos paused with an anti grav pallet in front of a cargo transporter while Harry Kim, PADD in hand and Ash, wearing a crisp new Cadet''s uniform, stood listening, by the operations console.
"There I encountered a starfleet Captain who has been here befoe. A Captain from our native universe."
. *. *.
Antaak and Mogh rested their heads against one another outside Sickbay for a moment before parting. Antaak entered the lab as the address continued and found Levitt and Icheb with Rasmussen, Felix and Ducane. They had paused from their respective projects. Levitt handed Antaak a PADD and she began to look it over.
"All of us came to this moment, at the end of our respective journeys." Kirk said, "We've suffered tragedy and hardship, we've overcome barriers and disasters, but we've lost dear friends, comrades, along the way. We've all come a long way to be… here."
. *. *.
In the Monroe's crew lounge, William Adama embraced Zac, and pulled Tamara in as well. Doctor Graystone watched while Major Shaw and an older man watched.
"As the memories of those absent friends wander on, through our memories, we must look to each other, and look to our purpose."
Nearby, Lee glanced at a table with Sylvester and Angela and shook his head but looked up in surprise as Charlotte Hale served him a shot. She raised hers and bemused he picked it up.
"Many of you aboard the Monroe are here because you had nowhere else to go."
. *. *.
Lieutenant Commander Ro Laren familiarized herself with the controls of the new ship, while La'as and Lara began to unload the supplies newly arrived from the Monroe off of it's small transporter pad.
"I hope you have found a home on Monroe." Kirk told them, "I home you find companions among its crew, but right now, that home is at risk and it's crew is given to purpose."
. *. *.
Kirk looked around the bridge. Saavik, Yar, Castille, all career Starfleet. Lieutenant Hansen an unusual officer, to say the least, and Reyes and Blake just beginning their service. As Mogh stepped on the bridge to take his station beside Yar, Kirk reflected on the crew he found himself comnanding today
. *. *.
"Yes, yes get on with it." Lore waved his hand irritably. "Let's get this show underway already, the sooner you confront me the sooner I can end your miserable exist-"
"We have erected Temporal shielding around the Monroe, and the ships of the Colonial Fleet, to protect us from further changes to the time line." Kirk announced,
"Damn I'll have to swat more flies." Lore grumbled.
"Now this also isolates us. It sets us alone. Any changes that Emperor Lore makes to this timeline and this universe will not affect us and so there is a cost. At the completion of this mission, the universe we have only just begun to understand may change further still. To that end, Our Cylon allies have installed similar shielding around the Athena installation itself, and their colony. A detachment of colonial warriors researchers and scientists will join a similar entourage of Cylon specialists on the surface as a protection against temporal incursions that might erase the existence of humanity itself."
"Shit." Lore said. Chekov's eyes glittered. "What you find this funny?"
"I do." Chekov told Lore with savage glee, "Because for all your torment you've never broken me and even now as you hope to glean some insight from me to use against James T Kirk, I know that you will fail. He has already beaten you. He is already shielded a pocket of humanity against your depraved machinations. Your calculations will be forever incomplete."
Lore looked at the human distastefully.
"You know you're really old." He said as he cuffed the elderly man. "Really fragile. Maybe I'll take a trip around the Sun a few times just to pick up a younger fresher version of you that might be a little more fun."
"Is there a problem though?" The Cylon empress asked, "does this development affect your calculations?"
"No." Lore said, "I've already sent some of my other resources to Kobol. Their temporal shielding is no match for a more traditional means of extermination, perhaps they will make adequate prey. Rest assured my dear I have everything well in hand."
.*.*
"Anyone on board who does not wish to take this next journey with us, who fears the possibility of harm to self, or more likely the loss of more comrades, we have prepared quarters for you on the A.T.H.E.N.A. installation." Kirk concluded, "Should we prevail we will return for you as able, and in the meantime Admiral Adama has secured citizenship in the 12 colonies for any who wish it." The turbo lift opened and the man he had met in the wormhole exited with two others. "Regardless of where you are, know this." He looked at Octavia, "We are one crew. We didn't ask to be gathered together like this. We've been attacked, hunted, imprisoned, used, and it's time we stood together. We will aid those who need it, we will prevail againat
those who wish us harm, we will regain our footing and we will start putting things right, Kirk out." He looked up at the man.
""The survivors are in your sickbay Captain." Spoke the man, at the sound of his voice Castille turned, "These two wanted to meet you."
"Jack is that you?" he said half turned, "My god you were barely a lieutenant, is that a Ju'Day class ship out there?"
"I'm afraid I'm not the man you knew," said the man named Jack, "But there was a Castille in my universe too, he was a good man." He gestured, "That's a Condor class actually, she's called the Saratoga." he frowned, "But she's been ill-used."
"Picard is dead, and good riddance." A man by the turbo lift declared, "And good riddance. Captain Sisko was a good man."
"This is Reginald Barclay," Jack told Kirk, "and Deanna Troi, the only survivors of Picard's original crew, they joined with us, and helped us retake the ship."
"Captain Crusher said you were here." Said Troi, she moved forward. "And he said you're the other one, the other Kirk that started the rebellion all those years ago."
"You made the Terran empire fall." Barclay said, "condemnned humanity to ruin."
"And freed many others from their tyranny." Troi told him sharply. Barclay acknowledged her with a nod.
"Including the woman I love." He told her solemnly. He looked up at Kirk. "We heard something of your speech on the way up, very inspiring."
"We want to join up." Troi said, "The others, they.. they won't be up for it, but I grew up in space and Reg served on the Excelsior, before she went down, and we know what it's like to live on a starship."
"And we want nothing to do with that ship, any more." Reginald said bitterly. Kirk eyed him carefully.
"Get yourselves down to sick bay." he ordered, and then looked around the bridge once again, "Let's get to work."