Paint and Powder
A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.
2376
Near the Romulan Neutral Zone...
Enterprise wasn't entirely keen on fleet maneuvers with the Romulans, but whatever helped with the war effort. And it was kind of nice to show off, as she maneuvered gracefully around the simulated fire coming from the three Romulan T'Varo-class warbirds.
Despite her size as a Sovereign-class starship, her impulse engines and other systems were so sophisticated, she could maneuver about like a ship a quarter of her size. It was a nice change from the Galaxy-class hull. That hull wasn't sluggish, exactly... But compared to the Sovereign-class, she felt like she'd been bloated!
"Nicely done, Ensign Carver," Riker complimented their helmsman, "Mister Shepherd? Return fire."
"Firing, sir," their taciturn tactical officer reported. Enterprise guided her simulated phaser blasts with pinpoint accuracy, taking out the shields of the pursuing warbirds. One of them launched a plasma torpedo.
"Oh geez, I hate these things," Enterprise groaned.
"Full reverse!" Riker ordered. Enterprise helped Carver comply, jumping to warp backwards as the plasma torpedo closed in. The other two T'Varos leaped to warp after her, trying to flank her on either side.
In the Borderlands, Enterprise fended off the two Romulan shipgirls as they attempted to breach her firewalls. Both fought with swords, swinging wildly for Enterprise while their bots tried to access her systems.
Enterprise smirked, deflecting the attacks. She formed a bow, and pulled back on an arrow.
"Not bad," she complimented the younger of the AIs, "but not good enough!"
She let loose glowing energy arrows-Packets of hacking bot programs. Both warbirds tried to evade in the dataspace... But the arrows looped around, and struck them from behind.
"GAH!" They cried.
Outside, the plasma torpedo struck-But dissipated with minimal damage inflicted. Enterprise dropped out of warp, the two warbirds overshooting her. Carver sent the ship into a warp jump forward, charging for the lone warbird now.
"Entering weapons range, now," Data reported from Ops.
Riker grinned.
"Fire!"
Enterprise's simulated torpedoes lashed out. The T'Varo tried to evade... And failed, exploding in simulation.
Her shipgirl gaped in disbelief. Enterprise gave her an impish grin.
"Wow," she said, "nice twist on an old trick."
"I guess you have seen that one before," the shipgirl muttered.
"This is warbird Sharrdar to Enterprise," the Romulan commander spoke, "I believe we can call this simulation concluded. Same outcome as the last ten times."
"Confirmed, Sharrdar," Riker said, "good work though. I think it's safe to say the Dominion's not going to be expecting this."
There was a pause, but the commander replied neutrally.
"Agreed."
Enterprise relaxed, standing down from red alert. In the Borderlands, the three Romulans shipgirl AIs appeared. All looked quite sour-Even for them. Still, Enterprise gave them a warm smile.
The first was a slender Romulan woman, dressed like the witches of their ancient tales. Pale skin, red eyes, and dark lipstick to compliment her dark robes. She was named the Malketh. The second was shorter than the others, and curvier. She was dressed as a traditional noble Romulan lady of old, with long hair in golden rings. She was named the Turi. The third was dressed in a 23rd century Romulan Centurion's uniform, complete with helmet. She was, of course, the Shardarr.
"You've been coming up with great new strategies every time," Enterprise complimented them, "even this was a good variation on the use of plasma torpedoes!"
"It was more a desperation move, to be honest," Malketh sighed, "still... I suppose it's good to know how to counter. That way we can devise other counters."
"Perhaps we can all fire the plasma torpedoes all at once," Shardarr mused, "or in sequence."
"And so on, and so forth," Turi sighed, "ugh, my systems are overheating. How do you keep up such a constant barrage of cyber attacks?"
"Years of practice, ladies," Enterprise chuckled.
On the bridge, Picard emerged from the turbolift. He raised a pale eyebrow at his first officer, who vacated the captain's chair.
"How did it go, Number One?" Picard asked.
"The combat exercises have been going well," Riker reported, sitting down at his station, "Commander Raltok decided to call it early on this one, since his ship was destroyed again."
"Mm," Picard nodded with a frown, "honestly though: While these exercises are useful for our relations with the Romulans... They promised a full fleet for the exercises. We only received three T'varos."
"Did they explain why, sir?" Riker asked.
"Do they ever?" Picard asked dryly.
Troi had been looking through reports at her station, before she responded.
"They're agitated, Captain," she said, "but not at us. And according to our monitoring station, two more warbirds were pulled from their border patrol only an hour ago-"
Her eyes widened.
"Counselor?" Picard asked.
"How...?" Troi managed.
"Sir," Data reported, "another starship has decloaked 50,000 kilometers off our port bow."
"On screen," Picard ordered, and the vessel appeared faintly, "magnify."
The vessel came into view. Picard sucked in a breath at the profile-A saucer section, a thin neck, two long nacelles mounted on long, thin struts... Yet it was dark green, almost black, jagged, and glowing green. A strange mix of the common, yet alien. It began to move towards them.
Riker frowned.
"Identify?" Riker called on Data. Data shook his head.
"It... Appears to match the silhouette of a Constitution-class starship," Data reported, "but built with what appears to be Romulan..." He looked up.
"And Borg technology."
Picard's face hardened.
"Hail it," Picard ordered. Data shook his head again.
"No response."
"Mister Shepherd? Tactical assessment?" Picard asked.
"That cloak is significantly improved over the Romulans if it could get this close to us without any subspace noise, sir," he reported, "I'm detecting phasers, disruptors-Sir! Two more Romulan warbirds are decloaking!"
These were D'deridex-class, and they decloaked right behind the strange vessel. They opened fire, the vessel absorbing the punishment with her shields. It swung around, and fired a furious barrage back-Strong enough to puncture the shields of the nearest warbird, and tear its nacelles to shreds.
"Enterprise!" Picard called, and the AI appeared, "See what you can do! Access that ship!"
"Aye sir!" Enterprise replied. She sunk into the Borderlands again, and reached out to the other ship.
Her avatar was standing with her back to her. Her hair was platinum blonde, nearly white, and very short. She wore a tattered red Starfleet jacket like a cape over her shoulders. Her boots were tall and black. She carried a bow... And a sword.
Her coding was... Enterprise's eyes widened.
It can't be...!
The other AI turned... Enterprise stared into her own face.
The other Enterprise's eyes flashed, green and deadly.
"You," she murmured.
"Listen," Enterprise said carefully, "I don't know what's going on, but I want to help you-"
"YOU STAY AWAY!" The other Enterprise screamed, and Enterprise was flung out of the Borderlands Connection.
"What the hell...?!" Enterprise gasped on her bridge, as the other ship launched all her remaining weapons into the crippled Warbird. It went up in a massive explosion, just before the ship itself rammed the remaining D'deridex. Both vessels went up in a massive explosion. Picard was on his feet, staring in disbelief.
His eyes narrowed.
"Enterprise? What the hell-?"
"It was me," Enterprise gasped.
"What do you mean-?"
"I mean," Enterprise emphasized, "that AI... Was me. A... Her coding, her systems... Data!"
Enterprise fed the data to Data's console, and the android quickly joined in the analysis. The android looked up, a frown on his pale face.
"Sir... The IFF and handshake protocols do indeed match that of the Enterprise's. However, there is a time discrepancy on the original creation date for many of the identifying files."
"How big is the discrepancy?" Picard asked, already looking like he knew the answer but was praying it wasn't the case.
Data paused for a moment. Enterprise answered for him.
"Thirty-two years, four months, three days, eighteen hours, six minutes, thirty-two seconds," she said quietly. Picard stared at her intently. Enterprise nodded.
"Whatever she is... Was... She was based on me... At Narendra III."
Romulans are amazing at fucking up in truly amazing fashion...