Author's Notes: The best source of ideas for Trek episodes has always come from fans. During the time when TNG, VOY, DS9, and ENT were on the air, I regularly heard stories about fans mailing in ideas and even whole scripts. Fan participation is an amazing part of the inspiration that continues to be Gene Roddenberry's smash all-time hit. It is also what drove me to write these stories. However, during the time I was posting Chapters for "Eternal Soul", a reader named "The Old Man" posted a review expressing disappointement regarding the fate of Captain Hernandez and the Columbia during its crash in the Gamma Quadrant. He had been hoping that things would have turned out much differently, rather than "dead ending" so suddenly. So I sincerely encourage everyone - not just "The Old Man" - to read this Chapter and decide whether ANY storyline in "Star Trek" ever truly dead ends.

Thanks "Old Man"! I hope you and everyone else continues to read and review!

SoT

Star Trek: Reign Of Terror

Chapter X: The Menagerie, Part 2

Star cluster 112, Preserver Council of the Elders, 5.2 million years in the future

Like his colleague from past, Commander Frank Roberts was also a Data-Class android from the 29th century, and the individual who had actually deposed the infamous Sentinel and eventually defeated his dark plans to destroy all sentient life in the Milky Way. Supported by James T. Kirk, Jean Luc Picard, and Charles "Trip" Tucker - precision duplicates of the original living beings created with Preserver technology - Roberts was also the current head of the Federation delegation serving the very powerful Preserver Council of Elders. As with other Data-type androids, Roberts possessed an internal emotion chip designed to 'stimulate' his positronic personality. Surprisingly, the electronic 'feelings' generated by that device had initially driven his ambition relentlessly. After his unanticipated arrival from the past into a future more than five million years distant, it was perfectly understandable that a rapid shift to so different a career path would not be easy. However, Roberts had long since forgiven himself for going through an understandable adjustment period and focused his attention on more important matters.

Even though his android abilities far surpassed those of his human allies, Roberts had not 'felt' completely comfortable in his new role for many months. Fortunately, the combined command and administrative experience of Kirk and Picard had provided him with the support needed to successfully endure the rapid transition required as he assumed his new responsibilities. Roberts had also spoken with Charles 'Trip' Tucker on numerous occasions, relying on the former NX-01 engineer's 'down to Earth' nature and overall common sense for valuable insight. As Roberts gradually settled into his new duties as leader of the Federation representatives, he had actually grown comfortable enough with his new role to begin thinking of his original assignment under Captain Raphael Snyder aboard the Timeship U.S.S. Hillyer as his 'old career'. It was only after his friend Captain Data contacted him using the subspace network that Roberts had once again begun thinking about his career that might have been.

James Kirk entered the common area in the small living facility currently in use by the former members of Starfleet. Their living arrangements had originally been temporary, but since there were only four of them the half dozen bedrooms and main living area had proven to be sufficient for their needs. Kirk replicated himself a hot cup of coffee, noticing that Roberts was busy studying data related to the items listed on the agenda for the next Council meeting. "How are things progressing?" he asked curiously. "Do you need any help with your preparations, Commander?"

Roberts glanced up with an amused, android smirk very similar to Data's. "Everything is fine Captain," he replied politely. "And if I understand matters correctly, it is you and Captain Picard who have run into more than a little difficulty of late."

"Both Picard and I knew that this mission would present a tough challenge," acknowledged Kirk unapologetically, his usual self confidence fully present. "We're making progress, even if it's gradual progress." He sighed heavily and smiled. "By now we had been hoping that the trainees we've been teaching would themselves be ready to assume the role of trainer. But none of them are sufficiently prepared so far... our techniques are still somewhat strange to them." He chuckled, sipping at his coffee. "With more than five million years separating our society from theirs, I guess I would have been surprised if we didn't run into at least some cultural conflict."

"The Preservers have a long history of offering their assistance to anyone who needs it... in any universe and at any point in time." Roberts set down the electronic dataset that he had been reading from and regarded Kirk thoughtfully. "The ambition of this culture's leadership is unmatched by any I have ever encountered previously. Only after the unsuccessful incident with the Sentinel did they finally begin to admit to themselves that their resources and personnel were finite... that they needed to slow down."

"Our Federation delegation is so small, which really hasn't helped matters," admitted Kirk. "That's one of the reasons why I myself have become concerned. Jean-Luc is one of the hardest working people I've ever met, but the strain on him has begun to show. Unlike you, we are vulnerable, biological beings and our ability to contribute is also... finite."

"I will mention your situation at the next Council meeting," promised Roberts. "You deserve a reasonable work schedule along with adequate support staff. It is quite possible that additional personnel can be rotated away from other projects and reassigned to assist you."

Kirk seated himself in one of the common area's comfortable chairs and leaned back. "That would deprive someone else of the help they need, and a shortage of help is not the entire problem," he said in one of his rare moments of complete candor. "Captain Picard and I are not exactly youngsters any longer... we're both beginning to get somewhat older and more than a little grayer."

"Do not underestimate yourself or Jean-Luc Picard," suggested Roberts. "I could never have successfully introduced a permanent Federation delegation to the Council of Elders without the help provided by the two of you. The diplomatic experience that each of you possesses is unique and unmatched by a majority of humanoids."

The Commander seemed hesitant to broach the topic, so Kirk decided to speak up and ask. "Have you heard anything new from Captain Data regarding his latest problem?"

Roberts paused, his neural net once again flooded with thoughts of the 29th century and the unknown temporal incursions currently being monitored there. "Not since I transmitted our holographic database files and mobile emitter schematics to him," he admitted. "That was more than two days ago. This situation has been a tough experience for me... realizing that Starfleet's past - our past - is long since over and done with. And yet, with one simple connection to that subspace network, I can contact and interact with Captain Data in real time... as easily as if he were sitting here in this room."

"The Nexus technology that was used to create real, sentient life forms like Picard and me is now a proven one," Kirk mused. "You could theoretically replicate everyone who fought with us against the Sentinel and send them back to help. It would be just as easy as your duplication of Trip Tucker."

If Roberts had been human he would have laughed heartily... even so his emotion chip tempted him to chuckle. "The mission for Captain Data on this occasion follows parameters similar to those enforced during the battle against the Sentinel," he stated bluntly. "He is working to resolve a temporal crisis without damaging the timeline." He shook his head negatively. "An army of duplicates sent into the past would only cause more problems for Starfleet than currently exist there."

"You could still create the duplicates," pointed out Kirk. "Keep them here to assist Captain Picard and me with our teaching projects. "Trip has already been a big help to us... as would the combined skill set of all those representatives from Starfleet. Janeway and Sisko alone would instantly double our arsenal of experienced Starfleet Captains, and if we included Jonathan Archer..."

"The creation of Commander Tucker was one of the more... 'emotionally' inspired decisions that I rushed into upon first arriving here," Roberts responded. "Like Captain Data, I too have internal, detailed memories from previous android ancestors. However, my actual, practical experience in service to Starfleet is significantly less than his. Therefore I am much more susceptible than he is to the subtle influences of an overly stimulated emotion chip." The android paused, mentally reviewing memories from the past at a speed incomprehensible to Kirk. "Having actually met Trip during our brief war against the Sentinel," he continued, "I grew to know him as a person and - knowing about his unfortunate fate on the NX-01 - I began to grasp the unbelievably colossal loss that his friends and colleagues must have felt in the aftermath of his premature death in the 22nd century. I wanted to find a way to keep him alive so that he could continue to contribute positively to this delicate universe we live in. Then the decision made perfect sense to me logically, but ethically..." The android trailed off abruptly, clearly still troubled by the situation. "Now I am unsure whether I acted properly."

"Our mortality is a distinctly uncomfortable subject for most humanoids to deal with emotionally," agreed Kirk. "I almost lost Spock - and other friends I served with - well before their time on many occasions." His expression darkened at the unpleasant memories. "And for a brief time I actually did lose Spock... and it felt..." He paused, remembering the experience vividly. "...it felt like the loss of a friend, of family... I can even recall astonishment upon suddenly realizing just how much experience and knowledge Spock's death took with him. It was like a library burning down, except that this loss was a dear and valued friend - not simply years of accumulated knowledge."

"You lost him for 'a brief time'?" The phrasing of the words clearly perplexed Roberts.

"Yes," Kirk continued. "A combination of luck, circumstance and pure determination on my part allowed me to bring him back from an early death. And something very similar has led you to breathe new life into Tucker. So you may have doubts about it Commander, but please remember that everything positive that his duplicate accomplishes here with us is because you refused to give him up."

Roberts picked up the portable, laptop-like computer dataset that allowed him to interface with the Preservers' main computer system and its various sentient computer personalities. "I would like to point out that holograms are also useful in this matter - especially since we have definitively proven that their behavior will virtually match that of the duplicated living being," he stated firmly. "And right now holograms are all that I am prepared to deal with, Captain. I don't need moral and ethical matters further complicating our interaction with the Council at this particular time - that would only add to the large number of obstacles that we must already overcome. I am afraid that you and Captain Picard will have to make do for now, until additional research and debate on this matter can be completed." The android raised the screen on his dataset and returned his attention to the report that he had been reading earlier.

"Good enough," acknowledged Kirk. "However, if Captain Data chooses not to check in, you may wish to connect to that network of yours and contact him. The four of us have gotten through some tough times in recent months - not to mention all of that business with the Sentinel - by working together. It might be good for Data to know that he has additional help here and available, even if all we can offer him is our advice. I think you should remind him that he is not alone during his crisis."

The laptop's screen was raised, but Roberts' eyes flicked upward over the top of its upper edge to meet Kirk's gaze firmly. "That is an excellent suggestion James Kirk," the Commander agreed. "I promise that I will check in with our colleague from the past if we do not hear anything further from him before the end of this day."

Gamma Quadrant Alternate Universe, Near the Yadera Star System, Stardate Unknown

The star shine streaming past the Yellowjacket's cockpit windows gradually slowed and transitioned to a normal view of space as the runabout dropped out of warp speed. Traveling at high impulse, the small vessel roared ahead on final approach toward the nearby Yaderan star system. Data remained in his usual seat at the helm while Chief O'Brien continued to man the co-pilot's chair. O'Brien was carefully watching the status readouts from the enhancement hardware that he and Data had earlier added to the Ops console. It wasn't a significantly large piece of equipment, but the newly installed device's importance was proving to be a crucial tool necessary to the successful completion of their mission.

"You do not have to watch the transit buffer so closely," observed the android Captain, feeling mild electronic amusement as his ancestor's memories of Chief O'Brien's meticulous nature briefly touched his neural net. "I assure you, the technology is both proven and reliable."

O'Brien simply shook his head. "I still can't believe we have over three thousand people suspended in transit," he admitted, continuing to watch the flashing green status indicators. "How much physical storage capacity did you need to accomplish this latest feat?"

"Not as much as you might think," replied Data cryptically. "Every time Starfleet software requires additional memory, its engineers have traditionally found new ways to build larger storage systems." It suddenly occurred to the Captain that - once again - the Deep Space Nine specialist was learning way too much about the future. "Do not ask too many questions Chief," he reminded O'Brien. "Remember our situation please."

"I can't help it!" gloated O'Brien, clearly amazed. "It's my job to create things like this, for crying out loud. This situation is exactly like me asking Molly to guard a candy shop... she would be in heaven!" Chuckling to himself, he examined the transit buffer's simple connection to an input port on the side of the Ops console. "How long will it take before the patterns in the buffer begin to degrade and we have no choice but to rematerialize our 'passengers'? Are we facing a deadline?"

As they visited, the android Captain continued to pilot the Yellowjacket farther inside the Yaderan star system. The runabout passed by a massive, ringed gas giant with swirling clouds of dark purple and lavender - at least a dozen various sized moons were clearly visible orbiting it. The ship's course continued carrying it directly toward the solar system's lone M-Class planet. "Theoretically there will be no pattern degradation of any kind so long as the unit retains power," stated Data informatively. "And I hesitate to brag, but the quantum singularity at the heart of this vessel's engine core is capable of supplying an uninterrupted, steady flow of power indefinitely... theoretically the singularity can exist in nature forever unless our scientists choose to dismantle it using the same quantum mechanics that were applied to ignite it."

"Now you're doing the same thing!" O'Brien said with enthusiasm. "I may be asking too many questions, but you're the one who is answering them... and doing a serious bit of boasting while you do so, I might add."

Data swiveled slightly in his seat and cast a wary, defensive glance at the Chief. "I am not bragging," he protested. "I am merely providing you with a general analysis of this ship's power source to ease your fears about the safety of the people we are holding suspended in transport."

O'Brien continued watching the transport buffer with extreme interest. "How many people did you say were in there again?"

"We beamed aboard 3,257 life forms," responded Data helpfully. "That total includes Captain Hernandez, the other seventy-two surviving members of her crew, and everyone with a quantum flux in their RNA matching an equivalent pattern sample from our universe. Except for the Columbia crew complement, all of the other life forms were originally abducted from our own universe. We are taking them home with us so they can resume their normal lives. That should correct all major changes to the timeline caused by their premature disappearance."

"What about this particular star system... Yadera?"

"Yadera Prime is one of the Gamma Quadrant worlds occupied by the Dominion in our own universe," continued Data. "Despite the dangers of a Jem'Hadar reprisal, the citizens of this world granted refugee status to Captain Hernandez and her people, rescuing them from their crash site and allowing them to live out the rest of their lives." He was tempted to say more - especially about the Enterprise-E and its mission to return Columbia to the Alpha Quadrant. But that mission was still years away from taking place in O'Brien's time, and it would be inappropriate for Data to discuss those details. Instead of continuing the discussion, he briefly diverted his attention back to their approach toward the planet.

"This doesn't look like an inhabited planet," noted O'Brien, leaning down slightly so that he could peer upward through the cockpit windows at the massive, cloud covered Earth-like horizon hanging in front of them. He studied the normal orbital positions around Yadera Prime curiously and then checked the incoming sensor results. "There are no satellites, space stations of any kind, and no space-going vessels..." Preliminary sensor data began to crawl across his display screen and the Chief read it with disbelief. "Oh oh," he said with sudden, growing anxiety.

Three large, cloud covered continents were visible through the windows and each of them were filled with the usual, common variations in surface terrain and surrounded by salt water oceans. There were mountain ranges, massive fresh water lakes, and plenty of lowlands normally suitable for humanoid life. Unfortunately, a majority of the planet's surface area had been shelled from orbit at some point in its past. "Radiation levels are too high for humanoid life; plant and animal life in the oceans is almost non-existent," Data noted, also examining the newest incoming sensor telemetry. "Apparently, the war between the Dominion and the Zygopterrans - in this universe at least - has resulted in the total annihilation of the Yaderan people."

"This is where you were planning on bringing Hernandez and her crew?" O'Brien asked grimly.

"Affirmative. I had hoped that there would be a thriving society here similar to the Yaderan civilization in our own universe," Data admitted with a nod. "Logically, the proper place for the NX-02 crew from this alternate reality would be the same place that they took refuge in ours. Unfortunately it does not appear as though circumstances here in this version of the Gamma Quadrant are going to permit me to follow through with that plan. I will have to come up with another option."

"Bloody hell!" growled O'Brien irritably, unbuckling his seat's safety harness and moving back into the passenger section of the runabout. "Hey Julian... Captain Janeway... please get up here!" he requested urgently. "We have a major situation developing."

Bashir appeared almost immediately, and Data noticed Janeway silently follow him into the limited space behind the pair of cockpit seats a moment later. "What is it?" the Doctor asked curiously. His gaze drifted to the windows and he noticed massive, charred craters blown into the continent slowly rotating beneath them. "Good heavens," he gasped. "What happened here?"

"The Dominion, the Zygopterrans, someone else... does it matter?" O'Brien reseated himself and stared at the ruined planet beneath them. "Someone destroyed this world and all of the people living on it."

"But isn't that...?" Bashir's expression grew puzzled and he pointed toward the planet. "...isn't that where you had hoped to bring Captain Hernandez and the other survivors from Columbia?"

"Yes..." Data confessed, appearing for a moment as though he was going to say more. He paused for several seconds, giving O'Brien and Bashir time to think. For Data, the duration of his delay was time enough to evaluate hundreds of thousands of different contingencies. "Doctor, have you completed your evaluation of Captain Hernandez and her crew?" he asked after thoroughly evaluating the new situation. "Will the medical treatment you gave them allow those people to recover from the various forms of radiation that they were exposed to on the Zygopterran home world?"

Bashir didn't respond at first, and the expression on his face gave away his unfortunate conclusion. "I did everything I could think of," he admitted finally. "In fact, I've been sitting back there trying to come up with something else... something new or innovative," he gestured over his shoulder toward the runabout's central living area behind him. "Quite simply, Hernandez and her people were captives on that planet too long for me to do anything except slow the acceleration of the damage. They have permanent radiation poisoning at the cellular level, all of them. I'm afraid that traditional treatments will all be ineffective... it's only a matter of time now."

"How much time?" persisted Data emphatically.

The Doctor glanced down at the floor dejectedly. "Each of them will live a maximum of five years - perhaps ten." He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "The worst of their symptoms from the radiation field have been treated," he continued. "There is, however, no way to repair all of the cellular damage to their bodies and the resulting cancerous tumors... at least not without the additional help of technology way beyond anything currently available to me. Radiation sickness is just like any other medical condition - if it is allowed to progress too far, even the best medical facilities in the galaxy are useless."

"We could move back through their time," O'Brien suggested. "Rescue them from that planet earlier..."

Janeway had been listening to the entire conversation and she shook her head slowly. "No."

The Chief glanced back at her desperately. "But we could save them, Captain. We could..."

"We could interfere with their timeline and change their future as easily as our own," Janeway cautioned him. "I admire your compassionate nature Chief, but we have done all we can for those people simply by rescuing them from their captivity and getting them off of that planet."

"We have to at least try and find a decent home for them," insisted Bashir. "I'm the last person in the world to ever admit defeat unless I've exhausted every possible alternative, but we can't simply drop them off somewhere and callously go back to our own home. Even if those people only have a few years left to them, they deserve a chance to live out those years in a safe environment."

"Aren't we already impacting their timeline?" O'Brien wondered curiously. "I mean, we traveled across a doorway between universes and took those people away from the people who enslaved them. We have already changed events that will impact the future of this universe..."

"I would agree," Janeway nodded. "That is one of the reasons I have always hated temporal mechanics. Things can get complicated really, really quickly and historically most trips through time have had a tendency to escalate out of control - even under very carefully monitored conditions."

"You can't possibly hate temporal mechanics more than I do," declared O'Brien firmly.

"We have to stick to what works and what is simple," stated Data suddenly. Internally, his positronic mind was sifting through every bit of Starfleet history he possessed. Through the link he shared with the Janeway hologram, she too was able to monitor his thoughts and thereby allowed her to have a private conversation with him. Some might not have considered covert communication of that sort polite, but Data was already frustrated that O'Brien and Bashir had learned as much as they had. The android remained committed to preventing them from learning enough to destroy their own futures... and eventually his.

"What are you thinking Data?" asked Janeway curiously. She already knew, but was prompting him to include the other two rather than shut them out.

Data was focusing very specifically on the history he remembered from his own 'home' universe. Not too far in Deep Space Nine's future, Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E would travel to the Gamma Quadrant and raise Columbia from the surface of Benini Five. The mission objective would be to return the previously lost vessel to the Alpha Quadrant, but additional questions would be raised upon discovering evidence of the starship's passage through time as well as space. Data's original ancestor had still been serving under Captain Picard during that mission, so he remembered well those experiences from the 24th century and the subsequent away mission led by Commander Riker to Yadera Prime. There Riker and his colleagues had discovered the final resting place of Captain Hernandez and the surviving members of her crew.

Riker had returned with the bodies and described the Yaderan people as peace loving and extremely resentful of the Dominion presence on their world. Despite extreme risk to themselves, the Yaderans had offered food and shelter to Hernandez and her crew while protecting them from a Dominion presence that - at the time - knew nothing of humans. Tossed across time and space during Columbia's trip through the Vryke's wormholes, Hernandez and her people had crashed their starship on Benini Five, a planet half a galaxy away from home. Since the NX-02 had left its own time and emerged in Riker's recent past, he had clearly indicated in his log that he had hoped to find living survivors. His final report however, submitted to Captain Picard and then forwarded on to Starfleet Command, had stated very specifically that the survivors of the crash living on Yadera Prime had passed away extremely young, primarily due to...

"...radiation poisoning," said Data with complete and utter positronic astonishment. By android standards, he was completely overwhelmed with the sudden realization creeping into his thoughts. Despite his electronic 'excitement', he remembered to shield his next words from O'Brien and Bashir. He accessed his neural link with Janeway and quickly made use of it. In our history, the Columbia survivors on Yadera Prime die at a young age as a result of radiation poisioning. Supposedly they received a large dose of it during their brief visit to Questar while fighting to free their ship of alien influence. Their condition was reported to be a direct result of the leakage permitted by the lack of modern bubble shielding while in the vicinity of a large gravity well... injuries sustained due to the antiquated hull polarization process used in the 22nd century.

Janeway raised an eyebrow of surprise in response to his unspoken message. Some of this isn't sounding like a temporal incursion any longer, she responded. It's beginning to sound like these people rescued from this universe end up in ours - on our Yadera Prime. If that is indeed the case...

...then we are dealing with a classic 'pre-destination paradox', decided Data. We were apparently supposed to be here... supposed to travel to this universe and destined to rescue this particular NX-02 crew. That rescue appears to be a part of our own history, indicating that at least some of the Overseer's intrusions would be also. This is extremely enlightening and explains several unanswered questions that Commander Ducane and I have been researching.

Captain Janeway's expression remained somewhat stunned. But if this Captain Hernandez and her group of radiation damaged survivors end up on our Yadera Prime, then where the devil do the survivors from our own universe end up?

That is an excellent question Captain Janeway, decided Data. Unfortunately I do not have an answer for you at this time.

Less than a second had passed since Data had trailed off and initiated his private conversation with Janeway. "Radiation poisoning?" O'Brien repeated inquisitively. "What about it Data? What's going on here?" He glanced with puzzlement first to Janeway and then to Bashir.

The android turned and regarded the Chief thoughtfully. "There are various theories regarding parallel universes and how all of those alternate realities are connected." He paused just long enough to let the others digest his statement before continuing. "Some postulate that there is one 'original' reality and that all of the others are merely copies. Other hypotheses have indicated that each of the many thousands of alternate realities we have proven to exist are - in essence - a completely functional alternate reality. Each is a unique and individual universe much like our own... where some things are similar and others substantially different."

"I've been to one of them," Bashir reminded all of them. "Two now, actually. And trust me, they are real enough. I almost died during my first crossing."

"The differences have historically been extremely difficult to study," continued Data. "For example, how do we know that an entire universe surrounds this Gamma Quadrant? Perhaps only a part of our own reality has been replicated here. Such a concept is doubtful, but an entire scientific study would have to be conducted first in order to determine whether or not my theory is accurate or simply nonsense."

"There must be significant differences," insisted Janeway. "Even if there is too many of them to study, we can tell a lot by observation alone." She waved a hand in the direction of the cockpit windows. "If many of those alternate realities are so similar to our own, then where were all of the other Yellowjackets while we were exploring the Zygopterran home world? We were there for over half a day and no one else showed up through any of those other portals."

"Time may run more slowly or more quickly in many of them," Data offered in terms of an explanation. "Or the Overseer has already successfully dealt with opposition from them. We have confirmed that he is not breaching their subspace boundaries all at once."

"Without proof, those theories are as useless as your first theory about a partial universe," Janeway shrugged doubtfully.

"I'm getting a headache," decided Bashir.

"So what do we do?" O'Brien asked Captain Data curiously. "What is our next step?"

Data responded by turning the Yellowjacket away from the planet and applying enough impulse thrust to accelerate rapidly away from the destroyed world. "We are leaving," he announced to his three colleagues. "We are going back to the Zygopterran home world where I plan to use their gateway system to leave this universe and return to our own. And make no mistake... we are bringing everyone - including the NX-02 survivors from this reality - along with us."

Seconds later, the runabout accelerated back into warp.

Gamma Quadrant, Yadera Prime, Stardate 42723.1:

(Approximately Ten years before discovery of the Bajoran Celestial Temple)

Tharrien, the Executive Administrator to the Chief Appellate of Yadera Prime, was an elderly female with the first beginning streaks of gray. She wore her long hair up... in a tight twisting bun at the back of her head along with a trio of decorative spikes poked through it in a unique, simple feminine display that was very popular within her gender. Other females passing by wore their hair similarly, although some chose to display considerably more of the lancets piercing their bundled hair. The men preferred a variety of stylish hats, and - like her - all of them were very proud of the long traditions their culture had embraced. Pulling the traditional, soft white robe of her uniform tighter around her, she clutched the large, polished brown prayer beads encircling her right wrist tightly while braving the chill, evening air and nonchalantly returned to her small home near the edge of Caylen... the capital city. The sun was still bright but no longer overhead, rapidly descending toward the distant horizon. It would soon be nightfall.

The Administrator had lived in Caylen her entire life, and since her parents had also devoted a lifetime of service to government, it had not been at all surprising to anyone when Tharrien chose the same career path. It was quite probable that she would soon ascend to Chief Appellate, their world's highest position of authority. The current leader of their people was extremely old and wracked by massive political dilemmas and the stress and anxiety that accompanied them. The ongoing presence of occupying Dominion forces continued to be a severe burden on her people, and everyone expected him to step aside soon... perhaps within two or three seasons. Simple necessities of living such as food and fresh water were always scarce, especially in the larger towns and cities. Nevertheless her people and their leaders had pressed onward with their lives, determined to keep the very vibrant Yaderan culture alive. They passed on their traditions and values to their young children, committed to preserving their way of life for the future - especially the day when the hated Dominion would finally be gone.

Sighing heavily, Tharrien stood silently for a moment, deep in thought. She was grateful that the day's work in the Capitol was finally finished and that she had a few brief hours to spend by herself. Fatigued from an earlier, seemingly endless Parliamentary debate, she opened the cooling unit in her kitchen and removed enough food for a small, simple evening meal. There was also a pitcher of cold, fresh water inside and she poured herself a glass and drank thirstily. Her thoughts remained fully focused on the problems plaguing her people - most of them caused by the brutal, intimidating Jem'Hadar soldiers who remained on Yadera without permission. She continued sipping at the cold water as she began cooking, lost in deep thought, on this particular night when her entire world changed in the space of a heartbeat.

She was familiar with transporter technology, having witnessed the Jem'Hadar making use of it on numerous occasions. Still, the sight of the bright emerald transporter beam caught her completely by surprise. An odd-looking humanoid with pale golden skin and yellow eyes appeared in the center of her living room as the sparkling green energy rapidly dissipated. The alien was wearing an unfamiliar gold and black uniform, and he attempted to smile reassuringly at her. After decades of working with people, Tharrien was an expert at reading expressions and she was instantly certain that this particular person was not used to displaying emotion... especially the positive kind.

"Greetings," said the newcomer somewhat awkwardly, sounding much friendlier than she would expect from an unannounced intruder. "My name is Data."

"What is this, some sort of ridiculous joke?" asked Tharrien, her expression solemn. "Perhaps you aren't aware of this simple fact, but the Jem'Hadar can detect unauthorized transporter beams. I have a lot of hard work to do if I am to continue helping my people, so please leave immediately. I don't care who you are, and after the day I just had your beaming into my home without permission and bringing enemy soldiers to my doorstep is not an event I am looking forward to."

Data moved closer to her, causing Tharrien to take a cautious step backward. The android held up both hands so that she could plainly see that he was unarmed. "I am here because I am badly in need your assistance, Administrator Tharrien," Data stated sincerely. "However, before you can help me we both need to take a short trip."

The woman looked at him with concern and not fright, clearly uncertain what to think. "Why?"

"Because I do not have much time, and if I do not escalate matters you would never believe me," Data told her honestly. "This is a much more efficient method of demonstrating to you just who I am and why I have come seeking your help."

"What is?" Tharrien was clearly growing upset, and mere seconds away from calling the authorities.

"Are you listening Commander?" Data asked.

"Yes," crackled Ducane's familiar voice from the Comm-badge attached to Data's tunic. "We've locked onto both you and the Administator."

"Then by all means... please energize," suggested Data, continuing to smile in a manner that was most unlike him.

"You can't just..." Tharrien began to say, but the rest of her sentence was lost as both she and Data vanished in a sparkling swirl of green and golden transporter energy...

...and promptly rematerialized on the time-displacement transporter platform located in the upper, starboard corner of the Relativity's bridge. Tharrien's eyes widened, at first fearful and then calming noticeably as she scanned the sophisticated design of the Timeship's command center and the obvious efficiency of the on-duty personnel. None of them reacted as though anything at all was out of the ordinary, and the Yaderan Administrator found herself briefly overwhelmed by the sight of it all. Thomas Ducane waited patiently next to a bank of brightly lit status consoles, and he too was smiling warmly in an effort to put their newest guest at ease.

"Welcome to the U.S.S. Relativity, five hundred years into what will be your future," Data said informatively. He cast a satisfied gaze in Ducane's direction, clearly grateful the Commaner had managed to move the Timeship into the Gamma Quadrant so swiftly.

The elderly politician from Yadera Prime said nothing at first, continuing to admire the sleek, modern design of the starship bridge. She placed her hands firmly on the safety railing bordering the upper walkway and - completely fascinated - studied the intricate map of interweaving lines clearly visible on the large viewscreen below. Lt. Jess Ingram and two other crewmen were working there, busily analyzing the constantly fluctuating flow of time. "You are correct," Tharrien concluded, exhaling softly. "I would never have believed you unless I saw this for myself."

The android reached out casually with his left hand and waved politely in Ducane's direction. "This is Commander Thomas Ducane, my First Officer. He will take you to a conference room and fill you in on the details of our mission and describe in detail just exactly what it is we do here," Data promised. "The Commander will also answer as many of your questions as he can, and after that the two of us will speak further regarding the help I requested from you."

"You need my help?" Tharrien gasped with astonishment, continuing to study the sleek, streamlined bridge's astonishing display of sophisticated technology. "I would think that with this ship and its crew, you would be capable of acquiring anything you want to."

"All actions have consequences," replied Data with conviction. "The things that we choose not to do with this Timeship are as important as the actions we do take. Please, Administrator... allow my First Officer to brief you on the basics of our mission objectives."

"All right," the Yaderan Administrator stated decisively and with a confident nod. "But I have one question for you first, Data. My people are in dire need of assistance due to the Dominion threat that we face each and every day. Please level with me - will my cooperation in this matter help them?"

The command she held over her expression gave away virtually no emotion, something that Data found himself admiring. "Not directly. However, whether or not you choose to cooperate I can guarantee that your planet and its population will be completely free of the Dominion forces occupying it in less than twenty years," he replied truthfully. "There is a brighter future ahead for your people, even though they aren't aware of that yet."

"Then by all means, let us proceed Commander Ducane," announced Tharrien, obviously satisfied and even somewhat enthused by his response.

Ducane courteously ushered the Administrator into the bridge turbolift and the two of them swiftly vanished behind its closing doors. Lt. Ingram watched them leave and then ascended the small flight of stairs leading upward from the lower, portside so that she could speak privately with her Captain. "I take it this isn't a casual visit," she decided dryly.

"No, it most certainly is not," confirmed Data. "I located a report written by an alien scientist on the Preserver network, and am in the process of utilizing my neural link to download additional, specific details regarding the Overseer into the Relativity's main computer. If even a portion of what is contained in that electronic document is true, our entire way of life is in extreme jeopardy."

A wry smile crossed Ingram's attractive features. "Just another day at the office," she replied casually, handing him a data padd with specific temporal details listed in order of importance. "From what we've been able to determine here, you and your allies are faced with an extremely complex mixture of temporal incursions and at least two or more pre-destination paradoxes. Did you know that our history files actually contain a record of this Overseer incident? An unknown alien entity matching its modus operandi is clearly documented as having attacked Deep Space Nine less than two weeks after your initial arrival in the past."

Data swiftly analyzed the information listed on the padd. "I am aware of the incident you are referring to," he acknowledged. "It is one of the reasons why I personally wanted to go back and spend time on the station among the people living there... to evaluate matters firsthand. For some odd reason, Commander Sisko neglected to include specifics in his report describing that attack. Additionally, somehow it appears as though many of the station's sensor logs were mysteriously deleted as well. According to the Commander's official station log, significant quantities of an unknown radiation generated by the alien entity disrupted most of their key systems. He lists that as the most probable cause of the missing data."

Ingram chuckled lightly as she listened.

"What?" Data asked innocently.

"Missing data? Certainly you of all people can recognize your own design in all of that," she told him bluntly. "I think it's quite probable that you and Sisko will agree on that specific resolution to this crisis... wiping away all the evidence once the shooting stops to further protect the timeline."

"Are you complimenting me or making fun of my efforts to preserve history?" Data asked, clearly puzzled. "It is difficult to tell with you sometimes Lieutenant... your personality is extremely diverse."

"It's a little of both, actually," Ingram admitted with light laughter before her expression once again turned serious. "Captain, this Overseer is really dangerous... it appears to be disrupting time and space, but at a specific real-time point in both."

"I concur," agreed the android Captain. "Its existence is located primarily outside of space/time, and whenever it enters a universe the results of its incursions are completely unpredictable. Some of them disrupt the normal flow of time or other local physical laws, while others appear to be completely harmless. The creature experiments and manipulates objects and life forms within each until it obtains what it craves the most - gravitons. It has gotten extremely efficient at what it does." He returned the data padd to her, a slight frown crossing his features. "I will be in Sickbay, Lieutenant, speaking with our Doctor about current treatments available for long-term Berthold radiation poisoning. Please contact me as soon as the Commander finishes debriefing Tharrien."

Ingram watched him enter the turbolift with a concerned smile. "Aye, aye Captain."

Several hours later both Data and Tharrien met once again on the bridge of the Relativity. The Yaderan Administrator appeared significantly more relaxed - a stark contrast from the woman who had been caught completely by surprise during her initial, unexpected abduction. The experience had been similar with O'Brien, Bashir and then finally Sisko. And yet the experience that Captain Data and his crew had acquired during their battle against the Sentinel was clearly showing this time around. They too were much more at ease and able to focus on their jobs. Ducane and Ingram were trained professionals now, passing on their experience to the fresh-faced crewmembers who were constantly receiving assignments to serve aboard the well-known Timeship.

"All right Captain Data," said Tharrien clearly an authoritatively. "What can a humble servant of the Yaderan government do that will help a Timeship commander?"

"I need three favors," responded Data, holding up his fingers for emphasis. "The first is that you grant sanctuary to seventy-three humans that I will transport into your city. And do not worry, your earlier fears about our transporter technology are unwarranted... even the Dominion cannot detect us."

"Only seventy-three?" The Administrator seemed perplexed. "I had expected something major was in the works, based on your decision to bring me into your loop on all of this... this." She waved a hand toward all of the Starfleet personnel manning the fully operational Relativity bridge.

"Something major is unfolding around us," insisted Ducane. "These people crossed into the Gamma Quadrant by accident and must be shielded from the Dominion. History shows that they lived out the remainder of their shortened lives in peace on your planet, and if they do not do so then both your future and mine could change for the worse."

Tharrien nodded respectfully. "I will speak with a man named Polius upon my return. He is the head of the ministers in Caylen city's religious order and has covert access to the members of our underground." She noticed Ingram's obvious interest at her statement. "The Jem'Hadar are extremely ruthless in their pursuit of any who resist them," she offered in terms of an explanation. "Therefore we regularly have to smuggle many of our people - along with their loved ones - into a new life. If we didn't take such drastic measures, those who are branded criminals by the Dominion would be tortured and eventually killed." Her determined gaze shifted almost immediately back to Data. "Now then... what else would you ask of me?"

The android Timeship Captain handed her a data padd. "There are schematics for a stone marker on this device," he informed her. "Once humans find a permanent doorway to your Gamma Quadrant - something that will occur much sooner than you think - I need you to place this at Columbia's crash site on the fifth planet of the Benini system. It is a marker that will eventually lead humans to your world, and you must place it near the bodies that you will find buried there."

Tharrien studied the schematic curiously, noting the familiar design of her own solar system etched into it. "My world is that close to the crash site of your missing starship?" she mused thoughtfully. "And what should we tell the humans from your Federation when they do show up... surely you don't want me to tell them the truth?"

Data reached out and tapped a key at the base of the data padd, pulling up a new file containing text summarizing William T. Riker's report of his conclusions after meeting with the Yaderan people. "The printed information will be my third request... you are to tell them this," he indicated, pointing to the text on the small device's display. "The words have been translated into Yaderan to make things easier for you."

There was a long pause as Tharrien took the time to read through the information Data had included for her. "I shall do as you ask," she promised firmly. "If the information Commander Ducane showed me regarding the Federation war against the Dominion is accurate, then it is obvious your people will pay a truly heavy price for our liberation. Which means this is truly the least that we can do in exchange for the freedom we crave so badly." She studied the android's blank expression carefully, attempting to size him up. "How do you know that you can trust me?" she asked with definite interest. "How can you be certain that I will keep your secret?"

Data responded by glancing toward Jessica Ingram. "We don't take unnecessary chances, Administrator. You are in the future, and history has already shown that we can trust you," grinned the Lieutenant, folding her arms confidently.

Tharrien tucked the data padd into a pocket deep in the folds of her white robe. "Then let's get on with this," she declared emphatically. "Return me to my home. You will accompany me, Captain, and once it grows dark I will take you to a location where it is safe to transport your seventy-three refugees." She glanced at him with an amused smile. "You can, I am hoping, return us to the same location and the precise moment we left?"

"Of course, Administrator," said Data with a distinct note of pride, waving graciously toward the transporter platform. "This is, after all, a Timeship."

Commander Ducane caught his Captain's arm before Data could follow Tharrien. "I'm still a little confused Captain, because clearly you're making some of this up as you go. Once you finish placing the refugees from the alternate universe with Tharrien in the Gamma Quadrant on our Yadera Prime... well, what happens after that?" he asked, clearly intrigued.

"The next step will be to take the Yellowjacket back to Benini Five so that I can rescue the surviving Columbia crewmen and women from our universe," the android responded, displaying a small, satisfied smile upon observing Ducane's reaction. "They are scheduled to crash only hours after I return, and the Enterprise mission found no trace of their prolonged presence on that planet."

The Commander remained skeptical. "And then?"

"And then I will evaluate the situation further and decide what to do next."

Ducane stood there, for a moment, mulling over Data's statement. He finally concluded that this was one of those rare occasions when he simply could not tell whether or not the android was joking.

True to her word, Tharrien met with Polius - head of her religious order - as soon as nighttime arrived in Caylen city. The two of them eventually led Data to a very large basement in an old Church, and the android Captain nodded with satisfaction as he surveyed the arrangements that had hastily been made. "This place of worship is in the midst of one of the poorer sections of the city," Polius informed Data. "The Jem'Hadar never come here... they are more interested in the areas of our world where there are politicians to intimidate or valuable resources to steal."

"This will do perfectly Polius," decided Tharrien gratefully. "There is plenty of room here and even more in the neighborhood homes surrounding us." She glanced expectantly toward Data. "Captain?"

The android touched his Comm-badge with a wry smile. "Chief O'Brien, please energize," he ordered.

"Aye sir. Stand by."

Seconds later people began appearing around them, a dozen at a time. Six successive bursts of swirling, emerald transporter energy rapidly filled the room with a large crowd. Immediately they began to talk amongst themselves hesitantly, in low voices filled with concern. Everyone grew quickly silent when one, final burst of sparkling energy materialized into the familiar form of Erika Hernandez. Many among the battered crew from the alternate universe's Columbia settled down immediately, obviously reassured by her presence. Their expressions of relief plainly demonstrated that their mistreatment had not been easy to endure over a prolonged period of time.

"Your crew is liberated... free of captivity and of slave labor Captain," Data informed Hernandez. "The Yaderan people will look after you and keep you protected, even though this planet itself is not completely safe."

"I don't know how to say thank you," Erika Hernandez replied with a wan smile. The skin on her face was wrinkled, fatigued and worn from countless days of slavery under the Overseer and from the large amounts of radiation present on the Zygopterran home world.

"A simple 'Thank you Captain' will be sufficient," suggested Data. "We are, after all, colleagues in Starfleet. Even if separated by time itself, it is our duty to look after one another."

"Thank you Captain," emphasized Hernandez, her emotions controlled as usual. Even so, she impulsively pulled the android close to her and hugged him tightly. "You have helped me salvage the dignity of the people under my command," she whispered softly in his ear. "My gratitude reaches far beyond what I can manage to put into words." She turned away from him then and looked toward the expectant faces of the NX-02 crew. "We are finally free!" she told them enthusiastically, and cheers of delight along with applause erupted suddenly from the newly gathered crowd. "The heavens have smiled upon us on this day, and we are free!"

Tharrien's commanding gaze met Data's. "I am assuming that the medicine in the kit you gave me will ease their pain and the other symptoms caused by the radiation that these people were exposed to?"

"It will," he confirmed softly. "They will resist after seeing the poor and down trodden living in this neighborhood, thinking it is medicine also needed by your people. However, the drug I gave you has been custom designed by my Doctor to treat their specific condition. If they do not accept it willingly, mix the proper dosage in with their food." Data bowed with deep respect. "You have my sincere gratitude, Administrator," he said. "My thanks to you and minister Polius for accepting these people - it probably sounds ironic, but I simply do not have the time to find them another home."

"Good journey to you Captain," replied Tharrien with a warm, confident smile.

Data's smile this time looked much more comfortable. Clearly the android was pleased with the situation, and he activated his neural link with the cloaked, orbiting Yellowjacket. He vanished in a blaze of green and gold transporter sparkle, leaving behind seventy-three very cheerful Starfleet crewmembers.

Gamma Quadrant, Near the Benini System, Stardate 42723.9:

(Approximately Ten years before discovery of the Bajoran Celestial Temple)

Floating freely in empty space, the four members of the Yellowjacket crew waited patiently. The runabout was hovering near the ghostly blue, flickering entrance to a subspace wormhole. Sensors continued to indicate that the gateway leading back to the outer edge of the Alpha Quadrant remained stable, so Data was content - for the moment - to simply lean back in his chair and observe history as it unfolded. During times when there were no temporal incursions to investigate, a meticulous study of Starfleet history was - after all - one of the Relativity's primary objectives.

"How long until they arrive?" asked O'Brien curiously.

Data glanced down briefly at the vessel's chronometer, which had been reset to match the current timeframe. "Less than three minutes now, Chief."

Behind them, Doctor Bashir was just as excited as O'Brien. "I still can't believe this," the Doctor grinned with obvious enthusiasm. "We've all read about the mysterious disappearance of Columbia, and yet I never would have believed that I would one day have an opportunity to actually see first hand what specifically happened to it."

The sensor console continued to chirp electronically as it monitored the emissions coming from inside the wormhole. "This is unlike anything I've ever seen," commented O'Brien idly. "The gravity on the other side of that tunnel must be astonishing to behold... even here the graviton count is off the charts."

"Questar M-17 is an interesting exception to the norm," Data agreed. "Whatever happened to cause the star's collapse took place many thousands of centuries ago, leaving behind only a massive, dead planetoid. The radius of that planetoid is a small fraction when compared to the original star, so the matter comprising its remnant is incredibly dense. That is the primary source of its immense gravity well, which is more than likely superseded only by that of a black hole."

"And that is where this Vryke creature lives?" asked the Janeway hologram.

"Yes," Data told her. "Eventually, your living counterpart and the crew of Voyager will defeat it, but not before the Vryke wreaks havoc on many worlds." He paused politely, his positronic mind busy evaluating a considerable amount of sensor telemetry. Abruptly the sensor indicators all began flashing bright red, and almost simultaneously a warning klaxon bleeped for attention.

"Something is coming through," grinned an elated O'Brien, glancing expectantly at Bashir. "This is history Julian... and it's unfolding right before our very eyes!"

The danger to the starship Columbia was far from over.

It took Sheila Wakefield several minutes to analyze the star alignment surrounding them as they exited from the Questar wormhole. Upon completion, the obviously rattled Lieutenant had informed them that they were in the Gamma Quadrant, over 85,000 light years from their previous location.

"You've got to be kidding me," Hernandez replied with a scowl. Reading the expression on Wakefield's face quickly changed her mind.

The Captain was left with little choice. Opening her communicator and contacting Lt. Andrews in the armory, she promptly ordered him to torpedo the exit point from the second sub-space rupture. Closing it gave them a reasonable chance at permanently trapping the Questar entity back in its long-term prison, and the current status of both Columbia and her surviving crew left her with very few alternatives.

Once the wormhole was closed, Hernandez returned her attention to the young science officer. "Find us an 'M' class planet or moon... the closer the better," she ordered. Wakefield nodded as the Captain moved to stand beside Lt. Matthews. "As soon as you have coordinates, take us to maximum warp... without escape pods, we're going to need a crash site."

Matthews nodded in acknowledgement. The sound of the warp engine had changed from a confident moan into a tortured howl. Thick white smoke was leaking from virtually every crevice in the metal plating that covered the core, and both Captain and the people around her knew that Columbia's chances of survival in space were decreasing by the minute. The sound of stressed, fatigued metal had not diminished despite the abrupt lack of gravity surrounding them upon their re-emergence into normal space... the damage to the starship's vital superstructure had already been done.

"They did a nice job with those photons," commented O'Brien. "The wormhole entrance was completely disrupted and has since collapsed completely. I'm also reasonably certain that the chain reaction carried all the way back to Questar." He double checked the sensor console. "In fact, I'm certain of it."

"Where is Columbia now?" asked Bashir with distinct interest.

"They're flying blind... probably stunned to find themselves so suddenly in the Gamma Quadrant."

"As with most Starfleet personnel, Captain Hernandez and her crew are quite adept at adapting to rapidly changing circumstances Chief," noted Data. "In a moment, their Science Officer will pinpoint Benini Five as the closest M-Class world, and history will happen just as it was meant to."

"Will it?" wondered Janeway. "We've just taken away Yadera Prime as their eventual place of refuge."

The android nodded, acknowledging her statement as a legitimate point. "I am convinced that at least a part of this crisis is in reality what we refer to as a 'pre-destination paradox'," he informed them. "That is, we were meant to be here, we were meant to battle the Overseer in order to protect our timeline, and we were meant to bring back the Columbia refugees from the alternate universe."

"How can you be so damned certain?" Bashir wondered skeptically. "If we made the wrong choice..."

"I am confident in my analysis, which is backed up by a report originally filed by Commander Riker from the Enterprise-E," Data told him, much more bluntly than he had intended to. The android evaluated the weight of his words and discovered that there was a distinct lack of certainty in the matter - something his positronic mind was unused to. His inability to locate additional evidence and remove all doubt was generating a great deal of electronic frustration and anger from his emotion chip.

"What did Commander Riker have to say?" asked Janeway, allowing the android to pause long enough to control the electronic stimulation in his neural net and regain his composure.

"In his report, Riker expressed extreme disappointment upon discovering that all of the refugees from Columbia had died young. Since their journey to the Gamma Quadrant also brought them forward through time, he had expected to find them alive and well... not long since dead from radiation poisoning. Bringing their remains home to the Alpha Quadrant was the only option left to him, and he reported fulfilling that duty with a great deal of sadness."

"So you're convinced that we were meant to be here on this mission, and that Riker and his team actually found the Starfleet crew we just beamed down to Yadera Prime?"

"I am," declared Data with conviction, watching Columbia leap back into warp as it altered course and moved toward the Benini star system. He accelerated the cloaked Yellowjacket to follow. "However, I am willing to acknowledge that tampering with history is an extremely dangerous and unpredictable business. That is why most intelligent species that possess the necessary technology choose instead to avoid time travel altogether."

"Sometimes you can't," Janeway noted irritably. "Sometimes it is just... unavoidable."

They continued to watch as Columbia reached the Benini star system and decelerated to sub-light velocity. Before their very eyes, the starship dropped precipitously into the atmosphere of the fifth planet and then descended completely beneath its cloud cover. The four of them watched the beleaguered starship on sensors the rest of the way down, until it finally crashed on the surface of the planet and came to a gradual stop. For several long moments no one said anything, and the Yellowjacket's cockpit was filled only with the sound of active sensors continually beeping in response to updated information. Data had slowed the runabout and matched the starship's course into the star system, and he swiftly entered the console commands that were necessary to assume a standard orbit over the Benini Five planet.

"We will give them until nightfall to recover from their experiences," the android announced. "Once they have settled down, we will enter the atmosphere and approach them." He paused, his mind filled with dozens of possibilities. "And then we shall see what can be done for these people."

Nearly five hours after Columbia crashed on the surface of Benini Five, Captain Erika Hernandez stood silently on a low hill watching smoke continue to drift high into the sky from residual fires that were still burning within the starship she had been so proud to command. Surrounding her, the seventy-two additional surviving members of her crew continued to work steadily, stacking supplies and setting up temporary shelters. The residual, late evening heat left over from the long desert day was fast beginning to cool, and before long Erika suspected that the surrounding environment would grow extremely cold as the planet moved even closer toward its night time. Already the dark orange rim of the sun was dipping below the horizon, and an eerie twilight covered the land.

Commander Andrew Strong, Columbia's Chief Engineer and personal friend, had died shortly after the crash. His last act had been as heroic as so many of his others - he had been one of the few who had chosen not to brace themselves, but instead had chosen to stick by the engineering console. At great risk to himself, he had diverted their remaining impulse power so that he could use it to preserve the starship's inertial damping and structural integrity fields until those precious last few seconds. By doing so, Strong had kept them all alive until injuries received from the violence of the impact had stopped him from continuing with his duties. He had been thrown across engineering into a bulkhead and suffered severe internal injuries... Dr. Petroyko had been left with no option other than to make him comfortable during his last moments.

Five others had died along with him, and the Captain had stood over all of their bodies for quite some time in silent prayer. Eleven of her people had now been added to the Vryke's growing list of victims, and Hernandez's thoughts continued to blaze with anger at the utter malevolence and hostility demonstrated by the strange entity. She was a kind and compassionate woman at heart, and that was why she was so angry... at the creature and at herself. Since assuming command of the NX-02, the Vryke was the only alien she had encountered that had made her want to kill. She hoped the creature was dead and that it would never bother anyone else again, but unfortunately the reality of the situation was that it quite probably had survived. According to their telemetry, it had simply dropped back into the gravity well at Questar to wait, another eternity if need be, until it was discovered again.

She watched Lt. Joshua Andrews, Ensign Henry Maxwell and Lt. Sheila Wakefield emerge from under the NX-02's port nacelle. To her each person's specific rank didn't matter any longer, since the Columbia looked to be a total loss. Without impulse engines the starship would never again attain orbit. Even worse, without the matter/anti-matter engine core they would never be able to travel faster than light and leave the solar system. The entire crew was trapped on a planet with a harsh desert environment and nearly one and a half times normal Earth gravity. Life for their foreseeable future looked to be difficult... many challenges lay ahead.

"We've finished burying them Captain," said Andrews with a great sadness in his eyes. "If you'd like to say a few words..."

"I've already said my good byes to them," replied the Captain, continuing to study the damaged hull of her starship in the fading daylight. "Each of them already knows what is here, in my heart." She clutched her hands close to her chest and turned to study his face. "And it's okay to call me Erika now Joshua," she told him. "If we're going to have to live on this damned purgatory that we've been banished to, I don't think we're going to need a 'by the book' approach any longer. What we are going to need is determination, and a lot of it."

Wakefield stood next to Andrews, leaning on a shovel with one arm as she wiped sweat from her forehead with the other. "How are the others?" she asked curiously. "Rivers and Biggs?"

Hernandez nodded and smiled. "They're all doing well," she replied gratefully. "Karyn is confident that we've gotten all of the bumps and bruises patched. Your two friends from engineering are going to be just fine, so why don't you three get something to eat and then help the others start fires. I have a feeling that it's going to get pretty cold out here tonight." She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders as the evening chill continued to strengthen noticeably with each passing minute.

They nodded and moved past her to join the others. Erika stood watching the internal fires within her starship continue to slowly burn down. Then she turned finally to join the rest of her crew as they continued their efforts to build temporary shelters using the emergency supplies that they had salvaged from Columbia. Together they all worked quickly and efficiently for several more hours, throughout the rest of the late evening and into the early morning of the next day. Once their breath began to mist noticeably, they tossed down their tools and seated themselves in front of their survival tents. Between blankets and campfires, they managed to keep themselves warm and the mood of everyone was surprisingly light. The survivors were quite obviously very grateful to be alive.

"With a little hard work, we'll be able to work with the 'B', 'C', and 'D' decks aboard Columbia and over time restructure them into permanent living quarters," suggested Lt. Andrews. He casually tossed a small piece of debris into the camp fire burning in front of him, listening to the snaps and pops from the burning wood. "I think they'll be too hot to use during the daytime, but they'll give us plenty of shelter during the cold nights ahead." He picked up a leg from the pile of wood they had made from broken furniture and studied it. "Where we're going to get a permanent supply of wood for fire, however... that remains to be seen."

"Long term survival out here is definitely out of the question," Wakefield agreed. "We're too exposed. And where we're going to find food on this rock - much less water - well, I'll believe there actually is some when we find it."

Hernandez smiled, tossing an MRE-pack across the fire. "One step at a time please," she said with a chuckle. "Since we have the time, I think we should consider redecorating the bridge too. Perhaps we can knock out the ceiling and turn it into a greenhouse... we definitely won't have a shortage of sunlight. That small garden in chef's mess hall is going to have to go a lot farther after today."

Andrews smiled at Wakefield. "We've got lots of drilling equipment that survived the crash," he told her. "If there's water anywhere in the vicinity we'll find it, not to mention underground soil for growing Chef's fresh tomatoes."

Henry Maxwell nodded enthusiastically. "I heard a couple of the engineers talking while they were getting their injuries treated," he grinned. "Petroyko was splinting an arm and the two of them were already arguing about how they're going to get at least one of the shuttle pods functioning again. So far, at least morale isn't a problem."

"A working shuttle pod would help matters considerably," acknowledged Hernandez. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I didn't exactly have time to sight see on the way down."

Wakefield laughed, and a few minutes later Dr. Karyn Petroyko joined them, bringing along a jug of water and several mugs. She poured everyone a cup and the surviving members of Columbia's command crew toasted their new future while chatting pleasantly for another half hour or so. Then they slowly retreated away from the fires and into the tents that they had set up, bedding down for the night and going to sleep. Since their handheld scanners revealed no life forms at all in the immediate vicinity, no one even considered the option of posting a guard.

Hernandez woke later in the night, uncertain as to just how much time had passed. At first she thought that someone next to her might have been snoring, but a faint rumbling was now identifiable in the far off distance, continuing to grow louder very quickly. She tossed aside the sleeping bag that she had covered herself with earlier and unzipped the entrance to her tent. Stepping out into the desert's night time, she noticed that the sunrise was still at least a few hours away. Except for the ring of portable emergency lighting they had rigged around the camp perimeter, the area beyond remained totally shrouded in pitch black darkness.

But there was the definite sound of an engine, up in the sky high above them, roaring very perceptibly as it rapidly closed in on their position from the South.

Erika reached back inside the tent, pausing just long enough to retrieve a phase pistol before walking farther toward the edge of the camp. Whatever was causing the sound passed by overhead very quickly leaving a behind only a dull, distant rumbling. Obviously its pilot was flying at a very high altitude somewhere in the planet's atmosphere. Whoever it was had not exceeded mach one, since the sound barrier had not been broken. Hernandez was still listening, trying to guess more precisely the object's speed and direction when a hand unexpectedly touched her shoulder.

"Damn!" she shouted angrily, flinching in startled surprise as Lt. Andrews appeared suddenly next to her. "Don't do that to me Joshua!" She shook her head grimly for a moment, her eyes blazing. Then she calmed herself and noted the expression on his face despite their dimmed, makeshift night lights. "You heard it too?"

"Yes," he replied as several more of the Columbia's crew began to emerge from their tents.

They paused for a few minutes, listening together as the sound of the roar gradually began to build in crescendo. Whatever had passed over them had obviously turned around and was on its way back toward them. The distinct beep of Joshua Andrews adjusting his phaser setting to stun caught Hernandez's attention.

"Friend or foe?" Erika asked with a sharp smile as they waited, their breath causing clouds of mist to appear in the camp lighting each time they exhaled. If the temperature hadn't dropped below zero degrees centigrade, then it was damn close.

"We're in the Gamma Quadrant," her tactical officer responded. "So who the hell knows what to expect while we're here..."

The approaching aircraft had dropped significantly lower, its altitude decreasing rapidly as the thundering sound of its engines continued to rise to the point where they had to shout to hear each other. Above them, a medium-sized shuttle of some sort appeared out of the darkness and floated slowly toward them, its primary engines cutting back suddenly and dropping the noise level back to normal. The strange, alien ship hovered above them, its small maneuvering thrusters hissing as it maintained position halfway between the wreck of Columbia and the tented camp they had built on a large hill beyond. Several of the crew had flashlights with them and pointed the beams upward, hoping to get a better look at the strange intruder that had awakened them during that difficult first night.

The alien shuttle had lights of its own, and several powerful beams focused downward, one of them aimed at the array of tents. The other focused first on the growing crowd of crew members and then moved to center on Captain Hernandez and Lt. Andrews. Both of them were standing farther out from the tents with their weapons held ready. Seconds later, an unexpected emerald glow appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the two command officers. The pair vanished in a blaze of glowing energy that lit up the night for several hundred yards in all directions. Lt. Wakefield was standing several steps behind them and witnessed the entire incident.

Just like that, the Captain and ship's tactical officer were gone.

Captain Data made certain that Janeway, O'Brien and Bashir were closest to the transporter pad when Erika Hernandez and Joshua Andrews materialized. He was fully aware that his gold skin and yellow eyes - the customary appearance of a traditional, Data-Class android - might startle even a trained tactical officer. The last thing he needed within the Yellowjacket's passenger cabin was phaser fire, especially considering that the refugees from the 22nd century were still probably on edge due to their recent adventures.

"Easy... take it easy...!" said Janeway sharply, holding up a hand as Andrews spun toward her. The Voyager Captain had moved in front of the others because she knew full well from years of experience with her own ship's Doctor that a phaser hit would have no effect on a holographic image.

"You're safe... we are also from Starfleet," Bashir told them reassuringly.

A brief silence ensued as both Hernandez and Andrews scanned the small runabout cabin and its crewmembers, sizing up their situation. Lt. Andrews continued to hold his phase pistol ready, just in case. "How can you be from Starfleet?" he snapped suspiciously. The Lieutenant was clearly doubtful and more than a little emotionally frayed after the earlier, non-stop events of his day.

"It's a very long story," O'Brien confessed. "But if you're patient and willing to listen, I think that we can help both you and the rest of your crew still stranded on that planet."

"You're humans, aren't you," said Hernandez, stepping forward and putting a hand on the side of the Chief's face. O'Brien found himself blushing a little and took a slight step backward from her. "Joshua, these people are humans... just like we are."

"Not exactly like you are," Data decided, stepping forward. "Some of us are quite different, in fact."

"Who are you?" snapped Andrews, still holding his weapon ready. "Someone from this quadrant?"

"My name is Captain Data," replied the android politely. "And I am very pleased to meet both of you..." He extended a hand of friendship toward Erika Hernandez. "My colleague is quite correct. If you are willing to listen to what we have to say, your situation should improve significantly."

"If it gets us off that damned planet, I'm willing to listen to anything at this point," Hernandez decided. "Joshua, please put down the weapon... they could have killed us down there, you know."

Slowly and cautiously, the Columbia Lieutenant obeyed. "All right, but don't blame me if they start experimenting on us," he said rather sarcastically.

Preserver star cluster 112, Council of the Elders, 5.2 million years in the future

Commander Frank Roberts returned to the common living area he shared with the other members of Starfleet to find Jean-Luc Picard and Charles "Trip" Tucker already present, sharing a private conversation. The pair smiled in welcome as the android entered the room and waved him over. "We were just talking about you," said Picard with a smile. "How was your Council meeting Commander? I trust things are going well."

"Things are progressing extremely well," Roberts announced. He studied Picard's features carefully and noticed that - although the Captain looked normal enough - Kirk had been right to point out that his older counterpart was beginning to show signs of fatigue adjusting to their busy life in the Preserver future. Jean-Luc Picard looked like a man who badly needed some time off, and Roberts remained determined to insure that his colleagues didn't burn out due to a massive work schedule. He badly needed their help, especially on a long term basis, if the Federation was to continue occupying one of the coveted seats on the Council of Elders.

"We're... well, we decided that we're done for the day," declared Trip with his usual, cheerful smile. "Our work isn't completed yet, but we decided that we needed some rest. Before he left, Captain Kirk called it 'taking some time to sharpen our saw'." The former NX-01 Commander shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. "I guess he figures you've got us in the woods somewhere, cutting down trees."

"Captain Kirk has an assignment very similar to Jean-Luc's duties," Roberts reminded Tucker. "However, they generally work on a rotating schedule so that we can maintain an around-the-clock approach. I visited with him several days ago, and he was quick to point out that the tasks assigned - from a human point of view - are proving to be quite taxing for the three of you."

"We're managing," said Picard confidently. "We think it as important as you do to maintain a permanent Federation presence here in the distant future. It's the best way I can think of to guarantee that someone like the Sentinel never gets another Council position."

"I had intended to request additional assistance from the Council," admitted Roberts. "In fact, I even promised Captain Kirk that I would add that item to my agenda for the meeting that has just concluded." He smiled mischievously at the two of them. "But the universe around us works in mysterious ways, and I ended up deciding not to submit that request."

Despite his earlier confidence and bluster, Picard's eyes widened with sudden surprise. "What?" he snapped sharply. "You had the opportunity to ask for additional manpower on this team and you chose not to do so? You may be an android, Commander Frank Roberts, but the rest of us... well, we're only humans you know..."

"I know," said Roberts pleasantly. "I chose not to submit the request because I finally heard from Captain Data. And I have what I hope will be an impressive surprise for all three of you."

Trip's expression was painted with suspicion. "Oh?" he asked curtly.

The android responded by activating his neural link with the Preserver network. He used it to locate Captain Data's identification code and accessed the subroutine that the Relativity commander had left 'waiting' for him. A complicated series of connections within the network located Captain Data in the distant past and linked the Preserver main computer in the future directly to him. As soon as a reliable connection was established, the subspace network's transporter system kicked in. As Picard and Trip Tucker watched in astonishment two people materialized in front of them inside a blaze of green and gold energy. Tucker's jaw dropped as he immediately recognized the female.

"Captain Hernandez," he gasped in shock. "How did you get here?"

Erika and her tactical officer quickly scanned the room, but her attention refocused almost immediately on Trip. "How did you get here?" she asked him, responding to his question with one of her own.

Tucker chuckled with mild amusement. "Now that isn't fair Captain. I asked you first."

"What is going on here?" asked Picard curiously. He had been reclining in one of the room's comfortable chairs, but he leaned forward and stood up immediately at the unexpected sight of the two newcomers.

"I have recruited additional delegates to assist us with our work here," announced Roberts boldly. "There are seventy-one additional Starfleet crewmen and women - originally from the 22nd century - waiting to transport through time and space and join us."

Picard was clearly dubious. "Why?"

"Because time has made them refugees, and they have no other place to go," Roberts informed him. "And because, as you have so bluntly pointed out Jean-Luc, we desperately need the assistance."

"Talk about your eye opening experiences," decided Trip with a grin and a disbelieving shake of his head. "This has to take the cake. If someone had told me earlier today that this evening would end on a happy note, I'd have called them a liar. But they didn't and it did anyway."

Eagerly, he went over to Captain Hernandez and hugged her, offering a warm welcome to the Columbia commander and her tactical officer. Then the five of them sat down and began to talk. Their conversation and exchange of stories lasted well into the early morning hours of the next day.

Frank Roberts left them for a brief time, making certain that living quarters were properly assigned and ready for all seventy-three of the newcomers. Then he personally verified that the rest of Erika Hernandez's people were safely transported into the future.

Amazingly, in one day the Federation delegation to the Council of the Elders had increased from four people to seventy-seven. Roberts re-initiated his link to the network one final time and left a brief text message for Captain Data. The next time the Relativity Captain decided to log in and check his trans-dimensional in-box, he would find two simple words waiting for him in a message from his friends living in the distant Preserver future...

Thank You.