Time was up!  The USS Advance had sent its final warning; now one or move vessels were being sent to seize the Raven-class corvette and probably arrest the six individuals onboard.

Lieutenant Devron and Doctor Andrianakis had informed the rest of the crew of their desperate plan and now the young Greek woman sat in the Captain’s chair, her eyes focused on a map of space; now on the view screen.  Devron crouched in front, holding her right hand in both of his.  He’d warned everyone about what they were going to attempt, and how potential dangerous it could be; if it actually worked at all.

“You can still back out.” Jason said to her softly.

“I know.” Phoebe leaned forward and kissed him.  “Don’t let go.”

On the few occasions the doctor had used her powers, things had basically just happened.  In fact at first she hadn’t even realized she’d manipulated events; putting things down to just pure luck.  Now she was attempting to control her thoughts; to jump the USS Jaxartes past the blockade and hopefully close to the planet Elas.  She tried to picture the planet, focusing her gaze at its location on the main view screen.

The first thing she noticed was a tingle in her fingers and a blurring of her vision.  Jason must have noticed something was the matter, because he asked her how she was; only his voice sounded distant and distorted.  The next time he spoke, it was much slower.

“Aaaarrrreeee   yyyyoooouuuu   ssssuuuurrrreeee?

The bridge moved, not in a normal way and not in unison; as if the ship if not the whole of space was being distorted around her.  Andrianakis could see the figures of other people moving about the bridge; crew members, but many of them she didn’t recognise.  They faded in and out of existence; going about their duties as they normally did.  One moment a Bajoran male with dark skin was seated at the Tactical station looking right at her; only it wasn’t really her he was looking at, or talking to, but the person sitting in the Captains seat at the time.  The Bajoran was replaced the next moment by an Andorian female dressed in an older style uniform.  Phoebe didn’t know enough about the history of Starfleet uniforms to have an idea of what point in history it was from.  Jason, dressed as an Ensign appeared next.  How different he looked, so young, fresh faced and full of nervous enthusiasm.  These past twelve months had changed him; changed them all in fact.  Equally those sitting at the helm kept changing.  Stuart, Harris and several others all had taken their turn piloting this ship.  Phoebe felt a dull ache in her left eye, looked down she could see a woman’s hands, but they weren’t her own; and this woman was holding a book.  A real genuine made of paper physical book!  Before she was able to focus on what the words on the pages before her said:  the book disappeared to be replaced by a Padd being held by an older male.  She recognised them as being the hands of Commander Salan.  There was a small ‘V’ shaped scare just below the thumb joint of the Vulcans left hand.  Her view shifted to the Science station.  Ensign C’Rren the young Caitian was there then a Bajoran female Lieutenant; that was Laira Bolka; who was hopefully still alive, being held by Helgeshran and those under his control.  Next a bald headed man with a goatee; he wore another old style uniform; mostly black with grey across the shoulders and upper chest.  Only the small visible part of an undershirt which was blue, gave any indication of what department he worked for.  He was swiftly followed by a Vulcan woman; the doctor felt a shiver as she looked into the Vulcan females eyes.  There was sense that something had happened to this woman.

Andrianakis could only assume she was witnessing random events from the history of the USS Jaxartes as seen through the eyes of whoever had been sitting in the captain’s chair, as they’d unfolded.  Whether all these events had been in the past or any of them indicated something that was going to take place in the future, she couldn’t tell.  None of them would remain in her vision long enough for her to get a full understanding of what was happening; and although many of them spoke, the words were distorted; making it impossible to understand what was being said.

Even the main view screen was changing to reflect different events that had taken place.  A cargo vessel, Klingon Bird-of-Prey, a Ferengi shuttle, at least four different planets; they all came into focus them faded away as a new image took their place.

Blackness enveloped her and the doctor felt another shiver.  She was no longer on the bridge of the Jaxartes; or at least technical her mind wasn’t.  Phoebe could still sense the touch of Jason’s hands, anchoring her to one point in reality.  But where was she?

A figure approached or rather it came into existence, as if nothing existed beyond a few metres and the figure of a man was forming as each part of the body entered the threshold.  Commander Salan stopped, just beyond arm’s length.

“Why are you here?” The Vulcan officer asked.

“Where is here?” Andrianakis looked around waking her arms, still unable to see anything other than the Commander and total darkness.

“You’re in my mind.”  Salan answered.  “But then you’ve been here before haven’t you?”

The doctor looked down at her hands.  “You were trying to kill me, I had to defend myself.”

“Who or possibly what are you?” Salan asked.  “No human possesses the sort of abilities you’re demonstrating.”

“I used to think I knew who I was.” The doctor told him solemnly.  “But now I’m not entirely sure.”

“That doesn’t really explain your presence in my mind.”

“I need your help and was trying to find a way of reaching you.”

“You do know I’m dying?” The way the Vulcan spoke was as if he was apologising for the fact.

Phoebe was shocked; was that why it was so cold and dark?  Was it too late to save the Commander?  She was afraid to ask the next question, but needed to know.  “How long?”

“That I can’t answer, I’ve been poisoned and may have seconds, minutes; certainly not much longer than that.”

“I wanted you to help me control my emotions and focus the powers I’ve been give.”  The Greek woman felt a stray tear run down her cheek.

A small low table appeared to one side of them, illuminated by a source of light from above that had no visible origin.  In the middle of the table sat a single lit candle, on a curved metal candle holder.  Either side of the table a pair of cushions.  Phoebe wasn’t entirely sure if it was her mind creating these objects or that of the Vulcan.  He gestured for her to kneel at the table on one of the cushions whilst he knelt on the other.

“Then let us begin with the first lesson.”

Time had no meaning; the lesson flowed one after the other.   She made mistakes, became frustrated and angry with the universe, she hurled abuse at the Continuum for giving her these powers and the responsibility for using them.  Every time the doctor felt like giving up; Salan was there to calm her and refocus her mind to try again.  With each lesson and each successful outcome, she became stronger and more confident.  Soon she was viewing the Universe in way’s she would never have thought possible.  From tiny atoms to mighty planets, it was all there before her.

Phoebe felt someone touch her right hand, and the cascade of images fell away; bringing her back to the present.  “You can still back out.” Jason said to her softly.  This wasn’t him repeating himself; this was the very same moment she’d been a part of.  All those images, the countless lessons whilst in the mind of the Vulcan Commander: time hadn’t actually passed; in fact it had jumped back a few seconds.  Doctor Andrianakis had been basically, everywhere all at once; at least as far as the long history of the vessel was concerned.  The USS Jaxartes had certainly had some brave crews in her time.

“Sir, you’re not going to believe this, but we’re orbiting the planet Elas!” Ensign Harris’s shocked voice announced.

“I can confirm, we are in a stable orbit above the planet.” Lieutenant Stuart. “How I haven’t a clue.”

Jason jumped up and gave Phoebe a big kiss on the lips.  “You’re wonderful; did anyone ever tell you that?  You did it and without the Commanders help.”

The Commander!  Her eyes flashed with panic as reality came crashing in.  “He’s on the planet, co-ordinates 202.7 – 079.1.  We need to beam him up quick.”

**********

Doctor de Havilland sat back against the door, studying the unknown Vulcan who lay next to him.  Everywhere seemed strangely silent; he couldn’t hear the mob outside or anything else, save for his own heavy breathing and the pounding of his heart.  Then came the distinctive noise of a transporter beam and the accompanying light which enveloped the Vulcans body and whisked him away; leave the doctor behind.