“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.”

Revelation 20:11

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Captain.” Commander Kottu’s broad reptilian face was bisected by a smile that ranged from ear recess to ear recess as the hulking Executive Officer offered one of his massive two – fingered clawed hands and gently helped Monique McDowell into a sitting position from where she had awoken.

She was reposed on a Biobed in the Sickbay of the USS Astute. The relief she felt was more visceral than palpable.

“You’ve had quite the ordeal to hear Lieutenant Aslaine tell it, easy now.” The pink – hued Saurian’s big, black pupilless eyes blinked with concern, the nictating lids quickly sliding horizontally and back again.

Wincing with the effort, Captain Monique McDowell allowed herself to be settled into a sitting position and habitually run her hand through the mess that her afro had become. Getting singed by vengeful energy – creatures and being immersed in freezing sea water for hours on end had wrought a tale of damage that not even the most cocksure stylist would consider taking on without a sense of trepidation.

“Commander. I can’t tell you how genuinely glad I am to see you!” Monique smiled as she took in the scene around her, apart from the XO the only other occupants of the Echelon – class’s medical facility seemed to be the phlegmatic Dr Vorik and her erstwhile companion during that hectic flight from the destruction of Rig D31 & downing of the “Sounion”, Lieutenant Natalie Søgaard.

“Nat!”  Monique struggled to untangle her legs from the sheet and swing herself to standing, her first urge as Captain to confirm the status of her officer. Her legs, exhausted from her long ordeal cast – adrift in the turbulent seas of the planet below, had other ideas and she would have fully collapsed had Kottu not caught her in his strong grip.

Doctor Vorik inclined his head away from where he was running a medical diagnostic probe over the bruised head of the Astute’s recumbent and unconscious Head of Security and tutted when he saw the CO trying to escape her Biobed.

The Vulcan physician turned on his irksome heel and rounded on Monique with a look that brokered no quarter as he approached.

“Captain McDowell.”’ Vorik intoned without passion. “For a person who has just spent the last half – day experiencing all that hypothermia and exposure have to offer to the human body, you seem to be exhibiting a singular & profound lack of judgement for one so invested with the duty of level – headedness.” Dr Vorik challenged mildly and one of his eyebrows rose to meet the severe black fringe that framed his angular face.

Monique smiled thinly and pushed the physician’s admonishment aside. The Doctor’s job was to challenge the Captain when he thought she was overstepping a bound relating to all matters medical. Monique was from the school of mind that saw it as the Captain’s duty to ignore him.

“Nat, how is she?” McDowell persisted as she was helped over to where Søgaard was being treated, clinging to Kottu’s mighty arm and using her Number#1 as a mobility aid.

Seeing that his protestations were likely to continue to fall upon deaf ears, Vorik decided to employ his considered medical opinion in an avenue likely to elicit a more productive outcome.

“Like yourself, the Lieutenant was suffering from the effects of hypothermia brought on by prolonged exposure to the ocean – environment.” The fastidious Vulcan opened in a level tone. “In and of itself, these symptoms were relatively easy to treat and recovery should not present an undue challenge, should the patient follow medical advice and receive plenty of rest.” The Doctor said pointedly, letting the barbed comment sink in.

“We encountered an entity on the rig.” Monique frowned as she recalled the discovery of the dead aboard the Genodyne Systems rig and their encounter and hectic flight from the being made of pure energy that had pursued them. “It seemed to have killed the maintenance – crew and Nat was caught in the same kind of blast.”

Dr Vorik nodded sagely and indicated the amniotic – dressing pad across Søgaard’s chest, that was even now beginning to heal the grievous wound inflicted by The Watcher with novel medical – nanotech and explained.

“She’s stable now, but Lieutenant Søgaard sustained considerable trauma to her thoracic region, an energetic discharge akin to that of an Arc – flash which caused multiple fractures of the Manubrium of sternum and a partial collapse of the Right pleural cavity.” Vorik brought up a medical holoprojection and pointed out the various sites of damage and trauma as the representation of Nat’s chest cavity rotated slowly in the air above her.

“Quite frankly I’m amazed she managed to retain consciousness at all.” The Doctor opined.

“She’s one tough cookie, that’s for sure.” Monique murmured as she looked down in concern at Nat’s sleeping face, feeling the pang of responsibility for her current state.

“Quite….” Dr Vorik muttered, in response to the human’s euphemism.

“Although she was delirious for most of the time we were in the water.” Monique added.

“Well, a certain lack of lucidity is typical of the level of shock her body went through.” Vorik agreed diplomatically.

“She kept on saying that she could see Angels up above us.” Monique confirmed sadly, “I thought that I was going to lose her.”

Dr Vorik nodded, “Indeed, my diagnosis could only conclude that the energy discharge that struck down the Lieutenant could only have proved non – fatal, compared to the ones that reportedly killed the rigs – crew, by merit of a dissipation – effect similar to that of the lightning in the Ion storm, until the energy that wounded her was only slightly greater than the ambient.”

“That does have a certain logic to it.” Monique agreed as Vorik raised his eyebrow questioningly and she pressed “When will she wake up?”

At this question Vorik paused thoughtfully and then directed the CO & XO’s attention up to the medical monitor above Nat’s bed, that was scrolling ECG and other diagnostics relating to her condition.

“At present that is hard to say Captain.” The doctor intoned.

McDowell frowned, “I thought that you said that Nat was stable?”

Vorik sighed, as if everything he had to explain had to be done agonizingly slowly – as if to a child.

“Medically – speaking the Lieutenant’s overall prognosis is stable, Captain,” Vorik indicated to the readout, “Although her brain activity is anything but.”

Frowning, Monique peered at the readouts. Whilst she was no medic, she could see that the readouts were erratic.

“Would you care to elaborate.”

“Of course, Captain.” The Doctor indicated the readout.

“This first reading represents the Alpha wave activity in the Lieutenants brain. Measured in hertz (Hz), these are associated with relaxation and calmness and are entirely consistent with someone under sedation as she now is.”

As the Vulcan traced the parallel lines across the monitor he went on to elaborate, “Similarly for the Delta wave constant here, which are associated with deep sleep and restorative processes, again entirely constant with the medication she has been administered.”

“But here, you can see considerable variation in her Beta wave activity, normally associated with alertness and active thinking.”

Monique could see that the Beta wave readings were fluctuating wildly, the smooth sine – wave pattern of its peers representing as a violent, shifting spike of data.

“And that’s abnormal?” She pondered.

“That would be a triumph of understatement, Captain.” Vorik remarked dryly, “ Normally Beta waves are dominant during normal waking consciousness and typically return a range of activity between 18-39 Hz. Here as you can see, the Lieutenant’s Temporal and Occipital Lobes are  hyper-stimulated to a range well over 50Hz. This would typically illicit symptoms as increased adrenaline production, anxiety, stress and an optimal rise in conscious focus.”

“That was certainly consistent with how Nat was acting when we were in the water, do you think this was related to the damage her body sustained?”

“The evidence is both empirical and substantive.” Dr Vorik agreed, “The left and right hemispheres of the Lieutenant’s brain, normally kept in equilibrium phenomenon known as contralateral control, are currently misaligned as the corpus callosum—a bundle of nerve fibers that integrates information between them – is being overwhelmed with residual Interphasic energy.”

“Interphasic Energy?!” Monique repeated with sudden recognition. “When we encountered the entity aboard the Rig, our tricorders registered massive variations in Interphasic Energy!”

“And Lieutenant Aslaine’s after – action report of his SAR Mission also states that a markable anomaly of Interphasic energy readings above the coordinates where he located you both, but it seemed to move away as they closed upon your position?” Commander Kottu mused, his clawed hand drumming on his broad, scaley skin. “Surely that’s no coincidence?”

Monique looked down at the unconscious face of Nat and her mind was filled with angels.

“Doctor?” McDowell spoke slowly, the implications forming and beginning to take shape in her mind.

“Those symptoms of Beta wave disruption you listed, would they also include hallucinations?”

Dr Vorik shook his head.

“No Captain, quite the opposite. Mania perhaps, but the Lieutenant’s cognitive functions would have been elevated, rather than compromised.”

For what seemed like the longest time, Monique was silent as she struggled with the implications that were forming in her mind as she considered the evidence before her.

“And this hyperstimulation would also impact sensory inputs like her sight?”

Vorik cocked his head to one side for a moment before confirming.

“It is a logical supposition, Captain, although I would have to run more comprehensive tests to be sure.”

But Monique was no longer listening.

“Angels are real.” She breathed as the enormity of the realization hit home.

“Pardon Captain?” Kottu frowned, wondering if the CO wasn’t overdoing it a little and shouldn’t have a lie down herself.

“The entity, the one that attacked us on the rig!” Monique turned to them both, her normally calm brown eyes widening in realization. “Its attack must have done something to Nat! Commander, you said that there was another Interphasic energy signature above where the “Sounion” ditched in the ocean and that it receded.”

Confused, Kotto nodded his broad head.

“Yes, Lieutenant Aslaine and the SAR team said that the signature appeared to travel away from your position at a high, but constant speed, to the south – as they approached.”

A smile broke out on Monique’s face and Dr Vorik began to consider loading a hypospray with a sedative.

“Why have these creatures, these entities never been reported ever before in the 200 years since human habitation on Encedis-#5?” Monique persisted with her wildly – careening train of thought. “Why have they never been encountered until now? What changed?”

“Maybe they’re extraterrestrial in origin and travelled here recently?” Kottu countered.

“And came all this way just to trash an Aquaculture facility, not likely!” Monique shook her head vehemently.

It was Dr Vorik who, predictably, found and began to unravel her chain of logic.

“The only markable variation to the biome of Encedis-#5 is the recent destruction of the Weather Control System and the resurgence of the planet – wide Ion Storm activity.”

“Exactly!” Captain Monique McDowell crowed and jabbed a triumphant finger at the Vulcan in recognition.

“There’s some link to these beings and the return of the storm!” Monique was raving now, and frankly she didn’t care, the more she gave word to these outlandish thoughts, the more credible the supposition became. “Hid them somehow, I don’t know how and when the creature on the Rig did what it did to Nat – she was able to see them! There were there, right above us all the time!”

Kottu’s scaled brows formed a skeptical arch.

“But if that’s the case, surely that means that the planet is host to an invisible race of murderous energy beings – that’s hardly cause for comfort?”

Monique shook her head impassively.

“We can’t infer hostile intent from what happened on the rig alone!”

Kottu was sure that the dead bodies of the Genodyne workers would tend to disagree, if they could, but decided it was prudent to keep this council to himself.

“If there were similar beings above us when we were in the water, ones that we couldn’t physically see, then that suggests some plurality to these beings and the fact that they did not attack us like the other one did would indicate that they are not all singular in nature!”

Monique looked at Nat’s unconscious form and then to the faces of the XO and CMO and breathed in quiet awe.

“What if this wasn’t an invasion?”

She spread her hands out wide and exclaimed.

“I think what we are dealing with here is First Contact!!!