[The Roost – Shuttle Bay]
“I just don’t get it!” Kiff huffed in frustration from inside the cockpit. Zachary had just returned from the commissary with two bags of blue coated-candy popcorn in hand.
“Don’t get what?” He asked, plopping down on the pilot’s seat, and taking a mouthful of the sweet treat.
“None of this matches up with the Schematics.” The Bolian waved around with his hand, taking notice of the popcorn in Zachary’s lap. He opened his mouth, and the Andorian playfully tossed a piece of popcorn onto Kiff’s tongue. “K-74 sent over their last maintenance report from just before the shuttle departed. I mean, everything is in the right place, everything works, but it’s… wrong. Wrong serial numbers, some components are in places they don’t belong. I mean, hell, the Dilithium in the intermix chamber had to have been 15 years old!”
“Think K-74 messed up their logs?” Zach asked, kicking his feet up.
“God, I hope not…this level of incompetence can’t be ignored. I got a running theory, but I am waiting to hear back from Ms. V’era…” The Bolian explained, putting away his tricorder, and taking the second bag of popcorn from Zach.
“OH, that reminds me, one of the lab coats caught me in the hall, told me to hand you this.” Brannigan exclaimed, pulling an almost identical tricorder from his pocket. “Said it was programmed with that quantum scanney thing.”
“YES!” The Bolian yelled in excitement, snatching the device from his friend and flipping it open. Instantly, the trilling noise from the Tricorder was not a pleasant one, and Kiff’s face immediately sank. “That can’t be…we scanned…” He trailed off as he walked out of the cockpit to exit the Runabout.
Seeing his friend was onto something, Zach hopped up to his feet to follow him out. “What?”
Outside in the shuttle bay, Kiff was scanning the starboard nacelle, and the Tricorder’s trill was far more pleasing. But as he continued to scan and move back inside, the trilling became more and more alarmed. “When we went to pull the craft in with the tractor beam, V’era scanned its quantum signature, thinking of the possibility that the whole craft could have been displaced. But it came back normal. And it’s true, I just scanned the Nacelle, and it matches our Quantum Signature. But…”
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[Captains Ready Room]
((A Few minutes later))
“What do you mean, the inside doesn’t match the outside?” Michael asked, sitting back in the chair behind the desk of the Captain’s Ready Room.
Zach shrugged his shoulders, standing across from the desk, Kiff having taken the seat next to him. “I think the initial suggestion that the shuttle may have been displaced was correct, but for some reason, the only things that swapped were the interior components of the shuttlecraft. warp core, computer module, EPS conduits. The interior of the ship has a completely different quantum signature than the outside, which is why we didn’t detect it at first. I think the shock of the internal swap is what knocked the craft out of commission, and why none of the standard access control methods are working to get into the ship’s systems.”
“There have not been any reports of ‘partial’ displacement. And the statistical probability that components would transpose in the exact time and place, and align perfectly as not to cause catastrophic failure is galactically astronomical.” V’era chimed in from the couch at the back of the office. She had been sitting in listening to the engineers’ report when it came in.
“To his credit, the statistical probability that multiple incursions in and outside of our reality occurring simultaneously is just as improbable. We are dealing with constant unknown variables; we cannot rule anything out on conventional thinking.” Pi remarked, standing next to the viewport window, his hands folded behind his back as he contemplated the situation.
V’era held up a half shrug, conceding the point to the Operations Officer.
“So you can’t get into the craft’s data core?” Michael asked, pivoting the topic back into focus.
“I can. It’s going to take brute force, and who knows what safeguards are in place. It would be a lot faster, easier, and safer if we got the access code from one of the occupants.” Kiff admitted.
V’era sat for a moment in her chair, considering the circumstance. Michael could feel the overwhelming surge of anxiety building within her until she rose from her place, “Excuse me…” She stated curtly before exiting the ready room in a hurry. The others looked to the Captain for a moment, who just shook his head, as if to say, ‘Let it go.’
“Pi, have any of the displaced indicated any levels of cooperation?” Michael turned to ask.
The Operations officer turned from the window to face the captain, an apathetic look upon his face. “Not really…”
==========================================================================
[USS Dragon, Main Brig]
((Half an hour earlier))
“Status Report, Mr. Pi?” Commander Stern asked as she walked into the Detention Center, following up on the prisoners that had been taken into custody by the captain earlier that day.
Three of Fourteen was standing behind the main control panel, reviewing data on the screens. “Commander. I have verified the identity of four of the six individuals in custody. Lt. JG Donnovan Smith, Ensign Casey Jones, Chief Petty Officer A’Vran, and Petty Officer Donnie ch’Rimm. All were to be transferred to the Dragon aboard the transport. Everything roughly matches our records, with the exception, and to no surprise, that their quantum signatures do not match our own.” He reported flatly.
“So they are displaced…wonderful, which means our actual officers…” Jessica began trailing off.
“Probability states they have transposed into the same reality these individuals come from.” The Xb answered.
“What about the other two? Teague and Flemming were also on the transfer list, not them.” Jessica turned her attention to the view monitors. Almost everyone had calmed down and was sitting quietly in their cells. Ensign Jones was fast asleep on his bunk, and the unidentified woman was pacing back and forth in her cell.
“The Brikar refuses to communicate when probed. SHE on the other hand…” Pi remarked, tapping his console and bringing up the display larger for the Commander to see. “…is more of a concern.”
Tapping another button, the display screen cut to a recording of a few minutes prior. The woman was sitting on her bunk, almost in quiet meditation, before her entire form began to shift and molt into itself, reforming her body and clothing into the shape and uniform of Captain Angelus. “This is Captain Angelus, of the USS Dragon. Security! You have the wrong prisoner! Release me at once, and alert the ship, we have an intruder!”
Jessica rolled her eyes, “Don’t tell me she’s a Changling?”
Pi shook his head, “Ran a biometric scan, she’s actually a Chameloid.”
“Why are they here, and not our last two officers?” Jessica questioned aloud.
“If I may speculate?” Pi proposed. Jessica nodded, allowing him to continue. “Multiversal theory suggests that an individual does not exist in every procedural universe. Chances are, Midshipmen Teague and Flemming may not exist in their universe, so in the displacement, we got these two instead. Universal counterparts, not replicates.”
“We need to figure out what they know, where they are from, so we can work to get them and our people back where they belong. Clara said when she came by earlier, she sensed existential dread from the holding cells…as if they all think they’re about to be executed.”
“That would explain Ensign Jones ’ vigorous attempts at escape. The risk of self-injury to himself in the attempts was overabundant; thus, I had to sedate him.” Pi rationalized, bringing up Casey’s cell where his snoring could be heard quite clearly.
“If you had to pick…who do you think you could communicate with?” Jessica questioned.
Reviewing his options, he shook his head. “Smith is too emotionally volatile, Jones and ch’Rimm are young and highly aggressive. She’s too much of a security risk until we can neutralize her shifting abilities…” he spoke as he glanced across each screen. “There is a chance I might get him to see reason…but they can be just as, if not more difficult to convince.” Pi settled, looking at the holding cell with the Vulcan A’Vran.
“Let’s give it a try. I’ll have security teams standing by just in case.” Jessica ordered.
==========================================================================
[USS Dragon, Main Brig; Holding Block Bravo]
((A few minutes later))
A few minutes passed, and the holographic wall that was once A’Vran’s cell dissipated, revealing entry to a small room with a table and two chairs. Across the table stood Lt. Cmdr. Three of Fourteen, waiting. “Chief Petty Officer A’Vran, please have a seat.” The Xb motioned to the chair across from him.
A’Vran rose from his bunk slowly, as if he had been readying himself for this moment. His eyes flashed all around the new ‘room’, wondering what was real, and what was holographic. His focus centered more on the floor, as if looking for a small, intruding bug to be crawling near his feet. “Another Hologram?” he asked curtly.
“This is…” he motioned to the table and walls around them, “I am not. I am Three of Fourteen, Lieutenant Commander, and Chief Operations Officer aboard the Dragon. I intend that we speak to clear the air of a grave misconception you may have had about being brought aboard our ship.”
“There is no misunderstanding. I know very well what you intend to do. I, however, did not anticipate your kind to play ‘play with your food’ as you will. If your intent is to assimilate me, then get it over with.” A’Vran spoke defiantly, taking steps towards the table, but not taking a seat.
Pi, for the first time, felt genuine disgust at the assumption. “I have no intention to assimilate you, or any of your other companions…” he began, motioning for the Vulcan to take a seat as he too took his.
“Assuming you have not done so already, or have disposed of them by now.” A’Vran shot back, slowly approaching and sitting across from the Lt. Commander.
“Let’s cut to the chase, then. Clearly, you and your companions come from a very dystopian background and are resistant to anything I could say to sway you otherwise. You, on the other hand poses abilities to see beyond words, and can decimate the truth via other means.” Pi supported.
“Are you suggesting a Mind Meld?” the Vulcan asked, perking his brow.
“Precisely.” Pi confirmed.
A’Vran looked puzzled at this declaration, “You are aware you are putting yourself at risk of harm, should I choose to capitalize on this? I have shown willingness to cause harm in the past.”
“An extreme reaction to self-preservation, as I understand? Also, you would have nothing to gain, as harming me would initiate security protocols, whereas you have everything to gain from learning of my memories. Thus, making it the most logical course of action.” Pi countered calmly.
A’Vran considered this for a moment and nodded. “Very well.” Cautiously, the Vulcan reached his hand across the table, placing his index finger, middle finger, and thumb along Pi’s face, moving it slightly to avert the Borg implant over the officer’s eye. Pi could feel the Vulcan’s pinky finger reaching around the back of his neck, around his hairline. “You’re really not one of them…”
Refocusing his attention, the two began to speak in unison.
“My mind, to your mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts.”
The room around them began to spin as Pi attempted to focus his memories on the most recent occurrences. The video conference with Lt. Orlok Ken, preparing the security department for the new chief. Reviewing the personnel files of A’Vran, their A’Vran, and the other crewmen. The distress signal, the genuine confusion and concern. The briefing on the alternate reality incursions.
However, where Pi’s memories were a river with many forks, A’Vran was the one in control of what direction to move. He would glance at the memories being offered, but peruse deeper, trying to uncover the mystery for himself. Strange objects kept shifting his focus as he pressed deeper into Three of Fourteen’s memories. A gradient badge, a ‘Gray Zone’, a dark alcove.
“Don’t…” Pi whispered, more a warning to the Vulcan than a distressed reaction. He tried to shift the memories again, to show A’Vran they meant no harm, but the Vulcan continued to press the mystery.
“Our Mind is One…” The Vulcan repeated, as he pressed again, his mind flooding with visions. A cube, a cybernetic being, the badge was now green; there was fear…
He was running down the hallway. The alcoves were so narrow that his shoulders kept hitting the walls, but he dared not let that slow him down. They were behind him, the metallic men, cold, unrelenting. The person running in front of him tripped. He could have vaulted over them and reached the secure zone, but that would seal that person’s fate. He stopped, yanking up the woman with all of his might and shoving her to her feet. She crossed the secure zone; she was safe. But he felt the cold grip around his forearm, he felt the steel injectors into his neck. His body felt like ridged ice, the alcove was fading, but he could see the security field raise just in time.
“We are the…” A’Vran began to speak in a monotone voice.
Pi slapped A’Vran’s hand away just in time. The Vulcan vaulted away in response to the shock of what he saw and the sudden connection break. He was sweating; residual emotions from the memories were running rampant. He had to calm himself. “What…what are you?!” the Vulcan whimpered.
“I am…I was, Borg.” Pi answered, he too trying to suppress the resurfaced feelings and emotions, but having a far better grasp on them than the Vulcan before him.
“What are Borg?! I’ve never seen such monstrosities…”
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[Captains Ready Room]
“They don’t know about the Borg?” Michael questioned
“If they’re not fighting the Borg, what the hell has them so spooked their willing to blow themselves up over it?” Zach interjected.
“I am still unsure. I was hoping the Mind Meld would have given me such insight, but due to the deviation of his probing and emotional instability thereafter, I was not able to further question him.” Pi remarked.
“Thank you for trying. I can understand that was not a pleasant experience for you, and I’m sorry you had to go through that…” Michael confessed. Pi nodded in acknowledgment to the captain’s comforts as he continued to speak. “Well, this leaves us with no other choice but to…”
[Vera: “Sickbay to Captain Angelus.]
Michael looked up mid-sentence. “Go ahead, Lieutenant.”
[Vera: “Sir, we need you down here in sickbay. We now know what’s wrong with Lt. Orlok.”]
Michael looked around the room to his equally interested officers and nodded to them as they all rose from their seats, “That’s clear, were on our way. Angelus Out.”
[To be Continued]
