“That’s new.” Captain Walton remarked as she sat at a station on the left side of the bridge, cycling through the readings and view of the interior of V’ger and its superstructure. “I’m picking up readings of various types of starships in the walls. Some are stronger than others, but they’re there. Interference is getting in the way of scanning for life signs. Park?”

The Perseverance’s captain nodded, her head buried in the screens at the science station. “With our V’ger, the ships and crew were gone. This suggests it’s holding onto them.” She was getting better at the tactile controls, as frustrating as they were. “I’m picking up scattered life signs when I increase the strength of the sensors.” She shifted the sensors again, gasping as she found an audible rhythm. It took her a moment to parse it into her earpiece. “Captains…I’m detecting heartbeats. The sensors, tuned as they are, can pick that up through the hulls and the space between us.”

Spock turned in the center chair. “How many?”

“The computer is working on it, but we just passed over three hundred and climbing.” Wren shifted the display on her screen. “V’ger has been collecting people? And ships?” She muttered, “To what end?”

Spock steepled his fingers, deep in thought. Wren and Park locked eyes, recognizing the behavior that artists, filmmakers, and others had immortalized. They had to fight the urge to smile at the sight but didn’t ignore the comfort the moment brought them and the rest of the crew on the bridge. “There is a variable we’ve wondered about in relation to V’ger. The Borg’s influence. It is possible that the behavior patterns of the Borg interfaced with those of V’ger. An unseen transfer of directives could have occurred, altering the programming slightly. You said the Borg of your universe assimilated to spread and conquer.”

Park’s eyes lit up. “We know little about the Borg of this universe. What little we know is from the crashed cube on the cadet’s planet. You think the collection part is them?” She shuddered at the thought. “What if they’ve assimilated them? Or merged with them?”

Spock shook his head slowly, thinking through the various possibilities. “V’ger was looking for the creator. Humans matched their limited understanding of who had made it. If you were close to finding what you searched for since you became self away, you might hold on to that which reminds you of the creator.”

Park stared at Spock in shock, her mouth working to find words to reply, but came up short. So much of this iteration of V’ger was compatible with their version. And yet, the differences were chilling. “I don’t like this universe, sir. No offense to you and this place, but it is…,” she searched for the right word, “…unforgiving. Unflinching.”

Spock inclined his head in a quiet nod. “In my exile, I wondered if there were other realities that were not as bleak as this one. It has always been this way, even in ancient history. Vulcan, Human, Klingon–each of our civilizations was born in blood that flowed throughout our histories. The battles only ceased in the face of V’ger, but by then it was too late.”

Park gulped. It sounded so much more like the Mirror Universe than anything else. She imagined how much would have had to go wrong across the universe since its birth to cause such brokenness and suffering. She wondered if that’s what had made the difference. Did it all begin when this universe was created? She felt another chill as she realized that nothing could have changed the trajectory. This was the future Spock had suggested they were destined for from the beginning. Park returned her focus to V’ger. What was the intent of the creature? And would it leave them be once Pike merged with it? Would it accept Pike? There were too many questions, she decided. Another reason to dislike this universe.

Spock startled her out of her thoughts. “How long until we reach the center, Captain Park?”

She ran the calculations. “Six hours, sir. The tractor beam is holding us steady and movement is constant.” She watched as Spock stared at the screen for a moment in silence. There was so much going on in his head, she knew. He thought like most supercomputers did, only with a human element to the contemplations.

“Rotate shifts, Captain Walton. We’re going to need rest before we face V’ger.”

Wren sat across from Park, pushing the spaghetti around her plate. Other officers sat scattered around the expansive officer’s mess. They were about an hour from the center of V’ger. Scans had continued to show starships trapped in the superstructure. The latest number of heartbeats had crossed one thousand. Park stared at her soup, her spoon on the table.

What had begun as universe traveling had become a struggle for existence.

What would become of them if V’ger didn’t accept Pike?

What if V’ger viewed them as intruders?

What if it trapped them within, like everyone else?

“I hate this universe,” she complained.

Walton scoffed in agreement. “Right there with you, Park.”

The two finally took bites of their dinner, quietly chewing, staring at different points on the table. The conversations at the other tables remained quiet, the sound of silverware clinking on plates echoing across the cavernous room. Park finished her soup, munching on the garlic bread. “It’s getting harder to believe we’re going to get out of this place, Wren.”

Walton twirled the last remains of her noodles, eyes tracing the streaky remnants of the red sauce. “I can’t lie to you, Park.” Her eyes met her friend’s eyes across the table. “We may serve out the last days of our existence here. The science teams are more certain than they’ve ever been. We’ve got thirty days to get back home before we drop dead.” She dropped the fork sharply on the table, throwing her napkin down as well. “I’d really like to punch V’ger in the face. Twice.”

Park chuckled darkly, swirling her steaming cup of tea. “We both know that won’t work or end well. Our hope rests with Captain Pike.”

Wren rolled her eyes. “His heart isn’t in it. I’m worried V’ger won’t take him, even if we do a good job of convincing it he is the creator.”

Park snickered, shaking her head at the odd look from her former CO. “You remember that song they made for the knock-off holo series about Archer’s Enterprise?”

Walton blinked, reaching into the back of her memories until the lyrics played back in her mind. She laughed. “Faith of the heart. God, I hope he has it.”

The two finished dinner, trading jokes about the song and the show.