Captain Kitty Mallory looked at the unconsious bodies of the strangers who had been rescued by the starship Ronin on a short patrol. As she looked at the two she shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't believe they came 100 years from the past. After all, she had people on her staff that came from alternate dimensions. But she knew they would have a difficult time when they woke up.
Dr. Cherrin did another evaluation of them and came back to her. "They're both stable at the moment. But I dosed them with a tranquilizer to help them sleep for awhile along with the other medication regimen I've started for them. They need time to let their bodies recoup before they come to and find out their universe is upside down." He watched as Kitty nodded in agreement. "They both breathed in a lot of smoke. So mostly their problems consist of oxygen deprivation and their lungs were slightly damaged. But the woman also has a concussion. It's pretty severe."
"But they will recover," Kitty asked, already knowing the answer.
"Of course, Captain. I'll let you know when they come around," he replied.
"Thank you, Alister," she said as she left.
Kitty had just gone over some of the affects found aboard the shuttlepod. She had the time to review them as their new guests slept. Most of the items were damaged by fire, but one thing seemed in pretty good condition. As she grabbed it from the small pile, she looked at it carefully. She knew what it was. It was an Electronic Clipboard. It was the predecessor of the PADD. With interest, she went to see if it still worked. It did! She began to read some of the items found on it. Most were personal journal entries, which she felt strange reading. They apparently were Lt. Keung Lee's and several of his entries encompassed his feelings for Lt. Alicia Devries. But another name caught her attention. A name she hadn't thought to see in there . . . Katianna Nadira. As she read the entry, her eyes widened a bit. This was something she hadn't known about her Intel Officer. Her relationship with Lee . . . It wasn't just a friendship. It was something more complex than that. Deeper and yet, not more than that. She already knew one person she was going to have there with her when Lee and Devries woke up in Sickbay. The sight of a familiar face would ease the transition, she thought. Then another entry caught her attention.
"With man's continual expansion into space, we must face the fact that we will obviously attract attention from hostile races such as the Klingons. Starfleet security forces and marines are restrained by political control limits in terms of controlled access to weapons, funding, training, policy. In other words, Starfleet resources are spread thin across the galaxy and that means it is becoming increasingly difficult to protect all of our borders. Starfleet does not have the ability to respond to threats and does not have the mobility and adaptability of their forces.
The biggest threat comes from rogue groups who have their own agendas and certainly not supported by sponsored by governments. Who are we talking about? Disenchanted colonists, Earth First; rebels; Orion pirates; terrorists not to mention organised crime groups.
I proposed the setting up of a special operations rapid response team which have the enforcing power to go after these groups and eliminate them. A team prepared for the most extreme missions e.g. hostage release; destruction of terrorist bases; surveillance operations etc. A team capable of entering places that our conventional forces cannot go."
This intrigued her and she decided to write a report and forward a copy of the entry to someone higher in command she could trust and see what they thought on the matter, explaining who and where it had come from.
As she waited to hear back, she began getting together her initial team that would work with their new arrivals and get them acclimated to life in the 24th century.
Katianna was busy going over several reports. Her mind was elsewhere though. She was antsy and wanted to go to the holosuites, but knew that at the moment she couldn't. So after going over another report, making her notations and filing, she went onto the next . . . Until her thoughts were interrupted by the chirp of her combadge.
[Captain Mallory to Commander Nadira.]
"Nadira here. Go ahead, Captain," she said as she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her face a bit and then rolled her head on her shoulders trying to release the built up tension.
[As you probably heard we have some new guests on the station in sickbay.]
"Yes, news travels fast on the station," Katianna replied. "What is it, Captain?"
[You need to be there to help these two with their debriefing . . . and I think it will be good for them to see a familiar face,] Kitty replied.
"What? They're suppose to know me?" Katianna replied.
[It seems so,] Kitty answered.
"You do know that my alternate and I didn't always know the same people, right?"
[This might be an exception,] Kitty said, [Just go to sickbay when Dr. Cherrin lets you know. I'm sure you'll be surprised.]
"Right . . . Thanks, Captain," Katianna replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice to go along with the fake smile on her face.
As the connection was cut Katianna shook her head. Didn't she have enough on her plate than to have to babysit? And yet there was something in the Captain's voice . . .
Suddenly she pulled up the patient roster for sickbay and two names did stand out - Alicia Devries and Keung Lee. They sounded so familiar, but her mind wouldn't produce anything to confirm or deny her knowing them. With a sigh, she closed out the roster and decided that she would just go ahead and go to sickbay. It also got her out of her office for awhile.
As Katianna entered sickbay, they knew why she was there and without her asking she was lead directly to the two biobeds that held the new arrivals. As she drew closer to the beds, something began stirring in her. Their faces were familiar . . . but from where? Then, as she saw Lee's face, it came back. The Eagle . . . He was a member of the Eagle . . . and so was Alicia! They had disappeared with two other officers and were never found. This is where they had ended up. She had grieved for both of them so much! And they were here! Tears sprang to her green eyes as she fought to control her emotions. It wasn't often you got someone you cared about back from the dead, she thought.
"Are you all right?" asked a gentle voice behind her. She knew instinctively it was Kassia, the ship's counselor.
Katianna nodded. "I'm fine," she replied with a smile. "It's just we all thought Lee and Alicia were dead . . ."
"I know," Kassia replied, going up to her and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I started reading about the Eagle. I was surprised to be reading about you," she smiled.
Katianna shrugged. "Well, what can I say? I didn't really remember it until just now myself. I don't know why . . .My memory is usually fantastic . . ."
"But it was a long time ago," Kassia replied.
Kat nodded. "Yeah . . . a very long time ago."
Suddenly Tara entered. "I suppose we all had the same idea," she smiled and laughed gently.
"Let me guess, the Captain invited you to the pow wow because you've been through what they're going to go through, right?" Katianna asked.
"So smart you are!" Tara laughed softly. "She figures if they can see that I've adjusted well, that they can too."
"The Captain has a good idea," Kassia agreed.
Katianna just couldn't help but look at Alicia and Lee. Her friends were back . . . She hoped that the universe was going to stay in one piece since they had made the trip to see it.
Lee stirred as he became aware of consciousness and the sound of voices drifted into his subconsciousness For a moment, Lee wondered why there was people in his quarters and why his memory seemed rather blank! He felt extremely tired. Then fire..smoke..lights..Alicia unconscious..lack of oxygen. His head felt like exploding and fear gripped him. He could feel the heat of the fire in the cabin and the smoke overwhelming him..panic..then the tall dark figure of death pointing its bony finger at him!! "NO! NO!" he shouted, hit the bone aside and he went for the figure screaming in anger!! His hands gripped the neck of the death as he stared at the ugly death face of a woman face.
Nurse Campbell was struggling with the man, his hands around her throat. "Help," she croaked out, but before the others could respond, his grip seemed to lighten. She immediately took a step back away from the bed.
"It's all right, Kate," Katianna assured the woman. "I think we can handle it from here."
"Are you sure? Dr. Cherrin wants tabs kept on their condition,"she replied.
"And I can handle that," Kassia replied.
Knowing Kassia was classified as a medic, the woman nodded and left, leaving the hypospray with the counselor.
Lee felt extremely relaxed as the horrible images dissolved from his mind and decided it was risk opening his eyes. His vision slightly blurred as he tried to focus the scene before him and saw people..all women staring at him. Lee tried to say something but couldn't cough violently and as the cough subside discovered he was lying on his back on a bed and decided to sit up. As he did, he felt extremely disorientated and nauseated. He shake his head and the motion made him vomited over the bed before collapsing back into unconsciousness again.
"Is it safe to try to revive him again?" Katianna asked, as she looked to Kassia.
"He should be fine to revive," Kassia replied as she reviewed his chart again. "I'll lower the dosage a little and see if that brings him out a little slower this time." She placed the hypospray to the common artery in his neck and depressed the trigger. They all heard the hiss as the medication entered his body.
Lee opened his eyes and decided against sitting up. He had a headache not to mention a sore throat. At least he was back on the Eagle and in sickbay. Katianna was talking to some women! Good old Kat..doing her volunteering bit! He closed his eyes then remembered and immediately sat up "Alicia?" He asked.
"It's all right, Lee . . . She's banged up a bit, but she'll be okay," she assured him. "God, it's good to see you." She smiled, her green eyes, shining brightly as she gazed at him.
Lee was feeling relaxed then thought about his security officers. "My security officers" He asked staring at Kat. For some reason there was something different about her he couldn't put a finger to...maybe because she was a shapeshifter things tend to change.
"I'm sorry," she began, not really wanting to tell him too much just yet. "They were hurt badly. Very badly . . . They didn't make it."
Lee leaned back into his bed and mused "they're good lads!" said Lee. He suddenly became of his voice becoming a lot stronger then felt a slight discomfort in his chest. That was the smoke inhalation. Then realised the awful job that he was going to have to inform their next of kin. He decided to put that thought aside and tried to think of something else. He looked at Kat again, puzzled. "I don't know if it's me..but you look somehow different...you done something to your hair?"
She laughed gently. "Nope, I haven't done anything to my hair," she replied. It was so good to see him. She tried to keep her perspective, but many old memories were coming back. She was just happy to see him again alive and for the most part well.
For a moment Lee was going to put it down to the effects of being a shapeshifter. He laughed sheepishly as he said to her "You look older..whats the matter...felt like a shapeshifting change." He laughed then stopped as he had another fit of coughing. He was handed a glass of water and as he drink, he spotted Kat's uniform. "Nice clothes..going somewhere!"
"Not exactly," she replied. "This is my uniform"
Lee glanced to see Alicia on the next bed looked relaxed despite the bandages around her and his senses made aware of something else was different. This sickbay was not the Eagle's sickbay as he glanced around and there were people he didn't recognised. They were obviously having more a keen look at him
The woman all sensed Lee become more aware of his surrounding and Katianna grew concerned rapidly. She stepped even closer to him and took his hand.
There was that sinking feeling that something wasn't right and he rubbed his temple as the headache seem to build. Then it hit him as he remembered the last thing he saw before unconsciousness was the chronomonitor. The date showed... Startled, he looked at Kat and slowly said "I'm.. not..on..the..Eagle...am I?"
She shook her head. "No, you're not on the Eagle," she confirmed, but not yet telling him where he was.
"and this is not...the year..." continued Lee, as he drifted off his words
Still looking at Kat, he said "...this is nothing to do with your shapeshifting abililites, is it?"
Again she shook her head. "Nothing at all to do with it . . ."
Lee closed his eyes again and said signing "Oh boy..I've time travelled again!" Opening his eyes he smiled asking "what year is it? No let me guess...ten? fifteen? Can't be more than twenty years...looking at you."
"It's a little longer than that, I'm afraid," Katianna began, trying to slowly break the news to him. For a moment she looked to Kassia who nodded her head slightly. "I never told you how long my people live, did I?" She sat down on the biobed next to him, wanting to be close.
"No, not exactly."
"Well, Tanzarans live between 300 and 500 years of age. We look fairly young for most of that time," she explained. "I'm 149 years old," she said, letting that sink in, "And the year is 2385."
Lee looked blankly at Kat and the person standing next to her. "200 to 500 years..149 years old...it's 2385" muttered Lee, incoherently and closed his eyes! Whenever Lee began to feel the pressure or was trying to work out solutions to problems, he would start to relax by closing his hands and breathing slowly in and out, taking in air and clenching his fists. He called it his holiday mood and as he didn't normally tell people about it..anyone who saw him in this state would get concerned!
"Have you a hypo.." was something that Lee heard from a voice with a Bristish accent.
"This will help," another voice replied.
He opened his eyes to see Kassia about to hypospray him. He grabbed her waist holding the spray with an iron grip. "Listen nurse whoever you are..you stick that thing in me and you end up with a mouthful of knuckles," he snarled at her. The last thing Lee wanted was to be filled with drugs. He wanted a clear mind. He let go and smiled. "My apologies, lady..but I want to think clearly and not be tripping across the ceiling."
"That's perfectly all right," Kassia replied completely unruffled by his reaction. "And this wouldn't have sedated you. It would have merely taking the edge off your agitation. That's all." She smiled at him, her green eyes gazing at him from her spot-framed face.
"Who are you anyway?" said Lee
"I'm Lt. Kassia. I'm the counselor here," she replied.
"Ah the resident shrink...come to check how I would cope in the new century!!" said Lee, sarcastically. "What's the matter. Afraid I go..ga ga. You got a nice little room for me with soft cushions around the walls." Finding the situation funny, Lee laughed out loud knowing how he loved to wind up such people. He finally stopped laughing as Kassia looked stony faced and Kat trying to stop smiling, knowing Lee had always had a strange of humour.
"No, I don't have one, but if you'd like, I can arrange for one," Kassia replied, then couldn't help her own little laugh.
He managed to find himself sitting up without vomiting over the side again. "Actually, Kassia," said Lee, "I appreciate your offer of help but I don't think I need counseling. As Kat knows, I've been through this experience before. This is my second time jump! I originally come from the 20th Century, you know." He turned to Kat and held out his hand to her. She took it. "You'remaybe 149 years old..but I'm 300 years old...technically...besides I think I have the perfect guide here to quickly adapt to a new culture and other experiences," he said, winking at Kat. It was only yesterday from his perspective that Kat and himself were playing a new horizontal zero gravity game.
"I will guide you to the best of my ability," Katianna replied. Kassia watched her friend and saw that this was the first genuine smile she'd had in awhile. That caused Kassia to smile herself. It was good to see Katianna happy for a change.
"Besides when Alicia comes round, she's going to need help from all of us," Lee said, reassuringly looking at Alicia for a few moments. "I feel fine in my mind, spirit and.." a cough.."perhaps my body. So what does a man do to get fed around here? Or does everybody eat pills or something in this time?" He said rubbing his hands with glee.
Kassia quickly reviewed his chart. "Well, it doesn't seem that the doctor put you on any food restrictions . . ."
"That basically means that I can get you whatever you're in the mood for. What would you like?" Katianna asked. "Anything in particular? Oh, one more thing. Let me introduce one more person to you. This is our Chief of Security. Her name is Tara Carmichael. Formerly of another dimension."
Tara stepped forward and extended her hand. "Very good to meet you," she replied, with a smile. As they shook hands, Chiron, her skryll was very apparent on her arm. "The Captain will probably arrive later for a formal introduction."
They put in a lunch order for Lee, which Toren Lee was nice enough to get while the women stayed with Lee to update him as much as possible to what he would expect when he left sickbay.
One thing Lee did remembered when he'd ended up in orientation sessions at Starfleet medical facility was the simple routine things that he'd get to use..communications..shop..using credits. This was something else he was going to have to get used to and it would be a challenge. His eye caught Kassia's attention studying her notes. He almost thought that this woman seems to be sensing his mind. Oh great, a shrink who is a mind reader!! Lee experimented by thinking at her that she made a great poker player.
She finally looked up at him and smiled, her green eyes shining. "Well, you won't know until you actually play against me now, will you?" she laughed softly.
"I have an idea," Katianna replied. "Captain Mallory probably won't make it here until after her shift is up, so would you all mind if I take Lee on a little tour?"
"I don't know . . ." Tara replied, hiding a smile. "Do you suppose he's ready to be thrust out among the station populace?"
"I don't know . . ." Kassia replied. "Might be quite a shock."
"Oh stop it, you two!!" Katianna laughed. "I'll replicate some new clothes and we'll go for a walk. You can let me know if Captain Mallory shows up or if there's any change with Alicia while we're out. Is that all right with you, Lee?"
Lee looked at the women exchanging ideas. The thought came to Lee..that so far, he'd only seen women. It wasn't a future that women had taken over!! He vaguely recalled some low budget movie about that..but couldn't remember. It was an hour later after a meal and a watery shower than a sonic one, he found Kat holding out new clothing to him. At least it wasn't red, thought Lee
"There are so many things to show you, I hardly know where to start," Katianna began. "But we'll walk through the main Promenade. That's where all the action is anyway."
Taking one last look at the sleeping figure of Alicia, he said to Kat "Okay..braveheart, take this warrior out into the younder patches of new life."
Katianna laughed softly and took his arm, as if time hadn't past for them at all. For him, she realized, no time had past, but for her . . . Yet, it didn't feel that way. As they left Sickbay and made their way to the main Promenade there were all kinds of shops selling an abundance of merchandise. There were also food eateries that sold everything from Scottish food to Klingon Gagh' and everything in between.
"And over there is Kassia's shop," Katianna pointed out. There was a sign that clearly read Kassia's Kave of Curiosities and Mystery. Katianna waved to a dark haired young woman inside. "That's Danni, Kassia's partner. Kassia started off here as a simple shop keeper. Now she's the Station's Counselor." Katianna smiled.
Lee was intrigued by what he had seen so far and remember the last space station he experienced!! Spacious and hardly anything to write home about. He was confused about the reference. "How you mean?"
"Well, apparently she was helping everyone with their problems anyone. She's a very unique individual," she explained. "With remarkable gifts. You'll have to talk to her about them one of these days. And around this corner and down a little farther, is another favorite place of mine. It's called Holo Pursuits."
As they arrived Katianna directed him to her holosuite and picked a program. "You won't believe this when you go inside."
As the door opened, they walked out onto meadow. There were mountains in the distance. A light warm breeze blew by them with the fresh smell of the earth. Birds could be heard from the nearby trees.
"What do you think?" she asked, as the door disappeared behind them.
It took a lot to surprise Lee and he somehow expected that on a large space station like this, there would be opportunity for trading not to mention seeing different races...but this. literally took his breath away!! It was like being back on Earth. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This...this.." exlaimed Lee, waving his arms about. "It's incredible!! That mountain range...on a space station too. What did you say this was..a holo pursuit." He ran a few steps before sitting down by the nearest tree. "Wow..this even feels real." He looked at Kat, patting the ground for her to sit next to him. As she sat down close to him he put his arm around her and stared into her eyes. and gently he kissed at the nape of her neck.
She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander to happier times. She allowed his kiss, almost needing it . . . If only he knew what her life was like now. But she wouldn't think about that. Happy times, she reminded herself. At least for the moment.
He glanced around and with his free arm said softly. "Tell me about this?"
"It's actually just energy," she replied. "And the images are all from a computer program. This one is one I use on occasions when I want to try to find some peace . . . This is Bajor. A meadow up in the prairies. Just beyond the forest and mountain range." There was a bittersweet tone to her voice that she couldn't keep from it as she thought of Coran. "You know, I have so much to tell you about . . . so much has changed." She looked at him with her bright green eyes, as they sparkled in the sun light while a soft smile played across her lips.
It was difficult for Lee to comprehend the changes that taken place in Kat which as not surprising really! He had about 100 years to catch. One thing he did sense was that Kat was happy to see him. Her green eyes certainly sparkled with delight and sensuality. She was about to say something else but abruptly stopped. She took Lee's hands in her hands and kissed Lee's lips gently, stirring a passion which she haven't felt for a long time.
"When you disappeared so much else vanished from my life," she replied.
Kat let go of his hands and she let the past carry her in the present. She wanted to escape to it.Slowly, she began unzipping her tunic as she felt his hand tenderly caress her face. This was just today, she thought. Just this moment. She wouldn't ask more. She let it fall around her and invited his touch. Soon their clothes lay beside them. Lee pulled her toward him and she accepted his arms around her. All she wanted was his touch and to feel that he was real.
So many memories flooded her mind as she allowed the feelings to take her away from the reality she now had, filled with so much darkness and pain. She was escaping, she knew it. But she couldn't help herself. She and Lee had always had this complex friendship. It had been tinged with this ability to find comfort within each other, yet not ask more. They were friends.
They were lost to the sense and feel of each other's bodies as their time played out together. Warmth, passion, friendship . . .
But suddenly so much hit her. She had grieved so much for Lee and Alicia. But looking around the prairie knowing that this was the place not far from where the beginning of the end had started for her current nightmare life leaped to the forefront of her mind. Though she had two more friends back, she was still in the impossible position of trying to save the universe from two demons, and she was only a Tanzaran . . . She couldn't do it . . . And she berated herself for being so weak, allowing the tears to come. But for some reason, she couldn't stop them.
Then just as it began, she fell forward onto Lee exhausted and in tears. They laid still as Lee stroked her hair and began to realised that something emotional had been released..something that held her back and now she was being released from it. The jerky movements that Lee could feel was her body shuddering and the wetness on his body from her tears. Lee wanted to say something but didn't know what. This was not the moment...she would tell him in her own time. All he knew, she was experiencing the beginning of something which would become part of a healing process.
Something was trying to tell her that she wasn't to defeat the demons on her own. It had been something that Paul had told her many times. But she didn't believe him, much like she didn't believe this feeling now. Perhaps it was because the belief required faith and it was something she was in short supply of. She had only herself to rely on and she wasn't sure what she could do against a demon. But finally, she pushed the thoughts away and stopped the tears.
She then lift her head from Lee's body and tearfully looked at a smiling Lee, who said calmly "You like to talk about it?" There was an incredible stillness arising from her.
Katianna shook her head. "Not right now. There are so many other things to tell you than to push you into my current dilemma right on the spot . . . Why don't we go for a swim," she smiled as she got up. "Computer, create freshwater pond. Make water clear and 70 degrees."
Suddenly a pool of water formed as Lee stood beside her. She merely smiled as the computer finished creating the pond.
They stood together, still naked, before Kat led him to the large pool where they plunged into the water and just swim for a while.
As Lee floated on his back, Lee had to remind himself that the surroundings was an illusion..nothing was real but a terrific illusion and he was onboard the confines of a space station. At that moment, there was a flicker in the surroundings and the scenery instantly became a very large windowless room!! Lee felt extremely stupid lying on his back on the deck and got up, finding his clothes next to him.
Katianna smirked, pulling on her uniform, the first she had worn in awhile. Usually she had been using her abilities to change clothing, but today had been busy. "Sorry about that. This suite seems to be temperamental. Engineering is trying to fix the glitch. I guess it was something I did to it one of the previous times I was in here . . . I'm not exactly what you'd call a gentle player in here. I do a lot of combat programs." For a moment, reality intruded again, but she forced it away. As she quickly finished, she did manage to shift her hair so it didn't seem as wet and mussed up. She then watched and Lee finished dressing with a slight smile on her lips.
"Let's walk a little more around the Promenade, then we'll go back to sickbay. Tomorrow, I have something else I want to show you," she smiled.
"Oh really?" he asked.
She just smirked.
Alicia knew before she even opened her eyes that she wasn't in her quarters and she wasn't in the last place she remembered being...the shuttlepod. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by darkness but she recognized it as a medical center. "Oh my aching head," she mumbled as she rolled from her right side onto her back...
She pressed the palms of both hands against her eyes and took some slow deep breathes. "On a scale of one to ten--ten being the worst pain you've ever had, what would your rate your headache as?" A warm female voice asked.
Alicia lowered her hands and cracked an eye open to find the source of the voice and found a thin woman with a shoulder length bobbed hair style standing beside her with her arms clasped in front of her. She was wearing a uniform of sorts but the colors were black with a variant of green but she had a medical caduceus on her collar. The woman smiled but waited. Alicia tried to speak but had to stop and clear her throat several times before she could get words out. The other woman moved and provided a glass of water with a straw. "Thank you." Alicia looked around and then spotted Lee asleep nearby. "Uh, pain?" She paused and then said, "six."
"Good." The other woman picked up an object and placed to the right side of her neck and she heard a hissing sound as she felt the burning feeling and knew that the object had been a hypospray. "I'm Captain Alcon. It's the middle of the night, and I am sure you have questions but having recently recovered from a concussion I can honestly say: go back to sleep." She watched as Alicia fought to speak and Jayme finally figured out what was most on her mind. "Lt. Lee is stable and doing well."
Alicia nodded and closed her eyes.