Katianna awoke with a start.
"Momma, what's wrong?" asked Laurissa as she stood next to her bed. "Did you have another bad dream?"
Katianna looked at her daughter wearily. "What are you doing up, honey?"
"Are you afraid that my baby brother will be hurt?"
Katianna squinted her eyes. "Go to bed, Laurissa. Tomorrow is a big day."
"They're going to kill us, you know?"
This caught Katianna off guard. "What?"
"There's nothing you can do. The baby will die. This world and its people will die. You cannot stop the Dark. Suffering and sorrow is all you will ever know." Suddenly, Laurissa touched an amulet around her neck, and her formed shifted into the grey-skinned form of an Eriarti.
It reached out to grab Katianna, and Katianna shrieked.
Jarrod shook Katianna's shoulders. "Wake up! Katianna, wake up!"
Katianna awoke with a start.
Location: Starbase 901
Kassia scratched her head. "I don't get it." She slammed another reference book. "This language does not exist."
Toren Len shut his own reference book. He faced Kassia from across the large table, on the center of which lay the Book of Light. "Maybe we're looking in the wrong place."
"Where else is there to look? I don't have anymore books. We've searched all Starfleet and Section 31 databases. Nothing." She pointed at the Book. "If it wasn't for the apparent repetition of characters in what looks like some form of epic poetry, I would swear that so-called language is nothing but a child's scribbling." Kassia paused and looked at Toren Len. "Does the Bistro deliver? It's got good food, but I really don't feel like dealing with Louis today."
Toren stood up. "I'll find out." He stepped out of the room.
Kassia sighed and let her head fall on top of the book in front of her in exhaustion.
Tiyanna was playing with 19 blocks with different inscriptions on them.
Kassia walked forward and put her arm around her daughter. "What are you doing, honey?"
Tiyanna turned to Kassia. "I'm working on a puzzle." She turned back to the blocks. "If I put these blocks together in just the right way, they will unite and bring Light to all the galaxy." She paused. "But I don't understand the letters on the blocks."
Kassia was moved by Tiyanna's words. "Well, this block is Ancient Bajoran." Then, she realized what was happening. "This one is Ancient Klingon. This is Old Vulcan, and this is Sumerian. This is Tanzaran. This one here is Ancient Cardassian, and this one is Trill. Betazoid, Ferengi..." She paused in amazement and looked at Tiyanna gratefully. "Thank you, whoever you are."
Tiyanna smiled and kissed Kassia on the cheek. Then, she faded out in a flash of white light.
Kassia awoke as Toren Len brought in two bags of food. "Len! Put that down! We need to find every ancient language of every humanoid species in the quadrant! I have an idea."
Location: Yanddei System, 500 light years from Tanzaria
The Yanddei sun glowed a bright red. It was nearing its end. The massive star began to expand more and more until it burst in a rainbow of a million colors.
A supernova had begun its short, explosive existence. Half a millenium later, it would set off an unstoppable series of events.
Location: Tanzaria
Katianna slowly made her way to the table where Kara, Troy, and Jarrod were already talking and eating breakfast. She sat down and greeted everyone unenthusiastically.
Jarrod questioned her, his face worried, "How are you feeling?"
Katianna forced a smile. "I'm... okay." She took a sip of her raktajino. "Had a rough night."
Troy got up to serve Katianna breakfast. As he did this, he commented, "Today is the day. Dr. Farango said he'd see us today."
Katianna nodded. "Okay."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Katianna took another sip of her drink.
Location: Starbase 901
Lazarus Kox was moving boxes when one of them fell over and crashed onto the floor. "Crap!" He turned the box over and looked inside. The plates and glasses in the box had all shattered.
"Need some help?" asked Ensign Michael Kalvin.
Lazarus looked up at him thankfully. "Oh yes. Thanks."
Michael began to pick up a box and move them to the office. "You know, this is a great place."
"Thanks," said Lazarus. He suddenly felt a feeling of déjà vu. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
Michael smiled. "No. I'm Michael. I'm a Security Officer aboard this station."
"Good. So if I ever need help controlling inebriated customers, I can call you right?"
Michael chuckled.
"I'm Lazarus, by the way." He extended his hand.
"Good to meet you." Michael shook it.
Kassia stood over Toren Len as he worked on the computer. "Okay, now. Computer, mix the new characters with those of Old Vulcan.
<Processing... Complete.>
Kassia held up the Book of Light to the monitor. "This is incredible!" She lowered the Book. "Computer, mix the new characters with Sumerian."
<Processing... Complete.>
"Now match these new characters with the characters in the Book of Light."
<Processing... Characters are a precise match.>
"Yes!" Kassia screamed, scaring Toren Len. "Now, to translate!"
Location: Tanzaria
"Welcome, welcome!" Dr. Farrango exclaimed happily.
Katianna, Troy, and Jarrod walked in and sat in Farrango's office.
"So, Troy tells me that you have traveled transdimensionally? This is very exciting for me."
Katianna nodded uninterestedly. "Indeed. I was told you could help me."
"Yes, yes. Of course I can. I just need to know more about your situation."
"I..."
Troy urged Katianna. "It's okay. I've know Farrango for a long time. You can trust him."
Farrango nodded excitedly.
Katianna looked at Jarrod and shook her head carefully enough so that no one but Jarrod saw. Telepathy was out of the question in a room filled with telepaths who were all able to control their thoughts.
Jarrod leaned forward. "Dr. Farrango. What do you know about transconnection?"
Farrango leaned back in his chair. "Well, I have learned a great deal from the new information released by the USS Virgo. Transconnection has become quite the--"
"But we were told you were involved in the forefront of transconnection research."
"Well, yes, but--"
Katianna saw where this was going. "Is it hot in here? You would appear to be sweating profusely, Doctor."
Farrango took a handkerchief to his forehead. "It is a bit hot today, isn't it?"
Troy looked around. "What is that smell?"
Farrango suddenly got up and pointed a weapon at the group. Before he could shoot, Jarrod, who has already prepared himself, shot Farrango with a phaser to the chest. Farrango stumbled over his chair and landed on the floor.
Troy stood up. "What... What happened?"
Katianna walked to the closet and opened it. The body of Dr. Farrango fell out and landed onto the floor with a thud. "I think we stumbled upon yet another group after my child."
The double of Farrango morphed into the form of another Tanzaran. "I am of the Pidaera, and rest assured that we will find you and destroy you. It is because of you and your child that the Raiders were brought upon us. The supernova in the heavens heralded your arrival. We will take your life before the Raiders return to take what they came for."
Katianna quickly kicked the Tanzaran in the face, knocking him out. "This is just great. I'm not even safe here!"
Troy looked at Katianna. ~This place may be bugged.~
~Tell me about it.~
Jarrod deactivated the Tanzaran attacker's weapon and put it away. ~Do you have a place we can go? Out in the countryside. Far away from people.~
Troy nodded. ~I have a winter farm out in the Ginteeri province. No one will find you there.~
~Good. Let's go there now. We don't want to be discovered here. Not even by the authorities. They will only draw attention to us.~
Troy shook his head. ~This will be hard to explain.~
Jarrod looked at Troy solemnly. ~Pretend the fate of the universe depends on this and find a way.~
Troy nodded as they ran out of Farrango's home.