"Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

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The call shortly after Robert got out of the shower. He finished pulling on his uniform pants and sat at his desk to accept the call. "Dale here."

"We have Admiral Maran for you, sir."

"Put him through."

Admiral Maran looked as he always did. At middle-age for a Gersallian, he had dark hair going gray at the temples and a trimmed beard of similarly-graying dark hair. He looked natural and at ease at his desk in the Alliance Defense Command complex, with the distant skyline of L2M1 Earth's city of Portland (in what was still called Oregon by some) visible in the window behind him. "Captain."

"Admiral."

"How is Ys'talla?"

"Beautiful. Hot. And I find a few of their chiefs to be completely disgusting beings."

"Ah." A hint of a smile came to the admiral's image. "Just as I remember it, then. To get down to business, Captain, I've contacted Tuzanor with your request."

"We already heard back from them?"

"We did," confirmed Maran. "President Sheridan has asked me to send you to Minbar to discuss the matter in person."

Robert didn't hide his surprise at that. "He wants to see me in person? He doesn't trust comms?"

"He has expressed concern on the matter, yes. Normally I would not mind ordering the Aurora to Minbar, but for now we need her to stay at Ys'talla."

"Is there a threat?"

"Nothing definitive. But the Coserians and their Jeaxian warlord proxies won't be happy if the Miqo'te come under Alliance protection. The Aurora's presence will dissuade them from any direct pressure."

Robert nodded once in acceptance. "Alright, I suppose Sheridan can wait."

"We'd rather not, Captain." Maran's expression darkened. "We've had reports of unknown parties launching survey missions into the region around the Darglan Homeworld. We suspect someone is looking for Darglan technology. If there is some newer, superior model of jump drive out there we can't allow it to fall into the wrong hands."

Robert recognized what he was getting at. "So you want me to leave the Aurora and visit Minbar personally?"

"Yes. And we need you to keep it off of scanners, so to speak."

"The Koenig is launching in a couple of hours to rendezvous with Lieutenant Derbely," Robert said. "Could you arrange for her to be re-directed to Minbar?"

"No. We can't allow anyone to know the Koenig was there. What we can do is have her drop you off while cloaked before proceeding to a more visible port." Maran thought for a moment and checked something on his systems. "Ah. I will have Derbely re-routed to Babylon-5. As soon as you're dropped off on Minbar Commander Carrey can go pick her up."

"While we take private ships," Robert said. "Or make some other arrangements?"

"I have no doubt that President Sheridan will arrange something for you if there is actionable information," Maran said.

"Right." Robert thought on this for a moment. Being away from the Aurora for days, perhaps a week or more, had an excitement that wasn't quite able to hide the danger this involved. "I understand that you won't want me to bring any kind of team."

"A team of your officers would be too visible."

"I need to bring at least one," Robert said. "Meridina. She touched Jornam's mind before he died. She saw this drive and the lab it was built in from his mind and maybe information this recording wouldn't have."

"Meridina will work. But no others. Everything must seem to be running as normal." Maran put a hand on the table. "I'll let Sheridan know you're coming. Maran out."

After he disappeared Robert pressed the key on his desk for the ship's comm system. "Dale to Carrey."

After a moment a reply came. "Carrey here."

"Delay your launch. There's been a change in your itinerary. And your passenger list. I'll explain shortly."

"Alright. I'll have the crew to depart whenever you're ready. Carrey out."




"I don't like this."

Julia's complaint was not unsurprising. She stood inside Robert's ready office as he finished up enough paperwork to make it look good. "You're not even taking a runabout."

"Yep," he said. "Maran wants us under the radar on this one."

"Which means you won't have any help if you get into trouble," Julia pointed out. "I mean… at least they should have Zack take you where you need to go."

"Then it begs the question of where we came from, and what ship we're in." Robert finished a final item and turned the system off. He stood up and faced Julia. The concern on her face was unmistakeable. "We're bringing a portable IU radio with us, if we run into any trouble we'll call you for help."

"IU radios don't have jump anchors installed, so there's no guarantee we'll get to you in time."

"Normally, yes." Robert grinned. "That's why I'm going to Science Lab 2 next."




Jarod, Scotty, and Barnes were waiting for Robert and Meridina when they arrived at Lab 2. Julia followed them in and saw that the three were at the work table with a portable IU radio. "Will it work?" Robert asked them.

Scotty feigned offense. "Oh, dinnae ye have any faith, Captain?"

Robert smiled at him and answered, "I do, Mister Scott, I do."

"Ah, good."

"We hooked an anchor unit into the radio," Jarod explained. "And we've confirmed it's working."

"But as usual, there's a damned catch," Barnes added.

"Aye." Scotty tapped the table. "We cannae put a big enough power source intae th' thing t' let it send out regularly." He indicated a physical switch near the top of the pack. "Ye flip this switch t' turn on th' anchor. Th' batteries will keep it runnin' for ten minutes or so."

"Right. And it's still backpack mobile?"

"It is," Jarod assured him.

"Excellent work, then." Robert took the straps and put it on. It was heavy-ish, certainly too heavy to effectively carry in his arms, but as a backpack unit it would work. He took a few steps with it and took it off. "Have it sent to the Koenig." He checked the time. "And we'd better get going. Sheridan's a busy man."

"You're not going in uniform, are you?" asked Jarod.

"No. Civilian clothes."

"Yeah, but if you get into a frakking fight, that's not gonna do you jack crap," Barnes said. "Action uniforms at least give you options."

"We'll have personal forcefield generators for safety," Robert assured them.

"Yes." Meridina looked toward him. "Although, Robert, I would like to accompany you to your quarters. I may have some suggestions for garments."

After they left, Julia became the center of attention. "Any idea why Maran's risking them like this?" Jarod asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "I understand wanting us to stay at Ys'talla longer, but this secrecy is a bit too much."

For a moment everyone was frowning. And then a small, quiet smile came to Jarod's face. "Maybe there's an alternative," he said.

"Like?" asked Scotty.

Jarod looked to Julia. Julia, in turn, wondered what he was saying before she caught the look in his eye. A grin formed on her face. "Yes," she said. "I think I know what you mean…"




Zack was waiting at the airlock for Robert and Meridina. From what Robert had told him, Zack expected to see them in civilian clothes.

What he got instead was the two shimmering into view behind him, inside the airlock. He turned to face them and saw that Robert now wearing the same purple armor and blue robe combination that Meridina and Lucy favored. He had a bag over one shoulder and a holster for his charge pistol on the hip. And, like Meridina, there was no sign of his rank strip.

Meridina had her own bag and her lightsaber on her hip.

"Well, and truly incognito, eh?" Zack asked. "Was that why you came in with cloaking devices?"

"That's why we did our goodbyes quietly," Robert answered. "As far as the crew knows, Meridina took me off to train in the holodeck."

"Right." Zack motioned to the airlock. "Well, let's get going before someone from the crew notices you."

"And so I can get out of this thing," Robert added. "You won't believe how much this chafes."

The resulting chuckle from Zack made Robert glower at his friend while Meridina watched on in quiet bemusement.




Robert and Meridina had been assigned guest quarters on Deck 3. The room, of course, was barely the size of a hotel room, with two bunk beds, a meal replicator, and a table with a computer access panel and controls. Seeing it made Robert appreciate the officers and crew on the Koenig all the more. And it made him consider that he did wish they were going to remain as transportation, but Maran's orders were already cut.

For the moment Robert was busy putting away the pieces of the armor, which he was determined to adjust before he ever put it on again. Meridina sat on the floor nearby, already out of her suit and wearing a sleeveless white vest and baggy trousers. "I would like to resume your training while we journey to Minbar."

After she said that Robert went to the computer and tapped its communication key. "Guest Quarters to Bridge."

"You know that the crew already knows you're aboard, right?" asked Zack. "You can't hide anything on this ship, Rob."

Robert sighed at that. "I figured. Just make sure people know that we're not supposed to be here."

"My people know to keep their lips shut," Zack replied. "What do you need?"

"What's our ETA to Minbar?"

"Since you're in a hurry, Poniatowski and Hajar have the warp drive running us up to Warp 9.25. We should be there in the morning."

Robert sighed at that. He hoped that whatever Sheridan had to share with them was worth coming out all this way. "I appreciate the extra speed, Zack."

"Just pray we don't blow a plasma injector. Or maybe use your funky life force powers to reinforce them or something."

Robert chuckled at that. He could sense that Meridina was amused as well. "Yeah, I'm not sure we can do that much."

"Then just pray. Or pay for our funerals. Karen will probably kill Ana, Jean, and me if we blow out any vital components in the system before picking her up."

"We'll think of something to save you from her wrath. Dale out." Robert let the line cut. With nothing more to do he sat down in front of Meridina. His T-shirt matched the color of her vest while the pair of blue shorts certainly did not. "Okay, training. In what?"

"Clarity. Control." A slight grin came to her face. "And then we shall resume your sword training."

"Here?" Robert asked in surprise.

"Of course not," Meridina scoffed. "The cargo bay is spacious enough."

Robert already saw what his evening would look like. A lot of getting clapped on the shoulders and arms and chest by a wooden stick. He let out a resigned sigh and closed his eyes to focus on his life energy.




After the day of training Robert and Meridina retired to their bunks. Meridina slept soundly.

Robert did not.

Getting to sleep was challenge enough. The cot was somewhat uncomfortable. He had little room to turn. It felt too cold to be without the blanket but once he pulled it on he felt too hot. His mind kept wandering. The cloak and dagger aspects of this seemed to be so unnecessary. Why a clandestine meeting to Sheridan? What would that accomplish that a call couldn't? What was Maran so worried about?

And that jump drive in the records. Was Tom Barnes right? That it was just an improved model? Or was it the source of an ancient Darglan mistake? Could they bring about the same destruction if they used it?

Sleep came for Robert. But his rest was haunted by the dreams. He watched Nazi troops burning their way through New Liberty. Julia strapped into a strange chair, screaming in agony. The fear in the amber eyes of the girl in the red and gold clothing before her eyes went white and raw power whipped around him.

Metal figures. A tall man in a long coat. A blond woman, or girl, right at the end of her teens from what Robert could tell. She spoke with an accent when she said two words.

"Bad Wolf."

Robert, as he often did when the dreams got intense, shot up to a sitting position. But the bunk space was too short for that. He slammed his head into the top of the bunk space and cried out in surprise and pain while flopping back to a laying position. A hand went to his forehead while his head throbbed from the impact.

Before he could finish getting his bearings, blue light appeared on the back of his left hand. A comm tone rang. He groaned and tapped it. "Yes?"

"Gooood morning, buddy," crooned Zack. "Just wanted you to know we're an hour out from Minbar and that I had Hajar re-align the replicators in the mess hall. If you get up now you can probably fix a quick breakfast in between your shower and departure."

WIth his head still throbbing, Robert was in a cranky mood. "I don't care what Scotty says," he grumbled, "it's not a real shower unless it includes water!"

"Agreed, Rob. That's why I'm going to let you use my shower. You and Meridina both."

That dampened the crankiness somewhat. Before he could react, Meridina answered, "That sounds pleasant."

Robert looked off the bunk. Meridina was sitting quietly at the desk in her night clothes - a silver silken suit that went down to her knees - with a cup of steaming liquid in her hand and a plate of Gersallian breakfast pastries on the desk. She looked up at him with concern.

Robert blinked and shook his head. This was a mistake, of course. "Okay, cool," he mumbled, now woozy. "I'll be up to your quarters in about ten minutes. Dale out."

"Your dreams are quite intense." Meridina sipped at her cup. "And I see why you worry about the term 'Bad Wolf'. I feel a particular energy from that element of your vision. It is… worrying."

"Tell me about it," Robert sighed. "Right now I just want some damn toast and eggs and a big aspirin."

Meridina said nothing to that request.




It was on approach to Minbar that the Koenig picked up instructions on how to deliver Robert and Meridina. The signal came in on the Rangers communication band; a specific point of space, a location on the surface in Tuzanor, and instructions to beam at a specific time.

Robert and Meridina materialized into a scene of beauty, once again wearing the swevyra'se armor and robes. Their destination was a courtyard of sorts, filled with sculptures of beautiful crystal that seemed to sing as the wind brushed across it.

Waiting for them were two figures. One was a Human woman with a dark bronze complexion and the second was a Minbari man. Both were in full Ranger garb and no others. The woman bowed respectfully. "I am Lucille Solonandrasana," she said. "President Sheridan will see you shortly. Please follow us."

Robert and Meridina followed them. And not without difficulty, as they were nearly enthralled by how gorgeous the Minbari buildings and garden looked. Inside the structure the walls seemed slightly more normal-looking, with blues and purples and violets as the colors for the walls.

They were escorted to an office deep in the complex and left alone. Robert set down the portable IU radio set and both put down their bags and placed them at the side of the room. "Such a gorgeous place," Meridina said. "I see why Mastrash Ledosh was so enamored with it."

Robert nodded without giving any verbal agreement. He didn't need to. This place was stupendously beautiful.

A few moments later the door opened. Sheridan walked in carrying… a baby carrier.

Robert blinked and then watched avidly as one of the most influential leaders in the Multiverse, the man who had led the galaxy to victory over the Shadows and then led the rebellion against the fascist President Clark on Earth, gave an almost worried look toward the carrier. Relief appeared on the man's bearded face. "I put the earmuffs on," he confided to them in a soft voice. "As long as we're careful we shouldn't wake him."

"Your son?" asked Robert.

Sheridan nodded. "Delenn had some… religious caste ritual to attend, and she couldn't have David there." The smile of a proud father eager to show off his newborn son appeared and the carrier was turned to present the occupant. David Sheridan was only a few months old, clad in a blue baby one-piece suit that had little cartoony animals covering it. At first glance he looked like any baby would, or so Robert thought, but upon second glance he noted the formative Minbari bone crest circling the baby's head. The earmuffs were placed lower than they would be on a Human infant's head.

"He looks… great," Robert said, trying to avoid even thinking about how babies often didn't look cute or adorable until they were quite a bit older.

Meridina's reply was more authentic. "A healthy, wonderful child. Although I continue to be confused by the Human desire to place unrealistic, drawn pictures on their childrens' clothing."

Sheridan chuckled at that. "Delenn has said the same thing. They were a gift from my father, actually." He pulled up a spare chair and placed the carrier into it, facing him so he could keep an eye on David. "Well, we should get on to business, as soon as Delenn gets back I have a Council meeting to get to."

"I understand." Robert deliberately kept his voice as soft as possible without letting it become inaudible. "Admiral Maran filled you in?"

"He did." Sheridan nodded. "I'm sorry that we couldn't handle this over the comms."

"What's going on?"

"Well, as you may recall, a certain legally questionable Akdorian-flagged Human ship was raided a little over a year ago." Sheridan flashed them a quick grin. Robert had no doubt he knew what had happened to the Pedicarus. "The raiders made off with some ancient computer databanks taken from what we now know to be the Darglan Homeworld. I'm sure you can imagine how certain parties felt about that."

"They probably didn't know what they had before," Robert remarked. "Now that they do, I can't imagine they're happy about it."

"They're not. In particular, a company called Interplanetary Expeditions, IPX for short, has been demanding greater Earthforce support for their expeditions into neutral space. They've also prompted several influential Earth Alliance Senators to oppose the Allied Systems' annexation of the Darglan Homeworld and surrounding space. Space that, I will point out, your people have yet to fully assert control over due to your war efforts. And the InterStellar Alliance has had its own concerns diverting our attention."

"Especially since Delenn sent Rangers to fight on our side in the war," Meridina added.

"So I'm assuming IPX has been running illegal excavations into the space around the Darglan Homeworld?" Robert asked.

"They're being quiet about whether they are or not," Sheridan revealed. "Miss Holloran has been discreetly tracking IPX's movements in the region and even she can't be sure what they're up to. At best guess, they're still doing preliminary survey work while avoiding your patrols." Sheridan's eyes briefly glanced toward the baby carrier. "And they're laying the legal groundwork by encouraging the Earth Senate to pass a resolution declaring the Alliance annexation of the Darglan Homeworld null and void."

"Which is nothing but a political statement." Robert shook his head. "But is one we have to take seriously while we're busy fighting the Nazis. Dammit."

"The Alliance has invited the Minbari and other species to join us in protecting the Darglan Homeworld and what is left," Meridina noted. "Certainly this IPX could work with us?"

"No, they can't," Sheridan said. "Trust me, I know these people. IPX claim to be xenoarchaeologists out to further our understanding of old civilizations, but they actually work for Earthforce. Since the Minbari War their entire purpose has been finding the remains of old civilizations to see if there are any technologies that can improve Earth's technology. Even if they agree to cooperate with you, it would be for show while they pulled every dirty trick in the book to steal whatever they could from your efforts."

"So this is the reason for the secrecy?" Robert asked. "To keep IPX from figuring out that we're looking for a big new find?"

"Exactly. Because given the situation, they might just show up with an Earthforce destroyer to assert control," replied Sheridan. "So it's best if we keep this off their scanners. Do you know where to look?"

"We're waiting to see if any more data comes from examining the Darglan data we have on hand," said Robert. "But we did have an idea."

"Yes?"

"We know that the Darglan were forced to give up their interuniversal drives after a war with an enemy called the Darkness," said Meridina.

Sheridan let out a little sigh that covered a sentiment Robert could sense within him, a sentiment summed up as "Here we go again".

"And we know that a number of ancient species were responsible for this demand," Meridina continued.

"You think it was the First Ones?" Sheridan asked.

"It makes sense," Robert answered. "We know the Shadows hated them enough that they wiped them out in the end. And we were thinking that maybe these First Ones might have an idea where we can locate that Darglan prototype jump drive."

"There aren't an First Ones left in our galaxy. They're all gone." Sheridan turned thoughtful. "But there is someone that might have the information you want."

"Oh?"

A distant look came over Sheridan's face. "She's dangerous," he said. "Part of it might be my fault. A lot happened after the Shadow War and, in retrospect, I was too hard on her." Seeing his guests weren't sure whom he was talking about, he said. "Her name is Lyta Alexander. She's a telepath, one of the most powerful living telepaths to ever exist."

"Indeed?"

"Yes. She was augmented by the Vorlons years ago," Sheridan said. "They did… things to her. They told her things about their past that no other Human being has ever been told. I'm not sure how much they changed her, but it's enough to know she scares the hell out of me. I'm not looking forward to her return."

"Where did she go?" Meridina asked.

"G'Kar of the Narn wanted to go out on the frontier," Sheridan said. "He felt his people were relying too much on him for leadership. So he bought a ship, inviting Lyta along, and they flew off to travel the frontier for a year." Sheridan shook his head. "A year that's almost up."

"Do you think Lyta Alexander will assist us?" Meridina asked.

"I can't say for sure." Sheridan had a pensive look now. "By the time she left, she was bitter. She felt used by us, by Psi Corps, by everyone. And it wouldn't surprise me if she's already itching for a fight with the Psi Corps."

"I have heard of this 'Psi Corps'," Meridina said. Her voice betrayed only a sliver of her distaste. "Their behavior is abominable for farisa."

"That's your word for telepath, right?" When Meridina nodded, Sheridan could only nod in agreement with her sentiment. "They're a monster of our own creation. Frankly I wish we could have removed them along with Clark, but circumstances didn't allow it."

"Yes. Sometimes we must be content with what could be done, not what might have been done."

Robert spent the conversation thinking things over. Lyta sounded dangerous, immensely so. But she was likely their best shot at finding something. And if these IPX people were on the move… well, they had shot down a White Star to preserve the secrecy of their digs. There was no telling what they'd do. "Maybe we can offer her something," Robert remarked.

Sheridan immediately provided his attention. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, she's opposed to the Psi Corps, right? I'm betting she's sympathetic to the telepaths who run from them?"

"I'd say so." Sheridan thought of Byron's group, and old thoughts of blame and guilt and betrayal briefly worked their way through his mind.

"The Alliance has laws allowing such people to claim asylum. To my knowledge, few have tried, and we've gone out of our way to avoid causing friction with the Earth Alliance over this." Robert considered his options. "But I have friends, allies, who could be persuaded to act in support of these fugitives and whatever organizations help them. We could organize an underground railroad of sorts to bring them to the Alliance, our Alliance."

"You could," Sheridan agreed. "And Lyta might work with you for assurances on that. Just be careful. The Psi Corps isn't above its own dirty tricks, you might put people in the crossfire. God help them if a Psi Cop catches them."

"I may be able to provide aid there," said Meridina. "I am not the only farisa in my family. My mother is a great farisa with many connections across the Interdependency. She would know which of them would be willing to protect the minds of those involved in this 'underground railroad'."

"Well, it sounds like you have a plan, then," said Sheridan. "Now you just need to find Lyta and G'Kar."

"And a ship."

"Oh, I already arranged that," Sheridan revealed. "Or rather, Admiral Maran and I arranged it. A private craft is waiting for you at Tuzanor spaceport." Sheridan pulled a data crystal from a shelf in his desk and handed it to Robert. "The access codes for it are there. Holloran has some information on suspected sightings of G'Kar and Lyta. You'll find those loaded as well."

"If we need help from a combat ship, any chance of it?" Robert asked. "Something to get to us quickly?"

"It depends." Sheridan thought about it for a moment. "If you send a transmission back to me with the channel encoded in that crystal, I'm sure Delenn can arrange for a White Star to be on 'training maneuvers' in the area. But that won't work more than once."

"No, it won't," Robert agreed. He put the data crystal away and stood up. "That's it, then. Thank you for having us, Mister President."

"Good luck, Captain, Commander."

Robert and Meridina picked up their things very carefully. Once everything was together they went to the door.

As they stepped through it, a sudden cry pierced the air. It grew in volume, joined by earnest pleas for calm, until they were nearly out of the building.




The Aurora retained her place in geosynchronous orbit of Ys'talla, which rotated quietly from the window of the conference lounge as Julia waited. She had made the calls she felt necessary and could do no more. It was back to business. Which was why she was currently in her usual chair in the conference lounge off the bridge. This interview wouldn't have felt right in Robert's ready office.

Indeed, despite this venue, a part of her still felt wrong over the conversation she was about to have.

She forced those thoughts from her mind when the door opened and Locarno entered. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.

"Sit down, please," she replied gently. He sat down across from her. Julia looked over Locarno briefly. He was handsome and intelligent. His hair, brown with a tinge of red, was combed precisely. His light-green eyes looked back at her with curiosity. "I've got something to ask you, Nick. You don't have to give me an answer right away, either, just within the next few weeks."

"You want to know if I want to serve on the Enterprise," he said, recognizing what was coming up.

"Not just that." Julia put her hands on the table. "I want to know if you would like to be my First Officer."

For a moment Locarno went quiet. He lowered his eyes as if in thought. Julia waited patiently for him to respond while trying to gauge his likely reaction from the way he was looking.

"You want me to be second-in-command?" he asked. "To be that close to a command of my own?"

"Yes," she said. "I do." Looking into his face, Julia thought she could tell what was wrong. "You've learned your lesson, Nick. And I think you'll make a great captain one day."

"I suppose you do." Locarno drew in a breath. "And I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way, that I wasn't interested."

"But?" Julia drew the word out.

"Honestly?" He met her eye to eye. "I think that's the reason why I can't. Not right now."

"So your answer is no?"

"Correct. No. I'm not interested in being your First Officer, or taking any other command position," Locarno said. "Frankly, the way I feel… I'll resign my commission before I accept a command."

"You've been making progress over the past," Julia pointed out. "Why do you feel this way?"

"It's one thing to be inching toward forgiveness from Jean, but it's another to go looking for command again," Locarno answered. "I don't mind doing the occasional bridge watch for you, or heading a department, but I'm not interested in ship command right now. Maybe not ever. So again, my answer is no."

After a moment of looking into his eyes for any sign that he was waving, Julia nodded. "Fair enough."

"And before you ask, no." Locarno shook his head. "I'm not transferring to the Enterprise. This is my ship, this is my place, it's where I'm staying."

"Alright. I understand."

"Do you?"

Julia blinked. Locarno's voice sounded heated. "What do you mean?"

Locarno, for his part, seemed to consider what he was going to say next. "I understand you want command. That's your choice. I wish you the best of luck. But this… this is wrong."

Julia said nothing, inviting him to continue.

"This crew, this team, we've done amazing things," Locarno said. "And now you're tearing it apart. Why? You don't have to break up everything just because you're getting a new ship."

"It's not just me," Julia pointed out. "Angel asked me even before I said yes. Scotty made it clear he wants to serve on the Enterprise. Am I just supposed to tell them 'no'?"

"You could try to talk them out of it," Locarno suggested. "You could keep our crew as intact as possible."

"You and I both know this crew isn't going to last forever, no matter if I take people with me or not. It's part of this life," Julia retorted.

"That doesn't mean you just do it on a whim." Locarno drew in a breath. "Because… because we're a family, remember? And you're splitting us up."

Julia went quiet at that. And as much as she wished… she knew he wasn't wrong. They were a family, and now they were going to be divided between two ships. They might never work together again.

I knew this would happen. And I said 'Yes' anyway.

"You're right. We're splitting up. But we'll still be family, being on different ships doesn't change that." Julia stood up from the chair. "But thank you for telling me how you feel, Nick. Thank you for your honesty. You're dismissed."

Locarno stood and nodded before walking out. The door slid closed behind him, leaving Julia to her private thoughts.




The ship that left Tuzanor Spaceport thirty minutes later was not a common ship in the E5B1 Universe, but was instead a New Chongqing Spaceworks Type 121 Personal High Speed Transport Vessel. The craft was the size of a standard runabout in the Alliance service (or Starfleet's for that matter). The warp nacelles were built into the top of the craft instead of the bottom, unlike runabouts. It wasn't the sleekest vessel either, built for power and volume, with the advantage that it made it less aesthetically-pleasing and, thus, less likely get noticed. The hull was colored a bland gray.

While it wasn't pretty, it was fast, and within an hour it had traveled to within range of the system's jumpgate.

In the helm area of the craft, Robert was in the piloting seat and Meridina in the co-pilot chair. "We're clear to the jumpgate," Robert said. "I'm setting a course for our first destination, Kalnit Station."

"Have you heard of this place?"

"I haven't. Going by the library computers, it's an open port on the edge of Brakiri space."

Meridina checked the list. "Minister Holloran rated it as only the third likely location."

"She did." Robert nodded. "But consider it for a moment. In our way."

A moment passed and Meridina concentrated with her swevyra. She felt her energy connect to the wider universe and let the insights come in. "I see," she said. "And I agree."

"Thanks." Robert smiled. "Besides, if she and G'Kar are on their way back to B5, it's the second furthest possible route they could take."

"I see. The closest being too obvious…"

"...and the furthest being just as obvious," he finished the thought for her. "According to these calculations on hyperspace travel times by sublight capability, we should be at our destination gate late tonight. Then it'll be a six hour warp flight at Warp 5."

"So we will not get to our destination until the early morning hours," Meridina noted. "Which is how much of the Multiverse's populace experiences interstellar flight, I imagine."

"We're going to be missing that Warp 9.2 cruise speed before we're done," Robert sighed. Outside the window ahead the jumpgate started flashing to light. Points of light formed along the four struts, traveling down and inward until they jumped from the struts and coalesced to form a hyperspace jumppoint. Robert triggered the impulse drives and flew their ship into the brown-colored vortex and into the shifting crimson energies of hyperspace.
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

You should put a whole buncha pseudo-episodic encounters in between the jumpgate and their destination. Make it a Space Road Trip!
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

The Koenig decloaked long before it arrived in the Epsilon Eridani system. It came out of warp and approached Babylon-5 at half impulse. Magda double-checked the time and smiled at Zack. "Three hours to spare," she said.

Zack answered with a single nod of his head. "Contact station control and see about getting us a station-keeping area within transporter range." His eyes kept on the sight of the five mile long space station spinning away in orbit over the barren planet beyond.

"Opening channel…"

While Magda spoke with a Lieutenant Corwin in Babylon Control, Zack continued watching the station. The others had spoken about visiting Babylon-5 last year while his ship was with the Colonial Refugee Fleet. While it wasn't the most advanced or largest space station he'd ever seen, it had a charm to it. And given Zack had spent over twenty years of living in an era when a small space station not even the size of the Koenig had been a massive achievement, it was no surprise that any space station that was five miles long and contained nearly a quarter of a million beings would seem a marvel.

I wonder what Clara would think of it went through Zack's mind. He'd sent off another message to her before they left the Aurora. Would one be waiting once the Koenig re-connected to the communications networks?

His thoughts about Clara were interrupted by Apley's announcement that they had achieved their station-keeping position. "Have Driik and our reserve bridge crew assume stations in an hour," Zack said. "We need to find a good spot for the 'welcome back' party."

"Weren't we going to hold one for her on the Aurora?" April asked. "Hargert's going to bake a cake."

"Oh, we'll have another one," Zack said. "But this one will be just for us."

"Sounds good to me, sir," Apley stated. Without removing his eyes from his control board Apley followed that up by asking, "How do you think our passengers are doing?"

"Knowing Rob?" Zack chuckled. "Worrying or brooding."




A few hundred light years away, the Type 121 transport was still cruising along at Warp 5. Robert stepped into the cockpit to find Meridina sitting quietly at the controls. "Your turn for some sleep," he said while trying, and mostly failing, to enjoy the coffee that the replicator had provided to him.

"I am rested sufficiently," Meridina replied. She turned in her chair and held up a cup of what Robert thought looked like beef broth. She sipped at it. "Although the replicators leave something to be desired. My jalnen is entirely too bitter-tasting."

"Gersallian coffee?" Robert asked.

"No. This does not contain caffeine. It has a blend of herbs that ease the mind." Meridina set the cup to the side. "And is quite good for meditations. When it tastes properly." She gestured to the piloting panel. "We are due to arrive at Kalnit Station in a few minutes. What is your plan?"

"Plan?"

"We will undoubtedly have to explain our presence," Meridina said.

"Well, we could claim we're smugglers, I suppose." Robert got into the co-pilot chair and took another drink. A displeased expression crossed his face.

"Then they will expect us to pay," Meridina pointed out. "And there may be questions about why our ship is not a smuggling craft." A thought crossed her mind. Robert sensed it and frowned. "Unless we make them believe we smuggle sapient beings."

"In other words, we masquerade as slavers."

"It does not appear to be a severe problem in this universe, granted, but I suspect it exists in some form."

Robert thought about the problem. A thought finally came to him, one that made him chuckle. Meridina gave him a curious look. He returned it with a smile. "Not slavers. People smugglers works. We simply imply that we get people from Point A to Point B in a quiet fashion."

Meridina nodded in understanding. "Our clientele is theoretically composed of desperate, likely armed beings looking to escape certain death or imprisonment, then."

"Exactly. And best of all, if we need to, that's the hook we can use to get a conversation with Lyta. After all, Human telepaths fleeing the Psi Corps will be looking for any means of escape. We just have to be careful we don't end up with a prospective client."

Their conversation ended with a tone at the helm informing them of their arrival at Kalnit Station. Meridina brought the ship out of warp with precision that Locarno would have appreciated, Robert thought, and put them on course for the station.

The station itself was an O'Neill-cylinder like Babylon-5 had been. But it was nowhere near the size of the diplomatic station. It was about a kilometer wide and shaped roughly like a bicycle wheel with a shaft through the center that ended with external docking ports for large ships. Robert noted an incoming signal and answered it. "Hello."

"Identify your vessel."

"We're the…" Robert thought about it for a moment. "...Eagle… 5. Private personal transport."

"State your business."

"A quick stop-over, maybe see if there's some work available," he answered. "Any problems with that?"

There was a pause. "Pay your docking fare and there won't be."

"Fine by me, Kalnit Control. Eagle 5 out." Robert killed the channel and let out a breath. "Charming, aren't they?"

"How do you propose to pay the fare?"

Robert started tapping keys. "Admiral Maran gave me authorization to an expense account. A very anonymous account, I gathered."

"Ah." Meridina clearly had no surprise on that score. "The Admiral has always been one to stand for preparation." She tapped the flight controls as their ship flew in. "We are being assigned to an internal dock. I have a flight path."

"Alright, take us in." Robert watched the station grow larger and felt anticipation grow. "We should probably wear our alternative suits over the armor instead of the robes."

"Agreed."




Jarod was on bridge watch when the call came from Julia. Jupap immediately put her image on the holo-viewscreen. She was standing in one of the halls outside the Clans' Council meeting chambers. "How is the vote going?" asked Jarod.

Julia looked around before sighing with relief. "Good. Chieftess Y'mali just voted yes and the treaty just won a floor vote. The opposition called for recess to rally but I don't see it happening."

"I take it Chiefs U'mhaka and U'dahra weren't pleased?"

Now Julia grinned with satisfaction. "U'mhaka voted yes after all. Internal clan politics or something. As for U'dahra, I took the time to visit his suites to explain things." The smile turned gleeful and a little wolfish. "I made it pretty clear to him that I was off-limits. And I'm sure he'll find out about the girls who slipped out of his suite later today. Coincidentally, the starliner Arcturus Clipper just hired some new waitresses eager to see the rest of the Multiverse."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Anything from the others?"

"The Koenig arrived at B5 and are waiting to pick up Karen. Zack is going to stay on station for a little. Liberty for his crew."

"And he'll be on hand to help Robert and Meridina. Good." Julia looked to something off-screen. "It looks like they're assembling for another reading. I'll talk to you later. Andreys out."

The holo-viewscreen shifted back to showing the orbital space of Ys'talla. Jarod settled back into the chair and waited for his bridge watch to end.




Karen Derbely breathed in the air of Babylon-5 and sighed with contentment. Months of surgeries, physical therapy, doctors and nurses, and she was back where she belonged. Out on the frontier, out in space. A surge of excitement rushed through her at the thought of being back on her ship and with her colleagues and friends on the Koenig and Aurora.

Her Alliance uniform stood out among those of the Earthforce personnel working the station, black with beige trim and two gold strips on the collar rank badge. Her light brown hair was loose for the moment, flowing down around her shoulders and the top of her back. Her oval-shaped face looked about at the myriad of species at this magnificent port of call. As she walked up to the customs area with her duffel bag over her shoulder, she listened to a Tellarite visitor continue what sounded like a heated argument with a greenish-gray scaled humanoid alien - a Drazi, she recalled.

At the customs area a smiling young Southeast Asian man in a security uniform accepted her Stellar Navy-issued identity card. It didn't fit his identicard standard so he turned to a multidevice, one that he was clearly not familiar with. "Sorry, ma'am… Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Lieutenant," she replied.

"We're still getting used to these things," he said apologetically while working with the controls. "And now I hear they want us to switch to those hardlight ones…"

"Omnitool," Derbely clarified. She activated her new blue omnitool model. "I'm in the same boat. I just got back on duty and they've swapped us over to this."

"Yes, those look like they're going to be a pain. Why can't they just build new identicard scanners that lets us scan… ah." He finally got her information. "Welcome to Babylon-5, Lieutenant Derbely. Do you have anything to declare?"

"Nothing but personal effects," she said. "Change of clothes, hygiene products, and a datapad for personal use."

"Alright." He handed her a flyer. "Here are the basic customs rules for the station. The back side has a printout of the sectors. I hope you enjoy your stay on B5."

"Hey, Irwansyah," a new voice called out. A man with a black station uniform walked up. "You're still having problems with these things?" He gestured to his own multidevice.

"Sorry, Chief."

"Well, send her through, you're holding up the line…" The Chief gestured to Derbely, who followed him out of the way. "Sorry, we're still getting used to this stuff."

"So your man said," Derbely answered. "Chief…?"

"Zack Allan, Chief of B5 Security," he replied. He accepted a handshake with Derbely. "Say, you're with that ship that just left, right?"

Derbely made a face at that. "What?"

"It's the… what was it… King… Koing?"

"Koenig," said Derbely with a flat tone.

"Right, that one. Sorry. They got called away…"

Derbely let out a sigh. "Of course, these things have to happen, right? It's not like I didn't get flash-fried by plasma."

Allan made a face at that. "Sounds unpleasant. Say…" He gestured with his head. "Let me get you a drink. Doug's Dugout, on me. Maybe I can find out when your ship will be back."

Derbely almost said no. But there was something earnest and friendly about Zack Allan that caused her to reconsider before she spoke. "Alright," she said. "And then I'd better see about getting quarters…"

Chief Allan led her out of the arrival terminal and through Blue Sector to Red Sector. "Hell of a place, isn't it?" Allan asked her.

"Yeah. It reminds me of Jury Station back in my home universe."

"Oh? Where are you from, then?"

"Universe D3R1, I'm from Littlefield Station," she answered. "It was a small, half-impoverished mining outpost gathering minerals from a moon in the Sagan Eta system. My dad was an ore hauler pilot. Two days to Jury Station at Warp 3, two days there for offloading, two days back." Derbely smiled from old memories. "He started taking me when I was ten years old, every school break. Best week a kid could ask for. Dad taught me everything he knew about running a starship's engine room."

"I can imagine. Ah, here we go."

Zack Allan led Derbely into the entryway of an establishment that looked like the sports bar she remembered her father frequenting on Littlefield Station, only slightly less grimy. She easily recognized the aroma of greasy food and beer.

She turned toward the bar.

"SURPRISE!" cried the Koenig officers waiting there.

A banner had been strung over the bar: "WELCOME BACK, KAREN!" A smiling bartender, undoubtedly eager for the sales this impromptu party would bring him, brought up more pitchers filled with dark amber-colored drink while her crewmates applauded. Zack was in the middle, with Apley, Magda, and April Sherlily to one side and Doctor Opani, Ana Poniatowski, and Ensign Hajar on the other. Zack stepped forward with a mug full of beer. "Good to have you back, Karen," he said to her.

Derbely started to laugh. She couldn't hide her joy even as she looked to Chief Allan. He smiled back. "Hey, Commander Carrey asked nicely for the best place to welcome a buddy back, so of course I helped out."

"What's in it for you, then?"

"Nothing." Allan shrugged. "He told me what happened to you, so of course I helped out."

"Are you off-duty, Chief Allan?" Zack asked. "I've got a mug with your name on it."

"Ah, in an hour or so," was the reply. "Save me a seat, I'll bring some of my people and we'll wipe the floor with you at darts."

"Ha!" Zack laughed at that. "I think that's a challenge we can't refuse, isn't it everyone? Ap, you're going to have to show them the error of their ways, right?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Apley vowed.

"But that's for later." Magda finished hugging Derbely so April could. "For now, we celebrate!"

As she hugged them one by one, Derbely couldn't hold back the tears. It was great to be home.




Kalnit Station was a grimy, dirty place, with the air so stale Robert spent their first hour on the station nearly choking from it. Throngs of individuals of various species moved around to various stalls and shops. It looked like the space station equivalent of urban blight to Robert's eyes, and he worried about what was in the hazy smoke that seemed to waft in from some of the shops.

The mystery of the "multiversality" of Humanity and Human-looking species did allow them to go mostly unnoticed, as species from E5B1 predominated. Pak'ma'ra to one side haggled with a Vree proprietor. A Brakiri looked over a jewelry store run by another Brakiri. Drazi were bickering with a Human shopkeeper at his entrance while a Hyach watched and shook her head.

Meridina drew Robert's attention to a pair of Llort that nearly ran into them. Robert felt a hand start to brush against his trousers. Someone was pick-pocketing him, or seeing if he had a gun at his hip. He intercepted the hand and smacked it away, thankful for the shoulder holster he'd decided to employ. It had seemed the right thing, hiding his weapon from view under the dark blue-jean jacket he had on. Meridina likewise wore a full suit with a dark red jacket, but there was no hiding the lightsaber on her belt. This was an advantage, though, since nobody would recognize them where some might now know about lakesh hilts.

"This place is still big enough that I'm not sure we'll find either of them just walking around," he said. "Not that we can just call them over the intercom."

"If you consider President Sheridan's description of her, Lyta Alexander has a great deal of power," Meridina said. "We may sense her."

"Right now I'm just sensing the fact that these people are generally unfriendly and a lot of them want to shoot someone. Maybe even us." Robert kept scanning the crowds. "I wonder… places like these, they have people who keep an eye out for things, right? Information dealers."

"Yes."

"Maybe one of them can help?"

Meridina's skepticism on that point could be sensed even before she replied, "Possible, unlikely, and for a price. I suspect the Admiral's expense account is not bottomless."

"I wouldn't want to find out," Robert admitted.

They continued walking on until Robert gestured to a bar that didn't smell quite as bad as the others. The sign over it was on alien writing. Robert could have used his omnitool to translate but didn't bother, instead stepping up to the bar and sitting on the stool.

The bartender looked Human. His accent sounded vaguely European when he asked, "What will it be?"

"That depends on what you have," Robert replied.

"All sorts of drinks. Jovian sunspot, perhaps? Kompa. I even have a case of brivari that a friend from the Homeworld sends me."

"Brivari?"

"Ah, sorry, the hair." The barkeeper laughed. "I am a commoner, so I don't get to have a hair crest. Not a very high one, anyway. I am Terlo, a Centauri."

"Ah. I've not met a Centauri before," Robert admitted.

"Eh, we are not very popular in the galaxy," Terlo said, sighing at the end. "Those idiots in the Centaurum had to go invading nearly every species in the League. Then, despite all of that, when we were in a position of influence in the InterStellar Alliance, what do they do? They start attacking the other species again." He shook his head. "And the idiots were so ready to fight they let the Narn and Drazi slip through and bomb our homeworld. And when Sheridan forces them to stop, our new Emperor pokes him in the eye and cuts us off from the rest of the galaxy." Terlo shook his head. "It is all a terrible mistake, all of it. And to make it worse, the Emperor is letting that… that insufferable man Durla take charge back on the Homeworld…" Terlo noticed Robert and Meridina weren't quite paying attention and stopped himself. "But I am digressing. What would you like?"

After thinking it over, Robert decided to go for something that sounded like it was meant for Humans. "A Jovian sunspot," he said.

"And your lovely lady?"

"I am not…" Meridina stopped herself. Their cover would be strained if she protested a disinterest in alcohol. "I will take a Jovian sunspot as well."

"Very well."

Robert took out his cash card and allowed Terlo to scan it, withdrawing money from Maran's expense account to pay the amiable bartender. He looked back into the bar and noticed various figures moving around.

"...so what are you doing at humble Kalnit Station?" asked Terlo, bringing their drinks back. "I'm here praying to the family gods that I raise enough credits to go home with something more than the clothes on my back."

"If you lack funds, how did you get here?" inquired Meridina.

Terlo nodded and grinned at Meridina, while Robert consciously felt for danger before taking his first drink of the fruity alcohol drink. "I was actually a merchant, with my own ship, passing through here when the InterStellar Alliance revealed my government was responsible for the attacks on Alliance shipping. To shorten my tale of woe, my ship was sabotaged, most of my cargo stolen, and the outcome of the war led to the Centauri ducat's value dropping like a Drazi drunk on Bor'Kaan. That meant I couldn't afford the repairs on my ship, and I wouldn't have the money to pay docking fees for long. I had to sell. Thankfully it was enough to rent out this establishment." Terlo gestured to his bar. It was a small place. Robert doubted it could fit more than twenty-five, maybe thirty, without violating fire codes (presuming Kalnit had them, Robert doubted this too). But it was, as the station went, well-kept, and a multitude of species were represented at the tables.

"And the rest of your cargo was booze?" Robert asked.

"Not at all," said Terlo. "It was Quantium-40, actually. I managed to keep one crate from being stolen. I was able to barter it for a ship's hold worth of several Brikari liquors. A few other drinks here and there and, gods be thanked, I had my opening stock."

"It cannot be easy, being an enemy of these peoples," Meridina observed. She gently sipped at the glass.

"Oh, I get vandalized every now and then," Terlo admitted, "but most of the locals know me by now. And I pay protection to the Tos'Meton Syndicate. The Brikari who run this station," he clarified immediately. "The Brikari can be quite pragmatic about these things, if you have the money." He waited for Robert and Meridina to finish a drink each before asking, "So, who are you?"

"Me? My name's Jerry. Jerry Furland. And this is Mira Doyle."

"And you are here for…?"

"Coming through, checking out business opportunities," Robert answered. He grinned slyly. "Mira and I are… travel specialists, you might say."

"Travel specialists?" Terlo smiled at that.

"When someone wants to travel from where they are to somewhere else, and they'd like their trip to happen quickly and with minimal fuss, they pay us and we take them to that somewhere else they desire to go." Robert sipped at his drink afterward.

Terlo grinned at that. "Presumably these customers have very good reason to travel."

Robert shrugged. "I suppose. Sounds like you could be a potential customer."

"I suspect your rates would wipe me out, Mister Furland," Terlo answered. "I have to have something to show to my family if I don't want to get disowned. I may never be able to afford a noble title now, but anything's better than returning penniless."

"Right." Robert looked to Meridina. He had an idea. "Still, if you're not interested in our services, maybe you know someone who is?" He gave Terlo a knowing look.

"Well…" Terlo thought it over. "There are a few, I admit. Those who want to leave Kalnit quietly, without attracting attention…"

"Such as?" Meridina asked. She looked toward him as well, keeping her look from seeming too intent.

Terlo leaned in and lowered his voice. "Do you see that Human over there?"

Robert quickly glanced further into the bar. The distant table was occupied by a Human male. He looked Caucasian, with a complexion and look Robert thought to be pasty - too much time in space? - with a neatly trimmed beard of dark hair with clothes that Robert thought looked fairly non-descript. Clearly someone trying not to call attention to himself.

Robert immediately moved his head to avoid making any long contact, anything that could give away he was looking that way. Clearly this potential client wasn't Lyta, but the cover demanded Robert seem interested. "What about him?"

"His name is Gagnor. He orders the same drinks every day. Schnapps, a Human beverage. Although he switched to brivari when I was out of schnapps for a few days."

"He's a long-term resident?"

"A number of months, he comes and goes. But he is not whom I am referring to." Terlo looked around briefly, including making sure Gagnor wasn't looking their way. "He has a new client. A Human woman. She wants things from him. Weapons, I hear, but also transportation back into Earth Alliance space."

"Gagnor can provide this?" asked Meridina.

"I do not think so. He does dabble in arms dealing, but that market, it is not as lucrative as it once was now that the Shadow War and all the other wars are over and nearly everyone is in the InterStellar Alliance. The larger dealers are buying up all of the war surplus to keep it off the market and keep the prices from falling too quickly. Gagnor… he is a minor player, so I do not think he has much product to sell. Mostly old League surplus from the Dilgar War. And in this market, I am not surprised if he will have to… how do you say it… 'diversify' his business."

"There are wars in other universes," Meridina pointed out.

"True," Terlo allowed. "Anyway, he has been meeting with her daily. She may be here soon. Pay me a finder's fee, forty percent commission of your deal?"

"Twenty percent," Robert countered.

"Thirty-five percent."

"Twenty-five."

"Thirty-three. I will not go lower."

Robert narrowed his eyes to play along. He could sense Terlo's plan if he didn't agree; he would warn Gagnor that they were Anla'shok, Rangers, and scare the dealer off and his client too.

He looked to Meridina. She nodded back. Her response wasn't telepathic - there could be telepaths that could hear them - but he could sense her answer. She'd seen Lyta's face in Terlo's mind. This was their chance.

"Thirty-three percent," Robert agreed.

Terlo smiled. "I do so enjoy working with Humans," the Centauri said. "Another Jovian sunspot?"

Robert had to admit he enjoyed the drink. And he was also quite glad that the detoxicants he and Meridina took before leaving the Eagle 5 would keep him sober, even if it would inevitably result in a bathroom visit before long. "Of course," Robert said.

After Terlo stepped away to prepare their drinks, Robert and Meridina exchanged glances. This was the break they'd been hoping for.

Now all they had to do was sit… and wait.




Cheers and light-hearted boos filled Doug's Dugout when a member of the B5 security force, a Narn, hit a dart just above the 20 triple score section. A successful hit would have made B5 Security's lead insurmountable.

But it was not, and everything fell onto Zack Carrey's shoulders to win the game for his officers. Dart by dart flew. The first was a hit on the double ten portion on the right side of the outer ring. The second, which caused flinching from all, was when Zack hit just to the right of the high value 20 point slice of the board, scoring just 1 point. He took careful aim and, with one eye open, threw one more time. The dart thunked into the lower left side… just inside the 48 point mark.

B5 security's lead had been 42.

Both sides cheered regardless of who won or lost, and a round of beer mugs rose up in celebration before their contents were guzzled down enthusiastically. Zack high-fived anyone who offered one while making his way back to the bar. Zack Allan was seated there looking at the vidscreen showing a baseball game. "I guess one of the benefits of the Multiverse is that it's always summer on some Earth," Zack said, looking at the game in question. "The trick is keeping which universe's team is which straight."

"Yeah." Allan noticed the wistful look on Zack's face. "Something wrong, Carrey?"

"Nothing wrong, Allan." The two, due to sharing the same first name, had already opted to go by surnames. "Just thinking how things might have been." Zack accepted a fresh mug from the bartender. "I played back home. In the minors. But I had major league scouts checking my games out."

"What happened? Injury?"

Zack shook his head. "Family issues," he answered laconically, in a tone making clear his refusal to say more.

"Right. So you ended up… I don't know, there's all sorts of stories about how the Alliance came together." Allan quaffed at his own mug. "Stuff about an Earth from the 20th Century having some ancient alien base from a species in our galaxy and people adapting the technology…"

"It sounded crazy then, and it still sounds crazy," said Zack. He grinned at Allan. "But I lived it."

"Yeah, well, crazy sometimes happens. I mean, when I was assigned here, I had no idea how crazy things were going to get." Allan shook his head. "President Santiago getting killed, the Chief getting shot in the back by his own second in command. Then the Nightwatch came along. I signed up thinking, hey, fifty more creds a week. Next thing I know, I'm being told to report shopkeepers for complaining about the President."

"Damn," Zack said, shaking his head.

"Then we declared independence from Earth and fought the Shadows and Chief Garibaldi had his mind hacked by the Psi Corps and quit over it… Just saying it makes me realize how crazy things got."

"I realized things were going to be crazy early on, and I just try to roll with it," Zack admitted. "It helps when you're having to save Human refugees from religious robots who want to exterminate them. Or with fighting Nazis."

"Nazis." Allan shook his head. "I hear the war's grinding on. Rumor has it that the Senate's considering sending an expeditionary force to help you guys out."

"They'll be welcome. We could use the allies. And besides, kicking Nazi ass shouldn't be a spectator sport."

"I'll drink to that, Carrey."

After they both quaffed again, Zack said, "I love my ship and all, but sometimes I think that when the war's over, I'm going to walk away."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Resign. Go to New Caprica, marry my girlfriend Clara, coach Little League."

"Sounds like a good life."

"Just have to be careful when using the Lord's name in vain," Zack said. Seeing Allan's confused look, he said, "Remember what I said about religious robots? The New Capricans are the people they tried to wipe out. The robots, Cylons, worship one God, but the New Capricans are polytheists who worship the old Olympian gods."

"Really?" Allan blinked. "You mean like Zeus and…"

"...Apollo and Athena, yeah."

Allan laughed. "That's a damned thing." He took another drink.

"And so, y'know, they get tetchy if you say you believe in one God," Zack explained. "But they're getting used to us monotheists in the Alliance."

"I'd hope so." Allan gave his head another shake while chuckling. "Clara wants to stay?"

"She's gotten close to them. There's nothing for either of us back in our hometown." Zack shrugged and took a drink, after which he continued. "I suppose we could move to New Liberty, but… I dunno. As long as she's happy, I don't care where we are."

While Zack took a drink, Allan asked, "Do you love her?"

"I do. And God knows I don't deserve her." Zack shook his head. "I don't know why she's stuck with me for so long given how things went when we were teenagers. I knew even then she was too good for me. She didn't deserve to be with someone like me."

"Well, love's crazy sometimes." Allan chuckled. "Like, well, back in my first year on the station, we had this officer on the night watch shift. Lieutenant Zhungwi, Zhengfi, Zhengli…" Allan focused on the last one for a moment, as if deciding if it was the right name, before continuing, "Zhengli Varma, I think it was. Anyway, one night I'm late in my shift when we get a report from Green Sector. Now, that's diplomatic and command staff only, but Londo had kicked up a fuss and gotten a suite for this Centauri nobleman, and I mean bigwig because he had this huge crest of hair." Allan had his hands on his head, mimicking a fan or something like a peacock tail. "Anyway, we have this guy visiting the station for a trade delegation, right, and I'm sent in because he's about ready to blast the door down with a gun he's smuggled in because his wife had locked him out. Turns out she was cheating on him."

"Youch," Zack said. "Those domestic calls must be the pits."

"Oh, they always are," Allan agreed. "Anyway, I get there so they don't bother the Chief because he's having this special meal for his birthday, and the nobleman is shouting, and Londo is shouting, and the technicians are trying to open the door before the guy blows it off the hinges, right…" By this time Zack, imagining the scene if not the specific people, was laughing. "...so finally, just as this guy is going for his gun right in front of me and two other security guys, the technicians finally open the door. And poor Bo and Mack are knocked over by this guy as he rushes in with his gun, and Londo's going after him and I am because I think he's about to shoot his wife, and… and Londo's yelling at us to get out because 'This is an internal affair of the Centauri!'..." Allan faked an accent and gave his voice a new pitch, as if to emulate the Centauri ambassador.

Zack, still switching back and forth between chuckling and laughing, said, "It was a damned affair alright!"

Allan laughed too. "Yeah, well, just as I'm about to get to this guy, and I mean I'm a second from drawing my PPG, he suddenly lowers his gun and starts laughing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I brush Londo off and look into the bedroom… and there's this guy's wife with our night shift lieutenant. Completely naked."

Zack laughed even harder.

"Right, so, this nobleman, after all of that screaming and threatening, he's laughing at it. His wife's in bed with a Human woman and he does not give a damn. Just doesn't give a damn." Allan stopped to laugh while Zack struggled to stop long enough to drink. "I look at her and say, 'Uh, ma'am, he's got a smuggled gun, I have to report this', and she gives me this look, and Londo just about throws me out of the damn apartment."

"Oh man," Zack laughed. "Did you report it?"

"Are you kidding? If I did I'd have the second in command of the night shift hating my guts! And who knows what Londo would've done! I was just a few months into the job, the Chief was just starting to trust me, no way was I rocking the boat!"

"I bet that lady was more careful after that," Zack chuckled.

"Yeah, I don't think I saw much of her after that. She ended up siding with Clark when the Civil War kicked off." Allan shook his head. "Last time I heard her name, it was when someone in C&C said her mother had shown up a few months ago and talked with one of the C&C night shift officers about her. Turns out Lieutenant Varma is a Captain now and got one of those new Warlock-class destroyers thanks to General Lefcourt."

"Damn. She goes with the wrong side and still gets rewarded, huh?"

"That's what it feels like," Allan admitted. "Maybe it's more complicated than that, but I dunno. Captain Lochley remained on Clark's side too, and she's a great commander and a good person."

"Good people can still do terrible things," Zack observed. As he did so he thought about Adrana for the first time in months. About Gylao and that simulation he'd been in, what Gylao had seen in his mind to create it. A world where he had let Robert die so he could have Julia… the thought sickened him and forced him to push all of that into the back of his mind.

It put the subject of love back on his mind, so he faced Allan again and asked, "What about you? Do you have anyone special?"

The moment the pained look came to Allan's eyes, Zack knew the answer to that. "Sorry," he said.

"Maybe it never would have worked out," Allan admitted. "She had a lot of, well, things were bad for her. I just, y'know, I just wish we could've tried something…"

It was with pure, aching sympathy in his voice that Zack replied with, "I know what you mean, man, I know what you mean."




Robert was beginning to wonder if the detoxicants were wearing off from the number of Jovian sunspots he'd downed. Meridina seemed fine, though, and so he figured it was just his impatience getting the best of him. Gagnor was still alone at his table, on his third shot of schnapps, but looking no worse for it. Was he using an alcohol blocker or detoxicant? He glanced toward Terlo, who was busy serving a Pak'ma'ra with the look of a man performing prison chores. There was still no deception in him, none Robert felt, but could they be wrong about him?

Robert leaned in toward Meridina. "Do you think we've been had?"

"Have patience," Meridina urged him. "I sense no deception."

"Maybe not, but I don't…"

Before Robert could finish his sentence he saw movement at the entrance. A Human woman with red hair and a light brown leather jacket over black shirt and black pants stepped through the door. Without a word she went to Gagnor's table and took a seat that let her see toward the entrance.

"Never mind," he murmured. "So, now we have to figure out how to play this."

"We wait until she is finished with Gagnor. Or…" Robert nodded his head toward Terlo. "We get him to do it."

"We wait," was Meridina's reply.

So they did. Lyta and Gagnor were disputing something. Their discussion was getting more and more heated.

Meridina suddenly stood. She walked toward them with Robert, after a surprised delay, following. Even before they got to the table Lyta was looking up and toward them. When Meridina slipped up to an empty chair and stood behind it, Lyta asked, "Can I help you?"

"The question is if we can help you." Robert heard Meridina speak and was impressed with it. She didn't sound like herself, with that halting, lilting accent that sounded Irish and Cherokee at the same time. Instead she sounded more like Lucy, very informal and relaxed. "I'm a lip reader," she said. "And I watched you ask about transportation off Kalnat."

Lyta appraised Meridina and Robert shrewdly. "And you can provide that, Miss…"

"Mira Doyle," replied Meridina. "My partner, Jerry Furland. We provide transport services."

"To where?"

"Anywhere you need to go," Robert said. He could sense interest and caution in Lyta, caution almost to paranoia.

"And what, you think I'm just going to board a ship flown by people I know nothing about?" Lyta asked. "And that I'm going to pay for the privilege?"

"What are your alternatives?" Meridina asked. "Clearly you can't use standard transportation, or you wouldn't be interested in the sort of transportation Mister Gagnor could theoretically provide."

"And I doubt an arms dealer wants to show too much of his operation to an outsider." Robert nodded to him.

"He's right," Gagnor said. "It's why I can't accept your offer."

Lyta was quiet for a moment. Robert felt her mind gently probe his and didn't fight back. That would spook her too easily. He didn't even let himself think that. He simply let thoughts and edited memories bubble to the surface.

After a few moments Lyta nodded to Gagnor. "I'll take the rest of the shipment." She slipped a data crystal out of her jacket pocket. "Here is where you will deliver them. The first account on that crystal will provide your up front payment. After my people receive their shipment, the other account will be unlocked for you to access."

"Thank you, ma'am. You won't be disappointed." Gagnor stood and left.

"Now that he's gone, let's get down to business." Lyta looked to Robert and her brown eyes seemed to turn dark right there. "Whoever you are, you clearly have no idea how powerful my mind is. I already know you're not actual 'transport specialists' or whatever line you fed Terlo. You're looking for me in specific, and the only reason I haven't fried your brain out, 'Mister Furland', is that I know you're not Psi Corps or Earthforce. They'd never send someone not trained to fight deep scans up against me."

Robert and Meridina exchanged uneasy glances. Robert sighed. "Right. Okay, no, we're not smugglers of fugitives. We picked this cover to talk to you."

"Who are you?" she asked.

Speaking at just a low enough tone to not be heard in the rest of the bar, Robert answered, "I'm Captain Robert Dale from the United Alliance of Systems, commander of the Alliance Starship Aurora. This is my Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Meridina. She's a telepath and is trained in metaphysical energy use."

"Ah. From the other universes, then?" Lyta nodded. "I've heard about you out on the frontier. Why do you want to talk to me?"

"We've heard of your connection to the Vorlons," Robert replied. "And that makes you the most likely person to be able to help us."

Lyta considered him. "I think you'll find I'm not in a helping mood."

Sensing she was about to stand up, Robert kept going. "I can understand that. I'm not here empty-handed. We can help you and your people. We can get them to safety, far from the Psi Corps."

"I see." Lyta sat back in her chair. "How?"

"Asylum in the Alliance, or worlds close to it," Robert answered.

"My people would also be willing to help," Meridina added. "I am a telepath myself, as are my brother, sister, and mother. In my culture, telepaths are given full lives, and your people deserve the same."

Lyta crossed her arms and looked from Meridina to Robert and back to Meridina. "Let's say I'm interested," she said. "How would you get my people to safety beyond the Psi Corp's reach?"

"We could arrange regular ships." Meridina placed her hands on the table. "Your telepaths would not be the first mistreated people we have aided. There are ships equipped to safely hide refugees from scanners. Our farisa, telepaths I mean, would be on the ships to hide their minds from detection."

"I'm sure your people already have a regular underground railroad," Robert added. "We can be waiting for them."

"Right." Lyta was clearly in deep thought. "You have multiple copies of our arm of the galaxy to work with," Lyta stated. "Correct?"

"Well, yes…"

"Then my price is this." Lyta grinned slightly. She was clearly considering the boon she was about to request and enjoying it. "One: you help blips, rogue telepaths, escape the Psi Corps. Two: you make sure they're cared for in transit and you leave them alone. No prodding them for genetic samples, no testing their abilities. My people will be security against any Psi Corps agents or any other threat. Three…" She leaned in on the table. "You give us a planet. A homeworld for Human telepaths completely under our control. And you give us means to protect it."

Robert considered that for a moment before nodding. "Those terms are all acceptable, with a reservation."

Lyta narrowed her eyes. "Oh?"

"When you say we provide the means for you to protect it, I need to know what you consider sufficient protection. We can provide a theater shield, orbital defenses, arms for a militia, maybe even a small starship or two," Robert said. "But I can't guarantee we can give you a larger starship. Cruisers and above…" He shook his head. "I can't be sure you'd get something like that. I'm not even sure you could maintain a ship of cruiser size with just one colony."

After a moment Lyta nodded. "Fair enough. Reservation accepted."

"I'll make arrangements when we leave," Robert said. "Now, our problem…"

"I'm all ears."

"What do you now about the Darglan?"

For a moment Robert thought he sensed something. Not surprise. A sense of realization, or even expectation. A tinge of… concern? Worry? Something of that nature. But just as he began to focus on the sense it was gone. "The Darglan," Lyta said. "The Vorlons mentioned them once or twice, yes. They used to be not too far from the Minbari frontier. They were wiped out by the Shadows in the Shadow War a thousand years ago. A first strike when the Shadows began moving against the rest of the galaxy."

"Why did the Shadows destroy them?" asked Meridina. "Was it because they had knowledge of interuniversal travel?"

"Yes," stated Lyta matter-of-factly. "The Shadows didn't want that technology falling into anyone else's hands. They spread through Darglan space and wiped out every inhabited world. The Darglan Homeworld was dealt with by their planet-killer cloud. Their other colonies were destroyed by orbiting Shadow vessels."

Robert frowned at that. The Darglan had been such a brilliant, kind race. Being hunted down and exterminated like that…

"I can tell you're unhappy that the Darglan are gone," Lyta said. "But it might have been for the better. Their technology was danger, and they took it too far."

"You mean the newer jump drive they had built and were testing?"

Lyta looked at him with suspicion. That suspicion turned into stony realization. "That's what you're after, isn't it? The Darglan Dimensional Drive."

"Dimensional Drive?" asked Meridina.

"Their attempt to improve upon the interuniversal drive," Lyta said. "The Vorlons told them not to. They did it anyway. The Vorlons never did tell me where they tried to test it, or why, but all I know is that it had severe consequences."

Robert had a feeling he knew what those consequences were. "Whatever it is, we're worried it'll fall into the wrong hands," Robert said. "We already had one aggressive empire get their hands on Darglan weapons technology, and they nearly destroyed Earth in N2C5."

"Is that all?" Lyta asked. "You're not out for it yourself?"

"Our primary mission is to keep it out of the hands of others. If that means destroying it, I will."

"Right." She nodded, but there was still evident skepticism over Robert's motives. "How about this, then? We'll go to your ship. Your people will verify that the deal is accepted and is being enacted, and then I'll reveal a location that may give you what you're looking for."

"That works for me," said Robert. "When can we leave?"

"I have to accommodate my chaperone first," Lyta said. "So I…"

Robert felt something wrong. Lyta did too, given how she stopped speaking. She twisted her position so she wasn't looking directly at the door. "Were you followed?" she hissed.

"No," Robert said. "I'm sure of that."

"Don't even think," Lyta instructed.

And that was enough to tell Robert just what she was worried about. He glanced toward Meridina. She didn't glance back. Concentration showed on her features.

Robert decided he wanted another Jovian sunspot. Even if it made him sick to his stomach, even if it meant spending five minutes standing over the toilet once the detoxicants were ready, he just couldn't resist another drink from Terlo. He had to pay the man, after all. So he got up from his chair and turned toward the bar. Doing so let him see the two individuals stepping in. One was Caucasian, male, white-blond hair, probably in his thirties. The other was male as well with brown complexion and dark hair with a trimmed beard. Both men were standing at the entrance not looking at anything. They were in standard civilian clothing.

And they wore thick, black gloves.

Robert turned away from them and let the mental image fade from his mind. He looked to Terlo and nodded. Terlo grinned and nodded back. Robert brought up his cash card. "Another Jovian sunspot," he asked. "And a distraction. Your share is ten thousand credits."

For a moment Robert was afraid he'd underestimated the value of Earth credits and gone too high. Thirty thousand did seem the right amount for a single passenger to "disappear", after all. But thankfully Terlo seemed to not think it too high and ran the cash card over his scanner. "There we are," he said. "As for a distraction…" He looked around the bar and smirked. "I could use a vacation, I think. Give me a few minutes and head to my storage door when the time comes."

Robert nodded and waited while his seventh Jovian sunspot of the day was delivered to him. The drink had lost its appeal now, but negotiations required he put up the appearance. Once Terlo handed it to him with a wide grin, Robert walked back to the table. He consciously put himself just inside the line of sight from Lyta to her pursuers. "So, back to business," he said. "The terms are satisfactory. We'll depart shortly, just in time for me to finish my drink."

Lyta glanced his way. Clearly she was more focused in keeping her pursuers from noticing her. Meridina was, Robert imagined, shielding her mind and trying to shield his as well. Even now he could feel something, a slight presence tickling at the edge of his thoughts, trying to tease into them unobtrusively. Hello there, he thought. If you keep this up, I may have to get nasty.

The presence remained. Robert retaliated by imagining Barney the Dinosaur singing "I love you, you love me" over and over again.

Just as Robert took his last drink, all hell broke lose.

It would have been too obvious to have the fight directly involve Lyta's shadows. No. Instead, a provocation of some sort had been caused, and a group of Drazi were now in heated discussions with another Human and a Hyach. Something was said, the wrong mother was insulted or something like that, and within moments the sounds of a fight were breaking out. The fight swiftly spread to encompass the entire entrance and even the hall outside.

"Here we go," Robert said to them, standing up. Meridina and Lyta both followed, quietly, as he stepped toward the rear door. A lock was visible beside it with a slot for a standard identicard. It opened from inside with a small "click" and the trio went through. Terlo closed it behind them. The back area of his bar was full of boxes of various alcoholic drinks, some atmosphere controlled, and other items. He gestured toward a second door and unlocked it. "The access corridor," he murmured. "Turn to the right. Go down far enough and a door to your right will take you back out into the market."

"Right."

"And keep thinking of Dock 23," Lyta added.

Robert almost asked why, but stopped himself. Telepathic pursuers could be misled that way. He nodded to both. "Thanks, Terlo."

"It's always entertaining to do business with Humans," Terlo answered before returning to his likely-trashed bar.

The trio rushed down the dark gray corridor. It wasn't wide open and on several occasions they had to thread through empty boxes or those with discarded items. It reminded Robert of being behind a strip mall.

They arrived at a door and pushed it open, returning to the market. There was no immediate sign of pursuit. "This way," Meridina said quietly.

There was nothing on the trip to the lift, nor on the lift itself, to cause them alarm. They made their way at a brisk pace to customs, where the lines were rather slow and the guards being painfully thorough. Sensing that the Tokati guard on the right gate was the self-interested type, Robert quietly held up the electronic cash card and walked up to him. The Tokati nodded and just as quietly offered a reader with a very ill-fitting attachment that let it read the card. Robert held the card up and used the screen to deposit two hundred Earth Alliance credits into the guard's personal account. This bribery saw the three whisked through the gate with no fuss.

As they approached the door to Dock 14 and its cargo-receiving area, Robert felt something off. Instinct, or rather his abilities, were warning him about something, something wrong. He quietly pulled the gun from his shoulder holster while Meridina opened the door. It slid open and they walked into the docking bay, empty save the form of their Type 121 transport.

The feeling was getting worse. Worse enough that Robert realized they had made a mistake coming back to Dock 14.

"Trap?" Robert mumbled to Meridina. She nodded. Behind them Lyta was tensing. She could sense it too.

A thought crossed Robert's mind, that they should run, but the sound of the door sliding closed and a latch shifting into place told him it was too late. All they could do was walk forward into the trap.

The trap, as it turned out, was a number of black-clad figures dropping down from the upper level of the docking bay. PPG charge sounds echoed around them as silver pistols and rifles popped up into place to threaten them.

"A very good distraction," a voice said from the entryway to the "Eagle 5". "Mister Diamond will be sporting a black eye for days."

The figure that stepped out of the entryway and into view was another Human male. He wasn't very tall, and he was well into middle-age. There were only hints of gray at his temples, but his hair was otherwise brown, a few shades lighter than Robert's. Brown eyes of a darker shade looked over them.

Unlike the other dark-clad figures, he was in a uniform, although it too was black. Completely black, with a black leather belt and a connected shoulder strap of the same color over the right shoulder that was somewhat reflective in the light. The gloves were, of course, also black.

The only sign of color on the suit was the pin on the left side of the sternum, right by the wearer's heart. A golden pin with a silver insignia: the Greek letter Psi.

A wave of anger and revulsion filled Lyta.

"Hello again, Miss Alexander." The man looked from her to Robert. "Ah. Now you, I wasn't expecting to meet."

"Should I know you?" Robert asked.

"I think everyone should get to know everyone else," the man replied. "It would make the galaxy a nicer place." He grinned. "Although I suppose I should say 'Multiverse' now. Anyway, I suppose an introduction is in order." He stepped closer. "Captain Robert Allen Dale of the Starship Aurora, I presume? And Lieutenant Commander Meridina of the same vessel. Hello."

Meridina and Robert gave no immediate reaction to being identified. Meridina kept the conversation going by asking, "And you are?"

The man's grin took on an edge. "My name is Alfred Bester. I'm with the Psi Corps. And I'm still deciding whether or not I'm going to kill you."
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

I hope we get to see Angel in the Legend of the Ranger warship weapons control system. :)
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

The dock cargo area was completely quiet for a moment. Robert kept his gun low to avoid triggering anyone shooting. Talking would give time for the others to think of something, at least.

Not that he let himself really think about that.

"I applaud your use of misdirecting thoughts," continued Bester. "If I didn't have someone watching the docks, we might have fallen for it."

"What is it that you want?" Robert asked.

"Peace, quiet, and justice. In reverse order." Bester took another step closer, but he was consciously remaining far enough away to avoid being grabbed at. "We came for Miss Alexander. She and her traveling companion have done well staying below the Corps' notice this past year, but we knew they would have to come back to civilized space for resupply sooner or later. It's quite interesting that you've sought her out as well, Captain."

"I wasn't aware you were a fan," Robert replied. "Actually, I've never heard of you before, Mister Bester."

"I suppose I should be hurt that Sheridan and the others never mentioned me. We have worked together before, in common cause."

"What do you want from us?" asked Meridina.

Bester remained quiet for a moment. "An eye for an eye. A year ago, unknown raiders killed two of my telepaths on a cargo ship, the Pedicarus. Ah, sorry, Captain, I'm afraid that flicker of recognition was quite loud enough for me." Bester held a gloved finger up. "I've actually known it was your crew for some time. All we had to do was determine the source of the stolen databanks. After all, your Alliance had just opened contact with our galaxy. Who else would have seen value in Darglan computers? The fact that within two weeks of that attack your people launched their operation to secure the Gamma Piratus Facility merely confirmed my suspicions."

Robert and Meridina said nothing.

"The sad thing is, if your people had simply asked, we would have given you access to that data. After all, we don't want the Reich rummaging around the Multiverse either." Bester's face became a mask of anger. "Instead you attacked our operation and killed two of our people. We can't ignore that."

"And that's why you're thinking of killing us?" Robert asked.

"You'd already be a gibbering lunatic trying to rip his own eyes out if I went with my first plan," Bester said. "A nice little warning to your Alliance at the penalty for crossing the Corps. That's what we do to mundanes who kill our own. The reason you're sane, Captain, is because we don't know what you are. You're not one of us, but you're clearly not a mundane either. The attack on the United Systems Senate demonstrated that fact." Bester looked between them. "So killing you would be a waste. Miss Alexander has to die, unfortunately. She's become an unacceptable threat to our kind."

"You mean a threat to your Corps," Lyta retorted. "You don't give a damn about any telepath that doesn't want to be a drone."

"If I thought I could persuade you otherwise, I would try. But you're not going to change your mind and I have other things to do." Bester returned his gaze to Robert. Robert could feel the telepath poking at the edges of his mind. "I am curious as to why you came looking for Miss Alexander. Well, I'm sure your debriefing can cover that before we send you to the labs."

"Labs?"

"To see what you are, Captain. To find out how your powers work. The same with the Commander here."

"Somehow, Bester, I don't think poking us with needles will tell you much about what we can do."

"You might be surprised by what our scientists can manage."

"I'm not exactly in a hurry to find out."

"Maybe not." That satisfied grin reappeared on Bester's face. He motioned him. "But I have a dozen Psi Corps agents who say otherwise. It would be a loss if you made us kill you. But one way or another, you are coming with us."

The conversation was going nowhere. The only thing they could do now was fight and hope their personal forcefields would let them hold out long enough. He glanced toward Meridina and sensed she agreed.

It was also clear that Bester could tell. He raised his hand and made a motion. PPG guns snapped up to open fire.

Before the fight could break out, the door to the docking area slid open.

Eyes turned that way and watched a single large figure step in. Red eyes looked over the gathered crowd and the hairless being stopped in his tracks. "Well," said the Narn, "it seems I have the wrong dock." He looked toward them, or rather Lyta, with an intent expression.

"G'Kar," Lyta said. "Sorry, we're busy."

"So it appears."

A series of things happened at once. G'Kar took a quick step and threw a punch at a surprised Psi Corps man who had trouble with alien minds. Meridina's lightsaber flashed to life, the blue blade immediately intercepting PPG shots that flashed red over the walls. Robert drew up his power and threw out a wave of force that sent Bester and another of his agents flying. Lyta glared toward the nearest of them, who promptly turned and shot her buddy before being shot by the agent beside her.

This, alone, was unlikely to have gotten them free. Bester's other agents had them in a kill zone. But these things were not the only things to happen.

Two people descended from the upper dock floor, the same the Psi Corps themselves had just used. There was a metallic sound and one of the newcomers was spinning around a metal staff that smacked teeth from the jaw of a Psi Corps agent. The other arrival hit the ground and held her arms out. Two quick metallic shrieks sounded, that of memory metal taking form into two short blades.

Robert turned with his gun raised and put a pulse shot into the arm of a Psi Corps shooter bearing down on the newcomers. One was a Minbari with a light bone crest on his head and a Minbari fighting pike in his hands, the other a Dorei woman with blue skin and light purple spotting. She had dark blue hair pulled into a combat bun at the back of her head and purple eyes that made Robert think of Violeta Arterria's gene-engineered eye color. She moved with deadly grace, driving her blades into one of the Psi Corps men and then the other with a speed that told him she had abilities even as he started to sense them.

A shrill cry came from another of the enemy agents, who had just had his hands and forearms severed by Meridina's blade. She twirled the blue energy blade around and deflected a shot heading toward her. The red PPG shot flashed red over the back of another of the Psi Corps operatives, this one threatening G'Kar from behind.

The sudden arrival of the two newcomers immediately turned the fight against Bester's people. They began to fall back toward the far side of the dock under his telepathic guidance. Bester had a PPG out now and aimed toward Lyta.

Meridina moved in his way as the shot fired. Her lightsaber intercepted the blast and sent it back into Bester's hands. Bester's control was enough that he didn't cry out, but he dropped his weapon. Robert had him dead to rights.

But he could feel it. There were more figures coming. Maybe more Psi Corps, or Kalnit Station security forces, mercenaries… whoever it was, he sensed they didn't want to be here when they arrived.

So instead of shooting Bester, Robert knocked him back with energy.

The Minbari put down his opponent by jabbing one end of his fighting pike into his belly and the other end swinging to smack the man in the face. He turned to Robert and said, "Our ship is nearby, we should go there."

"And you are?"

Meridina stepped up beside him. "Lennier," she said. "Druni."

"Meridina." The Dorei woman, who looked younger than Robert expected from seeing her fight, smiled at Meridina. "It is good to see you, but we should get going."

"She's right." Lyta joined the conversation. "I could sense it in their heads. Your ship's been sabotaged. Probably ours as well." She looked to G'Kar who nodded.

"A Narn couple among the dockworkers warned me about the sabotage. Repairs are proceeding, but we do not have time to wait."

"This way." Lennier took the lead and led them to the door.




Bester watched them go with a frown. The plan to take Lyta Alexander out had been months in the making, waiting only the news of her presence to swing into action. Now this unexpected complication had ruined everything.

There was still a chance, however. He activated his link. "Bester to Omega Squadron, launch. They're fleeing in a vessel, unknown configuration, likely alien. Disable if you can, but destroy it before it can escape."

"Understood."




The vessel that Lennier and Druni led them to in Dock 18 was a Dorei design, a blue-colored ship resembling a bird with wings swept back, with a feather design painted on the wings in green color. The cockpit was in the "head' part of the ship with the body widest where the wings were attached to the ship. Robert could make out a pair of twin ball turrets built into the top and bottom of the ship and an array of plasma cannons in the front of the wings. The wings themselves sloped down slightly enough to end in warp nacelles. "Nice ship," Robert said to them.

"The Keyeri is her name," Druni said. "She is fueled , stocked, and ready."

As they entered the airlock Robert asked, "Do you have a transporter? We left some things on our ship that we should bring along."

"I'll show you to it," said Druni, leaving Lennier to head to the cockpit and start the ship up. The inside of the ship was likewise colored to Dorei standards, vibrant green with purple trim. From the airlock entrance along the ship's port side one could either turn left to the cockpit and what Robert guessed was the main quarters, or to the right and the engineering spaces, mess hall, and cargo space.

G'Kar and Lyta went off to do their own thing - possibly argue - while Druni led them to the cargo bay of the ship. Robert thought it more of a storage room from the look of it. Even the cargo bay on the Koenig was larger. In one corner was a transporter. Robert activated it and quickly aligned the scanners on the Type 121 they were leaving behind. It wasn't hard to find the device he was looking for. He initiated the transporter and the portable IU radio appeared on the transporter pad in a burst of light.

"What is that?" Druni asked. "Why is it so important?"

"Oh, it's how we're going to call the cavalry if we need to."

The entire ship shuddered. It was lifting off. They left the cargo bay and followed steps back up to the main hall of the ship and toward the cockpit. Lennier was lifting off. As they walked along Robert looked back at Meridina and asked, "How do you know them?"

"They were on the team Commander Andreys assembled to rescue Jarod from the Centre," Meridina answered. "Druni Jestani is a former Sister of the Silver Moon."

Robert nodded. "One of the Dorei orders, right. The all-lesbian one?"

A sound of frustration came from their hostess. "Goddess, if I hear that one more time I may scream," she growled. "No. Men are in the Order too as lay members. And it is not unheard of for a Sister to marry a man in the laity."

"Alright, alright," Robert answered, recognizing that he'd inadvertently stepped into a bit of a minefield there. "That's the last time I let Tom's descriptions worm into my brain."

They made it to the cockpit area. The lone seat at the front and in the middle was for the pilot. Flanking seats were for other functions. Druni took one. "You are trained, yes? Those are the controls for the ship's main weapons and sensors," she said, indicating the seat beside her. The seat behind that was described as being for the turrets.

"And yours?" Robert asked while taking the sensors and weapons post.

"Ship communications and operations."

"Right." Robert could already see they were pulling away from Kalnit Station. Lennier weaved them between an Earth freighter - possible with Bester? - and an Abbai ship. Robert checked the sensor returns and the weapons. "For a ship this size, it's pretty well-armed," he observed. "Four ultralight plasma cannons and dual pulse guns on the turrets for covering the other arcs. You could probably shoot up a corvette with these thing. What is this design?"

"It is from the Henjan-Kimati Shipbuilding company in the Daxai Republic, a Model 4 Rotaga armed courier," Druni answered. "It is used by a number of Dorei governments and corporations for protective interstellar transport of low volume high-value goods or important individuals."

"I cannot imagine your share of the bounty from the Deadman's Hand covered this," Meridina noted.

"No, it did not," Lennier said. "That reward bought us an unarmed private transport."

"And we crashed it," Druni added. She grinned. "Into the palace of a Jeaxian slaver. I shall tell you the story some other time, but right now…"

Robert was already looking at his screens and seeing what she meant. "...right now we have incoming contacts." He used the panel's viewing capability to zoom in on the approaching craft. "Earth Alliance Starfuries. Their weapons are armed."

"Black Omega fighters," said Lyta. "They're an elite wing of Psi Corps pilots."

"Are we ready to go to warp?"

"I am getting us clear of Kalnit's traffic lanes now," said Lennier. "I recommend you raise shields.

"Shields are raised," said Druni, while Meridina began tracking the Starfuries. The positioning of the four turrets meant only two would point toward the aft. She breathed in and let her instincts guide her in opening fire.

Since she didn't consciously think of her target, the telepathic pilots had no warning. Bursts of white light slammed into the lead fighter and blew upper wings off. As it began to spin helplessly in space, the other fighters returned fire. Their weapons played over the Keyeri's shields. The vessel rumbled slightly. "Shields down to eighty-eight percent," was Druni's report.

The Dorei courier ship raced on through the void with the Psi Corps fighters in hot pursuit. White pulses flashed back and forth between hunter and hunted. Another of the Starfuries took a hit, this one just off the cockpit. It stopped accelerating.

"We are clear in three… two… one." Lennier hit a sequence of keys. "I have finalized our course. Activating warp drive now."

With a quick rumble through the deck, the Keyeri jumped to warp.

"They don't have warp drives so no pursuit." Robert let the tension of the unexpected fight out with a breath. "Alright, now that the crazy part is over, perhaps we should all talk?"

That prompted laughter from behind them. All eyes turned to face G'Kar. The Narn leader was smiling and an amused twinkle was in his eyes. "Captain, if you believe the 'crazy part' is over, you have clearly not been involved in our humble universe for long enough."

"Fine. Now that the most recent crazy part is over, we should talk." Robert turned his head to face Druni. "How did you find us?"

"It wasn't easy," she answered. "I had to meditate to get enough clarity. And Lennier's guess that you would go for Lyta helped narrow down the potential choices."

Robert almost asked why before it came to him. "Julia asked you to help?"

"She did." Druni grinned. "And Lennier and I like helping people out, so we said yes."

Lennier nodded. "Although I did not expect to face Agent Bester." He looked back. "Do you have a destination in mind?"

"Not yet." Robert turned to look at Lyta. "That depends on Miss Alexander. Which reminds me that I have a call to make. Does this ship have a secure IU radio?"

"It's meant to be a government or corporate transport," Druni reminded him. "Of course it does."

"Then I have a call to make." Robert stood up. "Do you have a mess room or something where we can direct the call?"

"In the back, to your left," Druni replied. "If you eat my seemai strips, I will throw you out of the airlock."

Robert was familiar with what she was talking about; strips of seemai fruit, which always seemed to him to taste like an avocado mixed with a grapefruit. "Meridina will keep me out of trouble." He looked over her console. Druni moved to let him input the call channel and an access code. "Let me know when he answers?"

Druni nodded in reply and let them depart.




Angela found Julia right where she expected her to be. Namely, in her Deck 3 office, thinking and worrying. Julia looked up and asked, "What is it?" when Angel entered fully.

"I was just seeing how you were holding up," Angel said.

"Ah. I'm alright." Julia motioned to her screen. "Emissary Jopari just let me know that the treaty passed final reading. As soon as the Committee of Chiefs signs off on it, and they probably will, the defense treaty will be in force."

"What about the Senate? We still have to ratify, right?"

Julia nodded. "The treaty's going before the Senate today. Passage is expected without complaint."

"Well, our job's done then." Angel sat in a chair. "Now we can jump to E5B1 and help Rob and Meridina."

Julia shook her head. "No, we can't. Orders are we remain here."

Angel frowned. "Why?"

"To help finish the excavations of the Azeyma's Rest site, and to protect the planet until a force of Dorei starbirds arrives," answered Julia. "Although I think the real reason is that Maran and Sheridan don't want us traipsing around E5B1 looking for Rob and Meridina."

"What are they hiding?"

"I've no idea." There was an unease in the room. "I've thought about calling Zack and asking him to look for Robert and the others."

"It's an idea," Angel agreed. "Of course, if Maran finds out he'll order him away."

"Yeah." Julia thought on it another moment before sitting up in her chair and activating her systems.

A wry grin appeared on Angel's face. "Calling Zack?"

"Yep." After a few key presses and a wait on the screen, Zack's image appeared. He looked slightly bleary but quite satisfied. "How is B5?"

"Incredible. We gave Karen a welcome back party and beat B5 Security at darts," Zack replied. "I'm letting some of the other crew take shore leave over there right now. Then we'll jump back to N2S7 and heard your way."

"How about you stick around and go find Rob and Meridina?"

Zack seemed to think on it. "I suppose, if I can find any indication of where they went. At least until Maran calls for me to go somewhere."

"Well, do what you can and let me know?"

"Sure, I…" Zack stopped. "Speak of the devil."

Julia blinked. "What?"

"Admiral Maran's calling," Zack said. "Sorry. I'd better take this."

"Yeah, you'd better," Julia sighed. She canceled the call on her end and looked at Angel. "That's just… ugh! How did he know?!"

"Well, he's either spying on us, or he's got bad timing," Angel pointed out.

"I'll go with 'bad timing' because the other option is something I don't want to contemplate," mumbled Julia. With a stroke of a key she shut down her screen. "That's it. I want to go hit something."

Angel laughed. "Usually that's my line."

"It's a good line." Julia stepped around her desk and went for the door.




Zack watched Julia disappear from his office desk computer screen. Three seconds later, Maran appeared. "Yes, Admiral?"

"Commander, you've picked up Lieutenant Derbely, correct?"

"We have, sir."

"And you've undoubtedly recovered from whatever celebration you had to welcome her back?"

"Mostly, sir." Zack grinned at that. "April's a bit under the weather, but we're good."

"Excellent. Because you're the closest ship for a special mission I've got in mind." Maran tapped a control on his desk. "I'm sending coordinates and a series of special codes to you on a double-encrypted subchannel."

Zack blinked at that. Double-encryption? That implied Maran was worried about interception. By whom? "Alright sir." He tapped a key on his end and acknowledged the subchannel had opened. "What can I do for you?"

"At those coordinates you'll find an Earth-built transport vessel named the Hycantha. Identify yourselves to them with the codes I have just sent to you. You are to escort it into hyperspace and to the Gamma Orionis Jump Gate, at the edge of Alliance space. There will you oversee its rendezvous with the Gersallian transport Hencerasa and the transfer of its passengers. Once this is complete, escort the Hencerasa to our colony at the Reynar System. This mission is on a time limit, so you are authorized to use interuniversal jumps to hide your course and get to the target area as quickly as possible."

As Maran laid out the orders, Zack grew concerned. That concern grew when the computer finished the double-encryption on the coordinates and displayed the location. "Sir, these coordinates… this is for the Sheffer System. In Earth Alliance space."

"Yes, they are," Maran said. "Earthforce's sensor systems in that system can't see you through your cloak. Use a narrow beam transmission to contact the Hycantha and let them know you've got them under escort."

Zack's concern became a full-fledged bad feeling. "If we're escorting them, who is it against? I mean, are you expecting us to engage Earthforce?"

"Not unless absolutely necessary and they fire first. And do not engage if it puts your ship at risk. However, it is imperative that the passengers and crew on the Hycantha get to Reynar. If you have to abandon the Hycantha and beam them aboard, do so. Captain Dale's safety may be at stake."

Just what does he have Rob doing? What does this have to do with the hunt for Darglan stuff? Zack forced himself to nod once. "I see, sir. I'll do what's necessary."

"Before you go, Commander, one last clarification of your engagement orders." Maran's mouth shifted slightly, becoming a frown. "Normal Earthforce vessels are to be left alone unless absolutely necessary to safeguard the people on the Hycantha, and under no circumstances can you destroy one. But if you're facing a vessel used by the Psi Corps and it threatens the Hycantha, feel free to commence an engagement on your terms."

"Sir?" Zack blinked. "Are you telling me to open fire, without provocation, on a ship belonging to a branch of the Earth Alliance's government?'

"Yes. Psi Corps has already committed hostile actions against the Alliance and they can pose a grave threat to your ship. Consult Commander King's records of the engagement at Venir a year ago September if you want to understand what I mean. If a Psi Corps vessel is involved, do not hesitate to destroy it."

Zack swallowed. I effectively fired the first shot against the Nazis. Will I fire the first shot against these people as well? Still, he knew what he had to say in response. "Orders understood, Admiral. Is there anything else?"

"No. As I said, Captain Dale's safety may rest on this mission. Get to it immediately. Maran out."

Once Maran disappeared from the screen Zack left his office and walked to the bridge. Apley looked at him from the helm. "Sir?" He could see that Zack was no longer in a happy mood.

"Order all of our people back from B5. All shore leaves are canceled."

Magda and April looked at each other with worry. "Sending orders, sir," she said. "It will take them a few minutes to get through departures and arrive at a point to beam out through their magnetic shields."

Zack nodded. He supposed he could ask Captain Lochley to temporarily lower the mag-shields so he could get his people off… but given his orders, he didn't want to specify what they were doing to her. "Set the jump drive to…" Zack consulted his memory. "...set it to Vega Fleet Base, Universe L4R2."

"Sir. Vega is just outside of the spatial aspect zone," Magda pointed out. "We won't actually arrive there."

"I'm well aware of that, Magda. We're not staying in L4R2. We'll be free-jumping back to E5B1 as soon as the jump drive can be safely re-engaged. Once we're back in E5B1, engage the cloaking device. Apley, you'll lay in a course for the Sheffer System, maximum warp."

"That's in Earth Alliance space," Apley said. Now he was showing worry.

"I'm aware of that, Ap." Zack imagined a more strict officer would have been angry with his people for seeming to question his orders. But he was proud of them. "Those are our orders straight from the top."

Apley drew in a breath and realized what that meant. "Alright. I'll lay in the course and engage as soon as our double-jump is complete."

"What's going on?" asked April. "Why are we sneaking into EA space?"

"Escort mission," Zack answered. "I'm not sure who we're escorting yet. All I know is that our orders are to leave Earthforce alone, to get the people on the ship to the Reynar System, and that if a Psi Corps-operated vessel tries to stop the ship we're covering, we're to blow them out of the stars before they can blink our way." He drew in a breath. "And that Captain Dale's safety is at stake."

That caused nods all around. This was for comrades and friends, then. They could accept that.

Magda's board toned. "Sir, the last of our crew just beamed off." Another tone went off. "Babylon Control just signaled. They want to know if everything is fine."

"Put me on." When Magda nodded, Zack raised his voice and said, "Babylon Control, this is Commander Carrey on the Starship Koenig. We've been called on priority assignment and are about to commence an interuniversal jump. Please provide us a flight path to a safe jumping point."

The voice that came over the line was that of a woman, with a firm tone. "Captain Lochley here. I understand, Commander. Good luck."

"Thank you, Captain. Hopefully we'll be back some day. Carrey out."

"We're getting a flight path, activating impulsor drives."

The Koenig twisted away from B5 and gained speed as she flew toward the station's rear. Once she was clear of the station and at a safe distance, Magda activated the jump drive. A green vortex expanded into existence and they accelerated into it.




The mess room on the Keyeri was a two-part room set into the starboard side of the ship just aft of the quarters. The rear portion was a kitchen, or rather a kitchenette, while the forward portion was a dining area with a small round table that could comfortably seat six people.

The dining area's fore-side wall had a viewscreen embedded into it. Admiral Maran's image appeared after a few minutes of quiet. "The Koenig is en route to rendezvous with the Hycantha," he said.

"That's good." Lyta put her hands on the table and tapped a key. "Lennier, can you please take us on a course for the Kuzaram star system?"

"I am doing so now."

"That's in Minbari space," Robert observed.

"It is," Lyta said. "But it's not too far from where we're going. As soon as your ship makes the rendezvous with the Hycantha, I'll provide you with the system in question. Provided that Admiral Maran can follow through on my request."

Maran nodded. "I've consulted with Secretary Saratova and President Morgan. We've found a world that fits your criteria. In this universe it's inhabited by a Centauri colony, the Kitamo Colony. In A4P5, it's uninhabited, but is considered acceptable for Human habitation with no environmental or biological hazards. We can arrange prefabricated colony structures to be available when your first colonists arrive."

There was evident pleasure on Lyta's face at that. "Thank you very much, Admiral. You won't regret this, I promise. In time the telepaths of the Byron Free Colony will be among the Allied System's strongest supporters."

"And we thank you for your help," Maran answered, diplomatically evading the issue that Lyta's help was coming at a cost. Near-Earth garden worlds were not entirely rare, but given the desire for colonies setting one aside as a refugee colony exclusive to one group of refugees did present a challenge. If this was about anything less than potentially-dangerous Darglan technology that could fall into the hands of people like the Psi Corps, Robert doubted Maran could have managed it. The best Lyta could have hoped for was an enclave on New Liberty which was clearly not what she desired.

"I'll keep you informed of any new developments, Admiral," Robert said.

"Please do, Captain. Maran out." He disappeared from the screen.

"You admire him," Lyta observed.

"Maran is a good man," Robert answered. "He's not afraid to step forward when he has to, he always recognizes success and rewards it, and he watches out for his subordinates."

"He reminds me of John Sheridan, a little."

Robert considered that and gave a slight nod. "The thought crossed my mind too."

Given the conflicted look on Lyta's face, Robert realized the comparison hadn't entirely been a compliment. "The thing about people like that is… the moment you're not useful anymore, and you decide to stand for something they find inconvenient to their plans, all of that effort goes away. They'll turn on you without pause."

There was just the right bit of bitterness in Lyta's voice to tell Robert what she was referring to. Meridina was the one to ask, "What happened?"

"I tried to do the right thing. We all did. And we bled and died for them. But we weren't convenient politically, so they ignored us," Lyta said, sourly. "They gave us shelter and then let Bester and his Bloodhounds hunt us down because it was easier than standing up to him. The only reason Bester left empty-handed was because they came up with a procedural technicality to stop him." Lyta's voice was picking up in anger. "And when we finally demanded our due, they all turned on us. And Byron paid the price."

"I have heard of this incident," said Meridina. "Did Byron not attempt to blackmail the InterStellar Alliance's council members into giving you a world."

"Yes, he did," stated Lyta. She glared intently at Meridina. "The fact that he felt it necessary to go that far should tell you just how bad things were for us. How little they cared for us in the long run. "

Meridina looked at her with sympathy. "I understand your pain and anger. But if you let it drive you, it will consume you."

"I'm not in the mood to be psycho-analyzed." Lyta stood up from the table. "I'm going to lay down for a while. Let me know if we get to Kuzaram. If we end up stopping by, the Minbari colonists were quite good to me and G'Kar when we dropped in a few months ago."

Once she was gone Robert glanced toward Meridina. Meridina bowed her head. "I fear for her," she admitted. "That much pain and anger can mislead."

"But she has to want to let us help," Robert pointed out. "She has to be willing to hear us. She's not. We can't do anything for her."

"I fear you are right." Meridina stood. "I shall find a room and meditate."

Robert nodded. "And I…" He stood, feeling an old, familiar, and very uncomfortable sensation. "...am going to find a bathroom before my bladder explodes."

"That is why I was very careful with those Jovian sunspots." The merest hint of a smile appeared on Meridina's face before she stepped out.




Meridina sensed the arrival into the cargo bay and nodded. "You are G'Kar, yes?"

"I am." The Narn sat down on the floor in front of her. "You are one of the near-Human species from the other universes?"

"Yes. I am Meridina of Gersal, formerly a swevyra'se, a Knight, in the Order of Swenya." Meridina opened her eyes and considered G'Kar. "I have spent some time reading a translation of your book."

"I see." He showed no sign off the sort of reaction a writer might ordinarily give to his or her or their work being read by another. "Do you have questions?"

"There are always questions. But for the most part, I have observations."

"And those would be?"

Meridina clasped her hands together. "You are a man who once dwelled in darkness, full of anger and pain. You did things in the name of your people you should not have done."

G'Kar shook his head. "Indeed. I was a different man."

"And yet here you are. I sense the Light in you, strong, pure. You have let go of the hatreds that bound you to your past. You seek to lead your people to embrace those qualities. That is an admirable goal."

"When you speak of Light, what is it that you mean?" G'Kar asked.

"The Light of Life. The Flow of Life surrounding us all. Light enriches and strengthens it. Darkness chokes it." Meridina held her hand up and used it to levitate a tool that Druni or Lennier had left on the ground. "My training as a swevyra'se, a Knight of Life, allows me to draw upon the energies of my swevyra." Sensing what G'Kar was about to ask, she added, "There is no term in the Human English tongue for it, and I am unfamiliar with your own language enough to know if you have a word for it. Swevyra is the energy of life within oneself. Some have a swevyra that lets them feel the Flow of Life and to connect with the universe, or Multiverse."

"I see." G'Kar folded his hands in his lap. "An extraordinary gift. But not exclusive to your species?"

"Any may have a swevyra that has such a connection."

"As your Captain does. And the young Dorei woman Lennier has been traveling with."

"Indeed." Meridina settled her hands back onto her knees. "I sense you feel no anxiety over such a thing existing. Even though your universe seems to lack in any traditions similar to my own."

"I would feel no anxiety over something like this," G'Kar answered. "What you have told me merely confirms my own views on life. That it is wondrous and full of mystery, and that we should be privileged when the mystery is revealed to us."

Meridina nodded and smiled. "I have learned to feel the same."

"You have used the Human word 'Knight' to describe yourself. I once met a Human who considered himself such. He was willing to fight against superior odds to reclaim a picture belonging to an old woman, an image dear to her memory."

"A worthy act. Such things strengthen the Flow of Life, and that is the purpose of a swevyra'se."

"And you say you are no longer one?" A curious look came to G'Kar's eyes. "Why?"

Meridina met his eyes with her own. She knew he was perceptive enough to see the pain behind them. "To do what was right, to follow the path I know I must take for the good of everything I cherish, of those I cherish… I left my Order. To remain would be to betray everything I have built."

"A difficult decision. I am familiar with them." G'Kar drew in a breath and closed his eyes. "Yes, very familiar."

"May I ask you something?"

"You may."

"Your book has become a guide to your people," said Meridina. "Yet you rejected their pleas to lead them and instead departed for the edge of civilized space. Why?"

"Because it was the necessary thing," said G'Kar. "My people wished to raise me to power. Over a book that I had never intended to release until after my death. I fear that they are missing the point of my writings."

"Or they find it easier to be led by you than to follow your wisdom, hard-earned that it is, themselves," Meridina observed. "Swenya, it is said, had the same problem."

"And how did Swenya handle it?" asked G'Kar.

"She formed the Order, and refused all other roles," Meridina answered. "She devoted herself to teaching her Code to those of our people with a connected swevyra."

"A decent alternative."

"Yes." Meridina met him eye to eye again. "But she did not hide from her people either. Though she refused the power they pleaded her to take, Swenya remained to advise those they elected to lead them. No control, nothing but guidance."

G'Kar considered that. "You feel that is what I should have done."

"I do," Meridina answered. "I do understand why you chose this instead, but if your people feel lost enough to beg you to lead them, they can be lured into darkness by their own fears."

For a long moment nothing was said. G'Kar finally nodded in acceptance of her point. "Perhaps my time away from the Homeworld has come to its proper end," he said. "Once we have completed this excursion, I will consider returning."

"It may be that your time away has been for the best, just as your return will be," Meridina agreed.




The benefit to the bunk he had on the Keyeri was that Robert didn't bump his head when he woke up in a start from the dreams. The vision in his head, of the Aurora being assailed by a fleet of dark shapes, her hull spewing flame and gas and debris, had come to him before. It was not a common one, but this time it was so powerful…

And then there was the face. The woman who was saying "Bad Wolf" to him in his dreams. He was starting to make out detail. Definitely a younger woman, maybe even at the end of her teens. Blond hair. And the accent…

Expecting he wouldn't be getting back to sleep, Robert changed clothes and went to the kitchen. He found that Druni or Lennier had thoughtfully programmed the replicator with coffee. A drink from it did much to get the sleep out of his eyes. That it also made his taste buds recoil was an unpleasant side effect. The replicator was apparently where the ship's builder had skimped.

With a mug of dreadfully bad coffee in his hand, Robert journeyed up to the cockpit. Lennier was resting and Druni had taken a turn at the helm. She didn't look back when she said, "I thought I felt something peculiar about you."

"Oh?"

She turned to face him. "It's not a common thing. Being able to sense possible futures through the Gift."

"It's a curse," Robert grumbled. "The news is almost always bad."

"That's because you let it be," Druni said. "Your energy responds to your mood. When it's good, and when you feel good about the future, you see the futures that are good. When you're brooding and angry and feeling uncertain or bad about the future, that's when your dreams fill with bad stuff."

"You speak from experience, I'm guessing?"

"A little. I've had some clairvoyant visions. It's what helped me find you and Meridina."

"Thank you for that. Again."

"No thanks are necessary," Druni assured him. "But they are welcome."

Robert nodded and sipped at the atrocious coffee again to see if it woke him up further. It did, although not pleasantly. He looked out the cockpit canopy at the streaks of warp space. "Do you enjoy being out here?" he asked her.

"Oh, yes," Druni said. "Flying from star to star, going between universes. Always finding somewhere new to visit. Helping people." She looked at him with glee in her purple eyes. "You know what that's like, don't you?"

Robert grinned and nodded. "Oh yeah, I do."

"But you gave it up."

"We did." He shrugged. "Had to, really. After we lost the Facility, we had nowhere to keep the Aurora maintained. And I like to think there have been benefits."

"More resources, certainly," Druni answered.

"If I might ask, why did you leave your Order?"

Robert hoped he hadn't stepped on a mine with the question. Druni's emotional reaction was sad, but layered with resigned acceptance. "I was trying to fight a rogue Coserian cybertrooper in the Unaligned Worlds. It was my first mission as a Sentinel of the Silver Moon."

"Sentinel?"

"The first rank when we graduate to full Sisters," Druni clarified. "I was on the planet Junan, a colony of Kilpak - they are the four-eyed bipeds from my home universe - and the machine was attacking civilians. We fought. I was losing, despite my gifts. His weapons were too great. So I used a technique that my uncle Tormarin had taught me. He was Gifted too."

"This is the lightning attack you used on the Deadman's Hand?" Upon seeing her surprised expression Robert said, "It was in Commander Andreys' report."

"Yes. It is a simple technique," Druni said. "You use your power to separate positive and negative charges in the air. When this creates an electrical field from the charges attempting to meet, you direct it through yourself with your power and channel it into a lightning bolt."

Robert imagined that technique. It explained the hand movements Julia had described. "Sounds useful."

"It can be. But lightning is associated with the powers of darkness. Even if the lightning is not formed from the Gift itself, but from the natural charge in the air." Druni's eyes lowered. "My Sisters discovered what I had done. I was ordered to meditate on my 'error' and to swear to never again use the power. I instead told them I would leave the Silver Moon rather than denounce a technique that can save lives. So I left. And my parents disowned me."

"What?" Robert blinked.

"I am Astra… you are familiar with the Dorei nations, yes?"

"Um, moderately. I know Sindai nations are still polytheist, that the Daxai are the most powerful of the Merchant and Corporate Republics…" Robert shrugged. "...and I think I heard that the Astra have the holiest sites for the Eternal Goddess religion?"

"The Lushan host the Church's headquarters, but the oldest temples are in my nation, yes. The Queens of the Astra are always Ordained Priestesses and ceremonial guardians of the Temple of the Lunar Revelation. Anyway, I will not force you to listen to an academic lecture about our religion. You simply need to know that the Astra are generally a religiously devout and conservative people. Astra with the Gift are expected to join the Church's Holy Orders for the Gifted. Leaving as I did, from defiance of the Order's rules… my parents were quite upset."

Robert could sense the pain inside of her at that outcome. "Maybe they'll… well, if you show you're still…"

"They do not understand. Few do. Even your teacher Meridina believed the power was dangerous." Tears streaked down Druni's cheeks. "I know it is a dangerous use of power. Such energy can kill. If you're not careful with it…"

"The same with a lot of things. I've made mistakes that got my people killed. Even though I thought I was doing the right thing." Robert took in a breath and thought of what else to say. "All you can do is try to do the right thing and consider the consequences of what you do."

"Yes." Druni sat back in the cockpit chair. The emotional moment had drained her. Robert regretted asking her about her past. He looked away and thought of something else he might say, something that might make her feel better. It was Druni, however, who spoke next. "The weapon Meridina now carries. I saw the fight on Gersal with that fallen Mastrash. It is the same weapon that her student Lucy used, isn't it?"

"Yes and no." Robert shook his head. "The weapon Lucy used to beat Goras was Swenya's Blade. The actual relic. She found out how to reactivate it. And after months of trying, she figured out how to build her own."

"Extraordinary," Druni stated, with heartfelt awe. "I still use my tenari, but I would love to have such weapons."

"Lucy taught Meridina how to build one. Meridina could teach you."

"I will ask, then." Druni turned her head and faced him. Her lips, a darker and richer shade of blue than her skin, formed a smile. "And you, Captain Dale? Have you learned how to build one?"

"No." Robert shook his head. "I'm afraid my control is pretty bad. I haven't gotten it to work."

"Practice will improve you."

"Maybe. But I'm a horrible duelist anyway, so I'm not sure I should." Robert rubbed at his forehead at the thought of it. "Honestly, I'd only ever intended to learn enough of this stuff to control it, not to master it. If things hadn't…"

There was a beep at their consoles. Druni checked her board. "We're arriving in the Kuzaram System. I'm taking us out of warp."

The Keyeri slowed to sublight speed as they approached the planet. Robert checked the file on the planet. Under the Allied Systems' planetary class charge, Kuzaram was an O1-type garden planet, a world that had just enough ocean area at 90.04% to be considered an oceanic world instead of a standard continental garden planet like Earth. The main Minbari colony was in a valley on the lone continent on the planet, which took up 7% of the planet's area and was roughly the size of South America.

Landing would give them a chance to stretch their legs. On the other hand, their mission was still covert enough that even a Minbari colony might not be safe. "Don't approach the colony. Keep us a distance away and off their scanners if you can."

"Alright." Druni started operating the helm. "What else?"

"Nothing." Robert laid back in the seat. "Now we wait for developments."




The Koenig came out of warp a few thousand kilometers from the Jump Gate in the Sheffer system. Sensors showed traffic in the area was light. "I'm reading one vessel with an Earthforce ID," Magda said to Zack. "According to our records, it's an Artemis-class vessel. A heavy frigate in Earthforce parlance."

"Right. But no other combat ships?"

"Nothing. Just a few transporters. Mostly Earth Alliance-flagged, plus a Drazi merchant ship… and one of the Earth ships is reading as the Hycantha."

"There's our ship. Take us to her, full impulse."

The Koenig, hidden by her cloak, moved through the system without any sign of being detected. Within minutes the Hycantha was on screen. "It's a M'Gede Technologies Commercial Transport," Magda said. "It's meant for running cargo with a small passenger limit, but my sensors are showing that it's got at least twice the passenger total that it's rated for."

"Hrm. Send them a tight beam transmission with the following codes." Zack used the small console to the right of his command chair to provide the identification codes Maran had sent for Magda's use.

"I'm sending the transmission." After several seconds. "They're responding with a tight beam transmission of their own. They have acknowledged our presence and are heading to the jump gate."

"Follow them, Ap," Zack said. "Keep us close enough that we'll use their jump point."

"Yes sir," Apley replied.




Robert had taken over in the cockpit for Druni, who wanted a drink and a chance to talk to Meridina. The controls were Dorei standard which he had a passive familiarity with, enough that he could fly in sublight with them. But he suspected Lennier or Druni, or perhaps Meridina, would have to guide the ship to warp if they were being completely safe.

With nothing to do Robert stared out at the void of space. Without an atmosphere, there was no bright carpet of distant, twinkling lights like he had known growing up on the family farm. His memories fell back to the time his Grandmother Anna had shown him the constellations and taught him their names in English and in German. He remembered her telling him about how her father taught her the very same stars in the years between the wars. Frederick Beck had been an officer in the Imperial German Navy and a veteran of Jutland; teaching his children astronomy had been a way for him to spend time with them, or so Grandma Anna had said. As a child he had always thought she seemed especially quiet after those lessons. Now, as an adult who had lost his father as well… Robert realized that Grandma Anna had been recalling

At the time he hadn't thought much of the stars. He'd never wanted to be an astronaut growing up. Not when he had the family farm that he was being raised to inherit. It was ironic that something that he had only loved as a way to spend time with his grandmother had become something that was part of his everyday life.

He felt Lyta approach before he heard her treading down the deck. Robert turned in the pilot chair to face her. "Yes?"

"Your ship just made contact with the Hycantha," she said. "You need to set a course for an F sequence star about one parsec away from the Darglan home system."

Robert turned back to the console and brought up the star charts. He specified the Darglan homeworld, now known to be She'teyal. "I'm reading…" He nodded. "Just one system. An F4 sequence star."

Druni and Meridina walked into the cockpit behind Lyta. "You have a destination, then." Meridina wasn't asking.

"We do." Robert indicated the holo-screen he was looking at.

Druni slipped by Lyta and took the helm right as Robert vacated it. "I am laying in a course. At our best warp velocity, we'll be there in three days."

"That sounds right," said Lyta. "By then the Hycantha will be at Gamma Orionis."

"Take us out, then," said Robert. "Please." He added the last in last second recollection that this was not his ship.

Druni's hands moved over the ship controls. The Keyeri re-orientated itself and made the jump to warp speed.




The Keyeri left the Kuzaram system at Warp 5.2, its fastest safe speed, its occupants settling in for their long flight.

They might not have settled in so well had they known that, at that moment, their ship was a dot on a set of subspace scanners showing on a bridge many light years away.

The ship was black, appropriately enough. Indeed, in defiance of the usual procedure for such vessels, it had no name or marking insignia painted on its hull. Without a very specific set of frequencies set for listening, someone wouldn't even get the ship's IFF transponder code to learn its name: Muninn. This was an intentional feature since those commanding the ship were not particularly interested in being known.

Captain Phan sat in the main chair. The Vietnamese woman watched the scanner return and turned to her special passenger, the man she was reporting to. She kept her gloved hands together in her lap.

Alfred Bester watched the dot. Do we know what course they're on? Bester asked.

Toward the claimed Alliance zone. Our new star charts say they are heading to the vicinity of the Darglan homeworld. Phan frowned. How do you intend to evade the Alliance's sensor nets?

Their sensor nets are incomplete due to the demands of their war effort
. Bester walked up to the screen and tapped a star. Warp-equipped scout ships from IPX have had success sneaking into Alliance territory through Delta Serpentis. We'll do the same. Have all stealth measures running to keep us hidden and by the time the Alliance realizes we were here, we'll be done with the mission and escaping in hyperspace. Bester felt the doubt come from Phan, and other members of the crew. I understand your skepticism. But Lyta Alexander is a danger to the Corps. And now that we know who's with her, the recovery of Captain Dale and Commander Meridina is a priority. With study, we may learn how to improve future generations of our people. It's for the good of us all.

Phan nodded. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father. Helm, set a course for Delta Serpentis, cruise speed.

The Muninn's bow turned toward the starboard and "lifted". There was no flash; the internal warp drive activated and the black-coated vessel jumped to warp.
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

Ship's Log: ASV Koenig; 18 October 2642. Commander Zachary Carrey commanding. We are currently six hours out from Gamma Orionis at the edge of Earth Alliance-held space. So far we have had no problems with our escort of the transport vessel Hycantha. I'm still wondering how this ship is linked to Captain Dale's current mission. I imagine a deal has been struck with someone, but I would like to know who it is, and more importantly, just what we're escorting into Alliance space.

I must also log that Doctor Opani and the seven other Dorei members of my crew have spent the last three days sleeping with sedatives due to the unexpected impact of hyperspace upon their latent psionic talents. I will be submitting a report to the Alliance Stellar Navy on the dangers of exposing those with telepathy to hyperspace.


A scan of the Hycantha was showing on the large wall-screen in Zack's office off the bridge. Magda and Apley were seated across from him and looking at the same. "There's nothing special about the cargo," Magda insisted. "The materials scan indicates manufactured consumer goods."

"So the ship is carrying… what? Furniture?"

"Or house furnishings. Office supplies. Cookware." Magda shrugged. "It could be any of that. The only thing particular is that this ship is rated for seven crew and twenty-five passengers, but I'm reading about sixty-five separate life signs with our sensors."

"So what, refugees?"

"I'm not sure from where," said Apley. "We don't have any reports of major wars or conflicts or even disasters."

"Maybe they're fleeing from something in specific?" Magda proposed.

"Fugitives?" Zack frowned. "So, what, we're helping criminals?"

"Maybe." Apley shook his head. "We'd have to know what was going on with Captain Dale to know for sure."

"Yeah." Zack thought it over and figured he was still missing pieces if he was going to figure this out. "Well, you're both dismissed. We still have some time before we're jumping out of hyperspace."

"Frankly, I can't wait to be back in realspace," grumbled Magda. "Hyperspace is a nightmare."

"Tell me about it," grumbled Zack, who had decided that the boredom of watching streaks in warp space was now preferable to the red and black chaos of hyperspace.




On the Keyeri, everyone seemed to have gone off to do their own thing. Lennier and G'Kar were catching up in the cockpit, Lyta was sleeping (or may be sleeping, nobody knew there), and the others were in the cargo bay.

There wasn't a lot of room in the cargo bay, and having three people sitting in it took up quite a bit of space. The lack of space had been a concern for Robert. Of greater interest to him, however, was the disparate number of parts levitating in the air in front of him. His will held them in place. He kept his mind clear and visualized the pieces flowing together just right

Two came together, then a third, and the blue crystal they'd brought with them. For a moment Robert thought he had it. But then a piece fell out of place. He tried to pull it back but lost his grips on some of the others, and within moments his focus was gone and all of the parts rained to the floor in front of him. He let out a growl of utter frustration and stood up. "This isn't working," he announced.

"It may take you time to learn the control necessary," Meridina replied.

"I'm not sure I ever will. I'm not even sure of the point of it. I was horrible in our testing duels." Robert picked up the various pieces that had fallen everywhere and gathered them together.

The crystal had rolled over to where Druni was sitting,, beside the wall and a container full of nonperishable soup. She considered the crystal. "Is this a domari crystal?" she asked them.

"I believe Lucy acquired that from McQuarrie Station," Meridina replied. "Although it may be the same as your domari."

"I see. One moment." Druni handed the items to Robert and left the cargo bay.

After she left Robert started setting them up again for another try. One that he really did not have his heart set upon. Meridina reached over and took his arm. "You do not have to try again," she said. "I believe it may be counter-productive."

Robert drew his hand back from the pile. "I'm sorry if that upsets you," he said.

"It does not." Meridina shook her head. "We all have our own strengths with our connection to the universe. I had expectations that increased training might lead you to finding the skills to fight with a blade and your power. But it is becoming clear this isn't the path you're meant to be on."

"Oh?"

"Not all with swevyra fight," she pointed out. "Among the Order, those who lack the skill or control find other avenues in which to serve."

"Like your healing specialists."

"Yes." Meridina set her hand on his shoulder. "Do not let this undermine you. Whether or not you are ever able to take up the blade, we will work to develop your talents wherever they lead."

"Right." There was a trace of bitterness in his voice that Meridina felt. He had given up his relationship with Angel for this training because he, because they all, believed it was vital for the future of the Multiverse. Now, months after that decision, it seemed like his learning was, if not over, going in directions that seemed to make his decision a mockery. He was never going to be as powerful as Lucy or Meridina.

Meridina said nothing to that. There was nothing to say. It was a truth they had to face.

Druni returned to the cargo bay with crystals in her hand. Unlike the blue crystals Meridina had brought, these were a vibrant purple color matching her eye color. "Can I try?" she asked

Robert gestured to the pile before standing up. "I'm going to get something to eat and see if Lennier needs a break. Good luck."

He walked out. Behind him, Meridina waited for Druni to settle into a seated position. "This is not a test of mechanical skill," she said to Druni, "but of your ability to listen to what your swevyra tells you. Let the parts come together in your mind. Sense how they are to form…"




The arrival of a squadron of Dorei starbirds filled the holo-viewscreen on the Aurora bridge. The Dorei built their starships with a certain aesthetic grace, or so Julia thought. They looked like great blue and green and purple birds in flight, all of varying sizes. The Layama-class cruiser-grade starbird in charge of the formation was the first to move into orbit. The other seven starbirds moved out of formation to take up positions around Ys'talla.

"Squadron Captain Igmata has sent us a message, Commander." Lieutenant Jupap, the yellow and red-feathered Alakin at Ops, twisted in his chair slightly. His chirping voice, with a beaked mouth never designed by nature to speak English quite like Humans or other species do, filled the bridge again. "We are clear to depart."

"Good. Ensign, take us out."

"Aye ma'am." Violeta's fingers moved over her board. The Aurora broke away from orbit. "Where are we setting course?"

Julia thought about that. "Delta Serpentis. Take us to the Delta Serpentis system."

"Aye ma'am."

"Commander, I am confused," said Jupap. "Delta Serpentis has only two small mining facilities in this universe. It is well within Dorei space and far from any point of trouble. Why are we going there?"

"Because in E5B1, that's inside what used to be Darglan space. Which is now our space." Julia settled back into her chair. "And given what we're looking for, if we have to jump into E5B1, it'll be there."

"Ah. Yes. I comprehend." Without further word Jupap returned his attention to his screens while Violeta initiated the warp drive, sending the Aurora zipping away from Ys'talla at a speed of Warp 9.2.




Deeper in the ship, Caterina and Jarod were waiting when Lucy, Scotty, and Barnes arrived in Science Lab 2. The two had a table set up with varying pieces of recovered crystal and similar pieces from the Azeyma's Rest site. Some were part of necklaces and bracelets, some were separate, and one, of bright red coloring, was part of a tube-top garment.

"So, what's this about?" Barnes asked.

"These are crystals that Professor B'rrel let us keep from the dig site," Jarod explained. "We kept them because they're not naturally-occurring crystals."

"Here." Cat held a crystal blue one up and handed it to Scotty. "What does it feel like to you?"

Scotty accepted it and looked it over in the palm of his hand. "When did ye get th' rock wet?"

"Never," Cat insisted.

"But that dinnae make sense," he protested. "This feels like it's just been pulled from a lake."

Jarod handed Barnes a crystal with bright red coloring. Barnes looked it over "You didn't have this near a heat source, did you?"

"Not at all. But it feels hot, doesn't it?"

Barnes ran his omnitool scanner over it. "Not just feels. It is hot. It's at least five degrees hotter than the environment. Are you saying this Goddamned crystal is generating its own heat?"

"From all we can tell, yes, it is," Jarod said.

Lucy picked up a crystal that was not any color, so therefore had a whitish look to it. She focused on it and felt something. "These crystals… it's like they're infused with some sort of energy. I can sense power in this one, in all of them. There's something… different, though. It's like… it's like I'm holding a battery of power in my hand." She stared at it. "Pure… congealed energy."

"Ye cannae tell me these are 'magic rocks'," Scotty protested. "They must hae been produced by someone."

"Our scans don't show any of the usual signs of an artificially-grown crystalline structure," Caterina said. "Everything about their internal structure says they formed naturally. But what kind of world could have something like this form?" Her hazel eyes lit up. "Imagine finding a world like that, I mean… what's it like? Could it have some… some form of energy field that produces these things? What kind of life forms evolved there?"

"Aside from the Miqo'te," Jarod said.

"Well, we don't know if the Miqo'te naturally evolved on the world the Darglan took them from either." Cat shrugged. "We don't know anything. But imagine if we could find out?"

Lucy patted her on the shoulder and smiled. "Maybe we will one day, Cat."

Caterina nodded without answering.




After Lennier confirmed he was rested enough, Robert returned to the room they'd set aside for him and decided to nap. As he fell asleep, he decided he was not going to let his dreams be bad this time. He tried to dwell on happy thoughts as he fell asleep.

At first there was no dreaming, just the pleasant timeless bliss of sleep. The first hint of a dream was pleasant. Warm, golden fields of grain in front of him. A beautiful house. The kind of place he'd grown up in. Children playing in the yard. Two girls, a red-haired girl and a blond girl. That made him curious. Were they meant to be his children? He thought he could feel their names at the tip of his mind, but the names wouldn't materialize.

There was a glimpse of a ceremony. The Citadel Council chambers. He could see Shepard standing before them with a sense of weight to her expression.

Now it was a party. Roars of laughter and joy filled the Lookout and his friends, and others, seemed exhausted but ecstatic. A banner simply read "Victory!"

The images went by faster - a city on a bay, an ecumenopolis like Solaris where cheering crowds celebrated something, Julia sitting at a table with him and the girl in the red-and-gold vest, the two laughing in tandem about something - until they stopped. There was nothingness around him.

A figure appeared in the darkness with him. He looked into her eyes. The girl. "Bad Wolf," she said.

The accent. He could place it now.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The choice will be yours," the girl said, her English accent clear. She was wearing a blue shirt and matching trousers. The shirt was plain save one design, a large pinkish rose glittering on the front. "Bad Wolf."

"But I don't understand!" he shouted.

The girl's eyes began to glow with gold power. "You will. The choice will be yours. All that you have seen will come if you make the right one. Remember."

Robert sat up in his bunk. Whatever rest he had gotten, he wasn't sure it mattered given how much the dream left him agitated. Such a cryptic phrase. What was "Bad Wolf" supposed to mean anyway?

There was a knock on the door to the bunk and living closet. Robert reached over and hit the key to admit whomever it was. Lyta stood in the doorway. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I ever want to travel with you again," she said. "It's not easy to sleep when your mind keeps screaming 'Bad Wolf!' so loud that it wakes me up."

"I'm sorry," Robert said. "It's just… something I'm going through."

"Really?" Lyta blinked. "And it involves your mind looping with the phrase 'Bad Wolf' all day or night long?"

"Whenever I have the dreams that phrase keeps popping up," said Robert. "It's just 'Bad Wolf'."

"Bester is right about that," Lyta remarked. "Whatever you are, it isn't the same as the rest of us telepaths."

"Remind me to send that news on a gift card made for absolute bastards," grumbled Robert. "Did you need something?"

"Aside from the fact that you disturbed my rest? I suppose not. We've arriving in our target system soon, though, so you'll want to be ready." Behind her, the sound of a familiar electronic snap-hiss combination was joined by a laugh of joy. "And it sounds like Druni has completed the little project they had going on in the cargo bay."

"Well, I'm glad someone did," Robert sighed. "Any word from the Hycantha?"

"They'll be at Gamma Orionis soon," Lyta said. "As soon as I get confirmation, I'll tell you which planet we're heading to."

"Well, I'd better get my armor ready. Just in case."

"Given that we're dealing with Bester?" Lyta showed him a wry smile. "That may be the smartest thing I've heard you say."

"Well, thanks for the compliment, Miss Alexander. I'll be out shortly."

She left and Robert got to work getting ready. He suspected they would end up fighting someone by the end of this trip.





The Jump Gate at Gamma Orionis activated. The moment the blue jump point finished opening the Hycantha emerged. The Koenig followed suit, still hidden behind its cloaking device. On the bridge Zack breathed in a sigh of relief that nothing had gone wrong. "Anything on sensors?"

"A handful of ships," said Magda. "There's a cargo transfer station in this system, in orbit over the Kenyatta Colony."

"Any sign of the Hencerasa?"

"Scanning… I'm detecting a Gersallian vessel, Umibetan Combine Model 3, private registry, on sensors. Reading ID code… it's the Hencerasa." Magda turned to face him again. "It's approximately two AUs away and closing at impulse."

"Well, at least the rendezvous is on time," Zack noted. "Keep us steady near the Hycantha."

"Yes sir," said Apley.

Zack watched the Earth transport burn its way toward the rendezvous. Just who were these people being transferred? What was Maran doing and how did Robert's visit to Minbar play into it? He didn't like being in the dark. It made him think of the last time he was in the dark, and the crew he'd lost at 33LA because of it.

The bridge door swished open and admitted Doctor Roliri Opani. The young Dorei woman was a Mayali, from the Southern Hemisphere tropical continent of Keral. Her dark teal skin was matched with the light purple of the irregularly-shaped spots running down the sides of her face to her neck, with dark purple hair pulled back into a braided ponytail at the back of her head. "So we're finally out?" she asked, relief on her features. Her teal eyes, in a much lighter shade than her skin, showed what seemed to be a surprising amount of fatigue to Zack.

"We're back in normal space, yes."

"Good." Opani shuddered with relief. "That dimension is… it is difficult for us."

"I already logged it to Command," Zack said. "Although it makes me wonder how the telepaths of this universe can handle it."

"That is the oddest part." Opani walked up and sat beside Magda at the auxiliary station, allowing her to sit and face Zack. "According to medical records from the Minbari, the Earth Alliance, and the Centauri… actually, virtually every race with telepaths, the effects of hyperspace are not severe. Not like we felt."

"What did you feel?" asked Zack. "It sounded like all of the Dorei on the crew were picking up other thoughts."

"We were," Opani said. "Whenever we slept we would end up with alien thoughts in our minds. It was almost like falling asleep when you're maintaining skin contact with someone. Once asleep, you meld mind-states. That's what this feels like."

"Huh. But you can't read minds actively, right?" Zack leaned forward in his chair. A thought was coming to him. "I mean, that's part of your physiology."

"No, we cannot. We lack telepaths like some other species have had."

Magda looked at Opani with a bewildered expression. "Then… that would mean the other side had to be responsible for the contact."

Opani frowned at that. "Yes, I suppose it would. I suppose it would indeed. Hyperspace wouldn't change our physiology to let us remotely enter minds, but it would make us more likely to hear those who could remotely contact other minds."

Zack swallowed. Everything now made sense. "Of course," he murmured.

Everyone turned to him.

"That's what we're doing," Zack said. "That's why Admiral Maran talked about possibly fighting Psi Corps. The Hycantha's passengers… they're fugitives all right. They're fugitive telepaths, fleeing the Psi Corps."

Apley nodded. "I read the report from Commander King and Lieutenant Caldwell on the Venir incident. The cloaking device didn't do them any good, telepaths were tracking them through mind-reading."

"That's why we've been allowed to engage Psi Corps if they show up." Zack frowned. "Because we'll have to get in the first shot. April, make sure torpedoes are loaded. Magda… find the Dorei crew most qualified for manning bridge stations, I want them up here on the double. Just in case. King's officer Lieutenant Trymi was able to resist telepathic compulsion, if need be they'll take over our stations."

"Until then, sir?" asked Apley.

"Keep us on course. And Magda, keep an eye out. Just in case." Zack drew in a breath. "Just in case," he repeated to himself in a murmur.




Lyta stepped into the cockpit of the Keyeri and joined the others. "I just got the signal," she said. "The rendezvous is being made. Pardon me." With that said she moved beside Druni and took a place leaning over the helm beside Lennier. "Take us into orbit of the fifth planet."

"Very well." Lennier fired the ship's impulsors and sent them flying toward said world. "We'll make orbit in four hours."

"By then the transfer will be complete and my people will be off to safety," Lyta said.

"I can't help but notice a slight flaw in your planning, Lyta," said G'Kar.

"Oh?" She turned back to face her traveling compatriot.

"You've told them which planet they can find this device," he said. "They don't need you anymore."

"Not to find the planet, no." The grin on Lyta's face grew. "Of course, they may have trouble finding it on a planet over fifty percent larger than Earth. And then there are the traps…"

Everyone save Lennier looked at her. "Traps?" Robert asked.

Lyta directed the grin at him. "You don't think the Vorlons would have let just anyone walk into this place, do you? Anyone finding the Darglan site we're heading to wouldn't get very far unless they have the direct support of a Vorlon."

"Or someone aligned with them?"

"Close enough. Not that I think you'll betray me, you've come too far for that. But like Michael, I like to leave room for people to disappoint me." The grin became more forced. "After all, it's happened plenty of times before."

Robert wasn't about to speak on that. His impression of Lyta was that she had been disappointed one too many times by those she considered friends and allies. Unfortunately, her bitterness had clearly undermined her ability to socialize.

He just hoped that bitterness wouldn't undermine their ability to work together.




The fifth planet of the F4 star system - on Alliance maps it was designated F41-001-5 - had seemed to be a barren Mars-type world from a distance. But once they were closer the sensors on the Keyeri made clear the signs of a badly-damaged garden world, with an atmosphere that still had traces of the weapons used to purge much of its life. "What happened here?" Druni wondered aloud.

"The Shadows happened," Lyta said darkly. "They didn't use their planet-killer for this world. Instead a squadron of Shadow vessels came out of hyperspace and started slicing up the cities and bombing the planet until not a single Darglan was alive."

"All of that death." Robert closed his eyes. He thought he could feel it, even after a thousand years. The screams and cries of an innocent people being extirpated from existence by a vicious enemy. He frowned. "If they'd kept their interuniversal drives, they would have survived."

"No, they wouldn't have," replied Lyta.

Robert almost asked how she could know that, but he held his tongue.

"Take us in on the equatorial continent," Lyta said to Lennier. "There's a mountain range about eighteen degrees north of the equator, near an old mountain lake that feeds the river flowing into the northern sea."

Lennier followed her instructions. The Keyeri banked into the planet. The void of space gradually gave way to twilight. The sun was beginning to rise over this area of the planet.

After a thousand years life was starting to return here. Trees lined the mountainside and the valley. They'd returned in enough numbers that they stretched out like an emerald carpet below the Keyeri.

The mountain lake was old, as in it had existed for tens of thousands of years. Robert was not an expert geologist and wasn't sure of what he was guessing, but he could imagine the lake forming from an old, extinct caldera. Or perhaps a meteor crater.

Lennier seemed to double-check something. "There appears to be an old tunnel set into one of the mountainsides," he said.

"That's where we're going." Lyta noddded. "Put us down at the tunnel entrance."

Lennier did so The ship drew closer to the ground until, finally, it stopped all horizontal movement and settled onto the soil.

"I have a feeling we need someone to stay with the ship." Robert stood from the chair. "Just in case."

"I shall remain," Lennier said. He turned back to his panels while the others filed out of the cockpit.




G'Kar and Lyta stepped down from the Keyeri's rear cargo bay door first, following the ramp down to the firm earth beneath. Robert and Meridina followed. They were in the combat armor with newly-replicated robes to replace the ones they had to leave on Kalnit Station. Robert's pulse pistol was back at its proper place on his belt while Meridina's weapon hung once again from her own.

Druni, in the rear, was wearing her own light armor. It was of similar style to the Gersallian-made armor Meridina and Robert had brought for themselves, with the primary color being green. It also looked to be of a more flexible material. Robert noticed she was carrying her tenari and asked, "What, no lightsaber?"

"I just built one, and I need to train with it before I try to fight with it," she pointed out.

"Fair enough."

"This way."

With Lyta in the lead they walked up to the tunnel entrance. A wall of rock covered it, barring the way in. "I sense no danger," Meridina said. "But I do not sense an entryway either."

Robert looked around at the ground. "Maybe there's another entrance plate like the Facilities had, or that database?"

"No," said Lyta. "Not here anyway. The entrance was sealed by weapons fire from the inside. The last, defiant gesture of the Darglan inside against the Shadows and the followers they sent to seize this place."

"Then we have to dig our way in." Robert stepped up and looked it over. "If we pull out the right rocks, maybe the rest will give way."

Meridina and Druni nodded. The three raised their hands. Three rocks began to pull free.

This is going to take a while, Robert thought to himself as he focused on the next part of the rock barrier.




On the Koenig bridge the Hencerasa now loomed large on the screen. The Gersallians built their ships to look sturdy. If they didn't have the lines they did, they'd look more like bricks, or so Zack thought.

"The Hencerasa is taking position beside the Hycantha. They'll start transferring their passengers in a minute." After forty seconds Magda announced the transports were taking place.

Zack didn't relax. He had an idea that this was when things were about to go wrong.

Itt didn't take long for him to be proven right.

"Sir, I'm getting a gravitational surge nearby." Magda's attention went to her board. "Jump point forming."

"On screen."

The viewscreen showed a blue energy vortex form. The vessel that emerged from it wasn't very large. But it had Earthforce markings. Zack's jaw clenched.

"Artemis-class heavy frigate," Magda said. "An older, Dilgar War-era model with railgun armament."

"Code Red. All hands to battlestations."

While the ship went on combat alert, Magda added, "They're signaling the other two ships."

"Put them on speakers, I want to hear this."

"This is Major Linda Tsukara of the Catoblepas to Hycantha and Hencerasa. System control informed us that you were meeting off-flight plan. Please stand by for contraband scan."

"Acknowledged, Catoblepas."

For several tense moments the scan commenced. "Catoblepas to civilian ships. You're clear of contraband. But I would like to ask why you are transferring extra passengers not on the Hycantha's listed manifest."

The same voice that had answered before came through. "I understand your concern, Major. We picked up an Allied System-flagged civilian vessel in hyperspace that had suffered a catastrophic drive failure. They were drifting off of the beacons. We had to let them transport aboard after our attempt to pull their ship to safety failed. Since there aren't any jump gates available in Allied Systems territory yet, we flagged down the first ship with warp drive that we could to get these people home."

It was a good story, with just the right feeling to it… Zack was skeptical, however, that it would be accepted. "Sherlily, target weapons and sublight drives only," he said. "And when we decloak, I want our IFF systems disengaged." He received a pair of affirmatives to that.

Several more moments passed. "Good job, Hycantha. Someone has to take care of these idiots who jump into hyperspace without realizing what it's like. That is all. Catoblepas out."

The Earth frigate turned away toward the jump gate and accelerated.

"Cancel Code Red." Zack loosened his grip on his command chair. Well, at least I'm not starting another war yet. "How much longer until the Hencerasa completes the transfer?"

"That model of ship has a personal transporter capacity of six. Give them another three minutes."

Two and a half minutes later the Hycantha's engines fired again. She resumed her course toward the Kenyatta Colony.

The Hencerasa's drives fired up as well. After making a turn in space the warp nacelles on the ship lit up and the Gersallian ship was at warp.

"They're on course for the Reynar System, Warp 6," Magda said.

"Match their speed and course. Engage when ready." Zack leaned back in his seat with immense relief. They were in the home stretch.

Well, Rob, I did my end, he thought. Hope your's is coming up just as well.




It got easier once they had moved enough of the stones. Meridina and Druni, together, moved most of them, entire chunks, and slowly an entranceway took shape.

The group stepped in together. For the benefit of G'Kar, Robert and Druni activated lights on their omnitool and multidevice respectively. The air inside reminded Robert of the musty air of the Darglan Facilities he'd been in before. Directly inside were decomposed skeletal remains with pulse rifles still in what was left of their arms. "They died here," Meridina noted.

"Likely of starvation," Lyta said. "They would have been here to keep out Shadow servitors."

"A horrible way to go." Druni knelt beside one. "I hope the Goddess welcomed them with a feast."

The lights played over halls made of blue-sheened material just like prior Darglan structures. The remains of what had likely been a security post also contained a dead Darglan. Robert tapped at his omnitool to activate a scanner mode. "Wiring," he said. "For the security systems?"

Druni nodded. "And power system."

They followed the wiring into the base. It was like any base could be expected to be. Halls lined with doors leading to what appeared to be labs or storage rooms or offices. More skeletal Darglan remains could be found here and there, some bearing the signs of damage. "They may have mercy-killed one another when it was clear there was no escape," Meridina said.

"This feels wrong," Robert murmured. "I feel like I'm walking over graves."

"You are," G'Kar remarked. "But it is good you feel that way. It shows the proper respect to the dead."

Robert nodded quietly and kept the scanner following one of the biggest drunk lines. They walked past bulkheads, turned into another corridor, and then another.

Finally they entered a large chamber. Robert moved from side to side with the omnitool and noted what he was reading. "This looks like the reactor room for the facility." He tapped keys. "I can't be sure, but it looks like most of the reactors are offline.”

"With no repairs for a thousand years, I'm not surprised." Druni stepped around another tall-skulled skeleton and toward a panel. Her fingers went over the hardlight keyboard being projected by her multidevice. "I'm trying to run a remote access to this console. One moment…"

The console lit up, forming a blue hardlight interface. Druni set a finger on it and the console characters changed to a new language. After a moment of looking Druni began to operate the console. "Fifty percent of the reactors are offline, and another twenty-five percent are flagged as unsafe, but the last quarter…" She tapped a final key.

Light filled the room. More lights appeared on some of the intact reactors around the room, indicating they were in operation. "There we are," said Druni. "We've got power. And I'm remote accessing a map of the entire place." She looked to the others. "I can take us right to the command room."

They departed that chamber and continued on. With the lights working it felt less like a sepulchre they were violating, although there was no hiding the skeletal remains they still found. "To think this is what has been left of the Darglan…" Meridina shook her head. "My people will be heartbroken to see this place."

"You looked up to them," Lyta said. "But you should consider that they might not deserve it."

Meridina turned and faced her. "Why? What could possibly justify the loss of such a brilliant people?"

"I'm not saying they deserved… this," Lyta countered, gesturing to the nearest set of remains. "But the Darglan weren't perfect. They made a terrible mistake and it cost a lot of beings their lives. It nearly destroyed multiple universes."

"You are an agent of the people who punished them," Meridina observed. "How do we know your superiors were honest about what happened?"

"Believe whatever you like, Meridina. But you'll see soon enough." They continued onward.

Robert knew they'd made it to the command room the moment he saw it. The layout was the same as those of the Facilities. He walked toward the central holotank and ran a hand over it. The display there shifted to show English characters. "It looks like the Darglan sabotaged their AI system here. Or maybe it scrambled itself. Either way…" He continued tapping the display. "...let me see if I can find anything."

Druni joined him while Meridina paced around the room. Lyta and G'Kar remained by the door. The Narn looked to his traveling partner and said, "I can't help but notice that there have been no traps."

Lyta turned her head toward him and smiled. G'Kar responded by shaking his head and grinning.

"It looks like some of the data is recoverable," Druni said. "I'm running a compiling program."

"You're into computer sciences?" Robert asked.

"I did dabble during my days as an Initiate." Druni slowly grinned. "And two years ago I spent a few months with a Trill girlfriend. Zaharia showed me quite a few things. When we weren't busy counting each other's spots."

"Huh." Robert continued his own search through the system. "And here I figured you and Lennier were…"

"No." Druni cut him off with that. "We're not. Lennier is… there isn't anything I or anyone can do to heal the hole in his heart."

"Right." Robert continued to examine what he could find. "It looks like they didn't destroy everything. I've just found an old file in the system. It looks like… I don't know…"

Druni brought it up herself. "It's a recorded holo-video. Give me a moment, I think I can load it into the holo-tank…"

After several seconds an image appeared. It was a courtyard of some sort. The architecture was Darglan. Most of those gathered were. But some were not.

Among those who were not were a number of beings Robert didn't recognize. The others did. "A Vorlon," G'Kar noted.

"Kosh," Lyta clarified. Her voice wavered and Robert could detect an old sadness within her.

Thanks to her thought, he knew which one was the Vorlon; a large hulking, armless being with a pod-shaped head that had a singular circular port at the front. There were other beings lined up with him. Some were formed from energy. One looked like a hovering, flaming head made of wood. Another was a dark, intimidating-as-hell spider-like species with glowing yellow eyes.

He scanned the rest of the figures, some clearly standing in judgment while others seemed to be present as witnesses. A few had basic humanoid, even human-looking, appearances, including a redheaded woman with strong features and a fey humanoid clad in a veil. A furry biped stood beside a man in a red coat with a scarf hanging from his shoulders and curly hair buried under a hat. A human-looking woman with dark hair and in a very familiar looking blue robe was standing beside a powerfully-built male in green and gold-colored clothing.

Meridina's eyes widened at the assemblage, or rather, at one figure present. "Swenya."

Robert looked at the image and had to admit that the woman in the blue robe looked very much like the painting of Swenya in the Order's Council Chamber.

"We have completed our judgement," said Kosh, facing an assemblage of Darglan while many more watched from the crowd. "You have disappointed us. Punishment is necessary."

"On behalf of our people, we plead mercy from you, ancient ones," said the lead Darglan. "We do not deny it was in error, but the error was by a select group of our people led astray. Can you punish us for the crimes of a few?"

The spider-looking alien's eyes glistened with malicious anger. When it spoke, it was with a subdued hummed tone, as if through a device. "You have jeopardized the other species of this galaxy and many others. You cannot expect mercy for allowing the Darkness a way in."

"Still, there is truth to their words." The veiled fey humanoid was speaking. "It was the error of a minority."

The dark-haired woman stepped forward and between the judges and the Darglan. "Whatever the crimes a minority committed, out of ignorance or out of impatience, you cannot hold an entire species to be worthy of death!"

"You have no place to speak on this matter, child," intoned the spidery alien. Robert felt Lyta's apprehension and distaste at the creature and realized the being's identity. The Shadow continued, "You are here as a guest at our sufferance."

"Many of my followers died in this war as well," retorted the woman. "The blood of Gersal's bravest swevyra'se has earned us a voice here. And I will not let you ignore that many Darglan died to fix a mistake made by a few. They deserve a chance at life."

"The child speaks well," intoned the flaming head. The light within it seemed to pulse as it spoke. "And we have taken this into consideration."

The furry biped spoke next. "There will be no killings among the Darglan species."

There was palpable relief among the assembled.

"We require the Darglan to give up their interuniversal drives," the furry being added. "They are hereby banned from any further use of the technology."

The relief did not go away. It was joined with a sense of sadness, as was clear in the voice of the lead Darglan. "It is a terrible price, but as the war caused by our mistake was even more terrible, we accept this judgement. We will immediately commence the destruction of all interuniversal drives. We beg only a delay to allow our people in the other universes to be brought back to She'teyal."

"You will be given thirty cycles to commence the evacuation," answered Kosh.

"And know that if your people violate this judgement, your species' existence is forfeit," added the Shadow.

Robert paused the video. "And the Shadows did it anyway two thousand years later," he remarked sadly. A memory came to his mind. "That explains the conversation we found in that Darglan video last year."

"Given the timing, I guess it came from the databanks you stole from IPX and Psi Corps?" Lyta asked.

"Yeah." Robert nodded. "It was an audio file of two Darglan arguing. One insisted they had to reactivate their IU technology, that the Shadows were going to attack and the Vorlons wouldn't stop them. The other insisted this would cause an attack anyway." He shook his head. "But the first one was right, since the audio ended with the Shadow Planet-Killer attacking She'teyal."

"The Shadows moved earlier than the Vorlons expected in that war," Lyta said. "Maybe this is why…"

"If what I've heard is true, their early attack is why Valen and the Minbari were able to lead the galaxy to victory against them." Robert chuckled at the dark humor of it all. "They were so determined to destroy the Darglan that it cost them the war."

"Such is the usual cost of hatred and darkness," Meridina said. "It causes one to lose perspective and to misjudge."

Robert nodded. And he frowned as a thought came to him. "There's no drive here, is there?" he asked, directing his gaze at Lyta. "There never was."

"Nope," she said. "I don't have any idea where the Darglan built it, or even if it's still around."

"You tricked us." Meridina stepped up beside Robert while keeping her eyes on Lyta as well. "To help your people."

"Actually, no." Lyta shook her head. "Not that I wouldn't have if I had to. But I figured that if there was anywhere you could confirm whether or not the Dimensional Drive was intact, it would be here. According to what I learned from the Vorlons, this used to be the main scientific research base for the Darglan government. All of their secrets were here."

Robert understood the point, but he still couldn't help but feel used. Nevertheless, he conceded the point with "Fair enough."

"With time, at least some of this could be reconstructed." Druni looked up from her multidevice's holo-display. "This is still a valuable find. And we might find the Dimensional Drive's location here."

"We'll need to report this to Maran," said Robert. "Let's…"

Druni's multidevice beeped. She pressed the comm key and Lennier appeared on the display. "What is it?" she asked.

"You may wish to finish what you are doing immediately," Lennier said. "Sensors have detected indications of a ship coming out of warp in the star system." He looked at something. "And there are now Earth Alliance fighters entering orbit."

"They must have followed us," Robert said. "Dammit. We can't let them have this place." He took a few steps to Druni's side and looked at the screen. "Lennier, there's something I need you to do…"




On the Muninn Bester watched the Thunderbolts from the ship's complement begin to enter orbit. One by one the Psi Corps pilots inside extended their atmospheric wings to stabilize for that form of flight. Two shuttles full of Bloodhounds were already entering a first stage atmospheric entry course.

"We have confirmed the location of the craft from Kalnit." The lead pilot was reporting verbally given the distance. "Orders?"

"Disable them," Bester said.

Sensors, are there any Alliance ships moving toward us? That telepathic request came from Captain Phan.

No ma'am.

And their ship is too small to carry a jump drive and can't call in help that way
. Bester nodded. We have them.




Everyone ran from the Darglan base as quickly as possible. "Remind me that we need transporter beacons," Druni requested of the others.

"If this occurs again, I shall," Meridina promised.

The moment they got to the exit they'd carved, Robert heard the roar of shuttle engines outside. They emerged from the tunnel opening and into the clearing outside of it to find two Earth shuttles looming over the trees. Thrusters were firing to bring the two craft into a hovering position.

"Get to the Keyeri," Druni demanded. "I'll handle this."

Robert could guess what was about to happen. He felt the air crackle with power as Druni's arms began to wheel around. She was splitting the positive and negative charges in the air. After several seconds of letting this power build up she stabbed her fingers toward one shuttle. The built-up charge surged through Druni's arm and outward. A bolt of lightning formed and struck the side of the shuttle with more than enough force to knock it out of the air.

The other shuttle clearly recognized what had happened and began to maneuver away. Druni used the opportunity to run to the back of the Keyeri, where Meridina and G'Kar were waiting. They boarded together.

By this point Robert and Lyta were in the cockpit. "Did it work?" asked Robert.

"I am not sure," Lennier admitted. "The device seems to be non-functional. I was able to use our ship's IU radio to establish a connection on the provided channel, so they know of our situation."

"Of course it is." Robert shook his head while settling into the station for the main weapons and tactical display. "Lyta, can you let Druni and Meridina know that the anchor needs to be repaired?"

For a moment Lyta's eyes flitted toward the back. "Done, she said."

"Good. Now please take that station and raise the shields." He tilted his head toward the one beside him for ship communications and operations. Lyta blinked down into it. Behind him G'Kar took the turret controls. "You know how to use those?" he asked the Narn.

"I am familiar with a number of ship control systems and weapons," was the answer. "I shall make this work as well."

"Right. Lennier?"

"Firing thruster." The ship rumbled beneath them. "We're taking off."

"Get us a shot at that second shuttle while you're at it."

"I will do so."

The Keyeri spun in mid-air until it was facing the shuttle in question. Robert triggered the wing-mounted cannons. Four bursts of amethyst energy slammed into the craft. It exploded in mid-air, sending flaming ruins into the forest. His eyes went to the tactical sensors. "Aerospace fighters are closing in."

"Beginning ascent."

The Keyeri tilted upward and accelerated. The sensors showed the atmosphere-capable Earth fighters flying up behind them. Robert had seen the model before: Thunderbolts, with four wings in a flat X that carried extendable wings. The cannons mounted into the chin of the fighters opened up on the Keyeri. The vessel shuddered slightly.

"The shields absorbed it," Lyta said.

"I am tracking," G'Kar added. "Firing."

The four turrets had all turned to face the rear of the ship. Pulses of blue-white light lashed out through the atmosphere at the pursuing fighters. The initial shots missed given the distance and relative velocities. The two dorsal turrets tracked together until a Thunderbolt could no longer evade them. The hits blew off the wings of the craft first. As it began to turn dart-like toward the ground, one last pulse hit the main body. The Thunderbolt was reduced to a flaming wreck.

"It has been quite a while since I shot down an enemy fighter," G'Kar announced.

The other fighters were still on them. "They're firing missiles," Robert said.

"Evading."

"I'm tracking them."

Lennier changed the ship's heading and attitude while G'Kar applied the turrets to firing on the incoming missiles. Most of the missiles kept up with them through the maneuver. One couldn't re-engage, and G'Kar shot down two of them.

The last slammed into the rear of the ship. This time the shaking was even more violent than ever. "That hit reduced shield effectiveness to below half."

Lyta's report made it clear; they couldn't let themselves get hit by a missile again.

Lennier leveled the ship out and got them out of the atmosphere. Robert watched the tactical sensors indicate a ship entering effective range. And it was fairly large. "The profile is an Earthforce ship," he said. "But it's not painted in Earthforce colors."

"It's a Psi Corps ship," Lyta said. "Probably Bester's." A blinking button on the console drew Lyta's attention. She pressed it.

A screen on the side of the cockpit activated, and Lyta's suggestion confirmed. Bester's face filled the screen. "You might want to surrender," Bester told them. "We might even let the Minbari and the… Dorei, isn't it? We may even let them go."

"And we should believe you because…?"

"Because you don't have a choice, Captain," Bester replied. "There are no ships in range to help you. My ship can overtake yours in warp flight. Even if you get the attention of your fleet, we'll have more than enough time to destroy you or tractor your ship into hyperspace. I'm giving you a minute to decide whether or not you're coming voluntarily."

And with that, his image disappeared.

Robert tapped his omnitool. "Meridina? I hope you're done back there."




Meridina heard Robert's request while holding up the portable radio/drive anchor. The device, their lifeline to the Aurora, was utterly dead.

Druni had one end open and was trying to finish the modification to bring it back online. "Just a couple more pieces."

"I get the feeling we are almost out of time," Meridina warned her.

"I know, but I can't rush this. Somehow your entire power source got drained and we don't have anything completely like it, so I have to improvise."

"Meridina, tell me that thing is ready."

"I cannot," she answered Robert. "It needs a new power supply. We are attaching it now."

"Then hurry it up. Bester brought a cruiser."

"Two more connections," Druni said.

Meridina did not reply. She focused on holding the device in place.




The Keyeri shot away from the planet at full speed. The Psi Corps cruiser followed behind, as did its fighter complement.

With no enemies in front of them Robert was reduced to watching the tactical sensors and glancing toward Lyta, who was showing greater concentration. "I'm trying to shield everyone from them," she said. "But if Bester puts enough telepaths…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence. Robert could feel something in his mind. A feeling, an instinct, telling him to stop fighting. To surrender. It would be easier.

"They are quite persistent," was all Lennier would say. He kept his hands on the controls. Enemy Starfuries were closing the distance behind them.

If you're in my head, how about this? He focused on Meridina. Meridina, please tell me it's ready.

A response came. We are almost done.

WIthin moments the enemy fighters were backing off a little bit. Bester's ship kept a reasonable speed up to follow but stopped trying to overtake the Keyeri. Robert's thought had the effect he had looked for. Let Bester wonder what they were doing.

We are done, Meridina said. I have sent out a brief message on the radio to confirm the anchor is active.

As Robert began counting down the time, the enemy Starfuries surged ahead. Bester had inevitably decided there was no immediate danger. Fire began to hit their shields again. Lennier's maneuvers worked to keep them guessing at where to shoot. The turrets fired under G'Kar's direction. One pulse clipped the engine of a Starfury and sent it careening away.

When another of the black-painted Starfuries entered the bow firing arc, Robert triggered the plasma cannons again. The four streams of purple shots converged on the fighter and blew it to pieces. Come on, dammit, where are you?

"I hope your help comes very soon," said Lennier.

Robert was about to announce "So do I" when the green point of light appeared in the distance. "Interuniversal jump point. Someone's coming in."

Robert breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the familiar form of the Aurora emerge a moment later.




"Dorei courier ship on sensors," said Caterina. "And so is an Earthforce ship."

Julia frowned at that. An Earthforce ship in Alliance space, without authorization? "Can we identify them?"

"Well, they're painted all back instead of standard Earthforce color schemes. According to recognition charts this one is a Bellona-class cruiser. But I'm not picking up an IFF trace."

"The Dorei ship is hailing."

"Put them on."

"Dale to Aurora." Hearing Robert's voice brought immense relief to Julia. "That ship is a Psi Corps vessel. The entire crew is probably telepathic. Be ready if they attempt a telepathic attack on you."

"Angel, do you have a target lock?" asked Julia.

"We're locked on," Angel confirmed.

"If you feel anything start to go into your mind, open fire."

"Right."

"Give me a minute, then," Robert said. "Fire on my command."




On the Keyeri, Bester's face reappeared on the screen. Robert looked at him and kept his expression neutral. "Agent Bester, this is Captain Dale of the Starship Aurora. You and your ship are in violation of Alliance space. I order you to withdraw or we will be forced to open fire."

Bester's expression was carefully kept, but Robert sensed he was angry beneath it. "If you want to do this the legal way, Captain, I must inform you that I will report to my superiors and to Earthgov that the Allied Systems are harboring a known terrorist. Of course, if you were to turn Miss Alexander over to our custody…"

"Tell your superiors whatever you want, Bester," Robert retorted. "Because from where I'm sitting, a Psi Corps-crewed warship has been opening fire on a civilian ship with an Alliance registry in the heart of the Alliance-claimed zone in this universe. Your superiors might not be too happy about that."

"I will remind you that the Earth Alliance doesn't recognize your sole claim to former Darglan space. But very well. I'm not here to cause a war. But I'm warning you now." Bester's face reflected his anger. "You've just made yourself, and everyone you represent, an enemy of the Psi Corps, Captain Dale. And you will regret that."

The screen disengaged. Robert observed on his systems as the Psi Corps fighters returned to their ship. They took up a formation around it. Moments later, a brown vortex opened in space and Bester's ship entered.

"Well, we did it," Robert sighed, looking to the others. "Do you mind putting the Aurora back on? I think your ship will fit in the hangar deck…"
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

Ship's Log: 19 October; ASV Aurora. Captain Robert Dale recording. It's good to be home. We're currently remaining in orbit of the fifth planet of the star system F41-001 to prepare a scientific survey of the old Darglan science station. We've already begun transferring the data available onto our ship and will continue the process until the Lukapa can arrive to take control of the effort.

Our friends of the
Keyeri are soon to depart, as are Miss Alexander and Ambassador G'Kar. Thinking of Lyta, I can't help but wonder how this will go. Admiral Davies and his faction in the Alliance government will certainly not be pleased at the idea of a colony of human telepaths in the Alliance no matter what they feel about their persecutors, and I can't imagine Lyta's colony of telepaths and the decision to name a "Telepath Homeworld" will go over well with the Earth Alliance. I can't argue against the idea that it's the right thing to do for the innocent telepaths who don't want to become Psi Corps members, but Lyta Alexander isn't going to stop at the peaceful ends of a colony. Are we setting ourselves up for another conflict?

Conference Room 2 had been chosen for the morning meeting with the departing complement of the Keyeri. Lyta and G'Kar were seated on one side, Lennier and Druni on the other, and Robert and Meridina were accompanied by Caterina, Lucy, and Julia. All eyes were on the holo-viewer, where Admiral Maran's image was present. "I would like to thank you all again for your assistance in this matter," he said. "And Miss Alexander, I thought you'd like to know that the children and their parents made it to Reynar safely. The Hencerasa is scheduled to make a jump to A4P5 and the Dorei colony Jinera in the Archenar System. We're setting up a waystation there for all telepaths heading to your new colony."

"Thank you, Admiral."

"Children?" Julia asked.

"The Hycantha was carrying forty telepath children we've liberated from Psi Corps holding facilities," Lyta answered. "Along with as many of their parents as we could locate or rescue. Those children were being slated for transfer to what's called 'Teeptown', where they would have been indoctrinated by the Psi Corps. They have a place to grow free thanks to you."

"That's what we got into this business to do, at the start," Robert said. "That was the entire purpose of New Liberty."

Lyta smiled at that. "I look forward to sending my first delegate to New Liberty. We might be a universe away, but I think we'll do well together."

"Right." He looked to Maran again. "Admiral, anything more on the Psi Corps invasion of Alliance space?"

Maran shook his head. "After consultations, the President and Foreign Secretary Onaran have decided not to press the matter with Earthdome. Not when we're dealing with Lyta Alexander on the side. That could lead to undesired complications. On a related matter, we are examining the situation to determine where they slipped through our border posts."

"My money's on Delta Serpentis," Caterina said. "The star is weird and causes a lot of unknown subspace effects. The kind that can hide a warp drive signature pretty easily."

"I'll pass that on to the investigators, Lieutenant." Maran's expression darkened. "It's a shame to hear about the state of your new discovery. I can't imagine walking through a tomb like this Darglan base. You've done us a service regardless. Can you tell us anything about it?"

"There is no sign of the Darglan Dimensional Drive," said Meridina.

Julia nodded. "If it's there, it may be in the lower vaults, and we're still looking."

"Good. Take your time. Maran out."

Everyone stood after Maran's image disappeared. "Thank you for coming," Robert said to their guests. "Allow me to escort you back to your ship."

As they walked to the support ship dock, Lucy looked from Meridina to Druni and said, "Meridina told me you made your first lightsaber."

"I did. I hear you are the creator?"

"I'm just the one who figured out how to recreate them," Lucy said.

"Ah." Druni nodded. "Still, I would like to ask you something about making them."

"Sure."

"Is it possible to make them with shorter blades? My fighting style is with tenari, short blades, and the lightsaber blades are too long…"

Lucy considered that. "I suppose you could set the containment field to create a shorter blade."

"I shall have to try."




Behind them Meridina and G'Kar started up a conversation. "So you are returning home, then?" she asked.

"I believe so." G'Kar looked toward Lyta, further ahead with Robert. "I have done all I can to help Lyta. And I've been away long enough. You are correct about that." After a moment he asked, "What was it like? To see that recording from the Darglan base?"

"You mean to see Swenya, as she was?" Meridina drew in a breath. "It was… amazing. We have no truly accurate images of her, but any of my people would know it is her. And to see her standing in defiance of the ancient species of the Multiverse to demand mercy for the Darglan people… that is the Swenya my people cherish."

"I have envy for you," G'Kar said. "We have nothing of the like showing G'Quan."

"You referenced him many times in your writings," Meridina said. "I should like to read his writings myself at some time."

"I have copies of the Book of G'Quan, but you should study the Narn language first. It would be sacrilege to reproduce the book in any other language."

"Perhaps I shall indeed…"



The group arrived at the support dock airlock. While everyone else stepped aboard, Robert gestured to Lyta and led her into the nearby room. The windows showed the Keyeri settled into the Koenig's dock. She had almost been too small to do so. "You know, you could go to your new colony too," he said to Lyta. "The telepaths there will need a leader."

"They'll have one," Lyta promised. "Some of us have been thinking about how to arrange our own world for a long time."

"But you won't be joining them?"

"No." Lyta shook her head. "My place is here. Finding more telepaths looking to flee. Someone has to keep up the fight."

"But do you need to fight anymore?" Robert shook his head. "Your people will have their own world. We'll set up routes for them to get out of Earth Alliance space, hell, it's possible we'll even have a formal political debate about it. Fighting the Psi Corps with guns and bombs isn't going to destroy them."

"Not directly, maybe," Lyta conceded. "But if we don't do anything, Bester and his kind are going to take over the Earth Alliance. That's been their plan for years. They almost did it with Clark and I know they'll try again. I have to stop that."

"That's not all, is it?" Robert asked. "You want revenge."

"Are you going to psychoanalyze me too, Captain?"

"I don't need to. I can feel the anger without trying." Robert took in a breath and thought of what to say next. "You can't live on anger and fury forever. It's going to burn you up inside."

"After everything the Psi Corps has taken from me, Captain, it's all I have left." With her piece said, Lyta turned and walked away.

Robert thought about saying something. He could have. But he knew that in the end it wouldn't change anything. Lyta would have to work on her anger herself, and he hoped that when the day came that she understood where it was taking her, it didn't come too late.




To say that Robert was getting tired of the dreams would be an understatement. He was well beyond tired and entering the realm of "fed up".

When he awoke from another session of asking the voice in his head what the hell she meant by "Bad Wolf", Robert slid out of bed and went for the shower. When he emerged from it he noted the time was 0432. Going to bed early compared to usual had at least given him a decent amount of rest… not that it didn't help his frustration with this damn vision. What did it all mean?

He went to work on the paperwork that had accumulated during his days away. Then he went to work on the paperwork for the coming day and, once this job was done, his report to Admiral Maran on everything that had happened.

His stomach gurgled. He replicated a plate of scrambled eggs and resumed work. A glance at the clock said it was 0649.

At 0710 precisely, his omnitool's call light came on. "Delgado to Dale!"

There was no mistaking the enthusiasm in that voice; Caterina had found something.

He tapped the back of his left hand. "Dale here."

"Come to Science Lab 1 ASAP! You've got to see this!"




Robert stepped into Science Lab 1. Cat and Jarod were seated at the central console. Julia was already present. "Alright, what is it?"

"A lot of the data we're getting from the planet is scrambled. And it's going to take us months, maybe years, to defragment and recover it all. If it can be." Caterina ran her fingers over the screen to remove the lines of code that presumably represented the scrambled data. "But we did find something interesting."

"We ran a search program looking for strings related to interuniversal drive research," Jarod said, allowing Caterina to focus on work. "Just to see if there's something intact."

"There was?"

"Mostly intact," Caterina said. "We can't make out all of the appended data on the entry, but we know two things for sure. One, it's a location of a Darglan machinery plant for building new IU drives, and two…" She tapped a key. A starmap appeared on the screen. "...by comparing the coordinate fragments to pieces of the astrographical data on the location, we're ninety nine point nine percent sure that there's something in this system."

The marked system had a M class star. Robert and Julia both looked intently at it. "It's marked on the Minbari charts as Halmavar. On the Outer Rim of known space."

"It was probably the furthest extent of Darglan space back in the day," Julia said. "Do you think this is what we're looking for?"

"There's only one way to find out." Robert looked over at Jarod. "When is the Lukapa due?"

"An hour from now," Jarod answered.

"I'll get on subspace with Admiral Maran and Captain Kripk. Julia…"

"...I'll have Nick set a course for Halmavar as soon as I'm on the bridge," she finished for him. "And I'll get our science teams on the planet ready to beam back up."

"Excellent job, everyone," Robert said. "It looks like we're getting somewhere."




Lyta sat alone in her small quarters on the Keyeri and felt the minds of the others from a distance. Druni was asleep, Lennier was piloting, and G'Kar was meditating in his own quarters.

This was good. She had time now.

She went to the end of her bed and the makeshift work station there and picked up the multidevice she had gotten repaired on Kalnit Station. It was an older model of the machine, one that service had been discontinued for, but through contacts she had acquired third party software that made the device functional for a number of purposes.

With a few taps she was in the Keyeri's comm system. A few more taps and she was invisible. A couple more and a call was being placed.

The man she was looking to talk to, had been waiting to talk to for over a year, appeared on the screen. "Well, hello Lyta," said Michael Garibaldi. "I've been anticipating this call for a while now. You do know what time it is on Mars, right?"

"It's the early morning," Lyta answered. "But I have to call when I'm able."

"Right. So, down to business, shall we? Can you receive an encrypted data file wherever you are?"

Lyta nodded and tapped a key on her multidevice. The blue screen registered that the computer was ready. "Send it."

"Right." Garibaldi reached to the side and tapped keys on a panel. "Here are the accounts I promised you. The interest hasn't had time to compound a lot, and I've had to shuffle some into your legitimate refugee aid accounts to make things look good…"

Lyta narrowed her eyes, expecting Garibaldi to tell her he had been unable to provide the means he promised. The holo-screen flashed as it acknowledged the received data. After several seconds passed a series of numbers flashed on her screens from the various accounts. Hrm. "For a moment I thought you were going to disappoint me, Michael," she said. "But you haven't. This is just what I needed."

"Glad to hear it. And your end of the deal…?"

Lyta grinned. "We'll have to make arrangements for a safe place to meet. Maybe Edgars Industries would be interested in providing assistance in establishing the new Telepath homeworld I've received from the United Alliance of Systems?"

Garibaldi blinked. "Really, you… wow, how did that happen? Last time I checked they had an entire group of politicians already ticked off about the telepaths and mystic life force mojo-users they already have."

"They needed my help with something so I made a deal with them." Lyta's grin turned into a wry smirk. "And they helped me spit in Bester's eye. That was an unexpected bonus."

"Now that, that is news to brighten my day." Garibaldi smiled back. "Alright, so you've got materials from G'Kar and you've got the Allied Systems giving you a planet. Sounds like everything is coming along on your end. I'll see about making a quiet trip into the Alliance, a business trip. My shareholders have been after me to expand our markets into the Multiverse."

"Let me know where you'll be, I'll meet you wherever I can. Take care, Michael."

"The same to you." Garibaldi disappeared from the screen.

The grin on Lyta's face wasn't going away. Garibaldi was right. Everything was coming along for her and her people. And the Psi Corps… their days were numbered. She gently tapped several more keys. This call would be routed back into the Alliance and to elsewhere.

Several moments later, the call was accepted. Lyta looked into the screen at her contact. "Hello. I've had time to think about your proposal and make arrangements for my telepaths." She nodded. "I'll give you my answer now. I accept."

Her new ally nodded in pleased agreement.




Tag



The red star of Halmavar burned in the distance. The Aurora dropped out of warp near the second planet of the solar system. The dead planet turned quietly on its orbital access as the kilometer long starship approached.

The command crew was gathered on the bridge for the approach. "We're at full impulse, orbit in five minutes," Locarno said.

Robert nodded and turned his head to face Cat. "Anything useful on sensors?"

"The star is putting out some sort of interference," Caterina answered. "The planet is definitely a barren world, virtually no atmosphere. I'm looking for signs of prior habitation. So far nothing like domes or secured habitats."

On the screen the red, graying planet was framed by the distant nebula that framed this region of space with orange and red color. As they approached Robert felt anxious. They'd come all this way, done all this… were they finally at the end of this hunt? Or was it a wild goose chase?

"Rob." Julia's voice was hushed. "You look like something's wrong."

He nodded. He could feel his heart beating faster. There was something wrong. "Still no sign of anything?"

"Sensors are still blank."

Robert nodded at that. He could see the concern in Julia's eyes. Before he could say anything, his chair's comm panel lit up. "Meridina to Bridge."

"Bridge here," Robert answered, after tapping the key to give a reply.

"Whatever is happening… I sense that there is danger. Proceed with caution."

Meridina's warning clinched the deal for Robert. "Nick, new course, keep us far from that planet," Robert said. "I want a better idea of what's going on before we make orbit."

"Right, changing course…"

"I've got power signatures on sensors!" Caterina shouted. "New contacts… they're coming from the planet!"

"Code Red!" Julia shouted.

As klaxons sounded throughout the Aurora, Robert added, "On screen!"

The screen now changed to show vessels flying toward them, the dead world framing the shapes. They were unlike any ship Robert had yet seen. Their surfaces were shimmering as if alive, their very hulls so dark as to seem more shadow than real, with multiple arms emerging from the ship in a half-circle.

He'd seen them before. In his nightmares, which they were particularly well-suited to appear in.

And he knew what was coming next.

"Nick, get us out of here!" he shouted, trying not to panic. "Don't mind the course, just go!"

Locarno was already maneuvering away from the approaching spidery ships. Caterina shrieked, "They're Shadow vessels!"

"What?!" Julia demanded.

"They match the profile, they're…"

She didn't finish the sentence.

Locarno did, in fact, engage the warp drive. The warp nacelles flushed with energy to make the jump to warp.

The lead Shadow vessel fired.

The purple ray of energy that erupted from within its form hit the Aurora's shields dead-on…

...and promptly sliced through both top nacelles.

The Aurora bridge shook so violently that only their harnesses kept some of the crew from being thrown from their chairs. "We've just lost both upper nacelles!" Barnes shouted from the engineering station. "They hit us just before warp initiated, the feedback's knocked outthe warp drive!"

"What about the shields?!"

"Their weapons are disrupting the shields at point of impact. They're not…"

Jarod was cut off by another violent shaking. A second Shadow ship had moved into range and fired a beam that sliced directly into the drive hull. Explosions ripped through the hanger deck and launch tubes.

The first Shadow vessel, satisfied at crippling its target's ability to escape at FTL, fired again. The beam moved across the front of the drive hull.

"Hull breaches in multiple sections of the drive hull!" Jarod called out. "Heavy damage to the navigational deflector!"

Two more beams and then a third sliced into the ship. It rocked around more. Robert could visualize it easy enough; he'd dreamed this before. He'd seen it happen already. On the screen the amber energy of their starboard phaser weapons - those still intact - were striking out at their attackers. Some shots hit. Most seemed to do little to no damage, with two of the larger beams slicing part of an arm off of one of the attacking Shadow ships.

"Armor self-repair systems are engaging, but it's like we're filling the holes with cotton frakking candy!" Barnes kept at his work station, trying to keep the systems in question going.

"Engineerin' t' Bridge! Cap'n, we've taken damage t' th' naqia reactors. Four are offline an' I'm losin' a fifth!"

"Evasive maneuvers! Jarod, send out a mayday, now!"

"I'm trying," Locarno answered Julia, as Jarod triggered the distress signal. "But the impulsors are partially damaged!"

"I'm firing everything I can and it's not doing enough!" Angel added.

As another shot hit the ship, this one slicing along the primary hull, Robert thought he could feel his entire crew's panic and anguish. He could feel pain and terror. His friends' screams as more shots hit their battered ship, slicing the Aurora apart like a bird on a platter, struck deep into him. He'd seen this. He'd seen it in his dreams. How could he have not seen it coming?!

The next shot clipped the bridge module itself as it sliced along the rear of the primary hull. "We've just lost communications!" Jarod shouted.

For a long second Robert closed his eyes and focused. They were going to die. Julia, Tom, Leo, Cat and Angel, Meridina and Lucy… every single one of them was about to die, along with two thousand more people. People he was responsible for.

No… No, he couldn't let that happen.

A single hope was left. One that every fiber of his being said had to be taken, now. "Jarod, activate the jump drive, now! I don't care about the destination!"

Jarod had already made a similar calculation of their chances of survival. Another shot that sliced up the front of the Aurora's bow and wrecked one of the plasma pulse cannons made their alternatives starkly clear. "Activating jump drive!"

"Everything to engines, Tom! Everything!"

"Everything!" Barnes agreed with a shout, using the engineering console to shunt power into the damaged impulsor drives wherever he could find it.

Ahead of the Aurora a green light appeared, twinkling like a star of hope. It expanded into the swirling vortex of an interuniversal jump point.

The Aurora raced for it like a wounded creature recognizing the only hope of survival.

The Shadow vessels reacted as well. From their forms, bright pulses of energy fired toward the jump point. Angel, with what little was left of her targeting sensors, saw them coming and opened up with whatever weapons she had left. A phaser beam eliminated one pulse. A solar torpedo blew up another. Particle interceptors dissipated one.

Just as the Aurora surged into the jump point, the last pulse struck it. Energy crackled around the emerald vortex and the Aurora as it surged forth. On the bridge of the ship consoles crackled and sparked with energies beyond what they meant to endure. "The jump point is destabilizing!", shouted Jarod. "It's going to-"

The jump point collapsed.

Their duty done, the Shadow vessels returned to their eternal vigil.




The Koenig was still two hours out from the Reynar System alongside the Hencerasa. Zack checked the time and decided he would head for coffee soon. After all this time away from the Aurora, he was looking forward to getting back to his bed.

Magda turned in her seat. "Sir, I'm getting an automated distress call on all Alliance bands."

"Oh?" Zack felt the worry enter his voice. Had they been found out by Earthforce? Was there some sort of retaliation going on? "Heading?"

"239 mark 040. Toward the Rim." After a moment, Magda swallowed and gasped, "Madre de Dios."

Zack turned his head to face her. "Mags? What is it?"

"The call…" She swallowed. "It… it came from the Aurora."

At that, Zack's face paled to sheet whiteness.




Lights woke Robert up. Lights, and the immense headache. He fumbled for his seat harness and released it, letting him topple off his chair. He looked around at the smoke-filled bridge.

Moans and groans filled the air. He looked to Julia first. She was running her hand over a sweat-covered brow. Robert's head moved to Locarno, who was cradling damaged hands over the destroyed remnants of his navigation console. Jarod's console was still intact and he was already moving. Tom Barnes was, as usual, already trying to get his console to work. Cat was moaning at her station. He looked back to where Angel was starting to sit up. "Report," he asked, his voice hoarse.

Jarod's hand went to the Ops console. "I've got some systems active. Life support is functioning over eighty percent of the ship, but we've got persistent atmospheric leaks in Decks… 2, 4, 5, 7 through 20, and 23 through 35. Damage control teams are moving to begin patching them."

"What about the armor-repair systems?"

"Fried," groaned Barnes. "Utterly, completely fried. Half of the machinery is out, the control systems are dead…"

"Communications?", croaked Julia.

Jarod shook his head. "Our transceivers have all been damaged beyond immediate repair. Given time and EVA work, maybe we can get basic subspace back."

"Propulsion? What about our drives?" Robert asked.

"The jump drive is completely burnt out from whatever just happened," Jarod said. "Warp drive is out. Impulsor drives have taken major damage..." He shook his head. "We're dead in space."

"Most of the weapons are either out or can't be fired from lack of power," Barnes added. "Our shield generators are mostly intact. Two primary generators dead from direct hits. But we've got no power to use them."

"Scott t' Bridge. Are ye still alive, lads, lasses?"

Robert stabbed at the control. "Still alive. What…"

"It's bad, Cap'n. We dinnae have much power left. All but one naqia reactor are out. Two fusion reactors took tae much damage an' had t' be shut down."

"What caused all this?"

"Ye mean besides th' ship gettin' cut tae bloody ribbons, sir? Some kind o' energy feedback hit our systems."

"Urgh." Locarno was wrestling with his harness, difficult given the burns on both hands. "So much for fixing the fuse problem."

"The fuses aren't the issue." Caterina was looking over her console. "The entire ship got subjected to some kind of disruptive energy field. It hit every electronic device on the ship with varying amounts of energy. And probably fried out at least half of our consoles." She looked over what her sensors recorded. "We… oh my God…"

"What?"

"We should be dead," Cat said. "We… a nanosecond. Maybe two, or maybe five, it's sort of… don't you see?" She turned to face them. "We were in a collapsing jump point. We should be dead."

"But we're not," Robert said.

"By the skin of our teeth!" Cat cried. "Actually, not even that, more like an atom's width!"

"It's fine," Julia insisted. "We're not dead. We're alive. And now we need to see what happened. Do we know where we jumped?"

"I set the drive to jump us to L2M1," Jarod revealed. "The Jackman VIII Frontier Fleet Base. But I can already tell you that's not where we are."

"Then where are we?" Julia asked.

"We've lost a number of sensors, so I'm trying to…"

"Oh my God…"

Again everyone looked to Caterina. "What is it?"

"We're… I can't believe this," she said. "The spatial aspect is all wrong. We shouldn't have…"

"Cat!" Robert barked. He needed to know, now.

"We're… we're over Earth," she said.

"What?" Robert and Julia managed that together.

"We're in high orbit of Earth," Caterina confirmed.

Jarod tapped a key on his console. The holo-viewscreen activated. It flickered for several moments, but despite the distortion in the video there was no mistaking the image on the screen. They could see the outline of North America on the horizon.

"Which Earth?" Julia wondered. "Any sign of…"

Caterina had her attention drawn back to her sensors. "That's odd. I'm getting some kind of spatial distortion forming."

"Where?" Robert closed his eyes for a moment. Everything seemed to be going from bad to worse.

"Here. On... on the bridge..."

As she said "bridge", a noise was growing in volume. A solid "Whooshing" kind of noise, but not an actual "Whoosh". It was, to Cat anyway, more of a "VWOOSH". Or, on second thought, a "VWORP".

And everyone watched, astounded, as a blue box appeared at the front of the bridge, just beyond the Ops and Helm stations.

It was blue. It looked like a telephone booth in size, with a light at the top that was lighting up in time with the lingering "VWORP". The words "Police Box" were separated by the words "Public Call". A white sign on the front door read:

Police Telephone
Free for Use of Public
Advice and Assistance Obtainable Immediately
Officers and Cars Respond to Urgent Calls
Pull to Open


"What the hell?" Angel swore.

The others were clearly as shocked. Robert was too, but he thought he could sense something about it. Something that his power resonated with.

And then the box door opened.

A young blond woman stepped out. She was wearing a teal jacket over a black shirt, black trousers, with a backpack in her hand. Very much like she was from the same century most of them were from. She looked around with as much confusion as they had.

Robert was more than confused as he looked at her face. He was stunned. And more than a little terrified. He'd seen the face before, in his dreams.

"Bad Wolf," he murmured, in such a low tone only Julia could faintly hear him.

The woman turned back to face a second figure emerging from the box. This one was a man in a long brown coat over a business suit, dark gray, with a tie. "Where and when are we now?" the young woman asked him, revealing the English accent Robert had already heard.

"I don't know." Brown eyes scanned the bridge. "Oh, hello everyone… wait!" His expression brightened. "Well, look at all this!" He walked up beside Robert and looked around for a second before moving on to Cat and Barnes' side of the bridge, examining the walls and the consoles. He turned toward the flickering master systems display on the back of the bridge. "Lovely ship you've got. Darglan Emergency Ship design, am I right?" He looked at Caterina.

She nodded slowly.

"Ha, thought so! They always loved blue surfacing. Liked everything blue, which was odd if you ask me, since they were orange. Still, it's nice to see one of their ships again. Although it's a shame it's all messed up right now." The newcomer shook his head, smiling with an edge of sadness to it. "Ah, the Darglan, they were always so creative. And they always had to go around exploring, scanning things, then scanning them again to make sure before running them through a beaker in the lab..." He looked around the bridge again and seemed to realize everyone was staring at him. "Hrm?"

"Excuse me," Julia began. "But… who are you?"

"Oh, right." The smile turned into a wide grin. "Hello everyone. I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose Tyler." He held a hand toward the young blond woman who'd stepped out first. "And given the state of your ship, you look like you could use some help…"



To Be Continued...
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

1.) Holy hell those Shadows hit hard... is that how it was in the show too? Were they really two orders if sci-fi versus magnitudes above the standard B5 powers? Like, past-Star Trek level? (Which is not that remarkable I guess considering the power-gap between Earth and the Minbari in In The Beginning... which means B5 space combat is ruthless as fuck.)

2.) I love the fact that Zack didn't see any action this episode. Great Red Herring!

3.) The Robert and Lyta et al. bits were great. Glad to see Druni and co.!
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Siege »

Yeah, from what I remember of B5 Shadow beam weapons go through younger race ships like they're made of wet tissue paper. So that's pretty accurate :-D
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

Shroom Man 777 wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:11 pm
2.) I love the fact that Zack didn't see any action this episode. Great Red Herring!
At one point he was going to have a fight with a Psi Corps ship. But the episode was already getting too long and I figured another fight would bloat the story further plus, well, like you said. Misdirection. Made for an interesting twist.
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

Teaser


"And given the state of your ship, you look like you could use some help…"

The bridge of the Starship Aurora grew quiet at those words, and at the recognition among some of the name now attached to the speaker. The tall man in the brown coat and dark dress suit and tie with light blue dress shirt, but with very ordinary-looking white running shoes, next moved over to Barnes' console. "Oh, that does look bad. It's a good thing you're using the naqia or naquadah or whatever you want to call the stuff, so many names for it you know. If you'd been using anti-matter or a hyperspace tap you'd have been blown to bits."

"You're the Doctor?" asked Caterina, the first of the crew to speak. "You're really… the Doctor?"

"Well, I hate to brag…"

"...no, he doesn't," the young woman with him, Rose Tyler, interrupted.

He made a bemused face in her direction before continuing. "...but I am the Doctor, yes. You've heard of me? From the Darglan, I'm guessing?"

"Well… you were in their databases." Cat shook her head. "That's all that's left of them, actually."

The Doctor's expression fell. "Let me guess." His tone turned dark. "It was the… well, their name is virtually unpronounceable, so let's go with 'Shadows'."

"Yes," answered Julia. She frowned. "Wait, how did you know them?"

When he resumed speaking, the Doctor's voice kept its subdued, dark tone. "What, you thought the Darglan were the first species to achieve interuniversal drive? Don't be silly! It's happened plenty of times. We just end up giving it up, usually. Don't want to attract the wrong attention."

"Wait." Rose looked from him to them in confusion. "What's this about interuniversal drive?"

"That's what our ship has," Julia said. "An interuniversal jump drive developed by a race called the Darglan."

"Ah, the Darglan. They were such a nice people." He shook his head sadly. "Ended up drawing all the wrong sort of attention, though. And that's putting it mildly. In the end we all had to come together to deal with that situation. I was there, and the Furlings, the Shadows and Vorlons and all those other First Ones with unpronounceable names, the Organians, the Endless and the Sword…"

"We saw," Robert said, finding his voice finally. He forced the fears and thoughts prompted by Rose's appearance and faced the Doctor. "We just found an old Darglan science base that had a recording in it. It showed the Darglan being sentenced to having their interuniversal drives taken away."

"It was the best solution we could manage," the Doctor said. "I thought they'd learned their lesson, but with the Shadows demanding their extermination and the Endless talking about decimating the population, well… that was the best compromise that didn't involve even more death." He directed his gaze toward Robert. And then he blinked. "Who are you, anyway?"

"My name's Robert Dale," Robert said. "I'm Captain of this ship, the Starship Aurora. We're a part of the United Alliance of Systems."

"Really? Alliance of Systems?" The Doctor tilted his head slightly, as if in thought. "Sounds nice. All Humans then?"

"And the Alakin, the Dorei, and Gersallians."

"Ah, good. How are they? The Gersallians, I mean. Swenya finally got everything together for them?"

"Um… yes, I'd say," Robert replied delicately. "So, you're the Doctor. That makes you a…"

"...Time Lord," Caterina answered, just as the Doctor said the same thing. He looked to her with interest. "Well, it was in the records," she said to him, her cheeks blushing now. "And… and I did meet Sarah Jane and she knew you…"

A grin crossed the being's face. "Oh, you have. How is she?"

"Um, fine?"

"Well, except having her door smashed by that absorbing alien thing," Angel pointed out. "But she was getting that repaired."

The Doctor acknowledged Angel's remark with a nod, but he quickly looked back to Caterina. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you look a little pale. And like you're about to explode," he observed.

"Well, actually, we did just come within a few nanoseconds of dying," Caterina explained. "I… I think that's why I'm not shrieking in joy and trying to ask you a zillion questions."

"Ah." He smiled at that.

At that point Rose cleared her throat and held up her bag. "Laundry, remember?"

"Oh, right. Well…" The Doctor gave her a sheepish look. "...it can wait, can't it? I mean, this is a genuine Darglan Emergency Vessel, and it's been a long time since I got to see one..."

Rose sighed with some exasperation. "Alright. I'll call Mum and let her know we're coming." She pulled out a telephone.

"How do you know this is your timeframe?" Caterina asked.

"Oh, I set up the phone so she can call her mum whenever and wherever she likes," the Doctor explained. "But given the state of your ship, I'd say that you're in the same time we were planning to arrive anyway."

"How could you know that?" Jarod asked.

"Well, with what you've told me, I imagine you did something to gain the attention of the Shadows. You tried to escape with a jump point, they tried to destabilize it, and the result on this end was an unstable point that could act as a sort of magnet for the TARDIS. It's why we appeared here and now and not where and when I set the controls for." He inclined his head toward the viewscreen. "It's not the first time. Once I had a Darglan ship failing a jump that pulled the TARDIS right along with it. It was my fault, actually, wasn't minding the controls." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "The Daleks really regretted that mistake of mine, actually."

Julia, while listening, decided it was time to act. "Nick, you should get to the medbay."

"The lift in the conference lounge is still working," Jarod confirmed.

"Good. Jarod, Tom, go with him, and report to Scotty to begin repairs." After they obeyed and departed the bridge, Julia looked over to where the Doctor was observing. "I hope you don't mind that we get down to business?"

"Oh, of course not," he answered. "Although it looks like you're going to need a lot of work to get this ship going again."

"Exactly."

In the corner, Rose was saying, "No, I hate guessing, just go on and tell me…"

"I can lend a hand," the Doctor offered. "I…"

"What do you mean Granddad's coming?" Rose asked loudly, interrupting him. "Mum, that doesn't… right, I'll be there soon." She lowered her cell phone and noticed everyone looking toward her.

"Is everything alright?" the Doctor asked.

"No. No, it's not alright." Rose shook her head. Concern and confusion were written all over her face. "She just told me that my Granddad Prentice was coming to visit."

"Well, that sounds… nice?" Angel offered.

"I haven't met your Granddad yet," the Doctor said. "What's he like?"

"He was nice," Rose answered. "But, he's dead. He died ten years ago."



Undiscovered Frontier
"Between Two Fires"



Rose's news was, for the Aurora crew, just one more thing in a day that had been terrifying and bizarre. The Doctor, for his part, didn't seem nearly as confused as they did. "So your mother's finally gone mad?"

"I… I don't know." Rose shook her head. "She didn't sound mad. She acted like it's perfectly normal. She says he'll be there in half an hour."

"Well, we'd better look into this." The Doctor turned toward Robert and Julia. "I hate to be rude, but it's her mum, and there's all sorts of nasty things that can look like ghosts. I'll have to check back in with you later."

"Oh, sure?" Robert and Julia exchanged looks. Robert continued, "I mean, you're not under any obligation to us. We haven't even asked for your help yet. I've got no problem with you checking out this 'ghost' thing." A thought crossed Robert's mind. A thought… and a feeling deep within him. "Maybe my security chief and I can help?"

"Help with ghosts?" Rose asked, clearly skeptical.

Robert nodded. "We can sense if there's anything to it. If it's some kind of life. Commander Meridina is a telepath and was trained by the Order of Swenya."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," said the Doctor. "Nice to know she got that order going. And I thought there was something interesting about you. Trained in that style, right? But I don't see a lightsaber anywhere on you, so I'm guessing you're not the combat type?"

"Not yet, and probably not ever," Robert admitted.

"Ah. Well, alright. Offer accepted."

Robert tapped the comm control on his chair. "Bridge to Security. Commander Meridina, are you there?"

After several moments a reply came, "I am available, Captain. Is there something you need from me?"

"Report to the bridge immediately."

"I am coming. Security out."

Caterina stood. "Can I come too?" she asked. Everyone looked to her. "I mean… most of my sensors are busted, but my omnitool is still working, I can take scans of whatever is happening, help out with the science stuff? I'm… I'm good with science, Doctor." She focused her attention on him. "I love science."

Julia gave Robert an uncomfortable look. So did Angel. Robert drew in a breath and took a moment to think on the subject. To feel for what seemed to be the right answer.

"I have no objection," he finally said.

"Well, there's no harm in it, really."

Caterina grinned and jumped from her seat. Robert could sense her sheer enthusiasm at the prospect. He could also sense a sudden, sharp pang of something from Rose, who crossed her arms and looking away from Cat and the Doctor. Was it… irritation? That and maybe a little jealousy, Robert decided.

"Rob." Julia touched his arm and tilted her head toward his ready office.

"Hrm? Oh. Excuse us," he said, addressing that to everyone. He followed Julia into the office. There was no hiding her frustration or irritation. "Okay, what…"

Julia turned back and faced him with a sharp, disapproving look. "Rob, need I remind you that this ship just got sliced up? We've got dead and hurt crew, a ship stranded in another universe and out of communication, and now you're going to leave it to… to what, play 'Ghostbusters' with this guy?" She gestured toward the door. "This is irresponsible."

"I can see why you think that," Robert replied. "But the way I figure it, the sooner we help him with whatever it is going on, the sooner he can help us. And I know he will. The Darglan knew and respected the Doctor for a reason."

"And you know that's him? You can sense the truth of that? He's willing to help us?"

"I do."

To that Julia sighed. "Alright, that's a good argument to make. And I can even understand you going along since you've got these powers. But bringing Cat too? I mean, Meridina is one thing, but we could use Caterina up here. We need everyone we can get on the repair teams."

"Cat's smart, but she's not a full engineer," Robert countered. "If she comes with us, her omnitool scans can be the science side of what Meridina and I sense." Seeing Julia was still not entirely won over, he added, "I'm not bringing Lucy because, yes, the ship needs repairs, and Lucy's place is here on the repair teams. But Cat and Meridina, myself? We'll get more accomplished working with the Doctor and getting him back here quickly than we will joining a repair team." Robert looked her eye to eye. "Julia, I'm not just running off to leave this repair job to you. I'm doing this for a reason. I know this will help us. And given the state of the ship we need the help."

"I'm not upset at the idea of directing the repair," Julia countered. "It'll be useful for when I command my own ship anyway. But keep in mind that eventually you're going to have an XO not as understanding as me. You can't just keep running off on these kinds of missions, Rob. Not when you're the Captain of this ship. Your place is here, commanding."

"I know, but sometimes I have to do these things." Robert shook his head. "Besides, it's not like I'm always running off on these kinds of missions."

Julia raised her eyebrows in sarcastic surprise. "Really? You just spent nearly a week off the ship on a secret mission. The only reason you didn't go on a field mission on Solaris was because President Sinclair insisted on breakfast with you. You challenged Lincoln Osis to a fight. And let's not forget last year at Gamma Piratus when you and I did the exact opposite things we were meant to do."

"Those were all special cases." Robert's face betrayed his bewilderment at the conversation. "What's going on? Why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I care about you," Julia answered. "Because I'm not going to be around here anymore and I don't want you losing your command because you end up with someone like Commander King as your new First Officer, someone who's not going to overlook you trying to operate in the field."

"That's not going to happen," Robert pledged to her. "Don't worry about me." He checked his omnitool for the time. "Meridina should be here any moment. We should head back out."

Knowing the conversation was over, Julia nodded and turned. They went for the door together.




Meridina was nearly to the lift when Lucy intercepted her. "I'm heading to the bridge to begin fixing the consoles," she explained, indicating her tool belt. Her lightsaber was also affixed to it. "Is Robert sending you into the field?"

"I suspect so."

"Then be careful." Seeing that Meridina didn't quite understand what the problem was, Lucy took her lightsaber from her belt and activated it. There was a brief burst of light and then nothing. "Whatever was done to the ship also affected our lightsabers."

Meridina took her own out and tried to turn it on. It didn't work either. "Perhaps I should get my lakesh?" she proposed.

"I doubt it'll do any good," Lucy replied. "The disruption field would have damaged the memory metal or the EM field system as easily as it did the lightsabers."

"So I will be without a weapon." Meridina considered this issue carefully. "Very well. Such things happen from time to time. I shall be careful."

"I wish I had time to fix them," Lucy said.

"You will find time when the ship's repairs have progressed." Meridina handed the weapon over to Lucy. "I shall speak to you later."

Lucy gripped Meridina's arm. Not tightly, but enough to get her attention. "This situation… I've got bad feelings about it, Meridina. Please be careful."

"I have felt the same, and I will be," Meridina answered. "I promise."

After a moment Lucy let go and they continued on, quietly, to the functioning lift.




The arrival of Lucy and Meridina to the bridge prompted a reaction from the Doctor. "It's so good to see a Gersallian again," he said brightly. "Look at you. And a farisa too."

Meridina blinked at him. "You are familiar with my people, then?"

"Oh, quite familiar." He grinned. "I knew Swenya back in the day. She had quite the taste for jellybabies. More than that old grouch of a mentor she had." For a moment the Doctor narrowed his eyes at her. "You remind me a bit of her. I think it's the nose." He tapped his own.

Robert sensed Meridina's disbelief turn into surprise when she sensed the Doctor's sincerity on the issue. "Truly? If you knew the Great Foundress, then…"

"Really? Do you really call her that? I'm not sure she'd have liked that," he said. "But we can talk about that later. We have a date with someone who's supposed to be dead."

Robert nodded and turned to Julia. "We'll try to stay in communication."

"Jarod's supposed to be working on it," Julia said. "Until then… be careful."

Caterina bounded up to the door of the police box, eager to enter. The Doctor stepped up and opened the door for her and the rest. They entered to find a chamber just as big as the Aurora bridge. But it certainly wasn't a control room like he expected. The interior design consisted of gold-surfaced, curved pillars coming from below the floor to the wall, with something of a coral look to them. In the center of this open chamber was a hexagonal platform. The round control console there was around a pillar with a mechanism inside of the tube, with wiring leading from the top to the walls. The ramp from the door to the control platform was tiled with red material.

"A dimensionally-transcendental field!" Caterina squealed in excitement. She continued in and went up to the controls to get a good look at the chamber. "It's… it's amazing!"

"Aren't you enthusiastic?" the Doctor mused with an amused expression. He walked up to join her. "Just be careful about touching her. My TARDIS can be fussy at times."

"TARDIS?" asked Meridina.

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space," Rose answered. "It's why it's bigger on the inside."

"Just like Darglan Facilities…" Meridina stepped on past her.

Robert, however did not. He glanced toward her and said, lowly, "Don't feel challenged by Cat, please."

"What?" Rose turned her head and faced him. "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that if Caterina was going to have certain feelings for either of you, Rose, it'd be you," he replied. "And she's actually quite happy with her girlfriend, from what I know."

"What? Oh." Rose blinked with understanding. A blush showed on her and, Robert thought, a little embarrassment too. She looked to where Cat was asking questions about the TARDIS while the Doctor started operating the controls. "She looks really excited."

"Caterina is our science officer for a reason," Robert answered. "If it's something new, she's going to scan it thoroughly, examine it, and decide what it is and the science of it."

"Right."

"Alright, time to be off then." The Doctor looked over his console instruments and then glanced toward Rose. "Time to see if your mother's finally gone mad."

"You're not flying this through my ship, are you?" Robert was seized by the mental image of the police box flying through the corridors. It was both funny and disturbing.

"Of course not," declared the Doctor. "That's just silly. No, I'm simply dematerializing us from your ship, shifting us through the Time Vortex, and re-materializing at our destination. It's simple."

"I'm betting you say that about every impossible thing you talk about doing," Robert pointed out.

"Nah." The Doctor looked up from the controls. "Just most things."

There was a final pull of a lever somewhere and the mechanism in the pillar of the control console began to move. The "vworp" sound filled the air.

After several moments it stopped. The Doctor checked a monitor screen, nodded, and went for the door. Outside was a series of urban apartments with a nearby playground for children. The sky was clear and the morning sunny.

"Here we are then," he said at the door. "Time for laundry and Granddads who are supposed to be dead."




After the Doctor's ship faded from view on the Aurora bridge, Julia settled into the command chair. Lucy was already working on the navigation console. She finished pulling away the access panel on the "back" (which, naturally, faced the front of the bridge).

With her console out and nothing to do, Angel walked up and sat in the VIP seat to Julia's left. "First our ship gets sliced up by ancient aliens that were supposed to be gone, now we're getting mixed up with some guy the Darglan treated like a legend. Is it just me or is this situation completely insane?"

"It's certainly out there," Julia agreed.

"Hopefully we don't have anything like this happen on the Enterprise."

To that thought, Julia snorted. "Are you kidding? We'll probably end up in plenty of insane situations no matter what ship we're on. It's a crazy Multiverse."

Angel smiled despite herself. "Yeah, I guess you're right." After a moment's thought she asked, "Have you picked out a First Officer yet?"

"Nobody from here, I'm afraid," Julia said. "I'll have to get one from the rest of the fleet."

"What about Nasira Fanous? From the Challenger? It'd be a step up for her."

"Maybe." Julia tapped the key on the chair to activate the comms. Which, she mused, seemed to be one of the few systems properly working. "Bridge to Engineering. Mister Scott, what's our status?"

"Nae very good, Commander. Th' warp drive is shot an' will need a yard rebuild, th' jump drive will require hours o' repair an' I cannae promise it'll work even then, I need time t' deal with these bloody hull breaches, an' we lost both comm arrays. Mister Jarod will be rebuildin' 'em in th' machine shops. Dinnae expect any comms for another twelve hours or more."

"Any good news for me, Mister Scott?"

"Give my teams eight hours an' I can get ye impulse up t' three-quarters."

"Just get us enough impulse capability for maneuvering. The safety of the ship comes first, after that the priority's going to be our jump drive or IU radio."

"Roger that, Commander. Scott out."

Julia set her hands on the arms of the command chair and blew out a breath. Scotty and Jarod (and Tom and Lucy) would have the repairs well in hand, and Leo was undoubtedly busy with triage and care for the wounded. They wouldn't want or need her lingering around. There was little to do now for her but to wait.




It was somewhat awkward when the group showed up at the Tyler apartment. "Ah, Rose, you're just in time!" the middle-aged blond woman who met them inside the door cried. She embraced her daughter warmly. "Oh, how have you been?"

"Great, mum." Rose held up her backpack. "And I've got a lot of wash to do, and I've got you a present."

"You can show it to your Granddad," Jackie insisted. Next she grabbed the Doctor into an embrace and planted a clearly-unexpected kiss on his lips. "And you, it's good to see you too," she announced after the kiss.

The Doctor, still looking rather bewildered and a bit disturbed, said, "Ah, well, it's good to see you too."

Jackie turned to the door and seemed to finally notice Robert, Meridina, and Caterina. "Well now, who are you?" she asked. "And what kind of uniforms are those?"

"Alliance Stellar Navy uniforms, ma'am," Robert said. "I'm Captain Robert Dale of the Starship Aurora. We're… well, it's a long story, but right now my badly damaged ship is in orbit and…"

He was interrupted when Jackie checked her watch and announced, "Oh, it's almost time! Glad to have you here, go on and make yourselves at home." She turned away and went back to Rose. "Your Granddad will be here in a minute. What's that?"

Rose held up a trinket made of an unknown material. "I got it from an asteroid bazaar. It's made of…" She looked to the Doctor with an unspoken question.

"Bazoolium," he answered.

"...it's Bazoolium. If it's going to rain it turns cold, if it's going to be sunny it turns hot. You can use it to tell the weather."

"Lovely, dear, let's go show it to Granddad Prentice."

"Mum…" Rose let her mother guide her toward the flat's kitchen. "Granddad Prentice, his heart gave out, don't you remember?" The Doctor and the others followed. It looked like a cozy little home to Robert and Cat, something like what they'd grown up in. Robert could sense it wasn't so cozy for Jackie Tyler, though. He could feel the yawning sense of loneliness in the older woman, living alone in the world.

Jackie was the only one to enter the kitchen fully. She answered Rose's question with, "Of course I do." She checked her watch. "Ten past. He'll be here any moment," she said, oblivious to her daughter's fear and apprehension at her words.

Caterina immediately activated her omnitool. "Huh, that's weird. I'm starting to pick up…"

A figure stepped through the wall and counters at the far side of the kitchen. It looked vaguely human, making Robert think of what a walking shadow might look like. Light seemed to curve ever so slightly around it. He consciously felt for it through the Flow of Life. But there was nothing definite there. No feeling of life. Just a strange sense of the thing being "off" somehow. A sort of hollowness in the world.

Caterina kept her forearm up. "It's a spatial disturbance of some kind. As in, it's warping space around it slightly. I'd almost think…"

The Doctor turned and ran past her for the door. Rose followed, and Jackie in turn followed her daughter. Caterina, curioused, followed right behind.

Meridina approached the figure still in the kitchen. "I will remain," she murmured.

Robert nodded and took off in pursuit of the others.




The relative quiet of the Aurora bridge ended abruptly. "Commander?" Ensign al-Rashad looked up from sensors. "Something's going on with the planet."

Julia turned in her chair and looked at the younger Arab woman. "What is it?"

"Because of the damage to the ship's sensors I can't be sure of what I'm seeing," al-Rashad answered. "But what I can see are signs of a major spatial distortion on Earth. Something is generating a massive amount of energy and causing some sort of planetary-scale spatial disruptions."

"Can you give me anything specific, lieutenant?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am."

"Keep me informed of new developments." Julia kept any worry from coming into her voice, but she couldn't hide it from herself.

Just what is going on down there?



"They're everywhere!"

Cat was the last to arrive. The Doctor, and Rose, were staring at the scene of more of the black ghostly figures standing and moving around. She checked her omnitool and confirmed that the spatial disruptions were even stronger out here.

"They won't be for much longer." Jackie checked her watch. "This shift's the short one, it's only a couple of minutes."

"Since when do ghosts have shifts?" The Doctor looked around, still incredulous. "Since when do shifts have ghosts?"

"And why isn't anyone running away?" Rose asked. "It's like they don't care that all of these… things are walking around…"

"Everyone was panicking when it first happened," Jackie said. "That was a couple of months ago. But people began to think about it and realized how wonderful it is. To have all of our friends and family back."

"The spatial distortions are gone,' Caterina said. She lowered her forearm. "But… how do you know these things are… y'know, people?"

"They're not," the Doctor insisted. "This is something else."

Cat saw the upset look on Jackie Tyler's face and would have been surprised to see she had something of the same. For just a moment she considered what it would mean if it was true. Her very next thought was if one of those dark figures could be her Mama.

That caused tears to form in her eyes.

"You alright?" The Doctor was looking at her.

"Um… yes." Caterina wiped the tears away. "Sorry, just a… just a silly thought. I don't think ghosts would give off spatial distortions."

"Can I have a look at those readings?"

"S-sure." Caterina gestured toward the entryway leading back to the Tyler flat. "Inside? We're not supposed to show off our technology here. The last time I had to spend a whole day getting debriefed by government agents."

"Fair enough," was the answer. "Inside we go."




The TV in the Tyler home flipped from channel to channel. The Doctor sat on the floor in front of the device, watching intently as everything from commercials to news shows and talk shows spoke about the ghosts. "They're everywhere," Rose said.

"How peculiar," Meridina noted from where she was standing by the wall, watching the image of a trio of Japanese girls wearing ghost-icon shirts and shrieking with enthusiasm she previously had attributed to Caterina finding something she found terribly interesting. "The people of this world have not responded as I imagined they would."

"Probably for the same reason flying in spaceships stopped being quite so spectacular for us," Robert answered. "You get used to it."

"Mum, how do you know it's Granddad?" Rose asked. She was seated on the couch beside her mother.

"Well, can't you tell? He still has that old cigarette smell. You remember."

"I do mum." Rose shook her head. "But I don't smell anything."

"Well, you have to make an effort. You have to want it, sweetheart."

"But then the question must be if it is truly there, or you are imagining it," Meridina pointed out to her. That won her a disapproving look.

"No, she's right." The Doctor shook his head. "The more you want it, the stronger it gets."

"Sort of," Jackie conceded.

"Like a psychic link. You want your old dad to be alive. And whatever they are, they might be trying to use that. To pull themselves into this world."

"You mean they may be trying to access the power of the Flow of Life?" asked Meridina.

"Maybe, maybe not."

Jackie's voice was cold to the point of hostility. "You're spoiled it. You're all spoiling it. Why can't you just accept the ones we love are trying to come back to us?"

"I understand." Caterina sat down on the floor in front of Jackie and looked up to her. "If I could see my Mama again, I'd do anything for that. I wish she was here with us as much as you want your dad back. But I think the Doctor's right. I mean, there's a scientific explanation for this, and these things may not even be human."

"They certainly look human," Robert pointed out.

"They do. I mean, they're all sort of blurry."

"True. That's because they're impressing themselves upon the surface of the world." The Doctor eyed them all. "But a footprint doesn't look like a boot."

"Maybe I can find some things from the Science Labs that will help?" Caterina suggested. "I mean, help figure out what these things are."

"Thank you for the offer, but I've got everything I need for this. Oh, right…" The Doctor looked apologetically to Robert. "Do you mind if I look into this first? Your ship's not going anywhere, right? Not going to run out of air any time soon?"

"I don't think so," Robert conceded. "We're just in a high orbit and out of communication with our people."

"Oh, I'll have that sorted out for you in seconds," the Doctor insisted. "This, on the other hand, bit trickier."

"Another 'fate of the world hangs in the balance' thing, I suppose?" Rose asked.

"Those are always the most fun, aren't they?" The Doctor stood up. "Alright, next shift is in what…?"

"In an hour or so," Jackie answered, almost automatically.

"Ah, good. We've got time." The Doctor went for the door.

"To do what?" Jackie called after him. But he was already out the door. Rose followed and, behind her, Jackie did as well.

The three Aurora crew looked at each other. "So much for our repairs," Robert sighed.

"Yes, but he's right," Caterina said. "Whatever these things are… if they're from some other dimension, they could cause a lot of damage. If it's a breach between dimensional planes, or into subspace, there's no telling what kind of harm it could cause. Even the Aurora might get affected. This really should be the priority."

"Meridina?" Robert faced her next.

"Caterina is probably right," Meridina said. "Regardless, I am concerned. There is something not right with these 'ghosts'. I believe something terribly wrong is happening."

"I'll call Julia and exchange updates with her," Robert said. "Cat, go ahead and help, if the Doctor needs it."

It was clear she didn't need to be asked twice. Caterina took off for the door.

For a moment Robert and Meridina shared an uneasy look. "You sense it, don't you?" Meridina asked.

"A general feeling off 'things are about to go to hell'?" He nodded. "And that's not the worse thing."

"Oh?"

"Rose Tyler." Robert frowned. "She's the one in my dreams. She's the one saying 'Bad Wolf'."

Meridina nodded. "I see. Perhaps you should ask her what the term means?"

"I'll have to." Robert swallowed. "But this feeling I'm getting, Meridina, it's bad. The dreams mentioned a 'choice' I'll have to make. That it could determine, well, everything."

"Choices often do," Meridina reminded him. "Although I agree that this one could be particularly important for us. I can only advise you as I always have; keep clarity in your thoughts and let your swevyra guide you."

"Right." At that Robert let out a sigh. "I could do with a big neon sign from my swevyra, or the universe at large. It's easier that way."

"The universe seems to pride itself on being difficult in that fashion," Meridina agreed. "Shall we follow the others?"

"We should."

They departed together.




The Doctor had accepted Caterina's assistance and, for the moment, had asked her to set up cones that would generate a field related to his triangulation attempt. Caterina was setting the last one up. With a careful eye she made sure they formed the triangle as the Doctor had instructed. Her omnitool provided final confirmation.

"Do you really want this?" asked Jackie Tyler. She was standing several feet away from the cone furthest from the TARDIS.

"Want what?"

"For him to spoil it," answered Jackie. "To take something wonderful and make it all nasty and simple. Don't you want your Mum back?"

The question made Caterina lower her head. "I've love to see Mama again," she admitted. "There's so much that's happened that I want to show her. So much I want to tell her and show her. But she's gone, and these things… I don't believe any of them are her or your Dad or anyone else's lost family. And whatever they are, we need to know."

"Why? Why can't it just be a miracle for all of us? Our families and loved ones coming back to be with us again. Isn't that a wonderful thing?"

"I'm not… maybe… but maybe not?" Cat shook her head. "I don't know. People say I, we, have to move on and live our own lives. And sometimes I think I do. Until someone says something or I smell anything that's like my mother's cooking. She… loved to cook, I mean. Even after getting off a ten hour work shift, she'd make sure that Angel and I had a dinner."

"Angel?"

"My sister."

Jackie nodded quietly at that.

"I miss that. And she always insisted on hugging me when I went to bed, even when I was already in high school." Cat had to wipe away a tear.

"So you know what I mean," Jackie insisted. "This could be everyone we've lost, coming back to us."

"But are they? I mean, they don't act like anyone," Cat pointed out. "They don't talk. They don't interact. They just… they just walk around like they're mindless. They don't even seem to care about the people around them. I mean, if Mama showed up in my quarters as a ghost, she wouldn't just stand around, she'd hug me and ask if I've eaten lately. Has this ghost ever done that for you?"

Jackie opened her mouth to mount a defensive reply. But she stopped because the truth was obvious. No, it hadn't. The ghost had only ever walked through the flat. It looked no different from any other of the spectral figures. You couldn't even tell them apart. And certainly her father wouldn't have ignored her. He might have wanted to know where Rose was, why he'd let Rose run off with a stranger… but ignore her?

But the smell of the old cigarettes. It seemed so real.

The Doctor ran out of the TARDIS, Rose right behind. "How long until the next shift?" he asked Jackie.

"Quarter to." Jackie frowned at him. "Are you going to cause trouble? What's this lot do?" She indicated the cones Caterina had laid out.

"Triangulates their point of origin." The Doctor checked the placement of the cones and nodded to Caterina. "Excellent job…"

"Caterina." Cat smiled slightly. "Or 'Cat' if you'd like."

"Yes, Caterina! Such a lovely name."

"You don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose asked.

"Nah." The Doctor picked up one of the cones and began to fix wires to it. "They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet." He moved on to the next. "Like tracing paper."

"You're always doing this," Jackie protested. "Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? Just think of all the people we've lost, coming back home. It'd be beautiful."

"Beautiful?" The Doctor looked at her. "I think it'd be horrific."

That remark prompted a look of shock from Jackie. Caterina looked at him in surprise before she thought about it. If this really was the dead, then it meant they weren't resting, but nor were they back. They were just mindless silhouettes and shadows, condemned to blipping in and out of existence. She imagined her mother suffering that fate and shook her head.

"Rose, give us a hand. Cat, I need you to keep that scanner active and make absolutely sure that the alignment of the cones doesn't change."

"Right." Caterina lifted her left forearm and activated her omnitool.

The Doctor pulled the wires hooked to the cones back into the TARDIS with Rose following. Jackie followed close behind.

Robert and Meridina walked around the cones to stand beside Caterina. "How's it going?"

"Great." Cat waved her hand over everything. "The Doctor set this up to track the distortions caused by these ghosts back to their point of origin."

"Right."

"I sense sadness," said Meridina. "Are you alright?"

"What? I'm fine," insisted Caterina. When she saw the quiet skeptical looks in their faces Cat sighed and shook her head. "Look, it's fine, okay? All this talk of ghosts just got me to thinking about Mama. If she came back as a ghost, and it was really her…" Cat stopped for a moment as she followed that thought through. For a moment she was distracted by the return of the Doctor. He began to use the device he had slung on his back on the cones. She waited until he and Rose exchanged information before continuing. "...well, I'd ask why she's not in Heaven, I guess. But then I'd hug her and cry a lot and show her everything in our lives now. This… this is what she wanted for me." Cat indicated her omnitool. "Being a scientist, I mean."

"I know." Robert patted her on the shoulder. "And she'd be proud of you."

The Doctor looked up from his work. "Caterina, is the alignment stable?"

Cat checked her omnitool. "It's still stable, Doctor."

"Excellent. We're almost there!"

"What about you?" Caterina turned her head to meet his eyes. "Would you want to have Mr. and Mrs. Dale back? Or Susie?" Caterina smiled sadly. "I always loved hanging out with Susie. She'd ask science questions and I'd answer them. And then she'd talk about what it'd be like if we were both aunts to your kids and how we'd have funs with nephews and nieces…"

Robert chuckled at that, not quite able to hide the pain. "You two thought Angel and I would have kids, huh?"

"Yeah. I mean, we were younger, it just seemed the thing that would happen." Caterina shrugged before putting her eyes back on the scanner.

"Here we go!" the Doctor called out, interrupting the conversation again.

From within the TARDIS, Rose's voice called out, "Scanner's working! It says, 'Delta one six'!"

"The alignment reading is still good," Caterina added. "I'm ready to confirm triangulation!"

The Doctor stepped back from the cones and stood to his full height. A bright, enthusiastic expression appeared on his face. "Come on, then, you beauty!" he called out, letting the last word roll with an open-mouthed grin.

Seconds passed. "Energy surge, spatial distortion forming," Caterina confirmed. Her fingers tapped at her omnitool.

Crackling energy formed between the three cones. Three more lines of the same jumped upward, meeting several feet in the air to form a pyramid shape within the cones. A black spectral figure materialized there. The Doctor pulled out a pair of what looked like old 3D plastic glasses, the kind handed out for 3D shows at theme parks, and put them on to continue observing the ghostly form.

After this effect held for several moments, the Doctor ducked down and began operating a control device that made Robert think of an old mid-20th Century radio. Lights flashed on it. The Doctor turned a brown knob on it back and forth, producing an electronic whine that was just as evocative of some old 50s-era radio or TV set. He never looked toward it, however, keeping his eye on the form within, now swaying and moving as if it were seriously upset or irritated. "You don't like that much, do you?"

"The anomaly is destabilizing. The distortion is faltering from interference," Caterina said.

"Who are you? Where are you from?" The Doctor knelt a little closer to the figure. When it swiped at him he stepped back. "Woah, that's more like it. Not so friendly now, are you?"

"I think you've made it mad," Robert noted wryly.

"I should think so," the Doctor answered. "I'm exciting the energy field. It's keeping this fellow from impressing on this world like he ought to, and it'll let me track the source of the field to boot."

"The field is weakening," Caterina said. "It looks like it's being shut down."

"Probably at the source, but it's too late for them to hide." The Doctor chuckled. "I've got 'em."'

The figure suddenly dematerialized. The energetic pyramid formed by the cones dissipated.

"Alright everyone, I'm off to track down the source." The Doctor looked at them briefly. "You can come with if you'd like." He started snatching up his things.

After he entered the TARDIS Caterina gave Robert an almost pleading look. Robert looked to Meridina, who nodded quietly. "We can do more good with him," she said.

"Alright," replied Robert. He had his own gut feeling - or was it swevyra granted-insight? - that they would be needed. "We'd better go before he leaves."

Cat beat them all to the TARDIS door. Robert was the last to enter. As he did, he couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching him.




Lucy picked herself up from underneath the secondary tactical station. "Alright, I'm done," she said, getting the attention of Julia and Angel in particular as she pulled herself back to her feet. Behind her the console in question was active again, as were all of the bridge consoles once disabled by what had happened.

"Good." Julia leaned forward in the command chair. "Technical Officer, status on ship repairs?"

With all operations and engineering personnel diverted to the actual task of fixing their crippled ship, the watch at the bridge Operations station had gone to one of the ship's Technical Officers-in-training. The English-accented young man now at Ops, Technical Officer Matthews, turned back from the console to address Julia directly. "Engineering has brought another naqia reactor back online. Hull breaches in the upper decks have been reduced by three quarters. Impulsor drives are functional for maneuvering only. The armor repair systems are still offline, and we still have no warp drive or jump drive."

"Thank you."

"I'll go find Jarod and see where he wants me," Lucy said. "But looking at the damage to the ship, we're better off putting together another IU radio and calling for help."

"Mister Scott already thought of that," said Julia. "But the Shadows hit our machine shops while they were cutting up our drive section. Until those shops are fixed, there's nothing we can do."

"And you've got Scotty prioritizing hull breaches to stabilize structural integrity." Lucy turned away. "Well, I'll…"

To the others, she simply doubled over as if in pain. For Lucy, it wasn't a physical pain. Every part of her cried out in worry, almost terror, as if something dreadfully wrong was happening and causing danger to them all. She gasped as she dropped to a knee in shock.

"Lieutenant?" Julia got out of her chair and went over to her. Angel did the same, getting there a few seconds before Julia. "Are you alright?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Angel observed. "No pun intended."

"Something's wrong," Lucy gasped.

"Well, yeah," Angel said. "A lot of things…"

"No!" Lucy shot a hot look at Angel that stopped her in her tracks. "Something is wrong. There's… there's something completely wrong here. The ship, this Earth, we're all in terrible danger."

Angel looked up to Julia, who helped her get Lucy back to her feet. "Can you be more specific?" she asked.

"I wish I could," Lucy said. She put a hand to her brow, now covered in sweat. "I… I need to go do something."
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

The activity in Main Engineering remained high with engineering personnel and operations officers working on fixing the ship. The naqia reactors were being carefully worked over, as were the plasma exchangers and the electro-plasma converters that provided energy to the rest of the ship.

To the unpracticed eye, the scene could have seemed chaotic. But it was all under the control of an expert. Montgomery Scott had seen ships wrecked before, after all, even more totally than the crippling damage the Aurora had endured at the hands of the Shadows. And he knew precisely how to keep things going and how to keep his crews from losing heart. He glanced over one section of the master control display for the ship and bellowed, "I want Etps and Drovima on th' Deck 24 power relay. Th' sooner we get that runnin' again, th' sooner we get th' hull stabilized an' th' sooner we can call home for help."

After several moments Barnes walked in to Main Engineering. "We just got the forcefield generators back up on Deck 5," he said. "All hull breaches on Decks 1 through 14 are secured."

"Good lad. An' th' repair systems?"

Barnes shook his head. "Jarod and I looked them over, we'll need to completely rebuild four of the six replicators to bring that system back online."

"Aye, I dinnae see how that would be any better," Scotty said. "I want t' finish stabilizin' th' hull integrity in case we need impulse power. Get who ye can an' see t' th' power relay on Deck 30 in Section F."

"I'm on my way," Barnes pledged.

Scott watched the lad walk away with a spring in his step and smiled softly. He knew what that twinkle in Barnes' eyes meant. And he was glad to see it. This wasn't a task to be endured, it was an engineer's challenge to be overcome, and it was good to see that Tom Barnes saw it as such. "Th' lad's makin' a fine engineer," Scott mumbled to himself. He then reminded himself that it was time to get back to work, so he redirected his attention to the master display.




Being inside of the TARDIS couldn't stop Robert's feeling that something was wrong and that someone was watching them. He exchanged a glance with Meridina, who could feel that sense in him.

"I was right," the Doctor declared. "Someone is pulling them into this world, and now we know where they are."

The Doctor's mood was still jubilant. Animated. Robert found that curious. It was like he was a kid who'd received a toy he'd always wanted and was just giddy with the chance to play with it.

"So we just do this, and this…" He was flipping switches on his control console. "...and we'll be at the source of this whole ghost business. Allons-y!" He went around the console to where Cat was watching in amazement. "Oh, I like that. Allons-y! It just rolls off the tongue doesn't it? I'll have to use it more often, allons-y. And hopefully we'll meet someone named 'Alonso' and I can go, 'Allons-y, Alonso'... why are you staring at me?"

The Doctor had turned to face Rose, who didn't look quite so enthusiastic. When she had the Doctor's attention, Rose tilted her head to the side of the control chamber. "Mum's still on board."

Everyone turned to see where Jackie Tyler was seated at the wall on the upper platform. She crossed her arms. "If we end up on Mars, I'll kill you."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Mars," the Doctor said. He waved a hand toward Robert. "You've got a spaceship captain here, and I'm sure his ship can get to Mars like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

"Assuming the repairs go well," Robert mused.

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt that…" The Doctor triggered the final control. The craft began to make its VWORP noise once again. This time there was some form of turbulence in the flight, however, and the entire TARDIS shook enough that everyone was thrown off their feet. Caterina had to grab one of the support pillars. Robert dropped to his knee and Meridina, with great effort, remained standing as she was.

When it was over Robert said, "Is everyone alright?"

"That ride was different from the first," Caterina observed. "Why?"

"Good question." The Doctor looked at his monitor and sighed. "I suppose we'll ask them."

Everyone walked over to that side of the central console. On the screen, tinted part-blue, was an armed force of soldiers waiting with assault rifles and submachine guns raised. "Well, so much for the element of surprise," the Doctor noted. "Still, it lets us cut to the chase. Everyone, please stay here. You too, Rose. Look after your mother."

"But, they've got guns," Rose protested as the Doctor approached the door.

"And I am unarmed, so I'm much better, don't you think?" He looked back with a playful grin. "They might shoot me dead, but I'll have the moral high ground." With nothing further said, he slid out the door and held his hands up.

Robert joined Cat and Meridina looking at the monitor while the Tylers remained at the TARDIS door. The armed soldiers outside did nothing at first. Nor did the Doctor.

Then another figure stepped into the image. The woman was fairly attractive, and dressed in a way that showed she knew it, and she was applauding. The soldiers began applauding as well. Gradually the Doctor's hands lowered.

"I don't suppose there's any way to get audio?" Robert asked.

"I don't know." Caterina looked closely at the image and frowned. "Wait a moment. I know her. That's… what was her name… Yvonne Hartman. She's the woman who tried to take me and Angel away after we defeated that absorbing monster. She said she was with a group called 'Torchwood'."

"I remember your report, and what Julia learned from UNIT," said Robert. "They take alien technology."

The Doctor suddenly opened the TARDIS door and pulled Jackie outside. "This is Rose Tyler," they heard him say as the door closed.

"I'm not sure I like what's going on," Robert said. "Meridina…"

"We are unarmed," Meridina reminded him. "It is possible that we could defeat the soldiers right at the door, but I suspect there are more in this place."

"My thought exactly." He frowned. "My other thought is that these people supposedly seize alien technology. And we're currently standing in a pretty advanced piece of the same…"




"...I'm looking to trade her in, actually. Have anyone you can spare?"

Jackie's hot glare at the Doctor went unremarked. So did his commentary.

"I know she's not the only one with you, Doctor," was the woman's answer to his remark. "We saw another man enter the TARDIS through the London CCTV system. I'd like to speak with him."

The Doctor let out an "Ahhh" at that. "Right then. One moment." He opened the TARDIS door just wide enough to stick his head in. His eyes locked on Robert and he used his left hand to make a "come here" gesture.

Robert looked to Meridina. Make sure Cat and Miss Tyler are safe, please. And when you can, get out and find out more about where we are. These people worry me.

As they do me
. Meridina nodded.

With that exchange done, Robert walked up to the TARDIS door and stepped out beside the Doctor. He looked Yvonne Hartman in the eye and said, "Ms. Yvonne Hartman, isn't it?"

Yvonne smiled at him. "Well, I was wondering if I'd get this opportunity. We saw your ship arrive in high orbit. It looks like you were in a bit of trouble."

"You could say that."

"And the two Lieutenant Delgados?"

"Off doing other work," he replied simply. "They told me what you did."

"I never intended to harm them… Captain, is it? I say that because I saw the images of Commander Andreys speaking with UNIT and she had three gold stripes on her rank tab. You have a fourth."

"Yes." Robert straightened his spine. "I'm Captain Robert Dale of the Starship Aurora."

"And you're with the Doctor. Why is that?"

"We were hoping to get his help with repairs." Robert glanced toward the Time Lord. "But this ghost thing happened and that became his priority. I came with him to observe for myself and make sure there's no threat to my ship."

"I don't see how there would be," she said. "The field of effect doesn't reach into high orbit. Still, I'm quite pleased to see you as well, Captain. After I show the Doctor something, I would like to speak with you as well. But first, this way gentlemen, ma'am."

The soldiers behind her parted ways to let the group pass. Once they left the storage area where the TARDIS had landed, Hartman began to speak. "We've always known you would find us eventually, Doctor. I'm happy that you came when you did."

"I came over the ghosts. What's up with that, by the way?"

"A side effect." Hartman went up to a double door. "We'll get to that in good time."

Once they were through the door they were in a large storage bay. Boxes and crates were stacked and piled on pallets throughout the chamber. A saucer-shaped vessel was suspended on a gantry. "Welcome to Torchwood," Yvonne said.

The Doctor's attention quickly focused on the saucer. "A Jaatha sun glider," he said. "Where did you get one?"

"It came down over the Shetlands ten years ago. We picked it up and stripped it bare."

"How did it crash?"

"It didn't." Hartman grinned with satisfaction. "We shot it down."

The Doctor gave her a very carefully-controlled look.

"It violated our airspace," Yvonne said. "Around Torchwood, we have a motto. 'If it's alien, it's ours'."

"I can't imagine the aliens are too happy with that thought," Robert said.

"They're usually not in a condition to protest."

"And what are you going to do if that changes? You could get your entire planet conquered."

"You might be surprised, Captain, in how dangerous we can be to possible conquerors," Yvonne said. "Honestly, it's possible we could provide you more than you could provide us, if your Alliance ever makes the effort. At that moment a soldier stepped up and handed her a weapon. She held it toward the Doctor and asked, "Do you recognize this?"

From the look on his face, he did. "It's a particle gun."

"Thank you, Doctor. And thank you… Sebastian, wasn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," answered the soldier, who accepted the weapon.

"Yes. Thank you Sebastian."

"Yes ma'am."

After he stepped away, Yvonne smiled at them. "I work to remember my people's names. We're a modern institution here at Torchwood, and that means I'm a people person."

"This is the 21st Century, you're not supposed to have particle guns," the Doctor protested as the soldier walked off.

"We're obligated to protect Britain from the alien hordes," replied Yvonne. She eyed Robert. "It's not like we have someone else to provide that protection."

"Alliance involvement in this world is still being debated at the highest level," Robert replied. "But we have our own conflicts to worry about. That is, unless you want a fleet of Nazi German warships to show up in orbit."

"Let them. We'll do to them what we did to the Sycorax this past Christmas," Yvonne declared. "I'm not worried about what technologies we should or shouldn't have. Torchwood's charter permits us to find and use alien technology to protect our world and to ensure the greatness of the British Empire. And that is what we will do."

"What?" Jackie looked at Yvonne with bewilderment and perhaps a little disbelief. "But there's no more British Empire."

"Not yet," Yvonne answered.

"You sound like you would have preferred being born in Universe C502's late 20th Century," Robert remarked.

"Oh?" Yvonne looked at him with curiosity. "What makes you say that?"

"C5O2 has an earlier historical divergence point than other Earths," Robert answered. "Gavrilo Princip never existed and Mohandas Gandhi stuck with being a lawyer and became a proponent of Indian integration into Britain itself." Robert grinned wryly. "Of course, since India has a higher population, integration led to India becoming the center of the Empire. The capital was moved to New Delhi in 1996." Feeling a little mischievous, Robert activated his omnitool and found, to his gratitude, that his system had kept the relevant political information for offline viewing. He used the holographic interface to bring up an image of a middle-aged woman with dark bronze skin wearing a royal tiara and matching dress, flanked by an African man in a crisp business suit of blue and white. "These are the rulers of the British Stellar Union, as it's now known in that universe. This is Queen Geeta III and Prime Minister Adam Mwariama, an MP from Mombasa. Nice people, I found. I met them last year while we were negotiating their alliance against the Third Reich of S4W8."

"The what of the what?" Jackie asked, utterly startled.

Yvonne Hartman studied the image. "Well, it sounds like you're right," she said, smiling again. "I would have enjoyed living in that world instead. Hopefully my counterpart in that history served the Empire well." She gave Robert a bemused look.

The Doctor turned away from something that looked like a magnifying glass or viewing device. "So what about these ghosts?"

"A side effect. Don't worry, Doctor, there's an itinerary."

"Hey, where are you taking that?" Jackie demanded. This caused Robert and Yvonne to look toward the middle of the room briefly, where the TARDIS was being carried by a flatbed vehicle through the chamber.

"As I said, it's alien, so it's ours," Yvonne said happily.

"You'll never get in there," the Doctor warned her amiably. "...what was the name again?"

"Yvonne Hartman," was her reply. "And I could say the same for you, Doctor. Now, if you'll please follow me."

She turned to lead them away, allowing Robert to steal a glimpse in time to see Rose and Cat peeking out of the TARDIS door. Satisfied they were okay, Robert followed the others.




Rose shut the door and went for the Doctor's brown coat. Caterina watched her reach through the pockets and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to find out what I can about these people," Rose replied.

"And how do you intend to go unnoticed?" Meridina asked. "You will certainly be challenged for identification."

"That's why I need this." Rose retrieved an ID fold that reminded Caterina of a passport, or a police officer's badge fold. Rose looked it over and grinned before holding it to Caterina. "See?"

Cat blinked at the image. "It says you're a Captain assigned to Defense Command," she answered.

Meridina, curious, stepped up and looked as well. "Interesting. I see a blank sheet."

Rose frowned at that. "You mean it's not working on you?"

"I can sense a mental component at work," Meridina stated. "Presumably it requires subconscious access to a mind. But I am trained against such manipulations, and besides, I am telepathic myself."

"It's psychic paper," Rose said. "The TARDIS uses it to make someone see whatever they'd expect to think of as someone in charge. The Doctor uses it everywhere."

"Quite useful," Meridina agreed.

"We'll have to stay together," Rose said. "I can say you're with me."

"I have my own ways of going unnoticed," Meridina replied. "And I sense something amiss that I should investigate. However, it is best if Caterina goes with you."

"Right then," Rose said. "We just have to wait until they drop us off and leave us alone."




After leaving the storage area, the three guests were led by Yvonne down a hall. "I've never heard of you people before," the Doctor said. "Despite all of my years coming and going from Earth."

"That was the idea, Doctor," Yvonne answered. "After all, you're the enemy. It's stated in the Torchwood Charter of 1879, written and signed by Queen Victoria herself."

"Torchwood… that was the name of the house in Scotland…"

"...involving the Queen and a werewolf, yes."

Robert blinked at that. "A werewolf?" he asked.

"Well, the alien equivalent of one," the Doctor answered. "You can't tell me you haven't met bizarre-looking species before, Captain."

"Well, no," Robert admitted. "The Asgard and Apexai both look like stereotypical 'Grey' aliens. When I met them, the Dorei reminded me of a species of video game elves. And I haven't been able to stomach Jello since I met the Gl'mulli."

"If I may continue," Yvonne said, stopping to face them for the moment. "You're mentioned in our charter, Doctor. As an enemy."

"If I'm an enemy, does that mean I'm a prisoner?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes. But with very hospitable conditions."

"Provided he cooperates, right?" Robert frowned. "I remember you were making it clear to Angel and Cat that if they didn't cooperate with you, you'd get nasty."

"That was a bit of a bluff on my part," Yvonne answered. "As I've mentioned, I'm a people person, and I don't believe in torture or anything of the like. If anything, your officers would have wound up in a jail cell instead of comfortable surroundings."

"I suppose I'm facing the same treatment?"

"First things first, Captain. I have something I need to show the Doctor. Then we'll get to you." Yvonne turned and continued on, prompting them to follow. As they neared a secured door, she brought up her ID toward a scanner and said, "This is what we've been waiting to show you, Doctor. The source of the ghosts."

After the door slid open they gained entry to a large chamber. A number of scientific instruments were gathered, all pointing toward a single object. A sphere, blacker than night, hung suspended in mid-air.

The Doctor took an immediate interest. He whipped out the same set of flimsy-looking 3D glasses and approached the sphere. As he did, a man in a white lab coat approached. "Doctor, it's really you," he said breathlessly. "I'm Rajesh. I've been waiting…"

Singh offered his hand, but the Doctor was more interested in the Sphere. So was Robert. His senses revolted at the presence of the Sphere. The Flow of Life itself seemed to avoid it like the plague. He had a deep feeling that it shouldn't exist. "What is that thing?" he murmured.

"The Sphere is what started all of this," Yvonne explained. "It arrived and the ghosts followed."

"What's wrong with it?" Robert could hear Jackie's voice waver. She could sense it was off as well, just with basic human senses. He started to feel sick himself.

"It feels wrong, doesn't it?" Singh asked while the Doctor stepped ahead and stood underneath the sphere. "Nothing we have can detect it. It gives off no heat, no radiation, no emissions of any kind. It has no weight and no atomic mass. Every single instrument we have says it shouldn't exist."

"It shouldn't," Robert asserted. He felt certain of that. He watched the Doctor begin to examine the Voidship with the 3D glasses.

"But it's right there," Jackie said. "I can see it."

"I know. Fascinating." Singh smiled. Robert could sense that he truly enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the Sphere.

"It's a Void ship," the Doctor announced.

"A what?" asked Yvonne. "What's a Void ship?"

"Something that shouldn't exist." The Doctor pocketed his glasses again. "Closest thing I've ever seen to it were No Ships, but even they didn't go this far."

Yvonne and Singh approached the stairway leading to the elevated platform where the Sphere was hovering. The Doctor met them there and sat on the stairs. "It's meant for traveling through the Void," he said. "No Ships would just dip a little into the Void, form a shroud of it to hide in, but this thing?" He wagged a finger back at it. "Complete immersion into the Void. Shouldn't be possible, but someone did it."

"What's the Void?"

"It's the space between dimensions." The Doctor gestured with his hands as he began to explain. "You see, we've got dimensions all around us, billions of parallel worlds and such piled together, and the Void is between them. It's a place of complete nothingness. Can you imagine that?"

Robert thought back to dreams he'd had. Stars going out one by one until there was nothing but black. "I can," he murmured.

"No light, no dark, no up, no down, no time, no life." A haunted look now showed on the Time Lord's face as he considered the nature of his subject. "My people called it the Void. The Eternals called it the Howling. But many people… they call it Hell."

"So why would someone want to build a ship to travel in it?" Robert asked, trying not to let the Sphere's literal void in the energies around him make him more nauseated than he already was.

"To explore. To escape." The Doctor gestured to the Sphere. "You could ride out eternity in there. Nothing could touch you. You could ride it through the end of this universe and a new Big Bang and straight into the next universe."

"Then we were right." Hartman seemed quite pleased with herself. "There is something inside." Her look grew intent. "How do we open it?"

The Doctor jumped from where he was sitting. "You don't." An intensity appeared in his expression that belied the casual manner he'd been using to this point. "You send it back into Hell." After walking a distance from Yvonne and Singh, he turned and demanded, "Where did you get this? How did it get here?"

"That's how it all started," Yvonne said. "It showed up and the ghosts followed afterward."

"Show me."

Yvonne nodded to the door. The Doctor didn't wait for her to catch up. He went ahead himself, beating everyone else there. He turned left into the hall outside. After Yvonne called out, "No, Doctor!" he reappeared, walking to the right.

Just as they stepped out, Robert looked back to the Sphere. Every sense he had told him it was wrong. That there was something terribly wrong about it. He wished he knew how to remove it from existence.

He was so distracted by those thoughts that he barely noticed when Jackie grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along.




The Aurora medbay was filled with casualties from the Shadow attack, casualties Leo and his medical team were working their way through with care and some speed. Leo had indeed worked his way down to the non-critical cases, such as burned hands. He was busy applying medigel solution to Locarno's hands now. "Tom spent hours bragging about the new fuse systems," Leo remarked. "What happened?"

"The destabilization of a jump point," Locarno replied, shifting slightly on the biobed he was sitting up on. The blue-tinted gel on his hands was steadily absorbing into his skin. A soothing sensation blocked out the pain in his hands. "Cat said we lived by a few nanoseconds' margin of error. Talk about miracles."

"Right." Leo ran his scanner over Locarno's hands. "Well, the medigel solution will heal your hands completely within a couple hours. Until then you should stay off duty. Don't use your hands until the medigel is completely absorbed and wait two hours before you look into returning to duty. And I mean that two hours, Nick."

"Yeah yeah." Locarno set his hands down gently on his lap. "So, are you jumping ship too?"

"You mean am I following Julia to the Enterprise?" Leo seemed to consider the question before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."

"You know, I've always wondered something," Locarno admitted. "You seven, well, eight, you were friends back before you found the Darglan Facility on your Earth, right?"

"We were," Leo admitted. "Although Lucy wasn't really a part of our circle."

"Right." Locarno shifted his arms to keep his hands steady. "Well, even then, you seem to have little groups. Robert and Julia have been best friends, maybe even soulmates, since they were what, three?"

Leo nodded.

"And Zachary became their friend a few years later. Then Tom Barnes became Zack's friend and in turn their friend. Then Robert started dating Angel in school and she and Cat entered the circle that way… right?"

"Just about," Leo said. "Cat was tutoring Robert's little sister Susanna in science and a few other subjects. Susanna looked up to her. As for Rob and Angel, I actually think Julia met her first. Angel was taking advanced martial arts classes beside her when they were thirteen. They became sparring partners. Then a couple summers later Rob and Angel started their on-again off-again relationship."

"So where do you enter into this?" asked Locarno.

Leo smiled softly. "Well, my parents moved into the county because Dad was taking over the county hospital administration," he said. "I met Zack first. His mother was dying and my mother, she was a psychiatrist and counselor for the bereaved. She thought Zack could use a friend, and she thought I could. Back then…" Leo looked over the scanner again to see how the medigel was working. "...I was sometimes the only black kid in the classroom."

"And that mattered?"

For a moment Leo looked at Locarno with raised eyebrows. "Right," he said. "You 24th Century Federation people are color-blind. Yes, Nick, it mattered to quite a number of people on my world." Leo took another bit of gel and applied it to a particularly-burnt part of one of Locarno's fingers. "Although not just in Kansas. Growing up in Georgia, I'd already learned to keep my eyes off the white girls if I didn't want trouble with some of the kids or the parents." Leo's eyes grew distant as old, bad memories moved through his mind. "I was six when I was called a 'nigger' the first time."

"Sorry," Locarno said. "In my time we tend to lump all of that into the 'Humanity before the Third World War was backward and cruel' curriculum."

To that Leo snorted. "It must be nice to turn centuries of slavery and prejudice into a historical footnote." After chuckling Leo added, "But I won't complain. It's nice seeing Earths where kids can be kids and people don't give a damn about your skin color. It gives me hope our old Earth can become the same. Now, let me take one final scan…" Leo raised the scanner up again. "...and I'll have to send you on your way. I've got more patients to worry about."




The TARDIS had stopped moving for a while before Rose dared step out. She peeked around for a moment and darted out of sight before returning with a lab coat. Meridina and Caterina stepped out with her. "You're going to stand out," Rose said to the two. "With those uniforms."

Caterina and Meridina shed their uniform jackets in response, revealing a dark blue sleeveless shirt on Cat and a long-sleeved cream-white vest on Meridina. "You still stand out a bit," Rose said to Meridina.

"That will not be an issue for me," said Meridina.

"Were there any other lab coats?" Cat asked.

"Afraid not," Rose answered. "Maybe we'll find one further in?"

"I hope. And if you get me an example of a Torchwood ID, I might be able to make a copy with my omnitool's fabricator."

"Don't worry, we'll just say you forgot yours if someone asks," Rose said. She made sure to close and secure the TARDIS door.

Cat tested the door and saw it was locked shut. "What if we need to get back in?" Caterina asked. "Can you open it?"

Rose grinned and held up a key. "Of course," she said. "Now, let's see what we can find out together, Cat."

"I will attempt to remain in telepathic communication with you," Meridina said to Caterina. "I suspect communication by omnitool would be intercepted."

"Yeah." Caterina nodded to Meridina. "Good luck."

"Mi rake sa swevyra iso," Meridina said with a smile before slipping away.

"'Me rocky saw swev…" Rose stopped herself. "Just what did she say?"

"It's some Gersallian way of saying 'goodbye and good luck'," Caterina said. "I'm not sure what it means either. The translator doesn't really work with it."

"Right. Neither does the TARDIS translator, it seems." Rose took Cat's arm. "Alright, the Doctor and your Captain are counting on us. Let's find out what's going on here."




A part of Lucy felt guilty. She felt like she should be with Tom Barnes and Jarod and the others fixing the ship. She shouldn't be in her quarters looking over her broken lightsaber and Meridina's broken weapon, wondering how she was going to fix them with the machine shops trashed and her own tools woefully insufficient to fixing burnt out circuitry.

Her spare parts were now spread out over her coffee table. Some were intact enough, but some of them were burnt out or otherwise broken by what had disrupted the rest of the ship. Her lightsaber and Meridina's lay disassembled with them. At this point, she couldn't even cobble together one functioning weapon from both. And the lakeshes were, as she suspected, just as ruined. Moreso, in fact. The disruption field had damaged the memory metal itself.

Lucy focused on the weapons with her senses, with her power, looking for a way to fix them. But even this approach now had problems. She kept being pulled toward that horrible feeling resonating through her. The feeling that something was dreadfully wrong. Something dangerous was lingering just beyond the metaphorical horizon, lingering and waiting to be sprung upon them. They were all in grave danger.

Another sense rippled through Lucy. Meridina was in grave danger. So were Robert and Caterina.

And she couldn't help but feel that their survival depended upon her fixing this problem, and fixing it soon.
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

After a trip up several flights of stairs, Yvonne led Robert, the Doctor, and Jackie Tyler into a large chamber covered in white walls. To their right was an office behind office walls, with a view of the London skyline through the windows. To the left was the chamber proper, with a blank wall on the far side while the area near the office had several work stations and two levers on either side of the wall.

Jackie went into the office to stare out the window while Yvonne led the Doctor toward the far end. Robert went to follow but stopped. He could feel something wrong rippling through him, not like with the Void Sphere but a more general threat. It was a sensation he was starting to tire off. His eyes passed briefly over a young African woman who wordlessly reassumed her station. Robert felt something off but couldn't localize it, not with everything else filling his new life energy-enabled senses with a feeling of warning.

"The Sphere came through here," Yvonne said to the Doctor, the two now taking their final steps to the far wall. "A hole in the world." The Doctor pressed a hand against the wall. "It's not active at the moment. But when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breach opens up."

"How did you even find it?"

"We've been getting warning signs for years. A radar black spot, problems with aerial craft moving through the air here…" Yvonne stepped back with the Doctor, who reached for his 3D glasses again. "It was six hundred feet above sea level, so we had to build this tower to reach it. Torchwood Tower."

The Doctor put the glasses on and examined the spot. "You built a skyscraper just to reach this spot? How much money do you lot have?"

"Enough," was her coy answer.

"Wait. I know where we are." Jackie looked back from the window. "This is Canary Wharf, isn't it? We're standing in Canary Wharf."

The two walked back, passing Robert on the way. He continued to pay attention, if just for a way to deal with the wrongness and foreboding he felt.

"That's how the public knows it," Yvonne stated. "But to all of those in the know, this is Torchwood Tower."

The Doctor stepped past Robert and leaned against the door. "So you find the breach, you probe it, the Sphere comes through and leaves a hole in the fabric of reality 600 feet above London. Then, after thinking through what that means, what it could mean, you don't go 'Oh, we need to be careful with this, shouldn't we leave it alone? Should we play it safe?' No, you go 'Nah! Let's make it bigger! Nothing can possibly go wrong with that!'"

"It's a massive source of energy," Yvonne answered. "If we can develop this and make it useable, it would end our dependence upon the Middle East's oil. Britain would be truly independent. There's nothing going wrong." Yvonne gestured toward the control come. "You can see for yourself. The next Ghost Shift is in two minutes."

As Yvonne walked past the Doctor, he demanded, "Cancel it."

"No."

"I'm warning you, cancel it!" The Doctor followed her, a frustrated, nearly angry look on his face, and both emotions were present through Robert's senses.

"Oh, just as the legends say…" Yvonne turned and glared at the Time Lord. "The Doctor, our alien overseer lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the rights of man."

The Doctor held his finger up. "Let me show you." He turned and re-entered the office while Yvonne and Robert watched quietly. Robert watched as the Doctor pulled out a blue light-tipped item and held it to one of the glass frames of Yvonne's office, specifically one of the Os in "Torchwood". The device's blue light lit up and an electronic whir filled the air, followed almost immediately by the sound of breaking glass. "So the Sphere comes through." A small hole now showed through the glass at the point where the blue light had touched it. Cracks branched out from this point in all directions to create a spider-web of said cracks in the surface of the window. "But when it came through, it damaged the world around it. It splintered the entire fabric of reality. The ghosts enter this world through the fault lines." The cracks in the glass were spreading and growing. "With the Human race wishing and helping them right along. But too many ghosts…" The Doctor tapped his finger against the cracked glass.

The entire thing shattered and fell onto the floor in pieces.

Yvonne considered the mess for a moment. Robert could sense she was calculating what the Doctor had said. But even before she spoke, he knew she hadn't been persuaded against it. "Then we'll be more careful," asserted Yvonne. "One minute to ghost shift. Positions, everyone."

"After all that, you're still going to do it?!" Robert demanded. "What does it take to get you people to back off?"

"I'm asking you, please don't do this," the Doctor pleaded, approaching Yvonne again.

"We've done this a thousand times."

"Then stop at a thousand!"

There was no wavering on the part of the Torchwood leader. "We're in control of the ghosts. This is perfectly safe. The levers can close the breach as easily as they open it."

Robert looked around and considered if he could stop it directly. But there were three occupied work stations and the men and woman there were clearly not perturbed by what their boss had them doing. Perhaps he could handle the people doing the levers…?

The staredown between Yvonne and the Doctor continued for several more seconds. And then, much to everyone's surprise, the Doctor's expression shifted to one of amiable friendliness, even a little enthusiasm. "Okay," he said brightly. He turned and walked back to the office.

"Sorry?" was Yvonne's startled reaction.

"Never mind. As you were." The Doctor grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the work stations before plopping into it. Jackie and Robert gave him confused looks.

"What, is that it?"

"I said my bit. Don't mind me." The Doctor smiled and looked at the nearest worker. "Do you have a cup of tea?"

"Ghost shift in twenty seconds," said the young lady to Yvonne's right. Robert found her tone of voice to be oddly bored.

"You can't stop us," Yvonne insisted.

"I'm not trying," he answered, still grinning. "Can't wait to see it." He turned his head to where Jackie and Robert were still standing. "Pull up a chair Rose, Captain, let's enjoy the fireworks."

"Ten seconds. Nine… eight…"

The Doctor's expression remained confident and pleasant. His eyes met Yvonne's as the countdown continued. As it drew closer to the end, Robert felt the doubts begin to gnaw at Yvonne Hartman. For all of her rhetoric about the Doctor imposing himself upon Humanity, she knew that when it came down to it, he knew far more about these things than she did, or any of her scientists. She knew that they could be dreadfully, terribly wrong about the breach and about their experiments. That the Doctor might be right. And that if he was right and she acted anyway, she could destroy the very country she was trying to protect.

"...three, two…"

"Stop the shift," Yvonne ordered. "Stop it!"

The activity in the room ceased.

"Thank you," the Doctor said. His tone was earnest and low; he'd won, but he wasn't rubbing it in.

"It doesn't hurt to have more intelligence available," Yvonne conceded. "But we will resume after you've made everythiing clearer."

"I'm glad to be of service."

Yvonne nodded before turning her head to face one of the subordinates. "Get someone to clean this up." She eyed the Doctor with humor. "I was told you like to make a mess." She walked past him and went to the threshold of her office before turning back. "And Captain Dale, don't think I've forgotten about you," she said. "I think the time's come to discuss matters."

Robert answered her with a nod and approached the office with the others. As he did so, he tried to push away the feeling that things had not improved as he had thought they would have. There was still a danger here. But what?




Rose and Caterina quietly stepped into what looked like a break room. It was, to Rose, a particularly posh one, with full scale vending machines for meals, tea and coffee makers, and stocks of the same for the workers to brew. A row of hangers on one end held white coats. Cat checked through them until she found one that fit. In the pocket she found a Torchwood ID badge. "Jennie Silversmith'," she read.

"You can't use it, though, it has a photo of her," Rose pointed out.

Cat checked the photo an agreed, Jennie's skin was almost ivory in its coloring, far too light for her to pass her own brown skin tone as a mere tan, and the hair and face were all wrong. "One moment," she said to rose while holding the badge up to her active omnitool. Her system scanned the badge completely and, with a few more taps, the omnitool's fabricators activated. Moments later the omnitool produced another physical ID. It had the same name, but Caterina's picture was now present.

"Nice." Rose watched Caterina slip the coat on. "Do you have any ideas of where to start looking?"

After checking to see if anybody was present in the room, Caterina held up her omnitool. A screen appeared within the blue holographic interface displaying basic coordinate data. "There's some sort of blank spot," Cat said. "It's not giving any returns on the system."

"Sounds like a place to start," Rose agreed.




On the Aurora bridge Julia was sitting in the command chair, waiting for more reports. That was, to some degree, the worst part about this job. Having to wait for reports from subordinates before any action could be taken. Especially with the ship so roughly handled.

Angel sat in Julia's chair. "You know, you could probably go grab a nap," she said. "Even with everyone working their asses off, Scotty's got us hours away from enough repairs for you to start giving orders."

"I don't think it'd be appropriate," Julia answered. "The crew is working hard. The least I can do is be on hand if a command decision is needed."

"Jarod and Scotty can make those decisions," Angel pointed out. When there was no response from Julia, she asked, "Are you going to be like this on the Enterprise?"

"Probably."

"Alright. But if you were in my seat and Rob was in yours, what would you be saying to him?"

Julia appraised Angel with a slightly irritated look. Which, of course, told Angel Julia knew she'd been caught. "I'd be telling him to go rest until he was needed," Julia conceded.

"Exactly." Angel smirked at her. "As usual, the mother hen doesn't listen to her own advice."

"This is my place, though," Julia insisted. "I don't feel right anywhere else."

"Of course you don't. You always have to be in charge."

After another period of quiet, Julia asked, "Do you want to be my First Officer?"

Angel stared at her in surprise. "You're not serious."

"I am. Mostly," Julia replied. "You know how to argue with me and make me think."

"I hit people and I shoot things. You want me to be responsible for the crew?"

"I'm sure you're up for it."

"And the fact I'm just a Lieutenant? You'd have to ask Maran to double-promote me, over a lot of other people. I'm sure that won't go over well."

"Yeah, well…" Julia shrugged. "He told me to give him my choices, and you're already joining the Enterprise as it is."

"As a tactical officer." Angel shook her head. "I'm flattered, Julia, but I'm not interested in command. I don't know if I'll ever be."

"Alright, fair enough." Julia smiled at her. "But you're not escaping the Second Officer post."

"Thank you for the warning, Captain," Angel remarked. "Now, why don't you go get a meal from Robert's ready office replicator? They've got those going again. And you'll be a fifteen steps away from taking charge if we need you."

Julia might have resisted if her stomach wasn't already growling. She nodded in defeat and stood up. "Alright, Lieutenant, you have the bridge. I'll be restoring my blood sugar levels to something appropriately human."

Angel nodded and smiled, taking the command chair as Julia stepped into the ready office.




While quiet reigned in the control area of the breach room, Yvonne leveled a look at Robert before leaning forward in her chair and against her table. "Now that I've had my discussion with the Doctor, Captain, I think it's time you and I talked."

Robert settled into a seat and pushed away the anxiety he was still feeling about what was going on. "I've got nothing better to do at the moment," he admitted. "Given your track record, I imagine this is going to be a demand for technology."

"I think 'demand' is a strong word." Yvonne set her hands together on the table. "It requires negotiating from a position of strength. Which, you must admit, I currently have."

"We have laws about these things."

"And I have a country to protect." Yvonne spent a moment in contemplation.

"And that's how you'll justify anything you decide to do," Robert said, his tone making clear how low he thought of that. "I've seen your 'ends justify the means' type before, Hartman. You're not unique on that."

"I would think not. But that's why people like me are where we are. We make the hard decisions so others don't have to." Yvonne appraised him with a knowing look. "I'm sure your Alliance has leaders with similar thoughts. But given I have other matters to attend to, Captain, let's dispense with the moralizing and get down to business. Your ship is helpless. You can't communicate with your people or they would have arrived by now. Other species could be en route, as we speak, to seize your ship, and I will not allow that to happen."

"So what do you intend to do?" Robert demanded. "Take it yourself?"

"The thought crossed my mind, yes," Yvonne admitted. 'But one of the drawbacks of maintaining an organization like Torchwood is that we don't always have the manpower to do everything we'd like. Your ship has well over a thousand crew on it. Seizing control of it with force won't work. And really, we don't have the means to use a ship of that size. We lack facilities. No, I've already decided not to take your ship. What I want instead is data on your technologies."

"That's for the Alliance government to decide. I don't have that authority," Robert insisted.

"If it will make you feel better, Captain, I can always resort to threats," Yvonne offered. "Then you can say you were compelled."

"That's going the wrong way about it, isn't it?" asked Jackie Tyler. "Wouldn't it be better if these people were our friends?"

"I'm not leaving our defense in their hands exclusively," Yvonne vowed. "It's better if we have the means to use the technology ourselves."

"It's not that easy," Robert said. "We have open contacts with two pre-spaceflight Earths and it's not a smooth process. There's a lot of underlying science behind some of our technologies that simply can't be understood by your contemporary scientific knowledge. You need decades, centuries, of scientific knowledge to be introduced into your society before you can make proper use of that technology."

"You might be surprised how much we know, Captain," Yvonne said.

"Not as much as you think you do," the Doctor said, chiming in. "Given what you've been doing with that thing." He tilted his head toward the invisible breach at the far wall. With Yvonne's attention on him, the Doctor leaned forward in his chair. "You see, that's the problem I have with this place, Ms. Hartman. You're snatching all of these fun gadgets and toying with the forces of the universe without understanding what you're doing. You're like children who've come across a nuclear warhead with all sorts of blinking lights so you've decided you've found a nice new toy."

Yvonne gave the Doctor a frustrated look. "You would say that, wouldn't you? You like to think of our species as children. Children needing your benevolent guidance. Well, Doctor, I'm sorry to inform you that the Human race, and the British people in particular, don't need your eternal parenting. We're ready to stand on our own."

Robert thought the Doctor might take umbrage at that. That he'd get angry. But the look on his face was one of a man saddened by the choice of a close friend, a choice he knows will ruin those he cares for. "I've seen your species at your best and your worst," he said quietly. "I've seen you huddling in caves, afraid of fire. I've seen you expand across the universe and leave behind wonders that entire civilizations will adore." He looked to Robert. "I've even seen your kind create technologies worthy of the Time Lords, unlock the secrets of the universe and of planes of existence beyond our own, and move from one universe to another."

There was something in the way he said it that made Robert realize that he wasn't talking about the Alliance. That prompted Robert to look at him with curiosity, curiosity the Doctor noted with a nod and a mental message of "For another time."

"But you." The Doctor shook his head. "You're not them. You're not doing this to understand how the universe works. This is all about your petty little sense of tribalism. You don't appreciate the weight of what you're doing because it's all just a means to your end; placing your tribe of Humans above the others."

"The British Empire has been one of the great powers of the world," Yvonne countered. "We've expanded knowledge of science and culture. We raised entire nations to a better standard of living."

"I'm sure the Indians and the Zulus were quite thankful to you," Robert answered acidly.

"Like the Native Americans are to your nation, Captain," Yvonne shot back. "The Empire may have gotten a few things wrong, but we never drove peoples off their lands to the scale you Americans did. You don't get to judge me and what I stand for."

"Oh, you're absolutely right," Robert answered. His tone was solemn. "Many of my ancestors did drive innocent native nations off their lands. It's a crime Americans will always have to live with. But do you know what sets us apart, Ms. Hartman?"

"What?"

"Like you, I found myself with advanced alien technology beyond anything my world could offer," Robert said. "We could have become an American equivalent of Torchwood. We didn't. My friends and I, we used that technology to help people. To save people from tyrannical governments and criminal organizations and terrorists. We even opposed our own government when it wanted to take over." He gestured to the exit behind him. "Down there you have the technology to change the world. You could do so much more with what you've got here than… hoard it all for some plan to bring back the British Empire."

For a moment Yvonne looked at him with a sort of bemused interest. "Tell me, Captain, do you practice this sort of speech-making? Stand in front of a mirror often?"

"Oh, I dunno." The Doctor shrugged and gave Robert a half-grin. "I thought it was nice. I mean, a little on the self-righteous side, but it worked well enough."

Yvonne didn't bother giving the Doctor even the slightest glance. "What I wonder is how your superiors tolerate that sort of attitude," she said to Robert. "I can't imagine it's popular with your Admiralty. You sound like you got it from a children's show, or some sappy idealistic program on television. This is the real world, and it's time for you to be the adult and recognize how things work in it. We want access to your technology. That term's not changing. If you cooperate, I will gladly provide Torchwood personnel to any project you require to get your ship home. If you don't, well…" She leaned back in her chair. "I'd rather it didn't come to that, Captain. But the choice is yours."

Robert answered by crossing his arms and glaring, saying nothing. His will met the stern will of Yvonne Hartman and, for the moment, neither blinked.




The corridors of Torchwood's headquarters were not the most occupied Caterina had ever seen, leading her to believe they were in an especially sensitive area. She checked her omnitool scanner for nearby life signs and the blank spot she'd picked up and guided Rose around a corner. "What's it like?" she asked.

Rose had heard the question often enough to guess the context. "You mean, what's it like traveling with the Doctor?"

"Yes."

"It's… amazing, really," said Rose. "All of those worlds, all of those alien things we've seen. I never imagined it possible before. It's like… I didn't know what I was missing until I actually started seeing it."

"I never imagined I'd be jumping universes in a spaceship," Cat said. She grinned at remembering what it had felt like the first time. Being in space, seeing stars and alien planets up close and being able to learn so much… "Now I can't imagine anything else. And the Doctor can take you through time too. I mean, the Darglan mentioned the Time Lords in their databanks, they knew about their time travel capability. Has he taken you to see the Big Bang yet?"

"Well, no," admitted Rose. "He sort of implied that would be a bit too dangerous. He did take me to see the Sun blow up once."

"That's kind of depressing, isn't it?" asked Cat, now showing a bewildered face.

"Not really. Humans had already gone to other planets. We've visited New Earth too." Rose stopped for a moment, prompting Cat to do the same. "You'd like to travel with him, wouldn't you?"

"Well… yes," Caterina admitted. "I mean, maybe for a bit. I don't know if I can though, I have duties and stuff." Before Rose could bring up the obvious, Cat's eyes had already widened in realization. "Oh, right, he's a time traveler. We could travel around forever and I could be back in seconds from everyone else's perspective."

"Right." Rose winced at a memory. "Just make sure he knows the time before you step out of the TARDIS. The first time he brought me back, he got the year wrong and it was a year after I left with him. Mum went bananas."

"But couldn't he just… oh, wait, you saw your mother before you realized the wrong date, right?"

Rose nodded.

"So he couldn't or there would have been a paradox. Right." The conundrum solved, Caterina checked her scanner again. "You don't mind if I join you two, then? Assuming the Doctor offered and assuming the others let me…"

Rose shrugged and gave a small grin in reply. "We've had others with us before. Even my ex-boyfriend Mickey traveled with us."

"I bet that was awkward," Cat giggled. "Where is he now?"

"Oh, he remained in a parallel Earth," Rose explained. "His counterpart died while we were there and he wanted to look after his Grans."

"That's sweet of him… wait, parallel Earth?" Caterina gave Rose an intent look. "You traveled fifth-dimensionally?"

"Um… I guess?"

Cat's eyes widened in shock. "No way."

"Why's that so special? You jump universes all the time."

"No, well yes, but…" For a moment Cat had to think on what she was going to say. "It's… Reality has a structure, and according to the O'palani-Fujisawa Theory of Multiversal Dimensional Structure, you've got parallel universes that are different on a fifth dimensional axis, and entirely different universes on the sixth dimensional axis."

Rose blinked. "Yeah, I think the Doctor will enjoy traveling with you if you're always like this… just what does that mean? O'palani-Fujisawa what?"

"You're talking about a parallel Earth, right? These kinds of alternate universes are known. The United Federation of Planets in Universe S5T3 have several recorded instances of fifth-dimensional travel as freak accidents," Cat said, her voice growing in excitement. "The thing about them is that they are linked in time. As in, if you're not actually time traveling, if you go from one parallel universe to the other the time will be the same. If it's your birthday and you go to seven different parallel universes from your own, it's your birthday in each… well, unless you don't exist in one of those parallel universes. And then you have to account for many worlds theory and the concept of new parallel universes being spawned all the time by decision points…" Caterina held up a hand when Rose went to speak. "I know, I'm getting off-topic, I'm sorry. Just… it's exciting, fifth dimensional encounters can be rare because Doctor O'palani's mathematical models indicate it has a far stronger… never mind, sorry. As I was saying, sixth dimensional universe jumping like we do, it doesn't have that same thing. The different universes have entirely different years. I mean, in Universe L2M1 it's October 2642, and it's also October 2263 in E5B1 and it's August 2372 in S5T3 and April 2865 in L4R1… And you've got different alien species in some cases…"

"But always Humans?" Rose asked.

"Well, yes and no. Universe R4M9 has no life on Earth. Scientists think a Gamma Ray Burst sterilized the planet around the time of the Neanderthals. And Universe F8Y3 has an Earth without Human life forms. We just never evolved or something." Cat shrugged. "Anyway, that's the difference. O'palani and Fujisawa have theorized that you may even have a sort of concentric circle, where parallel variants of each individual Universe match up with other variants, especially if Multiversal contact causes interaction and quantum decision points and your eyes are rolling again so I'm going to stop."

"Yes," Rose said, "please do." She shook her head, grinning. Yes, the Doctor would quite enjoy showing Caterina around, she suspected.

"It's for the best, because I think we're here," Cat revealed.

The scans had led Caterina and Rose to a blast door across from a directional sign marked with "Torchwood Institute". "Our blank spot is definitely in here," Cat said. "But I'm not reading the others."

"We should find out what's in here," Rose answered. "And see if they know where to find the Doctor and the others."

Caterina looked over the door and then a scanner. "It looks like it's electronically opened with ID scans."

"Ah. Well, that's good." Rose held the psychic paper up to the scanner. The door immediately began to slide open.

"Wait, how did you do that?" Cat asked in a quiet hiss, putting her omnitool into standby mode.

"Psychic paper works on a lot of things," Rose replied. "And let me do the talking. I doubt they'd have Yanks on staff."

They walked in together and immediately felt the presence of something odd. They looked up and faced the Sphere. Immediately it felt wrong. They couldn't be sure what they were seeing and Caterina desperately wanted to scan it if she could get away with it. But since it was clear there were others in the room, she didn't dare.

Her decision was justified when an English-accented voice asked, "Can I help you?"

They turned and faced an older man with a brown complexion. Under the coat was a dress shirt with black and purple stripes with a purple bow tie - purple that immediately reminded Cat of Violeta - and dark trousers.

"Oh…" Rose blinked and forced her eyes away from the sphere. "I was just…"

He glanced back at the Sphere. Cat noticed his ID tag after he turned: Rajesh Singh was the name listed. Singh said, "Try not to look. It does that to everyone." While Rose forced her eyes away and took a moment to recover, he added, "What do you want?"

"Oh, I… they sent me from personnel. They said some man had been taken prisoner, some sort of doctor? I'm just checking lines of communication. Did they tell you anything?"

Caterina wondered if this was the right move, given Singh's clear reaction to mentioning the Doctor. "May I see your authorization?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Sure." Rose handed him the psychic paper.

He looked it over. The moment Cat noticed the slight grin on his face, she could guess they were in trouble. "That's lucky," he said. "You see, everyone at Torchwood has at least a basic level of psychic training. And this is a blank piece of paper. You're a fake." He tapped his earpiece. "Seal the room. Call security." After this order was given. "And you, Miss… Silversmith?" His grin didn't change. "Why didn't you notice this was a fake?"

Caterina swallowed. She tried to think of how Violeta's accent sounded and said, "Oh, I… I'm new here, she sounded like she knew what she was doing… what?"

The grin on Singh turned into a smile. The smile of barely-restrained laughter. Rose gave Cat a bewildered, embarrassed look. "Just what kind of accent is that?" she asked.

"Well, it's an English one," Caterina insisted.

"You should go back to your accent coach," Singh remarked. "Besides, Jennie Silversmith is assigned to support logistics, she doesn't have clearance for this wing. You're a fake too." Singh looked back to another lab coated figure. "Samuel, can you check the door locks? They just walked right in."

The other man turned. "Doing it now, sir." Caterina labeled him as African-American in her head before remembering that, duh, this wasn't America, and he'd be African...English? Anglo-African? How did that work in England? She couldn't remember.

There was a bemused look on his face, though, and he was smiling as he stepped up and put his finger on his lips, then made a thumb's up with both hands.

Caterina glanced toward Rose, who looked stunned.

"Well, if you young ladies would like to take a seat?" Singh gestured toward his desk.

Rose nodded in defeat. Caterina decided to go for broke since she figured Torchwood knew who she was anyway.. "Uh, well, is it okay if I scan the Sphere? You caught me so there's no point in hiding it, right?"

Singh blinked at her and shrugged. "I suppose it won't hurt." Rose looked at Cat as if she was nuts.

"Thank you," Cat said. She activated her omnitool and began to scan what her device insisted was… absolutely nothing.

This was, of course, very intriguing, so she started more scans.




Meridina moved quietly through the halls of Torchwood Tower. It was a natural sort of quiet, one that went unnoticed. Gentle footfalls that could be heard if close enough, but which would not seem out of place to those who could hear it.

So far there had been no challenges. The people here had some resistance against mental powers, but the mental imprinting - Lucy called them "mind tricks" - was based on wills, not telepathic power, and Meridina had evaded suspicion while employing them.

Where she was going, she didn't know. Meridina was trusting in her instincts, her connection to the universe, to lead her to where she needed to be. The pathways in question took her past offices, storage rooms, and down stairs toward one end of the building.

As she drew closer to it, she could feel danger grow. There was something here. Cold, terrible, and with only the faintest sense of life to it.

Meridina stepped around a corner and faced an area of the structure blocked off by plastic sheets. Signs indicated it was for authorized personnel only, and others referred to it as an "expansion project". Immediately Meridina thought something was off. Where were the workers? The equipment?

She put her hand to the plastic. After several moments of debating what she was going to do, she took her first step through it.




Neither Robert nor Yvonne broke off their quiet standoff. Yvonne did divert the subject ultimately by asking, "Doctor, do you think the Sphere was built by the ghosts, whoever they are?"

The Doctor was, unlike the other two, completely laid back at this point, leaning back in a chair with his white tennis shoes propped onto the desk. "Must have," he said. "Aimed it at this dimension like a cannonball."

A quick chirp came from Yvonne's earpiece. "Yvonne, I think you should see this," said Singh, which prompted Yvonne to look at her laptop screen. "We've got visitors. I don't know where they've come from, but funnily enough, they must have arrived in the Tower about the same time as our other guests."

Robert forced his expression to remain neutral. He could already imagine just who Singh was talking about. His concern was verified when she turned the laptop on her desk to face them, showing Rose and Cat with Singh. "Is she one of yours?" Yvonne asked the Doctor.

The Doctor, with complete seriousness, shook his head. "Never seen her before in my life."

""Good. Then we can have her shot."

The Doctor let out a sigh and sat up, removing his feet from the desk. "Alright, it was worth a try." He nodded to the screen. "That's Rose Tyler."

On the screen, Rose - looking rather dejected - said "Sorry."

Yvonne blinked. "Then who's she?" Yvonne asked, indicating Jackie.

"I'm her mother," Jackie replied.

The look on Yvonne's face became curious. "Oh, you travel with her mother?"

"He kidnapped me," Jackie insisted.

The Doctor grimaced. "Please, when Torchwood decides to write my complete history, don't tell people I traveled through time and space with her mother."

Jackie frowned at the Doctor as Yvonne let out a little, amused laugh. "Charming," Jackie said mockingly.

"Please, I've got a reputation to uphold," the Doctor said.




Meridina moved aside another piece of plastic. The feeling of life ahead remained, but it was very cold, very quiet. As if barely alive. It did not feel like someone wounded and in need of help. It felt… different. Wrong.

But now another feeling was coming. She felt danger. Her life was in jeopardy, and said jeopardy was growing every moment. She pulled away another plastic sheet, and another, wondering just what was going on back here…

And then she saw the machines. The blades. The terrible cutting saws and all of the other equipment.

There was a metal thumping sound and the whine of servos as a figure shifted and turned toward her. It raised its arm and a weapon muzzle popped out.

Meridina turned and ran for cover.

The machine fired.




In the office, Yvonne turned to Robert next. "I also recognize Lieutenant Delgado. As it stands now, Captain, I would be justified to have her shot as a spy."

Robert frowned in reply. "You don't want to do that."

"You're right. I don't. She seemed a bright enough young lady," Yvonne agreed. "But these rules exist for a reason, Captain. She's a foreign officer infiltrating a top secret facility of Great Britain."

"And she wouldn't be here if your people weren't out to steal the TARDIS," Robert retorted. "Nor, frankly, would she be here if you weren't meddling with that damn dimensional…"

A loud clunk sounded from the control chamber. Yvonne looked away from Robert and toward the control room. She stood up and walked toward the door. "Excuse me, everyone," she called out. "I thought I said stop the Ghost Shift. I haven't authorized another." When there was no reaction she asked, "Who started the program? I ordered you to stop." Yvonne pointed to where the levers were moving on their own. "Who's doing that? Step away from the monitors, everyone…"

As Yvonne continued to issue orders that were ignored, the Doctor led Robert and Jackie out into the control room. "I order you to step away from your desks? Adi? Gareth? Matt? Stop at once!" Yvonne gestured to the others in the room. "Stop the levers!"

As her personnel did so, the Doctor approached Adi. The Anglo-African woman was focused entirely on her console, as if oblivious to everything else. Robert focused on her and found that he couldn't feel anything, nothing indicating she was a thinking being. There was life, but that was it. And the sense of foreboding he'd felt before was escalating dramatically.

The Doctor clicked his fingers in front of Adi's eyes. As he did so, Yvonne leaned over the desk on the other side of Adi and insisted, "Step away from the desk. Adi, step away!"

"She can't hear you," the Doctor said, watching the activity on the computer screen. "They're overriding the system." He looked up to the far wall, now starting to glow white. "We're going into Ghost Shift."




In the Sphere Room, Singh began to speak into his earpiece. "Yvonne, I thought the next Ghost Shift was canceled. What's going on?" When there was no response he repeated "Yvonne?"

Caterina glanced from where she was reading the Sphere, or rather finding all the ways the Sphere didn't exist according to her scanners, even if it didn't exist in such a way that it was clear something was there. "What is…"

The entire room shuddered. Singh's head snapped up to face the Sphere. "It can't be," he said. He started to walk, at an increasing pace that bordered on jogging, toward the Sphere, prompting Rose and Samuel - whoever he was - to join him. Cat lingered behind, but her eyes were fixed on her scanners.

She and Singh spoke at the same time. "It's active."




In the control room, the Doctor was staring into Adi's earpiece, or at least the one in her left ear. It struck Robert as odd that she had one in each ear, and so did the other two. Why didn't I notice that before? he wondered.

"It's the earpiece controlling them," the Doctor said. His expression had lost the playfulness of earlier; he was all business, and quite tense. "I've seen this before." He reached into his pocket and removed what he'd referred to as his sonic screwdriver. "Sorry," he said to Adi. "I'm so sorry." He promptly pressed the tip of the screwdriver against the earpiece in Adi's right ear and activated it.

Adi and the others all shrieked in absolute agony before collapsing at their work stations.

"What happened? What did you just do?" asked Yvonne, now truly flustered.

"I'm sorry, but they're dead," the Doctor explained.

"You killed them?" Jackie asked, incredulous.

"No, someone else did that long before I got there," the Doctor answered, now intent on the screen's contents. The rest of the room was being bathed in a white glow.

"But you killed them!" Jackie repeated.

"He didn't," Robert said. "They didn't feel alive before at all."

"And how would you know if they did or not?" Jackie demanded of Robert.

"Jackie, I haven't got time for this!" the Doctor declared.

"What are those earpieces?" Yvonne asked.

"Don't," was the only answer she got.

"But they're standard comms devices, how do they control them?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Despite the Doctor's pleas, Yvonne did want to know. She grabbed at the earpiece that had been in Adi's right ear. There was a sickening fluid sound and the earpiece came loose, a long tendril of wires coming from it. With disgust Yvonne dropped it on the desk. "Oh God, it goes inside their brain" she cried.

"What about the Ghost Shift?" the Doctor asked.

Yvonne checked the screen. "Ninety percent and still running." She went over to the Doctor and stood beside him, glancing at the intensifying white light at the far wall. "Can't you stop it?"

"They're still controlling it," the Doctor answered. "They've hijacked the system."

"Who's 'they'?"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver back out. "Might be a remote transmitter, but it's got to be close by. I can trace it." After fiddling with the screwdriver he activated it. "Jackie, stay here. Captain, the levers…"

"Hold the levers, stop them!" insisted Yvonne.

Robert nodded and walked up to between the desks. He breathed inward, focused, and brought his hands up as if gripping them. From within the power of his life surged and he reached out with it, gripping the levers with that power and holding them in place. He grunted. The mechanisms were powerful and were fighting him and the Torchwood personnel desperately trying to hold the levers in place.

The Doctor and Yvonne ran from the control room.

With everything else going on, nobody noticed the screen of Yvonne's laptop. A desperate Rajesh Singh's image showed on it, as well as a graphic of the Sphere and two words.

SPHERE ACTIVATED.




In the Sphere Room, yellow strobe lights were going off. "Yvonne, can you hear me?" Singh was frantic at the comms. "Yvonne, for God's sake, the Sphere is active. It's got mass, it's got weight, it's generating an electromagnetic field. It exists."

"I'm detecting spikes in the upper Groenitz-Hallen bands!" Cat added. "It's rippling through subspace as it manifests!"

"What's that mean?" asked Rose.

"The Sphere's fully immersing itself in our dimensional plane," Caterina answered. "I... I think it's opening."

Behind them there was a thunking sound. "The door's sealed," Singh said, still talking into the comms. "An automatic quarantine. We're locked in!"

He ran back toward the door. "Samuel", however, walked up to stand between Rose and Cat. "It's alright babe," he said. "We've beaten them before, we can beat them again. That's why I'm here. The fight goes on."

Caterina looked at him in confusion. "Who are you? What are you?"

"It's Mickey," Rose said, her eyes not moving from the Sphere.

"Your ex?" asked Cat. "Wasn't he in still in that parallel world?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the 'ex' part," Mickey answered.

"Wait, the fight against what?" Rose asked.

"What do you think?" was his answer, as the Sphere began to thud violently again, causing the room to shake.




Julia had just about dozed off on the couch in the ready office when the door swished open. Angel stepped in and, given her lack of sarcastic remark, Julia knew it was a serious reason even as she barked, "Julia! We've got a problem!"

Julia jumped from the couch and collected her thoughts as she followed Angel back onto the bridge. "Report!"

Al-Rashad looked up from Sensors. "Commander, I'm getting a massive energy spike from near the surface of the planet. The damage to the sensors is keeping me from triangulating an exact point, but it seems to be in a region of London."

"Do we have communications to the Captain and the others?" she asked.

"Not yet, ma'am," answered Tech Officer Matthews.

"Damn." Julia sat in the command chair and did only what she could do: she waited..





The Doctor led Yvonne through Torchwood, sonic screwdriver up and in his hands. As they passed two Torchwood soldiers Yvonne ordered them to follow.

They came up to an area sectioned off with plastic. Plastic that now bore tears in some spots. "What's going on here?" the Doctor asked.

"Building work. Just renovations," Yvonne said.

He nodded and said, "You should go back."

Yvonne flashed him a slight smirk and said, "Think again."

With the soldiers following, both started moving through the plastic. After stepping through and around several sheets they stopped. The Doctor held the sonic screwdriver vertically and seemed to examine the light as it beeped slightly. Yvonne asked, "What's down here?"

"Earpieces, earpods… this world is colliding with another. And I think I know which one."

As he moved the upraised screwdriver to his right, metallic thunking sounds came through the plastic. Figures were becoming visible, vague silhouettes through the plastic.

"What are they?" Yvonne asked, stunned and trying to hold back the feeling of terror building within her.

"They came through first," said the Doctor. Metal hands thrust through the plastic and began slicing down it like a knife. "The advance guard."

The cut plastic sheets were parted, and multiple robotic figures stomped into range, their servos continuing to give off the same metallic thunks as before.

"Cybermen," the Doctor declared with something of a snarl. He grabbed Yvonne and ran back between the soldiers, who opened fire on the two columns of Cybermen forming up. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of their metal skins with angry sparks. Another Cybermen stepped into place and intercepted the Doctor and Yvonne, blocking their escape.




As the Sphere Room continued to shake, Mickey continued his explanation. "We had them beaten but then they escaped," he said. "The Cybermen just vanished. They found their way to this world, but so did we."

"Cybermen?" asked Caterina.

"Nasty robots," Rose said. "Robots with human brains stuck full of wires and kept from feeling anything. They take people and rip them apart and put their brains into new Cybermen bodies."

Caterina swallowed. "That sounds as bad as the Borg."

"Borg?" Now it was Mickey's turn to sound confused.

"Wait." Rose looked at Mickey with confusion. "The Doctor said it was impossible to travel between worlds."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time he was wrong," Mickey answered.

"So do you know what's in the Sphere?" asked Cat.

"The Cyber King, Cyber Leader, Emperor of the Cybermen." Mickey shrugged as he ended his speculation. "No one knows. Whoever it is, he's dead meat." Mickey grinned confidently.

"It's good to see you," Rose said to him.

Mickey nodded. "Yeah, it's good to see you, too."

The Sphere shook and they continued to wait.




Robert had gone down to his knees trying to hold the levers back. They weren't budging, and he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

Then a sense of incredible danger filled his being and distracted him. Robert lost his grip on the levers and slumped forward. Before he could muster himself to start again, the Doctor's voice came from behind. "Get away from the machines! Do what they say! Don't fight them!" Metal thunking accompanied his words.

Robert turned in time to see the large metallic forms fill the control room. Silvery gray, with big Cs marked on their chests like a trademark, and handles above their heads and connected to the sides. Gun muzzles popped up on the forearms of two. He stayed low as red bursts of light struck out, striking screaming Torchwood personnel until they collapsed dead.

"What are they?" Jackie asked the Doctor.

One turned slightly to face her. Robert looked up in time to see the mouth light up with blue. "We are the Cybermen," it informed them. "The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent." It promptly put its hand to the big C on its chest.

The machines whined louder and the far wall lit up until it nearly blinded.

And then black ghostly figures emerged from the wall.




"The field of spatial disturbance is expanding, sir," al-Rashad reported. "It's.. it's bigger than ever before. It's going to overtake our position in five seconds."

"All hands, Code Red," Julia ordered, although she wondered what good it would do.

At the five second mark al-Rashad said, "Spatial disturbances forming on multiple decks." As she spoke, black ghostly figures began to appear on the bridge, walking into formation together.

Julia's finger stabbed down on the command chair's comm key even as Angel went for the emergency bridge armory behind secondary tactical. "Bridge to all decks, standby to repel boarders! I repeat, possible intruder alert, stand by to repel boarders!"




As the ghostly figures gathered, Jackie looked to the Doctor and asked, "But what do these Cybermen have to do with the ghosts?"

"Don't you ever listen?" the Doctor asked in exasperation. "A footprint doesn't look like a boot."

"Achieving full transfer," declared the lead Cyberman.

Sitting up and feeling his head spin as every fiber of his being screamed in worry, Robert beat the Doctor to the answer by half a second. "They're Cybermen."

The Doctor nodded. "All of the ghosts are Cybermen."

And they all watched as the ghosts took solid form as Cybermen. Robert felt the horrible image go through his mind. They'd be everywhere. All across the planet. People weren't even afraid of them and wouldn't know something was wrong until the Cybermen took shape. How many people were dying right now? Is that what the Cybermen were here to do?

The horrors of that thought were disrupted by another computer voice. "Sphere activated," the computer intoned, after which it began to repeat the line.

The Sphere… oh no, Cat!




In the Sphere room, Mickey had just finished pulling off his lab coat and tossing away his Torchwood-issued earpiece. The Sphere was opening, a corona of white light shining from the top of the opening, and all Caterina could do was watch in awe. What was inside of it? What could make something so powerful?

"I know what's in there and I'm ready for them," Mickey announced. "I've got just the thing." He dashed to the platform below the Sphere and reached under it. What he pulled out was a big rifle, larger than most assault weapons Caterina had seen. He returned to his place between her and Rose, and in front of Singh. "This is gonna blast them back to hell."

"Samuel, what are you doing?" asked Singh, confused by his assistant's sudden bravado.

"The name's Mickey. Mickey Smith," he corrected. "I'm defending the Earth." He gave the weapon a single cock, like it was a shotgun.

Caterina looked from him to the Sphere, now completely open on top, and waited to see what her omnitool sensors told her about the occupants.




The ghosts coalesced into metal figures on the Aurora bridge, standing in a row like a military formation. They raised their arms in unison and pointed the weapon muzzles that emerged from their forearms toward Julia and the remaining bridge crew, pulse pistols readied and everyone in cover behind a console. "Surrender and prepare for upgrade," one demanded. "Or you will be deleted."

Julia had been planning a serious refusal, but before she could make it Angel popped out of cover and fired a shot. The blue pulse smashed into one of the robots and caused the big C on its chest to blacken. It toppled over. "Delete this!" Angel cried defiantly.

The others opened fire.



Lucy had heard the alert to repel boarders just as she finished re-assembling Meridina's lightsaber. Neither weapon was yet repaired. She still needed to work on them. That meant she would need her pulse pistol to help fight off whatever this invasion was.

She turned to head to her bedroom and pick it up, just as metallic thunking came from that direction. A figure loomed in the doorway linking her living area to her bedroom, a large bipedal robot that seemed to have just a little biological life within it according to Lucy's senses. Cold, sterile life, but still technically life.

The figure raised its arm toward her and a weapon muzzle emerged from the forearm's inner compartment.

"You will submit for upgrade," the robot demanded. "Or you will be deleted."




In the control room, the Doctor stepped up to the lead Cyberman. "I don't understand," he barked. "The Cybermen don't have the technology to build a Void ship. That's way beyond you. How did you make that Sphere?"

"The Sphere is not ours."

"What?" the Doctor asked, bewildered.

"The Sphere broke down the barriers between worlds," the Cyber Leader replied, blue light appearing in its mouthpiece again as if to emphasize its synthetic nature. "We only followed. Its origin is unknown."

The Doctor posed the question Robert already had in his mind.

"Then what's inside it?"




The pounding of Caterina's heart had quickened and her stomach was twisting in anticipation as the Void Sphere finished opening. What was inside? What could be inside, and was it related to the builders, and was it friendly or was she about to die…?

Figures finally emerged from within the blinding corona, black as silhouettes in their first moments in sight.

Mickey perceptibly lowered his weapon a little. "That's not Cybermen," he said in surprise, while Rose looked on in abject surprise and fear.

"Oh my God," was all Rose could manage.

All of the blood drained from Caterina's face, which took on a mask of abject terror. Her heart stopped beating so fiercely. It nearly stopped entirely as a shape and a voice that belonged in her nightmares returned.

"Location: Earth. Life forms detected," the electronic voice declared as the metal frame approached the ground in front of them. Lights on the metal body lit up as it spoke.

"Oh no," Caterina squeaked. Her voice couldn't manage the scream she felt building up due to the terror gripping her, indeed, threatening to choke her. "Not them."

"Exterminate!" continued the lead Dalek.

"Exterminate!" echoed the other three Daleks.

"Exterminate!" proclaimed all four, in unison.
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

Angel's so much smarter without Robert. I also love Cat and Jackie's interactions. Cat and Rose too, of course, but Jackie is a really underrated component of the Rose arcs. Of course, the rest is great and it's wonderful how you captured the episode and modified it. That was some of Tennant's best episodes too!
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next one*, I love the way this season has all been laying the groundwork for some massive truth to be revealed and I want to know what it is! :P

As Shroom said, wonderful character work also (I actually feel a bit sad now that Mrs Delgado will never see her daughters being space heroes) and nice work actually giving Yvonne Hartman a bit of time to be somewhat sympathetic. I have always been torn about Torchwood because, you know, they have a point, 'hope that a capricious space wizard bails us out again' isn't a good defence strategy, and the Dr does act awfully imperious sometimes for a guy who says he doesn't want authority.

Could do without the smugness, jingoism or heavily implied murderous tendencies, of course.

*I kind of hope the daleks all get obliterated so we can erase the Dr Who season 4 finale from this timeline, or something else that enables that. I am a small, petty man.

Ps. Also thank you for confirming my unmentioned theory about Ultra Space Britain being mostly Indian demographically.
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

speaker-to-trolls wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2017 1:59 pm I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next one*, I love the way this season has all been laying the groundwork for some massive truth to be revealed and I want to know what it is! :P

As Shroom said, wonderful character work also (I actually feel a bit sad now that Mrs Delgado will never see her daughters being space heroes) and nice work actually giving Yvonne Hartman a bit of time to be somewhat sympathetic. I have always been torn about Torchwood because, you know, they have a point, 'hope that a capricious space wizard bails us out again' isn't a good defence strategy, and the Dr does act awfully imperious sometimes for a guy who says he doesn't want authority.

Could do without the smugness, jingoism or heavily implied murderous tendencies, of course.

*I kind of hope the daleks all get obliterated so we can erase the Dr Who season 4 finale from this timeline, or something else that enables that. I am a small, petty man.

Ps. Also thank you for confirming my unmentioned theory about Ultra Space Britain being mostly Indian demographically.
I always thought Yvonne was fairly sympathetic for someone who is that smug and imperialistic. She does have some points on the issue. But she still made terrible mistakes, and she paid for them.

And yes, I've been building up the "Bad Wolf" thing since 2-01. Actually, I've been doing it since 1-14; there's a reference to an animal howling when Robert has his dream of talking to his grandfather in that episode, while he was stuck on the NX-01.

As for the Series 4 finale... I may have some plans in that direction, although we'll have to see. This experience has been a bit trying for me, and I even had to pay money to get the two relevant episodes because you can no longer watch Doctor Who on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. Doing yet another direct tie-in with the events of an episode might be something I don't care to repeat.
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

Also, for the British Stellar Union being mostly Indian, I thought it fitting, and I recalled a remark my friend Marina once made about how the British Empire would probably still exist if the British had been less racist and allowed India and other non-white holdings to participate fully in the Empire.
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

Steve wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2017 7:57 pm Also, for the British Stellar Union being mostly Indian, I thought it fitting, and I recalled a remark my friend Marina once made about how the British Empire would probably still exist if the British had been less racist and allowed India and other non-white holdings to participate fully in the Empire.
A lot of the moderate "centrist" reformists of the colonial territories just asked for that, even among the Filipino intellectuals of the later Spanish era, and among the North African French colonies too I remember reading... it's a common thing, that for some raisin almost always got rebuffed before things deteriorated and revolts emerged and so on, making for very rough de-colonializations everywhere. I wonder why that's how the cookies always crumbled...

On one hand it is a nice flight of fancy to imagine the Good Upstanding Subjects getting their just rewards and eventually take the empire from the original demograph that started it all... a poetic thing that would be the worst nightmare of the nationalistic imperialist types lol. On the other hand, eh those empires and their names deserve to be forgotten.
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

Well I'd like to see more of that world but I'm clearly a frothing nationalist under my veneer of wishy washy liberalism (or so my wife tells me) :P
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

Well, we all want to see our nations be good guys, I think. If just subconsciously. The idea that the British Empire might evolve into some grand constitutional monarchy that imparts the better ideas while jettisoning the things that made the Empire bad in our history... I can see that. I've done it from the American side of things, imagining an America that didn't chase the tribes off their lands, but integrated them fairly and honestly.

The fact that they don't call it the Empire anymore, but rather a "Union", is probably a sign of further shifting attitudes toward the idea.

I will try to show more C5O2 if I can. We'll be visiting the Gy'toran homeworld in Season 3. :)
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Daleks!"

Rose's shout quieted them. She stepped up toward the now-stationary Daleks. Behind her, Mickey held his weapon ready and Caterina was busy trying to regain some semblance of control from the terror of seeing her nightmares become real again.

"You're called Daleks," Rose said to them. She pulled off her lab coat and threw it to the side. "Now how would a human know that? How would a Human know about the Daleks and the Time War?"

The Daleks stared at her in silence.

"If you want to find out how I know, you let me and my friends live. That's all I ask."

Mickey nodded. "Yeah. I know this too. Time War."

Singh caught on. "Me too."

"And me. Time War. Time Lords. That stuff." Caterina's voice was strained.

The lead Dalek, in a black casing instead of gold, kept its single electronic eye on Rose. "You will be necessary," it declared. The head swiveled until the blue eye was focused on Caterina. "And you may be of further use." After these announcements the Dalek turned to the others. "What is the status of the Genesis Ark?"

"Status: Hibernation," replied another.

"Commence awakening. The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else."

One of the Daleks turned toward the object that had followed them from the Sphere. Its plunger fitted against a half-sphere protruding from the surface of the device.

With the Daleks no longer paying attention to them, Mickey asked Rose, "I thought you said all of the Daleks were dead."

"Never mind that," Rose answered in a low voice. "What the hell is a 'Genesis Ark'?"



There were times Robert regretted his abilities. It wasn't reasonable. It wasn't even fair, given how often they'd saved the things he cared for. But he couldn't help but tire of having his entire body seem to vibrate with anxiety at a nebulous danger, especially given the danger he was in now. All he could do was continue to lean against the wall and get his bearings while trying not to provoke the Cybermen into shooting them as they had the others.

As his senses recovered, Robert sensed the extreme maternal worry and fear in Jackie Tyler. "What's down there?" she asked the Doctor, urgently. "She was with that Sphere. What's happened to Rose?"

"I don't know," the Doctor answered from where he was leaning against the wall, apparently deep in thought.

Jackie looked at him intently for a moment before clapping a hand over her mouth and sniffling. The Doctor reacted by stepping up to her. "I'll find her," he vowed. "I brought you here, I'll get you both out, you and your daughter."

Jackie continued to sniffle and sob quietly with her eyes lowered.

"Jackie, look at me. Look at me," he insisted. "I promise you. You'll both be safe. I give you my word."

When this seemed to help her get control back, the Doctor turned back to Robert. "How are you holding up?"

"A headache and a constant sense of incoming bad stuff. Despite all of this.." Robert gestured to the Cybermen. "...I think there's something worse coming along."

"That doesn't sound good. Anything in specific?"

"I'm afraid not."

The Cyberleader stomped past them and into Yvonne's office. "You will order your Central Global Authority to surrender," it said to Yvonne.

"You should have done your research, then, because we don't have a central authority," Yvonne retorted.

"You have one now. I will speak on all global wavelengths." The Cyberman turned toward the laptop and its built-in camera. "This is for all humankind. The Cybermen now occupy every landmass on this planet. But you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us."

Robert listened to what he said. The words were chilling, horrifying, in their ramifications, made perfectly clear by the emotionless electronic speech used to make them. It matched the cold flicker he felt inside of them, the last minor ember of life drawn from intact organic pieces. But the warmth of the Flow of Life would cease if the Cybermen prevailed. They promised nothing more than being cogs in a machine. A complete loss of everything that made beings truly alive.

And the damndest thing, Robert imagined, was that the Cybermen were utterly convinced this was a good thing. That they were doing Humanity a favor by forcing people to become robots.

The Cyberleader turned its attention to Robert. "You are the commander of the vessel in high orbit," it stated.

Robert glared at the machine. "I am," he said.

"You will instruct your crew to surrender and prepare for upgrade."

"Well, let me think about that," Robert began, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Okay, I thought about it. No."

The Cyberleader paused for a curious moment. "If you do not cooperate, you and your crew will be deleted."

Robert laughed in the Cyberleader's face with all of the humor of a man knowing he's got nothing to lose. "That's where you don't understand us, robot. We don't want to be upgraded."

"Your stance is illogical. The Cybermen do not feel pain. We do not fear. We do not hunger. Our existence is the superior one," boasted the machine. "Your judgement is clouded by emotion. Emotions are a weakness."

"Emotions are what make us Human."

"And that is why you must be upgraded."

"It looks like that's going to be a tall order for you," the Doctor remarked. He was standing with Yvonne and Jackie looking out the window. The Cyberleader and Robert walked over to join them.

Flames and smoke were rising from the streets and buildings of London. Explosions could be made out across the city.

"I ordered surrender," protested the Cyberleader.

The Doctor leveled an angry look at the Cyberleader. "They're not taking instructions," the Doctor spat. "Don't you understand? You're on every street! You're in their homes! You've got their children! Of course they're going to fight!"

There was no response to that. It gave Robert a moment to wonder how things were going for the others, and to wish he could make contact.




The Aurora bridge filled with spurts of pale red light and bursts of blue energy. The Cybermen remained lined up in complete disregard for the shots that Julia, Angel, and the others on the bridge were taking at them. Their return fire blackened consoles and sent sparks flying.

"What the hell are these things?!" Angel demanded.

Al-Rashad checked her omnitool. "They're robotic constructs, but I'm detecting organic brainwaves consistent with human brains within them!" She had to duck further to avoid a shot that would have hit her head otherwise.

"And they don't seem to care how many of them we shoot," Julia added. The far door opened and more of the robots stepped out from the ready office. They already had their arms raised and were blasting away. "We need a better position, we're too spread out! Al-Rashad, is the conference lounge open?"

The young science officer checked her omnitool again. "I'm not picking up their energy signature that way!"

"Angel, see if you can get to the conference lounge!" She popped out from cover enough to fire shots that blasted the shoulder of one of the robots.

Angel prepared to spring from cover and get to the doorway while uttering a quick prayer that she didn't get shot from behind. "Cover me!" she shouted as she jumped from her spot. She felt the heat of an enemy energy blast against the back of her neck from a razor-thin miss and reached for the door.

Savage pain shot up her left hip and side. Angel cried out as she toppled into the door. "I'm hit!" she shouted. "But… I'm at the door!"

Technical Officer Matthews popped from cover and shot the nearest of the enemy, thinning their numbers further. He got back into cover behind the secondary tactical station to avoid retaliation fire before squeezing off another shot that damaged the leg of another. "Commander, Lieutenant, I'll cover you!" he shouted.

Julia nodded and then looked to al-Rashad. "You first!"

The light brown skin on the young woman's face had turned pale with fear. But she nodded nevertheless. When she jumped from cover Julia and Matthews left their safety as well, laying down fire as fast as their pulse pistols let them. The one Cyberman who sought to shoot al-Rashad took a hit to the head from Matthews and went down.

Al-Rashad made it to the door. The angle of the alcove entranceway gave her cover. She opened the door and, with effort, pulled Angel inside.

Julia went next, firing off several wild shots that hit the bridge walls and controls more than it hit the foe. A shot scorched the wall beside her from a near-hit that sent a spark into her forehead, lightly burning her skin. She made it to the door alcove and knelt down, pistol. "Now Matthews!" she shouted before moving out of cover and opening fire.

Matthews jumped from his cover and opened fire. His shots were wild, as he was more concerned with escape, but one did hit the head of one of the enemy bots, which collapsed. Julia leaned out from the alcove and fired around Matthews, nailing another one.

There were three left. All were firing toward them. A shot went over Julia's head. Another nearly singed her arm.

The third struck Matthews in the back.

He cried out while pale red energy crackled over his torso. It seemed to make his body seize up, after which he fell over. He fell right at the opening of the alcove. Julia grabbed his arm and dragged him into cover with her. "Matthews?"

He didn't answer. Al-Rashad appeared at the door and scanned him. "Sorry, Commander," she said. "He's gone."

"Dammit." Julia activated her omnitool. "Main Computer, this is Commander Andreys. Commence complete bridge lockdown, Authorization Code Andreys Gamma Tango Sierra Three Six Six."

"Authorization code accepted," the computer's feminine voice stated. "Lockdown commencing."

Satisfied that the robot boarders couldn't take control of the Aurora on the bridge, Julia quickly turned her attention to their situation. Matthews was dead. That left her, al-Rashad, and Angel, who had been hit too. "How bad is it, Lieutenant?" she asked al-Rashad. "I mean, Lieutenant Delgado's injury?"

"It damn hurts," Angel groused, preempting al-Rashad's answer.

"Damage to her left hip muscles and nearby tissues."

"That thing shot me in the ass!" Angel complained. Loudly.

"You're doing better than poor Matthews," Julia pointed out. "Can you shoot?"

"Prop me against the wall, and yeah," Angel said.

"I've got a better idea. Watch the door." Julia motioned to al-Rashad, who joined her at the table. They both grunted with effort as they got the leverage and position necessary to put the conference lounge table on its side, exposing the holotank projector internals that were fixed underneath it. Julia went and lifted Angel to her feet, letting Angel's left arm settle over her neck. She brought her to the other side of the table where al-Rashad was already checking her pulse pistol. "Eighty percent power," she said.

After setting Angel down and kneeling beside her, Julia checked her own. "Sixty percent."

"Sixty-five," Angel verified. She grimaced from pain. "This is worse than that time I pulled my leg muscle."

"Don't you miss that being the worst thing to deal with?"

There was no time to answer Angel's remark. The door swished open and the enemy robots began to enter.




Lucy sensed the shot coming and struck first. Her hand came up and a wave of energy forced the shot upward, scorching the ceiling of her quarters. She raised the other hand and another, more powerful wave of energy sent the intruder flying back into her bedroom. She reached to the table and retrieved both lightsabers before going for the door.

At first the corridors seemed clear. But she rounded a corner and found two more of the machines stepping out of a set of quarters. They turned and noticed her. "Surrender or…"

Before they could finish the ultimatum, Lucy swept her arm and sent them flying back into the quarters they'd just vacated. Lucy went to the door and brought her omnitool up. She interfaced it with the locking system and activated an emergency lock to keep them in. "Just what the hell are these things?" she wondered aloud. She used the comm key on the omnitool and said, "Lucero to Jarod. What's going on?"

"The entire ship's been boarded by robots, and they really don't seem to like us," Jarod replied. "I'm in Science Lab 1 with a security team. We're secure for the moment. Can you join us?"

Lucy nearly answered yes. But she stopped at the feeling inside, the sense that she needed to be somewhere else. It was the same as before; she needed to go down to Earth, or Meridina and the others could die. "Sorry, but no," she said. "Jarod, I'm sorry, but I need to go planetside."

"Why?"

"Because… if I don't, I think Robert and Cat and Meridina are dead," she replied. "Don't ask me how to explain it. It's one of those life force things and it's always so damned vague."

There was a moment of silence. "I don't know how you'll get down. The transporters are offline, and even if one worked I have all operators with the repair crews. And given the direct hit the main shuttlebay and the hanger deck took, I'm not sure you'll find a shuttle."

"And I don't think I want to try and cross the entire ship to get to the secondary shuttlebay either," Lucy said. She thought about the problem. How to get down to the planet with no transporters and no shuttles or runabouts? What else was… oh.

She grinned when she continued, "I think I know what'll work," she said. "Remind me to thank Julia later."

"For what?"

"Her insistence on running evacuation drills all the damn time," Lucy replied before she continued on down the corridor, following a route that said drills had caused her to memorize.




In Main Engineering Scotty and Barnes could only watch, along with a handful of the other engineers, as other engineers and crewmembers engaged in a firefight with the robotic invaders. The protective forcefield for the main engineering controls had snapped into place when Scotty had given the order. Occasionally pale red energy slammed into the field, creating blue distortion from it holding the blast back.

"The damn forcefield's still at eighty percent," Barnes said from his station. "I can't divert any more Goddamned power to it."

"Aye, lad. Nae use worryin' about it." Scotty checked another of the consoles. "Better t' figure out how t' help deal with these metal scunners."

"The repairs to our power systems have brought back most of the internal sensors." Barnes checked something. An idea was forming in his head. "We can at least track the bastards."

"Relay it tae security an' th' Marines. They'll handle these bloody things."

"Yeah." Barnes looked at him and grinned. "But maybe we can give them some help."




Leo looked up from where he was treating a plasma burn on an injured Alakin crewman. The sound of thunking metal came through the medbay door, caused by what he guessed were the source of Julia's intruder alert.

Two security officers opened fire on the initial robot to enter, blasting it until its head and chest were one big blackened mass. Another came in behind the first, firing. One of the security officers went down with a cry before the other finished the second intruder off. A third intruder immediately shot the remaining guard and entered the medbay, a weapon muzzle prominently displayed on its arm.

Three more entered and took up positions with weapons ready. A fourth stepped in and looked around. "Who is in command here?"

Leo swallowed and nodded. "I am. Doctor Leo Gillam, Chief Medical Officer."

The figure turned slightly. "I am the designate Cyberleader present. You will assist in conversion of this medical facility into a cyber-conversion facility."

"And that is?" Leo had the idea he wouldn't like the answer.

"It will permit the upgrading of this vessel's crew into Cybermen units."

"You mean you're going to turn us into… you."

"That is correct."

Leo knew immediately he needed to buy time. "Why?"

"To remove the weakness of emotion from the species. All individuals will be upgraded into Cybermen."

"And what if we don't want to be 'upgraded'."

"Hostile elements will be deleted."

Leo got the meaning of that term rather easily. "So let you turn us into emotionless, soulless robots, or you kill us?"

"That is correct. We must save you from yourselves."

There would be no arguing with the robot. All Leo could do was play for time and hope help arrived to end this nightmare.




A nightmare. Caterina was living in a nightmare. That was the thought that dominated her, making her unable to think of or do anything else. Indeed, it seemed like doing anything but standing there would immediately cause her death.

Thinking of dying brought tears to her eyes. What would happen to Angel? And now she had a girlfriend to think about, someone who would be hurt if something happened to her. There were so many things they hadn't gotten to do together, so many plans…

There were so many things she hadn't been able to do yet.

The black-plated Dalek turned to them again. "Which of you is the least important?" it asked.

Rose responded with "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Which of you is the least important?"

"No. We don't work like that. None of us are least important," Rose answered.

"Designate the least important!" demanded the Dalek.

"This is my responsibility," said Singh.

Rose shook her head at him. "No, don't…!"

But she couldn't stop him. Singh stepped up to the Dalek and said, "I represent the Torchwood Institute. Anything you need, you come through me. Leave these three alone."

The Dalek shook. "You will kneel."

Singh showed confusion at that. "What for?"

The response was a prompt "Kneel!"

For a moment Singh seemed to hesitate, if only out of confusion and perhaps a little pride. But he turned and knelt before the black-cased Dalek, now at his back.

"The Daleks need information about current Earth history."

"Yes, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence," Singh said. "But I will not jeopardize homeland security..."

"Speech is not necessary!" declared the Dalek, which now drew closer to him. "We will extract brainwaves." Two of the other Daleks did the same.

As the plunger-like arms of all three approached him, Singh realized just what he'd set himself up for. "Don't," he pleaded. "I'll tell you everything you need. No, don't…!"

The black devices stretched and encompassed much of his head. Singh could do nothing but scream as the Daleks began to tear information from his brain. Mickey nearly made an instinctive lunge to stop them just for Rose to hold him back and embrace him tightly. Caterina let out a low, terrified cry of horror, and could only watch as Dr. Singh met his end at the "hands" of the Daleks.

When the Daleks finally pulled back, Singh had been reduced to a dried out husk. His remained collapsed to the floor with a dust cloud. "His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth. Infected by the superstition of ghosts."

"You didn't need to kill him!" Rose shouted.

The Dalek swiveled its head and looked at her. "Neither did we need him alive!" The Dalek swiveled its head back to face one of the golden ones. "Dalek Thay, investigate outside."

"I obey." The Dalek slid across the floor and left the chamber.




In the breach control room, the Cyberleader watched a live video feed from two of the Cybermen, sent to investigate the Sphere Chamber. Robert and the others were watching as well. He thought he recognized the corridor as one of those that Yvonne had led them through between the Sphere Chamber and the breach control room.

A form moved through a door at the far end of the video. As it came into view Robert's eyes widened. His heart pounded in surprise and raw fear. "Crap," he swore. "Them." When the others looked at him, he added, "It's a Dalek."

The Doctor nodded but said nothing. He was busy watching.

"Identify yourselves!" the Dalek demanded.

"You will identify first," one of the Cybermen countered.

"State your identity!"

"You will identify first."

"Identify!"

"You will identify first."

"Your behavior is illogical, you will modify," ordered one of the Cybermen.

"Daleks do not take orders!"

"You have identified as Daleks."

Despite everything, Robert couldn't help but smirk at the Dalek walking right into that, ending the standoff between the two. With the looming sense of threat around them Robert had trouble focusing his power, but he made himself do so after taking a breath. He had to know if Cat was alive, or Meridina for that matter.

"Rose told me about the Daleks, she was terrified of them," Jackie murmured to the Doctor. There was a quiver in her voice when she asked, "What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead?"

The Doctor turned to her. "Phone," he whispered.

"What?"

"Phone," he repeated, the whisper more strained this time.

Bewildered, Jackie handed the Doctor her cell phone. He used the speed dial to call Rose's phone. When there was an answer on the other side he raised his head slightly. "She answered. She's alive. But why haven't they killed her?"

Jackie glared at him. "Well, don't complain about it."

"They must need her for something." The Doctor continued to listen intently.

As he did so, Robert thought he could feel Caterina and Meridina. It was difficult to single them out given the way his abilities seemed to be set to "Something is terribly wrong!" mode, as if the threat that was being presented was so severe that the sense of it was tying up the rest of his special senses.

"'Genesis Ark?'" the Doctor said, curious.

Meanwhile the Cybermen-Dalek argument continued. "Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant."

"Daleks have no concept of elegance," the Dalek said mockingly, as if the very idea was beneath them.

"This is obvious. But consider. Our technologies are compatible. Cyberman plus Daleks. Together we could upgrade the Universe."

"You propose an alliance?"

Robert could feel the Doctor's worry at that. He knew he was; having these two groups together would make the nightmare even worse.

"This is correct."

The Dalek's response was immediate. "Request denied."

"Hostile elements will be deleted." The Cybermen began to fire on the Dalek.

The shots did… precisely nothing. Just as the Daleks that invaded the Facility three years ago, the Dalek was protected by an energy shield that absorbed the shots without difficulty. "Exterminate!" the Dalek retorted. The light blue blasts it fired took out the Cybermen in the hall and, in the process, ended the visual link. The laptop screen went blank.

"Thank heaven for small favors," Robert sighed. He had thought, for a moment, that this was why he felt that something even worse was coming. But now… it had to be something else.

But what?




Rose, Mickey, and Caterina had watched the brief negotiation between the Daleks and Cybermen and the inevitable result of said negotiation. Now the image of a Cyberman appeared on the screen that had been used before. "Be warned, Daleks, you have declared war upon the Cybermen," stated the robot.

"This is not war," the lead Dalek answered. "This is pest control."

"There are five million Cybermen. How many are you?"

"Four."

"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?"

"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek," boasted the lead Dalek. "You are superior in only one respect." Behind the Cyberleader, Rose and the others noticed the Doctor moving in the background.

"What is that?" asked the Cyberleader.

"You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier!"

The call ended. But just after the screen disengaged, one of the gold Daleks cried, "Wait! Rewind image by nine rels!". The screen responded, bringing back the Cyberleader and showing the form in the background. "Identify grid Seven Gamma Flame."

The image zoomed in on the Doctor.

"This male registers as an enemy."

The lead Dalek turned abruptly and faced the three prisoners. "The female's heartbeat has increased," it said, directing its attention to Rose.

Mickey snorted. "Tell me about it."

"Identify him!"

A bemused little grin appeared on Rose's face. "Alright then, if you really want to know." She leaned in a little toward the Dalek. "That's the Doctor."

The four Daleks literally backed away from Rose, as if she might personally destroy them in the next second. That surprised Caterina. She'd known that the Doctor was their enemy, but these Daleks didn't seem ready to chase him down like the ones who had invaded the Facility had. They seemed afraid of him.

Rose laid it on further. "Five million Cybermen, that's easy. One Doctor? Now you're scared."

For the first time since the Daleks had emerged from the Sphere, Cat entertained the thought they might actually survive this. That the Doctor and the others would actually save them.




The Cyberleader had taken a minute or so to process the realization that the conquest of Earth had just run into a major complication. "Quarantine the Sphere Chamber," it finally ordered. "Begin emergency upgrades. Start with these personnel."

One of the Cybermen grabbed Robert's arm. The others were seized as well. The grip was too much for him to throw off easily. Even if he mustered the focus to throw the one holding him, he would likely be pulled along too. Or would have his arm torn off. The machines dragged them out of the office. "You can't do this!" Yvonne shouted. "We've surrendered! We've surrendered!"

"Keep this male." The Cyberleader indicated the Doctor. "His adrenaline levels suggest that he has vital Dalek information."

"Doctor, you can't let them do this!" Jackie cried. "Stop them!"

"I'll only help you if you let them go!" the Doctor yelled. "Let them go!"

But the Cybermen didn't. "You promised!" Jackie insisted. "You gave your word!"

"Jackie, don't fight them! I'll get you out of this…!"

As they were being dragged down the hall, Yvonne kept saying, "We're prisoners! You can't do this!"

"They don't care," Robert pointed out. "This is what they're going to do to everyone they don't kill."

"He promised!" Jackie wailed. "He said he'd stop them!"

"I'm sure he's going to try, but he can't do anything." Robert's mind raced. If anything, the immediate problem was helping him concentrate despite the constant distraction of his abilities sensing danger. Instead he was starting to consider a potentially dangerous tactic, if only he could get his other arm free.

Their procession was coming to a turn in the halls when it came to a sudden stop. Said stop was explained by the sound of clanging metal, a Cyberman weapon firing… and then same Cyberman flying out of the hall and hitting the ground. Without its arms.

A smile came to Robert's face. He held out his free arm toward the Cyberman holding Jackie. He didn't know if he could summon the strength through his power to rip the offending arm off, but he did manage to hold the other arm in place and prevent it from firing.

This meant that when Meridina rounded the corner, she only had two Cybermen to worry about. Concentration formed on her features and her hands pulled apart. The arms gripping Yvonne were torn free from the Cyberman's body. It seemed to look at them helplessly.

Robert's captor raised its arm and readied its weapon. At that range, the Cyberman had every reason to expect its shots to hit. But Meridina was too fast for it and evaded the first volley. She made a pulling motion again and this time Robert was freed. He turned and concentrated everything on the free arm of Jackie's captor, still struggling against his power. This held the last armed Cyberman in check for the second it took for Meridina to focus on it and yank its arms free as well.

"Meridina, good to see you," Robert said.

"Likewise, Robert. Mrs. Tyler."

"Who is she?" Yvonne stared at them. "What… how did she do that?"

"Ms. Hartman, this is my chief of security, Meridina," Robert said. "She's a Gersallian and trained in special arts using the power of life energy. She's taught me some." Robert looked Meridina's way next. "This is Yvonne Hartman, the director of Torchwood. Or whatever is left of it now that the Cybermen are converting people."

"I have been evading these automatons," Meridina said. "Although I do sense a flicker of life within them."

"According to the Doctor, they're actually people who had their brains cut from their bodies and installed into robotic bodies with systems to suppress any emotions."

Meridina frowned at Robert's explanation. "An abomination. We must do something about them."

"We may need weapons first," Robert pointed out. "I didn't bring down my pulse pistol."

"The Cybermen will have overrun main storage," Yvonne said. "But there might be something in the testing labs."

"You lead the way, then." Robert gestured down the hall. "Because I don't want those tin-plated tyrants carving up people. Not if we can stop it."

"It would be helpful if we restored communications with the ship," Meridina said. "Perhaps Lucy has had a chance to repair our weapons."

Robert frowned at that. "I have a feeling Lucy and the others are busy with their own problems, Meridina."




Evading the robotic invaders on the Aurora hadn't been easy. Lucy had been forced to outrun a couple of them and activate an internal bulkhead to escape, which had the unpleasant side effect that she couldn't backtrack.

But now she was at her destination. A series of panels lined the wall. You didn't find these panels on most of the ship's corridor walls, and for good reason.

Each led to an escape pod.

Which was, apparently, why the robots had sent three of their number to guard it. They turned to face her and raised their weapons in unison.

"Crap!" Lucy went back around the corner. She heard the thunking noise of the machines walking. They were pursuing. And with the ones behind her and the sealed bulkhead, she had limited options on getting away.

Alright. I guess I'll have to fight.

First taking in a breath to steel herself and focus, Lucy rounded the corner again and grabbed one of the pursuers with her power. She pulled the robot into the other one. They collided with a metal clang and hit the wall. The third one, which had remained behind, brought its weapon up and fired. Lucy felt the shot coming and barely evaded it. She swung out with an arm and gripped attacker's gun arm with her power. With a single yank and a lot of energy, she ripped the offending limb off. She turned said limb and, with a thought, discharged the capacitor's last-remaining shot into the former owner's headpiece. Pale red energy sizzled over the head until it literally exploded in a messy burst of metal bits and white fluid.

Lucy was just far enough away to avoid getting hit by any of the resulting debris. She made a disgusted face at the remains before feeling a sense of danger, or rather, one beyond the constant background feeling she'd had since they jumped into this universe. The Cybermen behind her were getting back up. She went to the nearest panel and activated the touch display. A couple of button presses let her enter her ID code to activate the escape pod without a general evacuation alert. The panel to her left opened downward as if to form a ramp. She stepped up into it and gave a quick push of energy to knock the lead robot back into his buddy, buying her the last second she needed to secure herself in the escape pod. She went to the small piloting control at the front of it and triggered the release sequence, adding the safety harness as an afterthought. G-forces pulled against her as the hexagonal-shaped pod launched from the surface of the Aurora's primary hull.

Lucy drew in a breath and focused on Meridina and Robert. She could sense them even from orbit, their life energies burning bright compared to others. She could also sense another presence, not quite the same, but with its own feel. Presumably this 'Doctor' being. WIth that connection guiding her, Lucy entered coordinates into the escape pod's navigation system. Thrusters fired and dipped the pod into a de-orbiting course to land in London.

I'm coming, Meridina, she thought. Now all she had to do was finish fixing their weapons. She had a feeling they would be needed.




In Science Lab 1, Jarod had formed an ad hoc operations command for the ship with the help of Commander Kane, now with his Marines, and Lieutenant Phryne Richmond, an Australian woman who served as Meridina's second-in-command and lead investigator in ship security. She was lithe in build as opposed to built out, which made the rumor that she had body-tossed Angel out of the ring once very interesting. Her bob-cut short hair was black in color, matched with a vibrant green for her eye color and a complexion that Jarod figured "porcelain" did justice to.

The two were looking over a holographic image of the ship provided by the central holotank. Battle damage still showed on the likeness, including the remaining hull breaches, but of greater importance was the invasion of the robotic force that had initially appeared as "ghosts". "Security Team C just finished a sweep of Deck 6," said Richmond. Her accent was more on the refined side. "Security Team G is encountering heavy resistance on Deck 11."

"What about Deck 12?" Jarod tried not to make his worry clear. "Internal sensors confirm they're in the medbay."

"I haven't been able to get a team there yet. Given the numbers we're seeing, I'm going to send Team C to Deck 11 first to help G secure it." Richmond met Jarod's eyes. "Unless you object?"

Jarod almost did, but stopped himself. Throwing a single security team into an area full of hostiles was too great a risk. It was better to concentrate force as much as possible. "And Teams A and B?"

"They're still fighting their way to the bridge with one of Commander Kane's platoons."

Jarod tapped a key. "Jarod to Kane."

There wasn't a response right away. When it came, it was joined by the sounds of weapons fire. "Kane here. I'm a little busy, Commander."

"I understand. But we're showing intruders in medbay on the sensors. More than a single security team can handle. The Marines are better equipped to handle this."

"I'm still clearing up Deck 16 and the backup fusion reactor, and I've got to get to Engineering," he answered. "But I'll detach Barker's squad to hit the area. Can you back them up?"

"Team E," Richmond said. "They're nearly done with Deck 10. They're mostly made up of armed crew right now, but with the Marines leading the way, they should work."

"Team E will meet you on Deck 12, Section F," Jarod told Kane.

Jarod looked back to the screen. Although the arrival of the intruders had left everything chaotic initially, Commander Andreys' timely "repel boarders" order had gotten the crew in motion just in time to avoid being taken completely by surprise. Now they were at least making progress, slowly recovering the ship sector by sector, deck by deck.

But how many of us are going to die in this fight? If we can come up with some way to clear them out faster. The thought of getting the transporters back online came to him, but that would require work on key power relays that the repair crews couldn't get to yet. Not with those decks still unsecure.

A tone came from his omnitool. Jarod hit the flashing blue light above the back of his left hand to accept an audio/visual signal, which he relayed to the main display in the lab with a touch of a key.

One of the robotic invaders dominated the screen. In the background he could see more holding Leo, Doctor Singh, and a few other personnel. "Attention. I am the designated Cyberleader responsible for the upgrade of this vessel's crew. We are the Cybermen. We are not your enemy. We have come to upgrade all life forms into Cybermen. All distinctions that divide you - species, sex, color, creed, class - will be removed. You will no longer know fear or pain. You will be achieve perfection from the weakness of emotion..."

"Are you getting this?" asked Kane.

"We are," Jarod confirmed.

Meanwhile the Cyberleader continued. "...not come to harm you. Only hostile elements will be deleted."

Jarod hit a key to open his end of the audio length. But before he could speak, another visual channel kicked in. Julia's face appeared. She was clearly crouched behind a toppled table - the conference lounge's table, Jarod thought - and had the disheveled look of someone who had been in the middle of a fight. Or was in the middle of the fight, as the sounds of Cybermen energy fire was coming from nearby, answered by pulse pistol fire. "This is Commander Julia Andreys, currently in command of the Alliance Starship Aurora," she said. "I am addressing these 'Cybermen' and their leader. My crew and I have absolutely no intention of becoming Cybermen. We will not submit to your forces."

"You are allowing emotion to control you. It is not logical to refuse upgrade."

"Oh, I think it's very logical," she countered.

"Because what you're talking about is another word for 'slave'," Jarod added. "You're talking about taking away everything that makes us unique beings and turning us into drones."

"Aye, it's a load o' bollocks if ye ask me," added Scotty. "We'd rather fight, ye damn scunners."

"Your response proves your inability to judge without emotion. You will understand your error once you are upgraded."

"You mean once you mentally program us inside your damn machine bodies, " Kane growled. "Well, Cybermen, my Marines and shipmates and I say no. Come and get us if you can, you damn bucket of bolts. You won't be the first tin-plated monsters we've dealt with."

"We're going to take Option Number 3, Cyberleader," Julia stated.

"There is no third option. All will be upgraded. Hostile elements will be deleted."

"The third option is that we blow you all to hell," Julia countered. "And that's the one we're taking. Andreys out."

Julia cut the communication. Jarod did as well.

"Stirring," said Richmond. "Maybe I should look into transferring to Enterprise."

"Good luck with that," Jarod said. "Meanwhile, let's see what else we can do."




In the conference lounge, Angel fired off another series of shots. The Cybermen had to come through the door, and they had tried several occasions so far. It was costing them, but on the other hand, it wouldn't for long for the simple reason that the three ladies were running out of charge on their weapons. "I'm down to twenty percent," said Angel.

"Fifteen," added al-Rashad.

Julia checked hers. "Eighteen percent. So, let's make all of the shots count, right? No telling when we'll get more clips."

Indeed, all threw knew that the only way out they could be sure of was if someone hit the Cybermen from behind. And nobody could be sure of when that might happen.




In the Sphere Chamber the Daleks were all busy working on the Genesis Ark with their plunger arms. They seemed to be ignoring Cat, Rose, and Mickey, but there was no guarantee they would if the three tried to escape.

Caterina, for her part, was still trying to get control back. She barely noticed when Rose touched her arm. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"No." Caterina shook her head. "I'm not."

"You've faced the Daleks before, haven't you?"

Caterina nodded. "It… it was my fault," she said, tears flowing down her eyes. "It was about three years ago… we weren't the Alliance back then, we were just a bunch of people living in a Darglan Facility trying to do good things. We surveyed your universe for the first time and found an artifact, some sort of pod. I… I was curious. I brought it back home to the Facility. I shouldn't have… I should've been more careful. Somehow my science team opened it and… Oh God…" Cat sobbed as she thought about Simon and the others being shot dead by the Daleks. "...they came out. A whole bunch of them. They… they killed my friends. My colleagues. They killed Captain Farmer. They almost killed me. My sister barely survived the fight. And… they made us blow up our home."

Rose nodded gently. "I understand you're scared. They're terrifying. Just don't let them see it. They'll kill you if you're no use to them."

"If only there was some way out of here…" Caterina looked around. "If the Aurora was repaired enough to beam us out…"

Mickey stepped up, holding what looked like a large yellow button with a metal frame around it. "I could transport out," he said. "But I'm not leaving you here."

"Somehow I think that's meant more for me," Rose remarked. "You follow me anywhere. Just what did I do to you all those years ago?"

Mickey put the device away. "Guess I'm just stupid," he said.

Rose took his hands and gave him a meaningful look. "You're the bravest man I ever met.

"What about the Doctor?"

That prompted Rose to roll her eyes for a moment. "Oh, alright. Bravest Human."

Mickey grinned a little. "Well, I can't think what the Daleks need with me, I'm nothing to them."

"Maybe there is something," Rose said. "When I first met a Dalek, it was dying. But then I touched it and it became fully active again."

"How does that work?" Caterina asked. She found that confusing. Not to mention the weird thought of touching one of the monsters.

Given Mickey was also looking at her in curiosity, Rose continued explaining. "The Doctor said that when you travel in time, in the TARDIS, you soak up this sort of background radiation. It's completely harmless, it's just there. But during the Time War, the Daleks evolved to use this stuff as a power supply."

"I love it when you talk technical," Mickey teased.

"Shut up," Rose retorted playfully. "But if the Daleks have got something inside this thing that needs waking up…"

"They need you," Mickey said.

Rose shook her head slightly. "You've traveled through time, either one of us would do."

"What about me?" Caterina asked. "I was in the TARDIS too." She brought her omnitool online and scanned.

"I don't know," said Rose. "You traveled inside the TARDIS, but not through time. It might not be on you."

"And I can't tell either way," Caterina said. "I'm not reading anything on you, or on me."

"But why would they build something they can't use themselves?"

"Maybe they stole the technology?" Cat asked as Rose shook her head.

"Correct."

All three turned to face the Daleks. The black-armored Dalek spoke again. "The Ark is not of Dalek design."

"Then who built it?" asked Rose.

"The Time Lords," the Dalek revealed. "This is all that survives of their homeworld."

"But what's inside?" Caterina asked.

"The future," was the only answer the Dalek gave.

A thought came to Caterina. A thought that scared her in more ways than one, a thought she didn't even want to say aloud. But fear and curiosity combined to compel her to ask. "And what about me?" She looked at the black-plated Dalek. "If you didn't need me, you'd have killed me like you did that poor man. What do you want with me?"

"Our sensors detect traces of energy from exposure to interuniversal vortex," said the Dalek. "You will be necessary."

"For what?" Caterina asked, almost demanded, from the Dalek. "What will I be necessary for?"

"The future," was the only reply she got.
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

Ooooh the IU vortex energy on Cat... I wonder how that'll change the narrative.

The Dalek versus Cybermen showdown was great fanservice... though yeah it paved the way for RTD to jump the shark to near-Moffat levels. At least we didn't have to put up with timey wimey Mary Sue oh so clever plot BS ala Moffat, at least for all his preposterousness RTD still had the benefit of decent characterization...

Steve wrote: Tue Aug 01, 2017 6:15 pm Well, we all want to see our nations be good guys, I think. If just subconsciously. The idea that the British Empire might evolve into some grand constitutional monarchy that imparts the better ideas while jettisoning the things that made the Empire bad in our history... I can see that. I've done it from the American side of things, imagining an America that didn't chase the tribes off their lands, but integrated them fairly and honestly.
Sure, I see the appeal of history diverging when shitty decisions aren't made.

It must be my lack of nationalism or I'm just hungry and cranky right now. My imaginations sway more towards the "oh they just fucked off and leave X alone so we never see them come to be at all" instead of "they did it in a better way" wishy-washiness. Like, they - whoever they are - don't even get to reach the point in history where that decision point happens, so the whole "choosing the good or bad choice" doesn't even come to play.

[digression]

My idea of a better Philippines would, for example, be no Philippines. Like, independence would be reached but the way the pieces fall would end up with multiple nations emerging or something utterly different from what we got (because unitarianism blows).

Hmmm... I think groups in the nation who got the shorter end of the stick may feel less affinity towards the nation concept, so their ideal concept of the nation would be something further away. Catalan people, or the freaking Basques, would have a different notion of "better alternate Spain" than a Castillian's.

These alternate concepts would even be considered un-patriotic or outright treasonous by people who think the sub-groups are utterly different from the "national norms" but that's only because they see their own ways are seen as the default "national norm." They can't appreciate that the other groups' norms are just as valuable (or patriotic or whatever) as what they see as the default "national way," Catalan is no less Spanish than whatever they see as the default "true Spanish" for example. They can't even see that with their perspective, they're being exclusionary, they're Other-ing other sub-groups no less [insert nationality] than them...

[/digression]

Anyway... I think this connects to everything. People's perspectives on the mainstream or the "establishment" - be it forms of fiction or real social constructs. They're all connected because our fictions are just reflections of what we've got. This is why draft-dodging William Gibson writes so different than all those war-vet Baen Books General McSoldierguy Space Commanderalissimo Humanity Fuck Yeah dudes - Gibson's protagonists are usually the furthest thing away from government/establishment functionaries, they're usually shmucks steeped in the counter-culture. Why people of color creatives do sci-fi differently. Why Ursula Le Guin's stuff is different.

I don't think this is a great digression anyway, because by default "alternate nation/identity" has to touch upon, is based upon, its non-fictional counterpart and that then touches upon sooo many things.

The fact that they don't call it the Empire anymore, but rather a "Union", is probably a sign of further shifting attitudes toward the idea.

I will try to show more C5O2 if I can. We'll be visiting the Gy'toran homeworld in Season 3. :)
Have them throw out Churchill statues. :P

(Hmmm... Robert's comments, which the Doctor joked at... hmmm, could've been less awkwardly delivered. Reminds me of how Roman Reigns' dialog fell short in the three way trash talk session between him, Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe. But it's Robert so... :D )

(OMG you should break the fourth wall and have the author himself and the story transfer to the Enterprise with Julia! :lol: )
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Steve »

The Cybermen in the medbay had moved into the OR theaters. Only the Cyberleader and a few guards remained in the receiving ward, where the injured had been brought with the medical staff. Leo busied himself by working on them as best as he could. A young crewwoman who had nearly died from exposure to vacuum rested on one of the biobeds. He triple-checked her vitals and the condition of her damaged organs. He wanted to get her back into the critical ward. "Some of my patients will die if we don't get them back into full treatment," he informed the Cyberleader. "They're not resisting you, they can't. So they're not 'hostile elements' to be 'deleted'."

"Scans indicate they will live long enough to undergo upgrade," the Cyberleader responded. "Further care is not necessary."

Leo frowned at the machine. "What made you?" he asked. "What gave you the right to decide these things for us? To decide we have to become like you?"

"We are perfection. Upgrade will provide immortality. Upgrade will remove weakness. Without emotions, you will recognize we are correct."

"And what about free will? What about making our decisions for ourselves?"

"You cannot do so rationally due to emotions. Cybermen will remove the emotions. And you will see we are correct."

Leo held a finger to its face. "But that's the catch, isn't it? Your entire argument is 'we're right because we're right'. You're like children who have been taught to think something is true and assume it has to be, so you go around and reprogram everyone's minds to agree with you because you have to be right. But that's not logic. It's ego."

The Cyberleader responded with all of the conviction of the fanatic. "You will recognize our perfection when you are upgraded."

Before Leo could pursue his argument further, another Cyberman emerged from the OR. "Cyber-conversion chamber is approaching completion. Matter-replication technology allows for rapid upgrade."

"Prepare these personnel for upgrade," said the Cyberleader.

"No, dammit! No, you don't have that right!" Leo pointed a quivering finger in the machine's face. "My shipmates will stop you. They'll put you down."

"Unlikely. Cyber-conversion process will permit rapid provision of reinforcements. Suppression of hostile elements will be achieved," the Cyberleader predicted confidently. He tromped away, signaling that the conversation was over as far as he was concerned.

Hurry up, guys, Leo thought.

And then a desperate idea crossed his mind, prompting him to check his omnitool.




Yvonne Hartman led the others to a room that looked like an armory and firing range all in one. Targets, some sporting burn marks or missing pieces (or completely in pieces already) adorned one wall and another secondary area. Another section of wall was lined with various firearm-looking weapons. "Most of these are still in testing," Yvonne explained. "I can't promise they'll be entirely reliable."

Robert reached for a large black rifle-like gun. It had, to his confusion, a shotgun-style sliding piece to cock the weapon. "What's this?"

Yvonne looked it over. "Electro-plasma rifle," she said. "It's got an overheating problem we were close to solving."

Robert nodded. "Alright. I'll be careful."

Yvonne took a similar weapon. "Particle gun," she said. She looked to Meridina, who was studying the weapons. "See something you like?"

"No," she replied. "These weapons are not my specialty. Given the circumstances, however…" Meridina picked up two of the pistols.

"I believe those fire plasma bolts," said Yvonne.

"Very well."

Eyes turned toward Jackie, who was clearly nervous about picking any of them. She finally, with great apparent reluctance, selected one weapon to look over. It was a dainty little pistol of a weapon. "What's this one do?" she asked Yvonne, holding it toward them with little gun safety regard.

The result was Yvonne snapping, "Put that back before you kill us all!"

Jackie nearly jumped at the shout. She gingerly returned the weapon. Yvonnne picked out one for her and handed it over. "This is an electromagnetic generator gun. It knocked out electronics. It might take out the Cybermen."

"That's just our first problem," Robert reminded them all. "We still need to fight the Daleks when we're done."

"One problem at a time, Captain. One problem…"

Before Yvonne could finish that line, Jackie's cell phone rang. She picked it up and answered it. "Hello?!"

"You're alive!" came from the other end.

"Doctor!"

"Yes. What happened?"

"The other lady who came from that ship saved us," Jackie explained.

"Good. Where are you all then?"

"Well, we're getting things to defend ourselves with. Weapons. They want to stop the Cybermen from hurting people."

"Put the phone on speaker mode, please."

Jackie pressed the appropriate button. "It's good to hear you're all intact."

"Doctor, did you get away from the Cybermen?" Robert asked.

"Yes. With a little help. I've got a plan to get Rose and Caterina away from the Daleks. If you're going after the cyber-conversion machines, wait until I give the signal."

"Why?" asked Yvonne. "What are you doing?"

"I don't have time to explain. But I need the Cybermen to cooperate and they'll not be in a listening mood if you've blown up their converter."

Robert's first instinct was to decline. The Doctor was asking them to ignore the people being fed into the machine. But that deep sense he felt told him this was how it had to go. The Daleks were enough of a threat that they had to be the focus.

"Alright, we'll wait," Robert agreed.




A short time later, three Cybermen in one of the tower halls witnessed a sheet of white material being hung into their view from around the corner of a corridor. "Sorry, no white flag," said the Doctor as he stepped into view. "Only had a sheet of A4. It had to do."

The three immediately raised their arms and presented weapons. "Do you surrender?" one asked.

"I surrender, unto you…" The Doctor stepped up to place his face within inches of the lead Cyberman's head. "...a very good idea."




The Cybermen in Main Engineering were, for the moment, mostly victorious. The security personnel and engineers outside of the protective forcefield had been forced to flee by the numbers they faced, leaving unconscious or dead crew across engineering. Only those who were with Scotty and Barnes inside of the forcefield were safe. For the moment, anyway.

Now, however, the Cybermen were pouring fire into the forcefield to get at them. An East Asian engineer, Ensign Yi, was currently responsible for checking the forcefield's strength. "Forcefield strength down to thirty percent," he said.

"They're gettin' better," Scotty mumbled while he and Barnes looked over the system diagram on the wall. "I cannae be sure this plan o' yers will work, Tom. Ye're talkin' about shifting power through systems in a way that's never been tried."

"I know," Barnes said. "But we don't have a lot of choices. We've got to get these things off the ship."

"But if ye're wrong, if we cannae draw power through safely, we'll burn through th' systems an' be right back where we started." Despite his protest, it was clear to all that Scott was impressed by his protege's plan.

"That's why I haven't already tried. Well, that, and because I'll need Jarod's help." Barnes activated his omnitool and began transmitting a message.




In Science Lab 1 Jarod heard the tone from his omnitool and checked it. It was in binary, and once he finished deciphering that it was in a partially-ciphered code. Translating that left a code message. After thinking on it for a couple seconds, Jarod looked to Richmond. "I need to get to the nearest Transporter Station," he said.

"We haven't secured any of those," she replied.

"I know." Jarod tapped several keys on his omnitool. Its interface now showed multiple bars beginning and growing to completion. "I just uploaded some self-defense applications into my omnitool. Between them and the gun, I should make it." Jarod held up the pulse pistol provided to him.

Richmond gave him an intent look. "Lieutenant Seldayiv!"

A Dorei woman stepped up from the various officers and personnel watching the doors. She had a pulse rifle in her arms, arms that were strongly-built with the rest of her short, thickly-built frame. She had the blue complexion of a Lushan Dorei with dark teal spots framing her face. Her dark purple hair, slightly disheveled from the situation, was pulled into a formal ponytail at the back of her head, and light teal eyes were bordered by the lines of someone growing tired and fatigued. Seldayiv's uniform was standard, with the brown of security/tactical, but Jarod noticed a necklace emblazoned with the moon emblem of the Church of the Eternal Goddess. "Lieutenant?" she asked Richmond.

"I'm sending you with Commander Jarod, he's on his way to the nearest Transporter Station."

"Yes sir," the Dorei replied. She nodded to Jarod. "I'm right behind you, Commander." Her accent reminded Jarod of a Latin accent, but with tones that sounded more Polynesian.

Jarod nodded back and went for the door. "Let's go."




After firing off another pulse pistol shot and nearly getting hit by return fire, Julia ducked back down behind the table. Beside her, Angel took a shot next. The grimace on her face spoke of the pain in her body from the near hit. Without her stubbornness, Julia figured Angel would already have passed out.

As soon as Angel dropped back into cover al-Rashad rose up and took a pair of shots. A third pull of the trigger resulted only in a deep tone. al-Rashad checked her gun and shook her head. "Zero percent. My clip is dead."

"I'm down to five percent myself," Julia said.

"Eight," said Angel. She looked at Julia with a grim expression. "Do you think you could get away down the secondary lift?" She pointed to the lift doors at the far end of the lounge.

"Jarod said it took one of the hits from the Shadow ships. The entire tube is exposed to vacuum."

"Dammit. I was going to tell you two to go and let me cover you." Angel looked frustrated and even a little vulnerable. "What are we going to do if they don't stop coming? When we run out of juice on our guns?"

"What about defensive apps for our omnitools?" al-Rashad suggested.

"That will only work for a little while," Julia said. "Especially given the recharge times required. We can't use those to hold off a determined attack."

"It's still something," al-Rashad insisted.

"It is, and we'll do it." Julia rose up and shot a Cyberman moving past one of his fallen allies. "But we might want to consider praying too. That's all we'll have left in the end."




The Daleks abruptly moved away from the Ark. "The Genesis Ark is ready for final awakening." The black-plated Dalek swiveled to face Rose. "It requires you to touch the Ark."

"Really?" Rose shrugged. "That's too bad, because I'm not doing it."

"Obey or the male will die!"

That seemed to have prompted Rose too change her mind. Mickey went to protest, but she waved him off. "I can't let them," she said. She stepped up toward the Ark

"Place your hand upon the casket."

Rose started to raise her hand toward it… and then stopped and turned. "Although, come to think of it, you're going to kill us anyway, aren't you? Once we're of no use to you."

The Daleks didn't react.

"Well, if I'm about to die, then to hell with it." Rose looked thoughtfully at the lead Dalek. "If you escaped the Time War, don't you want to know what happened? Don't you want to know what happened to the Emperor?"

"The Emperor survived…?!" The Daleks were clearly stunned.

Rose nodded. "Until he met me. If these are my last words, you're going to listen. I met the Emperor. And I took the Time Vortex and I poured it into his head and turned him into dust." She stared into the blue eye of the lead Dake. "Did you get that? The God of all Daleks…" She smiled widely. "...and I destroyed him."

And to really drive it home, Rose let out a giddy, triumphant laugh in the Dalek's face.

With sheer rage the Dalek shrieked, "You will be exterminated!"

"Oh, hold on now, just a minute…"

The Daleks and the Humans turned to face the door… and watched the Doctor enter the room.




In the testing lab, Jackie's patience was clearly coming to an end. "How much longer?" she asked. "How long until we can go?"

"I don't know," Robert said, betraying his own growing impatience. It didn't help that the sense of utter doom was growing inside of him. "The Doctor hasn't signaled yet."

"We can't wait for him forever," Yvonne pointed out. "My people are being turned into those things. I have to save them."

From a spot near the door, Meridina counseled, "We must show patience. Acting in haste will…"

She was cut off by the cry of pain that came from Robert. He doubled over, dropping the rifle he'd been holding in his rush to grasp his head. Images flooded him, images of worlds being obliterated, of a wave of darkness overwhelming the stars of the galaxy… of all galaxies. A deep, powerful void seemed to beckon before him and threaten to swallow him whole.

Meridina rushed to his side. She took hold of him and tried to enter his mind, to help him, but the sheer power of the vision drove her out. "Swenya's Light…" she gasped.

"What's wrong with him?!" Jackie shouted, necessary to get over another howl of pain from Robert.

"He is sensing a possible future," said Meridina. "A dark and terrible one."

"Bad Wolf," Robert growled. "What are you saying?" In his head he saw Rose yet again, eyes glowing gold. "What do you mean?!"

"The choice will be yours. Bad Wolf."

"Tell me, what are you talking about?!"

The image of Rose disintegrated. A massive vortex of darkness swirled around him. And through it he could feel… it. Them. Something powerful and malevolent, brimming with hate, stirring.

"No," he rasped. "Is it…?"

At that moment the wall on the other end of the firing range exploded inward. Everyone looked that way save Meridina, who turned to face the doorway… and the sound of metal stomping.

A Cyberman stepped into the doorway, weapon arm raised. "Surrender for upgrade," it demanded. "Or you will be deleted."

The gap in the far wall was soon filled with Cybermen. They too raised their weapons, putting the four in a crossfire. "They're going to kill us!" Jackie wailed.

While Robert was still disorientated, Meridina was not. And she merely answered with, "No, they're not."

The next noise in the air was an electronic snap and lingering hiss. A buzz filled the air and the head of the Cyberman in the door fell away with a flash of blue light. The body toppled inward.

Lucy walked into the door in a slightly dinged beige duty uniform. Her dark, curly hair was disheveled. But there was a grin on her face. She brought her lightsaber up to a ready position with one hand. Her words were quick and to the point.

"So, who's next?"



To Be Continued...
"A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia

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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

Have alienoids visit New Liberty for tourism, oogling at all the humanness. Yes, the founding celebration evolves into a madri gras and aliens find it more affordable to visit New Liberty and sample the concentrated humanity there, more conveniently than going from place to place. It'll be a reverse Mos Eisley, alienoids watching humans play banjos and saxophones.

"wow this is so human"

Some Gytorian tucking his extra arms under his shirt and going LOOK I AM A QUADRUPED.

yes
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Re: "Whispers of Destiny" - "Undiscovered Frontier" Season 2 (Multiverse Space Opera Crossover)

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

:D :D seconded and LOL'd

I loved the bit where Leo actually tried to have an ethical debate with the Cybermen, I'd like to think he would actually do that even if they weren't holding him hostage.
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