Star Trek: Rubicon (Season 2)

captclazorus · March 2014

Zosni stood on the bridge, monitoring the timeline. Someone had tried to travel back in time and alter the future. Why? Was this some plot in the Temporal Cold War? Or was some one doing it for their own selfishness? He continued to scan. It appeared as though this person was from the alternate future they were trying to repair. It wasn't Naln's plot. Naln had discovered someway he could interact from his timeline, the original timeline, though it was not there. Or was it? Or were they feeling the effects of something that was bound to happen but now was in a different timeline in some sort of a fracture.
But that was all irrelevant. Zosni detected some other android on that ship rather than its captain. Zosni had no files on what happened on this mission in 2413. One of the Temporal Integrity Commissions largest tasks was to take thorough scans of the timeline in order know what had happened. Then they would take it back, and the Commission, at its headquarters on Soreve, would use it collectively to spot changes.
The android appeared to be exactly the same as Data. What would Data be doing in the past attempting to alter it? And if he were trying to escape something, then what kind of a Dystopian future was the Federation facing in this new timeline?

Ovirosch and Bayeb stood silently in the shadows of the sickbay. They watched as the android on the cot reawaken.
"The memory files may take an hour or so to re-consolidate. His neural net has been a bit damaged. I should be able to repair, but I'll need Tah. I'm a doctor, not Mister Geppeto," the Illyrian Dr. Vebon smirked at Data. Mola Hes clicked her combadge.
"Tah to sickbay."
As the Breen engineer entered, Hes retired to her quarters. In interphasic cloak, Ovirosch and Bayeb followed.
They stepped through Captain Data B-4 and Vebon on their way.
The captain and science officer entered her room. Maxwell, descrying the hallways for any one who might be approaching, exited interphase and encroached into the room. Bayeb followed suit. In the room, Hes had stepped over to the replicator and had ordered some Cardassian sort of an alcoholic beverage. "Ms. Hes?" Bayeb approached tentatively.
Mola was shocked. At the moment she had been unstrapping her jacket. She almost screamed but managed to regain her composure. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"We are here to help. But we need you to do something for us..." Ovirosch trailed off seriously.

captclazorus · March 2014

"I have TRIBBLE the Temporal Defense Grid and am detecting someone else is approaching entrance into our timeline," Thelys proclaimed to Zosni.
"Medium for transport?" Zosni asked without facing him.
"The Guardian of Forever." Thelys said. "Given the circumstances, it is likely these two incidents are related."
"More than likely. Scan for ETA for them."
"Contemporary Stardate: 90705.24."
"That gives us a bit of time. Can we get any readings on the lifeforms?" Zosni stared into the captain's console. "Can we use the Defense Grid to push them out of phase and have their actions instead be a part of an alternate reality? The Grid was made for the perhaps of inhibiting time travel."
The Temporal Defense Grid was created in 2402 by the Department to help stop temporal incursions and prevent some of the unbridled effects of the Temporal Cold War. Once the Federation completed it, many other governments instituted their own grids. The Grid was still used by the Commission up to 2885.
"It's possible, but I don't know if that would help. Perhaps we ought to let them come and then we can discover the meaning of this incursion."
"I see," Zosni agreed.

"Ms. Hes, have you ever heard the rumors spread throughout the Department of Temporal Investigations of a Temporal Integrity Commission in the 29th century?" Bayeb asked the Cardassian sitting down beside her. Her pupils dilated to quite a large size. She nodded.
"We are time travelers, sent to insure that the past is not changed by incursion. We often recruit Starfleet members from the past so that we do not have to interact directly. That android is not suppose to be here. He is, as you all have detected, from the future. We have determined that this is not a Premutation paradox,' Ovirosch described. "Or a paradox where somebody must alter the timeline from an alternate future in order to create the one we are currently in. Such as when Kathryn Janeway traveled back and saved Voyager from many hard years in the Delta Quadrant. We need you to scan the neural net of this Future Data and return the information to us so that we might find out what all this is about."
"And why should I do this?" Mola asked shakily.
"For the Federation. For the integrity of the future," Ovirosch answered with dignity.

Collingsworth stood over Alerix. He scanned his badly bruised body. The Xindi groaned poorly. "Come on," the commander said handing him a medical supplement. Alerix tore it open and ate it. "We have to hunt him down. Imperator Zosni will be displeased if we are unable to stop him."
"I can not allow you to pass through to the past knowing your intentions. It would be against my better conscience." The Guardian boomed across the ancient world. "Your timeline has been changed for the better. You should be satisfied. No war, no artificial plague, no corruption, no Imperator Kaquess Zosni."
"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Collingsworth tried the huge piece of stone, weathered by the sands of infinity.
"No Imperial Federation. No Socialist Federation. No selfish distortions of the natures of the universe." The Guardian continued.
Collingsworth held up a small device. A ray of energy bounced off. The translucent ray struck the the Guardian. "Computer, send neural interface command. Stardate: 90705.24." The computer made a few sounds as the Guardian's portal changed in the mist to a scene of the Guardian planet years ago. "come on, Alreix, let's go." The two operatives leaped through the Guardian.

captclazorus · March 2014

Standing over a desk in the observation lounge, Zosni thought carefully. He touched the desk, and it sprang to life. The touchscreen device was an application designed for such observation. A line appeared, forming out of holomatter. The light was translucent. As the detail on the line expanded, it also grew in width and depth. Several details formed. The El-Aurian stared at a representation of the linear spacetime continuum. At numerous points, it bent back, made a loop, went forward, or any other sort of thing.
These all were the recorded accounts of time travel. A red outline coursed over the end most part of the timeline. It represented the alteration of the timeline. Everything vacillated far too much, Zosni decided. This was all such madness. Now elements from a new future were contaminating the immaculate past. That is to say the past unaffected by the change.
"All of time is out there," he said to no one in particular. The man felt so alone though he was on a ship harboring almost four hundred people counting refugees. "All the world is our stage."

Mola Hes scanned the cranial region of the ancient android. She had downloaded several memories. Upon the finish of her instruction, the mysterious men from the future had given her an ear piece and told her to listen. She carefully held up a device to the Adam's Apple of the Data from the future.
The device was intended to help re-accumulate the android's thoughts. Mola could then better learn what he was doing attempting to alter the pas.
Vebon walked over to the cot. "Have you made a full analysis?"
"I suppose so," Hes said reluctantly.
"Tah has prepared this reviving shock amplifier." He said, holding a small rod in his hand. He walked to the Future Data's side and applied it to his forehead.

captclazorus · March 2014

Guest starring James W. Jansen as Gariff Lucsly

The present Data entered at that moment. He watched another version of himself awaken. The android on the medical bed looked shocked. Or was it an elation? The alternate android smiled. "Home."
"Home?" Data looked curiously at the other version.
"Yes, I have come home. And now I can stay."

Ovirosch and Bayeb watched in the room, concealed by interphasic cloaks. Ovirosch had an ear piece attached. He spoke calmly and carefully into it, "Mola, we need you to transmit your information to a certain location. Once it has been sent, we need you to sabotage this android."
"Sabotage?" She remonstrated. "How can you ask me to sabotage him? Captain B-4 will figure out I had something to do with it. He never misses any detail. The man is an artificial genius. I have no doubt he could discover it no matter how surreptitious my actions are. He could have me court martialed!"
"Don't worry, Ms. Hes, we'll contact the Department of this year and have them take care of it." Ovirosch motioned to Bayeb.
Bayeb held up an ear piece and attached it to his lobe. Holographic displays appeared. Bayeb moved them about and computed them to contact Starfleet's Department of Temporal Investigations.

Sitting at his desk, humming some monotone piece of music from the Breen culture, Luclsy examined files. Several cases had been circulating. That blasted Captain Kazove was going to beat Kirk's record yet!
The boring man diligently studied the files.
He watched the computer screen. A sudden change appeared on it. The face of some species that Starfleet wouldn't make contact with for another thirty years appeared on the electronic screen.
"Bayeb, how are you?" Lucsly asked his old acquaintance for the sake courtesy.
"Fine, but that's not why I'm calling. We have a job for you," the Sellolsian replied.
The dull voiced man responded, "Every one's got a job for us. I just got off a case with Daniels involving the Tholian threat. Confounded Tholians," the human said with very little conviction.
"We need you to come assess the situation of a certain android that is trying to corrupt the timeline. The USS Missouri in orbit of planet Soreve. Thank you for your help," Bayeb finished and cut off.
"Why don't they ever ask, 'do you have any plans?'" Gariff complained shaking his head.
"It's called the liberty of presumption," Dulmur said entering the room.

captclazorus · March 2014

"The world you know is doomed," the time travelling android said. "I am here to save you all."
"What do you mean?" the captain of the Missouri asked.
"I am from four hundred and seventy three years in the future. I am here to correct the mistakes made. I need you to download the information from my matrix and unify our minds." The android said. "We need to become one so that I no longer have to exist. We can be as one and save the future."

captclazorus · March 2014

The scene had changed from where the two androids had been standing in sickbay to the captain's ready room. Data B-4 was highly conscientious of the temporal prime directive and did not want any of his officers to hear something they were not suppose to. Some of the simplest things could be the most pernicious when involving time travel.
"I had to come back here," his future counterpart said. "I had to return."
"Why is that?" Data sought information. If need be, he could have his memories he gained here wiped. It was not so easy with biological beings. "Why did you have to break the Temporal Prime Directive and violate everything I as a being stood for. All of the morals I have now and intend to keep are not with you?"
"That is exactly what I'm talking about!" the changed doppelganger said with obvious passion. "I am trying to retain who we are!"
"Why temporal theory, we are not the same being because the events you have encountered have changed your psyche into a very different person."
"Have you ever heard the old Earth song 'Hurt?'"
"You know as well as I that at this point I am studying every aspect of the human culture from religion, to art, to music, to language, to history, to sociology, to poetry, to psychology, to-" the very fluent captain said. He rambled until the other stopped him.
"If I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find away." Distant Data sang melodically. The indigenous Data could feel the pain in his voice as he sang. And for a moment, he reminded him of Lore. "Finally, I can have that again. It works out for both of us if we unite. I get back the best years of my life and save the future, and you get to be immersed in utter humanity."
"You haven't told me why," Data said raising his voice.
"In 2667, a dictator will be born on the planet New El-Aurian. His name will be Kacques Zosni, son of a Starfleet officer. He shall rise into politics and issue several corrupting reforms in the Federation. Covertly, several members of the Council will be assassinated by his men. During that time, a crisis will arise involving the threat of the Iunctine Empire invading the Plveean's space. This would have been a violation intergovernmental policy. Because of lack of Council members, the remaining ones had no time for an election. Instead, they voted extra power to the president to raise an army without Council consent. Zosni ordered the creation of thirty warships. He invaded the Iunctine Empire and wiped out their military. The Federation took over their space.
"Zosni surreptitiously initiated the induction of the new members of the Council, all of which had connections to him. All of which received his orders. He was virtually the controller of the Federation. He helped autocratic reform occur on planetary governments. Many Council members discovered the corruption. Zosni was thrown in prison. However, his governmental autocrats in the Beta quadrant broke him out. The new leaders favored the reforms, and upon the purge, wanted to secede the union. In 2799, the Federation Civil War erupted."

captclazorus · March 2014

"The Federation was torn into three factions, the Federalists, the Socialists, and the Imperialists. The Socialists formed when the Imperialists broke off. They were in search of independence of the corrupt Federation and formed their own government. The war was still raging when I left.
"I was recruited to work for the UFP as an intelligence agent. I was captured by Imperialist agents and was being taken back to face judgement for my actions. It was there on the ship that the commanding agent told me he was actually an infiltrator for the Federation. My loyalties were not completely towards him, still," said the troubled individual.
"How did you get here? Why did you not trust the agent?" Data inquired, trying to insight himself into the alternate version of himself.
"I realized that the Federation was still corrupt though it had purged itself of Zosni. I did not want to trust him because I sense his ruthlessness and the potential danger in it. I also discovered something much more horrendous," the prior version explained with great care.

captclazorus · March 2014

"Collingsworth, the agent, was working with the Socialists in an attempt to reunify the Federation. They hoped I to use extremely dangerous warfare to crush the Imperialists into subjection. The Socialist faction had arisen from an old enemy organization of dissenting colonies that came to be known as the Order of Omega. The colonies were a conflation of several species, though founded hundreds of years ago by the Romulan Republic before in was absorbed by the Federation. The colonies began to experiment illegally with augmentations. Soon they grew into the Socialists at the start of the war. They found ways to alter the minds of some bureaucrats in the Federation and gained control.
"Collingsworth worked in something the Socialists started. It was the rebirth of Section 31. The purge in 2450 of Section 31 was the greatest thing that ever happened to the Federation. It set us free. That was when I founded a movement known as the Loyalists. I kept it hidden from my superiors with great diligence. So when Collingsworth and his ppartner, Alerix, captured me, I escaped and traveled to the planet labeled Gateway. I traveled through the Guardian to the planet Soreve in the distant past."
"You came here to change history," Data gave the alternate a sideways glance. "I cannot in good conscience allow you to do that. It would be most unethical."
"But I can give you what you most dearly want: humanity. I have experienced love and hate and fear and heartbreak." On this last word the android turned away. "I can help you to brace for the emotions that are yet to come. The pain I know can be yours."
Data stared with great interest at his alternate self. He watched the troubled "soul" pace around the room.
"I feel longing. At this time, you will likely be having feelings for a certain Cardassian woman. Co you want to know something," he asked rhetorically. "She will, in time, return the feelings. But in four years, time will take her from you. She will be killed. Starfleet will have its final confrontation with the Iconians, the most powerful, insidious threat to the Federation in history. She will be killed in an explosion. I can change that. I can make you human if you allow me to!"
There was a pause for a minute in the least. Data responded, "Evolution is a gradual thing. It has been shown that if it happens too quickly, it can be detrimental. Mitchell, Paris, Khan, Barclay, and many others had undergone some sort of unnatural change that caused them to evolve differently. It did not end well. I am evolving. Becoming more and more human. You must allow me to do so."
The future version shook his head. "I do not know. I can not go without changing it. I must have this back. I hate to resort to such methods." He paced forward towards the door. Data was not observing his movements. The desperate android attacked his former self. His fist swung around and caught Data under the chin. He sprawled to the floor.
"Is this what it means to be human?" Data exclaimed through another bang to the head. "To be blinded by greed and wanting?"
The other scowled at him. "Perhaps." With a final blow, he brought his fist down on his head.

The disguised impostor from the future sat on the bridge of the Missouri. He had taken his uniform from the past version. It reminded him very much of a past incident where his brother had tried to fool the crew of the Enterprise into believing him to be Data. Stephens sat down as well.
"Have you learned anything from this alternate being of yours?" Victor asked quietly.
"Yes, he wants to upload his memory into mine and break the Prime Directive. We can't do that. It would be unethical," Data told his first officer. It was good to be back.
"Can't"? The captain never used contractions. Stephens knew this. He had been on this starship for four years with this man. Something was wrong.

Ovirosch and Bayeb had returned to the Rubicon. They had been accompanied by a speechless Mola Hes. She astonishedly stared around the bridge of the smaller timeship.
Zosni and Ovirosch explained what they had learned to one another and began to plan out what would happen next.
Hes stared out the viewscreen at the orbiting Missouri. "Aren't they going to figure out I missing if time is still moving?"
Bayeb almost laughed at this. If she was worried about placing someone back at the same time they left, then she was by no means cut out for some of the things the Commission did on a regular basis. "We can place back at the exact point you left."
Thelys took the scans from Ovirosch and left to learn from them.

In 24 hours, Bayeb looked and saw a Nova-class starship approach the planet. "And that would be the Everett. Lucsly is here to investigate."
"Ah yes," Ovirosch said looking at the ship. "Zosni, take the doctor and Thelys to Gateway to apprehend the two when they come through. I will beam to the Everett to brief Lucsly."
All crewmen attended to their assignments.

Zosni, Hyphol, and Thelys waited on the weathered planet. The cold breeze moved dust from one side of the desolate, ancient street to the other. It did seem, though, for the amount of wind, that nothing had eroded all that much. The Guardian remained nonvocal. In moments mist began to pour down out of the portal TRIBBLE. Two forms lie deep in its heart. Thelys focused on them carefully. He had alerted the senior officers to his findings once he examined the scans. He found that one of the agents names was familiar. Very familiar. Alerix.
The forms grew to be bipedal creatures. They became distinctly humanoid. The two emerged.
Zosni spoke representatively, being of highest rank. "Identify yourselves and why you have traveled here."
The cold looking human in strange uniform spoke up. "We have come to apprehend one named Data B-4. He attempted to alter history. Return him to us and we will leave in peace."
"We are attempting to return Data his original placing in time, but we cannot allow you to. We are placing you under arrest," Zosni stated firmly.
"Why? We have done nothing wrong!" Collingsworth remonstrated.
"But I have a feeling that this wasn't the only thing you traveled back in time to do."
"And why would you say that?"
"A deeper sense is telling me."
"A sense? You are basing this off a sense!"
"Precisely. You are not only going to capture Data, but you're going to destroy the Missouri, which would destroy the present Data and fix the problem of him in the future. That way the Loyalist movement will never come to interfere with the Socialists."
"Who are you people!?"
"The protectors of tomorrow," Zosni said. He raised his phaser which was set to stun.
"My word!" Collingsworth recognized the face of the Imperator's father. He pointed his lethal phaser. "You're him!"
"What?" bolts of energy flew across the surface. No major landmarks were destroyed in the process, but much dust was stirred. Thelys fired and hit the Xindi in the leg. Seeing his partner going down, Collingsworth deserted and ran towards dunes in the distance.
The Xindi staggered but started charging for a fallen column. Hyphol was hiding behind it. The doctor crouched in fear but still found enough courage to tranquilize the beast. "Thelys, don't shoot a big behemoth like that in the extremities, it really ticks them off."
"I attempted to stun him. I failed. Besides, how often do you shoot Xindi?" Thelys asked raising an eyebrow.
"It was a mission when I was stationed aboard the USS Momentum. We had to defend against the Sphere Builders," Hyphol said indignantly.

captclazorus · March 2014

Hyphol had more history in the DTI; the USS Momentum, Reminiscence-class, was an important ship in the Commission, having several incursions throughout time and several combats with temporal threats.
"I must tell you all something," Thelys said as the El-Aurian commander approached the two standing over the stunned arboreal creature. "This is my brother."
Hyphol felt a look of uncertainty cross his facial expression. Any appropriate response at this point was hidden in dubiousness. "How do you know?"
A sudden caprice came through the largely inexpressive giant. He placed his hand at his side and fiddled with his engineering uniform's belt. "This is my brother. I have absolute certainty." He took another breath. "When I was a young boy, my family was moving from the Xindi-Arboreal colony to the Cefro Prime. It was a prestigious colony, known for the many savants that had originated from it. My father wanted to move there to further the abilities of his studies. During that travel, a group of criminals attacked our ship. They were Pok'Re in species. My brother and I were four years old. The Pok'Re were threatening my father with our deaths if he did not surrender his information to him. I was too young to know exactly what my fathers studies were. One could determine by evidence that it was important because my father refused to give it to them. My mother tried to liberate us, but they fired at her. In the flurry of fire, my brother was also shot. He was killed with my mother. After that, my father gave in. He relinquished his information, but he insisted he came with them to show them how to implement it. He implored of them to let me go and they did. I was sent back to my colony of birth, where I was later adopted, but my father disappeared with them. I still don't know why he was taken or what his information was."
Zosni looked with remorse at Thelys. "I, too, know the pain of loss. But we can share that commiseration later. As for the present, we must capture Collingsworth and arrest him."
The trio headed off to the dunes over which the agent had vanished. Zosni glanced around at the ruins. He wondered what had made those ruins so long ago. Speculation by archaeologist suggested a possible connection to the Preservers and the God-entity. It was impossible to know, except for from scans of those eons by means of a science timeship.
More important these historical ruins, Zosni wondered Collingsworth had reacted the way he had. How did he know him? He would sure his questions would be answered soon.

captclazorus · April 2014

Ovirosch explained the scenario to Lucsly. One observing Lucsly would be unable to tell he had any personality at all. He was a dry sort, and was quiet unexcitable. The man from the 25th century simply fell behind the curtains of events. The Department was incredibly secretive. They hid many occurrences from the citizens and never disclosed it. By glancing at the man, one was oblivious to any emotions he might be feeling.
"So we must arrest the Data counterpart?" Lucsly asked to conclude. "That should make a fine addition to the Vault."
"Yes, we can't have any secrets spilled. The hardest part of time travel is preventing the contamination of the mind," Ovirosch gave the discriminating axiom. Everyone knew this was true, though few people held it of importance.
The two entered the room, first Luclsy, then his "substitute assistant." Data and Stephens were already seated at the captain's conference table.
"Greetings, we have been expecting you," Data said, extending his hand to the agents. "I have the android for you. I had to damage him in the fight. Perhaps you would like to examine him."
The now four had made their way to the room. Leave it to an agent of the DTI to waste no time.
Lucsly as well as Stephens observed the body. This was not just a fight, Stephens thought, this was sheer brutality. If it were Data, he would have switched him off and not damaged him so.
The android on the floor obviously had a damaged nose, forehead, and ear. A few spots had been burnt on his flesh as if some shock had permeated it originating from the electronic brain.
Lucsly ordered in a antigrav cot. A few moments later, it came and he prepared to beam off.

captclazorus · April 2014

Ovirosch remained to take a few more notes and make certain everything that had gone on. He scanned for any helpful signs. he touched his earpiece. "Bayeb, how is the timeline looking?"
"It appears fine up unto a point, sir. In the year 2686, the timeline deviates. It appears that someone dies."
"Could it be some latent effect of the current incursions?"
"I am unsure."
"Can we single it down to who the person is?"
"A moment if you will..."
"We must hurry. Time is of the ess..."
"Who are you talking to?" asked Stephens as he approached from behind.
"Just the Everrett. Do you have something to tell me?" Ovirosch said to cover up his actions.
"Yes. Starfleet regulation requires me to disclose everything I know, does it not?" Stephens reaffirmed. Ovirosch nodded. "Captain B-4 has been acting very out of character as of lately."
"How so?"
"Well, it is obvious that he is much more violent, considering the incident when he took down his future counterpart. He has been using contractions and his judgement hasn't been overly sound."
"Does this lead you to believe it is some temporal contamination?"
"Perhaps."

Data hid down the corridor, listening to his conspirators. He had to evade. Maybe to Gateway. Maybe he could go back and restart his mission. He had to try. For a brief period in his history, in 2549 it must have been, he had worked with the Scott Transwarp Transport Equation. It had never been made possible due to lack of technology, but it was predicted that by the 35th century, it would be used quite widely. Perhaps he could use the elements of it he needed to reach Gateway.
He raced to the transporter room. He had to try again.

On the planet, a huge shoot-off had ensued between the landing party and Collingsworth. Dust billowed into the air from the geyser holes left behind by phaser strikes. They had went in a circle during the battle, and in losing themselves, they returned to the center of the city with the Guardian.
The Guardian appeared to be angry and bellowed out, "Why must you fight? Your violence is futile. People so often claim that it does solve problems, but it does not. It only breeds more anger. It only wroughts more distorted souls and broken hearts. Throughout histories of thousands of worlds," the Guardian continued, showing past worlds in his portal, such as Earth, Andoria, QonoS, and many more, "these planets engaged in planetary war. They believed that the destruction of an empire would lead to the death of an idea. But that idea was always begotten into another form and it always struck back. You people have the power of the gods in your hands and you still can not help but to resort to sticks and stones!!!"
Zosni and Hyphol were distracted by this. In the same time, Collingsworth fired and shot the two in the extremities.
Thelys stood alone. His heart raced. Collingsworth lifted the phaser to the level of his chest.
"Brother," Thelys heard. "How can this be!? Collingsworth, stop!"
Alerix had awoke. Collingsworth froze. "Alerix, we must destroy them. They are a remnant of a dead, forgotten world. They have no place and may cause contingency. They may compromise our mission!"
"Don't you understand, man! This is my brother! My brother is alive! I would have done anything to have him back," Alerix exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Thelys asked obliviously.
"In the timeline I originate from, you are dead."
"My word." Thelys mused. "You are dead in my reality."
"Don't you see, the new reality gives us the chance to have each other back!" Alerix said. "You have been looking for a way to correct it when it grants you what you want!"
"What are you talking about?" Thelys was appalled. "The Rubicon is a responsibility not a tool. We can't use it for our own gain or we would be no better than the factions in the Temporal Cold War."

captclazorus · April 2014

"But this is our chance," Alerix coaxed. This was changing Thelys's judgement. Perhaps the long years had made his brother someone irredeemable. Perhaps he was meant to have been lost so long ago. "We can make a better future."
A form materialized out of transporter energy in the background. It walked forward until its identity was apparent. Data raised his phaser and fired it into Alerix's back. "Collingsworth is right, the remnants of an age that simply doesn't exist simply must be eradicated. I have been listening in. I managed to hack your combadge, Mr. Thelys."
Two more forms materialized. Ovirosch and Bayeb intervened as Data was about to obliterate the injured two and Thelys. "Hold it, Data!" Ovirosch demanded, feeling like he was in the Old West.
Data began to laugh. Bayeb watched intently on the android. He was certain now that the android had lost it.
"You people wouldn't understand why!" He shrieked. "I had to return to this time! I had to see if I could become ignorant again."
"What are you blabbering about!" Collingsworth shouted. He glared at the insane robot.
"Do you all know how many times love has eluded me? Do you know how badly it hurts when you begin to love for the first time and then you heart is broken? You are completely unprepared! I was made to be human, but I was never made to love. I had to fix it. I had to love again. Hes could have loved me. But she died! She was taken by the confounded Iconians!" As he spoke, two more people materialized in the distance. Lucsly and Data, obviously repaired, also entered the center of the city. "Do you know what it means to be unlovable!" the android shouted. He looked intensely at Bayeb. Yes, Bayeb knew.
"You offered me humanity," Data, present version, stated, "is this what it means to be human!?" He used the full magnitude of his emotion chip.
"Yes!!!" the other shouted. "Yes it is." Passion inundated his soul. "And I would advise against your mission towards it."
"No, Data, you are wrong. Pain is humanity!" Ovirosch said. "It is how we deal with our pain that defines whether or not we are humans. Humanity is the aspiration of betterment. You, Data, have lost sight of that."
The Future Data looked around. He's right, he thought.
("Hurt" by Johnny Cash begins to play quietly in background.)
He tightened his fist together and paced towards the Guardian. He placed his hand on the cold stone. He reflected quietly on his past and all the pain he himself had caused. How could he endure it any longer?
He whispered to the portal. "Show us it all. From the beginning." The android watched the flame and fire billowing up in the inferno of the Big Bang. "It is time for me to rectify this ordeal." He directed his words at Collingsworth.
"Not now!" Collingsworth aimed at the past Data. Future Data lunged at him, pushing him to the hard ground. Collingsworth shoved him off, but Data rose up and came at Collingsworth. He pushed Collingsworth back towards the Guardian. The two fell through the TRIBBLE of the time portal. Simultaneously, the Big Bang erupted, enveloping the bodies of the two.
"Take us out," Ovirosch finally submitted to the combadge.

Hyphol, Thelys, Bayeb, and Zosni sat in the lounge. In the center of the table, a bottle of Aldebaran whiskey was reduced to half the original amount. The green stuff was quite appetizing to the four.
Even Zosni, who was greatly restraining against any alcoholic intake, had a second glass. He wondered if this might be the answer to easing his nerves against his El-Aurian Sense.
Hyphol stood near Thelys. "I regret to inform you your brother is in a coma. I would operate on him but he needs rest. The damage to the spine has greatly injured him and may leave him paralyzed."
"Thank you," Thelys said.
"An old Quathi proverb says it isn't necessary to thank a man for doing what is required of him, especially when he makes no promises about his work."
Zosni and Bayeb sat in the lounge empathizing. "I felt that you were troubled by what Data had said."
"Perhaps a little."
"I know you and I have something in common. The fear and love of love," Zosni granted a grin. "At least I'm not alone. Here's to the greatest paradox, exceeding even the temporal ones. Here is to love."

End of "The Next Go Around"
Created by
C.J. Sidus

captclazorus · April 2014

Ep 3 "The Only Constant"
Guest starring
Nazneen Contractor as Jena Noi

Captain's Log, Stardate: 563516.71
The Rubicon has came across something very unusual. A star has formed in the Intertemporal Continuum. the imbalance of time and space has caused many unusual occurrences.
"Time is progressing very quickly. Life forms have evolved on the star's planet within the last hour. They have reached a simple mammalian phase." Bayeb noted everything his instruments told. "The gravitational pull of the star appears to be disturbing the orthogonal movement of spacetime."
"Do any signs show us how this matter entered the Continuum?" Ovirosch looked concerned. This was extremely dangerous.
"Not as of yet, sir," Bayeb announced.

captclazorus · April 2014

The dark skinned alien woman paced the tiled flooring of the comfortable little room. It greatly resembled a 21th century home. The place was her temporal capsule, as well as a temporary home when on assignments. The idea for the homey capsule came about in 3089 in order to take some of the stress off of temporal agents.
She, however, handled herself rather well in most situations and had little stress. She was a recruited citizen in the Federation's Temporal Agency, which stood apart from Starfleet. Jena Noi was one of the most prominent of the agents and she enjoyed her job.
Jena observed outside interactions of people from the year 1985 on the planet Ferenginar. A small group of criminals had escaped prison, which they had been sent to for temporal crimes, and had traveled back to the year. It was likely that their reason for coming here was to sell technology to the Ferengi. Noi realized this could start temporal war on a planetary basis considering how unscrupulous the Ferengi had shown themselves thus to be.
Pacing her steps to the island in the kitchen, she grabbed a cup of Gabilone Nectar from the replicator and drank. The parabolically shaped "pod" sat in interphase. The world was oblivious to its existence.
In the early 31st century, time travel became quite ubiquitous. Everyday people might travel back an hour in time to catch a shuttle or reintegrate themselves into a past version of them self in order to simply fix the past. This liberality within the Federation policy soon came to a halt. It again became illegal for someone to travel through time for such minor benefit. And those citizens that so greatly enjoyed temporal travel could become police working for the Federation.
Before this time, Jena had never been to Ferenginar. She found the culture and race to be quite vulgar now that she saw them. She felt so because she came from a very different one. An old prediction foretold the provenance of humans in the Delta Quadrant by the end of the 25th century. In actuality, likely because of the premutation paradox, humans had traveled there within the year 2409. But during that time they never settled in, except for the Dyson Sphere. In the year 2465, humans had settled onto an uninhabited planet known as Resque. This planet became a center of peace in the Delta Quadrant. Many more races settled on the planet and many interspeceal families were formed. One such was the family of Noi.
Jena was the product of dozens upon dozens of species having intermarriage. The descendants of Resque were certainly a unique group. By the start of the 3000s, there were more and more hybrids in existence.actually, Noi considered, within the last three hundred years in general. One such was Jamran Hanroth. He had been identified as a Eugenicist criminal and leader of the Order of Omega. But recently, more entanglement with the timeline revealed that Hanroth was not the Sponsor to the Suliban as he was believed to have been. He had been an impostor, set up by a Plveean named Naln to take the fall in order that he might protect the greater good. Naln was the center of nexus of myriad entanglements within the timeline that the many agency of the Federation were intended to sort out. Naln was a deceitful fellow, corrupting people and making them submit their lives to an insidious cause.
The Federation Temporal Agency was incredibly complex. By the year 3004, a chemical compound had been discovered that did not change in the great mutability of time. The compound was used to create microchips that were implanted into agents and then used to harmonize with a person's bioelectric field. They could then be safe from being changed by the timeline and then insure it would be returned to normal.
She realized she wouldn't be able to fit in on this planet, given its race's anatomy, so she would have to conceal herself. She reached for her pad. The monitor showed the danger was approaching. She aimed her pas at a doorway in the pod home. Focusing on it, she coordinated it with another on a different place in time. She twisted the tunnel to make everything coordinate.
She walked through and was suddenly in an apartment building. It was vacant, luckily, and she moved quickly through. A portal appeared and two Wruthite criminals leaped through. Noi swiftly dealt with them.

captclazorus · April 2014

The El-Aurian stood in contemplation. Simulated around him, an entire planet lay in peace. This was deceiving. This planet was known for its turbulence when it came to temporal mechanics and was for that reason restricted for any time travellers. The planet was Sarpeidon, a world that had long been vaporized and its atoms scattered about the sector. Right now, the scene of the planet's valleys were tranquil. Though this planet had long been dead, it still lived. In the infinity of altered pasts, it still breathed. James T. Kirk had came to investigate the disappearance of planets population, only to find that they had fled to their own past. These people underwent a process they called being "prepared." The people had to alter their bodies in order that they might maintain their existence once they had traveled through. Later analysis proved it was necessary because the medium of travel, being the atavachron, created a temporal disturbance in a person and their coordination with the spacetime continuum to slip and thus they might succumb to adverse effects. Spock showed this was true when his conscious mind reverted to the way of his people at the time.
But the people had no knowledge of many other effects on the timeline. Kirk reported having met various versions of an old man. This old man was named Atoz and he had traveled through time many, many times. In contrast to others, he had undergone a procedure of "preparing" in which he was made immortal. So there were at least a few versions from various pasts in which he had lived. Each time the people went back to the past, they overwrote the timeline. That meant by the time of the planet's destruction, a completely new population would be formed and once more travel back in time and rewrite it, creating an infinite world which never stayed the same. Scans from temporal vessels had shown this planet had never had alien visitors, outside of the Enterprise, which arrived after one of the times the population traveled back in time, therefore unaffected, so that the continual alterations would not affect the entirety of the galaxy. If as many alien visitors had reached that planet as the ones who had came to Earth throughout its history, then the very extent of the galaxy would be thrown asunder by this one planet.
As Zosni meditated there, the planet was still living out the extent of infinity. Luckily the crew of the Enterprise had little contact with individuals of the species, keeping the crew safe from the swirl of destruction and confused futures.
Zosni could commiserate. His own microcosm was a confused mess of thoughts and pain. He loved but was never loved. His race had always been a troubled one.
From the depth of his soul, Zosni sensed the entrance of Ovirosch into the holomatrix. "I hate to interrupt your little commune with the spirits," Ovirosch chuckled as he spoke, and he smiled in good nature, "but we need your sixth sense up on the bridge."
"That seemed a bit derogatory," Zosni said. He thought about the American Indians. They were finely attuned with the universe, so was he. "I could tell that something was wrong. Time isn't flowing so freely any more. The orthogonal curvatures are depreciating."
"Yes, we need your expert opinion. There seems to be a discoordination between the bond of time and space," Ovirosch informed Zosni promptly.
"Yes, Number Seven of the Kazovian Laws."
" Time and matter exist in unison. Without matter there is no time, and without time there is not matter. Matter must age in time and time cannot age nothing. They are interdependent." By the beginning of the year 2823, medicine had greatly improved individuals' memories. This was of substantial importance for time travelers so that they may operate on fixing the timeline and leave the facts as they were supposed to be.

captclazorus · May 2014

Guest Starring
Caity Lotz as Vace Ytun
J.K. Simmons as Corol Vakker
Kunal Nuyyar as Powex
Noi returned from the apartment with the two criminals instantaneously. She was, in fact, quite an efficient agent. The two gray skinned criminals wriggled on the ground, in great pain from Jena Nois methods. The hybrid temporal agent then nonchalantly walked back to the bar of her little time pod to get another drink. Quickly intaking the substance, she noted the signals from her padd, which alerted her to the effects of her incursion. Her quantum excess in the few seconds she had existed in this time had left behind a slight stain. She could, if necessary, remove this stain by finding out where the criminals had opened it. She could then travel to the spot in time, eliminate their threat again, and close the portal before it ever opened. Afterwards the Wruthites would have to be reintegrated.
First, she needed to contact her partner. The padd operated at voice command, summoning the attractive visage of Vace Ytun. The Farian woman wore a robe that was an embodiment of the once elaborate culture from which she came. Vace, before having been assigned to protect the timeline, had been a chronologist and anthropologist. She traveled, safely, through time, recording the evolution of cultures. In present years, she worked for the good of her own race, restoring the beautifully philosophical culture that existed before trade had brought crime and corruption to the planet. I have the Theeero and HJast.
And I have them, too. She heard the voice come not from the screen but the doorway. Ytun had used the doorway for a connection point for her temporal tunneling device. The device operated by connecting two points in the space-time continuum and bridging between them, well, one might say tunneling between them. It operated quickly, almost mystically, but most important, cleanly. Ytun had already thought of closing the portal and eliminating the stain. Lets go back. I have another very important mission, much more important than dealing with this scum.
Jena retrieved the padd, which had cut communications with a Ytun who was suddenly invalidated. She directed the pods travel back home. Vace pick up one Wruthite at a time, placing them on the temporal transporter. Theeero was first to be reintegrated. His particles came together, merging as one. The transporter technology had been created sometime in the mid-29th century, based on a much more ancient incident. The idea had been inspired six hundred years before that, when Montgomery Scott had first found a way to harmonize a divided James T. Kirk back into a consolidated being. In this way, the temporal transporters were used to focus on the quantum differentiation. Once they had isolated them, they could then consolidate the identities. The transporter could also be used to reintegrate someones essence into a former version of himself or herself, like being absorbed by that version. They could, in this way, only gain the mental aspects of the uptime version, and not the physical blend.
The pod soon came to return to the 31st century. The partner agents quickly made their way on Earth to the HQ of the Temporal Agency. Vace was the first to enter, heading directly to her room. The room was lavish, opulent in the culture of her once very much alive people. It made Noi think back to things she had once studied. Many societies whose cultural uniqueness was decimated. Earth had an intercontinental cultural contamination once. During the 17th century, many European nations were exploring the world, and they were aiming to set out colonies across it. England had been was one of the most prominent, which is why Earths official language came to reflect this. England needed workers. They made a Triangular Trade Route that connected Europe, Africa and the Americas. In one of the countries in Africa in which England bought slaves, the indigenous people had set up a practical Eden. Benin soon after, though, became corrupt with this trade now imported. A once glorious culture fell in to ruins at the hands of corrupting money. Luckily, the founders of the Federation and United Earth had realized money truthfully was a serpent and did away with it.
Noi ran the tips of her fingers across a religious symbol imprinted on a jar. She was not cognizant to the incoming of some sort of an oscillating shock. Behind her, the city began to shimmer like a sidewalk on a blistering day in July. But it soon came to contort its appearance far worse than that. Shockwaves caused convex and concave formations to ripple throughout it. The two remained oblivious to the threat.
Approaching the holographic comm. unit, Ytun signaled it to turn on and contact Director Vakker. The photonic image of the old, bald Kalyon man synthesized itself into existence. The Kalyon was a perfect image of his races genetic traits. The old man had a furrowed ridge that ran directly upon the aliens eye brow and up in a parabola shape and slid back a few inches above his high-placed ears. The ears themselves had slit-like marks lining the lobes. His chin had a linear series of round protrusions that appeared to stretch out across to his cheeks.
I see you have accomplished your mission. Very good, he continued. His species could be compared to the Vulcans when it came to emotion, but it would most definitely be an invalid comparison. In fact, the Kalyon did not mask their emotions with discipline. No, the Kalyon were incapable of feeling emotions. Their brains contained none of certain chemicals found commonly in humanoids, including dopamine and oxytocin. Their lobes were incredibly complex. I will deal with the Wruthites myself. You simply need to beam them over.
Noi quickly did so as Ytun received further instruction. We now have a greater threat than these criminals. We have been monitoring travel via the Intertemporal Continuum and have found that a great deal of imbalanced matter has
It was then the distortions decided to erupt. A colossal force of power crashed through the room, ripping it apart. Towers were obliterated across the Earth in the wake of its power. The city fell apart. Buildings were turned to dust. The HQ was not excluded. The building smashed. The entire library of almost every known fact in the Federation was reduces to rubble. Agents were thrown through the air. Jena was slung against the wall. Vace managed to erect a force field around herself in time. The world was in peril.

What was that? Ytun cried.
That was caused by the matter imbalance in the IC. You must use Thexs IC Time-Matter Theory to find the Rubicon on specifically stardate 563535.4. Then you must help them to return the matter to its original place in time and destroy the imbalance. The gravity from the matter is ripping up spacetime. Planets all across the galaxy have been destroyed. We were lucky, though. Andromeda was completely destroyed.
Ytun gasped. She then walked over to Jena. She placed her hand on her neck. Shes dead.
You have to use your PQP then. But if you hand the problem on your own, things we be as they were and we wont have to worry about this. Vakker placed his hands behind his back. The distortion also disrupted the transporter signal. The Wruthites are dead, too.
Ill take care of it, but I think Ill need her help.
Fine, then. I suppose I best inform you what else is riding on this. Your homeworld was also destroyed in the wake. I know it was necessary to tell you this, for your emotional ability. He terminated the signal.

Now we have to worry about what to do when she repairs the timeline, Vakker said to the shadowy form.
Yes, indeed, It replied. Our masters will not be satisfied if the two criminals live to tell their story.
I know. Your masters are far more powerful than even you and your people. My loyalty to them can not be overstated. He stopped talking when he heard the door ring. Come.
The shadowy figure dissolved into darkness. The Halanan agent Powex entered the room on the Naarittan moon. The Federation Temporal Agency had locations disseminated all across the galaxy. This one was located in the Delta Quadrant, in an area of space once dominated by the Borg Collective and then the Voth Allegiance. The Voth had joined the Federation as so many others in the Delta Quadrant had, and now they had new space to explore. And protect. The Base was there for the purpose of monitoring a very devious race known as the Krenim. The Krenim would stop at nothing to have great power again, and there was deep suspicion a front in the Temporal Cold War would erupt and the Krenim would be involved.
Here is the report on the Krenims latest activities, sir, Powex said.
Thank you, the Kalyon replied and watched him leave.
We failed in our attempt to strand Daniels and Archer here. We wont make any further mistakes, he said.
I should hope not. For your sake, the shadows whispered.

Vace had returned to the past with her PQP, or Parallel Quantum Propulsor. The device was meant to rescue dead time travelers by way of influencing their particles and forcing them to deviate from their normal actions. This deviant version would diverge into a new version of a person. This method was often used to resurrect time travelers, though the new version had never died. It was like stimulating an alternate reality version to diverge while still in the same reality.
The new individual looked confused for a moment, but then suddenly recognized the event that had just occurred.
We have to go, Vace told her.

Zosni substituted Ovirosch at the captains console. He scanned the solar system that sat planted in the IC, distorting the universe. His scans showed that as the star pulled relativitys curves, it caused many new alternate realities to struggle to diverge, polarizing the timeline. The planet now was dying. It crumbled under the heat of the equally moribund sun. Zosni hoped that once it died it would correct itself. But he knew he wasnt that lucky.
In the hours end, the ships chronometer showed 2400. And with that, the star gave out its last breath and singed the planet into dust. It was depressing to see. The planets inhabitants had risen and fallen in the same heartbeat. How could that be?
The mess of the star system still clung in a great heated cloud. Within the next half-hour, Ovirosch returned to command. He read the reports of the scans. What can we do to destroy it?
Well, sir, it is acting like a natural element would if it were to be composed into one day. It has collapsed completely. Zosni stood and placed his hands behind his back.
Not completely, Bayeb contradicted from his instruments. It is refocusing at the center.
You mean its reforming! Ovirosch cried in an appalled manner.
Quite possibly. The Sellolsian finally stood. But we could amplify the sensors from main engineering to isolate certain components in this. We could adjust the deflectors to inspect the chronitons and quantum fluctuations and even observe individual actions of particles in spite of temporal fluctuations.
We dont have many other choices. Do it, Ovirosch told them.

The two idiosyncratic individuals swiftly moved past the Temporal Core, or Timewarp Core. Many shields and protective devices were held up in place around the machines of the timeship. A number of the temporal byproducts of engineering could result in catastrophe to biological beings. Some of the temporal energies could result in Dulmurs Disease. Marion Frances Wolf Dulmur had quite a long career in the DTI, only to later suffer a strange illness as the repercussions of his altruism, if one could call the ex-detectives motives for joining that. The Disease caused his memories to wander between alternate realities. He remembered many alternate realities, from some obscure reality in which the Borg invade in 2381, to the reality created by the Romulan Nero (also explored by the Rubicon). Dulmur earned his nickname Wolf from a young apprentice of his named Teresa Garcia, who appreciated his ability to hunt for the truth.
Dulmurs was a highly rare disease, and even though the Federation took great measures to prevent against it, there had only been a few cases along the years. Dulmur underwent therapy and eventually returned to a state in 2413 in which he could properly function to service the DTI.
Eventually, Bayeb arrived at Thelys whereabouts with Zosni at his side. The Sellolsian proceeded to implement the modifications to the scanners with splendid time. The Rubicons sensors locked on to the anomalous objects and scanned down to a subatomic level, differentiating the Timespace from the Spacetime and carefully locating relationships ensuing in the molecules. Zosni, not able to assist Bayebs intricate scans in anyway, reached another terminal in engineering and quantum dated the solar system. It read ¥. The solar system was infinite? It had no beginning or end caused by the imbalance of time and space.
Bayeb searched for any clue to the source of the matter. If only he could isolate the point at which it disappeared and caused a quantum deficit. However, the effects of the gravity in itself in the IC was causing a great deal of mess, probably erasing the very source from which it came. What could they do to eliminate the threat of it?
As he wondered this, Zosni sensed it and shared his hopelessness. In despair, Zosni rose from the instrument and began to walk to the other side of the engineering room. Simultaneously, the doors to the turbolift opened and two women in black form fitting uniforms entered. The uniforms reflected the light of the room splendorously, with rays bouncing off of the black strips that constituted the piecing together of the outfit. They walked up to Zosni.
Who in the galaxy are you? he stood, searching for words, and finding only the most conventional.
We need to talk to your administration, the blond, taller of the two said, with a serious, but Zosni sensed, affectionate look.

captclazorus · May 2014

The senior officers sat around the conference room of the ship. The two mysterious being identified themselves as Federation and had asked to hold a classified. Who are you?
Maxwell Ovirosch asked, knowing that on his many voyages this was like a catch phrase.
We represent the Federation Temporal Agency of the 31st century. We are concerned by this anomaly that has strewn explosions and alternate realities everywhere. Records show that at this time Nexion does not exist so we might as well explain that, the Farian woman said, clearing her throat.
Yes? Ovirosch stared attentively.
A year from now, when your alternate reality fiasco is over, the TIC of the 29th century, the Temporal Research Foundation of the 27th century, and the Temporal Agency of the 31st century will have formed an interdependency of correcting the timeline, she said.
Youre awfully quick to expose future information before you even tell us your names. Is there a reason for that? the captains expression was canderously cynical.
Yes, there may be a reason for that. Her partially smiling visage turned quickly to Zosni.
The hybrid alien chimed in. I am Jena Noi. I believe if you have read the DTIs classified files, you will have found I assisted in a minor TCW front in 2381. I assisted Ranjea and Garcia in fighting off a Nakhul preemptive strike conspiracy and Dulmur and Lucsly try to apprehend the Sponsor.
I now remember Ducane having mentioned you before. Apparently you didnt do the most efficient of jobs apprehending the Sponsor considering you were handed over a fake, Zosni said, not insulting, simply noting.
You need to know these things. It quite possibly will be important, the nameless one said.
Are you sure? How do we know we can trust you? Are you from the same reality as we are? Ovirosch asked, going through the routine.
This may take some time, she said.

Ovirosch contemplated what he had been told. This thing had to be destroyed, but these future agents didnt even know how. They had to find the root cause, the point of origin. But he needed time to contemplate. Someone in a similar career had said not to worry about where the hands of the clock were pointing, because he was only a gear. But there was a difference in the two careers. Starfleet had always been about exploring the soul through the portal of the stars. Ex Astris Scientia. The agents of DTI often reminded themselves of the fact they werent philosophers and didnt need to care about these deeper things. But they werent DTI specifically. They were Starfleet, and Starfleet was about philosophy. They were supposed to look for where the hands were pointing. This division of Starfleet, however, was corroded by secrecy. It had branched from the DTI and had carried the indelible stain of hidden information. Over the years, Federation presidents had issued policies allowing the Department to keep secrets from the public. In 2381, President Ceanol worked to maximize the government protection of these secrets. This was because of a distinct threat posed by the Tal Shiar. In that same year, Donatra had broken away and formed an Imperial Romulan State. The secession induced much uproar in the Star Empire, who feared more revolution to come. The Department at this time possessed a single computer system in which they held all files every appropriated from the past, present, and future.
The Tal Shiar feared they would lose their grip on the Empire and needed to know what was yet to come. Covertly, a Romulan ship entered, cloaked, into the Sol System to arrive at Eris. Eris held all sensitive information and technology that had been confiscated by the Department. Just as secretly, the Department sent Starfleet and eliminated the threat of the Romulans who sought to change the future.
It was these sorts of moments that Ovirosch called upon the words of fellow philosophers. With a firm yet weakened by sorrow hand, the human reached to his shelf. He retrieved a book on poetry. Maxwell often looked to it for reassurance. In Pace Inquirere, it was called.
It was written by Jake Sisko. He flipped across the pages.
A Loss of Worlds:

In our journey cross the sands of time,
A many thing causes our hearts to pine,
We try to ignore it, push it far away,
But in truth we need it, to find the real way.

When our hearts are caused to stir,
And our the world around us blurs,
Do we cast it all away in time of trouble,
For such futile natures in great frivol?

When in times of trouble, or with a crisis meets,
Dare we flee away from the voice that kindly greets?
Do we sacrifice our aspirations, for such pragmatic gains?
No, cast of yesterdays enterprise, and seek it not nor bear the strains.

We have found a new place among the stars,
And a new place to go. We no longer bear the scars
Of a past in grief tangled. Confront the issues that plague your heart
And in doing so shall grow to rise your spirits height.

Zosni was sitting in his quarters. He held again his image of Kelsa in his hand.
Youre a troubled man, Kandir, said the blonde-haired Farian that had appeared out of the doorframe to his closet.
How did you get here? he asked, checking the quarters that had been assigned to her and her time-faring partner. She was still there.
Its a complex technology that links to points in time and space and makes an adequate connection to pass through in order that we make as little a mess as possible. Her slender, attractive body was now clothed with an elegant toga-like alien cultural dress. It was ornamented with rich red and gold coloring. It fit tightly to her skin. I had to come talk to you. In my duty, I, too, have become emotionally compromised over the matter of old loves.
What are you talking about? he asked, concern congealing in his throat. Dreadful apprehension washed over him.
My name is Vace Ytun. In 200 years, you and I will become romantically involved. But we will lose our love. I always wanted it back. But she couldnt bring herself to say anything. Tears welled up in her eyes. She reached to kiss him. The experience was both startling and titillating for the El-Aurian. The passionate display culminated to a very pleasurable moment, and then it ended.
But what? a very shocked and confused Zosni asked.
You died. You were given command of the USS Enterprise-Z. The Enterprise was attacked by Xaciosians, a race of aliens that were fighting against the Dominion in a broad alliance. The ship was nearly destroyed, and her bridge was demolished, with her captain on it, she finished quietly.
How could you and I be in a relationship? he asked, baffled.
Anythings possible. I know that at this point, you believe that she was the only one that could ever possibly love you. I loved you, too. She stood up.
Why did you do this?
To give you hope. Thats what we all need. She vanished when she walked through the doorframe.

Scans show a definite quantum deficit in the timeline in comparison to filed scans. I cannot locate the origin. The deficit has created a new timeline. Memory Alpha takes record of all scientific anomalies. We could take their records and use them to compare to the previous timeline because I do know that the matter is from within Federation space. Bayeb adjusted his instruments as he spoke.
Ovirosch and Zosni had moved to the bridge. Ytun and Noi had also arrived there. Would you agree? Ovirosch asked them.
That sounds likely to work. We can go to find the information, Noi said nodding her Resquean head.
Yes, but I would like one of my men to accompany you. Bayeb, would you care to go on an assignment? Ovirosch raised a hand and motioned toward him. The Sellolsian agreed happily.

The three temporal travelers ran through the halls of the Memory Alpha facility, watching the hallway explode behind them. Bayeb looked for a half of a second out the window and into the K-class planets atmosphere, which was being inundated with light from her star, Mnemosyne. Besides that heat and light, the phaser fire behind them was parching his skin. Bayebs equations had estimated that the Federation would have definitely discovered the vanished matter in their surveys by this time, so it was most appropriate. The Nakuhl chasing at the rear of the group did not appear to agree.
They had some delusional claim to this sector and wanted all of the Federations files. Obviously, this was not the original timeline. Fortunately for Noi, Ytun, and Bayeb, they had little to worry about when it came to contamination. The restoration of the original timeline would mask any damage that occurred here.
To there rear, Noi saw the enclosing Nakuhl forces on their march. Her golden eyes turned once more to the window they had just past. Retrieving her phaser from her side, she shattered the firm matter. Combustible gases poured down the corridor, dissolving the Nakuhl troops in its noxious wake. The chemicals in that specific cloud had the ability to reduce organic matter into much more rudimentary elements.
The trio blasted theyre way into a research room. Ytun inserted her padd into the data storage outlet. Files began to download from all areas concerning the specific characteristics of the matter in the mysterious planet.
The download took a number of seconds and then was done. The trio encountered a handful of scientists working at the facility that had been stunned or killed by the Nakuhl invaders. Four warriors armed themselves at the other end of the corridor they now stood in. Bayeb touched his combadge. Beam us up. Get us out of here. The three began to shimmer with the movement of pillars of particles moving around them.

An hour later, the Rubicons science officer had pieced together the facts of the altered timeline. It began on stardate 47691.54, in an area of turbulent space known as the Badlands. During that same time, it appears that temporal fluctuations began in the unstable regions. Simultaneously, Starfleet sent a survey team from Deep Space Nine to study it, oblivious to the immediate danger- Bayeb was interrupted by the shaking and thundering of some great explosion. He clung to the sensor array in the conference room for fear of losing his balance in the tremor. He watched the sensors detect the destruction of the world again. And I believe the fluctuations accumulated and condensed in a concentrated region and created a vortex, which in turn created this planet that we have classified as Epsilon Ceti, or, if you care to use the allusive name, Brahma. As you well know, Brahma had three forms, in which he created, preserved, and destroyed the world perpetually. So it is only fitting.
Of course, the fluctuations did not occur naturally. Do we know what might have started that? Vace Ytun asked from her seat that had been placed coincidentally beside Zosni.
Not at this point. What really drew our attention to the fact that the matter had vanished from the Badlands was that Sisko, Dax and a few scientists vanished with it. As you well know, Sisko was destined to do some major things in his life. Bayeb fidgeted.
Who were the other scientists that went with them?
We have no record.
Well, thats good because I think I know them, Ytun said while the gaze of all the other officers was on Bayeb. The Sellolsian looked down for a moment and then raised his eyes back up. The two temporal agents had vanished.

captclazorus · May 2014

Terry Crews as Benjamin Sisko
Emily Caillon as Jadzia Dax

The temporal transporter, though incredibly convenient, also had harmful effects upon most humanoids after three uses. Bayeb thus had to sit this stage of the mission out. Inas on the other hand was capable of being subjected too much more chroniton radiation because she was a Changeling and her body was naturally able to flush it out. Ovirosch, upon the disappearance of their allies from the future, decided to take this matter upon himself.
Your new identity is Cav Tolek, and you are a Bajoran, Ovirosch told her and handed her a data padd. Inas morphed her form into the appropriate species. You specialize in quantum physics and had previously been studying the results of scans on the Bajoran Wormhole.
Understood, she said sternly.
We will beam you back a few weeks so that you can firmly establish your identity. He stepped back from the transporter. She vanished into the beam of the transporter.

Captains Log, Stardate: 47691.54
The Federation Science Council has issued us a mission in which we are to take the Defiant to study the Badlands. The Badlands are a treacherous place and unstable. They want us to study anomalies and report findings for future understanding.

Benjamin Sisko met Dax and three female scientists who he had not made an acquaintance with at the Defiant. Dax began by introducing them, Captain, this is Cav Tolek, Jena Noi, and Vace Ytun. They were assigned to this mission by the Science Council.
A pleasure, Sisko said with a hint of charm in his voice.
The group of frontiersmen made their way into the Defiant. Cav Tolek, in the rearward, murmured silently, At least I have an alias. She said with disdain towards the temporal agents.

Inas placed her attention on the scanners, taking in every detail of the anomalies. She inserted her scanner into a port drive of the sensor console. Once the enhanced features of her tricorder were uploaded, undetectably, she would be able to have its sophisticated applications scan for more intricate details.
Inas noticed Noi approaching her console. It is unfortunate we cant access the TDG, because it wont exist for another 32 years. The Temporal Defense Grid was a large array of dubious origins that accounted for the monitoring of all temporal incursions. In contrast to its name, it could only witness them through subspace and alert any temporal department, rather than actually do anything about it.
Sisko eavesdropped on their conversation, though could not hear it. Is there a problem, ladies?
Oh, no, sir, Inas spoke up quickly. But we are picking up temporal anomalies inside of the Badlands. She gazed out the viewscreen into the shifting, swirling mess of the Badlands.
What kind of temporal anomaly? Sisko asked in his usual stern manner.
Ytun broke in. A flux. It has made some of the areas highly unstable. Recommend we observe from afar.
Inas observed her readings further. She began to pick up readings of hexalithium and ionized boronite. The were concentrated in a single area of the Badlands, which was unusual because the currents of the mess were usually quiet active in Brownian Motion or diffusion of any molecules hanging in the swirling region. Hexalithium, Inas recalled, was first used in the 29th century as a more efficient energy source for time travel. And the only group known for time travel in the 29th century, outside of the Commission, was the Nakuhl, whose ships also contained boronite components.

In a perfectly sterile and contained observation chamber, Ovirosch had had Weih beam aboard life samples from Epsilon Ceti. The creatures that were held in the chamber, in temporal suspension, were in ranges from an iguana-like lizard to a limitedly humanoid creature. But the lizard had been the progeny of what he held in a sealed container in his hand. A minute, single celled, yet extremely large for a microbe, creature was floating in water. The creatures no longer evolved because they had been taken out of the planets biological field. And to think that the microbe had become that humanoid in so little time. A matter of hours. Ok, Lieutenant, he said to the Deferi beside him. Lets go fishing again.
This product now was very humanoid, and even advanced enough to wear clothes. Bayeb was also there, taking notes on all of the creatures. Skeletal structure more advanced, psychological properties superb, though similar to those of a person form the 20th century on earth.
Lets try something new, Ovirosch said. This planet is dying, is it not? Then contamination prevention is not a priority. Collect some bacteria samples from sickbay, and beam them down on to the planet. In two hours, we will beam them back up and see what we create.

The offspring had been a large, horse-like animal with periwinkle fur and long leg bones. The experiment had an interesting conclusion. The latest sample from the planets indigenous had been a non-corporeal being. The being had been returned to the planet because of the danger it posed to the Rubicon and the Rubicons technology posed to it.
It was at that moment that a great explosion riveted through the Rubicon, but Bayeb pointed out it did not come from Brahma. The three raced to the bridge to find it was a Nakuhl temporal invader. Xaz put out a hail for the Nakuhl, and they responded. The bat-like humanoids bony face contorted with disgust.
Are you responsible for the creation of this solar system? It has the potential to destroy everything! the Nakuhl barked.
I could ask you the same thing. The Nakuhl are known for their treachery. Ovirosch remained firm. Why are you here?
We are here to take what is ours. We hold the capability of improvement of our race, something you humans would understand. As the Nakuhl spoke, Bayeb motioned Ovirosch to his side. He indicated the sensors. They were picking up some temporal signal.
Who are you communicating with? Ovirosch demanded.
Why should we tell you?
Because in representation of the Temporal Accords, you are all going to be place under Federation arrest.
The Nakuhl laughed. And how do you intend to do that? Another Nakuhl ship appeared out of nowhere. My name is Satedd, and remember it, for it shall be the name that will usher in your destruction.
Phaser fire ensued and Parvius was quick to defend the Rubicon. Chroniton torpedoes quickly weakened the second ship. It too emanated a temporal signal, but subsequently to the torpedo collision, there began a large number of temporal distortions. The ships Temporal Core gave way, and it came sinking down into the atmosphere of Brahma. A field of energy combusted around the planet, sending a diffusion of energy across the surface. The ships core detonated and created an interphasic flux and created a vortex on the planets surface. The combined unnatural energies forged a powerful whirlpool that consumed the planets surface and soon grew much larger. The power of the vortex erupted and swallowed the planet of Epsilon Ceti. The hole decayed afterwards becoming more of a rift and then eventually collapsed.
Captain, Xaz said, Im picking up a combadge signal. Its Inas.
What did she say?
She says she believes that the distortion originated from the detonation of a Temporal Core. The destruction of a timeship. She believes it to be a Nakuhl vessel.
Which would make sense because we still have one left. It would seem reasonable to conclude that this ship is the one to do it, he mused. He turned his attention to the bat-like man on the viewscreen. You wont get out of this victoriously.
And how would you know?
Because we have known the future. It would be best if you leave here before this mess even starts, the captain finished.
Not a chance!
Xaz, cut signal. Parvius, target temporal traveling devices, carefully, meticulously. Bayeb, stand prepared to erect a temporal rift back to their point of origin and use an annulsion beam. This will all need to have some finesse to it, the captain ordered.
Explosions rippled across the Nakuhl ship. It was soon defeated. It was then pushed out of the IC and back into normal time. Upon the event, a wave of alteration washed over time.

Inas was now reading nothing. As soon as she had released the temporal suspension device, everything had changed. Now it was completely normal. Everything was at rest now. No danger to time. Just the long wait until this mission was over. Her transmission must have helped.

Inas materialized on the Rubicon with the two agents behind her. Their ways diverged as Inas joined Bayeb in the mess hall. They sat and talked about the assignments they had been on. Bayeb felt a sensation of enjoyment at the discussion and the person he was discussing with.
In the meantime, Vace once more met Zosni in his quarters. Noi has already left for the 31st century. I stayed for the moment to speak with you. Kandir, dont give up on love. You must set yourself free of this obsession with the past. You wont be able to go back and do it over again. About that, they were not so certain.
I suppose not, Zosni submitted, but I just dont understand how I could ever move forward. What more is there to life?
So much more! she exclaimed. You just have to start looking for it. She paused for a while. And so, I shall leave you again with hope.
Zosni sat alone for a while after she was engulfed by a portal. He then stood and walked to the mess hall. He watched Bayeb and Inas sit and laugh. Bayeb, though commonly very humorless, was one of the only people who could get Inas to laugh. He smiled to himself. This was love. This was beauty. Around him the world was continually changing. He lost so much. He yearned for what they potentially possessed. But then he thought he could not have it. He perhaps was not meant to partake, but simply observe. Or perhaps he would. But in either case, he had hope.

Vace Ytun arrived to find Jena lying sprawled on the floor. Vakker stood over her, warm phaser in hand. He shot her again and vaporized her.
My word, what have you done! Vace found herself screaming.
The timeline is different. You changed something. Zosni is not dead! Vakker yelled.
What do you mean?
The world doesnt have room for two of you or space enough for the information you posses. Im sorry, but this is important. He fired upon her and, in a quick flash, she was gas. He moved over to the transporter. Two Wruthites began to materialize. Im afraid not. He used the weapon once more. It struck the correlating particles and they flew into erratic directions and fizzled out. He accessed his computer; an ion storm was about to happen.
He turned from his work at the due time and looked at the screen. Vakker, we have beamed you the criminals.
Im afraid there must have been some sort of a disturbance. They are both dead. He looked at Vace Ytun and Jena Noi through the screen. I am sorry.
The signal ended.
The secret is concealed. It is done, he said to the shadows.
Wonderful. We have another job for the Agency, The shadows hissed.

The End of The Only Constant
Written by
C.J. Sidus

captclazorus · May 2014

Ep 4 "A Hungry Man"

Two cloaked men in fedora hats and long double-breasted overcoats stood on the sidewalk of Earth. They strolled along the street as cars passed in the 21st century. They came along an alleyway and traveled down it. A homeless man crawled upon the ground. He was suffering from intense hunger. The strangers let him look upon their nondescript faces for a moment, and then turned away.
"Please, help me," he implored them.
One turned around and extended a small box. He impressed his thumb upon a square button on it. In great speed, a flash of light struck the homeless man and he fell to the ground in silence. In the haze of the alley, light began to seem to refract in on itself. The two men walked forth into it, vanishing from existence.

Baven navigated through the jungle, wearing his beads of righteousness proudly. This great kingdom of nowhere flourished, yet would somehow remain hidden from history. The native held in his hand a slaughtered animal he had killed. He took it before the priest and stood upon the top of the great stone temple. The elderly priest, adorned with robes of flamboyant colors and jewels of all varieties, took out his knife and cut it through the animal. The priest then placed his hands into the blood and began to mumble strange words. He raised his bloody hands before the congregated townspeople among them. Wiping the blood on the young man, the priest culminated the ceremony. Red dashes underlined Bevan's eyes and his forehead. The people were then excluded from the conclusion of this great ceremony. Below in the temple, a door made of stone was being opened. One of the servants, upon its opening, tossed a torch into the cavernous room it led to. It erupted into flame. The young man was then led into the entrance and walked through. The door closed behind him. It was so painful, like nothing he had ever felt before. But he had to endure. For the gods. For his people. He screamed out in horror, but then before him something appeared. A celestial, thin pale being with a small head that looked nothing like he had expected. It glowed and was transparent. It moved closer to him. It erased the fire from existence in its surroundings. Soon it came closer and closer. Everything changed around him, and he could not discern what was happening.

Heinrich stood on the battlefield as it was bloodied by the dying troops around him. He fired at the enemy with his weapon. He turned his commander and elevated his arm sternly and straightly in his country's salute. "Heil Hitler!"
His raced forward in nationalistic pride. He fired and wounded a few, still killed one. Then a single shot brought him to the ground. He lay, not dying, but still suffering. Some glittery form appeared above him. He new death was coming. What could this be? A Valkyrie! The Fuhrer had said that they would be reward for their courage. And now, as the thing picked him up, he knew that he had been.

captclazorus · June 2014

Ovirosch ran from his quarters and onto the bridge. He wore ruffled robes of the human Martian culture and ethnicity in origin. His hair was flattened upon the top and on the side it stood out straight. Distress painted on his faced with sweat dripping off his brow, he approached the captain's chair. Placing himself upon it, he gave his officers a good long look, who were doing the same thing in turn.
Zosni arrived upon the bridge, with a look of concern applied on his face. "Captain, are you alright?" With his El-Aurian senses, he detected uneasiness within his captain.
"I... I," the captain began, "I don't know. I was.... somewhere. I was on Kepolia. Yes, I remember. There was something else there, too. Something very malicious."
"What were they doing?" Zosni asked in a quiet, calm tone.
"They were capturing people. They were enslaving them," Ovirosch said.

Bayeb and Inas were greatly savoring one another's company as they walked down the corridor. Though they were much more implicitly on an emotional level, they talked about their work. "So how is your quantum differentiation device coming?" she asked.
"I have yet to conquer the incursion isolation process but once that is finished, we should be able to use it to traverse between realities that have overwritten one another. It will be similar to the previous device I tried before but will likely be much more efficient." He smiled.
They walked forward when Captain Ducane met them in the hall.
"Captain," Bayeb recognized his presence. "May we help you?"
"Please, call me Juel. I'm not your captain." The young man seemed most courteous. "I just, while we ran into one another, invite you to the springball and Tyunyek tournaments in the holodecks."
"Thank you... Juel," Bayeb said reluctantly.
"You know, a lot of people enjoy springball, but I truly enjoy Tyunyek. It may not sound pretty, but the Deferi really know how to develop a game," he said, giving his valediction and walked on down the corridor.
The Sellolsian and the Changeling walked on down the hall. Suddenly, a blue light flashed across the walls and down the hall. It radiated from the rearward of them, and they turned around in investigation. Inas looked, but saw no one. It seemed Captain Ducane had either left or vanished.

captclazorus · June 2014

Guest starring Josh Holloway as Captain Porter Bay
Mila Kunis as Ahoka Kol

Walking down the streets of the village, Peter, a young man that was thin and limber, headed to the market. As he walked past, he noticed once more the armaments that protected the colony in the case of invasion by some savages. He reached the market where some even taller fellows who had just shipped in from sea were trading for goods with the manager. Peter sat down on a barrel adjacent to the door and waited patiently. Several moments traveled past as he waited on the strangers with the nondescript faces to finish their business with the hirsute manager.
"That's not worth that expense," one of the men said in an old English dialect.
"I assure you, it is," parried the manager.
It was then that Peter witnessed one of the men reach to his side. But what he retrieved was not a weapon. Or so Peter thought. The small box emitted a beam of blue that struck the manager and caused him to vanish.
Peter, in fight or flight mode, decided to flee. He, enveloped in impulse, ran down the street and away from the scene. The man felt wind from behind strike him and send him hurtling forward. His head struck the rooting of a tree. He pulled out his pocket knife and looked back at the town. Townspeople had ran out to see what it was that had caused the ruckus. Men fired upon the two men, but their bullets had no might here. More and more, people vanished. One by one. He had to flee to a safe place, and he could only think of one. He moved his knife to the bark and scratched into it the word "Croatoan."

Starlog, Stardate: -167283.95
As ever Coalition citizen should know, earlier this year the Suliban destroyed Centauri VII in another act of terrorism. This incident was instructed by their mysterious benefactor, whom they call the Sponsor. The bomb they used consisted of temporal disruption materials that tore the planet apart. They proceeded to bomb an Andorian colony world as well. This events showed that the Quadrant was in need of a new interstellar union. To help in the defense of our citizens, the Coalition of Planets was formed. These acts of malevolence caused us to rally together. Now, the Kepler is headed for an uninhabited system in which appear to be temporal anomalies. I pray that these are not being caused by the Suliban.
His first officer and science officer approached his seat. "Commander Kol, what have we found?"
He intently watched the beautiful Hytanese woman. Her people had been among a vast number of species that were joining in the Coalition. "The formation of the emanating waves show that the inwardly fluctuations are likely from some sort of a temporal portal," she said, pushing back her long dark hair.
"So is the planet inhabitable and just uninhabited? Or could it be settled?"
"No, I do not believe it could."
He turned to look at the security station. "Evokip, does it pose a threat to the Kepler?"
"No, sir," the Axanar said. "Not unless it grows. What I should say is that there is no immediate threat, but if the temporal waves become more powerful, then we might be in trouble."
The Captain Bay finally pinpointed a little speck of light above the planet that must have been the portal. In a second, the portal erupted in brilliance and shockwaves threw the Kepler backwards. Kol fell into his arms, which, under better circumstances, would have been nice. The two prepared themselves then stood. At the security station, a form had appeared out of nowhere. It stared right at Evokip. The androgynous Axanar was paralyzed with fright. He tried to flee but could not. A beam of light struck him and he collapsed. The slender, silver shape hovered and then used the box that fired the light again. Intense sequences of rays poured down upon the security officer.
"What is he doing?" Bay glanced at Kol, and then around the room at the all-human crew (with Evokip and Kol being an exception) who all stood up and poised for defense.
"I don't know. What ever those rays are, I'm not picking them up on my tricorder," the frazzled Hytan almost shouted.
Evokip's body degraded into dust. It fell apart before their eyes, decomposing at incredible speeds.
"Who are you?' Bay shouted at the thing.
"We hunger, we must feed," it replied in an echoing voice. It then raised the box and fired the beam on Kol. The woman officer flew across the room. The thing then fired the rays at her, and she disintegrated. Bay was helpless to save her.
All around him now, like the antiquated theological theory of the Rapture, every officer on the bridge began to vanish. Blue lights appeared and then vanished. The crew was gone, and a moment later, he was gone.

captclazorus · June 2014

David Krumholtz as E.M. Rauch
Richard Sanders as Clazorus Vissyr Kazove

The following day, Ducane was no where to be seen. The tournament he had organized now dwindled into nothing without his presence.
"I've heard old reports that ships enjoyed playing gambling games in their off time," Inas said, assessing the situation. "Perhaps I could get the holodeck to create a Dabo wheel."
'Inas, do you no know I am an addicted gambler?" Bayeb said. Inas perceived it as a joke and began to chuckle. Then she saw the seriousness in the Sellolsian's eyes and laughed even harder.
"Really? You?" she asked, innocently.
"Only when I am around an object that gyrates," he replied. He had a look of concern and curiosity cross his face. He raised his hand across his chest and gingerly pressed his combadge. "Computer, locate Captain Ducane."
"Captain Ducane is not aboard the Rubicon. Unknown where he might have went," the cool female
voice said from his combadge.

On the impulse of this concern, Bayeb quickly fled to the bridge. Analyzing the internal sensor logs from the past few days, he discovered the abrupt eruption of temporal energies, precisely in the location where Ducane had vanished. The energy surge was quite uncommon. However, he used the ship's computers to sift through the enormous number of files, which was a necessary feature when dealing with history so intricately. Records of other similar energy sources appeared all across the timeline. From the time of the Enterprise-D, to a limited detection in 2265, to 2409, and then in other miscellaneous points. Using the sensors, he scanned the timeline as it was. The scanners indicated over sixty points of similar incursion. And they all linked to one species, the Devidians.

"But you do see the necessity of it?" the young scientist asked the much older sage.
"The creation of a time pod is a thing of great consequence. The phase-shifting alignment must be precise or Bkesh knows where you will end up in exotime," the complex--minded Zyrvan said to his student. "Not to mention disrupt an area of space equal to the mass and density of the pod."
"The pod is only intended for historical account, which you know is a passion for me, which you might notice, given my name. When was the last time you met someone by the name of Edmund Madison? If you know much about Greek mythology, you would know about the namesake of the vessel."
"As a matter of fact, I do," Kazove said. "Proteus was a previous god of the ocean before Poseidon took it from him. He was known for his elusiveness, and would change appearance. If captured, he would reveal the future to his captors."
"Thus we must be elusive," Rauch said

captclazorus · June 2014

Donald Sutherland as Lionel Ovirosch
The Rubicon awaited travel as its crew analyzed the timeline. Speckled throughout time, the Devidian incursions were erratic in their placing. It was Kazove who first studied in detail outer phases of time, in which the Devidians resided. But it was one of the most distant of the phases in which they originated, which Kazove had named Exotime. In this realm, nothing moved forwards, or backwards (in the case of some universes). It simply was. The Devidians stood outside of time. Bayeb used his reason to conclude that whatever was happening to Ovirosch had some relation.
Zosni came with him, hoping to be able to use his empathic ability to reach into his feelings. Aolia joined, in the hopes of adding a second opinion.
"How did the Devidians manage to break through our shields and capture Ducane?" Zosni asked Bayeb as they walked across the bridge to the captain's quarters.
"Our scans have remained inconclusive. We have continued our analysis, though," Bayeb replied as they entered the quarters, with Aolia following.
"Captain," Zosni said, "can you tell us where these visions were coming from?"
"They were coming from Kepolia," Ovirosch stated in distress. "But now..."
"Now, what?" Bayeb asked, taking a seat carefully.
"The Momentum. Its in danger." Oviirsoch said in an incoherent voice.
"The Momentum?" Aolia gave Zosni and Bayeb a sideways glance.
"One of the seven Wells-class Commission ships." Zosni looked at his tricorder. "Commanded by..." Zosni paused. "Lionel Ovirosch."

The Starfleet officer examined the time pod up and down. The white, rumply layers of plasticized titanium mesh designed to protect against the scans of those the temporal vessel might encounter was certainly not Starfleet in design. The officer, dressed in the deeply crimson uniform of 26th century tacticals, was sent here by the Corps of Engineers to make a report about Rauch's work.
"A rather interesting device, no doubt," the officer said.
"Thank you, Commander Svorcioh," Rauch responded, standing behind the nearly complete pod. "I haven't completed the phase transitioning device."
"I see you have quite the knack for this devil we call time."
"Still, a necessary devil. But with only one purpose." He looked up with the face of a genius prone to impulse. His hair rumpled in a long mess. "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen all at once. It might be nice if it did, then I might be able to get more done."
No, you don't, Svorcioh thought. He then said, "No doubt you are a pioneer on a new frontier."
"I should hope so. But this, of course, will remain a secret in the Federation." Rauch smiled. He looked to the door as a gold skinned alien walked in. "Hello, Kazove."
"I have a sequence for the transition for you." Kazove handed it to him. "I believe it will prove productive."
Out of the clear, blue sky, so to speak, the room electrified with temporal energy and surged with lightning like power. Two figures like ghosts appeared and floated to the two scientists that were sent sprawling across the floor. Svorcioh extended his hand with phaser in place and blasted off a gold-yellow beam, tinted with black borders. The two things were soon caused to be destroyed and the disruptions that emanated from them ceased. The portal was soon destroyed as well.
"That's not standard Starfleet issue!" Rauch exclaimed. He stared at the phaser.
"No it isn't," the officer said. "Its an anti-chroniton based phaser. I can't tell you much, but that was a ripple from the future. Things are about to get much, much worse." He said, looking gravely.

captclazorus · July 2014

He clicked his combadge. "Momentum, this is Ovirosch." Svorcioh said into. "Come in, Momentum."
"What... who are you talking to?" Rauch demanded of the mysterious bearded man.
"That's not good," Svorcioh continued, ignoring the theorist. Bending down, he laid the badge on the ground and dissected it. With a tiny rod, he moved the wires, reconnecting them. "Momentum, this is the captain. I order you to reply." Static rippled across. Faintly and distantly as he moved a wire focusing the signal, it sounded like a scream. "Well not good enough yet."
"For the love of God, will you tell us what exactly you are doing?" Edmund walked over to stare the impostor in the eyes.
"Ignore me," he said as if he could care less.
"You show up and save our lives and then..."
"That's all I will be doing here today. Now please," he motioned as he spoke to leave.
Svorcioh prodded in the device further. With one great tap, the combadge came to life. "Ovirosch to Momentum."
"Momentum here, sir." In the event of another movement of wires, the combadge began to project a holographic avatar of the Momentum's executive officer. "We are picking up your signal. However, it is from a more distant parallel time measurement than the present state of the Momentum."
"Yes, Mr. Akaar, I believe that something terrible is about to happen to the Momentum," he said. "I need you to beam me aboard and help me to prevent that."
"Right away, sir," the officer said. He dematerialized.
"Well, that's just grand," Rauch said.

Lionel woke up in some dark place with a hazy white mist. Suddenly, he was on a planet, and there he saw people everywhere. A myriad of cultures and people, though all of them human. But they were all just as dazed and confused as he.

captclazorus · July 2014

Oviroshc moved his hand, motioning to the computer screen and bidding it move. He watched a display of TIC ships that fell under the category of Temporal Science Vessel. Within were designs of new ships, supposedly following suit of time travel authors from Earth History. The Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, Baxter, and L'Engle classes were some of those planned to be created in the future. But this was not so interesting to Ovirosch. He was more interested in the past. The screen made it to the USS Momentum. The picture unsettled him more than expected. He worried about his father's safety. In the window, time swirled around the Rubicon as it tried to lock on to the location of its sister ship.
Suddenly, the Rubicon plunged into a nebular formation. Pink, yellow and red all swirled incessantly around as the same ship Ovirosch had just looked at now sat among the mess. Refracting ripples emanated from it, distorting matter in the temporal disruption.

"What can you tell me about it," Ovirosch demand on the bridge. Bayeb swiveled around to look at Ovirosch.
"Fifty percent of the crew is dead or has vanished. And... it is dropping." Bayeb said apologetically.
"Captain," Parvius exclaimed, "the Momentum's Temporal Core has been destabilized to the temporal disruption. If that explodes, it will detonate the surrounding anitchroniton fields lining the system. I estimate we are some where along the Delta-Gamma Quadrant border. Like the Maro system, this place must have been part of some enormous temporal event."
"Is this system significant to time?" Ovirosch asked.
"Not that I can tell. We will not discover this system during in our time at all. Perhaps it will be found afterwards."
"Will we be safe in interface?"
"No, the temporal energy may move the antichronitons to go across time, in which case any sort of radiation would be vented into spatial phase because of the phase gaps on board the Momentum."
"Take us twelve hours after the explosion, Ensign," he told Xaz.
The Voth officer quickly complied. Setting the timeship to travel, he suddenly felt the rumble of an explosion. The ship was consumed by fire and quickly darted uptime. The Rubicon's plating was gashed and gases poured out of it.
"What on Earth happened?" Ovirosch shouted.
"Antichronitons traveled back in time, catalyzed by the temporal energy from the Momentum," Bayeb replied.
"How bad is the damage?"
"We are unable to move the ship."
"So we trapped here?"
"In essence, yes."
"And the Devidians will certainly know where we are."

captclazorus · July 2014

"Can we divert any remaining energy to our temporal sensors and reach the Momentum?" Ovirosch inquired, feeling like he could panic. The TIC job had to be the most unrelenting job in the galaxy, taxing on the comprehension, the conscience, and the sense of professionality. Though in many scenarios, there was little to fear when it came to death. If the circumstances allowed, a timeship's crew could be rescued by another timeship. This was not feasible at this point. If anyone of them were to survive, they had to survive NOW. The temporal aberration had thrown apart the TIC and all the ships had been out of touch. And slowly, Ovirosch saw all of the colleague ships disappear over the course of the Rubicon's mission.
"Yes, but that will leave us without any means of mobility," the suddenly appearing Thelys stated.
"That won't be immediately necessary. Xaz, not to be stereotypical, but I believe that your race, in the distant past, was capable of using certain alternative resources to transform into a long sustaining power source." Ovirosch stretched out his depression perturbed arms.
"Yes, that's correct," the Voth replied.
"Well," Ovirosch said as he stood from his chair and walked to his control station, "how much do you know about those systems?"
"A deal, but the computers have more information." Xaz stood in an impetuous fashion. "If I could reproduce some of those characteristics, I could draw off of some of the anti-temporal energy residue, which I could use to push us back in time."
"Perfect. We can then try to..." he was interrupted as the viewscreen showed a wave of temporal energy wash over the Rubicon. "What was that?"
Bayeb moved his fingers with excellent grace and speed across the console. "It was a temporal alteration wave. Something is changing in the timeline. We were not changed due to the antichroniton residue infused in our hull. Wait... Captain..."
Another temporal shockwave arose out of seemingly nowhere (or was it everywhere?) with blue and white temporal energy merging and converging in various places. And again after that another one arose. Continually, incessantly, in a pattern, new timelines arose one after another. The universe was in a state of eternal flux.
"Captain, I have narrowed down the source of the emanation, and its..." Bayeb began to stutter. He felt concern for what his reply might do to the captain's psychological strain. "It is Kepollia, sir."

"Do you want me to bring the antitemporal energy on board, sir?" Xaz asked the captain, breaking some heavy silence.
"Yes, let's do it." Ovirosch said almost silently.
Near the station Inas was working while standing up. Sometimes, she felt more stimulated while standing. "Captain, I have a full detailed scan of the Momentum before we arrived and after. It seems that the Devidians began exterminating any non-humans on board the Momentum, and then captured the humans. Not even hybrids were allowed to survive."
"What do they want with us?" Ovirosch asked rhetorically.
Bayeb was then alerted to a grave concern as declared by his console. "Captain, the residue on our hull is eroding away with every change in the timeline. We have to get out of here or we will be erased."
Deep inside of the Rubicon, the antitemporal energy began to shift and flux. The space around it quickly began to degrade and areas of space began to open up into rifts. A bulkhead in engineering began to glow, and dissolve into energy. In an instant, the area of timespace was pulled apart. Engineers, clutching their hold upon miscellaneous items, were swallowed by the force. A portal formed out of the rifts, and as soon as it had stabilized, a glowing figure emerged.

captclazorus · September 2014

"Captain," Bayeb said, "the internal sensors are detecting some change in the temporal energy inside of the Core. Someone has erected a portal, and a life form has emerged from it. Both portal characteristics and lifeform signatures match to be Devidian in origin."
"Dispatch security teams, Parvius," Ovirosch ordered.
"The number of security officers in engineering is now dropping. Some of the officers have vanished while it appears others have been killed."
"No, we can't lose any more crewmen. We have to get down there. Assign phase weapons to the team of security officers." Over four hundred years ago, the Federation encountered several points of conflict with the Devidians during the Iconian Wars. During that time, the Federation was pressed to create weapons to combat these creatures, so, using the advanced studies and technologies from Starbase K-7, Lt. Stemo of K-7 and a few other captains with access to various sources of information engineered a new type of phaser that could neutralize Devidians more effectively than other weapons. This innovation had evolved to suit the needs of the Federation in deep conflict with the Devidians until one day the attacks just stopped. They led to even more effective temporal weapons when the Federation entered deeper conflict in 2413 with another of the Iconian's servitor races, the Spraatifex, or as they were once called in the initial point in the Temporal Cold War, the Sphere Builders.
Adjacent to the captain's station was a replicator. The open topped pad sat there awaiting the orders of those who would use it. "Computer, replicate Temporal Phase Neutralizing Rifle," he told the device. Glittering bits of matter Amalgamated together to form a weapon which the captain took in his hands. From his seat his rose and race to the turbolift. The turbolift prepared to open when it suddenly erupted in an explosion which sent Ovirosch hurtling across the room. In place of where the door once was now was a glowing rippling TRIBBLE of light at the center looking as though it emanated from a star. Out from the portal rose a celestial looking shimmering form that appeared incandescent as it sent ripples across the room. In the strange hand it possessed was a serpentine scepter that it raised above its supposable head.
From the rod ejected were bits of streaming lights that focused upon non-human individuals all around the room, causing them to shout in agony. Ovirosch was paralyzed by fear as Bayeb, Thelys, and many others appeared to be asphyxiating. Inas was not effected though. Persisting against the force, she pushed forward with a phaser in hand and blasted the semi-corporeal entity in the face. The thing lost concentration and faltered. In this brief moment, Bayeb seized his controls and syphoned all of the anti-temporal energy into the ship and the entire vessel raptured forward, actually going backwards in time. As this happened something interfered with the ship. The movement between temporal points did not happen instantaneously. Something was hindering their movement. The Devidian had evanesced without the portal going with it.
But then they did come somewhere. The viewscreen caused the crew to acknowledge that they came to be above a planet. From the planet emanated incessant waves of change. "It's Kepollia," Ovirosch said to himself.
"We need to get down there," he said once his bridge crew were recuperated enough to hear him.
"The transporters are inoperable," Thelys said.
"Then," he said, motioning to the portal, "is that safe to go through."
"My sensors indicate that the portal does lead to the planet, but I do not know where it ends up specifically, or whether it is safe for a human to go through."
"My father is on that planet and I can feel it."
Bayeb responded, "the population is growing every minute. Temporal disruption flowing across the planet show that the Devidians are moving more humans here from all across time, and that continual changing of the timeline is what is causing all of these changes."
"The Devidians must be forming a whole feeding ground of humans. Using them like livestock. Breeding them eugenically to get the best results."
"Then it's obvious, that because my father is from an ancestral line coming from Kepollia, his presence here in the breeding pool has disrupted the timeline, seeing as how we know that the Progenitor Paradox is a definite improbability, because it is mathematically impossible to go back in time and be our own grandfathers, and we must relocate any individuals who aren't suppose to be here back to where they belong. It is also reasonable to conclude, that," he said looking at his chronometric application at his station, "because we are in the past, and the known descendants are humans, perhaps that is how the human population came to Kepollia in the first place. If that is so, then there are definitely some errs in the timeline here."
"What do you recommend we do?" Bayeb asked.
"We're going to the planet," Ovirosch said. He looked at the readings on his tricorder that he scanned from the portal. He needed to take a risk, and he needed to take it now. He jumped through the portal.

captclazorus · October 2014

The brevity of the moment in which Ovirosch traveled through the portal was none the less resplendent because of its limit in length. He appeared in a strange, darkly glowing tunnel which emanated a sense of peculiar forbodingness. In the Cimmerian shadows, he saw certain points that were deviating from the majority of the surroundings and glowing brightly. These, after a few moments, Ovirosch recognized to be Devidians. The rough, coarse cave was alarming to the captain, but he managed to quell his apprehension with his expert training. Of course, time travellers had to be able to be well disciplined.
They did not pose him any harm, for some odd reason. They simply hung in the air as he passed them bye, headed to the end of the cave. He saw a light that offered to him the possibility of some end to the cave, and that the tunnel might have some completion. The Devidians were not just staying in one place, they were shifting back and forth between two dimensions. Between their world and his. The tunnel poured out into a field, a field full of humans, every one of them from different period in time, as their attire showed clearly. Each of these people, Ovirosch knew, had been collected by the Devidians from different zeitgeists, for ulterior purposes. But the sensors had shown that there was no decline whatsoever of the population and only an increase. What could this mean? If the Devidians were capturing humans, it usually meant that they were "hungering." But they weren't feasting. At least not yet. But what could it possibly mean to catch them, yet not feast on them, but tend to them... like shepherds or cattle herdsmen. Like in the Epic of the Odyssey, like the Cyclops. Yet this was much greater a matter. A matter of the human kind, in relation to another species, resembling a food source. Was that the way that Devidians viewed humans? The Devidians had to be stopped. Ovirosch reached a place in the field and stood for a long time. Glancing in the direction he had came from, he saw more, strange and distant cultured people arriving from the cave. "It's like a holding pen or a field." Confused looks were appearing on the faces all across the field. Men and women from Kenya, Pre-European North America, Switzerland, Colonial America, World War II Germany, and countless others. From the early years of the Martian colonies, from the first ships of Starfleet, from the original Romulan War, from the dawn of the Federation, the expansion of the Federation, and onwards. Various Starfleet officers were there. These were all officers captured by the Devidians, that were now being used. And because their population had become amalgamated with those of the past, who may or may not have been supposed to be there, the timeline was now changing. Obviously, some of these men and women had to stay here, or the human population that was found here in the future, the population that Ovirosch name came from, would never have been and would be inexplicable. He knew this was bound to be a sticky situation for the lone Rubicon to unweave. Why were there only humans here though? Why not more superior aliens? The Devidians fed off of neural energy. Why didn't they abduct humanoids with much more superior levels of neural energy? Like the Zyrvans or the Betazoids or the Trill symbionts or the Wruthites. He could not make sense of it.
He felt he was alone in this field as he wandered aimlessly about the field, looking for someone who might help. It was then that he caught eye of Lionel Ovirosch. His father stood close bye. Maxwell ran at a steady pace to see his father, who like him, was one of the few that could be seen who wore the Starfleet uniform of the 2880's.
"Father, it's you," Maxwell exclaimed, elated to see his father in safety.
"Yes, I know its me," he replied in manner that was the composition of half strict seriousness, and half pleasantry and humor. "Did they abduct you too?" He asked with concern dispersing across his old haggard and wrinkled face.
"I came willingly," Maxwell explained.
"Why the devil would you do that?"
"Because we had to stop them from bringing people here. They are ruining the timeline... and everyone's mood on board the Rubicon. Do you know why they are bringing all these humans here specifically?"
"Not specifically, but conjecture does have the predominant accessibility in this case. Obviously, they want to breed us like livestock. Livestock, I say! But you know, the majority of the superior species that humans have made first contact with have either admired us, or felt threatened by us. Which are both considerable compliments to humans..."
"Then... that's what the Devidians want. They want to selectively breed humans specifically because they have potential to grow into the most promising species in the galaxy. And because mankind has a general incline, in our next step in evolution, to become beings of mental and psychological superiority. We would be intellectually superior, especially if breeded correctly. They want us to evolve, so that they can drain the energy from the descendants that come from this planet. Obviously though, if we are to count our future as the standard, as is the suggested philosophy we have discovered, then we must dispose of the Devidians from here, and decide who stays and who returns to their time, and who goes on to build the beautiful society that is destined to some day fall under occupation and subjugation by the Cardassian Union."
"Indeed. We know what the 'the shape of things to come' is, we simply have to mold it so that it becomes such."
"Exactly. If the Devidians are still bringing people, I wander then if all of the necessary Ancestors are here to create the planet's future. If I can contact the Rubicon, somehow, I could have them find their files on who all was living on Kepollia when it was first discovered from the objective temporal scans. We can then do micro-scans of the individual's DNA and trace each one's heredity to the members present here, to determine the links in the chains necessary to support the timeline. First contact was made with the Kepollians in 2511, that's when we should start our scans."

captclazorus · October 2014

"If only there was a way..." Ovirosch said as they altered the combadge to bring their idea to the Rubicon's attention.
"A way for what?" his father asked him, with the dire look of curiosity in his eye that could only be the possession of a Starfleet captain.
"Well, theoretically, according to Temporal Scientists, Exotime exists outside of time and does not move with it, or at least not in the same way."
"Yes???"
"If the Devidians, because after our scans they only register as semi-corporeal beings, are not inclined to move and age with time, as some non-corporeal beings are, then they might react in the same way other entities do to chroniton radiation. The Federation Science Council has done a broad study of the Devidians before. The Devidians often use chroniton radiation, but in a very controlled environment," he said with a deeply curiousness. "But if we were to fire them on the fluctuating planet, there's no guarantee that the flux won't carry the destructive force of a chroniton torpedo across the planet to destroy all the humans as well. If all the humans are destroyed, and the timeline is restored without them, it may be quite impossible to ever travel back and undo the damage we may do here."
"We could transport them and set them to detonate in the densest areas of Devidian population," Lionel proffered. He stood back from having completed his work on the combadge. He had in recent days (if you could call the series of segments through which he had traveled through "days") come to be an expert at altering the temporal combadges. "We should be good to go on this front."
Ovirosch, junior, placed his finger on the little metal pin to activate it as Ovirosch, senior, stood back to see how well it was going to happen. As soon as it came to work, Ovirosch explained the entire situation to the Rubicon.

captclazorus · October 2014

"If we were to lock the temporal transporter on them," said Bayeb from the other end of the signal, "which produces a chroniton flux of 0.003, perhaps that would cause them to be sufficiently exposed and destroyed."
"Yes, I think that would work-" Ovirosch broke from conversing as he felt the presence of a gripping force on his back.
"Devidians!" Lionel shouted from his side.
Instinctively, he reached at his belt for his weapon... and found it? Without thinking of why the Devidians would not have tried to take it from him in transit through the portal, he fired the phaser and blasted the creature, causing it to be dissolved in a shifting form of energy.
"Why on earth would the Devidians let us keep our weapons?" Maxwell asked.
"I don't know. But if I have learned anything throughout my years of space travel, if an enemy with the upper hand allows you anything that could be beneficial to you, it must be even more beneficial to them," he said, finding on his shoulders his own phaser. Below where the Devidian had once been levitating, a ripple of temporal energy fluctuated in place. Maxwell, in a hasty manner, worked on his tricorder directioning the aim at the flux. Suddenly, and to the shock of both, the flux was torn open, becoming another portal. Maxwell pinned his combadge back on and kept communication with the Rubicon. Like bees, the Devidians swarmed from the portal, deciding now without reason to be violent. Lionel drew his phaser and released a golden burst upon them, which was magnetically spread to each Devidian present, causing them to shriek in their bizarre way. The majority evanesced away, but those who were less affected by the blast because it had depleted the most of its extreme power on the sole few recovered and continued the attack. In a second burst, all the Devidians were disrupted and thrown from the way.
"Are you thinkin what I'm thinkin?" Lionel asked his son.
"Is there any other way?" he asked him as they gained a sprint and traveled through the portal.

The room around them was indecisive, vacillating and ever changing it's face. It was a poorly lighted underground place, looking to Ovirosch like a sepulcher, and the fluctuation around them like the transition of a spirit from one universe to the next. Devidians came and went before them. One remained, holding in its hand a serpentine scepter, reminding Ovirosch of something. His father, who stood still beside him, had taught him of poetry and stories in his childhood. He was reminded by the staff of some long forgotten story, also referencing a writhing staff, by Hawthorne, maybe...
The levitating creature was a phantasm in rank, and it conveyed in its stern form, though all expression by Devidians were indistinguishable, the air of an executioner. Ovirosch worked ferociously to establish a link with the Rubicon. If they knew where they were, then maybe they could destroy these vile demons. As Maxwell worked, Lionel took the liberty of blasting the vermin in the chest. The retaliation came by the creature through a wave of triolic energy, causing Lionel to reel in pain. A force from the scepter grasped him, paralyzing him in his position. Maxwell caught notice of this and ran to his aid. He grabbed from his father's hand the weapon and fired upon the scepter. Devidians came, swarming around them, appearing from the walls. The walls continued to shift, and in their fluctuation one could see that on the on the other side was the darkness of Exotime. The combadge had fallen from Maxwell's hands, and as he sought to find it, he saw something materialize. In the pattern of a temporal transporter, a large bullet-like shape appeared. It was a chroniton torpedo!
He couldn't blame the Rubicon for taking initiative. As far down as they were, and with all of these conduits (portals) through which they could now vent the energy, they could now wipe out the central head of the Devidians. The combadge, if found, could be tweaked once more to produce an emergency transport. He ran to the torpedo, which he heard it count down to detonation. His footing found the ground very smooth, up until he was directly beside the torpedo. There he felt the texture under his boot of the combadge. But he couldn't move. The Devidian's power once more grasped him and Lionel. He felt himself grow weak. He felt reality begin to fade. And then he felt the dematerialization of the transporter.

He crashed onto the floor of the bridge. Beside him was his father. The Devidian was gone, dissolved by the chroniton radiation of transport.
"You're safe, Captain, but you've burnt out your ticket as far as temporal transporting goes," Weih said, approaching the ailing Captain. "Any more and you'll get temporal psychosis."
"Wh... wh.." Ovirosch tried. "When are we?"
"At the time before the Devidians were destroyed," Bayeb began to explain, "we couldn't save you. So we had to wait till later to reach. We did manage to include you in our rescues, as we are now 76% through our sifting through the planet's population, though it will take quite a deal more time. Fortunately, the planet is extremely similar to Earth, so the humans won't know the difference between this world and Earth. And for those returning, it will all have been a bizarre dream."
Ducane stepped up to the recovering Captain. "We're also doing everything we can to retrieve all the living abducted crewmen. And repair the ship while we at it. That will take some time. Unfortunately, we can't recover the Momentum and her crew at present."
"I was an Engineer back in the day. I'll see if I can't help while I'm here," Lionel said dutifully, while still with the leadership of his rank.
Once the others had departed from them, Ovirosch and Bayeb stood still together.
"You led well today. I realize that the temporal alterations must have had severe effects on Zosni, prohibiting him from serving." Ovirosch shifted back and forth a little.
"Correct," Bayeb replied.
"Well, you made the right choice in risking my life."
Bayeb, with a confused look, shared a curious eye-contact. He spoke after a moment. "So you are saying that my choice might have been considered questionable?" A long, awkward silence penetrated them for a long while.
"Well, I certainly didn't appreciate it at the time!" Ovirosch said in a wryly humorous manner.

"Your dedication is ineffably appreciated, Mr. Hanroth," said the Plveean. He reclined in an extremely comfortable seat, wearing the rich style of suit of his people. The frilly outfit's long frilled sleeves were draped across the arms of the chair. "My identity must be covered up. Your organization offers them closure. They need an answer. You must give it to them."
"Of course, Suzerain," Hanroth said. "With my arrest will come the safety for your mission. It has not been yet fully revealed to me, but I trust your judgement." The hybrid-augment pawn bowed with unquestionable love for the leader that sat before him.
"Archer and the others must not succeed. But you and the others whom I have funded must leave his defeat to me. The Order of Omega is a worthy investment, and you as their leader could not have failed. But that is no longer possibly. You have another calling. Go now. The genetic surgeons have given excellent effort in altering your appearance to match mine. You know how to operate the temporal holocommunicator as a time travel portal. It will take some time before they catch you. But remember. You cannot fail. I have given you your existence and now life is yours."
Jamron Hanroth left. The pawn would confuse the Temporal Agency into a state where Naln no longer had to fear being discovered. Hanroth disappeared in the box that communicated to the past organizations that Naln had manipulated over the years.
"ot-Ksul," Naln said, seemingly to himself, "you and I know differently from what he believes, don't we." A Devidian appeared.
"Indeed we do. My hunters have been there. We know the true strategy," the creature replied.
"The Order of Omega has outlived it's usefulness. I think that you will find its Augment members, with their neurological superiority, most appetizing."
"Yesssss...." he said in an equivalent of the creature's licking of the lips. "And we have your exchange."
"Good. I see its own failure in capability didn't erase it completely, but almost pushed it out of Exotime." The Devidian handed him a pad.
"It has been stabilized."
"Good." The sovereign looked out at the balcony. The suns were shining on the pleasant morning. The village was warmed by their beauty, and its citizens were quite rejoiceful in its presence. "They think that Archer is the enemy." He laughed in an unstable manner. "It doesn't manner what they think, so long as my people can survive. So long as they prosper. My people can't ever die now. When my people are 'liberated' from my 'dictatorship,' the Federation will be there to take care of them."
Naln turned to see the Devidian had vanished as the thrall had arrived. "The scribes of the city have been bombarding me. They want to know about your recent victories."
"Tell them that the foe will soon come to an end." He spoke the truth, but the servant did not know of which enemy he spoke.

The End of "A Hungry Man"

Written by CJ Sidus

Star Trek: Rubicon (Season 2)

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