Here is my challenge entry. Full of Alternate, time travelling, Christmasy goodness. A Tale of Temporal Gifting 6 December 2408 New Brisbane, New Queensland, United Commonwealth of Planets Karen 'Kezza' Allenby arrived home from the University where she had been going over her research notes from her trip to the jungles of Ispwitch Island a few months before. “Urgent call is waiting for your attention” the computer said. Kezza froze. She knew of only one person who would be wanting to contact her urgently. “Open the channel” she said, with a nervous edge in her voice. The call started on the main screen. It was the Head of the Estaria Sector Division of the Commonwealth Interstellar Intelligence Agency, William Samuels. “Miss Allenby, I have just been apraised of a situation that requires your attention” he said, without preamble. “What is the situation?” she asked. “A member of Section 31 has taken it upon herself to travel back in time and change the timeline, the Enterprise is enroute to New Queensland with the information you need. They will beam you up and then slingshot around the local sun” Samuels said. “How do we know it hasn't happened yet?” Kezza asked. “The Department of Temporal Affairs is monitoring the situation, and are saying that the follow-up incursion must take place within a very short time before the timeline changes. The Enterprise is entering the New Queensland system now, start packing! Good luck Miss Allenby” Samuels said. The message then ended. “Message ended by unknown phenomenon!” the computer said. 'It may be already changing!' Kezza thought. She quickly packed, and was ready when the Enterprise signaled. CSS Enterprise NCC 1701 F Kezza jumped off the transporter platform after she had materialised. “Welcome to the Enterprise Kezza” Samuel Lewis said. He was an old friend of Kezza's who was also the ship's chief conn officer. “Have you received the present that I had sent you?” Kezza asked. “Yes, I have. It remains unopened of course, until the actual day. But I have it” Samuel said. “Cool” Kezza said. “Anyhow, I need to escort you to the Bridge, where Captain Walker will brief you on the information that the CIIA has sent” Lewis said. “After you” Kezza said, indicating the door out of the transporter room. The bridge of the Enterprise was full of activity as Lewis and Allenby arrived on the turbolift. “Welcome to the Enterprise Miss Allenby” Captain Mickaela Walker said, as Lewis and Allenby walked out. “Good to be here. So what is the basics of the information that the CIIA has sent?” Kezza asked, all business. “Come and sit and I'll tell you” Walker said. She went over and sat in her command chair, she indicated that Kezza sit in the vacant seat to her left. As Lewis took his place at the Conn, Kezza sat next to the Captain. “The Section 31 agent is intending to travel back to the 2360's and alter the timeline by interfering with a releif mission near the Romulan Neutral Zone It is more complex than that, but that is where she is going first” the Captain said. But then there were alarms. “Sensors are picking up temporal distortions, captain. The timeline is changing! The New Queensland System will be overtaken in less than 5 minutes!” the Science Officer Sara Livingstone said. “Confirmed. Chroniton readings are off the scale. The temporal ripples will reach New Queensland in 4 minutes, 45 seconds” the Operations Manager, Yolanda Hernandez, said. The Captain thought for a moment. “Are we ready for the Slingshot Maneouvre?” she asked. “We are Captain. The calculations have been entered into the computer. We will end up at the right time” Lewis said. “Then lay in the course for a Slingshot Maneouvre around the New Queensland Star and engage at Maximum warp” the Captain said. The Enterprise warped out of orbit of New Queensland as the temporal ripples reached the system's outermost planet. “Warp One. Warp Two. Warp Three. Warp Four. Warp Five” Lewis said as the ship accelerated. An alarm sounded. “The temporal ripples have sped up! We now may not reach the Star in time!” Livingstone said. “Warp Seven!” “Bridge to Engineering, we need as much power as possible to the engines!” the Captain said. “Warp Eight, crossing the orbit of the innermost planet! Warp Eight Point Five!” The bridge lights dimmed to the emergency lighting. “All possible power diverted to engines Captain” the Chief Engineer said. “Warp Nine! Warp Nine Point Three, Nine point Six, nine point nine” “We are going to make it” Livingstone said. “Warp Nine point Nine Nine Nine!” The Enterprise slingshotted (slungshot?) around the New Queensland Star and through time. A second later and the ship would have been nonexistant... Time sequence “The temporal ripples have sped up! We now may not reach the Star in time!” “I would surmise that this starship may be from the future” “Trust me Captain, you do not want to know what I am capable of!' “Fascinating” “Is that all you can say, you green blooded computer!?” 13 December 2368 In the Star system that would, in the correct timeline, host a Commonwealth colony named New Queensland in 20 – 30 years time, the Enterprise from 2408 appeared out of its timewarp. “Are we when we are supposed to be?” the Captain asked. “Affirmative, we are now reading the Commonwealth Time Base Beacons. It is 22:15 hrs on the 13th December 2368. Or if you prefer, Stardate 45945.3” Livingstone said. “Where is the Enterprise D supposed to be now?” the captain asked. “According to the records, they are returning to Commonwealth space after Captain Riker had his experience with the Ressikan Memory Probe. Their next major mission will be at Deviidia II, where the Deviidians were interfering with history in the late 19th Century. The Enterprise will be there on December 30 if the timeline is restored” Hernandez said. “Transfer the Enterprise's route from the encounter with the Ressikan Memory Probe to Deviidia II to the conn” Captain Walker said. Hernandez tapped a few 'buttons'. “Done” she said. “Enterprise D course received” Lewis said. “Lay in an intercept course and engage at Warp 9.995” Captain Walker said. Lewis laid in the course and initiated it. The Enterprise F went to warp. “We will meet with the other Enterprise in 2 days” he said. “Good” the Captain said. She then continued telling Kezza about the information that they had received from the CIIA. 16 December 2368 CSS Enterprise NCC 1701 D Captain William T. Riker walked out onto the Bridge of the Enterprise more than slightly tired. He had been trying to play the Ressikan tunes that he remembered from his experience with the Memory Probe on the saxophone (rather than the flute which had been recovered from the Probe). Without much success. The Ressikan tunes were quite simply not Jazz. The result of trying to play the Ressikan tunes on the sax' was a Jazz-like conversion of the tunes. He had only got 5 hours sleep before he had got up to go on duty. He thought about talking to Counsellor Troi about the impact the experience with the Memory Probe had had on his mind. “Report Data” he said. “Most of the Gamma Shift was uneventful Sir. However, 30 minutes ago long range sensors picked up an unknown vessel moving towards us at a very high warp factor. The vessel will be proximate to our position within 5 minutes.” Commander Data said. Riker sat down in the Command Chair. “Anything else?” he asked. “Nothing Sir” Data said. “All Stop” Captain Riker ordered. “Answering all stop” Ensign Ro Laren said at the Conn. The Enterprise dropped out of warp and came to a full stop. Enterprise F “The Enterprise D has dropped out of warp” the tactical officer, T'Shala Verys, said. “Prepare for roundezvous” Captain Walker said. 5 minutes later the Kelvin Class Enterprise F dropped out of warp next to the Galaxy Class Enterprise D. “Ship matches no known ship in the Commonwealth database captain” the Operations Manager, Miranda Kadohata, said. “And yet, it's design is clearly that of Starfleet” Riker said. “I would surmise that this starship may be from the future” Data said. “The unknown starship is hailing Sir” Worf said from the tactical station. “On Screen Mr Worf” Riker said. "This is Captain Mickaela Walker of the Commonwealth Starship Enterprise NCC 1701 F" “This is Captain William Riker of the Commonwealth Starship Enterprise D. But I suppose that you already know that Captain Walker. What is the purpose of the your starship's journey into your past?” "The timeline is being changed Captain Riker. I would like to beam over with some of my crew and debrief you on the situation" Captain Walker said. “Agreed” Riker said, after some thinking. “Then I will see you in a few minutes” Captain Walker said. The call then ended. “That was unexpected” Riker said. “Shall I meet them in the Transporter Room Sir?” Data asked. “Yes Data. Take Worf, Ro and Kadohata with you” Riker said. “Yes Sir” Miles Edward O'Brien didn't know what to expect after Captain Riker had informed him that the Enterprise had met with an Enterprise from the future. Obviously something was happening, or they wouldn't have had come back in time. He had almost gotten defensive with the other Enterprise's transporter technician when she had called his Enterprise's transporter mechanisms 'primitive'. Which he supposed that they might be. But still there was a principle... He was thinking about Christmas, and how Keiko might enjoy it this year, when Data, Worf, Ro and Kadohata entered the transporter room, and the other Enterprise signaled that they were ready for transport. “Ready for transport” he said. “Energize” Data said. He initiated the transport sequence. The Enterprise F crewmembers (and Karen Allenby) materialised in the Enterprise D transporter room. “Welcome to the mid 24th Century Enterprise” Data said. “You must be Commander Data. I am Captain Mickaela Walker. These are my operations officer Yolanda Hernandez, my tactical officer T'Shala Verys and this is Karen Allenby, a consultant attached to the Enterprise for this mission” “Captain Riker is waiting in the Observation Lounge for you and your crewmembers. Accompany me please” Data said. The 2 groups left the transporter room. 5 minutes later both groups were seated in the Observation Lounge behind the bridge. “So, Captain Walker, why are you here?” Riker asked. “To begin, the Commonwealth Interstellar Intelligence Agency and Starfleet were contacted by an agent of Section 31. She said she was changing the timeline, in this time period...” Captain Walker began. “Section 31?” Riker asked, he did not know of any organisation by that name. “Put succinctly, Section 31 is a secret society that protects and manipulates the Commonwealth for its own ends. It may have had started out differently but it's priorities is the protection of its secrecy first and protecting the Commonwealth second” Karen Allenby said. “There are rumours of such an organisation, that has been in existance since before the founding of the Commonwealth. However most such rumours are contradictory” Data said. “If this organisation is so secret, how do you know about it?” Dr. Beverly Crusher asked. “Our Enterprise has been involved in foiling some of their plans” T'Shala said. “It's existance was brought to my attention by Q, for some strange reason. I then ran into an operation during a research trip I was on. They were doing something illegal on the colony planet that I had moved to.” Kezza said. “Ok. So what does this agent want to do to change the timeline?” Riker asked. “First she wants to release a series of viruses at Memory Alpha that will distrupt the Commonwealth's Subspace Network, which will then be a distraction as she then attempts to provoke the Romulans to declare war on the Commonwealth” Kezza said. “It is highly unlikely that a series of viruses released at a single point could disrupt the network to the point where the Romulans being provoked would go without notice. Even if that point is Memory Alpha” Data said. “The Subspace Network is highly redundant” He continued. “Nethertheless, disrupting the Network would in of itself change the timeline. The butterfly effects from such a disruption would be unpredictable, and would not be counteractable” Kezza said. Data analysed this new information and then replied. “It appears that Miss Allenby is correct. A disruption to the Network would bring about a change in the timeline regardless of whether or not the Romulans are subsequently provoked.” he said. “I agree Data, we need to go to Memory Alpha. I hope that it is not a distraction from whatever other plan she might really be doing” Riker said. “That remains a possibility. Going to Memory Alpha is the best thing we can do at the moment. It would also be a good idea to contact Starfleet Command” Captain Walker said. “Good thinking” Captain Riker said. The conference went on for another 5 minutes before Riker sent a message to Starfleet Command about the situation. Then Walker and T'Shala beamed back to their Enterprise before both ships went to warp, on course for Memory Alpha. The lunch crowd had left Ten Forward. But Guinan noticed that one person had stayed, and was now staring out of the window at the warp streaks. She walked over to the person. “Difficult, isn't it. Being out of your own time, not knowing if you will be able to return to the same future that you had left?” she asked. Kezza turned to the El-Aurian who had disturbed her thoughts. “You mean that you have time travelled as well?” she asked. “More than once” Guinan enigmatically said. "I don't know how I got into this situation. One moment I am coming home and thinking about Christmas, and then the next I am beaming up to the Enterprise, and outrunning a change in the timeline. And yes, Guinan, I do not know whether I will be able to return to the future that I left" Kezza said, she breathed a heavy sigh. "I mean, I am a Botanist! Plants are a lot easier to understand than the multitude of theories behind time-travel!" “You are overwhelmed. I can understand that. I have been overwhelmed many times in my life. What you need to do is relax. Get involved in the preparations for Christmas on the Enterprise, either Enterprise.” Kezza thought about objecting, but then thought the better of it. It would be another 2 days before the 2 ships arrived at Memory Alpha. Getting involved with the Enterprise crew's Christmas preparations was better than simply moping in Ten Forward. “Thankyou for listening Guinan” Kezza said. “Are you involved in the Christmas preparations?” she asked. “Only in a small role” Guinan said, enigmatic as ever. “Though I have heard that Data is getting more involved. If anything will help him learn to be more human, it is Christmas” she continued. “Interesting” Kezza said. “If you do not mind my asking, what does Christmas mean to you?” Guinan asked. Kezza spent a short moment of time pondering her answer. “It is very important to me. The 2408 Christmas was going to be the first Christmas without my family within easy transport distance. I know that I could meet with them over subspace, but that is not the same” Kezza said. She was then in thought. Guinan had the impression that Kezza's family was very important to her. “There are other reason's why Christmas is important to me, but family is one of the main ones” Kezza continued. “The first Christmas I had was when I first arrived on Earth, the traditions have hardly changed since” Guinan said. “I agree that in general the traditions have not changed, but versions of those traditions combining those of other Commonwealth members have appeared since the Commonwealth's founding” Kezza said. “That is true” Guinan said. “For instance, on Cait, a cultural group has emerged that has combined Christmas and some Caitian winter solstice traditions. It is relatively popular during this time period” Kezza said. She and Guinan continued talking about Christmas for another 10 minutes. Ro Laren entered Ten Forward as the Dinner crowd was starting to enter, taking in the sight of the crew lounge bedecked in decorations. Many of the conversations that she could hear were about Christmas. There were even some members of the crew attempting to sing carols, without much success at keeping a tune. She didn't understand Christmas. There was no mid-winter celebration on Bajor that came close to the festivality that Christmas did, even before the Cardassians had started their extended invasion. She then noticed that Robin Leftler was waving at her, and talking to someone who had their back to Ro. She walked over to Leftler. “She is coming” Robin Leftler said. “Are you sure that this is a good idea?” Kezza asked. “Oh I am sure, it would be a minor change compared to the one that you are trying to prevent. You are getting involved in the Enterprise Christmas preparations. What is one more person? Besides I may have involved her in a few days anyway” Robin said. “Yes, it is a relief to be not thinking about the problems related to time travel. I had been going over and over everything since the other Enterprise arrived in this time” Kezza said. Then Ro Laren arrived at their table. “Ensign Leftler, for what reason have you asked me over here?” she asked. “Laren, meet Karen Allenby. She is the botanist turned secret agent from the future” “You didn't have to put it quite like that Robin” Karen said. She turned to Ro. “You may call me Kezza” They shook hands, awkwardly. “Yes, we met in the transporter room” Laren said. “So, Laren. How would you like to help with the Party on the 25th?” Robin asked. “You are going to keep asking, aren't you?” Laren asked. The look on Robin's face was obvious. “Then I will help” “Excellent!” Robin said, laughing. Kezza chuckled a little as well. Laren didn't know what they were up to... She met Guinan's eyes across the room, and saw a small smile on the El-Aurian's face. She knew that she was in for something. Continued in next post due to character limit
Continuation 18 December 2368 The 2 Enterprises dropped out of warp near Memory Alpha. “I am reading the normal amount of subspace radio activity. The disruption has not occurred as of yet” Data said from one of the science stations. “I concurr” Yolanda Hernandez said, from the other Enterprise. “Thankyou Data. Now we find ourselves with the task of locating the Section 31 operative before she unleashes those viruses. It is like a needle in a haystack” Riker said. “You have informed the authorities on Memory Alpha haven't you?” Captain Walker asked. “Starfleet Command has given me orders to only inform a few people, in fear of creating a panic that would also change the timeline” Riker said. “That is a wise move” the Enterprise F first officer Natima Dacet said. It had come as a bit of shock to Riker to find out that the other Enterprise's first officer was a Cardassian. It was still a bit of a shock, but he took that to indicate that relations between the Commonwealth and the Cardassian Union will improve. “I have imformed a few people. They will be helping us in trying to locate the operative” Riker said. “We will be sending a team down in 5 minutes” Captain Walker said. “As will we” Riker said. Memory Alpha – That same time. In a deserted corridor, in one of Memory Alpha's many libraries, 2 figures appeared in flashes of light. One of them whips out a tricorder. “I am reading no distruption in the Subspace Network, we have arrived in the right time” one of them said. “Of course we have arrived in the right time Anna, I am never wrong when it comes to time travel” the other said. CSS Enterprise F A tone emitted from the operations console. “Sensors have picked up a momentary subspace disturbance on the surface of Memory Alpha” Hernandez said. “Do you think that it might be related to the reason why we are here?” Captain Walker asked. “It is likely” Hernandez said. “Then maybe we ought to send the away team to that location” Walker said, hoping that was a good thing to do. She informed Riker of the sensor reading and her decision. Memory Alpha 2 away teams, one from each Enterprise, materialised in a library corridor. “The sensor reading originated in a corridor perpendicular to this one, about 20 metres to the north” Hernandez said. “Proceed” Data said. The combined teams moved out, with Hernandez leading point with her tricorder. “I am reading one human lifesign in the area. It may be the operative” Hernandez said. “Phasers at the ready” Data said. Most of the people in the teams armed themselves, including Allenby. They then walked slowly towards where Hernandez had indicated. They didn't know what to expect. They certainly did not expect to see what they saw next. Instead of 1 person, they saw 2. “Q!?” Allenby said. For indeed it was Q, in his familiar human form, although he wasn't wearing a Starfleet uniform. (Instead wearing clothes with Hawaiian motifs) “Yes, Kezza and both sets of Enterprise crewmembers. It is I” Q said. “Do you have anything to do with the operative from the Enterprise F's time period who is attempting to change the progression of the timeline?” Data asked. Q gestured to himself “Moi? No Data, I am here as an observer. And as transport for Anna here, who is from further in your future than the Enterprise F and has discovered something that you need to know” 'Anna' stepped forward from beside Q. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anna Jones, from over a decade in the Enterprise F's future, and the plan that you have come to Memory Alpha to foil is part of a greater plan to change the history of the Commonwealth” “It is?” Allenby asked. “But that makes this situation even more complex” she said, slightly dejectedly. “I concurr with you assessment Miss Allenby” Data said. He then turned to Anna Jones. “Do you know where we can find the operative who is planning to release the malware?” “I was attempting to locate the operative even as you walked up. I haven't found her yet though” Anna said. “I suppose that Q might know” Worf said. “I can find her and take you there but I cannot interefere any further” Q said, he refrained from using his usual appelation for the Klingon as said Klingon needed to be focused on the task at hand. Data and Hernandez contacted their respective Enterprise's, informing Riker and Walker of the situation with Q and what would happen next. Both Captains agreed, athough they had reservations about Q's motivations, and then Q flashed the group to the location of the Section 31 operative... Finally she was alone. The computer lab was empty, after the last of the students studying at the Commonwealth Interstellar University Memory Alpha Campus had left, it being after midnight in this time zone. “Now I can release the malware” she said. She interfaced her portable computer (PorComp) with the workstation she was at. The workstation then showed the Subspace Network Traffic in the vicinity of Memory Alpha. It showed hundreds of millions of messages going to and fro, as well as the traffic through the Memory Alpha nodes and servers of the Commonwealth's Online Information Network (COINet). She then opened another program on her PorComp. A window opened, and a message flashed up on the screen. Are you sure you want to release malware? Just then the Enterprise away teams were flashed in. “There she is!” Allenby said. Without hesitation the operative pressed 'Yes'. She put the the PorComp down and produced a phaser. “You are too late! The viruses and other malware have been released!” Worf and T'Shala brandished their phasers. “You are under arrest!” Worf said. Data accessed one of the vacant work stations and then went to work attempting to combat the malware. All this occurred in just a few seconds. “You cannot get away with this!” Anna said. “Oh, but I have, and your future is about to change” the operative said. She picked up the PorComp again and pressed a button. A transporter beam took her. “Leftler to Enterprise D, can you track that transporter beam?” In orbit, there was a shimmer as a small ship decloaked. “Kadohata, run a scan on that ship!” Riker said. She ran a scan on the ship, the sensors detecting a human lifesign transporting aboard, and then the ship cloaked. “Run a tachyon scan” Riker said. On the other Enterprise Walker leapt into action. “Run an antiproton scan” she said. “Affirmative” the beta shift operations manager, Kellie Allison said. The operative breathed a sigh of relief as she materialised on her vessel. She rushed to the cockpit and checked on the subspace traffic. She found that it had not lowered anywhere near to the level that she expected for the length of time that the malware had been released. 'Data must be counteracting the effect of the malware!' she thought. She didn't know what to do about that. “Computer show me all available information on Soong Type Androids” she said. One of the cockpit screens began to fill up with information. Indeed Data was counteracting the malware, with a small amount of help from the other members of the away teams, and Anna Jones. He didn't know why Q was just standing there, 'Observing' as he put it. Inside the Cyberspace of Memory Alpha, Data battled the malware that was released by the operative. One program was distrupting communications between various databanks on Memory Alpha. Another was attempting to transmit itself to Vulcan. Another was deleting files at the University. Yet another was embedding itself in innocent files to infect users computers anywhere in the Commonwealth when they were next accessed. All these and more Data was combattng. Noonian Soong had designed him well. He had multiple windows open on the workstation and switching between different ones many times a second. He was also writing a program that would combat the malware by itself when it was complete increasing the reduction of the disruption effect of the malware that was released, and reducing the amount of timeline flux. “Data is doing well, the Subspace traffic is hardly being distrupted” Karen said, to Anna. “He is doing well, but the malware was still released, which means that there is now a variance in historical progression at Memory Alpha” Anna said. “Yes, but it is miniscule compared to what it could have been” Karen said. Anna then conceeded that point. The operative was still reading the information on Soong Type Androids when the computer beeped for her attention. She looked at one of the sensor panel. She could see that the Enterprise F's antiproton beam was moving close to her vessel's position. “Computer move ship into a higher orbit” she said. “Confirmed” the computer said. The ship moved into a higher orbit, out of range for the Enterprise's antiproton beam. To be continued... Yes it is incomplete, but I tried my best.
A very interesting and convoluted tale. I almost missed the CSS at first-until Captain Riker showed up. I look forward to reading the rest of the tale.
Oh intrigued as to why it's the CSS? What is the difference that caused that. Plus no Picard so is he dead? So many questions so many possibilities. Coolness.
CSS stands for 'Commonwealth Star Ship' As for the lack of Picard, it becomes obvious when you think about it. (Something happening earlier in the TNG timeframe) Thankyou!
I got what it stood for. I merely meant I wonder what occurred in this timeline to make it so called and also intrigued as to how Picard's fate came about. Looking forward to reading how it is this time line is the way it is tho! And what part Q has to play in it all. At the very least he must miss Picard so might like to rectify things to put that much right in the universe. But then again who knows why Q does what he does or doesn't.
A shame you didn't get to finish it as you left us with quite an interesting situation. A questions that made me scratch my head however. Why did the future Enterprise decide to join up with past Enterprise if contamination of the time line is such a big issue? Maybe an accidental encounter would have been more plausible. Otherwise, a fun if open-ended story.
I just read this today, after the contest was over. But I liked it for the reasons Cejay mentioned. It was fun. I hope you revisit this storyline again... Rob