Randor
Lieutenant Commander
“And THAT dear Watson was how the killer removed his restrains and escaped with the Fire Scepter of Korlon!
Geordi La Forge blew a sigh. “Great Data, another great adventure with you leading the way and me transcribing the whote thing.
“Geordi, is something the matter? You seem upset.”
“It’s nothing Data. It’s just that things are always the same. I follow you around the Holodeck writing everything down and you have all the fun… I know I know, you don’t have fun, but you get my point.
“I see what…”
“Picard to all senior officers to the bridge, staff meeting in ten minutes.”
“It’s not a big deal, Data, come on.”
Captain’s log Stardate 45903.4, the Enterprise has responded to a distress call from the planet Halka in the Omicron Indi star system. A rogue asteroid has broken free of the system’s belt and is headed for an imminent collision with the planet.
“I just don’t see what we can do,” Geordi said, from his spot in the conference lounge. That asteroid measures 950 kilometers in diameter.”
Sonya Gomez and Reg Barclay had been invited to his meeting as mission specialists. They both sat across from Geordi at the table.
Gomez leanded forward. “What about generating a subspace field around the asteroid. Make it lighter and try to nudge it a few degrees off course with a tractor beam.”
La Forge nodded “I thought about that. We tried something similar a couple of years ago around Bre’el IV. A moon about the same size as that asteroid had fallen out of orbit. Enterprise was nearly torn to shreds in the process.”
“Geordi,” Data began, “we may be on the wrong track. Our recent encounter with the Romulans may be the key to solving this crisis.
Snapping his fingers, La Forge sat upright. “Data you’re right!”
Barclay looked shocked. “Commander, you- you- cant mean a a cloaking device!
“Not just a cloak, Lieutenant,” Data said, “a phase-shifting apparatus. We could install it on the asteroid surface making it impervious to normal matter.”
“And it’d pass right through the planet, not even touching a single molecule!” Geordi finished for him.
Picard looked at the engineers. “That’s quite a plan, Mister La Forge, I commend your team on it’s ingenuity.
Geordi smiled. “We can get the device running inside of two day and it’s only a matter of setting up the power feeds on the surface and riding it through.”
“Riding it through?” asked Commander Riker.
“That’s the stickler, sir. In order to keep the device running, it’s going to have to monitored constantly. If the phase variance were to drift as many as three decimal places, we’d crack the planet apart during transit. The good thing is the asteroid contains an atmosphere just like some of the asteroids out near the Badlands. It’ll make going down there are easier not being confined to environmental suits.
Picard looked pleased. “Let me know when the device is ready. I will have to meet with the Halkan Council in order to proceed however. They are a very pacifist people and it really galled them to have to ask for Starfleet’s help. They denied us access to those dilithium deposits of theirs a century ago because they may have been used to power a weapon. This is going to be a very delicate diplomatic overture.
Beverly snorted. “Maybe, but you’d think they’d be receptive to the fact that we’re their only hope.”
“Approaching the Halkan System, Captain, asteroid is coming into range at two for nine mark twelve.”
“Take us within transport range. Number One, you’re team is ready?”
“Aye sir, we’ll be ready to deploy the phase cloak as soon as you give the word.”
Picard nodded. “Very well, Enterprise will be orbiting Halka, settling any disputes they have regarding our plan.”
“Understood. We’re on our way.”
A few moments passed before Chief O’Brien’s voice filtered over the com system. “Transport successful sir, Away Team has reported in.
“Thank you chief. Helm, set a course for Halka, full impulse power. Counselor Troi, you’re with me.”
“We welcome you to Halka, I am First Councillor Prellit Zim. We greet you in peace.”
“Thank you, Councillor, I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard and this is my ship’s counselor Lieutenant Commander Deanna Troi. “The Federation received your call from help regarding the asteroid. I have a team on it right now working on a way to prevent it from impacting your planet.”
Prellit looked uneasy. “I must ask, Captain, are your weapons involved?”
“No, Councillor, Starfleet’s mission is one of peace. We have created a device that will phase the asteroid out of our frame of reference allowing it to pass through your world without damaging it or your planet.”
“That is welcome news!” Prellit exclaimed. “We have been wary of Starfleet since your Captain Kirk arrived more than one hundred years ago. He begged for rights to mine our dilithium and we turned him down. We told him we’d die as a race before supplying anyone with the means to cause death and destruction.”
“I admire your ethics,” Picard said. “It is rare to find such a peaceful race in the galaxy. I wish more of the galaxy followed your lead.”
“How long until your team has completed its mission?” Prellit asked.
“I am awaiting word at this moment. The asteroid is due to hit in two days, they should be finished in a matter of hours.”
“Enterprise to Captain Picard.”
“Go ahead, Beverly,” the captain said tapping his combadge.
“Message from Commander Riker’s team, sir, they’re ready to deploy the device.”
“Tell them to make it so, we have the permission of the Halkan Council.”
“Understood, Crusher out.”
* * *
Will Riker had never been on an M-Class asteroid. It was a fascinating experience. Even thought there was breathable air, and a dense atmosphere, space was still clearly visible high above.
A few meters away the meter tall phase shifting device sat on its tripod, a number of cables extending from it to the standard issue Starfleet computer interfaces that were being run by Data.
“How are we doing?”
“The diagnostics are complete, Commander. I am ready to activate the device for testing.”
“Okay, let’s give it a try,” Riker said. “Throw the switch.”
Data slid the power actuation toggles and the power from the nearby generator flowed through the cable, traveled along the converter fields and entered the device.
A white flash blurred Riker’s vision and he found himself dizzy and stumbling backwards. He blinked several times until he felt Data’s firm grip pulling him to his feet.
“What happened?”
“Looks like a phase differential pulse hit us,” Geordi said. “When Ro and I were phased we both lost consciousness, but I’d thought it was due to the fact that we’d been beaming at the same time.”
Riker pulled out his tricorder and flipped it open. “We seem to be all right now. How’s the apparatus?”
La Forge returned to the device and activated the monitor. “What the hell..” he tapped several commands. “Commander, the entire things off line. The sensor grid we installed, it’s picking up Halka, but…”
“But what, Geordi?” Riker demanded, becoming demanded.
“The surface, sir, it’s been completely blown away. And from the scars on the surface, it was a phaser barrage.” The panel beeped. “There’s a ship coming in: Klingon. Vorcha-Class from the look of her.”
“What the hell is going on,” Riker snapped, slapping his combadge. “Riker to Enterprise!”
Above them, the blue-green hull of the Klingon Battlecruiser became visible as it settled into position above them. “Riker to Enterprise!”
The Klingon cruiser slowed to a relative stop.. and an instant later a phaser beam rippled through its aft port quarter, breaking the ship in two. An second later a spread of photon torpedoes found their marks on its primary hull, finishing the job. Like an angel, a Galaxy-Class ship emerged from the debris and fired her breaking thrusters.
This wasn’t his Enterprise. She sported a third warp nacelle and a massive phaser cannon hung in a sling-like apparatus on the bottom of the saucer section.
The black lettering on her hull blazed ISS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.
Before the away team could respond they were swept away in the quantum mist of transporter harmonics.
* * *
The away team resolved in what looked like a normal transporter room. However the two individuals standing near the control console shocked everyone.
Tasha Yar and Will Riker stood before them, weapons drawn.
The other Riker, his clean shaven face sneered back at them. “You’re all under arrest in the name of the Terran Empire. Any resistance will result in much unpleasantness.” He looked to two security guards just entering the room. “Take them to the brig, but send the Klingon down to the booth first. We’ll need to break him.”
Before anyone could say another word, Data and Worf reacted at once, throwing themselves at the guards and the other version of Riker. Worf caught both guards in his bare hands and shattered their skulls together.
Behind him, Data had leapt off the transporter pad and tore thought the console, reaching for Yar’s phaser. He got within twenty three millimeters before a bright blue beam came in from the open doorway. Two more security officers, disruptors in hand charged in and stunnded Worf and maded doubly sure Data had been rendered inert.
Riker, La Forge and Gomez stared in shocked awe. The other version of Riker smiled. “Klingons. So predictable. Take the android to level 36. Tell La Forge he has a new toy.”
“Who the hell are you people?” Riker demanded.
The mirror copy turned back to him. “Your better half, I assure.” He jerked his thumb to the door. “Brig. Now. Klingon to the booth.”
* * *
Geordi La Forge blew a sigh. “Great Data, another great adventure with you leading the way and me transcribing the whote thing.
“Geordi, is something the matter? You seem upset.”
“It’s nothing Data. It’s just that things are always the same. I follow you around the Holodeck writing everything down and you have all the fun… I know I know, you don’t have fun, but you get my point.
“I see what…”
“Picard to all senior officers to the bridge, staff meeting in ten minutes.”
“It’s not a big deal, Data, come on.”
Captain’s log Stardate 45903.4, the Enterprise has responded to a distress call from the planet Halka in the Omicron Indi star system. A rogue asteroid has broken free of the system’s belt and is headed for an imminent collision with the planet.
“I just don’t see what we can do,” Geordi said, from his spot in the conference lounge. That asteroid measures 950 kilometers in diameter.”
Sonya Gomez and Reg Barclay had been invited to his meeting as mission specialists. They both sat across from Geordi at the table.
Gomez leanded forward. “What about generating a subspace field around the asteroid. Make it lighter and try to nudge it a few degrees off course with a tractor beam.”
La Forge nodded “I thought about that. We tried something similar a couple of years ago around Bre’el IV. A moon about the same size as that asteroid had fallen out of orbit. Enterprise was nearly torn to shreds in the process.”
“Geordi,” Data began, “we may be on the wrong track. Our recent encounter with the Romulans may be the key to solving this crisis.
Snapping his fingers, La Forge sat upright. “Data you’re right!”
Barclay looked shocked. “Commander, you- you- cant mean a a cloaking device!
“Not just a cloak, Lieutenant,” Data said, “a phase-shifting apparatus. We could install it on the asteroid surface making it impervious to normal matter.”
“And it’d pass right through the planet, not even touching a single molecule!” Geordi finished for him.
Picard looked at the engineers. “That’s quite a plan, Mister La Forge, I commend your team on it’s ingenuity.
Geordi smiled. “We can get the device running inside of two day and it’s only a matter of setting up the power feeds on the surface and riding it through.”
“Riding it through?” asked Commander Riker.
“That’s the stickler, sir. In order to keep the device running, it’s going to have to monitored constantly. If the phase variance were to drift as many as three decimal places, we’d crack the planet apart during transit. The good thing is the asteroid contains an atmosphere just like some of the asteroids out near the Badlands. It’ll make going down there are easier not being confined to environmental suits.
Picard looked pleased. “Let me know when the device is ready. I will have to meet with the Halkan Council in order to proceed however. They are a very pacifist people and it really galled them to have to ask for Starfleet’s help. They denied us access to those dilithium deposits of theirs a century ago because they may have been used to power a weapon. This is going to be a very delicate diplomatic overture.
Beverly snorted. “Maybe, but you’d think they’d be receptive to the fact that we’re their only hope.”
“Approaching the Halkan System, Captain, asteroid is coming into range at two for nine mark twelve.”
“Take us within transport range. Number One, you’re team is ready?”
“Aye sir, we’ll be ready to deploy the phase cloak as soon as you give the word.”
Picard nodded. “Very well, Enterprise will be orbiting Halka, settling any disputes they have regarding our plan.”
“Understood. We’re on our way.”
A few moments passed before Chief O’Brien’s voice filtered over the com system. “Transport successful sir, Away Team has reported in.
“Thank you chief. Helm, set a course for Halka, full impulse power. Counselor Troi, you’re with me.”
“We welcome you to Halka, I am First Councillor Prellit Zim. We greet you in peace.”
“Thank you, Councillor, I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard and this is my ship’s counselor Lieutenant Commander Deanna Troi. “The Federation received your call from help regarding the asteroid. I have a team on it right now working on a way to prevent it from impacting your planet.”
Prellit looked uneasy. “I must ask, Captain, are your weapons involved?”
“No, Councillor, Starfleet’s mission is one of peace. We have created a device that will phase the asteroid out of our frame of reference allowing it to pass through your world without damaging it or your planet.”
“That is welcome news!” Prellit exclaimed. “We have been wary of Starfleet since your Captain Kirk arrived more than one hundred years ago. He begged for rights to mine our dilithium and we turned him down. We told him we’d die as a race before supplying anyone with the means to cause death and destruction.”
“I admire your ethics,” Picard said. “It is rare to find such a peaceful race in the galaxy. I wish more of the galaxy followed your lead.”
“How long until your team has completed its mission?” Prellit asked.
“I am awaiting word at this moment. The asteroid is due to hit in two days, they should be finished in a matter of hours.”
“Enterprise to Captain Picard.”
“Go ahead, Beverly,” the captain said tapping his combadge.
“Message from Commander Riker’s team, sir, they’re ready to deploy the device.”
“Tell them to make it so, we have the permission of the Halkan Council.”
“Understood, Crusher out.”
* * *
Will Riker had never been on an M-Class asteroid. It was a fascinating experience. Even thought there was breathable air, and a dense atmosphere, space was still clearly visible high above.
A few meters away the meter tall phase shifting device sat on its tripod, a number of cables extending from it to the standard issue Starfleet computer interfaces that were being run by Data.
“How are we doing?”
“The diagnostics are complete, Commander. I am ready to activate the device for testing.”
“Okay, let’s give it a try,” Riker said. “Throw the switch.”
Data slid the power actuation toggles and the power from the nearby generator flowed through the cable, traveled along the converter fields and entered the device.
A white flash blurred Riker’s vision and he found himself dizzy and stumbling backwards. He blinked several times until he felt Data’s firm grip pulling him to his feet.
“What happened?”
“Looks like a phase differential pulse hit us,” Geordi said. “When Ro and I were phased we both lost consciousness, but I’d thought it was due to the fact that we’d been beaming at the same time.”
Riker pulled out his tricorder and flipped it open. “We seem to be all right now. How’s the apparatus?”
La Forge returned to the device and activated the monitor. “What the hell..” he tapped several commands. “Commander, the entire things off line. The sensor grid we installed, it’s picking up Halka, but…”
“But what, Geordi?” Riker demanded, becoming demanded.
“The surface, sir, it’s been completely blown away. And from the scars on the surface, it was a phaser barrage.” The panel beeped. “There’s a ship coming in: Klingon. Vorcha-Class from the look of her.”
“What the hell is going on,” Riker snapped, slapping his combadge. “Riker to Enterprise!”
Above them, the blue-green hull of the Klingon Battlecruiser became visible as it settled into position above them. “Riker to Enterprise!”
The Klingon cruiser slowed to a relative stop.. and an instant later a phaser beam rippled through its aft port quarter, breaking the ship in two. An second later a spread of photon torpedoes found their marks on its primary hull, finishing the job. Like an angel, a Galaxy-Class ship emerged from the debris and fired her breaking thrusters.
This wasn’t his Enterprise. She sported a third warp nacelle and a massive phaser cannon hung in a sling-like apparatus on the bottom of the saucer section.
The black lettering on her hull blazed ISS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.
Before the away team could respond they were swept away in the quantum mist of transporter harmonics.
* * *
The away team resolved in what looked like a normal transporter room. However the two individuals standing near the control console shocked everyone.
Tasha Yar and Will Riker stood before them, weapons drawn.
The other Riker, his clean shaven face sneered back at them. “You’re all under arrest in the name of the Terran Empire. Any resistance will result in much unpleasantness.” He looked to two security guards just entering the room. “Take them to the brig, but send the Klingon down to the booth first. We’ll need to break him.”
Before anyone could say another word, Data and Worf reacted at once, throwing themselves at the guards and the other version of Riker. Worf caught both guards in his bare hands and shattered their skulls together.
Behind him, Data had leapt off the transporter pad and tore thought the console, reaching for Yar’s phaser. He got within twenty three millimeters before a bright blue beam came in from the open doorway. Two more security officers, disruptors in hand charged in and stunnded Worf and maded doubly sure Data had been rendered inert.
Riker, La Forge and Gomez stared in shocked awe. The other version of Riker smiled. “Klingons. So predictable. Take the android to level 36. Tell La Forge he has a new toy.”
“Who the hell are you people?” Riker demanded.
The mirror copy turned back to him. “Your better half, I assure.” He jerked his thumb to the door. “Brig. Now. Klingon to the booth.”
* * *
I'm a big fan of the Mirror Universe, and I'm definately gonna follow this story as it developes.
