Re: Chapter XIX - Sacrifice
Nora Laas was no stranger to pain. In her fighting years on Bajor and as a Marine after joining Starfleet her body had become quiet used to enduring high levels of punishments and her pain threshold had adapted steadily.
But it wasn’t really the decrepit physical state of her body which didn’t allow her to simply lie down and give up. It was her mind which refused to permit it. Not now. She had finally found the person responsible for everything that had happened today and in some twisted way it was exactly who she had suspected all along. Except of course it wasn’t really. The distinction was irrelevant at the moment – an inconvenient detail which could be debated over at some other time. All that mattered now was that she would see this through. Kill Monroe, no matter what.
She tried to push Santesh-Yardo’s body which kept her pinned to the wall away from her with no success. His body – alive or dead, she couldn’t tell – was too heavy and she could not muster the strength.
When all her attempts failed she instead attempted to squeeze herself out of her trap. She could feel her cracked ribcage shooting fiery hot pain through her body but pushed on regardless. She managed to free an arm and stretched it out in front of her to find some purchase. She found an external conduit and used it to pull herself out, inch by inch until she managed to free her other arm.
The Grazerite stirred slightly once she had freed herself completely. He was still alive. She didn’t have the time to help him however. The sight that greeted her forced her into action.
Like an impossibly twisted alien octopus with dozens of tentacles, the shapeshifter held most of her comrades tightly by their necks at least three feet off the floor. It didn’t matter if they were far or near, the tentacles extended all over the room like a massive spider-web. The changeling had kept Monroe’s head as well as her legs but everything in between was a strangely formless mass now out of which the many tentacles branched off. It had stepped closer to the center of the large room, content for now to watch its constraint prey struggle futilely in its grasp.
The creature was not paying any attention to Nora who had managed to get onto her hands and knees.
Her phaser rifle was just a few feet away.
“You solids will never understand,” the Monroe impersonator said slowly, “You continue to plot and plan against us but you will never succeed. You will be conquered and become part of the Dominion,” it said, directing her words towards Owens who did his best to ignore the shapeshifter.
Nora had nearly reached her weapon. She moved slowly as not to be detected by the changeling.
“Your efforts to stop the inevitable are pathetic,” it continued. “You should be thankful. Without order you are destined to destroy yourselves. From what I have seen over the last few days how could anyone disagree with that assessment?”
Her fingertips were nearly touching the handle.
Santesh-Yardo moaned loudly as he was coming around.
The shapeshifter turned its head effortlessly almost one-hundred eighty degrees, instantly spotting the Grazerite scientist trying to stand. It ignored him. Instead the creature focused on Nora who had suddenly frozen, her hand practically hovering over the phaser rifle on the ground. A wicked smile came onto Monroe’s face.
The security officer picked up the weapon in one swift motion, bringing it up and wasting not another second to fire.
The changeling did not avoid the incoming phaser blast. At least not in the traditional sense. Instead a gaping hole emerged in the exact spot where the beam had been targeted at, allowing it to harmlessly pass through the changeling’s body.
Nora didn’t get off another shot. One of the tentacles leashed out, wrapped itself around the phaser rifle and ripped it out of her hands. It went flying across the room.
The form changer stepped closer to the Bajoran who had made it back onto her feet by now. “You are quite an irritating creature,” it said.
Nora gritted her teeth. She was unarmed and quite literally with her back against the wall now. She knew she didn’t stand a chance against the changeling but she was determined not to back down. She would stand her ground. “You can kill me, you can kill us all but I promise you one of these days we’ll find a way to destroy you and we won’t hesitate to rid the cosmos of you and all your slimy friends.”
A small smile formed on Monroe’s fake lips. “Defiant until the bitter end,” it said. “And so emotional. It is your greatest weakness, can’t you see that?”
“All I can see,” Nora shot back, “is a pathetic freak of nature so afraid of the rest of the galaxy that it has declared war on it.”
The tentacle shot out again, this time hitting Nora in the face, slapping her hard to the ground. Nora recovered quickly, getting back onto her knees and wiping the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand. She threw the changeling a self-satisfied grin. “Now who’s getting emotional?”
Unperturbed the changeling continued to close its distance to the rebellious Bajoran, effortlessly maintaining the other appendages as it walked. Another whack with the thick tentacle sent the security officer backwards and against the wall. “Interesting, I have never understood the solid’s perverse obsession with causing physical harm to each other,” it said and hit Nora again just as she tried to get back onto her feet. “Not until now.”
Blood was now streaming out of a number of cuts on the Bajoran’s face and the urge to simply remain lying on the ground was overwhelming. That was until she spotted Santesh-Yardo. Unnoticed by the changeling he had begun to crawl away from them. At first it seemed as if he was merely trying to find some place of relative safety. But at second glance she realized that he was heading straight for the small upturned cart lying in the middle of the room. Numerous hypos and containers were littered all around it.
Nora attempted to stand again. “It’s apparent that you are new to the idea,” she said with some effort and spat blood. “You’re doing a terribly poor job at it.”
The tentacle wrapped itself around her throat and dragged her up along the wall until she hovered above the floor. This time the changeling was not satisfied to simply restrain its victim however. It watched curiously as it added more and more pressure on its appendage, slowly cutting off Nora’s air supply.
“It is curious,” it said in a genuine tone of interest. “There are so many ways to kill a solid. I wonder which one is most painful.”
Against her will Nora reached out for the tentacle around her neck, trying to pull it away and freeing her windpipe. She could not longer control her legs which were beginning to move and twitch on their own accord.
“You simply must tell me how this feels,” the shape shifter said with the inquisitiveness of a scientist study a test subject. “Are you experiencing pain?”
Nora eyes caught a glimpse of the Grazerite who was now holding a hypo spray in his trembling hands. But he seemed uncertain what to do with it. His hesitation was going to cost Nora her life. “Doctor!” she managed to shout. In an impressive display of willpower she used on of her arms towards Santesh, imploring him to toss her the hypo.
The changeling seemed momentarily perplexed by this. Monroe’s head turned and spotted the scientist holding the vaccine. Apparently it had forgotten about it and suddenly panicked. The tentacle holding Nora withdrew, dropping her unceremoniously back onto the floor. The appendage shot out towards Santesh-Yardo, transforming into a razor-sharp spike as it drew closer. The Grazerite had nowhere to go. The spike tore through him at the exact same moment as he hurled the vaccine out of his hand. The sudden impact pushed him back violently and the hypo went tumbling through the air.
Time appeared to have slowed as the changeling’s eyes followed the deadly potion flying across the room.
Not wanting to take any chances the shapeshifter released two more of its tentacles to shoot out after the tiny injector. But in doing so it also dislodged both Leva and Deen.
All three appendages converged on the spot the hypo landed at the exact same time but none managed to hold on to it. Instead it was pushed further along the slippery floor and towards where the freed Deen was now lying.
She saw her chance. Like an athlete going after the ball she lurched towards the small device coming her way.
The changeling reacted instantly, wrapping a tentacle across her ankle and yanking her backwards and away from the hypo. Deen yelped helplessly as she was jerked away, squashing any chance for her to get to the vaccine.
So’Dan Leva had reacted even faster than the young Tenarian. He was out of position, having been released at the opposite end of the room but that hadn’t stopped him to make a run for it. He sprinted across the hall, his loud footfalls echoing through the chamber.
Monroe’s head twisted slightly to focus on the approaching Romulan. It sent out a tentacle to intercept but Leva was in full sprint now and just meters away from his target. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the glistering spike flying towards him. At full speed he jumped forward, diving underneath the pointed tentacle – making it miss by less than an inch – and slid across the floor on his stomach and right towards the hypo.
He was too fast. Instead of holding on to the device he pushed it away from him and watched in frustration as it skimmed towards the far wall and right in front of Nora Laas.
She looked at it curiously for a second as if not sure if it was real or not. Then she reached out for it and pulled herself up against the wall.
The changeling watched her carefully from just a few meters away but made no sudden movements. Instead it slowly brought up the tentacle, keeping it in a hover just inches from its main body. The appendage began to morph into something resembling a spiked mace, then turned into triple-bladed sword and finally into a massively heavy hammer only to finally change back into its original form.
Nora watched the demonstration unimpressed. She took a wobbly step away from the wall and towards the changeling, the hand holding the hypo-spray now hidden behind her back.
“You cannot possibly hope to defeat me,” the changeling said. “You can hardly walk.”
Nora didn’t reply. She took another step forward, this one slightly less awkward.
“Time to end this, wouldn’t you agree?” it said and shot out the tentacle towards Nora. Once again it transformed into a pointed spike, once again it would easily penetrate her body as it had done before.
Nora made no attempt to jump out of the way.
The changeling’s smile widened.
Then suddenly, as the appendage was just a heartbeat away from tearing into Nora’s flesh, she performed a quick sidestep. The lance tore through the side of her uniform and grazed the skin underneath but failed to impale her.
With her free hand she grabbed the tentacle as if a robe and pulled it towards her with such surprising strength that the changeling lost its balance for a short moment. It was all the time she needed.
“You simply must tell me how this feels,” Nora said and without ever taking her eyes off the shapeshifter, brought up the hypo spray and pressed it against the appendage, emptying its entire contents into the changeling’s system.
Monroe’s eyes opened wide. An inhuman scream came out of her mouth while it retracted all tentacles simultaneously to merge back into its main body. The changeling fell onto its knees, the human face distorted into a mask of agony.
Seemingly against its will its entire body changed back into the form of Shelby Monroe. But it could only maintain the shape for a few seconds before it morphed again this time to take the appearance of the late Germaine McAllister. It became Captain Zalak followed by Xylion and then at increasing speed went through a number of other forms it had taken on over the many, many years of its existence. Another human or two, a Klingon, a Cardassian, a Vorta, a number of races neither Nora nor anyone else had ever seen, animals, both small and large and even lifeless objects were among the formations it went through. All this was accompanied by a powerful screeching scream more reminiscent of a piece of machinery being crushed than anything a sentient creature would be able to produce. Finally it gave up on trying to resemble any kind of form and it collapsed into a shapeless brown goo. The ear-deafening cry came to an end as the liquid turned a darker shade of grey. It bubbled slightly but did no longer appear to be anything more than a puddle of mud.
Nora dropped the hypo and found a phaser rifle lying on the floor. She picked it up and slowly stepped towards the remains of the once powerful shapeshifter. Her steps were careful but determined. Nothing would stop her from what she had set out to do.
She looked down curiously at the bubbly goo by her feet. “Are you experiencing pain?”
Nora Laas pointing her phaser rifle straight at its center and fired. The beam disintegrated the remains instantly, leaving behind nothing but a large dark stain and a repulsive smell.
***************************************************************
Once Owens had been released his first concern was to tend towards Jana Tren who had landed on the floor just a few feet away from him. He was relieved to find her unharmed and helped her back on her feet. “Are you alright?” he asked.
She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off his.
He could see – sense even – that there was much she wanted to say to him. And there was much he wanted to tell her but they both knew that this was neither the time nor the place for it.
The captain forced himself away from Tren to approach his battered security chief. Hopkins and Leva had already converged on her.
“Lieutenant,” Owens said as he came closer. He quickly inspected all that remained of the shapeshifter before focusing on Laas. She managed to stand on her own but there was little doubt that she had taken the worst punishment. Her face was scratched and bloody and most of her earlier wounds had reopened. Owens couldn’t help but marvel at her resilience. That her body still functioned after all that she had been through bordered on a miracle. And yet there she stood, still hovering over the dark patch on the floor which only moments ago had been their nemesis. Still clinging to her phaser rifle as if the changeling might make a comeback at any second.
The captain looked at Hopkins. “Go get a medkit.”
She nodded and without hesitation headed for the infirmary.
“Laas,” Owens said softly and put a hand on her arm. “It’s alright, you did it. You killed the changeling.”
She lowered her weapon only very reluctantly and then locked eyes with Owens. For the first time he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. She nodded.
“Sir.”
Owens turned to see Xylion standing over the body of the Grazerite scientist. “Doctor Santesh-Yardo did not survive.”
“Any other casualties, Commander?”
“No.”
Owens looked back at the dead body of the lead scientists. The implications of his death were sinking in slowly. But once they finally had he realized what predicament it presented. The relief he had felt over the demise of the changeling was quickly replaced by the realization that they still had to deal with an army of Jem’Hadar soldiers between them and freedom. And Santesh-Yardo, the man who had volunteered to operate Archangel in order to rid them of that last obstacle was now dead.
Deen stepped up next to the captain, easily reading his thoughts. “If those Jem’Hadar were not on their way before they sure will be now,” she said.
Owens turned away to face the super weapon which had become their only way out of this nightmare. The massive black machine stood there quietly still waiting for its big moment to come. Except there was nobody left to operate it. Or so it seemed.
“Jana!”
The Federation agent was walking determinedly towards the main control console attached directly to the device.
“What are you doing?” he asked while he began to follow her.
She stepped passed the transparent aluminum partition which surrounded the entire device and turned around to face him.
A terrible thought was beginning to form in Michael Owens’ gut. It gripped him with terror and he began to move faster. He prayed he wasn’t right.
Owens was just a few feet away from her when she reached out for a control panel which caused the transparent partition in front of her to slide shut.
“No!”
“Michael, I need to do this.”
He reached the partition a moment after and immediately tried to push it open but the solid material refused to even budge. “Open this door, Jana!” he said so forcefully that it left no doubts that it hadn’t been a request.
“I’m sorry I can’t do that. We both know we’re out of time. The only chance you have is for me to get this damned thing turned on and keep it running long enough for you to get out.”
“You’re no scientist.”
“I practically helped design this,” she said. “I might not be able to give you as much time as Santesh would have but it should be enough for you to get to the surface.”
Owens shook his head. He was not going to allow this. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have an alternative to offer or that he was playing favorites by refusing to leave Tren behind. All that mattered to him know was that they would make it out alive. Both of them.
She placed her palm against the transparent surface. “I’m sorry Michael but it’s the only way,” she said and gave him a weak smile. “Let’s face it; it wouldn’t have worked out between us anyway. All we do is fight.”
He knew instantly that she was lying. He put his own palm against the door, the solid material between them not allowing him to feel her touch.
“Goodbye, Mike,” she nearly whispered and then turned around and approached Archangel.
“Goddamnit, Jana, don’t do this!” he yelled and began pounding the partition.
She ignored him as she began to enter commands into the console.
Owens watched helplessly as the pulsating red lights running along the machine increased in brightness and intensity. Archangel was powering up for its first and final display of its tremendous destructive force.
When Tren spoke again she didn’t turn away from the console. “I figure it will be at full power in about thirty seconds. After that I will not be able to shut it down again. I hope I can keep the power levels under control for about twenty minutes. After that …” she didn’t finish the sentence.
Eagle’s captain had found his phaser rifle and was now pointing it at the partition. His hands trembled slightly as he considered burning himself through the sheer wall in front of him. He knew he would risk killing her or possibly – if he hit Archangel – killing them all.
Loud warning klaxons began blaring throughout the room. “Warning, system overload detected. Immediate shut down recommended,” the feminine computer voice announced in an irritatingly tranquil sounding voice.
“Jana!” Owens shouted over the noise of the sirens.
She turned slowly. “It’s too late,” she said sadly. “You have to go!”
With the fury of a man possessed he smashed his fist into the partition, ignoring the pain shooting through his bruised knuckles. The door hardly moved at all.
“Sir,” Xylion said as he stepped up behind him. “Ms Tren is correct. The longer we remain in close proximity to Archangel now the smaller our chances of escape.”
The machine above them was now beginning to hum loudly as it was beginning to create its devastating energy waves which were being radiated into every direction. They would traverse through walls and rock and everything else. They would be unstoppable.
Owens nodded slowly but didn’t take his eyes off Tren who now simply stood there, staring back at him.
Xylion turned to the Starfleet officers who had begun to assemble. “We have little time,” he said, now taking the initiative. “Take your weapons and move out. Starfleet personnel will take point, civilians will maintain three meters distance at all times.”
Leva and D’Karr were the first ones to react, quickly getting the remaining scientists to line up for a quick departure. Within only a few moments everyone except for Owens had taken up formation.
When Deen noticed that Owens was not moving she stepped out of line and approached him. “Michael?”
“Commander,” the captain said without facing the Vulcan. “Move out.”
The Vulcan nodded and gave the signal for the twenty-five survivors of Epsilon Twelve to head into the mines. Within moments only Owens and Deen remained.
“Go!” Tren urged.
“I’ll be back for you,” Owens said through clenched teeth.
She nodded slowly.
Then he quickly turned away and he and Deen stepped through the gaping hole in the wall to follow the rest of the survivors.
Jana Tren wiped a single tear from her face. “I love you.”
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Stay tuned for Chapter XX: Havoc
Nora Laas was no stranger to pain. In her fighting years on Bajor and as a Marine after joining Starfleet her body had become quiet used to enduring high levels of punishments and her pain threshold had adapted steadily.
But it wasn’t really the decrepit physical state of her body which didn’t allow her to simply lie down and give up. It was her mind which refused to permit it. Not now. She had finally found the person responsible for everything that had happened today and in some twisted way it was exactly who she had suspected all along. Except of course it wasn’t really. The distinction was irrelevant at the moment – an inconvenient detail which could be debated over at some other time. All that mattered now was that she would see this through. Kill Monroe, no matter what.
She tried to push Santesh-Yardo’s body which kept her pinned to the wall away from her with no success. His body – alive or dead, she couldn’t tell – was too heavy and she could not muster the strength.
When all her attempts failed she instead attempted to squeeze herself out of her trap. She could feel her cracked ribcage shooting fiery hot pain through her body but pushed on regardless. She managed to free an arm and stretched it out in front of her to find some purchase. She found an external conduit and used it to pull herself out, inch by inch until she managed to free her other arm.
The Grazerite stirred slightly once she had freed herself completely. He was still alive. She didn’t have the time to help him however. The sight that greeted her forced her into action.
Like an impossibly twisted alien octopus with dozens of tentacles, the shapeshifter held most of her comrades tightly by their necks at least three feet off the floor. It didn’t matter if they were far or near, the tentacles extended all over the room like a massive spider-web. The changeling had kept Monroe’s head as well as her legs but everything in between was a strangely formless mass now out of which the many tentacles branched off. It had stepped closer to the center of the large room, content for now to watch its constraint prey struggle futilely in its grasp.
The creature was not paying any attention to Nora who had managed to get onto her hands and knees.
Her phaser rifle was just a few feet away.
“You solids will never understand,” the Monroe impersonator said slowly, “You continue to plot and plan against us but you will never succeed. You will be conquered and become part of the Dominion,” it said, directing her words towards Owens who did his best to ignore the shapeshifter.
Nora had nearly reached her weapon. She moved slowly as not to be detected by the changeling.
“Your efforts to stop the inevitable are pathetic,” it continued. “You should be thankful. Without order you are destined to destroy yourselves. From what I have seen over the last few days how could anyone disagree with that assessment?”
Her fingertips were nearly touching the handle.
Santesh-Yardo moaned loudly as he was coming around.
The shapeshifter turned its head effortlessly almost one-hundred eighty degrees, instantly spotting the Grazerite scientist trying to stand. It ignored him. Instead the creature focused on Nora who had suddenly frozen, her hand practically hovering over the phaser rifle on the ground. A wicked smile came onto Monroe’s face.
The security officer picked up the weapon in one swift motion, bringing it up and wasting not another second to fire.
The changeling did not avoid the incoming phaser blast. At least not in the traditional sense. Instead a gaping hole emerged in the exact spot where the beam had been targeted at, allowing it to harmlessly pass through the changeling’s body.
Nora didn’t get off another shot. One of the tentacles leashed out, wrapped itself around the phaser rifle and ripped it out of her hands. It went flying across the room.
The form changer stepped closer to the Bajoran who had made it back onto her feet by now. “You are quite an irritating creature,” it said.
Nora gritted her teeth. She was unarmed and quite literally with her back against the wall now. She knew she didn’t stand a chance against the changeling but she was determined not to back down. She would stand her ground. “You can kill me, you can kill us all but I promise you one of these days we’ll find a way to destroy you and we won’t hesitate to rid the cosmos of you and all your slimy friends.”
A small smile formed on Monroe’s fake lips. “Defiant until the bitter end,” it said. “And so emotional. It is your greatest weakness, can’t you see that?”
“All I can see,” Nora shot back, “is a pathetic freak of nature so afraid of the rest of the galaxy that it has declared war on it.”
The tentacle shot out again, this time hitting Nora in the face, slapping her hard to the ground. Nora recovered quickly, getting back onto her knees and wiping the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand. She threw the changeling a self-satisfied grin. “Now who’s getting emotional?”
Unperturbed the changeling continued to close its distance to the rebellious Bajoran, effortlessly maintaining the other appendages as it walked. Another whack with the thick tentacle sent the security officer backwards and against the wall. “Interesting, I have never understood the solid’s perverse obsession with causing physical harm to each other,” it said and hit Nora again just as she tried to get back onto her feet. “Not until now.”
Blood was now streaming out of a number of cuts on the Bajoran’s face and the urge to simply remain lying on the ground was overwhelming. That was until she spotted Santesh-Yardo. Unnoticed by the changeling he had begun to crawl away from them. At first it seemed as if he was merely trying to find some place of relative safety. But at second glance she realized that he was heading straight for the small upturned cart lying in the middle of the room. Numerous hypos and containers were littered all around it.
Nora attempted to stand again. “It’s apparent that you are new to the idea,” she said with some effort and spat blood. “You’re doing a terribly poor job at it.”
The tentacle wrapped itself around her throat and dragged her up along the wall until she hovered above the floor. This time the changeling was not satisfied to simply restrain its victim however. It watched curiously as it added more and more pressure on its appendage, slowly cutting off Nora’s air supply.
“It is curious,” it said in a genuine tone of interest. “There are so many ways to kill a solid. I wonder which one is most painful.”
Against her will Nora reached out for the tentacle around her neck, trying to pull it away and freeing her windpipe. She could not longer control her legs which were beginning to move and twitch on their own accord.
“You simply must tell me how this feels,” the shape shifter said with the inquisitiveness of a scientist study a test subject. “Are you experiencing pain?”
Nora eyes caught a glimpse of the Grazerite who was now holding a hypo spray in his trembling hands. But he seemed uncertain what to do with it. His hesitation was going to cost Nora her life. “Doctor!” she managed to shout. In an impressive display of willpower she used on of her arms towards Santesh, imploring him to toss her the hypo.
The changeling seemed momentarily perplexed by this. Monroe’s head turned and spotted the scientist holding the vaccine. Apparently it had forgotten about it and suddenly panicked. The tentacle holding Nora withdrew, dropping her unceremoniously back onto the floor. The appendage shot out towards Santesh-Yardo, transforming into a razor-sharp spike as it drew closer. The Grazerite had nowhere to go. The spike tore through him at the exact same moment as he hurled the vaccine out of his hand. The sudden impact pushed him back violently and the hypo went tumbling through the air.
Time appeared to have slowed as the changeling’s eyes followed the deadly potion flying across the room.
Not wanting to take any chances the shapeshifter released two more of its tentacles to shoot out after the tiny injector. But in doing so it also dislodged both Leva and Deen.
All three appendages converged on the spot the hypo landed at the exact same time but none managed to hold on to it. Instead it was pushed further along the slippery floor and towards where the freed Deen was now lying.
She saw her chance. Like an athlete going after the ball she lurched towards the small device coming her way.
The changeling reacted instantly, wrapping a tentacle across her ankle and yanking her backwards and away from the hypo. Deen yelped helplessly as she was jerked away, squashing any chance for her to get to the vaccine.
So’Dan Leva had reacted even faster than the young Tenarian. He was out of position, having been released at the opposite end of the room but that hadn’t stopped him to make a run for it. He sprinted across the hall, his loud footfalls echoing through the chamber.
Monroe’s head twisted slightly to focus on the approaching Romulan. It sent out a tentacle to intercept but Leva was in full sprint now and just meters away from his target. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the glistering spike flying towards him. At full speed he jumped forward, diving underneath the pointed tentacle – making it miss by less than an inch – and slid across the floor on his stomach and right towards the hypo.
He was too fast. Instead of holding on to the device he pushed it away from him and watched in frustration as it skimmed towards the far wall and right in front of Nora Laas.
She looked at it curiously for a second as if not sure if it was real or not. Then she reached out for it and pulled herself up against the wall.
The changeling watched her carefully from just a few meters away but made no sudden movements. Instead it slowly brought up the tentacle, keeping it in a hover just inches from its main body. The appendage began to morph into something resembling a spiked mace, then turned into triple-bladed sword and finally into a massively heavy hammer only to finally change back into its original form.
Nora watched the demonstration unimpressed. She took a wobbly step away from the wall and towards the changeling, the hand holding the hypo-spray now hidden behind her back.
“You cannot possibly hope to defeat me,” the changeling said. “You can hardly walk.”
Nora didn’t reply. She took another step forward, this one slightly less awkward.
“Time to end this, wouldn’t you agree?” it said and shot out the tentacle towards Nora. Once again it transformed into a pointed spike, once again it would easily penetrate her body as it had done before.
Nora made no attempt to jump out of the way.
The changeling’s smile widened.
Then suddenly, as the appendage was just a heartbeat away from tearing into Nora’s flesh, she performed a quick sidestep. The lance tore through the side of her uniform and grazed the skin underneath but failed to impale her.
With her free hand she grabbed the tentacle as if a robe and pulled it towards her with such surprising strength that the changeling lost its balance for a short moment. It was all the time she needed.
“You simply must tell me how this feels,” Nora said and without ever taking her eyes off the shapeshifter, brought up the hypo spray and pressed it against the appendage, emptying its entire contents into the changeling’s system.
Monroe’s eyes opened wide. An inhuman scream came out of her mouth while it retracted all tentacles simultaneously to merge back into its main body. The changeling fell onto its knees, the human face distorted into a mask of agony.
Seemingly against its will its entire body changed back into the form of Shelby Monroe. But it could only maintain the shape for a few seconds before it morphed again this time to take the appearance of the late Germaine McAllister. It became Captain Zalak followed by Xylion and then at increasing speed went through a number of other forms it had taken on over the many, many years of its existence. Another human or two, a Klingon, a Cardassian, a Vorta, a number of races neither Nora nor anyone else had ever seen, animals, both small and large and even lifeless objects were among the formations it went through. All this was accompanied by a powerful screeching scream more reminiscent of a piece of machinery being crushed than anything a sentient creature would be able to produce. Finally it gave up on trying to resemble any kind of form and it collapsed into a shapeless brown goo. The ear-deafening cry came to an end as the liquid turned a darker shade of grey. It bubbled slightly but did no longer appear to be anything more than a puddle of mud.
Nora dropped the hypo and found a phaser rifle lying on the floor. She picked it up and slowly stepped towards the remains of the once powerful shapeshifter. Her steps were careful but determined. Nothing would stop her from what she had set out to do.
She looked down curiously at the bubbly goo by her feet. “Are you experiencing pain?”
Nora Laas pointing her phaser rifle straight at its center and fired. The beam disintegrated the remains instantly, leaving behind nothing but a large dark stain and a repulsive smell.
***************************************************************
Once Owens had been released his first concern was to tend towards Jana Tren who had landed on the floor just a few feet away from him. He was relieved to find her unharmed and helped her back on her feet. “Are you alright?” he asked.
She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off his.
He could see – sense even – that there was much she wanted to say to him. And there was much he wanted to tell her but they both knew that this was neither the time nor the place for it.
The captain forced himself away from Tren to approach his battered security chief. Hopkins and Leva had already converged on her.
“Lieutenant,” Owens said as he came closer. He quickly inspected all that remained of the shapeshifter before focusing on Laas. She managed to stand on her own but there was little doubt that she had taken the worst punishment. Her face was scratched and bloody and most of her earlier wounds had reopened. Owens couldn’t help but marvel at her resilience. That her body still functioned after all that she had been through bordered on a miracle. And yet there she stood, still hovering over the dark patch on the floor which only moments ago had been their nemesis. Still clinging to her phaser rifle as if the changeling might make a comeback at any second.
The captain looked at Hopkins. “Go get a medkit.”
She nodded and without hesitation headed for the infirmary.
“Laas,” Owens said softly and put a hand on her arm. “It’s alright, you did it. You killed the changeling.”
She lowered her weapon only very reluctantly and then locked eyes with Owens. For the first time he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. She nodded.
“Sir.”
Owens turned to see Xylion standing over the body of the Grazerite scientist. “Doctor Santesh-Yardo did not survive.”
“Any other casualties, Commander?”
“No.”
Owens looked back at the dead body of the lead scientists. The implications of his death were sinking in slowly. But once they finally had he realized what predicament it presented. The relief he had felt over the demise of the changeling was quickly replaced by the realization that they still had to deal with an army of Jem’Hadar soldiers between them and freedom. And Santesh-Yardo, the man who had volunteered to operate Archangel in order to rid them of that last obstacle was now dead.
Deen stepped up next to the captain, easily reading his thoughts. “If those Jem’Hadar were not on their way before they sure will be now,” she said.
Owens turned away to face the super weapon which had become their only way out of this nightmare. The massive black machine stood there quietly still waiting for its big moment to come. Except there was nobody left to operate it. Or so it seemed.
“Jana!”
The Federation agent was walking determinedly towards the main control console attached directly to the device.
“What are you doing?” he asked while he began to follow her.
She stepped passed the transparent aluminum partition which surrounded the entire device and turned around to face him.
A terrible thought was beginning to form in Michael Owens’ gut. It gripped him with terror and he began to move faster. He prayed he wasn’t right.
Owens was just a few feet away from her when she reached out for a control panel which caused the transparent partition in front of her to slide shut.
“No!”
“Michael, I need to do this.”
He reached the partition a moment after and immediately tried to push it open but the solid material refused to even budge. “Open this door, Jana!” he said so forcefully that it left no doubts that it hadn’t been a request.
“I’m sorry I can’t do that. We both know we’re out of time. The only chance you have is for me to get this damned thing turned on and keep it running long enough for you to get out.”
“You’re no scientist.”
“I practically helped design this,” she said. “I might not be able to give you as much time as Santesh would have but it should be enough for you to get to the surface.”
Owens shook his head. He was not going to allow this. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have an alternative to offer or that he was playing favorites by refusing to leave Tren behind. All that mattered to him know was that they would make it out alive. Both of them.
She placed her palm against the transparent surface. “I’m sorry Michael but it’s the only way,” she said and gave him a weak smile. “Let’s face it; it wouldn’t have worked out between us anyway. All we do is fight.”
He knew instantly that she was lying. He put his own palm against the door, the solid material between them not allowing him to feel her touch.
“Goodbye, Mike,” she nearly whispered and then turned around and approached Archangel.
“Goddamnit, Jana, don’t do this!” he yelled and began pounding the partition.
She ignored him as she began to enter commands into the console.
Owens watched helplessly as the pulsating red lights running along the machine increased in brightness and intensity. Archangel was powering up for its first and final display of its tremendous destructive force.
When Tren spoke again she didn’t turn away from the console. “I figure it will be at full power in about thirty seconds. After that I will not be able to shut it down again. I hope I can keep the power levels under control for about twenty minutes. After that …” she didn’t finish the sentence.
Eagle’s captain had found his phaser rifle and was now pointing it at the partition. His hands trembled slightly as he considered burning himself through the sheer wall in front of him. He knew he would risk killing her or possibly – if he hit Archangel – killing them all.
Loud warning klaxons began blaring throughout the room. “Warning, system overload detected. Immediate shut down recommended,” the feminine computer voice announced in an irritatingly tranquil sounding voice.
“Jana!” Owens shouted over the noise of the sirens.
She turned slowly. “It’s too late,” she said sadly. “You have to go!”
With the fury of a man possessed he smashed his fist into the partition, ignoring the pain shooting through his bruised knuckles. The door hardly moved at all.
“Sir,” Xylion said as he stepped up behind him. “Ms Tren is correct. The longer we remain in close proximity to Archangel now the smaller our chances of escape.”
The machine above them was now beginning to hum loudly as it was beginning to create its devastating energy waves which were being radiated into every direction. They would traverse through walls and rock and everything else. They would be unstoppable.
Owens nodded slowly but didn’t take his eyes off Tren who now simply stood there, staring back at him.
Xylion turned to the Starfleet officers who had begun to assemble. “We have little time,” he said, now taking the initiative. “Take your weapons and move out. Starfleet personnel will take point, civilians will maintain three meters distance at all times.”
Leva and D’Karr were the first ones to react, quickly getting the remaining scientists to line up for a quick departure. Within only a few moments everyone except for Owens had taken up formation.
When Deen noticed that Owens was not moving she stepped out of line and approached him. “Michael?”
“Commander,” the captain said without facing the Vulcan. “Move out.”
The Vulcan nodded and gave the signal for the twenty-five survivors of Epsilon Twelve to head into the mines. Within moments only Owens and Deen remained.
“Go!” Tren urged.
“I’ll be back for you,” Owens said through clenched teeth.
She nodded slowly.
Then he quickly turned away and he and Deen stepped through the gaping hole in the wall to follow the rest of the survivors.
Jana Tren wiped a single tear from her face. “I love you.”
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Stay tuned for Chapter XX: Havoc
