Next Steps

Posted on Sun Feb 21st, 2021 @ 9:41pm by Major Ashley Rogers & Ellie Greaves & Captain Freya Mannerheim

1,836 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Chapter III: The Hunt is On
Location: I.S.S. Amelia
Timeline: 238702.01

"You requested my presence, Captain?" after her sudden departure from the Ourainavassa, Ellie had returned to the Amelia, and submitted a report on what she had found. The following morning, the vessel's commanding officer had called her into her ready room, to Ellie's surprise.

The woman behind the desk smiled, and nodded. Captain Freya Mannerheim, although a Terran, had gathered plenty of experience in this universe, after her unexpected crossover - several years in the future. After serving as helm officer on the U.S.S. Poseidon, she had been recruited by Starfleet Intelligence, and then the Temporal Integrity Commission, ultimately being assigned as one of officers in command of a joint operation with their Terran counterparts. "Indeed I have, Lieutenant Greaves. Your report makes for an interesting read. You were able to confirm that the crew of the Ourainavassa have possession of Commander Rogers' timeship from the Discovery?"

Ellie nodded. "Yes, sir. I have given them the blueprints, as instructed. They should have the vessel repaired by now."

"Good." Mannerheim ran a hand through her short, black hair. "And you are still certain that your ex is suitable to recruit for our operation?"

"Yes, sir." Another nod. "Sehan is intelligent, and determined. But she, and the Romulans on her crew, are inherently distrustful. Which is why I maintain that leading them to discover Hobus themselves, rather than telling them about it, is the way forward."

Mannerheim paused for a moment. "Lieutenant, you know what's at stake. If you are wrong..." She let her silence complete her statement. The mission the joint Federation-Terran task force had was clear. But there was another thing that needed to be addressed. "You have, however, encountered some difficulty, as I read. Your accessing their science officer's computer was discovered, was it not?"

Ellie gulped. Terran discipline was brutal, and even though the captain only applied it to Terran members of the crew, she knew that a severe enough incident could still land her in an agoniser cell. "Um, yes."

The captain shook her head. "Sloppy work, Lieutenant. However, your mistake has created an unexpected opportunity." She tapped her badge. "Number One, to my ready room please."

Ash received the page from her Captain and proceeded to drop the crewman she was choking onto the deck. "You're lucky this time..." she threatened before she unceremoniously slit his throat. "That was far less satisfying than it could have been." She responded that she was on her way as she wiped her blade clean.

When Ash arrived, she saluted her commanding officer and glared at the Lieutenant in the room. She could practically smell her fear. "How may I be of assistance, Captain?" she grinned.

Freya gave a curt nod in response to the salute. "Commander Rogers. I trust you have read Lieutenant Greaves' report on her little trip to Drozana?"

Ash nodded at Freya as she turned to Ellie, "Yes. So you got caught by that universe's version of me? I can't decide if I'm that good in every univerae or if you're careless...."

The captain raised her hand as Ellie seemed to shrink into a corner, obviously rather terrified of the Terran. "The Lieutenant is a science officer, not an operative. Don't expect her to do flawless spy work. Now, if their Ashley Rogers is as diligent and observant as you are, Commander, she will have figured out that the fighter you had to leave behind at Hobus is Terran, and from the future. It truly is a stroke of luck that it ended up where it did." She chuckled. "Unless you listen to a lecture in temporal dynamics by Professor Bakula. He'd tell you all about entropic energy and how there is no such thing as coincidence. And who knows, he might be onto something."

She shrugged. "But that's beside the point. You know yourself best, Commander. What would you do if you were in Centurion Rogers' position, given the information you can assume she will have?"

Ash nodded, "She would be curious. Want to find answers to all the questions on her mind. Where the ship came from... when the ship came from. She would probably try to take it to Hobus... see what's out there. If she is anything like me, she won't stop until she gets to the bottom of the mystery. What are your plans, Captain?"

Freya smirked. "Well, hopefully your counterpart is going to be a little more successful in trying to get closer to those answers, Commander. All we know is that someone was playing around with stuff they did not understand, and ended up blowing up the mycelial network. Much like what that lunatic Stamets was doing, back in the day on the Charon. Except, of course, this time we are the ones from another universe coming in and actually knowing about the network and all that, since the Federation classified the hell out of those files."

She turned to Ellie. "Lieutenant Greaves, continue your work on the samples that we have, and let me know as soon as you have any idea what these people could have been trying to do. You are dismissed."

Ellie, who had remained silent throughout the exchange between the Captain and XO, simply nodded, turned on her heel, and left the ready room, still rather surprised she wasn't headed for the brig.

"Take a seat, Commander," the Captain continued when they were alone. "Trying to insert Greaves into their crew obviously backfired. Now, I don't know if you had a look through the files she took from the Ourainavassa, but it does seem like they could go a long way in helping us sort this mess out and prevent the catastrophe."

"I have," Ash said. "And I have my doubts. A crew of mercenaries with conflicting personal interests...and more than a substantial number of Romulans... I'm just not sure how well they would be able to help us. The situation already has too many variables to throw these people into it. But..." she sighed, running her hand through her hair, "maybe that's what we need? Fresh perspective and perhaps a touch of managed chaos?"

"A fresh perspective, and another ship. Maybe even two." Freya sighed. The task force only had four ships available - Amelia and Discovery from the Terran side, and Continuity and Archer from the Federation - and each of the four vessels had its own mission, in a different timeline or at a different point in time. Of those four, I.S.S. Amelia was the newest, but also the smallest, an evolution of the Nova-class designed to blend in with the ships of the late 24th and early 25th centuries.

"We still haven't heard from the Continuity", the Captain continued. "Last we heard, they somehow managed to get involved in a battle at Procyon V. Task Force command has sent Discovery to investigate. And with the Archer still in repairs after that mishap with the Hirogen, we're the only ship available. And don't ask why they can't just fix it with time travel, paradoxes give me headaches. In any case, we're likely to need the extra firepower."

Ash nodded thoughtfully. "Ourainavassa would definitely check the box for an additional ship andextra fire power. But it's still a mercenary ship, what are you thinking, we stroll over there and pay for their services?" she asked, curious as to what her captain was thinking. "Greaves did not help the situation any with their commanding officer..." she pointed out. "Although, if all else fails, we could try to just... take the thing..." Ash said with a grin.

Freya shook her head. Although Terran herself, she had never thought much of the Empire's methods. "I would very much prefer not to have to take their ship by force. We don't have enough crew to spare to keep two vessels running, even less combat-capable. No, we need to get them to work with us. Now whether we make that happen with cash or other means is another matter."

Ash sighed disappointedly, she was rather looking forward to squaring off against herself in a physical fight... but now perhaps she will have to settle for merely challenging herself intellectually with herself. Still an intriguing prospect. "Money won't get us much loyalty in return... we may need to convince the crew to help us. I would believe my counterpart would be reasonable. And maybe this, Raven could be convinced as well... despite Greaves error," she pontificated out loud. "Come clean. All of the information we know. What's at stake may outweigh their doubts..."

After a moment's thought, the Captain nodded. "It does sound like the best way forward. How do you suggest we continue? I'm not sure we should just show up and introduce ourselves. We are dealing with mercenaries, and ones hired by Romulans no less. They may well try to blow us out of the sky before we get a word in edgewise."

"Well... we've already made contact with that universe's version of me. Perhaps I should pay her a visit? Gain her trust and have her be our advocate...." Ash suggested. "Or she may blow us out of the sky... which is always a possibility."

Freya nodded slowly. With her training and experience as a special forces operative, Rogers would be their best chance. "Try and find out as much as you can about her before you go, Commander. Let me show you what the Federation database holds on her." She activated the holographic display in her desk, and brought up a personnel file. The words "CMDR A. ROGERS." appeared, next to a Starfleet Intelligence emblem, and a portrait of the officer in question. The rest of the file, however, was blank. "Seems that her file is just as classified as yours," the Captain added, with a chuckle.

Ash shook her head, she was not surprised. "You'd think out of all these timelines and alternate universe, there'd be a version of me that that's not redacted all the hell. We've yet to encounter one that's a pacifist botanist or something...." she turned off the display. "When do you need me to leave?"

"Drozana is about thee days' travel in that Ferengi shuttle we acquired. Two days if you take one of our shuttlecraft. I'll leave the choice whether to travel incognito or in uniform to you. As well as the choice when to head out."

"I'll travel incognito but have a uniform with me. No need to stick out like a sore thumb en route... and I'd rather take one of our shuttles. It'll be more credible than being mistaken for a Ferengi..." she spat out, her disdain barely hidden. "This will be an interesting mission..."

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