DrDMatthews

Debbie was exhausted. So was just about everyone else in her department. They were all running on adrenaline and stimulants. The combination was taking a toll on them. Even Merina was tired and the Caitian physician had the stamina of three humans. Relief from the Potemkin's medical staff allowed some of Debbie's people to get much needed rest. Now, it was her turn. The CMO had been able to grab a few cat naps in her office but what she really needed was a hot shower and eight to ten hours of sleep. Captain Michaels was now awake and doing well. The plan was to keep him in Sickbay for another 24 hours for observation. Then, barring any unforeseen setbacks, he would be released. Commander Ridire had already been discharged. Hopefully, he was in his quarters, resting. Debbie planned to check on Aidan while on her way to her quarters. There was another stop she wanted to make as well. She had become increasingly concerned about Brian Smith. Her former associate had been in command of the ship following the injuries sustained by both the Captain and First Officer. Those were difficult hours during which Reaent took quite a pounding. Commander Ridire was able to return to the bridge thanks to heavy doses of stimulants and pain killers Debbie personally administered to him. It was just minutes after Aidan arrived on the bridge that the Potemkin and Clarion arrived on the scene. But during that brief period of time, something happened between the XO and Lt. Commander Brian Smith....and it wasn't good. Debbie hadn't had time to investigate. All she knew was that Aidan was furious with Brian. It appeared Smith was confined to his quarters. It also appeared Mr. Smith disobeyed those orders and remained on the bridge until a couple of hours ago. She walked over to Merina who was working her way through a pile of paperwork. "I'm leaving, " she announed to her Caitian associate. "Your relief should be here in about an hour. When he arrives, don't hang around. Get out of here and get some rest." Merina nodded silently and Debbie headed for the door. She assumed Brian Smith was now in his quarters. She wanted to talk to him about what happened on the bridge. Then, she would speak to the Commander.

Many thanks to Merina for her help with this log. They met in Debbie's office, behind closed doors. Sickbay was packed like an old fashioned tin of sardines. They couldn't risk anyone overhearing this particular conversation. Merina had completed the tests over two hours earlier, just as the Romulans launched their second attack on the Reaent. She'd given the results to Debbie shortly thereafter but the CMO didn't have time to look at them until twenty minutes ago. The test results were extremely disappointing. They confirmed the Captain was in the early stages of relapse. The Denton's Syndrome had returned. Such a thing wasn't unheard of but it was quite rare. Once eliminated from the bloodstream, this nasty, multi helix virus hardly ever found its way back to levels that could be classified as concerning. If there were any left following treatment, the body's own immune system usually kept them in check. Unfortunately, immune systems occasionally fail, especially if the patient has been under severe stress for any length of time. That may have been what happened to Captain Fred Michaels. Whether or not stress caused his immune system to drop the ball was irrelevant, at least for the moment. Right now, their priority was controlling the virus. Debbie looked across her desk at Merina and Rocco Studly. "I must remind you this information is extremely confidential," she said, her tone deadly serious. "Discuss this with no one but those of us in this room. And make absolutely certain your conversations are private." She picked up the Padd containing the Captain's test results. "I trust you've all reviewed this," she continued. "Opinions, please." Rocco spoke up first. "It's pretty obvious he's relapsing. Seems we happened to catch it early on. If we begin treatment immediately, we might be able to knock it out in a few weeks." Debbie looked at Merina. "What do you think?" "I agree if we start treatments, immediately. We might be able to save his life," Merina replied. The CMO nodded in agreement. "Then it's unanimous," she announced. "The Captain is again suffering from early stage Denton's Syndrome. Right now, he's asymptomatic.....which is a very good thing." She smiled. "I think if we start treatments immediately, there's a good chance he'll be out of Sickbay in a couple of days." She rolled her eyes. "And that will be a good thing for us." Debbie leaned back in her chair and looked at Merina. "How much of the medication do we have in stock?" "We have the 3 needed medications. We have 12 of each in stock," Merina replied. Another disappointment but not altogether surprising. Denton's Syndrome was rare. The drugs used to treat it were atypical of what is usually needed on most Starships. Therefore, most ships left home with a small quantity of these three medications, just enough to begin the treatment and arrange for the patient's transfer to a properly equipped, ground based medical facility. "He's going to need more than 12 infusions," replied Debbie. "Even though the disease is still in its early stages, I should think we'll need at least twice that." "We could set some aside and use it to replicate more," suggested Studly. "That's an option," answered Debbie. "But until the replicators are fully powered, I wouldn't want to risk it. And we don't know when or if they'll ever be at 100% again." "Maybe we can get five dozen more from the USS Potemkin," Merina stated. "Good idea," said Rocco. "Yes, that's another option," added Debbie. "We could also ask them to start replicating the drugs." She frowned and leaned forward to rest her arms on the desk. "But Dr. Neuman will ask why we want them. And I'll have to tell him the truth." All three physicians went quiet as they considered the implications of bringing the Potemkin's CMO into the mix. They would have to trust him to keep the information confidential. Debbie had no reason to believe Dr. Neuman would do otherwise. As a physician with a long service record, he undoubtedly understood the ethical and professional consequences of disclosing confidential medical data. Merina suggests, "I suggest we clear it with the Commander before getting the needed medication from the Potemkin." Debbie nodded. "Yes, I would have to clear it with the Commander before speaking to Dr. Neuman. Unfortunately, Mr. Ridire will be out of it for awhile." "So let's start with the drugs we have," suggested Rocco. "The sooner the better." "Yes," said Debbie, standing. "Begin the treatment immediately. You two will be responsible for infusing the drugs. All three of us will monitor his progress. In the meantime, we won't mention this to Dr. Neuman. I'll try to find out how soon we'll be under way. With any luck, we'll get to a starbase before we run out of our supply." The others stood and made their way toward the office door. "And remember, " warned Debbie just as the office door opened. This is strictly confidential....at least until the Captain is awake and aware. Then he can decide who he wants to know about it."

It had been just over an hour since the USS Potemkin and it's Defiant Class partner arrived to save Reaent from certain destruction. Now all that remained to do was pick up the pieces, treat the wounded and make the ship flight ready. It was much easier said than done. The casualty reports were still being compiled. The numbers were depressing...56 deceased, 165 injured and 24 unaccounted for....over half the crew was either dead, missing or hurt. But no one in Sickbay had time to reflect on the loss of life. They were too busy trying to save the wounded survivors, some of whom were very critically injured. Potemkin had offered assistance and the Reaent's crew gratefully accepted. Debbie Matthews was no exception. Her Sickbay was overflowing. Due to the extensive damage, there were no cargo bays available to use as a secondary medical facility. They had been able to salvage some of the supplies stored in those bays but much of it had been ruined. Power was already at minimum levels which made using the replicators problematic. One might take the chance when ordering a ham sandwich. But the replicators had to be functioning perfectly before they could be used for medical supplies and medications. So Debbie and her staff were high on patients and low on supplies. To make matters worse, at least two more of her associates were missing and several more were injured. So they were short handed as well. Dr. John Neuman was Potemkin's CMO. An older gentleman with gray hair and deep blue eyes, he'd been around long enough to have seen it all. He'd stopped by to talk to Debbie and agreed to move the most critical cases to his Sickbay. All of those 32 patients had now been transferred to the Potemkin. In addition, their medical staff had volunteered to help out with those remaining in Sickbay. Two MDs, four nurses and a dozen medical assistants from Potemkin were now working side by side with Debbie's staff. They brought duffel bags of supplies with them. They were still in the weeds but they could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Debbie could only hope things were going as well elsewhere on the ship. Because the situation in Sickbay was finally under control, she now had time to focus on one, particular patient with a persistent fever. What exactly was going on with Captain Michaels.

With the key word in that sentence being "crime." B) Happy Birthday Boss! Deb

A joint log by Commander Ridire and Dr. Matthews. There was chaos on the bridge when Dr. Matthews stepped off the lift. But it was the calm version of chaos.....the type one expected to find at the beginning of a massive cleanup campaign. They were no longer facing death or captivity. Now, the priority was securing the ship and preparing her for long trip to the nearest shipyard. The "cavalry" was clearly visible on the view screen. Two starships, a Sovereign and a Defiant Class, both hung gracefully in the darkness beyond. They were the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. Debbie offered a silent prayer of thanks for their timely arrival as she carefully made her way across the bridge where Aidan Ridire sat awkwardly in the center chair. She pulled the tricorder out of her coat pocket while observing the Commander. He was extremely pale, much more so than when he'd left Sickbay. And it appeared the heavy dose of painkillers she'd given him had been relatively ineffective. Ridire smiled weakly as she stepped in front of him. Debbie glanced at him momentarily and then turned her attention to the data streaming across the small screen of her tricorder. She couldn't help frowning. She wondered if he would be able to walk once he stood up. She quickly developed a plan for what to do should he collapse while in route to Sickbay. She closed the tricorder and looked at him, genuinely concerned. "We need to go," she said in a whisper. "Unless you want to pass out on the bridge." He nods slightly and murmurs "A little help please." He reaches for her nearest arm and, as gently as he can, he stands, using her for a little extra leverage. He knows he's up and moving merely by force of will and that sooner or later the darkness that he is trying not to succumb to yet would overwhelm him. He lets her guide him towards the turbolift. As he reaches the door to the turbolift wall he summons a bit of added strength in order to keep his voice steady. "Lt. Commander Smith, consider yourself relieved from duty for the next 72 hours. You're to remain in your quarters and you are to read through the crew manifest and biography's of every person on this ship. Starting with the ones that died after the Captain and I were incapacitated. We will talk again in three days. Mr. Murray, I leave you in command." With that said he enters the turbolift and slumps against the back wall. Debbie breathed a sigh a relief as the lift doors closed behind them. She looked at Aidan with growing concern, grateful he was still on his feet but not sure how long that would last. She silently chided herself for not bringing someone with her to help should Aidan pass out.....another questionable decision on her part. There was a reason she choose to come by herself. This time, there was absolutely no logic to it. It was a purely emotional decision. She needed time alone with Aidan, even if it was only a few minutes in the turbolift. The original plan called for her to stop the lift for a couple of minutes so she could talk to him. But she didn't dare. He was far to weak to risk such a thing. Stepping in front of him, she brushed her hand across his forehead. He was warm and clammy. This wasn't the best time for her to tell him this but she was determined to say it and she had to do it now. "Aidan," she began slowly. "There's something I need to tell you." He looked up at her, his eyes weary. He opened his mouth to speak but she quickly placed two fingers on his lips to quiet him. "We've just had another close call." He again tried to speak but she hurried on. "It seems that's the life we've chosen.....one close call after another. And that means life it too short to waste time worrying about what might happen tomorrow." Debbie smiled warmly and then gently kissed him on the lips. "I need you to know that I love you. Am I scared, yes. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you. I need you to know that." He smiles faintly and reaches to brush a hand against the side of her face. Quietly he murmurs, "I know...and I love you as well." He wobbles on his feet briefly before steadying himself. "Remind me later that I owe you a kiss..a good, proper one. Maybe it will help banish this fear we both share " "Don't worry," she whispered. "I'll remind you." He closes his eyes to slits and leans against her gently. Quietly he adds, "And we really need to think about how long we are going to remain in this way of life...." The turbolift doors opened with their familiar swooshing sound. Debbie had half expected to find somebody in the corridor who could assist them, but no such luck. "Right now," she began as she helped Aidan push away from the wall. "We need to concentrate on getting you five meters down the hall and into Sickbay." She propped him up as he gingerly walked out of the lift and they slowly made their way toward the medical facility. The main doors were wide open and a cacophony of sounds were clearly audible in the corridor. One of the assistants happened to notice them struggling and rushed out to help. "Watch his ribs," warned Debbie as the young man slid his shoulder under Aidan's arm. Less than a minute later, Aidan was again in a biobed. Debbie carefully monitored the data collected by the bed's medical scanners. One of his ribs had refractured and there was increased cranial pressure. Neither problem was life threatening but they could certainly cause a great deal of discomfort. Debbie ordered more drugs.....one to reduce the cranial pressure which would help Aidan's pounding headache and a sedative to help him sleep. "You need to rest," she told him. "When you wake up, I promise you'll feel a lot better." Aidan sighs in a mixture of pain and relief as he settles back on the biobed. He murmurs "Good, because my head feels like a balloon right now." He closes his eyes and lets himself start to drift off. Quietly he murmurs "In case you're not here when I do wake up..thank you, love." "You're welcome," she whispered. "Now sleep. And don't worry. I'll be here when you wake up. We have a lot to talk about. And the first item on the agenda will be how long we continue this way of life." He opens his eyes and stares up at her for a few seconds. He reaches for her hand and squeezes gently before closing his eyes and murmuring "Yes, as the lady wishes." With that he lets the darkness claim him. Debbie smiled. "The lady wishes it," she whispered as she gently placed Aidan's hand underneath the blanket. She then left him to sleep while she tended to others still in need of medical attention.

"Dr. Matthews", came the call over her comm badge. "If you would be so kind, while I got up here fine... I think I could use a little assistance getting back to Sickbay." Aidan's voice brought both relief and concern. The fact he was on the bridge at all was the result of a questionable act on her part. He hadn't asked her to allow him to leave Sickbay. He probably would have had she given him the chance. But she didn't. Debbie beat him to the punch. She loaded a hypo full of the strongest stimulant available along with a potent analgesic and voluntarily administered it to him knowing all the while he was too ill to get out of bed. She recalled her reasoning and it still seemed logical. They were under attack, probably by the same Romulans who had so badly damaged the ship a few hours earlier. Reaent was taking a pounding. Debbie had no idea how serious the new damage was but she knew it had to be devastating. Odds were, they didn't have much time left. Both Aidan and Captain Michaels had been injured when the bridge area suffered a direct hit. On paper, their injuries appeared similar. But the Captain wasn't responding to treatment. Instead of regaining consciousness, he had developed a fever that was climbing by the hour. They had yet to figure out why. At least Aidan was awake, albeit in pain and not fit for duty. He was, however, the most experienced command officer on the ship who also happened to be conscious. And experience was what they needed on the bridge right now. So, Debbie pumped enough drugs into him to keep him functioning for about an hour and then watched silently as he left, wondering if it was the last time she would ever see him. His request for assistance back to Sickbay eliminated that concern. Looking around the crowded medical facility, she didn't see a single person, other than herself, standing about doing nothing. Everyone was busy tending the injured who were now pouring into Sickbay. Some were talking about the "cavalry's" unexpected arrival. Apparently, that was the only reason Reaent hadn't been destroyed or forced to surrender. Debbie assumed some miracle had saved them. For one thing, the pummeling had stopped. And then there was Aidan's request. She knew he would never consent to leaving the bridge unless the crisis had passed. Again, she glanced around Sickbay then quickly tapped her comm badge. "Commander," she replied wearily. "Don't move. I'll be there in a minute." She didn't wait for an answer. Closing the channel, she found Merina carefully cleaning a gaping wound on a female lieutenant's leg. "I have to go the bridge," said Debbie quickly. "You're in charge until I get back. Call me if you need anything." With that, Debbie walked briskly out of Sickbay taking nothing with her but a tricorder. She absently wondered why she bothered telling Merina to call if she needed anything. It was unlikely Debbie would be of little use until she returned to Sickbay. She also knew it would take a bit longer than usual for her to get back. There was something she had to do. Emergency or not, she was determined to take care of this before bringing Aidan Ridire back into Sickbay

Debbie Matthews took the time to look at each of the members of the surgical team. "I assured Mr. Ljungberg he would be okay," she said, her tone serious. "He chose to believe me." She again looked around the table. "We're dealing with a lot of broken bones in the lower half of the body," continued Debbie while motioning toward the display board detailing Simon's injuries. "Femurs, tibias and fibulas in both legs are in several pieces. The right tibia is a compound fracture." She glanced at the two surgeons assigned to work on the patient's legs. "You should probably take a close look at the knees. It might be easier to replace them than fusing all those fragments back together again. Same thing goes for the ankles." Debbie paused a moment and studied the display board before continuing. "His pelvis is in six different pieces. Fortunately, they appear to be clean breaks so they should be fairly easy to repair. There are three broken ribs but they shouldn't present any problems either. We've already treated his punctured lung. We still have to work on the lacerated kidneys and that perforated section of his intestines. " At that point, Dr. Matthews drew a deep breath and looked down at PO 1st Class Simon Ljungberg, now heavily anesthetized and quite oblivious to all that was going on around him. He was on his stomach and his body remained immobilized. "Our biggest hurdle is the spinal injury and we're going to tackle that first. I realize it will take some time...a lot of time. But the other injuries will have to wait. We can't risk moving him about until that spinal cord is stabilized." Simon's spine had been damaged from the T-10 vertebrae on down through L-5. The nerves had been severed in two different places....at T-10 and again at L-2. It was a dreadful injury. Debbie and the surgeons on the team spent almost an hour deciding on how to deal with it. They had finally opted on a relatively new device that none of them had ever used in a living patient. It was a small, cylindrical capsule about the size of a grain of rice. It had a long and very difficult name that nobody ever used. Instead, it was commonly referred to as the Nerve Stim. This tiny capsule stimulated the growth of nerve cells in the spinal column. It was designed specifically for injuries like the one suffered by Simon Ljungberg. Nerve cells were notoriously slow to regenerate. That was especially true of the nerves in the human spinal cord. With standard treatment, a mild injury to the spinal column could take months to heal. It would take well over a year for an injury like Simon's. The Stim would most likely cut the recovery time in half. It was possible the damaged nerves would completely regenerate within six to seven months. The surgeons would repair the damaged vertebrae and then implant the Stim at the point were the nerves were severed. The Stim would then become a permanent part of Mr. Ljungberg's spinal column. In this case, they would use two of the Stim devices, one at the T-10 site and the other at the L-2 site. Four of the team's surgeons would work on the patient's spine. They hoped to complete that part of the procedure in two hours. Then three other surgeons would take over to repair the remaining damage to Simon's legs, pelvis and ribs while another team of two physicians would work on the kidneys and intestines. It was going to be a very long day for all of them. Debbie again looked at each of the team members. "Mr. Ljungberg chose to believe me when I told him he would be okay," she said, taking a step toward the table. "Let's get started and let's make sure we don't disappoint the Petty Officer."

Debbie drew a deep breath as she waited in the corridor outside Sickbay. Merina had just gone back to hurry up Brian and gather a few more supplies they thought might come in handy. Russ Eckerd and Miles Linkowitz were already on their way to join the party searching the underbelly of the ship. In the meantime, the CMO stood with Rocco Studly and Gracie Allen, silently waiting to begin what promised to be a painful task. Studly and Allen were heading to the damaged area in the neck of the ship. Debbie, Merina and Brian would soon enter the damaged saucer section. A sizable area had been badly mangled during the Romulan attack....an area where numerous crew quarters were located. Debbie's thoughts were with the missing crew, especially her own people. She had one confirmed dead, Erica Shear, a 27 year old lieutenant who worked primarily on the Beta shift. Matthews didn't know the circumstances of Lt. Shear's death but it didn't matter. She was gone and that's all there was to it. The other two missing members of her staff were just that.....missing. They hadn't been seen or heard from since the Reaent was attacked. One was Ensign David Tindal, a member of the Alpha crew. He was all of 23 years old. As badly as Debbie felt about Shear and Tindal, it was the third name that really bothered her. Petty Officer 1st Class Simon Ljungberg. Debbie could still see Simon's face the day he joined her staff. He was a young man with a huge chip on his shoulder and an attitude in need of a major overhaul. In spite of it all, Debbie liked him. He was bright and articulate and highly skilled for a medic. She was confident he could easily become an MD. All he had to do was set his mind to it. She'd spent a great deal of time with Simon, trying to steer him in the right direction. And she was making some progress with him.....real progress. Ljungberg had changed a lot over the previous few months. He was more self confident and much less self-destructive. He had lost his penchant for getting into trouble. Most importantly, he showed a great deal more enthusiasm for his job and life in general. Now this had to happen. The CMO had already checked. Both Ens. Tindal and PO Ljungberg were housed in quarters in the damaged area of the ship's saucer. They lived across the hall from each other. Debbie looked up as Merina and Brian rushed out of Sickbay. She was eager to get the search underway. She refused to give up on either of her missing people. But she knew time was of the essence. "Let's go," she stated flatly and led the others into the turbolift. "And let's pray we find more than just bodies."

A log by Dr. Debbie Matthews and the freshly promoted Lt.Cmdr. Brian Smith The order finally came down. Debbie and the rest of the medical staff had been expecting it for a while. There were three areas of the ship that had sustained major damage including serious hull breaches. The underbelly of the drive section had taken a direct hit resulting in a hull breach. The same was true for sections of the primary hull and the neck of the ship. Everyone had been ordered to their duty stations and department chiefs had just completed their head counts. Much to Debbie's dismay, she was missing three people. Their quarters were located in the damaged area of the saucer section. She wasn't ready to give up hope for them but after reviewing the initial reports, Debbie knew the odds were against them. The damage control teams had finally managed to put out the fires and make sure the hull breaches were no longer venting atmosphere. Now it was time for the search teams to go in...to look for the living as well as the dead. Word of their missing associates quickly spread through Sickbay. The mood was grim. Nevertheless, medical personnel were an absolute necessity on the search teams. She had to assign two of her staff to each team. Debbie doubted she would have a problem finding volunteers but she didn't want to stretch her resources too thin. Sickbay was nearly full. Most of their patients suffered minor to moderate injuries but there were a handful who were considered serious. Debbie had already decided she and Merina would accompany the team searching the saucer section. Russ Eckerd and Mile Linkowitz would take the damaged drive section while Rocco Studly and Grace Allen would search the damaged area in the neck of the ship. They had all been informed of their assignments and were gathering their gear when Debbie happened to notice one of their patients, Brian Smith. She sighed as she watched Brian pacing back and forth beside the biobed. She'd been so busy with other patients she'd almost forgotten he was there. Smith had been admitted to Sickbay prior to the Romulan attack. Debbie was pretty sure he had come down with some version of the alien plague. Rocco had been running the necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis when the Romulans showed up. Brian seemed to be feeling better. Then again, it may have been nothing more than an adrenaline rush. She walked toward him while catching Studly's attention and waving him over. "How are you feeling," she asked Brian as she approached the biobed. "I feel alot better than I did when I got here," Brian replied. "But things would be much better if I could help with things." Brian had spent his first three Reaent years as Matthews' assistant in the medical department. After receiving his promotion and moving to Science, he had missed the interactions of sickbay. He had been aware of this, but decided to take the position, citing encouragement from his closest friends, including Debbie. Now, Brian was stuck in sickbay without a job. "Are you sure that you don't need any help?", he asked. Dr. Rocco Studly came up beside Debbie as Brian finished speaking. She nodded for him to follow her and they moved away from the biobed so Smith couldn't hear what they were saying. "How far did you get with that blood analysis before we were so rudely interrupted?" asked Debbie, referring to the tests Rocco had been running on Brian's blood just before the ship was attacked. "Far enough to know he isn't going to die," chuckled Studly. "The antibiotics we're giving him are already eliminating the bacteria. He's telling you the truth when he says he's feeling better." Debbie glanced in Brian's direction. She had no doubt his condition was vastly improved. For one thing, his temperature was now normal and he was no longer green around the gills. She again looked at Rocco. "Is he contagious?" The other physician shrugged his shoulders. "That I'm not sure of. He may have been at one point, but odds are, he isn't anymore." Rocco also hazard a quick look at Brian. "But remember, if this is that alien plague, it's mutated into something relatively benign. Even if he is contagious, a couple of doses of Baytilin will knock out the disease in a matter of hours." "Hmm," mused Debbie. "Hard to believe this is what nearly wiped out an entire civilization." "It probably isn't the same bug," replied Rocco. "Chances are, those deaths were the result of a mutation of a homegrown bacteria these people had lived with for centuries. That particular mutation made it deadly. But I don't think the bacteria we found in Brian is the same one that killed millions of people. I would guess the bacteria continued to mutate and once again became relatively innocuous." Debbie smiled at Studly. "Perhaps we'll have an opportunity to go back to that planet and gather enough information to test your theory." She started walking toward Brian. "In the meantime, I'm going to release Brian." She looked up at Studly and grinned. "But not completely." A moment later, the Reaent's CMO deactivated the force field that had been keeping Brian within a six meter radius of his bed. "You're not dying," she remarked sarcastically. "But I'm not quite ready to turn you loose on this ship. So, here's the deal. Merina and I are going with the search and rescue team assigned to the damaged saucer area. Do you want to tag along?" Brian was stunned. "Want to go! Anything but staying here. Plus, I'm good at damage marking stuff. I'll do it!" His response came as no surprise to Debbie. "I expected as much," she quipped, turning toward one of the medical assistants who was standing nearby. "Go ahead and give him his clothes," she said to the fresh faced medic. "And make sure he turns in that medical gown."

Standing on the bridge, listening to the Captain and XO debate the Reaent's next move was all the proof Debbie Matthews needed. She'd definitely made the right choice when she decided to go into medicine. This mission had gone from puzzling to downright bizarre. First, they'd stumbled onto a ship tucked away in a nebula. But this wasn't any ordinary ship. It was called Odyssey.....ISS Odyssey.....from another dimension and another time. Two away teams spent hours on the Odyssey. Though they'd gathered a great deal of information, they still couldn't explain how the ship managed to create a vortex that took both it and the Reaent back in time and into the universe from which it came. As much as Debbie didn't want to admit it, the Odyssey was in that nebula for a reason. It had been left there intentionally by its crew....a crew that was murdered by a sizable boarding party. When the proper entities found the ship, it was preprogrammed to return to its own time and universe. And why would the Odyssey hand itself over to an alien crew from another time and dimension? Those who designed and built the ship must have known it was quite possible Odyssey wouldn't be able to complete its mission. When failure was inevitable, they hid the ship in a place where it would be found by forces who might feel obligated to finish the job Odyssey was designed for. Before turning control of the ship over to them, the away teams were carefully scanned and determined to be the correct species, primarily humanoid. Then the ship returned to where it had come from, carrying one of the away teams with it. Of course, the Reaent followed. Now it was the Reaent who was out of place....in a universe where it didn't belong and a hundred plus years in the past. In this universe, the Terran Empire had recently been defeated by a coalition of planets they had once ruled over with an iron hand. Everyone on Reaent knew what happened to the human members of the Terran Empire once it collapsed. They were enslaved and they blamed their demise on James T. Kirk. Kirk was a legend throughout the Federation. Kids in grade school read about his exploits as Captain of the USS Enterprise. Kirk was the first to make contact with the "mirror universe." Because of his interference, the Empire became a far more democratic institution. But they failed to consider some of their former "subjects" might not be willing to let go of their hard feelings. So the coalition was born and the rebellion began. The Empire had neglected its weapons program and soon fell to the collation forces. But not before they created a secret weapon....a weapon that would guarantee a victory against the coalition. The existence of a ship like Odyssey was unknown until yesterday. It appeared the Empire had funneled a great deal of its resources into developing this ultimate weapon which was tucked away aboard Odyssey. And now, the Reaent sat beside Odyssey while Captain Michaels and Commander Ridire debated their next move. The Odyssey brought them back to this place and time so they could activate the weapon and destroy the coalition forces. This action would make up for Kirk's interference and save the human race from enslavement. Or at least, that's what the Odyssey's creators expected from the Federation personnel who found the ship. From what Debbie could see, it was obvious Captain Michaels was more than willing to live up to those expectations. Ridire had serious doubts. So did Debbie. But she also understood the logic behind the CO's opinion. Again, she was absolutely certain she'd made the right decision when she chose to pursue a career in medicine. The Reaent's current dilemma was a no win situation. Maybe the Academy would incorporate this scenario into their training exercises....if Reaent survived to tell anyone about it. Whatever they chose to do, it would have to happen soon. Their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed. They'd already fought off two Klingon ships. A third got away. But it would be back and it wouldn't return alone. The clock was ticking. They were quickly running out of time. Debbie looked at the Captain, her expression grim. "With your permission, I'd like to return to Sickbay," she said as calmly as possible. The Captain nodded and Debbie turned toward the lift. She turned as the doors swished open and glanced at Aidan Ridire. Their eyes met for a brief moment. He offered her a slight smile, trying to reassure her without saying a word. Debbie shook her head slightly and tried to return the smile. She wished she felt as confident as Aidan appeared to be. But there was no use pretending. Once more, she had serious doubts about ever seeing home again.

A Joint Log by Debbie Matthews, Simon Ljungberg and Dom Pneuma.... (Please Note....I forgot Mr. Angeliz was on our team. Therefore, he was not invited to participate in Team B's joint log. My apologies, Mr. Angeliz. I now know I MUST write everything down....my memory is full of holes. Deb ********************************* Debbie stopped, somewhat surprised they'd already covered the entire length of the room. There was something very different about this ship's engineering deck. "Anybody notice anything different?" asked Debbie, her voice echoing throughout the room. After a minute, Simon turned around and called out to the others. “Something’s missing,” he said. “Anyone seen the warp core?” Debbie had grown up on Mars. She'd spent more time on Utopia Planetia than some people who worked there. She'd actually been on a refitted Constitution Class ship that was in drydock, not to mention every other type of vessel in the Federation's considerable fleet. She'd never seen one with out a warp core. But the ISS Odyssey did not have a warp core. There was no housing for it either. Debbie's head was spinning as she considered the ramifications of this discovery. A few minutes earlier, she'd been grateful for the darkness. Now, she looked around, frustrated by her inability to see more than a few feet in front of her. "There doesn't appear to be one," she replied to Simon's question. "So how did this ship get here? She sure didn't make it from one universe to the other on impluse power." "Perhaps there is a wormhole in the nebula that our scans have missed or it could have even collapsed to form the nebula itself. That would explain why it was only recently discovered," stated Pneuma. This adventure was getting stranger by the minute. It was bad enough they were on a ship filled with dead people but now there was no warp core? Good grief, this was almost too much to take in. Ljungberg stood in the darkness and looked around. He could not see anything but the lights of the others but an idea was forming in his mind. Suddenly it all made sense. "Doctor Matthews..." he walked a short way toward the CMO and then stopped and leaned against a bulkhead. "We have a ship without a warp core. We are sure, however, it's got some other propulsion system that, I suppose, is more effective than warp technology. Why else would one replace the warp core? And then this ship turns up in our universe with a slain crew. Wouldn't it make sense to assume that whoever did this was after this new propulsion system? I mean if that's the case it would explain why the ship wasn't destroyed, right?" Simon looked from Debbie to Pneuma and then to O'Conner, waiting for an answer from either of them. "There are always possibilities," commented Debbie, not bothering to mention she'd been thinking the same thing. "But let's not waste time speculating. I'll notify the Commander. We really need a team of engineers over here to try to restore some power so we can see......" Her voice trailed off. "See what?" she wondered silently. "Did this ship have a new propulsion system? Was the crew murdered because someone was trying to steal it? And if so, how did they end up in this universe instead of their own? Did the new system malfunction? Or perhaps there was a wormhole and the ship was accidently drawn into it?" Debbie shook the thoughts from her mind before tapping her commbadge. She would present the facts to the Commander and let him make the call. "+Ridire+ This is Matthews," said Debbie. She waited until the Commander acknowledged her before continuing. "We've just completed our search of Main Engineering," she stated calmly. "This ship doesn't have a warp core. And I don't mean that it was ejected. I mean there never was a warp core. The ship was designed without one." She paused a moment and wrinkled her forward. "It sure would be nice if we could restore power," continued Debbie. "I would love to see what type of propulsion system they have. It could be so new and cutting edge, it's what got everyone on this ship killed."

A joint log by Debbie Matthews, Simon Ljungberg, Dom Pneuma and Aidan Ridire...... Debbie Matthews and Petty Officer Simon Ljungberg slowly walked deeper into the main engineering deck of the unidentified Starship. Mr. O'Conner and Mr. Pneuma were several yards ahead of them. It was eerily quiet as the away team's lights bounced around the room, momentarily displaying the permanent scars of what had been a terrible fire fight. The comm from Commander Ridire caught Debbie by surprise. She jumped, then slightly embarrassed, managed to stifle a gasp before responding. Simon looked at Doctor Matthews. Under normal circumstances he might have laughed at someone jumping at the sound from their commbadge. But these were not normal circumstances and he had to admit that the sound had startled him, too. Looking around the room he could very well understand that Debbie was on edge. He was, too. This was not what he had expected. There were bodies everywhere. The bulkheads were full of the marks of a fierce battle, consoles had blown up. The worst, however, was the silence. This silence, that was ringing in his ears. This silence, that was so absolute, so final that even the soft footfalls of the away team could hardly penetrate it. When the CMO answered the comm, her voice sounded unusually loud. Simon wondered which long forgotten ghosts’ wrath she might stir up by disturbing their quiet rest. ‘Stop it, stupid,’ Simon chided himself as he listened to Matthews talking to the Commander. Aidan frowns slightly at the Doctor's news. He brushes a hand against the plaque before him, rubbing off some of the dirt while privately hoping what he's reading isn't actually what he's reading. He sighs as he feels a very heavy weight settle over him. Tapping his commbadge he says "Doctor, we've reached the bridge. This ship's Captain, I presume, is sitting dead in his chair. And there's one more thing...I've found out what ship this is. According to the plaque, this ship's motto is ''So that we may repay what we took.' NCC-2704....I.S.S. Odyssey." Debbie remained quiet for a long moment. She drew a deep breath before lowering her voice and asking her next question. "+Ridire+ We are still in our own universe, right?" Aidan shakes his head and replies "I believe so, Doctor. I haven't seen any signs that we ran across any temporal anomalies or some such thing. However, I could be wrong." +Ridire+ Well, that's comforting to know," replied Debbie, hoping the Commander was right. "Next question is .....what is THIS ship doing here?" "Your guess is as good as mine, Doctor. I think it would be in all our best interest to find out the answer to that question as soon as possible. See what you can find out down there. Ridire out." Ljungberg was standing close enough to have heard the comm. Actually, it was so quiet, Debbie wouldn't have been surprised if O'Conner and Pneuma heard it as well. She looked in their direction but they were continuing to move deeper into the room apparently unaware of the Commander's startling revelation. "Mr. O'Conner, Mr. Pneuma," called Debbie, just loud enough to be heard. "Come on back for a minute. There's something you need to know. Simon looked at his chief in disbelief. "Please tell me I've misunderstood. Did he really say ISS Odyssey?" Knowing what the answer would be, he closed his eyes briefly and sighed. This was getting worse by the minute. They were on a ghost ship with hundreds of slaughtered people on it and on top of that the ship wasn't even from this universe. He wondered what would be next. As Mr. Pneuma walked on into the vast darkness. With only his little bit of light and the flashes of light from the others to guide him, he continued into engineering. Not being able to see clearly didn't dampen the intense pain that was emanating from the various corpses but now there was something new. Anger. Where was this coming from? As the silence was pierced by the comms between the Doc and Commander Ridire, Pneuma was startled and jumped a bit. He could hear his heart pounding from the quick spook. Anger. Fear. Pain. An endless cycle that was shattered by the Docs voice. Overcome by the mixed bag of emotions, Dom replied sharply. "Yeah, I’m comin!" Immediately realizing what he just did, he quickly interjected. "Oh Shoot! I’m sorry Doc. I'll be right there sir." Debbie waited until O'Conner and Pneuma were standing in front of her before saying a word. "Commander Ridire's team arrived on the bridge a short time ago," she began, careful to keep her voice calm. "They found more bodies, including the Captain's. Nothing surprising about that, but, as you are aware, a ship's dedication plaque is always on the bridge. So we now know this vessel's name." She looked at all three of the team members. "She's Odyssey," continued Debbie. "this ship is the I S S Odyssey." Ljungberg started shaking his head even before Matthews finished speaking. Pneuma and O'Connor simply stood there, staring at her....which was exactly what she'd expected to happen. Stunned by the mere fact that this ship was not from this universe, Pneuma's jaw dropped. Suddenly things started making sense. This mixed bag of emotions, all from these people whose lives consisted of fear, pain, and anger, now carried on after death. That, at least, brought him a little comfort but sadly, there was still the question that everyone had but there was no answer in sight. "Where did She come from and How did she get here?" Dom asked half wanting an answer, half not. The second time around the information sounded just as incredible as when he had first heard it a minute ago. Simon took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking. “So, if this is really the ISS Odyssey and if we’re still in our universe, this ship must have gotten here somehow. I’d say the most important question is not how but were there other ships?” Simon paused a second to find the right words. “I mean, a ship with a dead crew does not just turn up in another universe, right? If this,” he made a gesture towards some of the bodies. “happened here, in our universe, those who did this must still be around, somewhere.” This thought sent a shiver down Simon’s spine and he squinted into the darkness. He knew it was pointless. The only ones alive on this ship were the two away teams but he suddenly felt uneasy. The darkness around them seemed to have deepened. He was not very keen to meet whoever was responsible for the massacre on this ship. Debbie shook her head slightly. "This crew was murdered quite some time ago. We won't know exactly how long they've been here until we have a chance to examine some of the bodies. But all that's left are skeletons so this didn't happen recently." Matthews found herself glancing around the darkened room as though someone might sneak up on them. "There may have been other ships," continued Debbie. "But I think it's a safe bet they're long gone. And that leads to yet another question." She paused and looked at each of the team members. "If this carnage took place here, in our universe, and another ship was present, why didn't they just destroy the Odyssey? Why did they bother with hand to hand combat and then leave all this gruesome evidence behind?" "Perhaps their intention was not to destroy her but to capture her. Mutual destruction?" Pneuma mentioned grasping at straws. He was not exactly thrilled with the idea of being on such a vessel and the echoes of emotion that kept hitting him was no picnic either. Oddly enough he did begin to feel a sense of curiosity. Knowing that it was his own feelings and no one else's scared him even more. Even more than the wanting to get back to the safety of the Reaent, Pneuma wanted to know just what happened to the crew, the ship and to its attackers. Maybe, just maybe, the answer would silence these ghosts of the past. Simon swallowed hard at the possible answer he’d come up with. He continued looking around into the darkness as he spoke. “They wanted to send a message to whoever they thought would find them?” he suggested. “You know, ‘Don’t mess with us…something like that. If that’s the case we should wonder who was supposed to get the message.” He frowned and turned around to look at Debbie. “Surely we were not meant to be the recipient?” he asked anxiously, feeling more uneasy by the minute. Debbie raised a brow and frowned. "Someone certainly sent a message but I don't see how it could have been directed at us." She looked at Mr. Pneuma as she continued. "And you could be right about them wanting to capture the ship. Which leads to another question. Why did they want it so badly they would risk hand to hand combat to gain control? She looked about in the pitch darkness. "Maybe there's something on this ship they wanted?" Matthews shook her head. "Whatever the answer is, we won't find it standing here talking. Let's spread out across the room and conduct as thorough a search as possible. Remember, it should be identical to one of our refitted Constitution class ships. So keep your eyes open for anything that looks....different." With that, Debbie moved several feet to her left. Ljungberg took up a position about 10 feet to her right while O'Conner was at least that far from her on the left. Pneuma assumed a position on Ljungberg's right. All four slowly made their way into the inky darkness, lights sweeping across the floor, consoles and bulkheads. They walked slowly and in silence for several minutes until their lights started bouncing off the back wall. Debbie stopped, somewhat surprised they'd already covered the entire length of the room. There was something very different about this ship's engineering deck. "Anybody notice anything different?" asked Debbie, her voice echoing throughout the room. After a minute, Simon turned around and called out to the others. “Something’s missing,” he said. “Anyone seen the warp core?”

Debbie Matthews couldn't begin to count the number of away teams she'd been on since leaving the Academy. Most were mundane at best but there had been a few that left her badly shaken. Debbie no longer considered away missions an opportunity to leave the ship for a while and experience some excitement. She was quite content to remain in Sickbay while others went off to have fun. For the most part, that's exactly what she'd done since becoming Reaent's CMO. It was one of the perks that came along with the position. But every now and then, she felt compelled to personally participate on an away team or was 'ordered' to do so by one of her superiors. In this case, there had been no compelling reason for her to come along, much less head up one of the teams. But the Captain thought otherwise. And that's how Dr. Matthews wound up in main engineering aboard a refitted Constitution Class Starship. This one had already earned a top spot on Debbie's list of nightmarish away missions. Captain Michaels put two teams on this unidentified ship. Commander Ridire was primary on Team A. They had just arrived on the bridge. Debbie's group, Team B, had finally made their way to main engineering. It hadn't been an easy task. The ship's atmosphere was stale but breathable. There was no power of any kind. As her team fumbled along the pitch dark corridors, they hadn't seen even a faint glimmer of light from anything other than their own lamps. What they had seen was evidence of mass carnage. The bulkheads were scorched from phaser fire and smeared with blood. And of course, there were bodies. Debbie hadn't seen this many corpses on one ship in very long time. She fought to control her emotions as the team continued on their way to engineering. Their last stop had been particularly gut wrenching. They'd stumbled into a large room. Debbie wasn't even sure what it was used for. But there was no doubt what it had become. In that one room, they found the remains of at least fifty people. Initial data indicated they were all human. It appeared they'd been hacked to death, their bodies dismembered. As Matthews knelt beside one of the skeletal remains, she fervently hoped the victims were already dead before those responsible starting cutting them up into pieces. She wasn't sure they would ever know the answer to that question. She wasn't even sure she really wanted to know. They stayed long enough to record the data and leave a couple of transporter beacons. As they left the room, Debbie glanced back, grateful for the darkness. She could only imagine what that place would look like with all the lights on. They found main engineering a few minutes later. By then, Matthews had come to a couple of conclusions. She was also growing increasingly concerned about the away teams. Debbie was a medical professional. Although she'd seen her share of grizzly wounds and death, it was something she would never grow accustomed to. What they'd seen so far bothered her immensely. And if it had that effect on her, what was all of this doing to the other members of the away teams. Debbie glanced to her right. Simon Ljungberg stood beside her, scanning the room with his tricorder. In front of her, Mr. Pneuma and Mr. O'Conner were cautiously starting their search. She could barely make them out as they slowly walked further into the cavernous room. Their lights, sweeping across the floor and bulkheads, showed signs of a fierce fire fight. The battle in engineering was probably worse than anywhere else on the ship. Matthews took a step forward. "I fear our teams are the only living creatures on this ship," she said quietly to the young Petty Officer beside her. She looked at Ljungberg as he followed her lead and asked, "How are you holding up?"

A joint log by Commander Ridire and Dr. Matthews "Fancy meeting you here," quipped Debbie as she placed her salad on the small table across from Aidan Ridire. It was no accident she happened to wander into the same mess where the Commander was having lunch. Among other things, she wanted to talk to him about the unidentified ship they had just detected in the nebula. Before leaving Sickbay, Debbie had taken a minute to locate Ridire. She expected to find him on the bridge. She was somewhat pleased he was in an officer's mess. Talking on the bridge was problematic during the best of circumstances. But while the ship was at yellow alert, it would be downright difficult. She'd rushed to the mess half expecting to find him gone. But he was still there, sitting at his usual spot on the far side of the room. Debbie didn't bother waiting for an invitation. She pulled out the chair, sat down and quickly unfolded one of the paper napkins she'd picked up by the replicator. She casually glanced around as she placed the napkin on her lap. There were only two other people in the room and they were sitting by the door. "Before I tell you my news," began Debbie while picking up her fork. "What's going on with this unidentified ship? I thought we had to map a nebula. Now, I've got Merina off with an AT to search a derelict ship." She stabbed one of the tomatoes in her salad. "What happened to our 'routine' mission?" He takes a bite of his salad before shrugging. He swallows the food before replying "Honestly, I am not really sure. Though I think you should know as well as I do that we rarely have 'routine' missions." He adds dryly "Nor do we really have down time lately." He studies her for a few moments before asking "So...do you normally invite yourself to sit at someone's table?" He smirks faintly to indicate that he's teasing. "And what is this news of yours?" "You shouldn't eat alone," replied Debbie in between bites. "It's unhealthy and I am your doctor. Consider this therapy." Matthews put down her fork and took a sip of tea. "And my news is," she paused and smiled brightly. "Mr. Ljungberg has decided to stick around for a while." She placed her glass on the table and leaned back in her chair. "I was tempted to put him on the away team but there's no point pushing my luck. I'd like to see how he performs in Sickbay....is there really a change in attitude or is he just giving it lip service." She frowned and shook her head. "Besides, he injured his ankle while jogging. Nothing serious but it was enough to keep him off the AT." Another group of three officers entered the mess and briskly made their way to the replicators. Debbie watched them for a moment as they made their selections and carried their trays to nearby tables. She appreciated the need to eat in a hurry. One never knew when the yellow alert would go to red. Debbie sat up in her chair, retrieved her fork and took another bite of salad making sure it included a piece of chicken. After swallowing, she looked at Ridire and frowned slightly. "I guess it was rather presumptuous for me to just down without an invitation." He smirks "I've eaten alone plenty of times and I don't see how it's unhealthy. Besides, making sure I don't eat alone is hardly you acting the part of my Doctor now is it? And I'm glad that Mr. Ljungberg is staying. He has the makings of a good doctor..if he can ditch the attitude. He doesn't quite have your bedside manner, Deb." He takes another bite of his food before adding "It was a bit presumptous yes. But honestly..there are two people on this ship that have the right to sit down uninvited. The Captain because of rank..and you for a somewhat different reason." "I'm sure I'm a much better conversationalist than the Captain," replied Debbie with a slight smile. "As far as my patients are concerned, if necessary, I'll go to great lengths to insure he or she receives the best medical care possible." She pushed the remainder of the salad aside and picked up her glass of iced tea. "Sometimes, that requires a little extra supervision," she added, her smile brightening. "As for Simon Ljungberg," continued Debbie quickly. "I'm really glad he's giving it another try. But I certainly don't expect him to have my bedside manner." The CMO chuckled quietly and grinned. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Dr. Matthews abruptly stood. "I have to get back," she said as she picked up her half empty plate and utensils. "Please keep me updated on what's happening with the away team." She shook her head and frowned slightly. "Sometimes, I feel like you guys on the bridge forget about us folks below decks. And I worry....a lot!" "Deb, you should know by now that we on the Bridge are acutely aware of the rest of the ship. And you can be sure I will keep you updated." Debbie walked around the table, plate, fork and glass in hand. As she passed Aidan on her way out, she hesitated a moment, then looked at him and smiled. "Just so you know," she said in a loud whisper. "You're the only one on this ship who doesn't need an invitation." With that, she made her way to the disposal unit and dropped the plate and utensils into it. She took another sip of tea before tossing away the glass. Resisting the urge to look back at Aidan one more time, Debbie left the mess and quickly returned to Sickbay, managing to arrive there while the ship was still at yellow alert. Aidan blinks in some confusion and he watches Deb walk out before it hits him that he really should just ask her what all this hinting was about. He quickly finishes his meal and likewise takes his plate, glass and silverware to the disposal unit. As he exits the messhall he hopes Deb is still in sight. Typically, she's not. He sighs and shakes his head and heads for the turbolift. As he enters the otherwise unoccupied turbolift he says "Computer, send a message to Dr. Matthews personal computer inviting her to dinner at her convenience." As the computer beeps its acknowledgement of the request, Aidan murmurs "Time to get to the bottom of this."

Another Joint Log by Commander Ridire and Dr. Matthews Debbie usually ate a quick sandwich at her desk. But there wasn't much going on in Sickbay this afternoon. So she slipped out under the guise of a quiet lunch in her quarters. Merina would hold down the fort until she returned. The truth was, Debbie needed to get away from her work environment. She hoped a change of scenery would help her put her latest problem in its proper perspective. After all, Petty Officer Simon Ljungberg wasn't the first crewman with an attitude that she'd had to deal with.....and he wouldn't be the last. So why did this whole thing bother her so much? Debbie thought about it as she made her way to her quarters. Ljungberg was so bright. She hated the idea of loosing him. She even went so far as to consider some way of bribing him into staying. Of course, she quickly dismissed that as a viable option. If Ljungberg wanted out of Starfleet, there was nothing she could do about it. As a matter of fact, if he chose to leave, Debbie was determined to assist him in every way possible. The CMO leaned against the back of the turbolift and frowned. "What good is he to me if he can't shake that attitude," she thought silently. She'd asked herself that same question at least twenty times in the past hour. The answer was always the same. He would be of no use to anyone on this ship. It was best to let him go if that's what he really wanted to do. Debbie was praying he would choose to stay but what if he didn't? What if Simon wanted out? Exactly how would she proceed if Ljungberg opted to leave Starfleet? That was a situation she'd never encountered before. The lift glided to a stop and the doors opened. A lieutenant from engineering stepped into the car. Debbie greeted her with a smile which quickly disappeared as she saw a familiar figure walking down the corridor just beyond the turbolift. It was Aidan Ridire. If anyone knew how to process a discharge, it would be Aidan. "Excuse me," mumbled Debbie as she hurried past the lieutenant and out of the lift. Ridire was walking away from her at a fairly good clip. Debbie had to run to catch up with him. "Commander," she called while still a good distance away. "Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about something....something important." He glances at her and nods slightly "Walk with me. Was just heading to my quarters to get some lunch." He turns and resumes heading for his quarters. As she falls into step beside him he glances at her, wondering what she wanted to talk about. Judging from the serious look in her eyes, it wasn't whatever she was hinting at the night previous. Debbie considered how to broach the subject, grateful that Aidan had slowed his pace just a bit. "A new Petty Officer was recently assigned to Medical," she began, her thoughts racing. She looked up at him and shrugged. "He may not be with us much longer." They continued walking as Debbie explained the situation. "He'll report back day after tomorrow. He has until then to decide whether or not he wants to stay." The CMO sighed deeply. "My question is, how do I expedite his discharge?" she asked quietly, a tinge of disappointment creeping into her voice. "I hate to loose this one, but the odds are, he'll opt out." Aidan arches an eyebrow "You'll have to explain the situation a bit futher. Why may he not be with us any longer..why he may opt out. Either way the simplest way is probably for him to resign his commission. It's not unheard of for people who have just graduated the Academy to decide that Starfleet isn't the choice for them. The Academy is one thing...real life in Starfleet is quite another. He'll probably lose whatever benefits he's accrued in the meantime and it may be a while before we can arrange his actual departure from the ship so he'd probably be stuck onboard for a while as a civilian. Starfleet isn't exactly going to arrange an ship to meet with us just for a Midshipman. He'll probably end up waiting til we rendevous with our next supply ship and that also means it will take quite a while for him to make it back to Earth or wherever." He pauses momentairly then adds "And he'll have to explain why he's resigning to the Captain and it will go in his permament record. He may face a difficult time for a while because of that mark against him." He pauses again as they reach the door to his quarters. "You can join me for dinner if you want.." Debbie smiled at the invitation. "Yes," she answered quickly. "I'd love to join you." She followed him into his quarters and walked across the room to the long wall of windows. "This kid joined up for all the wrong reasons," she said, while admiring the swirling, multicolored clouds of the nebula looming ahead of the Reaent. "His family was Starfleet and they expected him to maintain the tradition. So, he enlisted and has been in nothing but trouble ever since." She turned toward Aidan and shook her head. "He's so confused. I don't think he really knows what he wants. He's well suited for this job. But he doesn't understand that. He seems to think he was badgered into joining." Debbie threw up her hands in frustration. "Maybe he was, I don't know. But I'm afraid he may decide to walk and then, in a couple of years, he'll realize he made a big mistake. By then, it will be too late." Debbie plopped down on a nearby chair and stared out the bank of windows. A moment later, she looked at Aidan and grinned. "What do I have to do to get a view like this?" she asked, nodding toward the windows and the great nebula beyond. He sees to preparing dinner and setting the table as he glances at her from time to time. He smiles "I doubt the view outside your quarters is any less in quality, Deb. But if you want we can promote you once more and you can take over as Executive Officer so you can have these quarters." He says the last teasingly. The smile fades as he considers the other thing she said. "As for Mr. Ljungberg, I knew one or two people who were in similar situations back when I was in the Academy and on the Venture. Wish I could say they both stayed but neither one chose to. Unfortunately it's his choice and there's really nothing you or I or anyone can do. We can't make the choice for him but you know that. But we'll have to support his decision whatever it may be. Hopefully his family will bother to wise up and support him whatever he chooses as well." He pauses from setting the table as he says "What do you want to drink?" Debbie glanced at Ridire. "I'll have iced tea," she said and then quickly looked away. She hadn't mentioned Ljungberg's name but Aidan knew exactly who she was talking about. Why did that surprise her? There had been only one new petty officer assigned to medical in recent weeks. Simon's orders would have crossed Ridire's desk long before Debbie saw them. Still, she was a little taken aback that Aidan remembered the guy's name. Of course, there was another possibility. The Commander may have read Brian Smith's report. Debbie didn't know if Brian documented Ljungberg's insubordination in the final version and she made a quick decision not to ask. "I don't have this many windows in my quarters," she added as she stood and walked over to the table. "But I sure don't want anymore promotions. Rank may have its privileges but it also brings along problems....and I have enough of those already." Debbie took a seat at the table and leaned back in the chair. "I kind of hope he stays," she said quietly. "But if he chooses to resign," she paused and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll just have to request another medic." She didn't bothering mentioning that she was still puzzled as to why this particular situation bothered as much as it did. Instead, Debbie shook it off and smiled. "By the way, what's for dinner?" He brings her the iced tea she requested as he says "Well, I was going to have chicken alfredo but if you don't want that feel free to choose something else." He smiles faintly and adds "While I consider myself a fairly good chef and it is something I do like doing, I wasn't intending to take the time to do so for lunch." His smile fades as he considers what she said about promotions. "Yeah, you are right, being promoted to a high rank does present certain problems. If I had known then what I know now I'm not entirely sure I would have let myself rise any higher then a department chief somewhere." He shrugs "But then I guess everything has a price." . "The alfredo is fine," quipped Debbie. "And I never meant to imply that you were going to prepare it yourself." She smiled brightly. "Perhaps one day, you'll invite me for one of your home cooked meals. Then I'll let you know what kind of chef you really are." As Aidan placed the food on the table, Debbie continued watching him closely, primarily because of his last remark...the one about everything having a price. Aidan Ridire had already paid dearly for his rank and position. And there was more to come. She quietly wondered if he would ever accept his own command. Perhaps they would talk about that one day. As for Debbie, she'd made a conscious decision that she didn't want to go any further up the chain of command. She was happy where she was and aspired to nothing more. Well, there may be one or two things she still wanted out of life but they had nothing to do with rank or position. She would have to talk to Aidan about that as well. But not today....... He smiles faintly as he watches her start in on her lunch. He shrugs "Pick a day. It's not like I have a full social calendar at the moment." As he continues watching her he wonders what was the thing she wanted to talk about the previous night. He was curious to know what was going on in her mind and what she hinted at..but he wasn't going to press the issue. She'd let him know in her own time.

A joint log by Debbie & Merina: Debbie, Merina and a couple of burley medical assistants huddled around the Away Team. They had just been beamed back from.....well.....Debbie didn't know exactly where they'd been. The important thing was, they were all back. Just as important was the fact they were all unconscious. The CMO had been in the transporter room when the team materialized. She recalled them standing tall and seemingly conscious during the final stages of the transport. It wasn't until the beam released them that they collapsed. And that's when the medical team sprang into action. Matthews glanced quickly at Merina while opening her tricorder. "You take Scherer and Ljungberg. I'll handle Smith and V'Roy" "Aye ma'am," replied Merina. Merina points to one of medical assistants. "You take Scherer and I'll take Ljungberg." "Aye ma'am," replied the assistant. Then they left for sickbay Debbie didn't pay too much attention as Merina and her aide carried their patients out of the transporter room. She was too busy monitoring Smith and V'Roy as they were placed on gurneys and prepared for the brief trip to Sickbay. By the time the two members of the away team were securely strapped onto their gurneys, Debbie was breathing a sigh of relief. Initial scans indicated they were in shock but little else was wrong with them. The CMO guided one gurney and the medical assistant took care of the second one. V'Roy was already coming around by the time they reached the turbolift. Brian had a bump on his head so it might take a bit longer for him to regain consciousness. A part of her couldn't wait for them to wake up. She was eager to know what happened on their strange mission. Where had they been taken and by whom? But first things first. She had to be sure they were okay physically and mentally. The physical part would be easy. The mental part....well, that could take some doing. As Debbie and the patients entered Sickbay, she saw that Merina had already arrived with Scherer and Ljungberg. She also noticed that Simon was waking up and seemed to be a little agitated. "Is he okay?" called Debbie. "Yes Deb, Simon is now waking up." Merina answered. Merina began to take some scans to Simon just to make sure that he was okay. "Deb, these are the brain scans of Simon when I brought him here, before he awoke and this is the brain scans now. I find them a little strange," the Cait said. Debbie took the PADD from Merina and studied the images on the small screen. "He's highly agitated, even while unconscious," observed the CMO. "Other than that, everything appears okay. I wonder what's bothering him," she questioned as she handed the PADD back to her Caitian associate. "And is this agitation the result of his experiences on the away team or do they stem from something else?" Matthews didn't expect Merina to answer those questions. Only Simon Ljungberg knew what was going on his mind. Then again, this might be something he wasn't consciously aware of. The agitation could be surfacing because he wasn't able to suppress it while in an unconscious state. Debbie glanced at her two patients who had just been moved onto biobeds. Then she returned her attention to Merina. "Keep a close eye on him," she said softly. "Let's see what his scans look like when he's fully awake. Do the same for Scherer. And be sure they stay here in Sickbay until we authorize them to leave. Whatever you do, don't let them sneak out....especially Mr. Ljungberg." Merina nodded back to Deb. With that, Debbie quickly refocused her attention on Brian Smith and V'Roy. The latter was coming around quite nicely. Brain scans were ordered along with half a dozen other tests but Debbie was pretty sure Mr. V'Roy was okay. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been able to complain so loudly about having to remain flat on his back while the tyrants of Sickbay plugged him into all sorts of bizarre equipment. None of what he said bothered Debbie in the least. She'd heard it all a thousand times before. In a way, she found V'Roy's complaints a bit comforting. His protests reassured her that he was in good condition. But she still insisted he undergo the various scans and tests. By the time she'd finished working up V'Roy's test orders, Smith was starting to wake up. She stood by his bed and patiently waited for him to rejoin the world of the conscious. After several minutes, he finally opened his eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was. Then he smiled pleasantly at Debbie and tried to sit up while informing her that he had "to go to the bridge." The CMO returned the smile and gently pushed Brian back down in the bed. "Not so fast, Mr. Smith," she quipped. "You scared the daylights out of me. Now I get my revenge." And so the tests began on the Reaent's Chief of Science along with his protests that they weren't necessary....he was just fine, etc., etc., etc. From across the room, she could hear both Scherer and Ljungberg arguing with Merina. Debbie glanced in their direction to find the Caitian physician holding her own with the two men. She turned back to Brian, who was still trying to make his point, and grinned. The more they complained, the better Debbie felt. And will this much complaining, she had no doubt these guys were just fine.

Debbie left Murray and the others huddled around one of the stations on the bridge, each trying to come up with a realistic explanation as to what happened to the missing away team. She really wanted to stay....to listen to the various ideas being tossed about....to offer her own suggestions and, if nothing else, encourage the others to keep at it. They were quickly running out of time. But there was something else she was compelled to do. Debbie had to inform her staff that Simon Ljungberg was now missing in action, along with Brian Smith. Aaron Von Scherer and V'Roy. She was pretty sure the news would go over like a lead balloon. Simon hadn't been with them for long and, quite honestly, he'd proven to be something of a challenge. Debbie had carefully reviewed the medic's personnel file. He was highly intelligent and more than capable. But he needed an attitude adjustment. Debbie was pretty sure Mr. Ljungberg had a chip on his shoulder. She had no idea what it might be. But she had been looking forward to finding out and helping him get rid of it. She was certain he could be a top notch member of her team and was determined to see that happen. Now, he was gone. So much potential lost in a mere blink of an eye. Then there was Brian....Brian Smith who until just recently had been a member of the medical staff. Debbie could still see him as he was on the day he first reported for duty....so young and inexperienced yet unbelievably enthusiastic. Several months ago, he was transferred to Science and promoted to Chief. Debbie had been sorry to see him go but, at the same time, she was extremely proud of Brian. He'd come a long way in a relatively short period of time. This was his first opportunity to lead an away mission. It didn't seem possible that he'd never have the chance to lead another one. And what about Aaron? Although they didn't work together all that often, Scherer was a long time fixture on Reaent. Debbie couldn't remember a time when he wasn't on this ship. He'd already survived so many close calls. She refused to believe he hadn't survived this one. V'Roy was a recent arrival to the Reaent. He was attached to the new fighter wing. Debbie didn't know him at all but it didn't seem right for him to have been lost so soon after joining the crew. Stepping into Sickbay, Debbie resolved to remove the word "lost" from her vocabulary. She reminded herself that Murray was certain there were no life signs on that shuttle when it was destroyed. The away team wasn't lost....they were just.... misplaced? She knew she couldn't phrase it that way when she broke the news to her staff. But that's what she genuinely believed. Her only hope was that the guys on the bridge would have fine tuned their theory by the time she got back. Somehow, someway, they had to persuade the Captain to allow the Reaent to remain in the area and continue the search for the away team. As soon as Matthews entered Sickbay, she noticed how quiet it was. Looking around, she saw that everyone had stopped what they were doing. The staff now stared at her intently, concern etched on their faces. Smiling sadly, she motioned for them to join her just outside her office. As they approached, shoulders slumped and heads down, the CMO could tell her staff knew she was about to give them bad news. They'd probably already heard about the away team through Reaent's grapevine. Perhaps they'd been hoping the rumors weren't true...looking forward to their Chief coming in and telling them everything was okay. But things weren't okay. There would be no good news today and they knew it. Suddenly, Debbie found herself choking up as she franticly searched for the words to explain what was going on. She had to present the facts, tell them the truth but she also wanted to leave them with a little hope that perhaps, just perhaps, there would be a happy ending to this story. Again, Debbie thought back to Aidan Ridire's remark....there were days when he really hated his job. She knew exactly what he meant. She felt the same way....and this was one of those days.

"Doctor, you have one hour." Debbie stared at Aidan Ridire as he disappeared into the turbolift. He had just confirmed her worst fears. Captain Michaels wasn't prepared to remain in the area long enough to conduct a full fledge search for the missing away team. Although disappointed, Debbie wasn't really surprised. Just a few minutes earlier, in the Captain's office, she'd personally asked Fred Michaels if the Reaent was going to launch a search for Smith, Scherer, V'Roy and Ljungberg. Although their shuttle had been destroyed, Debbie assumed the least the Reaent could do was spend a little time looking for their lost crewmates. Michaels couldn't even look her in the eye as he danced around the question. Instead, he promptly dismissed her. Debbie was taken aback by the Captain's abrupt behavior. For as long as she'd known him, the Captain had always considered his crew the ship's most valuable asset. She never dreamed he would leave a missing away team without knowing for certain what happened to them. She'd glanced at Commander Ridire as she left the Captain's office. He looked like he'd just swallowed a box of 12 pound nails. Again, Debbie was a bit surprised by the look in Aidan's eyes. He and Michaels must have been discussing their options for some time prior to Debbie's arrival. It was apparent to her that Commander Ridire didn't necessarily agree with the Captain's interpretation of the situation. For some reason, Aidan didn't seem to mind that Debbie knew how he felt. She thought back to their recent conversation in Sickbay during which Ridire made it clear there were days when he really hated this job. Matthews was fairly certain this was one of those days. After leaving the office, Debbie joined Mr. Murray and a few others who had assembled on the bridge. The Captain mentioned that Murray had a theory about the away team. He'd said it was complicated and suggested she speak directly to the Security Chief about it. Murray had just finished explaining to Debbie that he thought the away team might still be alive. Sensor logs indicated there were no life signs on the shuttle when it vaporized. It was possible the away team had been beamed off the shuttle seconds before it was destroyed. Debbie trusted Murray's interpretation of the sensor logs. After all, he was the Chief of Security. Analyzing sensor data was right up his alley. But if there were no life signs on the shuttle when it exploded, who removed the crew, where had they been taken and why? So far, their conversation had centered on convincing the Captain the sensor logs were accurate. Debbie figured that part would be easy. Michaels was an engineer at heart. He understood and trusted sensor data. He couldn't help it. That's just the way engineers are. The problem would be in explaining where the away team had been taken. Debbie sensed time was of the essence. She hadn't noticed the Commander walking by when she warned Murray and company that she wasn't sure the Reaent would be staying in the area for very long. But Aidan overheard her remark and then confirmed her worst fears just before leaving the bridge. They only had one hour. Matthews heard Murray mutter something unintelligible. She looked at him and sighed. "You heard the man. We're leaving in an hour. Is that enough time to come up with a plausible theory on where the away team might be? Because without some idea where they were taken, I don't think the Captain will allow us to hang around here looking for them."

But when all was said and done, it didn't really matter. This was the universe she lived in and the circumstances she had to deal with. Still, she couldn't help wondering if her life would be the same in an alternate universe. Or would it be totally different? Debbie marveled at how a close brush with death could alter one's priorities, at least temporarily. While she and her crewmates waited to die, she found herself regretting certain decisions made long ago. She had no regrets about becoming a doctor and joining Starfleet. She thoroughly enjoyed her job and wouldn't change anything about it. But, given the opportunity, there was one thing she would have changed. She would have spent a lot more time with Zion. It was so long ago and Debbie tried hard not to dwell on the past. But the memories flooded back while she was standing on that wretched planet, watching that eerie blue light pierce the sky like a glowing saber. She thought she was going to die. She would never see him again or hear his deep voice making some wise crack. Then came the unexpected rescue and there he was, Zion, whom she hadn't seen or heard from in years. She was so shocked when she first saw him, she was at a loss for words...and that sort of thing rarely happened. Yet the moment their eyes met, she felt the connection as though they'd had a long chat just yesterday. But, of course, they hadn't spoken to each other in years. Still, Debbie had followed Zion's career. She knew he was now a Lieutenant Commander and the Chief Engineer on the USS Nelson. Whenever she heard something about him, she wondered if he knew what she was up to. Apparently, he did. He'd been looking for her among the Reaent's survivors. Debbie was the ranking officer from Reaent on the planet. She remained until the last of her crewmates were beamed up. Zion stayed with her. Once on the Nelson, he made certain she got to her assigned quarters. After cleaning up, Zion returned to escort her to Sickbay so she could check up on Commander Ridire and the others from Reaent who had been injured seriously enough to warrant hospitalization. They finally settled into a familiar routine aboard the Nelson, spending as much time with each other as possible. They talked about anything and everything. And they laughed. Debbie had forgotten how Zion could make her laugh. That was the one thing about him she missed the most. She was determined to enjoy it while she could. For very soon, she and the other Reaent survivors would disembark and the Nelson would be on her way. And so would Zion. Way back, when they were both starting out on Phoenix, Debbie knew they could have been more than friends. Zion knew it too. But they were both young and focused on their careers. Any personal entanglements would only get in the way. So, although close, they kept their distance, never allowing their emotions to get the best of them. Debbie transferred to Reaent. A while later, Zion moved on to other assignments and finally landed the Chief Engineer's post on Nelson. What they could have had together was now just a question Debbie sometimes found herself asking. She wondered if Zion ever thought about it. She wondered about it a lot while she was on the Nelson. But she never asked and Zion didn't bring it up either. Their few days together passed all too quickly, just as she had known they would. In spite of the losses she'd suffered, Debbie was happier than she had been in years. And that was all Zion's fault. When she and her crewmates were dropped off and the Nelson left to resume her mission, Debbie found herself full of regret. At the same time, she was certain she would get over it. She was going home to visit family and friends. There would be a new ship, maybe a new Reaent. Things would return to normal once she got back into the old routine. Now, all these weeks later, Debbie frowned at the small pile of things on her bed. Most of them were little momentous from her days on Phoenix, ninety percent of them given to her by Zion. She'd shipped them home years earlier. No point cluttering up her quarters and office with memorabilia. She glanced again at the overstuffed luggage scattered around her room. Debbie, and everyone else on Reaent, lost everything when the ship was destroyed. She was restocking her closet, drawers, etc. A couple of the bags were so heavy, she could barely lift them. Reaching down, she grabbed one, hoisted it up onto the bed and carefully opened it. Reaching into the bag, she removed a few items of clothing and gently replaced them with her precious momentous. This was a no brainer. Debbie could always get underwear and jogging suits. But these things, these were invaluable and irreplaceable. And Debbie had made up her mind. She wouldn't leave home without them. As much as she wanted things to be the way they were, she knew darn well her life had changed. Things would never be the same again.

Redstone Colony, Mars - Two Months, Six Days After Rescue Debbie frowned at the small pile of miscellaneous items still left on the bed. Her bags were already stuffed but she simply couldn't leave these last few things behind. She had to find room for them in one of the bulging pieces of luggage scattered around the room. And she had to do so quickly. Her ship was leaving in just over three hours. There were a lot of good-byes to say before then. Overall, it had been a wonderful leave. She hadn't seen her grandparents in ages. For a while, she was certain she would never see them again. But she and her crewmates had been rescued, just in the nick of time. What was that old saying about the cavalry? In this case, it wasn't soldiers on horseback who showed up just in time to save the day. It was Starships with torpedoes and they arrived none too soon. Debbie was convinced that she and the remainder of the Reaent's crew would have perished within a couple of minutes had it not been for the Nelson's timely appearance. There was an ongoing debate about exactly what happened on that god forsaken planet but the specialists from the Nelson were confident they had stopped a major temporal disturbance. So major, the timeline for the entire universe could have been altered. Debbie agreed with them wholeheartedly. She really didn't care what the Federation's top experts thought, although some of them were leaning in the same direction. The problem was, they were reluctant to admit it. They were still trying to figure out why such a thing almost occurred and could it happen again. Interesting questions that would probably never be answered. Therefore, the Federation's best scientific minds chose to keep things as quiet as possible. In a way, Debbie understood the reason for the secrecy. There probably wasn't any way to determine how the distortion began much less how to predict a future disruption. They might all go to bed one night and wake up the next day in an alternate universe. Such a thing might cause panic among the public. Then again, most people would probably think it was all "science fiction" and never give it a second thought. Debbie sat down on the edge of the bed and chuckled. The probabilities of an alternate universe had been a popular topic on the Nelson. During the trip back, she and Zion spent hours talking about it and they weren't the only ones. The discussion groups often ranged from four to fourteen people and ran the gamut from ensigns to commanders. But when all was said and done, it didn't really matter. This was the universe she lived in and the circumstances she had to deal with. Still, she couldn't help wondering if her life would be the same in an alternate universe. Or would it be totally different?

Debbie had the mother of all headaches and it wasn't getting any better. She shook her head and blinked her eyes furiously. Her vision finally cleared enough so she could read the data displayed on the tricorder. She, Bryan Smith and Merina were all kneeling in front of Adian Ridire. He'd been walking toward the tower when it was torpedoed. The explosion put all of them on the ground but from the looks of it, Commander Ridire went down a little harder than the rest of them. Fortunately, he was still a long way from the tower. Otherwise, he would probably have been killed. It was Bryan who found the Commander sitting on a large boulder, bleeding and apparently deaf. And it was Bryan who quickly retrieved a medkit from the escape pod so Debbie could determine how seriously injured Ridire was. The head and shoulder wounds were superficial and easily treatable. But the explosion definitely left it's mark on Adian. He had a concussion and there was some damage to both eardrums. Matthews blinked again and confirmed the data on the tricorder's small screen. "It's a good thing you have a hard head," she whispered to Ridire, knowing he couldn't hear her. When she looked up, the Commander was staring at her. She grinned sheepishly, wondering if he was as deaf as the tricorder indicated. "You'll be okay," she said slowly, hoping he would be able to read her lips. Just to make sure he understood, she gave him the old thumbs up, indicating everything would be all right. His only reply was a weak grin. It wasn't until a gurney appeared that Debbie realized they were being rescued. She quickly glanced around her and saw clean uniforms everywhere. A lieutenant wearing a medical ID suddenly stooped down beside her. "I'm Dr. Harden," said the dark haired man. "From the USS Nelson. Is he okay?" "No," replied Debbie, slowly standing. "But he will be." She rubbed her temples as though that would make her headache disappear. "He has a concussion and trauma to the eardrums. Nothing irreversible." "We'll get him back to the ship," said Harden, as his team carefully maneuvered Ridire onto the gurney. Matthews smiled and continued to massage her temples. "Forgive me, I'm Dr. Matthews...CMO...Reaent...or I was CMO....do you know what happened to Reaent? Have you picked up other survivors?" Harden shook her hand and grinned. "We picked up quite a few escape pods. So did Phoenix. As far as the Reaent is concerned," he continued with a shrug. "I don't know but I don't think it's good." Overall, it was good news. At least the small band of survivors on the planet weren't all that was left of the Reaent's crew. Debbie watched as Adian was carried to a clearing about fifty feet away. Merina and Bryan went with him. She kept an eye on them until they disappeared in the transporter beam. She was still staring at the clearing when she became aware that Dr. Harden was scanning her with his tricorder. "I'm all right," she protested. "As a matter of fact, I think most of us down here are okay." "I agree," replied Harden. "But you won't mind if I give you something for that headache, will you?" Debbie had to laugh. "No, she chuckled. "And whatever it is, double the dose." Harden pressed a couple of small, pink tablets into Debbie's hand then offered her a canteen. She popped the medication into her mouth followed by a long drink from the canteen which she then returned to Harden. He immediately motioned for her to join the small group of survivors at the transporter station. "Time to get you off this god forsaken planet," he quipped as they made their way toward the others. A moment later, Debbie was standing with a few of her crewmates awaiting transport to the ship. It suddenly occurred to her that she didn't know where they were going. Nor did she know where Adian had been taken. "How stupid," she thought. "Why didn't I think to ask what ship he was from. Wait...did he say Phoenix?" Dr. Harden was already half way across the clearing. "Did you say you were from the Phoenix?" she called after him. He didn't hear her over the cacophony of noises and kept on walking. "No," came a voice from directly behind her...a vaguely familiar voice. Someone walked up beside her. "Dr. Harden is with the USS Nelson," continued the new arrival. "That's where you're being taken." Debbie's heart skipped a beat or two as she turned to face the Lieutenant Commander now standing to her right. The sight of him left her speechless. It took a couple of seconds for her to find her voice and when she did, all she could manage to say was his name....."Zion!"

Thalen Sinjyn wrote: For a minute Thalen considers whether to warn the General or not. However, things were already out of hand, beyond their control. What was going to happen was going to happen no matter what it was. He steps down to the General's side and glances sidelong at her for a few seconds. He bows his head slightly and says quietly so only she can hear. "It was an honor serving you, General. And..one more thing. I do not believe in God or any other deity. But I do believe that the Universe contains light and dark. Duren is one such example of the Universe containing darkness but he is far from the worst." He pauses momentarily and his voice takes on a dark ominous tone "The darkness that nearly destroyed my people will come for yours..sooner or later. It may even be on the way here now. If you and the others are not prepared for it..you will suffer a fate far worse than death. It merely killed my people..it will take yours." General Deborah Matthews watched as the El Aurian science officer walked away. She'd always considered his species a bit arrogant, an opinion reinforced daily by UFP President Duren's behavior. The El Aurians had once been a great, spacefaring race but their population had been decimated by....something. Exactly what happened on their homeworld remained one of the most tightly guarded secrets in the universe. Nevertheless, there were not that many of them left and only a small minority volunteered for military service. Their expertise was highly prized. That's why Matthews hadn't pitched a fit when Sinjyn was assigned to her ship. Despite her personal opinion of El Aurians, the NFP needed officers like him. Under other circumstances, Deb would have considered Sinjyn's remarks another example of El Aurian arrogance. He knew so much more than his inferior, human colleagues, he couldn't resist predicting their eminent demise. But this situation was different and so was Sinjyn's tone of voice. He really believed they were doomed. He was trying to say good-bye and Matthews knew it. She was nothing more than pure bred human but Deb was intelligent enough to have figured out what was about to happen. They really were doomed. She'd known that since they'd finally identified the type of energy belching into the galaxy from what was People's Head. The idea they could plug the dike was nothing more than a pipe dream. Of course, she'd ordered her gallant crew to attempt to resolve the problem, a problem many of them didn't fully understand. After all, where there was life, there was hope. But Matthews had known all along they had no chance. A temporal distortion of this size was impossible to stop. And there was no point running either. What was about to happen would envelope not only this tiny little system, it would swallow the entire universe. Nothing would escape it. And if her guess was right, it would all happen in the blink of an eye. They might as well stay here and actually witness the event that would change their lives in ways they would never even know. Matthews again turned her attention to the view screen. People's Head was gone. All that remained was the eerie blue hue of the temporal energy field. She could almost see it moving outward as it prepared to flood the universe. There was very little time left. She glanced around the bridge of her ship and took note of each person there. She could tell by their demeanor that some suspected the end was near yet they remained calm and focused. She was so proud of all of them. They were consummate professionals, even Travis. Deb stood beside her XO, George McLean. They exchanged glances but neither spoke. There was no need. She caught sight Thalen Sinjyn over George's shoulder. The El Aurian's expression was carefully controlled as he watched events unfold on he view screen. "George," said Deb quietly. "Do you believe in God?" McLean met her gaze, a slight twinkle in his eye. "I wouldn't be out here if I didn't." General Deborah Matthews smiled warmly and looked at the view screen. The energy field would swallow them in a matter of minutes. "Neither would I," she said softly. "And now I look forward to meeting Him."

"Oh, God help us," thought Deb as the image appeared on the main view screen. The ship was beyond huge. It was, by far, the largest vessel she had ever seen. And even without scanning it, Deb knew this one was armed to the teeth. She closed her eyes for half a second hoping the image would be gone when she reopened them. But, of course, it wasn't. This latest turn of events was no dream. She was facing an ugly reality and it only took a moment for the consequences to sink in. "It's Duren." Deb looked to her right. She had no idea how long George McLean had been standing there. She'd been concentrating on the viewscreen and never even heard him approach. He offered her a quick glance before returning his attention to the warship now approaching People's Head. "It's Duren," repeated McLean, his voice firm. "Nobody else would have access to a ship like that." General Matthews nodded silently. Her XO wasn't telling her anything new. From the moment the massive ship dropped out of warp, she'd known it was Duren. She also knew she had under estimated the importance of whatever project he had underway on People's Head. "I'm a little surprised," said Deb quietly as she turned to face McLean. "I assumed he would send assets to protect his project but I didn't expect him to show up personally." George shook his head. "Neither did I." He looked his CO in the eye. "Which means whatever is going on down there is more than important. He has plans....big plans. He's here to insure nothing gets in his way." The two officers stepped toward their respective chairs but remained standing. "Scherer said that tower might have housed a biowarfare weapons plant," continued Deb softly. "It could have," replied McLean. "But if it did, it was a smokescreen to hide something else." Matthews again glanced at the viewscreen. The image of the deadly warship grew larger as it approached People's Head. "I agree," she quipped. "And I think I know what that something might be." She clasped her hands tightly in front of her. "I think he's trying to create another Guardian. I think he wants to manipulate the time line." She heard McLean draw a deep breath. When she finally looked in his direction, he simply nodded his head. "That makes sense. But our torpedo hit something critical. Looks to me like his project is out of control." Deb frowned and put her hands on her hips. "He's El Aurian. For all we know, this was his field of expertise before he decided to corrupt the UFP." She paused for a moment and took another quick look at the warship. It's massive hull completely filled the viewscreen. " I think he's the only one who knows how to stop whatever it is our torpedo started." She again looked at McLean. "It's just like you said. He's here to insure nothing gets in his way." George smiled wryly. The look in his eyes told her that he understood what was coming next. "I guess we're about to get in his way." Deb smiled sadly. "We're sure going to try. There's a lot more at stake here than a few worn out starships. If we allow him to regain control of that project, then we're all doomed." "Maybe we're doomed if he doesn't regain control." "We're doomed either way. There's only one correct solution. We have to figure out how to put the cork back in the bottle." Deb drew a deep breath. "And quite frankly, the odds are not in our favor." McLean looked down at his boots for a moment. Then he glanced around the soot smeared bridge of the NFS Reaent. "Well," he began slowly. "We've had a good run. It's only right that we go out in a blaze of glory." Now it was Deb's turn to drop her head. It took her a moment to regain her composure. "We need to notify the remainder of the fleet. All communications must be in Priority One Code." McLean nodded toward the viewscreen. "I hope they haven't cracked it." Matthews sighed. "I hope so too. The task at hand is already difficult. If they've cracked our latest code, it will be completely impossible." "So, what's our plan?" asked the XO. Deb Matthews glanced toward the science station and then back at George. "Tell the fleet what we suspect. Advise them to stand by for orders. In the meantime, I'm going to have a chat with Mr. Sinjyn. He's El Aurian. Hopefully, he's got to have an idea or two on how to handle this."

"Are you sure about that?" shouted Deb, trying to be heard over the rising cacophony now engulfing the bridge. "That's confirmed, General," came the instantaneous reply. "Those ships definitely belong to Starfleet's Second, Fourth and Eighth Battle Groups." Things were happening very quickly....too quickly to suit Deb Matthews. This entire situation was well beyond bizarre. There were so many questions. And as soon as one was answered, another popped up to confound them even more. First was the sudden attack by the Breen, a species many considered nothing more than a myth. At least that question had been laid to rest once and for all. Yet to be answered was why the Breen, with their far superior fire power, took a couple of pot shots at Reaent and then broke off their attack. Next came the surprise of the century. The Klingons were back. Long believed to have been driven to extinction, they were not only very much alive but extremely well armed. As overpowering as they appeared to be, the Klingons seemed totally disinterested in the NFP. They parked themselves a discreet distance from People's Head and waited. Deb had wondered why. Now, she was beginning to understand. The Klingons knew about the Third Fleet's demise prior to their arrival. There was a good chance they also knew why Duren was so interested in People's Head. Deb wasn't sure how the Klingons obtained their information. She had a couple of ideas but they would have to be fleshed out at a later time. But Matthews was now certain that whatever was going down on People's Head was of the utmost importance to Duren. That's why he had a clandestine comm relay maintaining constant surveillance of the entire system. Thanks to the relay, Duren knew, within minutes, that the Third Fleet had been destroyed. He also knew who was responsible and how they accomplished the task. The Klingons knew about the comm relay as well. They surmised Duren wouldn't take kindly to the destruction of his Third Fleet. More importantly, they knew how important the People's Head project was to Duren. All they had to do was sit and wait. And so they did. General Matthews was sure Duren would send someone to investigate and so were the Klingons. It was just a matter of time before the UFP's Tenth Battle Group arrived, rattling their sabers. That was just what the Klingons were hoping for. They were itching for a fight with their long time nemesis and they'd come prepared. Taking on the Tenth was a dream come true for the Klingons. They now had a chance to strike back at those responsible for nearly exterminating their race. "Are the Klingons still engaging the Starfleet's Tenth Battle Group?" called Deb. "Affirmative," shouted one of the bridge officers. "Their fighters are swarming those guys." Although she had yet to see the Klingon vessel up close, Matthews knew it was vastly superior to the Reaent. It could have squashed the New Federation's four ship task force in a matter of seconds. But they didn't. Instead, they waited patiently for Duren's ships. Deb made an educated guess that the Klingons would go after the UFP's Tenth. That was the only reason she hadn't immediately recalled the shuttle when the enemy ships first arrived. That and she really needed to know what Duren was up to on People's Head. Now they had more company and these folks were about as unexpected as the Klingons had been. Deb glanced at George McLean as he came to stand beside her. "As of two days ago, the Second, Fourth and Eighth Fleets were at Nimbus," he said calmly. Matthews nodded. "And we just received word the Romulans kicked their collective butts out of the system." The CO paused a moment, crossing her arms in front of her. "Let me see our latest guests," she ordered. "Zoom in on one or two of the largest ships. I want as close a look as possible." A moment later, those on the bridge were carefully examining two Ambassador class starships and three or four smaller vessels. They all appeared to be in remarkably good condition. "They're in pretty good shape," offered George. The two senior officers slowly looked at each other. A small grin creased McLean's lips. "They sure don't look like a defeated fleet," said Deb quietly. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? "That depends on what you're thinking," replied McLean, still grinning. Deb Matthews smiled and turned to Brian Smythe. "Tell Kroells to continue air support for the shuttle. Remind him the fighters are not to engage the UFP or the Klingons. And get in touch with Major Scherer. Tell him he has five minutes to finish gathering data and get back to the shuttle." Deb continued standing, her arms crossed in front of her. She learned a long time ago to trust her instincts. And right now, her instincts told her things were about to get very interesting.

They had been ten minutes out when first spotted. The ten minutes had come and gone. The Klingons should have been on top of them by now. But so far, there was no sign of them. "Where are they?" asked Deb Matthews, trying to hide the growing frustration she was now feeling. "Unknown," came the reply from one of the Bridge crew. "There is no sign of them on the sensors." Matthews stood and took a couple of steps toward the main viewscreen. "They have cloaking technology," she reminded everyone listening. "I hope we're looking for any anomalies that might indicate they're closer than we realize." It was only the tenth time she'd made that remark in the past twenty minutes. Someone replied in the affirmative, just has they had the last time she asked that question. Of course they were scanning for anything that even remotely seemed out of place. They were doing the best they could under the circumstances but that was of little comfort to Deb. They had checked and rechecked the sensor readings the fighters recorded when they first encountered the mysterious ships. Many of Reaent's senior staff found it difficult to believe the unknown fleet could possibly belong to the Klingons. Deb was among them. But the readings had been confirmed at least a dozen different ways. Those ships were definitely Klingon. And they should have arrived at People's Head a good twenty minutes ago. Since determining they were on the way, the Reaent's crew had poured over every piece of information they could find on Klingon vessels, armament and especially their cloaking technology. But even the NFS assumed the Klingons were long gone. There was precious little left in the data files about them. And it was all outdated. Deb wasn't sure they would recognize a cloaking device's signature anomaly if they were staring straight at it. For all she knew, the Klingons had new and more sophisticated technology, able to cloak without creating any anomalies at all. The bottom line was, they were in a potentially fatal situation. And the waiting was the worst part of it all. Deb Matthews crossed her arms in front of her and continued staring at the viewscreen. She'd made the decision to the stay put in an effort to talk to the Klingons. But she was tired of waiting. She turned to look at the Chief of Fighter Operations, Bryan Smythe. "Launch a fighter squadron," she ordered. "Have them locate that fleet and report back. Under no circumstances are they to engage the Klingons, even if fired upon." Smythe nodded solemnly and turned back to his console. Matthews looked around and noticed Colonel Nidari was still on the Bridge. She motioned for the Chief Tactical Officer to join her. "We need to know what's on that planet that was of such interest to the UFP," said Deb as Nidari stepped to her side. "Get your team ready to launch as soon as we find out where that Klingon fleet is." Colonel Nidari also nodded, turned and quickly returned to her console while Deb walked over to the ship's XO was standing. George McLean looked up from the report he was reading as she approached him. "As soon as we determine the whereabouts of that fleet, we need to meet with the department heads and try to hash out what's going on around here. And I'd also like your opinion on taking out that communications relay."