A Trio of Perspectives, a Myriad of Concerns

[T'Prise 0]

Glancing at the data scroll across her station’s monitor, T’Prise concluded that it was only a matter of time before they discovered quantifiable evidence proving Manticore had indeed crossed into a parallel universe. Given that she was currently working with the sensor log data, identifying even any spatial phenomena the ship had encountered in the last year and sending anything that remotely matched their criteria to Commander Syndrx for further analysis, it was only logical to conclude that they would eventually succeed in distinguishing when and where the shift from one universe to the other occurred.

 

However, given her earlier discussions with Captain Sovak and Commander Farrington, she was curious as to the how they wished to gather and incorporate the crew interviews into their overall findings. As someone who embraced logic and balance, she found accounts of people’s feelings and impressions to be anecdotal at best. It may be of use generally, in attempting to establish a time line, but it could not be relied upon as solid evidence in establishing the Manticore’s whereabouts on a factual basis.

 

Yet, despite these rational and analytical arguments as to its validity, T’Prise was still intrigued by the purpose and overall usefulness of this qualitative data set. In her experience, humans tended to lend much credence to their emotional intuition. If their emotions were heightened due to a change or a sense of something incorrect, they allowed those emotions to guide and direct their actions. Given the evolutionary development and preponderance of the species, she had to conclude that these instincts were in fact somewhat effective. Briefly she wondered if her curiosity was somehow influenced by her current state of mind, her own struggle with emotional influences perhaps weakening her ability to maintain her focus on logic. But as quickly as those thoughts entered her mind she dismissed them, now was not the proper time for introspection.

 

Ensuring that the computer would continue to execute her query and relay information to Commander Syndrx, she stood and moved towards the lower level of the bridge to approach the captain and second officer. Both were seasoned Starfleet veterans and perhaps their insights would satisfying T’Prise’s curiosity and help her focus on more important matters. Regardless, they had been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation and it would be advisable to begin the interviews with crew members now rather than later.

 

“Captain, Commander? I suggest that we adjourn to the conference room for a brief status update and to discuss the crew interviews.”

 

*****

 

Seated alone at one end of the conference room table, following his discussion with Farrington and T’Prise, Sovak was at even more of a loss than he had been. True, the only logical conclusion of the data at hand indicated that they were in a parallel universe of some kind. True, facts about the differences between this universe and their own could be quantified. But also true, was the fact that one of the bases of this conclusion was his own “feelings” and to discover precisely when they transitioned into this universe, they must now trace back the events to the precise moment when it didn’t “feel” right.

 

As he said, he was at a loss. As a Vulcan, he had spent his entire life suppressing and controlling his feelings and emotions. It was second nature to him, to all Vulcans. Now, to explore those feelings and not ignore them? Not suppress them? He really did not know where to begin. Perhaps another discussion with Commander Farrington would be in order.

 

 

*****

 

Returning briefly to the OPS station to check in following the conference, Jami reflected briefly on what had been discussed between the three known “sensitives” aboard the Manticore. In the presence of two Vulcans, the fully human Jami Farrington felt out of place, but put aside her misgivings to focus on the situation.

 

Parallel universe? The implications were beyond Jami’s immediate ability to fathom, so she refused, for the moment, to consider them at all. Instead, she concentrated on how and when they may have arrived. The transition had been so stealthy, so insidious, and so nearly imperceptible; it seemed that a superior consciousness may have been work, though the thought was entirely absurd. Then, the signs that now seemed so obvious were not ignored, but they were dismissed, rationalized, and embraced as de rigueur to their status in the fleet and their mission in special operations. And it had continued for nearly ten days. Ten days!

 

Thinking back, her first “feeling” came with Maturin Station’s reconfiguration – quite an accomplishment considering the short span of time they had spent between visits. Still, she had dismissed it, using the recent upsurge in activity for special and covert operations as her rationalization.

 

But dismissing the resurrection of former Consul General Melville was more difficult. Jami had been there in her official capacity as a physician for the autopsy. Unless medical science had advanced beyond her wildest dreams, he could not possibly have survived. Furthermore, that he was a Founder was a ludicrous thought; the super-paranoid security systems at Maturin would have detected that immediately. One by one, Jami ticked off the suspicious differences as she shared them with Captain Sovak and T’Prise, which had brought her to the curious circumstance of her inclusion in the trio of “sensitives.”

 

Since her encounter with the Qin in the Andromeda galaxy, she had been “sensitive” to a certain degree, but not necessarily to the degree she had recently experienced. Vai, her Qin “healer,” had indicated Jami’s telepathic abilities were a byproduct of the Qin healing process, and that the ability would most likely fade over time. Strangely enough, exactly the opposite had occurred – at least in this reality. Would her sensitivity continue when - and if - they returned to their reality? Again, her mind had wandered. They had their list; time to gather data.