Questions and Answers (Part III)

[Vakhtang_Dalsazashvili 0]

About 12 hours after his initial arrival, Vakhtang still sat by himself in the office. He hadn't attempted to leave, although he had tried to open the door, only to find himself locked in. He had also attempted to comm out, both from the room and his badge, only to find himself denied on both accounts. He had gone through the stage of being claustrophobic, as well as being angry. He figured that he was around half way his stir-crazy stage, and almost to the stage of accepting the fact that he was never going to get out of this room.

 

Then, almost mercifully, the door opened. In walked a human female. Her expression was pleasant and non-threatening. It made Vakhtang wonder if she was just someone they had sent to ensure that he was still alive.

 

"Lieutenant Dalsazashvili" She said in greeting as she walked in. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Doris Melcher of the Bureau of Temporal and Alternate Universe Investigations. I've been assigned to your case."

 

Tang just nodded in greeting. Attempts at being cordial and apologetic might have been effective a few hours ago, but not now. Vakhtang knew, however, that getting angry about it would do him absolutely no good.

 

"I'm going to get down to the facts, Lieutenant" she said as she sat down. "Based on the information we have gathered, the fact that you are a Starfleet officer, and the fact that you managed to go through a vetting process to be assigned to a Black Ops vessel in a timeline that seems to be fairly identical to ours for all intents and purposes means that we have no reason to believe that you are a here of any malevolent purpose."

 

"That's good to know." Vakhtang said, keeping his tone as light as he could given his mood.

 

"However, it does not explain why you decided to come to this universe" she said, implying that she was expecting an answer in return.

 

"I came here because I am assigned to the USS Manticore" he replied, if only for lack of having a better answer.

 

"Yes, you were assigned to the USS Manticore, in your universe" the investigator replied evenly. "However, your presence here is a direct violation of the prime directive, and you know this."

 

Tang did not have an answer for that, for she was right. His presence here in this universe, as well as his conscious choice to come here, was indeed a violation of the prime directive. "I have no other response other than to agree with you" he finally conceded.

 

The investigator nodded, partially not expecting the answers that she got from him. "Well, you're here, though, and there is currently no way in which we can get you back to your universe where you belong. So we'll make due."

 

Tang nodded, and waited for her to complete her thought. "First things first. We've created a new 'official' identity for you" she said, producing a PADD from her pocket. Since we already have a Vakhtang Dalsazashvili in the world, you officially need to be someone different" she handed the PADD to him and allow him to digest the information on it."

 

"Yevgeni Markov. . ." he said, before looking up at her "Am I supposed go by this name now?"

 

"You can go by Susan if it make you feel comfortable" she told him. "All this is an official record so as to not cause any consternation between you and the other Vakhtang Dalsazashvili. . .the –real- one, as far as we here in this universe are concerned. If you or your crewmates want to keep referring to yourself as Vakhtang, that's perfectly fine. Its just not your real name anymore.

 

Tang ignored the dig in favor of a rising curiosity about the other Vakhtang. He silently wondered whether or not he was somewhere on this station, locked in a similar room so as to avoid contact with him. Since she brought it up, he felt now was as good a time as any to ask. "And what about my. . .other self."

 

Melcher leaned back in her chair. "Yes, him." She said, pausing. "Chances are you'll never run into him. But you need to be aware of who he his and what he's doing nonetheless."

 

Tang waited in anticipation to hear about what his doppelganger was doing in this universe.

 

"Vakhtang Dalsazashvili is currently the conductor and music director at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg ."

 

It took a few moments for that information to register, yet he still couldn't truly process it. "Come again?"

 

"Mr. Dalsazashvili is the current conductor and music director at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg ."

 

Tang frowned. "How is that even possible?" he asked. "Even if I had decided to go to the conservatory, I would have barely graduated a year ago. That's not nearly en. . ."

 

"I don't make up these situations, Lieutenant. I just report them" she interrupted him, handing yet another PADD. "You can research more about his career path at another time. However, you are to refrain from having any contact with him, his wife, or his family for as long as you are in our universe, is that clear?"

 

"Wife?" he replied.

 

"That's not exactly the response I was looking for, Lieutenant."

 

"Yes, it's clear." Suddenly, the reality was beginning to set in. No more contact with his family, his childhood friends. He was beginning to wonder whether or not it was a good idea to come here after all.

 

"Good. Now, you're free to proceed back to the Manticore, Lieutenant Junior Grade Markov" she said, taking a little bit of pleasure in using his newly given identity.

 

Tang stood up and exited the office. He was partially numb from the information that he had received. It was a shock, to say the least. Not only did he enter the academy. But he had somehow made is way all the way up to conductor and music director. Such information was most certainly enough to make him second guess his career choice.

 

It took him about 5 minutes to make his way back to the Manticore, and as he arrived he headed straight to his quarters. There was a lot for him to process and think about. It took him about an hour to work up the courage to start going through the PADD about the other Vakhtang. He wanted to know everything about what he had missed.