Back To Reality Part 1

Posted on 25 Mar 2023 @ 6:27pm by Lieutenant C'Tora Kuroka & Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant JG Harper Matthews & Lieutenant JG Riley Ames & Lieutenant Cassandra Higgins-Stevens & Lieutenant JG Roger Harrison Jr & Lieutenant JG Ron Bumble
Edited on on 03 Apr 2023 @ 1:10am

Mission: Through the looking glass
Location: Observation lounge
Timeline: Morning after "Fragili Mortalis"
2226 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Jon hadn't slept much. Having had Lieutenants Datari and Bumble excitably telling him some good news, he had taken the decision especially after the incidents on the bridge to let the dust settle overnight, give engineering chance to go work their magic getting things back together again and let people have some needed rest. And time to process everything. It also meant he could introduce the new CEO. He had called a staff meeting this morning.

Knowing Dr Kuroka would be on route to that, he took a moment before everyone arrived to get a report on Harper and Amelia.

"Reynolds to Harrison. How are the patients this morning?"

Roger heard the Captain's voice over the Comms badge. "Harrison to Reynolds. I have good news. Both patients are doing well, and I am releasing Commander Fox this afternoon, and she can return to light duty tomorrow. Matthews is out of here shortly, also on light duty. Anything else, sir?"

"Actually I could do with both Commander Fox and Lieutenant Matthews being in this meeting from sickbay. Light duty cover that?" Jon asked

He nodded, but realized too late that the man couldn't see him. "Yes, sir, it does. I can find a secure location for them here. Anything else you need?" He set about organizing the surgical suite for them to use to remote in to the senior staff meeting after filling them in on the Captain's request.

It felt strange for Harper, not being able to move about freely. At the moment she was on bed rest with a view to go on to light duties once her back had healed a bit more but she realised she took for granted her own health, her own body. Smiling and thanking Harrison for the use of one of the consoles she linked into the staff meeting that had been called. She took a minute to fix herself as best she could first, it wasn't like she'd had a chance to shower or clean herself up first.

"That's everything for now. Thank you doctor," Jon said leaving the man to sort that out.

"Good morning," Jon said when everyone had arrived or was on screen patched in. "We have a development in the whole getting home business. But before we get into that first I want to introduce Lieutenant Ames who I promoted yesterday to chief engineer."

The newly minted Chief of Engineering glanced up at the Captain then towards those who had arrived. "Greetings, nice to meet you." the redheaded Riley Ames giving a nod. He was certainly feeling a bit out of his depth, but that was due to this being his first staff meeting.

Aidan sat and glanced sideways at Bumble, who was the only non-senior officer present. "Are you ready? This is your discovery, you should get credit."

"Well technically its my alter ego who got there first but we were on the right track," Ron said. "So we hypothesised that the gateway we encountered with the Goddesses help was one of a network. And that you dial up so to speak other addresses. My AU counterpart actually found some and using the information Methalina put in our computer and the scans combined with his information I was able to get off of Sempok Nor and him agreeing to help well we cracked it. What we didn't do is think big enough. Its not only a network in our universe but they are linked in multiple ones. The ancients built gateways you can travel through multiple universes," Ron said excitably.

Harper rubbed her temples. All of this was giving her a headache. Too many universes, all she wanted was to get back to their own. She had questions for her parents about her past. Was she Human, or was the Goddess just messing with her head?

The doors to the briefing room parted and Cassie stepped through, having only a short time before been released from sickbay herself. She was still sore but the broken bones had been mended even if they were tender.

"My apologise on being late!" gently she lowered herself down into a chair at the end of the table, wincing due to the bruised ribs.

C'Tora sat and listened quietly as the others talked and gently closed his eyes as he began to speak. " So what we're saying here is that a group of ancient beings built a series of travel gates not only to travel around in their own dimension, but other dimensions as well? " He asked. " This could be either a great blessing or a great curse to the federation. " He stated.

" I think we've all heard of how Q sent the Enterprise D to a distant location and because of it our people encountered the Borg. " He let those words sink in briefly. " I know we're going to go explore these areas, because that's who we are and what we do. But in doing such, I would say that we need to approach this with a good measure of caution. The last thing we need to do is to find someone or something worse then the Borg and have billions of lives lost. " Stated the large Caitian.

"Agreed," Jon said. "And its only a curse if the wrong people get involved and its handled badly. We just have to trust that when we get these "Gateways" working and I file the report to Starfleet HQ they decide to be just as cautious in our thinking as we are. But that said, we have to get home and this is the only thing on the table.

"Tell them the "other shoe" Mr Bumble," Jon said steering them back to the actual getting home part.

"Yes sir. The ancient technology only works if you have a substance called in this universe "Red" and in our own I believe its "Green".

"What the cartels we encountered are shifting," Jon stated.

"The substance used by most people will make you feel pretty good, heighten certain emotions," Ron blushed suddenly, "And helps with an array of health issues. Our intel tells us. In people with extra sensory abilities, it seems it can be used as a tool to unlock the gateways. Someone is going to have to erm .... smoke, ingest ... the red and then connect/link we think. We don't know the specifics. All we have is old scriptures found and studied by my counterpart here and well hearsay,"

Jon waited for his senior staff to do the math as to how many of the senior staff had extra sensory abilities and mentally made a bet with himself who would be the first to object to him having to do this.

Natasha who had been seated quietly, listening to what was being discussed. She raised a finger, "Are you certain that you want to do this, captain? Though I can understand that it may end up being you, imbibing this substance, but there are just not many who would have the necessary ability to bring this about. I am worried in truth."

"Could we not approach Commodore Haistro... Could the burden be shared?" Cassie pitched in, not liking the idea of a single person shouldering this on their own.

"Or any other empath or telepath on this ship? Surely we got a good number here that could help, including me?" Aidan added. Though he knew his own ability was random at best, he still had it and felt he needed to offer.

"Captain..." Harper spoke through the monitor. "I don't think using yourself as a guinea pig for this is the best idea. We need our Captain, and should something go wrong... I don't want to lose you... I mean the crew wouldn't want to lose you." Harper found her emotions heightened of late, almost an unlocking effect if you could call it that from Methalina's words of her being of a different species.

She could feel a lot more of the crew than she was used to, more so than just surface reading or body language. It was as if she a door had been opened and these El Aurian genes she was meant to have began to 'wake up' (El Aurian's are empaths).

Jon laughed inwardly as he lost his bet then noted all the expected and unexpected in the concerns. “We have two joints of this stuff and no Commander Haistro in this universe friendly to shoulder any burden.

I wanted Commander Fox and Lieutenant Matthews on the call as they received these,” he indicated their small stash of the substance, “from my counterpart here. They undertook a small Intel mission separately,” he said to protect his XOs privacy.

“Evidently here I partake. Both of you how was I? In charge of my senses yes - you said the other me helped you in a fist fight? I believe the only concerns of meeting me having smoked it was I looked a little scruffy?”

"Just because he helped us in a fight does not make him in control of his senses sir." Harper chimed in almost immediately. The annoyance in her voice was hard to hide as she didn't want Jon to have anything to do with this red substance. "He looked scruffy due to the life he had led. I think he saw himself as the handsome and loveable rogue type." she neglected to mention he had good taste, he had hit on her whilst they were fighting.

"Well I like to think I'm the handsome and loveable type in any universe," Jon joked. He turned serious. He had already made his mind up.

"The fact is we have few with the ability. Commander Fox is on the mend and available again for light duty. I trust her impeccably if I was to get incapacitated in any way while we try this. I will," he looked at the CMO, "ensure you are present and can monitor everything," and his eyes darted to Cassie, "Lieutenant you will be there also.

And ultimately," he continued in a tone that indicated he was not going to be talked out of this, "its my duty to get my crew back home and this is the ONLY possible solution we have come across. I appreciate all objections filed but I have taken a decision. So the discussion is no longer the "who" now its the getting everything in place for the "attempt."

Riley didn't have much to say, he was observing and listening to what was being suggested.

Natasha raised her hand. "I will back you up on this, Captain. There comes a time when there is only one solution and it is a tough call to make in order to get the difficult task done." her mind went to the sacrifice of the USS Eureka to take down the Planet Killer. "What can I, that is we can do to help out?"

"I know you are the Captain sir, and I don't mean to push but I would feel much more secure knowing you had some telepathic back up... Lieutenant Haistro is still on board. If you won't allow anyone to shoulder the burden with you at least let her be on hand to support!"

Cassie was direct, displaying a level of confidence she had never displayed before. She could feel all eyes on her, watching her and the Captain. "With all due respect of course sir!"

Natasha took a look at Lieutenant Higgins, she did have a point. "Sir, I must agree with Lieutenant Higgins, having another one to help out would be advisable." she glanced over towards where her Ron was at, then back at Captain Reynolds. "At times it takes two to make things easier, a team."

"I will take it under consideration," Jon said sharper than he intended. "Now moving on to the particulars. How long will it take to get to this gateway? And are we fully operational now after what happened with on the bridge?"

Riley shifted in his seat, and looked Captain Reynolds in the eye. "The bridge is fully operational, all shifts worked on it to make certain it was ready sir."

Natasha wasn't upset at the captain's response, he was under an extreme amount of pressure right now, to get them back to where they belong. "Thank you for the consideration." she responded. She then looked towards Ron, then to Aidan to see if they had an answer to the Captain's question.

"You transmit the coding to the gateway when we arrive, ingest the drug and then well my counterparts research is you think it sir," Ron said. He had already reported this so it was more for the rest of the senior staffs benefit.

"Right then set course to this gateway. Any further concerns which I suspect you all have can be filed individually. Dismissed," Jon said wrapping things up.

He smacked his comm. badge.

=^=Lieutenant Haistro. Report to my ready room=^=

OFF:

Captain Jonathan Reynolds
CO, USS Andromeda

Commander Natasha Blackthorn
Diplomatic Officer
USS Andromeda

Lt j.g. Riley Ames
Chief of Engineering
USS Andromeda

Lieutenant JG Harper Matthews
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Andromeda

Lieutenant JG Roger Harrison, Jr
Asst. Chief Medical Officer
USS Andromeda

Lieutenant JG Cassandra Higgins
Ships Counselor
USS Andromeda

Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant C'Tora Kuroka
Chief Medical Officer
USS Andromeda