Everything Everywhere All at Once

Posted on Mon Mar 20th, 2023 @ 11:47pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Dr & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson & Ensign T'Plana-hath & Lieutenant JG James Phoenix & Lieutenant Seth Travis

Mission: Living History
Location: NASA Facility/USS Washington

At the NASA facility, Deanna worked with Jon to tag the would-be impulse engines and other technology for transport as Phoenix kept look out to ensure nobody bothered them as they completed this caper that felt a bit like a black op.

Jon and Deanna moved quickly and efficiently placing the tabs on the technology that was going to be beamed away and hopefully correct the timeline. "I hope this works and we get the timeline back on its proper path Deanna."

"All we can do is our job and hope for the best. Let's get to work" Deanna replied.

James simply nodded before turning to face the entrance to the area that the engines and tech were located in. He mentally prepared himself so that he wouldn't be distracted with the changes to him in the timeline or anything else despite T'Plana's help. He was ready for anything.

On the shuttle, T'Plana materialized, orders fresh in her mind to ready for departure and transport.

T’Plana sat in the shuttle’s pilot seat and began the low power up of the engines, she wanted to be sure that the energy signal would not be picked up by any of this era’s sensors. She also engaged the shuttle’s sensors, and was mildly surprised to detect four military airborne drones conducting a grid search of the area. She ensured all the shuttles counter detection programs were up and running. She then made sure the impulse engines were fully on line, waiting for the small break in the drone search pattern she took the shuttle straight up and suspended the shuttle just at the top of Earth’s stratosphere. There she continued to monitor the crew and all of Earth’s surveillance devices and communications. She was puzzled by some of the military communication’s coming from the nation state known as the United States; apparently they were looking for something in the vicinity of were the shuttle had been; this made T'Plana smile. The other reports though were more concerning, a call from the NASA facility to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, requesting information. T'Plana hit the coms =^=Commander I highly recommend you finish what you are doing. Someone at NASA has contacted a senior head at the Federal Bureau of Investigation; also it would appear the United States military is conducting a search for something in the vicinity where the shuttle was.=^=

"Thank you T'Plana, we're finishing up now." Jon replied then spoke to Deanna. "We need to go. Someone called the FBI and the US military. Wanna guess who they are looking for?"

Deanna shrugged. "I suppose we should get out of here now and leave them with one heck of a mystery."

Back on the Washington, things were equally chaotic. Sam worked on Maddison, now in suspended animation. Ayana was keeping an eye on him just in case, and Shran was staying near Sam to get immediate information from her analysis.

"Hmm, he's definitely a direct descendant of all three of them, I can identify all three sets of DNA strands within his genetic makeup. Several generations removed, but it's definitely there." Sam finished her scans and looked at both the Captain and Ayana. " I can't tell exactly how far down the line he is, or in which combinate the DNA strands got to be there, but it's the best I can do with the technology we have at the moment"

Shran was disturbed with this information. "We need to inform Callie, though I want to have Jon and Deanna present as well. We'll hold on to this information until they are all back on the ship. Can you learn anything else about this Maddison from your scans?"

It was quiet and dark in Callie and Jon’s quarters. Shon sat next to Callie who was sleeping quietly now that Maddison was under control. Shon noted how young she looked lying there and leant over and moved her hair out of her eyes. She sipped her drink wondering what Seth and Shasta were doing? She had had hardly any time to speak to him and missed him desperately.

She tapped her comm and walked into the bathroom =/\= Dex to Lieutenant Travis =/\=

In their quarters with Shasta, Seth answered Shon's hail. "Hiya Shon, what's up?"

Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice, I miss you will all this going on with Callie at the moment. I am in her quarters whilst she sleeps right now=/\= she laughed a little sadly

"Miss you too darling, Shasta misses you as well darling. Is Callie alright Shon?"

“Yes she’s fine, asleep now that Maddison is in stasis, however I get the feeling this is not over yet. I’m staying with her for the moment as I need to run some scans on her when she wakes. Then, if everything is okay I’m coming home. I feel so tired, so heavy some how. Callie’s waking up so got to go. Love you my darling Dex out =/\=

Callie slowly started to stir, the sleep she’d had was just what she’d needed. Best of all she couldn’t hear Maddison in her mind now. She opened her eyes smiling as she saw Shon sitting there just as she’d promised. “Any news?”

“Just that Maddison is in suspended animation, I presume you cannot hear him, you’re smiling.” She ordered the lights up. Can I get you anything Callie?”

Callie shook her head as she sat up. “No, I’m fine thank you Shon, and no I can’t hear him. I’m sorry if I caused any problems, just knowing that Maddison is a descendant is... well, it’s mind blowing! I don’t understand how he’s so powerful.”

Shon stood and poured herself a glass of water. Sipping it slowly she thought. Well he is from our future so who knows what technology they have developed or how far humans have.” She smiled. “I would like to autopsy him” she said wickedly. “I may yet get the chance to do so.”

“Autopsy!” Callie looked horrified at that idea. “I hope that’s just a virtual one. He may be a bad guy in our eyes, but he’s here for a reason, and it’s risking his own future. Question is why?”

She smiled at Callie’s discomfort. “Sorry, that’s the scientist talking. Hopefully Jon and his team will dredge something up. Now, do you want to return to sickbay?”

“Yes, please” Callie nodded as she got up and walked over to the mirror to brush her hair, and tidy herself up. “I want to know what Sam has found out about Maddison.”

“Good, I wanted to perform a full work up on you anyway, I want to scan your brain to see if there is any damage there, do a full blood work up and also check that little one in there.” She tickled Callie’s abdomen which was beginning to round out a little. “When you’re ready?”

Callie grinned. “I’m ready when you are.” She paused as she looked at the clock checking the time worried she’d slept a long time. Harry would be upset if she wasn’t there to collect him from his class. “I’ve still got plenty of time.”

Shon and Callie walked leisurely down to sickbay. As they entered Shon walked to Sam. “Callie is fine now he is asleep so we returned. I wanted to do a full work up on her and then I would like to go and see Shasta and Seth.”

Deep inside his mind a small piece of Maddison stirred in his suspended animation. It was like climbing out of a long dark tunnel and would take a while so he began to climb noting that he could not move.

Callie walked over to Maddison, it was so odd gazing at someone from her own future. She couldn’t begin to imagine what the future was like, what changes lead to his being so strong, and they were questions she couldn’t ask. She frowned as she looked at him. “Sam, Shon, he is completely under isn’t he? I thought I sensed...” she paused. “Never mind, I’m just imagining it!” She smiled as she walked back over to Shon.

It was like a spark catching in the part of the brain the stasis had not reached, neurons connected with neurons, at the base of the brain, his pons and medulla began to vibrate and communicate with his hypothalamus to control the transitions between wake and sleep. Although his bodily functions were controlled by stasis his eyes suddenly opened. Alarms ripped through sickbay discordant and loud. Shon held Callie in her arms.

Sam was confused. The man was in a complete and total stasis, textbook entry and was still according to the stasis pod, very much completely in stasis. Killing him would be their only option if stasis wasn't able to contain him. "Captain, we may have to remove the life support from his stasis chamber" Sam advised, knowing exactly what that meant.

"Not my ideal choice" Shran responded candidly. "Do what you have to Sam."

Callie looked between Shran and Sam in horror. “Sam, Captain.. you can’t! Please... don’t!! We need to know what Maddison knows, to find out why he’s here. We can’t do that if he’s dead!”

"We can assume quite a bit about why he is here Callie. We can also assume that he isn't responsible for sending us back in time. Killing him isn't my first choice, but for your safety and that of the entire crew, at this point, I don't see we have any choice if all other medical possibilities have been exhausted" Shran said sternly. "I think if he were here, Jon would agree. The safety of you and the rest of the crew is my top priority."

~ Planetside ~

Deanna circled back with Jon as they finished tagging everything. They walked over to Phoenix and Deanna tapped her communicator, =^=Deanna to T'Plana, we are ready. Transport us and then all the tagged items to the cargo hold. Time for us to get back to the Washington.=^=

"Time to leave and get back to the Washington. Beam us and the equipment up T'Plana." Jon ordered.

Jon, Deanna, and Phoenix dematerialized, and moments later rematerialized in the shuttle. "I'll help bring up the cargo if you want to assist with piloting us back to the Washington" Deanna said to Jon in her usual melodic voice, a smile on her face signifying how happy she was to be going back to the ship.

T’Plana was at the pilot station still monitoring the Earth’s primitive military and intelligence surveillance devices and communications when she received the order to beam up the away team and items that had been tagged. In a smooth and efficient manner, she complied. The communications between NASA and the Federal Bureau of Investigations were interesting as the officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigations stated that in no way they had sent agents and were in fact investigating something similar at the SpaceX facilities. The individual instructed the official at NASA to immediately find and apprehend the individuals and secure all the sensitive areas at the NASA complexes. T’Plana-hath smiled at that and thought to herself when we return to our time, I must research this incident in the Federation and Starfleet intelligence archives. She heard Commander Grayson approaching and stated "It would appear the United States government is on to what happened, as far as to our ruse as FBI agents at both SpaceX and NASA. They are not sure how we stole the equipment or erased the data from their systems. They have a true mystery on their hands."

Jon smiled, "Good. Let them wonder all they want. They will never find out. it is a mystery they will never solve." Jon answered as he slid into the co-pilot's seat. "Let's get back to the Washington and back to our time. I'm done with the twenty-first century."

Deanna entered the main cabin, "Cargo is secure. We should check in with the captain. He did say he wanted us back urgently."

"Then let's not keep him waiting. T'Plana, set a course back to the Washington." Jon instructed.

As the shuttle approached the Washington Deanna contacted the ship to inform them of there coming. She was told by the captain to immediately transport to sickbay, along with Jon. She relayed the message to Jon, and they instantly transported to sickbay, leaving T'Plana and Phoenix to dock the shuttle and deal with the cargo.

"This is the federation shuttle craft Nightstalker approaching for landing. Request to have engineering staff present for offloading of equipment and inspection of said equipment, staff should include a propulsion specialist and computer systems specialist." stated T'Plana-hath as they approached the USS Washington.

=^=Understood. Lt. Antoinette is dispatching requested engineering staff now.=^=

Phoenix remained in his seat, silent. He was grateful of T'Plana's help in correcting his timeline but he felt guilty. He felt like it had taken from the mission at hand even though fixing everything that was broken in the entire timeline was important. Hopefully the work done by the Washington crew to fix the timeline would pay off.

T'Plana waited for the Washington Shuttlebay Manager to tractor the shuttle and guide her in. She sensed Ensign Phoenix was in turmoil about something. "Not to intrude Ensign Phoenix, but I sense you are troubled by something?"

He looked at T'Plana. "It isn't much. I just feel guilty. I took away from the mission at hand with my own problems" he trailed off as he looked back in front of himself.

Deanna and Jon materialized in sickbay, the surroundings a bit chaotic with Callie arguing with Shran and Sam about something dealing with Maddison. Deanna tried to interject, "Reporting as ordered."

As soon as Callie saw Jon she made her way across to him. “Am I ever glad you’re here!”

"Hi Callie!" Jon replied happily at seeing his wife. Then asked. "What's wrong?"

Callie motioned to Maddison’s stasis chamber. “They’re going to kill him Jon... it’s just... he’s our descendant! Yours, mine, and Deanna’s!”

"Whoa Callie, slow down. How can Maddison, if that's his real name be a descendant of yours, mine and Deanna's? That doesn't make sense and who wants to kill him?"

“That’s What the DNA tests show!” Callie looked towards Sam. “I’d best let them explain.” She looked towards Shran and Sam.

Sam kept an eye on Maddison and her finger on the control panel that would remove his life support if he gave any indication that he was engaging in telepathy or any other assault on a crew member. "To be clear, I will protect you all at any cost, Mr Maddison knows that if he's been messing around in people's brains enough. One more move from him...if the deepest stasis cannot contain him...." She left the words drift for a few moments. "And yes, he is a direct descendant of all three of you. In what combination I cannot say but there are specific strands of your DNA in his"

Shon stepped forward. “I think we need to let this play out Sam, Captain. Callie needs to know what Maddison needs her to know, we can use a neural dampener on her.

Deanna had a look of concern on her face. "From a tactical perspective, I would advise against that. He is obviously a telepath of remarkable power to be able to negate every attempt to sedate him. I am unsure if I could even handle someone that telepathically powerful. The best chance we would have to protect everyone other than killing him would be for me to telepathically engage with him while he is in stasis and with a little luck, I could determine if what he wants is a deception or not, along with gaining any other relevant information."

Shran was inclined to go with the most tactically sound option, but killing Maddison would be an extreme choice. "Alright, We'll try this stasis telepathic link. But if he poses even the remotest threat, I'm having Sam eliminate the threat."

"Understood" Deanna replied.

“I agree, thank you Captain” Callie looked at Deanna. “Be careful Deanna, I don’t want you hurt because of me.”

Celes gave a soft smile to Callie and then a confident look to Shran as she approached Maddison. She looked at Sam, "Keep a close eye on those readouts, but don't terminate him too quickly. I don't want my mind scrambled."

" I'll be keeping more than a close eye on them" Sam reassured her, having a bad gut feeling about what was going to happen next.

Deanna moved as close as she felt safe and slowly opened her mind and began to slowly telepathically link with Maddison. She was amazed that even though he was in suspended animation, parts of his mind were still active, albeit slowed. She began to push deeper, moving into his active mind.

Hello Deanna a voice said.

"So, you know who I am" Deanna replied.

You are Deanna Celes. I am well acquainted with you and others on the Washington. It was wise of them to have you be the telepath to connect with me. You are the only one I can't harm. A pity really. I would have preferred Callie. She would be easy to manipulate before elimination, though I'd have to do so in a way that spared her child. Can't exactly kill my great great grandfather.

Deanna was concerned with what she was hearing. It sounded like this Maddison was a monster, but she couldn't discount that he was trying to mess with her to gain an upper hand. "Why am I so important to you?"

I am Tam Rixx Celes, and you are my great great grandmother, or you will be, in about a few years time. What I am doing here will alter the future a bit, but it will be for the betterment of Betazed, Earth, and the other core Federation worlds.

Deanna pulled herself out of his mind and looked back towards Jon and Callie, a look of intense sadness on her face. "Sam was right, he is related to us."

Jon was confused, "Wait Deanna, how is that possible? How can he be related to you, Callie and me?"

"Callie and your child will apparently mate with a child I am destined to have" Deanna replied solemnly. "It would be wise to get Callie away from this man. He holds malice towards her, towards all of us it seems. I think he may be a functional psychopath, which is particularly dangerous amongst Betazoids because of his telepathic ability." She looked to Sam and Shran, "I need to go back in, but termination of this man seems quite warranted sadly."

Shon moved forwards feeling oddly protective towards Maddison. “Is there no way we can let him survive?” She said touching the side of the case containing him. She looked down at his frozen face and closed eyes and felt something akin to pain.

" Are you sure you want to go back in?" Sam asked hesitatingly, concerned about what she had heard. "If he's considered that dangerous..." She let the words hang in the air like a thick blanket.

Jon spoke from where he stood, staring at the stasis tube. "Kill him and kill him now. He's too dangerous to be allowed to live. He's already shown how strong a telepath he is and he could easily manipulate any of us to do what he wants."

Shon stood in front of Jon her face suffused with something akin to rage. “NO, we can’t just go about murdering people Jon, there must be something else we can do?”

Jon didn't blink at Shon's rage. "We aren't killing people, we're killing one man. A man who wouldn't wait to kill you, Callie, me anyone he had to complete his mission Shon or are you blind to that? he's tried to manipulate Callie for all we know, he's manipulating you. He danger and must be eliminated."

Shon backed up against the stasis tube, she could feel Maddison now, strong and determined. The feelings washed over her like a great wave and she could feel it pushing her. “ ‘First do no harm’,” she looked at Sam. “You took that oath Sam, we cannot be a part of this.” She looked around. “I will stop you if I have to”

Jon looked to Shran and Deanna, "Maddison is controlling her. Forcing her to defend him. That proves how dangerous he is." A voice spoke up, "Let me talk to Shon Commander." Seth said having arrived unnoticed with Shasta at his side. He took a step towards her, "Shon sweetheart, you know, he can't be allowed to live. Think of the lives he would disrupt, ruin and end. You can't protect him. He isn't worth it. Do you want him to hurt me or Shasta? Callie or the captain? Because he would to get his way. You know I am right sweetheart."

Shran drew his phaser, "I won't make anyone do it. I'm the captain, I was once a covert operative, I can live with this. Killing him likely fits within the temporal prime directive as well."

"Do you wish me to retcon any further with him sir?" questioned Deanna.

"No" Shran replied as he shook his head. "Sam, step away please." He set his phaser to level 7, which he hoped would be sufficient enough to kill him in one hit. He turned and looked back at Seth, "I think you should escort Shasta away from here."

Sam nodded, understanding what was being implied and the Captain was allowing her to not directly be a part of the proceedings, hence not violating her oath. She picked up her tricorder, and rechecked the statis chamber settings.

Seth nodded to Shran, "Of course Captain. A wise decision. "Come along Shasta, we'll wait for your mother at home." He said as he escorted his daughter out of Sickbay.

Once Sam backed off and Seth had escorted the child out, Shran raised his weapon. "I know this will be difficult for some of you, but that is why I am doing it and not having anyone else involved." With that he fired, hitting his target square in the heart. The monitor above him and the sound from Sam's tricorder told him that he was successful in the task. He looked back to Sam, "After you confirm death, I want a full autopsy. This guy went to a lot of trouble to alter the past, and so did we to correct things. I'd like to know everything you can."

"Aye Sir" Sam said simply, waiting a few minutes until all her instruments confirmed that Maddison was no longer amongst the land of the living. He would have felt no pain, deep within the stasis that she'd put him in, but a little of the guilt still buried itself into her psyche. She raised her chin, squared her shoulders and ordered the body to be transferred to the morgue so she could begin her autopsy.

Shon now released from Maddison’s grip still felt violently that murder or more, an execution had been carried out. She stood fixed to the ground not believing what she had just witnessed. She turned to Sam, “How could you let this happen Sam?”

"If we cannot contain him even in status, he became the ultimate threat to this ship and to the timeline. It was for the greater good" Sam felt the attack personally, and understood that people reacted differently in times of moral stress. She would battle her own demons later.

Callie had simply watched in disbelief, she didn’t agree with it but it was done. She took a deep breath and looked towards Deanna. “Deanna can we talk? I need to know what he said.”

Shon looked at Shran in disbelief, she had not realized that he was capable of, what seemed to her murder. All she could think of doing was getting away, to hide and try to process what she had seen. She turned and ran, ran down corridors she had never known existed. No longer any trace of the Vulcan tears coursed down her cheeks. Finding herself in the shuttle bay she boarded one and locked the door. Finding a corner she sat arms round her knees her mind replaying over and over again the scene as it had evolved. She has taken life before in the name of duty but in the heat of battle not with such cold vision, and Sam, what was she feeling and how could she have let him do it? And what of his family waiting for someone who would never return.

Deanna looked at Callie with pain-filled eyes. "If that is what you truly desire. But I warn you, it may not be something you wish to hear."

“Fine” Callie nodded. “I need to hear it anyway, if only for my own sanity. This whole situation is crazy!”

As Shon left sickbay hurriedly something unexpected happened. Maddison's body faded away to nothing. As one of the nurses gasped Shran turned to see the final moment before his body was gone. He considered the situation and moved to hit his comm badge when suddenly it chirped, the security officer on guard with the other calling in to inform that the other prisoner had just vanished as well. It seemed like time was correcting itself, removing that which didn't belong. "Red alert. All hands to stations."

Deanna looked to Callie, "It appears this discussion will have to wait until later." With that she followed Shran out of sickbay, heading to the bridge. In a way it was a relief, because she really wasn't looking forward to telling Callie all she had learned.

Callie looked towards Jon. “I guess we should be getting to the bridge as well, but I do want to talk all about this later.”

Jon nodded at Callie's statement, "Of course Callie, we can talk in our quarters later." He replied as they moved to the turbolift.

On hearing the red alert Dex got up and returned quickly to sickbay. “What’s going on?” She asked.

"The body vanished before I even had a chance to perform the autopsy. It was like one minute it was there and the next it was gone" Sam explained, thankful she at least had a plethora of scans she could analyze from Maddison.

As the senior officers reached the bridge and stepped out of the turbolift, Shran called for a report, "Full scan. What do we know?"

Deanna took her position at Ops and began to read the sensor data. "Reading massive temporal waves emanating from Earth. I believe our actions are now creating temporal corrections."

"What can you see on Earth?" Shran questioned.

"Readings are unclear. Massive chronoton surges. Time is speeding forward" Celes replied.

Jon sat in the XO's chair as Deanna called out that she was seeing massive chronoton surges and time seemed to be correcting itself. He knew Callie was upset and so was Shon for the killing of Maddison. Callie's compassion was what made her such a good counselor. But she was always easily swayed by a sob story. The same was true with Shon. She let her compassion blind her to the bigger picture. For himself, he felt they had done the right thing in ending Maddison's life and he had no qualms over it. He supported Shran fully.

"Detecting a massive temporal wave approaching" Celes said as she continued gathering information. "Impact in twelve seconds."

"All hands, brace for impact" Shran said shipwide.

The temporal wave slammed into and through the ship. The ship rocked lightly as it past through them. Shran collected himself, "Report."

"Sensors are reconfiguring" Celes began as she gathered new data. "Detecting multiple Federation signatures and signals. It would appear we have returned to our time."

"Full scan. Any signs of changes to the timeline?"

"We are being hailed, StarFleet Command." Celes looked at the scans, "No noticeable changes detected. I think I will need time to determine any minute changes."

Shran nodded. "Very well. Put Command on screen. I'm sure they want to know how we got here." He looked at Jon, "Get ready for another meeting with Temporal Investigations" he said annoyed.

 

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