Temporal Dysphoria

Posted on Thu Jul 11th, 2024 @ 6:27pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Lieutenant Imik S'Niohun

Mission: The Andromeda Strain
Location: USS Washington

Deanna continued to look at the data as it streamed in. So much information coming in at once. She wished they had an android aboard like Andromeda to process it all as quickly as possible. She looked at Inara to ask her a question and saw her in a daze. It was obvious that she was in one of those temporal dysphoria dazes. She looked around, wondering who else might be caught in the temporal effect. She walked around the bridge, trying to determine if anyone else on the bridge was in the moment.

She opened her mind telepathically, reaching out to see if she could determine the consciousness of those on the bridge. As she did, it became immediately clear that nearly everyone was being impacted by this temporal dysphoria. She couldn't sense Imik, but that wasn't a surprise considering she was Ojnas. She could sense only Jon. She walked to the forward section of the bridge, "Commander, we seem to be quickly running out of conscious bridge officers. I only sense you, and based on movement, I would say Lt Imik is still with us as well." She took her station at Ops. "If we don't determine a proper temporal gradient to alter the shields to protect us, I fear everyone will soon be under the influence of these temporal effects."

"Deanna." Jon acknowledged as his gaze swept across the bridge and saw the frozen officers all caught in some sort of temporal malady. "I'm afraid you are right. Can we back off to a safe distance, while Imik works on finding a proper gradient with the shields to give us some protection?"

"I'm afraid we are already committed to this course. To turn around would be a bigger risk than continuing forward" Deanna replied. She worked at her Ops station, "Lieutenant, I believe your tetryon idea has merit. Increase yield by 25% while I remodulate the shields."

Imik could feel someone attempting to telepathically link to her, she shut her mind off from the link. A glance about her showed Officer after Officer, crewman after crewman succumb to temporal dysphoria. A voice brought her back to the moment, Commander Celes had spoken to her, Imik nodded. "I would suggest 30% Commander, and perhaps a modulation of 6.5 added to our present shield harmonics may also assist us."

Jon suppressed a frustrated sigh. "Get to it Deanna and you too Imik. The three of us can't run the ship for long. We need others to help." He finished as he looked about the bridge at the number of frozen officers. Yes, they definitely needed help.

"We'll get to the 30% lieutenant. We need to raise things gradually to determine effectiveness. I'll start modulation at 6.5 as suggested though." Deanna began making the shield alterations. "Commander, no change to the temporal waves detected."

Jon kept his eyes on the viewscreen as Deanna began to modulate the screens, He nodded at Deanna's statement to no change in the temporal waves. "Go to the next level Deanna." He replied crisply then waited to hear the results if any.

"Imik, watch the temporal variance as you increase the tetryon yield. I am increasing the shield polarity to higher band modulations" Deanna announced.

"Temporal variance is within projected limits, but it is rising exponentially as you adjust the shield harmonics Commander." Imik glanced up as she spoke, "I cannot understand why that is happening. Do you have any suggestions, Commander?" Turning to Jon she continued, "Commander Grayson, can you perhaps enlighten me as to why this problem is occurring?"

"We have to match the shield modulation to the temporal variance if we are going to protect ourselves from these distortions" Deanna replied. She began working on the alterations when she suddenly stopped and appeared frozen.

Jon looked over at Imik. "I don't know about enlightening you Imik but I think I can give you a credible idea. These distortions are occurring as we get closer to the temporal anomalies which are acting as doorways or conduits to the past and perhaps the future as well."

In Deanna's mind, a temporal flash played out. She saw herself in the captain's ready room. She looked distraught, as if something horrible had happened. She didn't see Shran, instead seeing Jon, who looked very angry. He began to speak to her, but she was having a hard time making everything out as she tried to free herself from this temporal dysphoria. But then she heard Jon say something about the captain, he had been killed. It was a slap unlike anything she could imagine, a sobering moment. What was going to happen that might result in the death of her friend? Whatever happened, it was obvious that his death was impacting both her and Jon profoundly. Was this some sort of future echo? Might she find a way to prevent it? She had to free herself from this fugue and return to her point in reality.