Strange Old Civilizations

Posted on Sat Aug 30th, 2025 @ 9:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Lieutenant Inara Senn

1,832 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Holding Pattern Hijinks
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Morning

Inara had spent from 1000 hours onward, mostly due to lack of sleep, interfacing a specialized data module into the holodeck. The module was basically a containment device. It had access to only the holodeck, and Inara had spent time disconnecting the holodeck from the main computer. This was to ensure that the matrix that was forming had no chance to take over the ship.

Deanna was the first to arrive. She looked at Inara and then looked over at the holodeck interface and saw that it had been tampered with. "I hope you informed Adian about this. The second you activate the holodeck with whatever modifications you made; he is going to go supernova if you didn't."

"He'd go worse if I just plugged an unknown holomatrix into the computer without precautions. Besides I'm making sure a certain program I created does not appear in this." Inara noted. "Sides, I'd just smirk at him in that instance until he got it out, and the man has way too many sisters. Furthermore, I'm keeping dh'Klar's ship from being taken over by a possible rogue AI. So, who would I not want to piss off more?"

"All excellent points. I'll be sure to raise them all when this ultimately goes sideways as things always seem to do" Deanna said with a smile.

Jon came in next, "Hi Deanna, Hi Inara." He stopped and looked at the holodeck interface and then at the pair. "Care to explain what I am looking at?"

"A Standalone Holodeck core." She noted. "I found a very unique holographic matrix imprinted on a near infinite power source Brigid decided to drop off in my lab willy nilly a few weeks ago. It is incredible." She noted. "It was literally representations of common elements in our universe, and their interactions formed a very unique holomatrix. Think of it as a highly advanced Voyager record. Only with the capability of maintaining a prime directive of sorts for an extremely advanced civilization." She handed Jon a PADD. "Basically, these glyphs on the device I got to scan are a type of fractal algorithm based on proposed chemical reactions, and that was the algorithm to access its data, the more complex the data, the more it determines if we're ready for such knowledge. And yes, there's glyphs so complex we'd have to divert everything, including life support, to the computer to decipher." Inara smirked. "So, how long can the crew hold its breath?" She joked sarcastically.

"How much power do you require to run this holomatrix Inara?" Deanna questioned, thinking about options herself.

"Well now, at our technology level, we will be limited to glyphs 1 - 38 of nearly 291 fractals that I have recorded. And there may be fractals I haven't recorded. They may be so small, my tricorder couldn't record them." Inara noted. "We may see a tailored first contact experience but remember, this civilization was moving suns around while we were bonking each other with clubs."

"Based on what Brigid said, they were doing that sort of thing before humanity even existed. They may have even visited Earth back when dinosaurs were the dominant species" Deanna noted.

"Having talking dinosaur fantasies, are we?" Inara noted to Deanna.

Jon was reading the information on the PaDD. He looked to Inara, "Impressive, very impressive Inara, now what do you intend to do with this?"

"We're going to turn this on and seek out old civilizations... very old. It's something of a library, why not learn about these people, and that is what we're out here for. Other than nearly dying somehow."

"Wellllllll......" Jon said slowly, "I can't disagree with that sentiment."

"Wonderful. Hopefully this program doesn't override the safeties, or we're probably all dead." Inara noted and then pushed a button on the arch console. Activating the program. After a few moments a humanoid figure appeared with a smile. Her arms folded in back of her.

"So far, so good" Deanna noted.

Inara approached the figure, and it smiled. "It was basically a ten-year-old girl. The most non-threatening holographic avatar known."

"Hello there. My name is Aeon." She noted. "What are yours?"

Jon spoke first, "I'm Jon. Nice to meet you Aeon." He said pleasantly.

Deanna kept her distance, studying the hologram. "My name is Deanna."

"Hmm. So, you unlocked a small piece of myself, not saying you haven't advanced well. Most species never get off the evolutionary tricycle, if you know what I'm talking about." She grinned. "Let's just say, they stay up in the trees."

"That is an odd thing to say. Not a scientific response, as not all humanoids evolve from apes. In fact, less than half of all species in the Federation for that matter" Deanna noted.

"Now isn't that adorable. Using science to try to explain everything. I wouldn't fall back on that too much if I were you. Science is good when the universe is logical, but who said the universe was logical." She gave a nice chuckle. "Now, Let's have a look at you. Hmm.. You don't trust me too much yet... That is wise... If I wasn't the fun girl I am, I could have taken over your ship, and turned your life support systems off. But murder is oh so cliche." Aeon noted. "What would I get out of it? Moreover, I'm something of a curator." She noted.

"So, First question. Always good after introductions. "And you there. You haven't introduced yourself."

"Inara Senn." She noted. "I'm a scientist."

"Nice to meet you Ms. Senn. Now then. "You probably want to know why I was imprinted on that device? Hmm?"

"Let's just say it was a message from a people who left this place behind... Who knows where they went. You haven't unlocked that part of myself yet." Aeon noted. "But they did not die out. They simply... left on another journey." Aeon mentioned. "But my creators traveled the stars just like you hundreds of thousands of years before you ancestors learned to walk upright. There's some things I can tell you that you've unlocked, and there's others you don't have the technology to unlock yet." Aeon noted. "Not that you should obsess over little old me." She smirked.

Jon stood quietly as Aeon spoke. He hoped Inara and Deanna knew what she was referring to. He knew strategy and tactics not this and he wasn't ashamed to admit it.

Inara turned to John and Deanna. "So, do you have any questions for the Ancient Curator Hologram, or do you trust me to answer all the pertinent questions?

Deanna mused quietly. "I trust that your creators made you to be more than simply an interactive library. Telling us some basic information about your creators shouldn't be off limits, so I'd like to inquire about them. Based on what we have been told by a third party, they were in fact a race that lived many millennia ago, but they were killed when their star went nova, and then we stumbled upon a fragment of that star which had the device on it which is where we learned of you. So, besides the fact that you come from an ancient race that had technology that is beyond ours, what can you tell us about the race you come from?"

"You remind me much of them, and the device... let's just say it's a gift, and a burden." She noted cryptically. "And many left this reality.. Some stayed... and they were destroyed."

"Wonderful." Jon grumbled sarcastically. "Another race we potentially have to deal with who wanted to destroy us as well. I get tired of being on everyone's hit list."

"You make plenty of assumptions." Aeon noted.

"It isn't an assumption Aeon its a fact." Jon replied, "The Borg, The Dominion, The Cardassians, the Romulans, every species that calls themselves gods. At one point the Klingons as well."

"He has a point" Deanna noted. "The Federation has no shortage of enemies that wish to exterminate them. Regarding the god-like races, we've encountered the Q, the Shakespeareans, the Tuatha, the Asgardians, and the Olympians. Whatever race created you Aeon would likely be added to that list. Only the Tuatha have shown friendly relations, and the Q are enigmatic at the best of times."

"Are you so certain? You see this is why much of myself is locked, and assumptions that any race, that was hostile in my time, would be hostile in this time... Is foolish." Aeon mentioned. "You have many assumptions on what was, and what is." She noted.

"You know. Deanna, she has a point." Inara said in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm certain that there are many races in the here and now who want to wipe out the Federation and probably more we don't know about." Jon replied flatly, not convinced in the slightest with Aeon's comments.

"Maybe there is and maybe there isn't. Your ship has an impressive number of weapons ports for such a peaceful fleet, Commander. But who am I to criticize. You'll unlock more of me when you're ready." Aeon noted.

"My comment was not an assumption. It was based on data collected, from experience. The Q are enigmatic at the best of times. The Tuatha have been shown to be relatively peaceful. It has been told to us by members of the Tuatha that the Shakespeareans have always been a hostile species, and they remain so today. Our experience with the Asgardians indicates they are capable of both hostility and peaceful relations. While I understand the need for security and a degree of caution, I'm not inclined to believe what Aeon is saying at face value. Morrigan and Bridget said that the technology that created Aeon comes from a race that no longer exists, yet she wishes to be contrary with us. I can't be the only one that feels this way" Deanna replied.

"You aren't Deanna. I assure you of that. I too think we shouldn't take what Aeon says at face value. Just accepting things more often than not leads to trouble." Jon observed his eyes never leaving Aeon.

"This is interesting Inara, but don't let this technological marvel seduce you into doing anything crazy. It comes from a race we know nothing about, only that they are supposedly extinct now. And we got to see the technology only because Brigid decided to let you take a look at it. I admit, the technology itself, even this interactive hologram, is impressive. But it doesn't solve anything for us at the moment" Deanna waxed poetic.

"So very true Deanna." Jon replied before shifting his attention to Inara. "I'll be more to the point Inara, don't do anything stupid. In fact, don't do anything at all with the technology. Forget you ever saw it."

Deanna looked at Inara and then the hologram Aeon one last time, then turned and left. She had some things to tend to since they were now waiting and having a bit of on ship R&R.

 

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