Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah Paramount. Blah, blah, blah Gene Rodenberry. Once again this is my personal interpretation of the characters and any suggestions are still welcome. This is an updated version of Part 2, to make some things in later parts
clearer. It sure is tough trying to write two versions of the same story! The adult version is in alt.sex.stories and alt.sex.fetish.startrek.
A Blast From the Past -- Part 2
Copyright 1995 by Kurt Phoel (kphoel@delphi.com)
Stardate 43128.5 - Captain's log. We are doing a search of the Alpha
Thanos system searching for subspace anomalies. Due to our extreme
distance from any federation colonies, we will have to report to the
nearest deep space station, Deep Space Nine for more supplies after
finishing our survey mission, which is scheduled for four standard
weeks. Halfway through the mission, the crew is starting to become
anxious for shore leave due to the monotony of the survey, but Counselor
Troi assures me that the crew's attitude is still good. As always I
place complete trust in the quality of the work of my crew.
As Captain Jean Luc Picard entered the bridge from his ready room, an
awed silence covered the bridge for only a moment as it did every time
he came there. The crew placed an equal amount of trust in their
captain, and everyone from the First Officer down to the newest
crewmember had great admiration for him.
"Report, Number One," he said to Commander Riker while looking at the
data padd handed to him.
"Nothing to report as of yet, sir. All surveys are going according to
plan, and in the meanwhile Commander LaForge is doing a systems check on
the transport system as requested."
"Very well. Data anything to report on the scanners?" he addressed to
the android seated stoically at the OPS station.
"Nothing as of yet sir, although I have been doing some research on this
sector of space and have found some interesting information. Would you
like me to inform you of any of this?" reported the android.
"Uh, no thank you Data, maybe later." he replied, giving Riker a small
smile. Will Riker returned the smile, knowing that Commander Data's
information was often very long and detailed, and often unimportant.
Data gave a look, that if on anyone else would have indicated
disappointment, but on him had no meaning in particular. He had, as he
often informed people, no feelings to hurt, so he couldn't really be
disappointed. He was only offering any information that would be useful
to his Captain, which he curiously found was more often than not, not
required. Suddenly the OPS console let out a beep indicating that an
anomaly had been detected.
"Just a moment sir," said Data, addressing Captain Picard, "I have
picked up a most unusual energy signature."
"What is it, Data?" asked Riker.
"I'm not sure yet, but it appears to be similar to our transporter
beams, but of a less coherent nature," he said.
"Can you be any more specific, Data? How could a transporter signal be
out here in the middle of nowhere?" asked the captain.
"Unknown as of yet, sir, but the annular confinement beam signature is
similar to those in the first days of transport technology. The beam is
traveling at a heading of 153 mark 078."
"Conn, turn to track the signal. My God, number one, do you thing that
someone could be trapped in the signal, and still alive?" the captain
directed at his first officer.
"I don't know, but we'd better get the transporters back on line right
now. Data start to analyze the signal to see if its possible that it
has lost no signal integrity. Also see if we can re-energize it." said
Riker to the android. "Riker to LaForge." he directed to the comm
systems.
"LaForge here sir." came the reply.
"Geordi, we have an emergency. We need the transporters on line now.
Data will be on his way to explain the situation." "Data get down there
and help him out."
As data left his station and entered the turbolift, Riker said to him,
"Do you think that there's anyone in that beam?"
"I don't have sufficient information to make an accurate estimate," came
the reply, as the doors shut.
"Meet me in my ready room, number one," said Picard to Riker with a look
of determination on his face.
************
"That's a pretty tall order, Data," replied the chief engineer. "We
need to get the transporter back together, AND configure it for an
ancient transport beam. I'll need some help, but I think it can be
done."
"We had best start our work then," said the android.
************
In the ready room, the captain and his first officer along with the
senior staff were meeting to discuss the situation.
"I think that all of out skills will be necessary in this, since we
don't know what will come through the transport beam." directed Picard
to the room.
"I have a class one security field set up around the transport pad along
with two security personnel armed with class II phaser rifles," growled
Lt. Worf, in classic Klingon terseness.
"The ship is ready to match course and speed with the signal to have the
confinement beam enter the chamber. The shields are lowered and ready
to be raised if we need to," came the report from Geordi LaForge, still
with sweat dripping down his forehead and onto his VISOR.
"I have sick bay ready to receive whatever may come through, assuming
that it is alive, and Deanna is ready to read any emotions, with the
same considerations," said Dr. Beverly Crusher, with a worried look on
her face.
"According to historical records, the beam is characteristic of the
first human attempts at transport technology. They has no subspace
relays at that time, so I cannot explain how it is so far from Earth.
It is 2173 point....," started Data.
"Thank you Mr. Data, suffice it to say that it is far from where it
should be. Only a wormhole, or such could explain this, but we will
deal with that later," replied the captain. "Helm, match course and
speed with the transport beam." he said to the bridge. "Come along
everyone, I believe we have a mystery to solve..." said the Captain with
a look of wonder in his eyes.
************
"Ready to receive transport, sir," announced Geordi, at the controls.
"Proceed, Mr. LaForge," was the reply.
As Geordi ran his fingers over the control panel, the transporter hummed
to life and the chamber gave off it's characteristic glow. There was a
shimmering humanoid shape on pad number one, in the first stages of
rematerialization. Then the figure started to flicker!
"We're losing the signal, sir. Attempting to boost signal integrity!"
said the chief engineer with determination in his voice.
The entire room was silent as the figure came and went several times.
Data curiously glanced at Counselor Troi, who had her fingers crossed.
He stored that to memory to ask about at a more appropriate time.
Suddenly, the figure started to become more solid as the
rematerialization process was completed. Data heard a sigh of what his
human-emotion subroutine told him was relief. Everyone then stared at
the naked figure standing on the transporter pad, as he stared back at
them.
Before the Captain could give the appropriate greeting, he saw the
figure do a double take and start to say something....
************
The next thing Kevin knew he was standing in a room full of people in
colorful jumpsuits. Suddenly he realized that something had gone
terribly wrong.
"Where the hell am I? This isn't the New Mexico base! You Hegemon
bastards intercepted the signal!" he shouted and rushed at the one he
thought was in charge, determined to take one of them with him.
As he leapt for the balding individual, whom he thought was in command,
he ran into a barrier of some sort. At this point he went wild, hitting
it with his fists to no avail.
He heard the bald one say with a British accent, "Son, I do not know
what you are talking about, but if you calm down we can discuss this
calmly."
At this, Kevin decided to play along, and try to kill the man at his
first chance.
"Now just step back from the force field, and we'll lower it, if you
agree to behave," said the commanding officer, at which Kevin nodded,
and did as instructed.
As soon as he saw a flicker from the screen in front of him, he jumped
at the older man again, and managed to get his hands on his tunic. He
then saw an attractive redhead run over and jab him in the neck. The
last thing he remembered was hearing the man say, "Lt. Worf, get him to
sickbay and place him under guard..."
************
While performing her routine medical checkup on the strange new
passenger, Beverly found herself getting strangely intrigued by her
patient. While she had seen better endowed patients (Try to be
professional about this, Beverly, she chided herself. What would Dalen
say about something like that?, she asked herself, thinking about her
old mentor and friend.) on humans and aliens alike in her years as a
doctor, something about the young man's body aroused her and seemed
somewhat familiar. Replacing the covers, she went about completing her
medical exam, she tried to banish the thoughts from her mind. It had
been a long time since she had been touched by a man, and held in the
aftermath of making love. She shook her head trying to get her mind
back on track.
"A problem, doctor?" asked Captain Picard, entering the sickbay to
check up on the stranger they had recently rescued, followed by the
members of the senior staff.
Embarrassed to be caught with her mind wandering, she replied, "No,
Captain, however my medical scans corroborate Mr. Data's estimate that
our newest arrival is from sometime in the early twenty-second century.
I have done a complete physical, and since genetic scans were not used
until almost 100 years after he apparently was transported, we won't
have any clue as to his identity until we revive him and question him.
He does have several scars that would indicate combat, and I have
removed some metal fragments from several locations that are reminiscent
of old Earth style grenades. He is, of course still under a security
field."
"Wake up our patient, Doctor. I believe its time to find out about our
"Friend" here." said the captain with a wry smile, and rubbing his neck
where the stranger had grabbed him.
Injecting the hypospray into the man's neck brought about the usual hiss
from the spray and the patient stirred. He tried to bolt out of the
bed, but found the force field blocking his way. Growling and realizing
that there was nothing he could do, he proceeded as he had been trained
to do.
"Kevin Howard, Lieutenant, Naval Engineering Corps, 157-68-2482" he
said with his jaw set, and a steady voice hiding the confusion he felt.
"My God," gasped Dr. Crusher, as she bolted for her office.
"See what's the matter with her," Picard said to Data, and to Kevin,
"Now at least we know who you are. And if you'll calm down, perhaps we
can help you. You are aboard the Federation Starship Enterprise. I am
Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and here is my first officer Will Riker." he
said. Unfortunately the only response that the Captain got was the same
he had a moment ago. "Counselor..." he said to Deanna, hoping for some
indication.
"Sir, he was angry and confused both upon transport and upon his
waking. When you introduced yourself, his emotions went to utter
confusion and disbelief," reported the Counselor.
Sneering at her, Kevin uttered, "As is that took a shrink. Where am I?
London? Rome? There have been rumors that you have also been
developing a transport system, but aren't as far along as we are. Well,
I'm afraid that you won't get any information out of me. I'm only a
guinea pig." At that last comment he fixed the group with a smug smile.
"Perhaps I could be more convincing with him," growled Worf, at which
Kevin let out an astonished gasp, having never before seen a member of
the Klingon race.
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Worf." replied the captain seriously.
"Perhaps this does call for strong measures. Dr. Selar, would you have
a problems conducting a mind meld with Mr. Howard, to aid in his
understanding. As he is, I believe that this would be the easiest way
to convince him."
A woman with bobbed black hair and the typical Vulcan ears, stepped
towards the medical bed. "Of course, Captain. If you would give me
some room, please." she said with the emotionlessness that was common.
As she approached the bed, Kevin remembered hearing about contact with
the Vulcans some fourteen years ago. He had never seen one in person,
since he never left the planet for one of the colonies, which was where
the majority of the contact had been. She neared him, and placed her
hands on his face and he heard her say, "My mind to your mind. My
thoughts to your thoughts." Unable to resist, he felt himself repeating
the same words himself, along with her. As is a veil was lifted, he
suddenly understood, that the people were telling him the truth, and
that be some miracle he was in deep space, and almost 250 years from the
time that he began his journey. As Dr. Selar separated herself from
Kevin, he felt something that he had kept bottled up for a long time;
grief, sadness, confusion, a flood of emotions that came out unchecked.
"My God, you were telling the truth... Captain, I am so sorry, you have
to understand what was going through my mind..." Kevin stammered to
Picard with a look of regret on his face.
"He is sincere Captain. He really did believe he was elsewhere and,
apparently in the past." said Counselor Troi to the Captain, with an
understanding look at Kevin.
"Thank you, Dr. Selar, for your help. If you would release the
security field now, we will get Mr. Howard to some quarters. With a
nod, the Vulcan walked over to the bed and released the field. In the
aftermath of the mind-meld, Kevin felt had a very strange reaction. He
felt as if he had known the attractive woman for years. Realizing his
state of near undress, he put his hands in his lap, and blushed a deep
scarlet.
"Thank you sir. What just happened? That was the strangest... well
second strangest thing that ever happened to me." he said with a
sheepish grin.
"We'll explain everything later. For now, let's get you to some guest
quarters. Mr. Worf, if you would escort Mr. Howard to a room." Noting
Kevin's wary look at the Klingon, the Captain added, "Don't worry, son,
he is something else that will have to be explained. You will be the
safest person on the ship with Mr. Worf."
As they were leaving sickbay, Kevin looked up at Worf towering over him
and said, "You're not human are you?"
"Of course not! Follow me." Worf growled as the doors whooshed shut.
************
A few minutes later in the conference room, with the senior staff,
Captain Picard addressed Dr. Crusher with a look of concern, "Well,
Doctor, would you care to explain your behavior earlier in sickbay?"
"Sir I think that Data would be a better person to answer that." she
replied, "and I think that my... patient should be here to hear it."
"Very well," said the Captain, and tapping his comm badge, "Captain to
security, please escort Mr. Howard to the conference room."
"Right away, sir," came the reply from the duty officer.
************
Lt. Worf, a Klingon, Kevin had found out on the way to his quarters, had
handed him over to an attractive female security officer introduced as
Lt. Robinson, who was instructed to help him get accustomed to the ship.
Kevin asked for some privacy while he cleaned up and got some rest. The
security officer only nodded and smiled as the door shut. Trying to get
a grasp as to what happened, Kevin decided that a nice hot shower and a
fresh change of clothes was exactly what he needed.
After several minutes of searching the room, he finally found what
appeared to be the bathroom, but where the shower should be, he found no
knobs or a shower head. Searching for several more minutes fruitlessly,
he failed to find out how to use the shower. I'm an engineer for
Christ's sake, I should be able to figure this out, he thought with
frustration. Conceding defeat, he decided to consult the security
officer outside his door.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant, I can't seem to figure this shower out." he said
to her with a grin as the door opened. "Could you give me a hand?"
She followed him into the room without saying a word and found her way
into the bathroom. "What exactly is the problem, sir?" she asked with a
smile. He explained the lack of plumbing and was greeted with a laugh.
"There are sonic showers, which basically knock the dirt particles off
of you, but there are also regular showers." she said pressing a button
on the wall, and a shower head appeared. She explained the basic
operation of the machinery to him, but he noticed that she was getting
very close to him, even closer than the small confines required. He
assumed that the people in the future were comfortable with less
personal space, and he had to fight down his natural reaction to having
an attractive woman so close. He was still in his hospital gown, he
reminded himself!
As she left the bathroom, he entered the shower, and as the hot water
hit him, he instantly felt much better. He let the steady pressure of
the stream ease away all of his tensions. Finishing, he looked for a
towel, and finding none, stepped dripping into the main area of his
quarters. As he left the bathroom, the security guard handed him a
towel. Wait a minute he thought.
With a startled gasp, he grabbed the towel, and covered himself. "Jesus
Christ!" he exclaimed, "I thought you left!" This just brought a smile
from her lips.
" I took it upon myself to get some clothes for you from the replicator.
I hope that they fit. I have a pretty good eye."
Stepping into the bathroom, and giving her a warning look to stay where
she was, he began to dry himself off, and started to get dressed. "What
do you mean "a good eye"? When you first saw me I was in that ugly
gown." asked Kevin sticking his head around the corner.
"Not really. I was there when you transported in." she replied,
bringing a deeper blush to Kevin. "I should be hurt that you don't
recognize me, but from what I hear, you had other things on your mind.
News on this ship travels faster than you'd think."
Finishing dressing, he stepped out of the bathroom in time to hear the
intercom for them to report to the conference room.
Along the way through the hallways, Kevin marveled at the ship. It was
like nothing that he had ever seen or imagined before. As they entered
the turbolift, the security guard said to him, "It is no accident that I
got this duty. I requested it special." Receiving a puzzled look from
Kevin, she added "I liked what I saw in the transporter." Kevin once
again blushed as the turbolift doors opened. The women in the 24th
century are going to take some getting used to along with everything
else, but it should be interesting , he thought to himself as she led him
down the hallway towards the conference room.
************
A few minutes later, a yellow-shirted security officer and Kevin Howard
entered the room. With a motion of his hand, the captain said, "Have a
seat Mr. Howard. Thank you, Lieutenant, that will be all." The security
officer nodded at Picard and smiled at Kevin as the door shut upon her
exit. "Mr. Data, as you were going to say..." he prompted the science officer.
"Yes sir. From a conversation with Dr. Crusher and a review of
military records from the era, we have been able to make a positive
identification of Lt. Howard." Data reported. The conference room
screen came alive with Kevin's biographical information. The android
rattled off a series of information about Kevin all of which he knew.
"After the murder of General Morgan, and the court martial Lt. Howard
was found guilty of murder and treason..."
Worf started to pull out his phaser and point it at Kevin and demanded,
"If you knew this then how come you let him come in here without a
guard?"
"Mr. Worf, I am positive that Data has a legitimate explanation. Mr.
Data, you definitely need to explain yourself." said the Captain with a
glare.
"I do, Captain, and as I said before, I will explain that shortly. I
was saying that Lt. Howard was given a choice of death, or being a test
subject in the secret military transporter tests, and upon his survival,
a mind wipe and reconditioning..."
Counselor Troi let out a gasp, "How barbaric! I find it hard to believe
that the government would be involved in such measures." she said with
horror and disgust.
"If I may," interrupted Kevin, and with an approving nod from the
captain, continued, "Mind wipes didn't always work, and given the chance
that I might have the chance to survive, and prove my innocence was one
that I couldn't refuse."
"Anyway, following a few scuffles with fellow prisoners in the
program..." at which Kevin allowed himself a smile, remembering his
encounter with Mc Clure, drew a few curious glances from all at the
table. Data, not having noticed anything, went on with his report, "He
was scheduled to be test subject A135, and on March 19, 2131 was
dematerialized in the test chamber in Fort Jameson. His signal was to
be sent to an orbital satellite, and rematerialized at an unnamed
military base in that is now the Southwestern American Rainforest," and
noticing a startled look from Kevin quickly added, "Which was at the
time the region known as New Mexico."
"Hold on Data," exclaimed Geordi, "transporters weren't invented until
2156..."
Before Data could respond, Kevin interjected, "It was one of the
military's "Black Book" projects. Apparently they were 25 years ahead
of the rest of the world, although there were a lot of problems. In
fact, I think that its a miracle that I'm here at all."
"Indeed, there were many of the same problems that were discovered in
the documented transporter documents, such as DNA combinations and
multiple signal cancellations, which fortunately have been fixed by
present time." Data continued. "Apparently Lt. Howard's signal made it
to the satellite, but prior to the previous experiment, had been
misaligned and aimed at deep space. This would appear to indicate how
he came to be in our transporter room."
"But as you've said before were are thousands of light years away from
where the signal would have traveled without the aid of subspace booster
signals, not to mention that his signal remained coherent." said Cmdr.
Riker.
"Yes sir, in my research of the incident, I have found that sensors at
the Zephram Cochrane Memorial Research Center on Titan recorded what
would appear to be a wormhole in the vicinity of the beam's path."
"Could this have caused Lt. Howard to travel all those thousands of
light years and rematerialize as if no time had passed?" inquired Riker.
"That is not entirely correct, the relativistic passage of time from
the time of transport to our interception of the signal traveling at the
speed of light is..." Data's eyes went slightly out of focus, indicating
a calculation being performed in his positronic brain, "3.125..."
"Thank you Data." interrupted the Captain in time to stop the android
from rattling off several more digits. The staff smiled at this
interruption, being used to Data's tendency to give MUCH more
information than required.
As if nothing had happened, Data continued, "Anyway, it is possible that
the wormhole had an effect on the beam that recombined it and held it
together. Apparently it deposited the signal somewhere and somewhen
before we intercepted the signal and rematerialized it. The multiple
redundancies of the first transporters of the time help to aid in our
reception and integration of the signal.
"He was declared dead at the time, since the science of the day was not
equipped to know that anything other than signal dispersion had
occurred."
"Well, that leaves several questions still unanswered Mr. Data, and
Doctor," said Picard to the two officers.
"Captain," continued Data, "a few months after Lt. Howard was declared
dead, there was an investigation brought into the whole affair. It was
discovered that General Morgan, had been receiving large amounts of
money from the European Hegemony and that computer records were
recovered that corroborated Lt. Howard's testimony that the General was
indeed a traitor and was selling secrets to the enemy. He was post-
humously cleared of his crimes and as a form of compensation he was
awarded the American Union Medal of Honor which was presented to his
nearest relative, his brother Michael Howard..."
"Who happens to be my great-great-great-great-great grandfather."
interjected Beverly, "Making him my "Uncle".", she added with a smile at
Kevin.
"Well, today is just full of surprises isn't it?" exclaimed Captain