All Our Tomorrows (Part 2)

Posted on Tue Jan 21st, 2014 @ 1:12pm by Commander Patrick Leroy

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Ialnalyn Science Station

Patrick woke up early that morning.

The experiment schedule provided was very dense for the day. After the shower he complied with the Ialnalyns’ request by donning the science vest they had given him. The Ialnalyns, it seemed, took formality in great regard. It was a kind of labcoat very long and shiny white fabric, one sample had been issued to each participant.

Putting away his uniform Patrick checked himself in the mirror and didn’t find any unpleasant in his new look, albeit he would have found himself more comfortable in his usual Starfleet attire.
The only thing he chose to keep, out of habit, his Starfleet commbadge, sticking it conveniently on the inside of the coat.
That finished and without further ado, he prepared to attend to the meeting and directed himself to the science lab.

Walking his way to the lab Patrick thought again about Prime Researcher Thalassar and his welcoming meeting of the day before. He’d been a nice host and they had talked much about the possible breakthrough all this operation meant. Patrick had posed many questions about the project and the Ialnalyn scientist, in turn, had shown much curiosity about Federation and SB900 , a curiosity to which patrick had done his best to be exhaustive.

Patrick had somewhat learned to cope with the fact to be considered an attraction by the people inhabiting the Jathlin Arm even if, deep inside his heart, he would have never been able to get used to it.




****** Science room aboard Space Station 439 ******

The room was spacious and an entire set of giant portals lined the front wall, just above the main science stations, giving vision over Volara star. Outside the portals the giant projector could be seen jutting out from below its great antenna aimed at the celestial body.

Many guests were already present there and engaged in deep conversation. As he could see, they were coming from each corner of the Jathlin Arm and many other were pouring in the room after him, the audience must have reached quite a hundred of guests in his own evaluation.
He recognized the team coming from the Divitian Republic as they eyed him curiously, still he could not be sure to have already met them. Perhaps on his journey to Divitia prime… They all looked the same to him.

“Are you finding all of this to your liking?”

Patrick turned to meet Thalassar’s assistant Jinn observing him.

“Well... Yes.” Patrick replied looking casually around “I have no complaints to file.” He smiled “I’m eager to see the result of the experiment for this can be a great breakthrough for all Science.”

“Indeed it can be,” Jinn acknowledged in that mild tone of hers “Are you disappointed by the fact that Ialnalyns can achieve such a result? Instead of… Federation?”

The question wrong-footed Patrick for an instant: “Well…” He shrugged “From the place I come we do not see scientific achievement as a competition anymore... Petty bickering, detracting, hindering between colleagues… All of this is long lost in the past now. Sharing of information and joined effort are paramount for us, especially if discovery is bent to help community.”

An enigmatic smile lined Jinn’s lips as she regarded Patrick, perhaps under a new light.

“I can assure you more than half the people present in this room would use any excuse to blow this station and this experiment to dust.” she said looking briefly at the audience gathered in the room. Then she looked at him again “You people of the Federation are really strangers here.”

“I think we are…” Patrick endorsed.

“And what you think of Ialnalyn opposition to condemn the Thanatoksin for the Reger Tuhg massacre?” She asked him point blank.

Patrick felt on tricky terrain this time “I’m here only to partake of the event.” He replied hoping to avoid a deeper involvement in the talk “Perhaps you should have invited our chief diplomat to discuss of such topics.” he ended then trying to make an elegant ‘run for it’.

“And I think it will happen in time. Still you do not answer the question.” Jinn insisted.

“This Starfleet officer is not authorized to give political judgment.” Patrick responded a hint of coldness evident in his voice.

“But this Starfleet officer has an opinion about the matter. Hasn’t he?” Jinn pressed relentlessly with her soft tone.

“Well, this Starfleet officer is against genocide. It happens that also Federation is... But this is surely a coincidence.” Patrick replied half-way from dry to ironic.

Jinn blinked for an instant. Then opened her mouth to comment when, in the nick of time, Prime Researcher Thalassar showed up from nowhere saving him from some embarrassment.

“I see that my assistant has took a liking in you Commander.” He smiled warmly “I hope that Ialnalyn curiosity isn’t becoming a nuisance for you.”

“Not at All Prime Researcher.” Patrick responded very diplomatically to be a scientist. Kh’ali would have been proud of him.

“Good. I’m happy to hear that, I know that Jinn has an inquisitive attitude that can be misunderstood but is a quality I’ve always deemed to be the difference between a successful researcher and a mediocre one. Don’t you agree?” Thalassar asked reserving a fond look to his assistant.

“Indeed.” Patrick responded keeping to refine a diplomatic talent he’d always been sure to be devoid of.

“Well it is almost time to begin with the experiment.”Thalassar stated looking at the large monitor placed above the science consoles. “Make your acquaintance with some of the other guests until there is time. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later when the results will be examined.”

Leaving the Prime researcher and his assistant Patrick preferred in the end to stay on his own and to have a closer look to the science personnel and the consoles.

Careful to keep some distance from the busy scientists to avoid disturbing them in this crucial moment, he watched the data flowing on the big monitor along with all the other gathered guests.

The giant projector started to shine with pulsing energy as it delivered a mass of anti-tachyons toward the core of the red star.

“Are you sure all parameters have been checked? Those metaphasic radiation levels seem to be a bit high...” he asked casually to Jinn who had come to stand beside him.

“Of course they have. Prime Researcher Thalassar is quite competent in his field.” Jinn replied somewhat piquedly.

“I did not intend to diminish The Prime Researcher figure. It just seemed to me that some of the readings weren’t… Well no matter. I was probably wrong.”

The humming sound in the room increased and the audience got quieter looking at the giant projector while it forced its beam through deep space to the star.

It was not long, though, before the parameters shown on the display began to reach out of scale values. A faint luminescence started to spread from the white beam directed to Volara star, ebbing and flowing in an odd way.

“There’s something wrong.” Patrick said to no one in particular while Jinn stood to his side eyes wide on the phenomena. a murmur spread from the audience out of surprise.

“That halo is an anomaly.” Patrick stated starting to feel hair rising on his body and on the back of his skull. He turned to watch in the direction of Thalassar who seemed as much surprised as the rest of the scientists present there. His actions around the consoles seemed to have took a frantic quality in them although in the outside he looked cool and professional as before.

It was about at that time that Patrick felt the blow to his innards and a sensation overwhelmed him, like an electrical discharge surging through his body.

All faded to black.




****** Later ******

The buzzing sound deafening him ended with a bang.

His eyes opened, pain coursed through his body. Groaning he tried to look around, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the almost total darkness. Another fit of pain convinced him to stay still some more.
He felt the cold floor under his body and quietness all around. Too quiet. Where had everybody gone? He couldn’t hear nor see any sentient being in the room.

The portals were still there, though, Volara star shedding its reddish light which contributed at least a little to help Patrick into making out his surroundings.

Clenching his teeth he tried to get up again and the fit of pain made him gasp felling him again to the floor.
Patrick stood there for long moments breathing deeply until the pain subsided. then, very carefully he rolled on himself and got to his knees.

Definitely he was still in the science room of the station, strangely dark and silent though.

He remembered now. The experiment... The halo spreading from the projector… But where have all the others gone? Thalassar, Jinn all the other scientists with him? And why would they have abandoned him there…

His eyes went to his hands, as his mind got clearer. The numbness left quickly space to horror. His wrinkled skin and the knotty fingers… Instinctively he brought them to his face feeling the long flowing beard and unkempt hair. Gasping he crawled to one of the empty consoles and watched into its glassy surface.

An unbelievably aged crone returned his horrified stare.

“Oh no… Oh no…”



***********************
Patrick F. Leroy
SB900 CSO Abroad