Observing the Impossible

Posted on Mon Feb 3rd, 2025 @ 1:22pm by The Commander & Lieutenant S'Lace & Doctor Intharia T'Zor & Lieutenant Commander Atna & Lieutenant JG Brade Imkahat & Senior Chief Petty Officer Gaz & Ensign Irik Sul & Doctor Toh
Edited on on Mon Feb 3rd, 2025 @ 1:30pm

2,954 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Masters of the Stars [2]
Location: Unused Observation Lounge, Pier 2, Lower Docking Bay
Timeline: 1750 - MD02 (After 'The Admiral's Debriefing')

For the second time that day, Atna and S'Lace had attempted to meet the assembled life sciences leads so they could discuss the guest who had caused all the trouble.

"I must apologise that we have not yet had a chance to become formally acquainted. Peace, and long life, Lieutenant S'Lace." Atna said as they left the lounge space where they had held the briefing. She hoped the Doctor was not one who objected to walking and talking.

"Peace and long life to you, Commander," S'Lace murmured, falling into step beside the station's Chief Science Officer.

The first time they'd tried, Volsunga had attempted to escape, throwing himself about enough to eventually make contact with the shield, and using his momentum to try to break it. A red alert was called when he succeeded, sending the scientists and doctors back to their posts.

With an order from the Captain not to wait for him to pass out before attempting anything further, the staff monitoring waited for Volsunga to lose consciousness, but it took more than 25 minutes. Under the supervision of the holographic Doc, it was determined that the best thing to do was just to put him back where he started and give him more oxygen.

Now, they had just heard the Commander's offer to remove some manner of infectious psychic presence from Volsunga. S'Lace and Atna found the life sciences staff waiting. Through the window it appeared that the Commander had Volsunga in a sort of stasis, patiently waiting for the two Vulcan women to arrive.

Gaz was working in the corner on the systems holding Volsunga in place, he didn't really notice the women come in.

Imkahat, Toh and Sul were present in person, Udshun had sent a probe in his stead which generated a miniature wireframe hologram of himself floating in his aquatic surroundings.

"These are Lieutenants Imkahat and Udshun of xenoanthropology and exobiology, respectively." Atna said, gesturing to the Cardassian woman then the hologram of the aquatic Xindi. "And Ensign Sul of biochemistry, and Dr Toh of Genetics." Atna then gestured to the Betazoid and the Vulcan. All made polite greetings.

S'Lace responded with a polite nod.

As S'Lace nodded, Dr T'Zor entered, rushing. "Apologies."

"And this is Dr Intharia T'Zor, our first arrival from another universe, and a valuable civilian contributor to our science department." Atna said.

S'Lace nodded politely to the newcomer.

"Ladies and gents, I hate to rush you but the longer I keep him frozen outside moving time like this the more energy it takes. And unless one of you can point me in the direction of the nearest naturally occurring spacetime rift, fuel is at a premium currently. In the sense that I can't replace it in this universe." The Commander told the scientists politely, his voice carrying at a gentle but audible volume.

From their perspective, the Commander was standing on empty vacuum next to the rotating Volsunga. Someone appeared to have taken the time to put Volsunga's clothes on him, he wore a loose fitting pair of pants and a long-sleeved garment in neutral beige.

S'Lace regarding their prisoner/patient. She said, "What is our goal here? Do we intend to return him back to where he came? Is that possible? Otherwise it seems our best solution is extreme isolation. A...runabout outside the station, perhaps, stripped of all internal components save life support and a basic replicator."

Gaz heard the question and thought to interrupt with an answer, but instead he just turned in his seat to face the group from his position in the corner at the terminal.

"We know very little about the nature of the anomaly, other than the regularity with which the other side changes. As with Dr T'Zor, we intend to return anyone to their home reality when it is possible, but as yet we do not know how that can be achieved."

Atna noticed Gaz's attention, and turned to what she assumed he would say. "The rules governing treatment of prisoners are complex, for an unknown being like himself we must err on the side of humane caution and keep him both comfortable and isolated. A runabout would not meet the free space and movement minimums for a being his size. Chief Gaz and his team are replicating a vessel that will contain him humanely. We are told it will be ready tomorrow."

"I see," S'Lace murmured, "And in the mean time? Is there any chance at all he may pose a threat before then? Perhaps we should beam him away and keep his pattern in the buffer? Or does that violate some obscure rule regarding the treatment of prisoners?"

It was quite difficult to keep the irony out of her tone...

"I would estimate there is a significant chance of harm. That is I believe why this particular enclosure was chosen. If he does decide to continue attempting to escape, he is most likely to harm himself. We can of course ensure he is for the most part unharmed as a result. Your suggestion is not without merit, however such attempts at long-term transporter containment are not without significant risk to the transportee. The current method of isolation is high maintenance, but it fulfills all our obligations while keeping the subject secure." Atna explained.

The slightest of frowns crossed S'Lace's face.

"Provided our detainee does not have more unpleasant surprises for us. He has already exhibited unexpected abilities. If he is from a highly advanced warrior culture I can only assume that his controllers must have anticipated a situation where he might be taken prisoner. That could mean some 'kill switch' where he might instantly die...or some ability that might facilitate his escape."

She paused, then shrugged, "Of course without observable data to back my hypothesis all of that is pure speculation."

"Early scans our biologists have had a chance to go over identify at least a dozen non-standard organs. Most are like standard human biology augmented and enhanced to such an absurd degree as to keep a being like this alive and fighting for centuries. There are a few engineered defensive features and some we presume are offensive. He has exposed to himself to the vacuum outside the shield repeatedly by attempting to breach it physically. My impression is that if he were capable of self-termination or other non-linear means of escape, he would have done so by now." Atna explained.

"Fascinating," S'Lace noted as she studied the data, "This would imply that he is the end result of centuries of genetic engineering on a scale not seen to Federation medical science. The only polity that might come close is The Dominion and the work they have performed on their subject species, but even so this is beyond even what we have seen of their science."

"Alright, if I could have your attention please." The Commander said. He snapped his fingers and a ring of orbiting scanners beamed into place, from small to large, from all around the station. Even a runabout with sensor modules had appeared, running unmanned. All the data was immediately available to the science crew as the various devices drank it in.

"I'm going to begin with the first identifiable external influence. I doubt it has any impact on his conscious or unconscious mind, but it's lingering there, like a shadow from an unseen source." The Commander appeared to poke his holographic index finger through Volsunga's forehead. He swirled it around for a moment, before removing it, tracing a thin black line through the empty space.

The sensors went wild, it was something they could see, but not identify. It followed the Commander's finger like a great chitinous inky trail, growing sharp insectoid limbs and screeching maws as it swelled. The Commander seemed to flick it off his finger, and it continued to grow in another direction. He reached back towards Volsunga's forehead, leaning around the strange emission, he pinched the tail of it off where it left the Astartes' forehead.

From where his holographic fingers made contact, the crawling mass of black mutation began to burn, catching alight like a dry barn in the summer. It screeched horribly, a psychic cry of fear and pain from uncounted minds quite unlike their own. The Commander did his best to contain it, but he could not hide the pain it caused him. Only a small remnant escaped, only perceivable to the telepathically sensitive among them. Soon, it had incinerated to its furthest length, and the sensation was gone. The sensors went quiet.

Ramielos remained frozen, unaffected by the extraction.

"How is he looking?" The Commander asked, looking uncomfortable, but like he was slowly improving.

S'Lace checked the medical read outs.

"Compared to the readings when he first arrived, he appears stable," S'Lace replied. She disliked giving incomplete information but considering she never had an opportunity to give the prisoner a physical to develop a baseline...

Atna remained quiet. The data was almost nonsensical from many of the instruments. Whatever the strange manifestation was, it read for a moment like a biomass greater than all the matter in the galaxy. In another moment, a psychedelic cascade of mutant DNA evolving reactively in real time to unforseen stimuli in more ways than the sensors could track.

"Alright. I'll proceed." The Commander said, putting a holographic finger into the frozen titan's forehead. I'm now moving on to the second influence. This one has some potential to influence him, but I sense it has not. It can't penetrate the next layer beyond it. A fragmental deity's lingering essence attempting to find purchase in stray thoughts." He moved his finger around as he had before. "Wait a minute.." He said, realising something. "It's not just one. It's a quartet." Suddenly, his finger was pulled in to the wrist.

"Oh dear." The Commander said, appearing to strain against it. There was a sudden surge, and he was pulled in to the shoulder. His feet seemed to strain against the non-existent ground beneath him. "Quite alright. Standard stuff." The Commander said reassuringly to those watching. The discomfort across his face told a different story.

Atna focused intently on the scene. She had assumed this was a visual purely for their benefit with only a marginal relationship to the actual events. She now reconsidered that.

S'Lace's eyes narrowed. What, precisely, was she seeing? Whatever was going on was unusual to say the least. She needed to speak to Commander Atna about it afterwards. Just what was this 'Commander' and what were his capabilities?

With a strain and gritted teeth, the Commander managed to get his arm out to the elbow, and propping his feet against Volsunga's shoulders, he wrenched himself free. He seemed to fall flat against the same invisible floor, before standing up and dusting himself off. He reached a hand through Volsunga's forehead, and seemed to remove something brassy and red. It was an amorphous, twisting machine designed to tear flesh, vaguely spherical and about the size of a tennis ball. It hovered above the Commander's palm, but as he closed his hand it turned to red smoke.

He reached in and removed another, a similarly sized floating mass of pink mist and smooth, sharp exoskeletal claws and lashes, paired with supple, curvaceous mounds of indistinct flesh. Again it turned to smoke at the Commander's gesture. He did it again with a blue mass of feathers lit by a strange inner light, and what seemed to be a floating mass of putrescence surrounded by a swarm of emerald flies. The Commander looked varyingly intrigued and disgusted by them.

"Two down. One to go." The Commander said, giving them a moment to tell him to stop.

Volsunga still seemed to remain as he was, without visible change.

Atna didn't know what she was seeing, the visual was evocative, but the data was strange enough for her to think in normal circumstances the scanners that could detect anything were somehow faulty.

S'Lace glanced at the Chief of Science and picked up visual cues from her expression: she was just as ignorant as she was in regards to what they were seeing. That was...unsettling...

“Alright. Round three. Let’s dance.” The Commander said as he stuck his finger back into the massive Astartes’ forehead. “This one is far more active. Communal. Nourished by social links. It’s an oppressive psychic layer designed solely to prevent personal growth or emotional development. To remain the same unthinking soldier forever.”

The Commander sighed, he wasn’t looking forward to it, but knew he must. With another exhale, he suddenly stuck his hand in deeper, and with an equally rapid reaction withdrew it, holding a winged skull made of light. It fizzled into nothing.

“Well, that might be it. If I didn’t know better - “ the Commander began a droll witticism but was interrupted by a sudden light that blasted out of Volsunga in all directions. It was brighter than eyelids or hands could keep out of sight.

The brightness was of a magnitude just below the level that would cause physical pain. So too as the light struck them, the stirring crescendo of ‘Ode to Joy’ seemed to thunder audibly in their ears like an orchestra was all around them. Turning away would not dull the light or the sound. It was inescapable, and just at the limits of tolerance.

After a few seconds, the light and music suddenly stopped.

Atna reacted only by closing her eyes. The sudden sensory assault was unpleasant, but not one she was unequipped to deal with. She opened her eyes again once it had stopped. "Was that Beethoven?" Atna asked, not entirely sure what she had seen and heard was real.

"Ah, so you heard it as well," S'Lace murmured, glancing about.

Atna looked back to the others, it was clear from their discomfort that they too had witnessed it.

The Commander had wrapped his arms around his head, even as a hologram he seemed affected by the sudden outburst. “Alright. Interestingly enough, the light wasn’t what I removed. The light came from within, to seal the way I entered. Quite something.” He looked like a man who’d just stuck a fork in a toaster.

“That’s it. He’s clear, at least of the things I feel obliged to remove. I can’t guarantee he won’t still be a homicidal maniac, but he might have the ability to listen.” The Commander said.

S'Lace nodded at that, "In that case it might be more of a task for counselors and diplomats than us. Although I would find the exchange of interest..."

"Thank you for your efforts, Commander. I hope you are... unharmed." Atna said, after a moment's hesitation on what an impact to him might be called.

"I'll release him, then." The Commander said, disappearing and reappearing outside the spherical shield. He snapped his fingers, and Volsunga was back in real-time again. The tricorders and other scanning devices that had been beamed into orbit around the shield were once again beamed away, appearing on the table in the observation lounge.

Volsunga opened his eyes again. He looked slightly confused for a moment, then closed them once more, continuing to recite his prayers.

"Should be plenty there for you to go through. Unless you need anything, I think I need to go have a lie down." The Commander said, looking even paler than usual.

"I believe that will be all, Commander. Please accept our continuing gratitude for your assistance." Atna said.

"Good day, everyone." The Commander said, fading away until he was gone.

Once the Commander was gone, Atna turned to S'Lace. "Any questions, Doctor?" Atna had many herself.

"I have many, Commander," S'Lace replied, "Which I shall need to compose in my report. But my principal concern if for this artificial being who possesses a wide range of abilities, abilities which seem beyond our understanding of science. The base commander seems to place a great deal of trust in it. How well do we know it? I have...concerns..."

"When we first encountered the Commander, he was wounded but still alive. His species apparently possesses the ability to regenerate a mortally wounded body, but he chose instead to somehow use that ability to merge his mind with his vessel. He now allows us use of it within the scope that a Federation craft would also be capable of." Atna explained, realising she had not quite scratched the surface.

"He says they were a race of time travellers, and he did at one stage appear to take those of us on the away team that found him back in time by approximately ten minutes, allowing us to save the station from destruction." Atna said. "He has continued to act in a way that benefits us, despite the lack of apparent motivation for him to do so. I cannot speak to his true motivations, but the story he tells aligns with his actions."

"I see," S'Lace replied after a moment, "I suppose my past interactions with an artificial intelligence may have made me...biased. I shall endeavor to, as humans say, give him the benefit of the doubt."

"His intelligence may be sustained by artificial means, but he still seems to be the same man we met in the Excalibur's sickbay. Caution is warranted if anything should change, but for now he has worked in our favor. If you would like, it is possible to speak with him personally. He is rather charming, in his way." Atna told her colleague.

"I may consider that," S'Lace replied, "If I have any free time available. Unfortunately such an interaction will remain theoretical at this point."

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