Chapter Text
Valley Forge
“Good morning, Sir.” Ashley smiled as she greeted the recently appointed commodore.
“Good morning, Commander.” Commodore Soren Magnussen smiled back at his newly promoted aide. “What’s first on today’s agenda?”
“Breakfast and conference with the senior staff.” Ashley promptly replied, “Then we’re off to Command Headquarters to check up on the trans-universe project.”
“Lead the way.” Soren grinned, “I don’t know about you, Commander, but I’m famished.”
“I could go for some breakfast myself after last night’s workout, Sir.” Ashley smirked. “The others should be waiting in the galley.”
“Then, Commander, let us be off.” Soren bantered back before inquiring in a more serious tone of voice, “Have you given anymore thought to the admiral’s offer?”
“It’s tempting, Sir.” Ashley answered back with a sigh, “But I don’t want to leave my friends on the Princess.”
“You won’t be.” The Danish commodore vowed, “I have no intention of busting up a good team, and I have a feeling that I’ll be requiring your group’s special skills on more than one occasion in the near future. You are command material, Ashley.” Soren declared earnestly, “And I’m not just saying that because we’re sleeping together. Admirals Quinn and Tuvok agree with me. You are capable of commanding a starship—not now…” he emphasized, “but sometime soon.”
“So what all’s involved in this new job other than my being your permanent aide?” Ashley inquired.
“First off, that lieutenant commander’s braid you’re wearing now will be made permanent. Second, you’ll be working under all of the section commanders on the Forge. Command under Zheren and myself…Engineering under Skavrin…Tactical/Security under Jeff…Sciences under Talana…and you’ll also spend some time with our new CMO. That will give you a good idea as to how the different branches operate and how they integrate with each other to make for a smooth running ship.”
“And after that?”
“Then, you’ll be working with the other ship captains…Hobson…Rosza…even the allied captains—with their permission, of course. From them you will learning how they exercise their commands and how to conduct joint operations. And…while you’re doing this…expect to be sent on missions with your team on the Princess. So…” The commodore asked with a crooked grin, “You up for the challenge?”
Ashley responded, her eyebrow raised in a sardonic gesture, “Bring it…Sir.”
“I sure could go for another helping of grits.” Lieutenant Commander Jeff Maxwell grinned as his commanding officer joked.
“That’s your third helping already Jeff.” Soren laughed.
“Blame Dixie.” Ashley quipped, “She’s been turning him on to southern cooking.”
“I think I’m going to get another glass of Tor’a juice before we start the meeting.” Lieutenant Commander Skavrin, a portly Tellarite who had been the Valley Forge’s chief engineer ever since Magnussen took command, growled as he got up from his seat.
“How are you doing in your new job Dr. Murakawa?” Commander Zheren, the Constitution-class starship’s Andorian first officer asked the Valley Forge’s new Chief Medical Officer, an attractive woman with Asian features.
Speaking with a Hellenic accent, Dr. Murakawa replied with a grin, “I’m enjoying it. The facilities are very complete and the medical staff most efficient.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jeff replied, “Where were you stationed before coming aboard?”
“Starbase 45.” The doctor responded, “I got bored with shore duty and requested reassignment.”
“I can relate to that.” Ashley grinned, “I hated garrison duty. Just sitting around all day doing nothing but looking at the barracks walls.”
“From your accent, I’d say you’re Centauran.” Soren noted, “Am I right?”
“Partly.” Doctor Murakawa grinned. “My mother’s Centauran. Father was from Tokyo. They divorced when I was a child so I’d spend a year on Earth with my father and then a year on Centaurus with mother.”
“I read about Centauri Four while I was taking my Academy courses.” Ashley queried, “These…aliens…”
“The Preservers.” Soren interjected.
“Right.” Ashley nodded, “They took ancient Greeks and settled them there—right?”
“From Ionia to be specific.” Dr. Murakawa answered, “ Centaurans are direct descendants of the ancient Greeks and a lot of our culture is still very much Hellenic.” Cracking a smile, she quipped, “I have a chiton that I’ll wear at times, but usually it’s only for special occasions because it’s a pain in the ass to put on.”
“Is there anything you need, Doctor?” Soren inquired.
Shaking her head, the Asian-Centauran physician responded, “No. We’re all set.”
“Where’s Talana?” Jeff gesturing at the empty chair, “Did she decide to get an early start?”
“More like her and her team never stopped.” Ashley quipped, “She said that they’d stumbled on to something and were following it through. Her and her group are first on the agenda, Commodore.”
“Good. Soren nodded, “I’m looking forward to seeing this breakthrough.” Speaking to his engineer, he asked, “What your status, Skavrin.”
“My engines are purring like a sehlat, Sir. Just give the word.”
“If all goes well, old friend.” Soren grinned, “You’ll have that soon.” Pausing for a moment, he rose to his feet, “If there’s nothing else, let us get the day started.”
Drozana Station—Universal Alliance Command Headquarters—Science Division
“First stop…Science Lab.” Ashley grinned as she and the Commodore passed through the door into the laboratory.
“I hear you and your people have been putting in a bit of overtime, Lieutenant Commander.” Soren remarked to his Andorian science officer in a teasing voice as he and his aide entered the lab.
“You might say we have, Sir.” Talana bantered back, “I’ll let our newest teammate, Zara, explain.”
“What have you got for me, Zara?” Soren asked the obviously excited quarian astrophysicist.
Zara enthusiastically explained, “It took some work, but we were finally able to determine the exact resonances and frequencies we need to open up a stable portal linking the universes.”
“Stable?” Ashley interjected, “You’re saying that we’ll be able to maintain contact?”
“Exactly!” Lieutenant Commander Talana Zha’Thara eagerly responded. “That is…if a connection is maintained from the other side as well.”
“In other words the door can be opened and closed at will by either party.” Commodore Magnussen surmised.
“Correct.” Zara affirmed, “Unstable portals can be opened from one end or the other, but to keep the portals stable, it will require both universes maintaining the connection.”
“That will make the access points important strategic objectives.” Soren mused as he considered the ramifications of what he had just been told.
“While some of the powers on the other end might be eager for a stable connection…” Ashley pointed out, drawing on her prior experience under Shepard’s command, “there will be others who will oppose it. And I can all but guarantee that there will be a political free for all over who controls the portal entrance.”
“That’s something we’ll have to let the diplomats wrangle over when and if the time comes.” Commodore Magnussen declared with a frown. “All we can do is offer suggestions. Hopefully, they’ll listen to them.”
“They’re politicians.” Ashley wryly commented, earning an amused smirk from her lover.
“We’ll just have to make them think it was their idea, Commander.” Addressing his science officer, the Commodore inquired, “What about the other research, Talana?”
“Twesata, Rana, and Lieutenant Velen are dealing with the augmented and genetically altered prisoners. They think they’ve found something you might be interested in.”
“They’re next on our list.” Commodore Magnussen acknowledged, “Anything else?”
“Yes, Sir. Dr. Treeya and Salome have been analyzing the artifacts she brought with her from the other universe. You might want to pop in on them.”
“They’re number three on our agenda.” Ashley pointed out, checking her padd.
“Finally…” Talana ended her report, “Our engineers—Treasure, Dixie, and Nelia have been hard at work on several projects.”
Nodding his head, the commodore answered back with a smile, “We’ll be sure to check in with them too. Now…unless there’s anything else?”
“No, Sir.” Talana replied with a cheeky grin, “If I might suggest, Commodore…why don’t the two of you go see Twes and Rana now.”
“And let you get back to work.” Soren chuckled, bantering back at Talana’ subtle smirk and wink. “Very well, Commander, we’ll let you get back to your research.”
“Any results?” Soren asked as he entered the lab where Twesata and Rana were working, the two lovers staring at a computer model on their screen.
“Oh!” Rana exclaimed, startled by the sudden interruption, “Commodore. Yes…I think we might have something. Come and take a look.”
“These are the results we’ve gotten from a genetic scan of the krogan.” Twesata explained, “Somehow or other—we’re still working on figuring out how exactly—they’ve managed to fuse Borg and Reaper nanites while also grafting Gorn tissue and neurons.”
“They seem to have found a way to take advantage of the rapid regeneration capability that krogans naturally possess along with their redundant organs.” Lieutenant Commander Velen, the Denobulan science officer from the Aeolia, interjected, pointing to a series of numbers on the screen. “These are normal krogan alleles.”
“Now look at these…” Rana instructed, pointing to another sequence. “Those were altered by Borg and Reaper tech.
“I’m no biologist…” Ashley commented, “But it looks to me like the Borg and Reaper nanites are rewriting the genetic code.”
“They are.” Twesata concurred, “But what’s even more remarkable is that they’re doing it in cooperation.”
“Somehow…someway…” Rana concluded, “They’ve discovered means of making Reaper and Borg technology work and play well with each other.”
“That’s not the most pleasant piece of news I’ve heard this morning.” Soren frowned. “But…I’ve got a feeling there’s more. All right…” The Danish starship commander sighed, “Lay it on me.”
Pausing momentarily as she called up a new image on the screen, the Betazoid science officer explained, “What we’ve also discovered from non-invasive scans taken from the infected passengers and crew of the Dawn Star, is that the Thorian spores also combine with the Borg and Reaper nanites to produce a very cohesive form of hive mind almost impossible to break.”
“In other words…” Ashley grumbled, “The Borg Collective on steroids.”
“Right.” Lieutenant Commander Velen confirmed. “We’re looking for a means to unravel the very complex genetic, molecular, and even sub-molecular rewiring…” the Denobulan science officer shook his head dejectedly, “but haven’t had any success.”
“This is beyond even what Saren had you doing—isn’t it Rana?” Ashley queried the asari scientist.
“Most definitely.” Rana answered back. “I was exploring how the Thorian spores might be able to combat indoctrination, but what they’ve done is use those spores to not so much combat it as direct it. In short…they’ve taken it to the next level. Instead of using the spores as a weapon, they’re using them as a tool.”
“So…there’s nothing we can do for these poor people.” Soren concluded somberly.
“Not yet, Sir.” Twesata responded, “But we haven’t given up. Just…” the lovely Betazoid winced as her asari lover squeezed her hand, “please don’t ask me to try to go back into their minds.”
“I won’t let you, siha.” Rana promised, explaining to the Commodore, “The time she did, she nearly lost her sanity. I am not going to let that happen to her again.”
“Don’t worry.” Soren assured, “No one’s going to ask her or you to repeat that experience. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Sir.” The lovers responded in unison gratefully.
“If there’s nothing more…” The Commodore announced as his eyes glanced at the exit, “We’ll be on our way. Keep me posted if you find out anything else.”
“Dr. Treeya and Lieutenant Jenkins, Sir?” Ashley asked as she walked beside her lover.
Nodding his head, Soren affirmed. “Let’s take a look at what they’re doing, shall we, Commander?”
“Aye, Sir.”
Entering the archaeology lab with his aide, Soren called out to the two scientists examining various items neatly categorized and numbered at a table. “Dr. Treeya…Lieutenant Jenkins…I understand you’ve found something interesting.”
“Maybe.” The asari archaeologist responded as she beckoned the commodore and Ashley to the table. “What you’re seeing here is a collection of artifacts from both of our universes. Notice anything special?”
Carefully examining the relics on the table, Commodore Magnussen commented, pointing at a pair of stelae, “Those two…they look like they might have been made by the same culture.”
“Good guess, Sir.” Salome said in her usual languid tone of voice. “Take a look at the engraving on both of the slabs. See the similarities in the pictographs?”
“Yes.” Ashley interjected as she peered at the two monuments. “Do you have any idea who made them and what they mean?”
“We’re still trying to figure that out.” Dr. Treeya admitted, “What I can tell you is that they came from different universes. This one…” she pointed at one of the stelae, “…came from the artifacts I found on Fehl Prime in the other universe. And the other one…” she gestured to the relic next to it, “…was found by an archaeological team on Geron III in this universe.”
“Which means that they were probably left by the same people.” Soren surmised, “Do you know how old they are?”
“At least a billion years old…”
Letting out a low whistle, Ashley remarked, “That puts them as older than any of the species we’ve run into in either of our universes. What about your universe, Salome? Didn’t you tell me that your people along with Captain Rodenko and his crew investigated some ruins that were very old? Do you think the same people made them too?”
Salome confirmed with a nod of her head, “It does appear that they were made by the same people. The only problem is…”
“You don’t know who they are or where they’re originally from.” Soren concluded.
“Exactly.” Salome acknowledged with a frown. “Since we’re finding these artifacts in multiple universes, that would indicate that this race is not only very old…but also very advanced and powerful and that there is a very strong probability they don’t belong to any of our universes.”
“In other words, they might be our mysterious puppet masters.” Ashley conjectured.
“Maybe.” Dr. Treeya tentatively affirmed before sounding a note of caution, “However, we can’t rule out the possibility that another race such as the Iconians, Reapers, Undine, or Borg are using that technology for their own ends.”
“I see…” Soren drawled, “So…have you been able to figure out what the stelae are saying?”
“No.” Salome shook her head before explaining, “Usually, you can crack an ancient language by analyzing the languages it stems from and work your way back.”
“Like the Rosetta Stone?” Ashley queried.
“Somewhat.” Salome replied, “Although the Rosetta Stone was a lucky break in that along with the Egyptian hieroglyphics, you also had a translation in demotic Greek and a transitional script. It was much easier to work back from that once the scholars knew what to look for.”
“We don’t have that here, I’m afraid.” Dr. Treeya interjected. “We’re having to figure this out cold…and…” she admitted ruefully, “…we’re not having much…really any…success.”
“It’s like trying to decipher Linear A or ancient Harrapan, but worse because we don’t have any frame of reference.” Salome heaved a dejected sigh. “Hopefully, once we open up the portal between our universes, we can find something over there that’ll help us unravel this mess.”
“I see.” Soren acknowledged, letting out a breath of air, “We’ll let you get back to your work, then.”
“Engineering?” Ashley inquired.
Nodding his head, Soren affirmed, “Engineering. I’m curious to see what Nelia and her people have dreamed up for us.”
“Knowing Nelia…” Ashley chuckled, “It’s NSFS.”
“NSFS?” Soren smirked.
“Not Safe For Starfleet.” Ashley grinned in response. “C’mon. Let’s see what they’ve got.”
Engineering Team
“Ya’ll are pullin’ my leg!” Dixie laughed as Treasure finished her story.
Lieutenant Commander Angela ‘Treasure’ Barrows, the Texas-descended buxom blonde Aeolia chief engineer giggled. “Candy an’ Atris will back me up if ya’ll don’t believe me. They were there when it happened!”
“You tellin’ me you jumped up on a table at Quarks during a barroom brawl with some Klingons, pulled up your shirt and flashed ‘em!” Dixie’s Alabama accented voice and laughter filled the room. “No way!”
“If Ah’m lyin’ Ah’m dyin’!” Treasure swore jokingly, raising her right hand as if taking an oath. “It was back when I was an ensign on the ol’ Sutherland.”
“Where was the captain when this went down?” Dixie asked.
“Captain Shelby?” Nelia quipped, “No…not that Shelby! Not the Admiral Shelby who’s married to Admiral Calhoun. This was a different Shelby entirely. I’m not sure what happened to her.”
“I ain’t either.” Treasure interjected with a shake of her head. “All I heard was that one day she all of a sudden upped an’ resigned her commission and just took off. Don’t know where and don’t know why.”
“Anyway…” Nelia grinned, continuing her story, “Shelby was screwing DS 9’s Chief Medical Officer in his quarters. My uncle was on the station at the time—he was part of a border cutter crew that had docked to resupply and was there when the fight with the Klingons broke out. He used to joke about how he got cold cocked by some Klingon while he was looking at Treasure’s phaser banks.”
“See! I tol’ ya!” The buxom blonde engineer cried out triumphantly.
“Ahem…”
“Oh!” A now red-faced Treasure exclaimed, “Commodore! We didn’t know…”
“Obviously.” Commodore Magnussen interjected as he tried to hide the smirk that wanted to appear on his face, especially as his aide wasn’t even trying to hide her snickers. “Do you have anything to report?”
Now all business, Nelia took over for her stammering teammate. “We’ve been busy trying to adapt some of the technology of Dixie’s universe with ours.”
“Any success?”
“Some.” Nelia replied, “Edi, Treasure and Dixie have done most of the work, so I’ll let them fill you in.”
“Go ahead, Edi.” Treasure encouraged, “After all…it was your idea, Sugar.”
“We have found a way to integrate medigel into your universe’s armor systems.” The mobile AI reported. “We can begin producing prototypes immediately.”
“Do so.” Soren responded, “Anything else?”
“Yes.” The AI answered back, “This breakthrough, however, is theoretical at present.”
“Go ahead, Sugar…” Dixie urged, “Tell ‘em.”
“We think that we have found a means by which we could make mass effect relays work in this universe.”
“How so?” The Commodore inquired, his curiosity aroused. “I thought you needed this element zero substance to make it work.”
“Correct, Sir.” Edi confirmed, “That is why this study is purely theoretical at this stage. However, should a stable corridor between the two universes be established…”
“Trade routes could carry eezo in exchange for stuff unique to this universe—like dilithium.” Ashley interjected, receiving a nod of affirmation from the AI.
“That is correct.”
“Right.” Soren acknowledged before further inquiring, “Any success on finding a way to ensure the stability of a portal once we do open it.”
“Yes, Sir.” Treasure affirmed with a triumphant grin on her face. “Since we now know the resonances and frequencies, Ah can adjust our deflectors to transmit a dark energy burst that should open up a portal. Once we open the portal, it should remain stable for as long as a gateway remains open on the other side.”
“That’s useful.” The commodore noted, “But it depends on us controlling the other side as well. Do you have anything that would keep the portal open on our end in the event the other end closes? I’d much prefer having a door open in the event we have to beat a hasty retreat.”
“Way ahead of you, Commodore.” Nelia responded cheekily, “Satellites located at certain points that we’ve already identified can be set that will transmit the frequencies to keep the door open or closed from our end. Here are the specs. You can run them by the others if you want.” She then handed the Danish commodore her padd. “We can have the satellites deployed in less than a week.”
Nodding his head, Soren gave his assent. “Do it. I’ll set up a meeting with the admirals. Captain Terre…hold yourself in readiness. I have a feeling they will want you and the other project heads at the briefing. Lieutenant Commander…” The commodore turned to his raven-haired aide, permitting a slight smile to come to his lips, “Looks like you might get to see your family before Christmas after all.”
“Yes, Sir.” Ashley responded with a big grin.
Turning his attention back to the engineers, Soren smiled as he praised them, “Good work, everyone. Unless you hear otherwise, proceed with your plans. As of now, we are go for extra-universal travel.”