1

Ship’s log: Stardate 48642.01

Captain Tamera Kirk recording.

We continue on course for Sector 206 to carry out our latest

assignment: Star Charting. You’d think between modern telescopes and

probes, such missions would no longer be necessary. But even the best

telescopes can only see so far and probes- even in this day and age- can

still malfunction.

So, while some records of this sector do exist, they’re spotty at best.

Our job, basically, is to fill in the blanks and confirm the rest…

Seated in her egg chair in her quarters, Tam turned off the desk top

monitor on the table beside her, shutting down the log in the process.

She sat there for a moment in silence, not really seeing her quarters.

Then she stood and went into her sleeping area. Sitting on the edge of

the bed, she reached over to the shelf and picked up the note that lay

next to a certain golden model.

Her sister’s note.

Tam opened it and stared at her sister’s words. How many times had

she read them in the last six months? She’d lost count. Finally, she

returned the note to its place beside the golden Enterprise her sister had

left her and left the cabin.

Medical log, Stardate 48642.01

Dr. Beverly Crusher recording.

I’m growing concerned about the Captain. For some time now, she has

grown increasingly distracted. Her temper has become short and she’s

easily frustrated.

Medical exams have shown no biological reason for these changes

other than an increasing lack of sleep- the cause of which is unknown…

Tam had come up to her Ready Room in an attempt to get some work

done, hoping that would take her mind off of things.

That hadn’t worked out too well.

She was currently seated at her desk, scowling, while standing in front

of her desk at parade rest, was one Commander Geordi LaForge.

To say the atmosphere in the room was tense would be a galactic

understatement.

“…That unit’s been waiting for routine maintenance for over four

months now.” Her tone was sharper than a bat’leth.

Geordi nodded. “Yes, Ma’am it’s been on the list for four months- and

it’s been moving up the list. In fact, it’s scheduled-“

“I don’t want to hear when you’re going to service it, Mr. LaForge,”

the Captain stated, cutting him off. “I want to hear that it’s been

serviced.”

Her chief engineer swallowed whatever else he was going to say and

nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Dismissed.”

She watched as he turned and headed for the door, then-

“Geordi, wait.”

He turned from the Ready Room’s door as the room’s lights reflected

off his visor. “Ma’am?”

Tam sighed and slumped in her chair as she wiped a hand over her

face.” I’m sorry,” she said in a calmer tone. “That entire scene was

uncalled for.” She shook her head and sighed once more. “I haven’t been

sleeping well lately and I guess it’s starting to catch up with me.”

Geordi shrugged as the tension in the room eased. “Everyone’s

entitled to a sleepless night once in a while, Captain.”

“I know you’ll get to that unit when you can,” Tam told him. She

nodded toward the door. “Dismissed.”

He nodded and she watched as he left. Silence settled into the room

and she allowed it to wash over her and last for several minutes before

she reached for her combadge.” Kirk to Troi.”

“Troi here, Captain.”

“How’s your calendar for the next few minutes, Deanna?”

“Actually, I’m clear for the rest of the day. I’m just updating some

records.”

“Can they wait?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Meet me at the fabrication unit near my quarters. Kirk out.”

To those that occupy this quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy, the area is

known as the Alpha Quadrant. It’s a massively large area anyway you

measure it and even in this 24th century, much of it remains unexplored

or even mapped.

At that moment, an Ambassador-class starship- the FSS Ethica- was

sailing through Sector 214, carrying out spectral analysis and star

charting duties.

Her captain was an Orion male named Algram - one of the few in

Starfleet- and even though the Ethica was not a new ship- they stopped

building the Ambassador-class ten years ago- He was rightfully proud of

her.

At the moment, he was walking around his bridge, looking things over

and stopping here and there to talk to his crew. He’d just reached the

Engineering station when the human Lt. Commander at the Science

station looked up from the readings she’d been studying and called for

him. “Captain, sensors are picking up an object ahead- a large one.”

Her blond hair reflected the bridge lights as she checked her readings

once more. “Correction. Three objects. There are two more following

behind the…” She stopped. All she could do was stare at the readings.

“Oh my god…”

Algram stepped toward her. “What is it, Sabra?”

The human seemed to lose all the color in her face as she replied.

“Each object is larger than a Sovereign-class ship-

“-and a perfect cube.”

Now the Orion understood the tone in her voice and the terror in her

eyes. “Red Alert!” he ordered immediately. “Battle Stations!”

The communications officer spoke next as he looked up from his

console. “Captain…” He activated the console and a different voice filled

the bridge.

“We are the Borg. Existence as you have known it is at an end.

“Resistance is futile…”

2

The year 1810

Tam sighed and smiled as she handled the reins of the single horse.

Wearing what would one day be called jeans and a blouse, she glanced

over at Deanna as the counselor sat beside her on the buckboard

dressed in the proper traveling outfit for a female citizen of the British

Empire.

“You never mentioned this era before,” Deanna stated as she held on

to her hat.

“Never had a reason to before,” Tam replied as she allowed the horse

to pull them along the trail. “I also own a house in Victorian England-

1885.”

“Why so much time between them?”

Tam’s gaze was on the landscape they were traveling through. Things

were kind of dry this time of year. “During these time periods, the

human life-span is only about 70 years- if that. By setting things a

hundred years apart, my various lives don’t over-lap.”

Deanna looked all around as they rode. They’d left the small town-

little more than a village- an hour ago and she was still getting used to

the idea that they could be back aboard the Enterprise two seconds after

they left. “Won’t your…ranch hands find it strange that you’re returning

with a visitor you never told them about?”

Tamera shook her head. “No. Jan came with me a few times, so

they’re used to unexpected guests.”

The redhead glanced around, taking in the trees and the dry grass as

she spoke. “Technically, we’re not even in the United States. Same

continent, but all of this is still under Spain’s control. Be a few more

years before it becomes Mexico. The Revolutionary War was only 24

years ago. Luckily the American Civil War is still 51 years away.”

Deanna watched as she handled the horse’s reins. When they met up

at the fabrication unit aboard the Enterprise, she could tell the Captain

was on edge about something. She let silence rule for the moment. The

only sound was the jiggle of the horse’s bridle and the creaking of the

buckboard. “Tamera, you’re rambling. While I appreciate the chance to

be here, I have to ask: Why are we here?”

Tam glanced over at her. “There are times when your empathic

abilities are a royal pain.”

“Maybe, “Deanna replied. “But that doesn’t answer the question.”

The captain kept her eyes on the horse as she answered. “Because,

for the first time in my life, I’m running from a situation instead of

dealing with it because I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“What is the situation?”

Tam sighed. For a long moment, she didn’t answer. “Dreams- and not

your normal, self-contained nightmares, either. What I’ve been

experiencing is more like chapters in some damn Saturday morning

serial.

“I’m 18 again, but I’m standing in front of the temple at the Memorial

Gardens. In every…chapter that follows, I’m walking across the grounds

toward the family crypt. Last night, I was ready to turn the corner and

face Jan’s statue.” She glanced at Deanna and shrugged. “I thought

maybe a change would help break the cycle or whatever this is.”

Deanna studied her for a moment. “Do you really think it’ll work?”

“I don’t know,” Tam replied after a sigh. “But a change of scenery

can’t hurt, right?”

The counselor shrugged, having no answer to give.

They rode for a while longer before topping a small ridge. Tam

brought the horse to a stop and nodded toward the sight ahead of them.

“There it is. The heart of the K&F Ranch.”

The compound was located in a small valley. There was a grove of

trees off to one side of the Main House. There was also a bunk house,

barn, corral and a well behind the Main House for water. Deanna also

saw a small structure behind the house that Tam would later identify as

a chicken coop and a garden off to one side. “What does the K&F Ranch

raise?” Deanna asked.

“Primarily horses,” Tam answered. “Like the Kirk Ranch in our time.

But in this case, we also keep a small herd of cattle, too.”

With a flick of the reins, Tam got the horse moving again and they

both grew quiet- Tam in thought and Deanna in wonder as she took in

sights and sounds unlike any she’d experienced outside a holodeck.

The Counselor shook her head. So different from the world of her

birth. Her human father had told her countless stories about time

periods like this- although not quite this early- and she’d always

dreamed of actually experiencing them. The closest she could ever hope

to come was the holodeck- until she met Captain Tamera Kirk.

“Just keep one thing in mind, Deanna,” Tam said as she glanced over

at her. “This is real. There are no Safety Protocols here.”

Her companion nodded. “Understood.”

As they entered the compound, others began to take notice. “It’s Miss

Tamera. Tell the Main House that Ms. Tamera’s back!” Ranch hands

called out to her and Tam called back and waved as she brought the

buckboard to a stop in front of the house.

While they dismounted- no easy task for Deanna in a 19th century

dress- an older gentleman with chocolate brown skin and grey hair came

from a side door and smiled as he approached them. “Miss Tamera.”

“Hello, Joseph. Any problems while I was gone?”

“No Ma’am. Any in town?”

“Not a one. Get some of the boys to help you unload the supplies and

a couple to take my cousin’s things to the guest room.”

He looked to Deanna. “Cousin?”

“Deanna Troi, Joseph Michael.”

“Mr. Michael.”

The older man smiled. “Bless you, Ma’am. ‘Joseph’ is good enough.”

He was still smiling as he turned away to get help.

Deanna watched him go, then turned to Tam. “Tamera, in this era- “

“No,” the redhead said, guessing at her friend’s question. “It may

twist time into a knot, but you won’t find one slave anywhere on this

ranch. Everyone’s a free man- an employee with equal pay.” She shook

her head. “Slavery’s one thing I won’t stands for- I don’t care what year it

is.” She then waved a hand toward the house and led the way inside.

Like the outside, the inside was all wood and stone- and glass

windows. “I had to have those imported from Mexico City,” She told

Deanna. “There are no glass makers any closer.”

Two men came in then, carrying various boxes and a trunk- all of

which, along with their contents- were the result of two hours with the

Enterprise fabrication unit. “Take those on to the Guest Room,

Gentlemen,” Tam ordered. “My cousin can unpack later.” She looked to

Deanna as the men moved off and dropped her voice to a whisper.

“Once they leave, you can change out of those ‘traveling clothes’ and

into something more practical. Then I’ll show you around.”

A short while later, found the two walking around the compound

with Deanna now in a blouse, jeans and boots. The dark haired female

shook her head. “Being here is incredible. But it must be hard to prevent

yourself from introducing modern ways of doing things.”

Tam nodded as she spotted Joseph entering the chicken coop behind

the house. “It was in the beginning. Still is sometimes. On the other

hand, it’s interesting to see how they deal with things without all the

technology we take for granted.” She shrugged. “They don’t know about

that stuff, so they have no need for it.”

Deanna watched as a woman knelt in the garden and began pulling up

carrots. “Is there anything you miss when you’re here?”

“Strawberries,” Tam answered immediately. “They don’t do well in

this part of the country.”

Deanna smiled and shook her head as they reached the corral. It was

a large circular structure with poles some five feet high anchored in the

ground and notched so other poles- logs, Deanna told herself- could be

fastened and lashed into place. There was a gate at one end and the

Barn at the other with a large door. At the moment, both were closed.

Within the corral, Deanna watched as one of the ranch hands prepared

to mount a horse that two others were holding in place.

“Watch,” Tam told her.

A moment later, the two ranch hands let go of the animal and the

cowboy in the saddle held on as the horse began to buck and jump.

Deanna’s eyes went wide in shock as she witnessed “Bronco busting” for

the first time outside the holodeck.

Now, she understood Tam’s warning about Safety Protocols.

Up, down, around, against the corral rails and up again. The cowboy

went flying to land face down while his partners moved in to keep the

horse from trampling him. “Pedro?” Tam called. “Are you all right?”

The man got back on his feet and smiled in Tam’s direction as he

nodded.

“I’m willing to bet he’ll still see stars for an hour,” Tamera told

Deanna. “I know I did.”

The ship’s counselor started at her captain in shock. “You’ve done

that?!”

“When we first got out here, I had all of three hired hands, “Tam told

her. “There was no room for the polite society you’d find back east.

Everyone had to pitch in.”

“I’ve known you for a while now, “Deanna stated as the cowboy

prepared to mount the bronco once more. “And I have never considered

you suicidal-

“- till now.”

That night Tam lay in her 19th century bed, tossing and turning in her sleep.

The change of scenery hadn’t helped.

In her mind, she was 18 years old and standing beside the Kirk Family

crypt. It was dark, yet she could see everything with a crystal clarity as

she stepped around the corner and found herself facing Jan’s crypt and

the statue atop the headstone. The eternal flame was the only source of

light and the shadows it cast danced across the statue’s face.

Then Tam’s eyes went wide as the statue looked at her- looked right

at her. Moved its head to look at her.

Tam could feel a cold chill run down her spine. Her voice was a

whisper. “What do you want?”

The statue continued to stare at her. Then one arm moved and that

hand shifted until it was pointing at Tam, then down at the crypt.

“What do you want?” Tam shouted. “I don’t understand. You’re dead.

What could you want?”

The statue continued to stare at her and point at the crypt. Its eyes

seem to grow larger as they bore into Tam’s mind and body and soul…

-She shot to a sitting position in her bed with Deanna sitting nearby.

“Tamera.” The red heard turned to look at her. “You were calling out in

your sleep. I could hear you clear across the hall.”

“We’re going back,” Tam told her as she threw her covers aside and

climbed from the bed.

“Now?!”

“Now,” Tam declared as she opened a portal.

Moments later, the 19th century bedroom was empty.

3

The Enterprise

Seated at the table in his quarters, Riker looked up from his dinner as

the comm signal sounded. “Riker here.”

“Data, sir. Did you authorize the use of a runabout? The Renewal has

just launched.”

Riker laid his fork down. “No, Data. I gave no authorization. Did the

Captain?”

Seated at his station on the Bridge, Data made a quick check. “There is

no record of it if she did.”

Riker rose from his table and tapped his combadge. “Riker to

Captain.”

The comm system just buzzed in reply.

“Computer, locate the Captain.”

“The Captain is not on board,” the system replied.

“Where is she?”

“Currently aboard the Renewal with Counselor Troi.”

The shock in Riker’s voice was clear. “What?”

“Shall I repeat?”

“No. Data?”

“Yes, Commander?”

“Have you tried to raise the Renewal?”

“Yes, sir. She is not responding.”

Riker’s confusion was clear- and growing as he paced his cabin. None

of this made sense. He’d thought that after the last six months he was

starting to get some kind of understanding of Tamera Kirk. But

this…abandonment didn’t fit her at all.

“Data, meet me at the Captain’s cabin.”

“Acknowledged.”

The Renewal

The ship type known as ‘runabout’ had a far shorter history than the

more common and long-lived shuttlecraft that all Starfleet ships were

equipped with. Yet, they already had a reputation when it came to travel

distance and endurance that the standard shuttle was hard pressed to

match.

The Renewal was of the Danube-class – a class with a long history of

service throughout the fleet.

At the moment, Deanna was seated in the co-pilot’s seat, still wearing

the 19th century sleep wear she and Tam had been wearing when they

left that era. Now, she watched her captain as Tamera set the runabout’s

course and speed.

The redhead had withdrawn, not saying a word since they arrived in

her cabin. It was like she’d shut out the rest of the universe- the world

around her didn’t exist as she channeled everything into her actions.

With her sleep-mussed hair and old fashioned gown, she looked more

like some heroine from an old ghost story than the captain of the

Union’s newest starship.

“Tamera, talk to me,” Deanna urged. “Where are we going? This

runabout wasn’t prepped for flight.”

“It’ll get us there,” Tam stated- more to herself than Deanna.

“Get us where?” the counselor pressed. “Where are we going?”

“Earth,” the Captain told her as she checked the controls. “I’ve got to

get back to the crypt and find out what’s going on.”

“And if nothing’s going on?” Deanna asked.

Tam glanced over at her, then turned her gaze back to the forward

viewport. “Then I’m going mad.”

The Enterprise

Riker and Data arrived outside Tam’s cabin at the same time. Riker

looked up slightly as he spoke. “Computer, open the door to the

Captain’s cabin.”

“Please be aware, Commander, that on her orders, I will be scanning

and recording everything that transpires in her cabin. Do you still wish to

enter?”

“Yes.”

As the doors slid open, Data looked to Riker. “What exactly are we

looking for, Commander?”

“I wish I knew,” The First Officer replied as he glanced around the

living area. “Something that’ll tell us why she ran off- and took Deanna

with her.”

At that point, Isis wondered in from the sleep area and Riker nodded

toward her. “She didn’t even ask someone to look after her cat. How

could she go off without at least seeing to her?”

He turned to look the cabin over closer and Data called to him.

“Commander- !”

Riker turned back- and froze at the sight of the humanoid female

standing where the cat had been with feline ears sticking up out of her

hair and wearing the cat’s collar. “Who the hell- ?”

“I am Isis, Commander.”

“She is telling the truth, sir,” Data stated. He looked to Riker, then

back to Isis. “I saw her change.”

“Are you telling me- ?”

“Yes,” Isis stated as she cut him off. “And any explanations- if I decide

to give any- will take too long. Tamera has been upset for several

weeks.”

Riker watched this female closely. “Any idea why she’d steal a

runabout?”

Isis stepped away in thought. Her every move as graceful and smooth

as the cat she had been. “She’s been having dreams about her sister.

They’ve been waking her up every night and making her increasingly

agitated.” She turned to face Riker and Data. “My guess would be she’s

headed for Earth. Deanna must’ve been with her when she made the

decision and decided to stay with her.”

“But- “Riker cut himself off and glanced at Data. “The Kirk Family

Crypt? “ He turned back to Isis. “Why would she go there?” He turned

once more to Data. “Set course for Earth- maximum warp. That

runabout’s armed. We’ve got find her and stop her before she hurts

herself or someone else.”

As the two headed for the door, Riker glanced back- and paused at

the sight of the black cat curled up on the couch.

It took a week for the Renewal to cover the distance to Earth. During

that time while Deanna slept, she was certain Tam never did. It was as if

her friend was afraid to. All Deanna could do was watch as Tamera

pushed herself closer to exhaustion and collapse.

It was raining when the runabout touched down next to the temple at

the Starfleet Memorial Gardens. Lightening flashed and Deanna could

hear the rain striking the outer hull.

Tamera ignored all of that as she took a phaser from the ship’s stores

and still in her 19th century night gown, left the ship, headed for the

crypt.

Still in her own night gown, Deanna had to run to keep up.

Lightening flashed with a loud crack of thunder as they approached

the crypt, slipping on the wet grass as they practically ran toward it. As

they drew near, three figures stepped into view as lightening flashed:

Data, Dr. Crusher and Commander Riker.

“All of you stand clear,” Tam ordered.

“I can’t do that, Captain. “Riker stated. “Not until you put down the

phaser.”

“I need the phaser to open the crypt,” Tam stated. “Now move- or I’ll

move you .”

Riker stood alittle straighter. Never in his entire career had he ever

had a superior officer physically threaten him. His hand moved to the

phaser hanging at his side.

“Don’t even bother, Will,” Tam told him. “It’ll never clear your side

and you know it.”

Data tried next. “Captain, it is clear that you are- “

“Data, shut up,” Tam ordered.

Dr. Crusher’s hand- hypo and all – was a blur-

-But Deanna had been watching for the act and caught her wrist,

stopping the hypo just shy of Tam’s arm. “Beverly, no!”

Riker’s call echoed the thunder as it rolled over head. Lightening

flashed as their eyes met. “Deanna- !”

Let her through, Will,” She told him. “Whatever you do here won’t

stop her. She has to do this.”

“Do what? Destroy the crypt?!” He demanded.

Deanna’s voice remained firm. “Stand aside, Will- Please.”

Silence settled over the five except for the sound of thunder and the

falling rain. Finally, Riker shook his head and stepped aside.

Tamera moved past without even looking at him till she stood before

the crypt just as she had six months earlier. “I don’t know what the hell’s

going on,” she said as she took aim. “But I’m damn well going to find

out.”

She fired, blasting the top off the crypt- eternal flame and all- to

reveal the coffin below it, still resting on its depleted anti-grav units. The

others watched as Tam climbed down beside it. She reached for the

latches holding the lid of the coffin in place and hesitated for a moment.

Then, breaking the seals, she released the latches and raised the lid. “My

god.” She looked up. “Doctor, get down here- Now!”

Beverly traded glances with Riker as she approached the opened crypt

and began climbing down beside Tam.

At that moment, lightening flashed, giving everyone a good view-

- of a 34 year old redhead in the dress whites of a Starfleet Admiral.

A moment later, a wave of dizziness swept over Tam and she

collapsed from exhaustion into Beverly’s arms.

4

The Atlas Array was one of the Union’s largest telescope assemblies.

Located in Sector 213, it was one of the few located close to the very

edge of Union space.

As such, the array picked them up from a long way off.

Sensors quickly detected and identified the cubes while they were still

three days away.

The crew had more than enough time to evacuate the array-

-and send out the alert.

The Enterprise

Tam’s eyes slowly opened. A moment later, she remembered what

had happened. But was it real or another dream?

Then it dawned on her that she was in Sickbay. She sat up and one of

the nurses noticed. “Captain- “

“Where’s Dr. Crusher?”

The nurse looked to the treatment cove at the back of the room. Tam

swung her legs off the bed- realizing only then that she was in a sickbay

gown- and headed for the cove, where she found the doctor taking scans

of her sister. “Doctor?”

Beverly looked up from her readings and frowned. “You need to get

back to bed.”

“I’ll sleep later.” Tam nodded toward the redhead on the exam table.

“How’s Jan?”

The ship’s chief medical officer shook her head in wonder. “For

someone who’s been dead for six months, she’s in excellent health. She’s

still unconscious, but otherwise, the scans match her records of when

she was 34 the first time round.”

“What about her mind?” Tamera asked. “Does she have all of her

memories or will we be dealing with the 34 year old starship captain?”

Beverly shrugged. “We have no way of knowing till she wakes up.”

Tam looked down at her sister’s unconscious face, now identical to

hers, then reached out and gently touched her cheek.

At the moment of that touch, Jan’s eyes fluttered open and she

looked around. It only took a moment for her to focus on the redhead

leaning over her. “…Tam…”

The captain smiled and nodded. “Welcome back.”

“How long?”

Tamera looked to the doctor as she answered. “Six months.”

Jan closed her eyes for a moment, then her gaze went to the ceiling as

she spoke. “I remember all of it. I had finished your note and laid down

on the bed. Almost immediately I felt a…creeping paralysis spreading

over me. I thought ‘Is this what dying feels like?’

“But I was still aware of everything- when you came in, when you

called the medical team and they came in. But then, a fogginess seemed

to settle in my head and I wasn’t aware of anything anymore.” She

reached out and took her sister’s hand. “Don’t blame yourself. No one

had any idea something like this was going to happen.”

“We still don’t know how or why,” the Captain said. “But I’ve got a

good idea who to ask.

“I think we need to pay a certain lop-sided donut a visit .”

Starbase 219

Located in Sector 201, this starbase was positioned farthest from

Earth- and closer to the Atlas Array- than any other base. It was also

here, that Admiral Owen Paris was conducting an inspection. This was

one of the duties he occasionally took upon himself to help him get his

mind off his son and the whereabouts of the FSS Voyager.

He had been greeted by the base CO, Commodore Mack Davis. Davis

was ten years younger than the admiral, but seasoned enough to be a

level-headed commanding officer.

The two had no sooner reached the base command center, than the

communications officer called out. “Commodore, we have a B-1 Alert

coming in from the Atlas Array.”

Every other conversation in the room stopped.

B-1 was Starfleet’s code for imminent Borg invasion.

“Confirmed?” Davis asked.

The lieutenant nodded. “It repeated three times- once for each cube

as specified.”

Paris and Davis traded glances as the Admiral spoke. “They haven’t

used 3 cubes since Wolf 359. How far off?”

“Three days from the array at the time the message was sent.” The

lieutenant quickly checked her console. “They’re now two days, twelve

hours from the array, sir.”

The Admiral looked to the Commodore. “Send that message on to

Grand Admiral Mikels and then get this base and every ship in

communications range on B-1 Alert.”

The Enterprise

Captain’s log; Stardate 48648.02

We’re currently on course for the home world of the Guardian of Forever.

At maximum warp, we should arrive sometime tomorrow morning.

Jan’s…survival has to be the Guardian’s doing. But why? I truly want

an answer to that question. But it pales beside the fact that I have my

sister back- for at least another hundred years…

Jan stood in the sleeping area of the guest cabin she’d been assigned

and stared at her reflection in the dresser mirror. A simple memory test

conducted by Counselor Troi had confirmed that she possessed all 134

years of memories- that she wasn’t ‘Captain Janet Kirk’ thrown a

hundred years into the future.

She found it hard to tear her eyes away from those in the reflection.

Those memories included how she looked when she ‘died’. She shook

her head. “I’m not complaining, mind you,” she told the reflection. “I’d

just like to know how and why.” Her voice dropped to a whisper with her

next words. “And how long it’ll last.”

Despite what some say, sub-space communications- depending on the

distances involved- are not always instantaneous. Many a starship

captain has complained about being out of range of any Starfleet

support in terms of information or advice.

So even as Admiral Paris’ message about the Borg made it way to

Grand Admiral Mikels and the Enterprise continued on toward the home

world of the Guardian of Forever, a destroyer- the FSS Roosevelt- was

approaching the Atlas Array for a routine stop-over.

Since the array’s alert had been sent straight to Starbase 219 and was

not transmitted sector-wide, the Roosevelt had no idea what was in the

solar winds as it drew near.

The First Officer- an Andorian female in her mid-30’s- turned from a

console she had been checking and looked to her captain. “Sir, not only

is the array not responding to our hails, we’re not scanning any lifeforms

on board.” She stepped down beside the captain’s chair as she went on.

“According to our scans, all the support ships- shuttles, runabouts- are all

gone as well.”

The captain’s Vulcan eyebrows rose as he turned from her to the main

viewscreen. “Evacuated? But the star in this system is still stable.” He

looked over to where his science officer was stationed. “See if you can

access the array’s computer and download their last logs.

“Let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.”

The Borg cubes were one day, ten hours away.

5

The Enterprise

Gamma shift was four hours old. The observation lounge on deck six

was empty, which suited Jan just fine as she stood before the viewport,

staring out at the stars. She turned in surprise as a lounge door opened

and then relaxed as Tam entered. Starlight alone shone on them as the –

chronologically- older sister spoke. “You couldn’t sleep either?”

The ship’s captain shrugged. “I thought finding you would help- but

I’ve been afraid to try.”

Jan nodded as Tamera stepped up beside her. “I know the feeling. I

look at the bed and wonder, if I lay down, will I get up again?” She closed

her eyes and shook her head. “I’ve been afraid to find out.”

There was a couch near the viewport and the two sat down together.

As they did so, Tam held something out to her sister. It was the note Jan

had written. “I kept it,” Tam stated needlessly. “Over the last six months,

I’ve about wore it out re-reading it.” Jan looked up from the note at that,

meeting Tam’s gaze. “I missed you,” the captain whispered. “Even

though we weren’t together that much, it still felt like a huge…hole in my

life knowing you weren’t there anymore.”

Jan met her gaze as her own thoughts turned back through the

century and she thought about the life she had shared with this female

that was and wasn’t her. This was her kid sister sitting beside her. The

how and why of it all had stopped having any meaning decades ago.

She offered a hug and Tam took her up on it, resting her head on Jan’s

shoulder.

Sitting there like that in the silence, the two watched as the stars

seem to fly past the ship until first one, and then the other nodded off to

sleep beneath the starlight.

Next morning

The star system where the home world of the Guardian of Forever

was located, wasn’t much to write home about. One sun, one planet, the

system pretty much passed unnoticed- except for that one single entity

that called the system home.

But, it was because of that entity that a Starfleet task force kept

constant possession of the system, rotating ships in and out about every

six months. At the moment, the flagship of the task force was a Galaxy –

class ship. In fact, it was Tamera’s previous command- the FSS Atlantis.

“This may work in our favor,” Tam told her sister as the two stood on

the Enterprise’s bridge. “Data open a channel.” At his nod, she

continued. “Atlantis, this is Tamera Kirk.”

The main viewscreen lit with the image of a human male whose face

was almost hidden behind a large red mustache. Tam smiled. “Well,

Captain Galloway, this is a surprise.”

The man on the screen smiled and the mustache moved as if it were

alive. “Tam. It’s good to see you again. What’s up?”

“I need a few minutes with the Guardian.”

“Sure. Just show me your authorization.”

Tam sighed. In all the excitement of the past few days, she’d forgotten

what a stickler for the rules Thomas Galloway was. “Tom, I don’t have

any authorization. But you know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t

be here if it wasn’t important.”

Galloway shook his head. “Tamera, you know I can’t pass you without

authorization. If I did, I could kiss my career…good-bye.” His voice

faltered as Jan stepped into the image on his viewscreen.

Tam nodded toward her as she spoke again. “Now will you pass us

through?”

“Does the Enterprise have a cloak?” He asked.

“Of course,” was Tam’s puzzled answer.

“Use it.” He then cut the signal.

Jan raised an eyebrow as she turned to her sister. “He can’t report

what he can’t see.”

Tamera nodded. “I should have thought of that myself.”

Jan shrugged. “Well, you have been a little distracted lately.”

Her younger sister threw her a glare. “Gee, thanks.”

Jan smiled. “You’re welcome.”

A constant wind blows across this world, sending small sand storms

scurrying across its surface. It howls in and around the ruins of a

civilization older than any other even as the pale and faded sun tries to

penetrate the dust that’s always in the air.

Only in one location is the air clear enough to see any distance and

that’s around the Guardian of Forever. No one knows if that’s due to the

larger ruins around it that block the wind or if some other explanation is

in order that might also explain how the Guardian is always clean and

free of its planet’s dust.

The sparkle and chime of the Enterprise’s transporter was extremely

out of place on this dim and filthy world. But once transport was

complete, it only took a moment for the sisters to spot the object of

their visit.

Tam had described the Guardian as a ‘lop-sided donut’. It was a

description that wasn’t far off. Although it said nothing about the inner

glow that lit up whenever the Guardian spoke, or how the howl of the

winds seem to increase as if serving as a background to its words.

Tam glanced at her sister as she spoke. “Shall we go and have words

with the ‘Great and powerful Oz’?”

Jan returned her gaze as she answered. “I’d rather have words with

the man behind the curtain.”

Her sister nodded. “Agreed.”

They approached the Guardian in silence, both of them taking in the

sight it presented and the sense of presence that seemed to surround it.

“Guardian, “Jan called, “We have questions for you.”

“Let’s start with the big one,” Tam noted. “Why is Jan alive- and

physically 34?”

“Watch,” the Guardian boomed. “Learn,” it said as it flashed.

“Remember…”

Then as the fog formed over it’s opening, it did something it said long

ago that it could not do. It slowed the racing images until one moment in

time was showing—

-- A time the sisters thought they knew…

…Jan and Spock stood before the Guardian with an unconscious Ben

Finney at Spock’s feet and a freighter captain named Janet Kirk lying at

Jan’s. Jan was facing the Guardian and the anger was clear in her voice.

“You have all the power of time and space at your command. There must

be something you can do!”

Spock’s voice sliced the silence. “Jan!”

His wife turned and knelt by the unconscious redhead as the aura of

energy around her grew and intensified…

…”Stop!” Jan shouted as she and Tam watched the scene.

Tam looked at her in confusion. “What?”

“Don’t you see?” Jan asked. “I knelt beside you. I was in that energy

field, too. Just inside the edge of it. Everyone was so focused on you no

one ever thought to check me.” The sisters traded glances as Jan went

on. “And since the human life-span is longer than it used to be, it never

showed up in my later physicals because no one knew to look for it!”

Tam’s eyebrows rose. “My god. That means when I reach the physical

age of 134…” She let the rest trail off. “But will I go back to 34 or 18?!”

She looked to the entity before them. “Guardian, you created this

situation. I need an answer to that question.”

The Guardian’s voice echoed off the ruins. “The Future must be

denied to all.”

“Bull!” Jan shouted. “You know the answer- You’ve known all along!”

She looked to Tam. “We’ve been so slow to pick up on this, it’s not even

funny.”

She pointed at the being before them. “We never named it. It called

itself the ‘Guardian of Forever’. Forever is not a one-way street. Forever

is yesterday, today- tomorrow. All of it.

“This Bastard knew all of this was going to happen- probably knew

within moments of its own creation.” She turned to Tam. “Remember, I

asked it if you were going to live? It said ‘Yes’. How could it so sure-

unless it already knew?”

Tam looked at her in shock. Then she turned to the one responsible

for her existence. “Guardian- ?”

It remained silent.

“All right, then,” Tamera declared, ”We’ll see how you like a photon

torpedo through your hole.” She reached for her combadge.

“Stop.” The Guardian’s voice echoed off the ruins. “Knowledge of the

future is dangerous.”

“I’m not asking about politics or power,” Tam said. “I have an adult

life. I don’t want to go back to living the life of a teenager.”

“Your sister’s contamination was unplanned- yet it was part of the

timeline as I know it,” the Guardian stated, “Her existence was altered at

the age of 34. Your existence was altered at the age of 18. It cannot be

changed.”

“You cannot change it- or will not?” Tam pressed.

“It cannot be changed.”

Tam’s combadge bleeped and she slapped it. “What?”

On the Bridge of the Enterprise, Riker raised his eyebrows at her tone.

“Riker, Captain. We’ve just received a B-1 Alert from Starfleet Command.

Three Borg cubes are less than a day away from the Atlas Array.”

On the surface, the sisters exchanged glances and Tam swore. “That’s

all we needed. Two to beam up.”

Within moments, the Guardian stood alone once more.

6

Captain’s Log; Stardate 48648.05

Having received the B-1 Alert, we are now in route to Starbase 12- the

closest base to the Guardian’s home world. The distances involved make

it impossible for us to reach the Atlas Array before the Borg do…

The command crew was waiting for Tam in the Observation Lounge.

Jan was there, too, but with her status of living or dead still to be legally

cleared up, she was little more than an interested observer. “All right,

people,” Tam said as she sat down,” I’ve spoken to Grand Admiral

Mikels- about a lot of things,” she said with a glance in Jan’s direction.

“Right now, the important thing is the fact that a task force is headed for

the Atlas Array.”

She released a sigh. “Once we arrive at Starbase 12, Enterprise will

serve as the flagship of a second task force if the first one fails.” She

looked to Riker. “Will, I want you to get with R&D. Find out what they’ve

got planned and see if we can adapt what we have to match it.”

Her first officer nodded. “Between the fabrication units and the

replicators, we should be able to come close.”

The computer spoke up then. “Captain, we are receiving a priority

message from Grand Admiral Mikels.”

Everyone traded glances as Tam spoke. “Pipe it in here.”

The circular holographic plate in the center of the table came to life

with a 3D image of the human male that commanded Starfleet. “Captain.

I’ve just received word from Admiral Paris that Task Force One has

engaged the Borg.” He paused before continuing. “It was Wolf 359 all

over again.”

Silence filled the lounge before Mikels continued. “Your task force will

be waiting at Starbase 12. You’ll have a mix- Starfleet, Klingon and

Romulan. This will be the first time all three of us have fought on the

same side.” He was silent for a moment.

“I won’t lie to you, Tamera. It’s not looking good. Unless we can find

some new angle to come at them from, I don’t see the Union lasting out

the month.”

He then turned his attention to the other redhead in the room. “Janet,

Tamera told me what happened. If you remember, when you accepted

the Office of President, you transferred your Starfleet status to the

Reserves.

“Well, the reserves and everyone else we can find are being called up.

I’ve re-activated your files- including your rank as Admiral.” Jan’s

eyebrows rose as Mikels went on. “You’ll be in over-all command of Task

Force Two. I know it’s been a while since you’ve worn the uniform, but

based on your record, I’m not concerned.”

His holographic image seemed to look around the room taking in all of

them. “All of you…just do the best you can. Mikels out.”

As the Grand Admiral’s image faded, everyone looked to Jan.

“Orders, Admiral?” Tam asked.

Jan just glared at her.

Personal Log: Stardate 48648.06

Janet Kirk recording.

The last thing I expected- other than returning from the dead- was to

end up back in uniform. When I transferred my status to the Reserves, I

never really expected to be ‘called up’.

Now, I feel like I’m back in the Academy cramming for finals- only this

time, if I fail, the whole quadrant fails with me…

Jan stood before the dresser mirror once more. Only this time, both

she and her reflection were wearing the 24th century uniform of a

Starfleet Admiral. She shook her head as she turned and stepped into

the living area.

“Computer?”

“Yes, Admiral?”

“Bite your tongue,” Jan muttered as she sat down at the cabin’s desk.

“Address me by rank again and I’ll rip out your circuits.”

“Yes, Jan.”

“That’s better.” Jan turned to the desk viewscreen and controls.

“Now, give me everything you have or can find on the Borg.”

For the rest of that night and into the following morning, Jan

concentrated on every report that connected in one way or another to

the Borg. By Noon, they were still two days from Starbase 12 when she

called everyone back to the Observation Lounge.

Everyone stood as she entered. “Be seated,” She told them as she

assumed her now rightful place at the head of the table with Tam to one

side and Riker to the other.

“After burying myself- pardon the expression- in every report and record

concerning the Borg, I’ve come to one conclusion: No matter what R&D

have up their sleeves, it won’t work.”

Stunned was the only way to describe the faces looking back at her.

Even Tam was confused. “What are we supposed to do then?”

Jan sighed as she leaned back in her chair. “Advanced tech won’t work

against the Borg- they’re already prepared to defend against it.”

“With all due respect, Ma’am,” Riker said, “How can that be? Some

kind of Borg spy inside Starfleet?”

Jan smiled. “Nothing so melodramatic, Commander. The Borg are

already prepared because they know our technology inside and out.

“From the moment Q threw the Enterprise-D in their face. The Borg

have been collecting information on both the Union and Starfleet. They

analyze everything they capture- ships, weapons, people- and with every

new encounter, more information is gained.

“The result is an on-going base-line of information that the Borg can

use to extrapolate and consider any and all advances we’re likely to

make. This allows them to re-design and adapt their defenses

accordingly.

“Suppose we have ‘Superweapon XYZ’ ready to be deployed. Thanks

to that base-line and their own analysis, the Borg were capable of

suspecting its eventual development ten years ago and have already re-

designed their defenses to stand against it.”

Jan looked around the table as she continued. “That’s how they can

adapt so quickly. They know our technology better than we do. Thanks

to them assimilating any Starfleet officer they come across, the same

goes for everything from our rules and regulations to our tech manuals.

The Borg gain access to all of that the moment they pry open a victim’s

mind.”

Silence filled the lounge for a long moment before Tam asked, “So

how do we beat them then?”

“By doing the unexpected,” her sister replied. Jan then turned to

Riker. “When you stole Picard back from them, you confused them- it

was a move they weren’t expecting. They hesitated while they tried to

figure out what you were up to- and that allowed you to make your own

move.”

She looked around the table. “From what I’ve been able to get out of

all the reports, the Borg idea of an ideal world is one based solidly on

order and a logical progression of thought.”

Deanna shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

Jan nodded. “Logical progression. Another way of saying it would be

like traveling from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’,’C’ and so on without any

detours.

“They see a Starfleet vessel, they expect Starfleet weapons and they

gear their defenses to be effective against those weapons.” She looked

around the table once more. “So…in order to beat the Borg, we have to

confuse them. Go from point ‘A’ to point ‘G’ and back to ‘C’- force them

to face chaos instead of order.”

Tamera stared off for a moment in thought, then a sly smile came to

her face. ”My god…” She looked around the table before meeting her

sister’s gaze. “You said it yourself. They see a Starfleet ship, they expect

Starfleet weapons, they set their defenses for Starfleet weapons.

“But, what if that Starfleet ship fires old-style Romulan plasma energy

bursts- or Klingon disruptors? Their defenses wouldn’t be worth a

damn.”

Geordi LaForge leaned forward in his seat. “If a ship were equipped

with more than one, and rotated them, the Borg would have no idea

what was coming at them.”

Riker nodded. “If their defenses are that specific, they wouldn’t be

able to defend against more than one type of weapon at a time.”

Tam rose from her chair as she spoke. “Will, you, Geordi and Data get

to work building us a plasma energy cannon.” She looked to her sister.

“You and I have some phone calls to make.”

The Atlas Array was a day behind the cubes.

What was left of Task Force One also lay behind them.

Aboard the lead cube, the Queen of this unimatrix fleet stood in her

command center and listened as all the various drones saw to the cubes’

functions. She closed her eyes and an almost dreamy smile came to her

face as she listened to the thousands of voices that made up this

particular strike force.

Like all the queens in the Collective, she enjoyed the sounds of the

voices- cherished the music they made. In this case, there were new

voices in the music- voices that had been added in just the last few days.

Voices that were still unsettled. It was always that way with the new

ones.

As the Queen Prime had taught all of her representatives, this one

concentrated, sending her mind out to them to still them, calm them and

restore order to their thoughts.

While she did so, she brushed up against knowledge six months old.

Knowledge of a funeral for an important leader attended by other

important leaders.

As she listened, this Queen found her curiosity on the rise and she

reached further into the collective for any knowledge about a leader

named Janet Kirk.

7

Starbase 12- two days later

It was a sight no one had ever seen before: Starfleet, Klingon and

Romulan capital ships all in orbit around the base and no one shooting at

anyone. Tam shook her head at the sight. “Why is it, it always takes a

crisis to bring people together?” She looked to her sister as she spoke.

The two were standing at the back of the bridge. “Well, we have had

an alliance with the Romulans for six months now,” Jan reminded her.

“And with the Klingons even longer.”

“I know, “Tam replied. “But it takes the Borg to bring all 3 of us

together.”

Jan shrugged. “Time, place and circumstances. A hundred years ago,

what you’re seeing now would have been impossible.”

Tam returned the shrug. “All too true, I’m afraid.” She looked across

the bridge to her first officer. “Will, you have the Bridge while Jan and I

meet with our guests.”

She nodded toward the viewscreen with a crooked smile. “Try not to run

over anybody.”

Riker nodded with a slight sparkle in his own eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll

keep the braking thrusters handy.”

In the ship’s Main Transporter Room, the sisters watched as the

sparkle and chime faded, leaving two non-human males on the platform.

The redheads smiled as one of them stepped slowly down onto the deck.

“It’s all right, Kang,” Tam said. “It is Jan.”

He studied the Admiral’s face closely. “How?”

Jan glanced at her sister as she answered. “That day on the Guardian’s

world was more of a shared experience than we thought.” She reached

out and gently touched the older Klingon’s arm. “I’ll explain in more

detail later.”

Tam in the meantime had turned to their other guest: The Romulan

Commander that had escorted them to his home world six months ago.

“Commander, it’s a pleasure to see you again- and to finally meet you

face-to-face.”

“Thank you, Captain,” He replied as he glanced at Jan. The confusion

in both his face and his voice was clear-especially in light of the fact that

the last time he’d seen Jan, she’d been grey haired and 134 years old.

Tam sighed and looked to her sister. “I think we’re going to have to

tell both of them before we can move past it.”

Jan wasn’t too happy with the idea of telling someone outside the

family circle, but she could see the necessity of it here. “But let’s do it in

the Observation Lounge,” she said. “It’s more private than this

transporter room.”

Personal Log; Stardate 48648.10

Janet Kirk recording

Kang and the Romulan Commander both listened in silence as Tam

and I explained the how and why of my return. Kang, like the rest of our

family circle, has been in on Tam’s secret for several years now. As she

got older and began to look more and more like me, some kind of

explanation was needed and it was simply easier to just tell him the

truth.

As such, he accepted our tale in stride.

The Romulan Commander however, stared at both of us in shock…

The Romulan Commander sat at the table and stared at the sisters in

disbelief as well. Then, he looked to Kang. “Do you accept this account?”

The Klingon actually chuckled as he met the other’s gaze. “If it had

been anyone else telling me this, no, I wouldn’t.” He looked to Jan and

Tam and the amused gleam in his eyes was impossible to miss. “But I

have known these two for a century.” He chuckled again. “Yes, I believe

them. If anyone could find a way to defeat Death, it would be these

two.”

Tamera looked to the Admiral. “Was that a compliment?”

Jan smiled. “I believe so.”

“So,” Kang said, “You’ve defeated Death. How do you plan to defeat

the Borg?”

Jan laughed at Tam’s raised eyebrows, then she turned to the

General. “There’s an old human saying, Kang: ‘Confusion to the Enemy’.

In the Borg’s case, we’re going to pile it on with a shovel.”

The sisters then went on to explain. By the time they were finished,

Kang was nodding approval while the Commander looked thoughtful.

“The one fact that concerns me is time. If we wait too long to engage

them, the Borg will be fairly deep into Federal Space. How many stations

and worlds are there between here and the Atlas Array?”

Tam activated the holographic plate in the center of the table and

brought up a star chart with the relevant parts high-lighted. “It would be

best if we could intercept them before they reach the Vellan Cluster.

There are ten inhabited worlds there. But I don’t see how we…” her

voice trailed off in thought.

Jan looked over at her. “Tam?”

“Just thinking,” the captain said. She turned to her sister. “Did R&D

ever follow up on Shev’s rift?”

Jan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, then came down as she considered

Tam’s question. “Not that I ever heard. In fact, I don’t remember hearing

anything about it after the initial review board.” She shrugged. “It must

have fallen through the cracks and they forgot about it.”

She looked to Kang. “It was during the time we were both in Task

Force 98. When we found the Sundown’s disaster beacon.”

Kang nodded. “I remember you calling me and telling me you’d found

it. You were going to back track it and try to find the ship.”

Jan looked to the Commander. “We found her- trapped in a rift- an

actual tear in the fabric of Space-time. It was created by a malfunctioning

Tholian weapons test.” She glanced at Tam as she continued. “Our father

was aboard the Sundown as first officer. We were in the process of

rescuing the ship when the Tholians showed up and attack us. The only

way out was through the rift. So Shev Ta’Laren, my first officer, took us

through it.

“The rift was actually a doorway to a different kind of space- we never

did find out exactly where it was. The dominant theory at the time was

that it was some kind of wormhole.

“To make a long story short, we escaped the Tholians and the rift-

came out right on top of Starbase 98- in fact, we barely missed hitting

the base itself.” She nodded to Tam and the captain brought up a

different start chart so Jan could point things out. “The original rift was

here. Starbase 98 was here. Back then, it would have taken a week’s

travel at warp six to cover the distance.

“We did it in 5 minutes.”

“It would seem that arriving where we want would be the hardest

part,” the Commander noted.

Jan shook her head. “Not really. With a definite lack of choices, Shev

ordered a course for the starbase. The hardest part would be the timing-

knowing when to leave the rift.”

“I’ll put Data on it, “Tam said. “He can work with the original records

and come up with a formula for us.”

“Then all we need to do is get the weapon systems seen to, “Jan

stated. She looked to Kang and the Commander. “How soon can your

people be ready?”

“We started work as soon as we received your message,” Kang

replied. “We can be ready by morning.”

The Romulan nodded. “The same with us.”

Jan nodded in return. “Then provided Data can get the formula

worked out, we’ll aim for a departure time of 1200 hours tomorrow.”

Next Morning

Tam arrived on the Bridge just a few moments before Jan did. At the

sight of the Admiral, Deanna- who was in uniform this day- rose from her

seat and moved to the nearby standing console. She waved to the chair

as she moved. “Admiral.”

Jan nodded to her as she took the seat. ‘Thank you, Deanna.”

As the sisters sat down, the captain looked to her first officer.

“Report.”

“Ship’s systems are nominal,” Riker reported. “Weapons have been

distributed, and the plasma energy cannon is functional. Union, Klingon

and Romulan forces all report nominal status as well.”

Tam nodded and looked to the front of the Bridge. “Data, how do you

stand on things?”

The android almost looked down at his feet before he turned to

answer. “All the simulations say the process should work. With

Computer’s help, I have finalized the formulas and transmitted them

throughout the task force. In order to insure that no one drifts off in that

other space, all ships are now tethered together by tractor beam and are

standing by to execute.”

“Where will we come out?” Jan asked.

“If everything goes like it should, we will come out two days beyond

the Vellan Cluster and directly in the Borg’s flight path.”

The sisters traded glances, then Tam called out, ”Computer, time?”

“11:58 am, Captain.”

Tam looked to Riker. “Are the Torpedoes ready?”

He glanced over at the weapons console and saw the crewman there

nod. “Torpedoes are in the tubes and ready.”

“Time?”

“11:59am, Captain.”

“Countdown from 10,” Tam ordered.

The computer started doing so a few moments later.

“10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1-“

Data touched his console and torpedoes that had been reconfigured

to those long ago Tholian frequencies were fired-

-to explode and rip the very fabric of space wide open.

“We’re being pulled in,” LaForge reported from his bridge station.

Within moments, the orbital space around Starbase 12 was empty.

The Borg Queen had completed her research into Janet Kirk and

sighed once more in disappointment that she was dead. Her knowledge

and experiences would have added much to the Collective. Still, her

sister was still alive. Like the rest of the galaxy, Her Majesty was puzzled

by the fact that they were twin sisters with so many years between

them. But it was a puzzle she would solve once Tamera Kirk was part of

the collective.

Her gaze settled on a nearby screen showing a star chart of the space

ahead. Ten inhabited worlds. She smiled softly. They will make an

interesting harvest. Already information was coming in. A variety of

races- both known and new ones. Good. She always enjoyed assimilating

new races, of introducing them to the Borg world view of order and

improving their quality of life.

Two more days, she thought. Two days and those people’s lives will

be changed forever.

Other Space- the Enterprise

“All weapons on stand-by,” Tam ordered. “Make sure everyone

understands that we open fire as soon as we clear the rift.” Jan glanced

over at her and her kid sister didn’t flinch. “You read the reports. You

know there’s no talking to the Borg. It’s shoot first or die.”

Their gazes met for a long moment, then the Admiral slowly nodded.

“I don’t like it any more than you do,” Tam added. “But you know they

won’t give us any choice.”

“I know,” Jan admitted. “I wish, just once, they’d stay home.”

“I’d second that,” the captain replied. “Data, time to exit?”

“Based on the formulas, six minutes.”

Tam shifted her gaze. “Geordi, how are we holding up?”

The chief engineer shrugged. “There’s some minor loss in the auxiliary

power systems. Otherwise, we’re good.”

She shifted her gaze again. “Will, how are our friends holding up?”

He checked his console. “All three fleets are holding up just fine.” He

looked over at his captain. “At least no one’s dropped out…yet. Isis?”

Tam looked at him in confusion, then turned to see Isis- in humanoid

form- coming from the turbo lift. She immediately went to her. “What

are you doing? You have just- literally- let the cat out of the bag.”

“Sometimes a friend’s life is more important than secrets,” Isis replied

as she held out the objects she’d brought- Tam’s holstered .45 and two

clips of ammo. “I have a feeling you will need these.”

Tam met her gaze for a moment, then smiled as she took the weapon

and ammo in hand. “I’m going to tell you something I should have told

you when I took you aboard the Challenger,” she said. “Go to Sickbay.

It’s the best protected part of the ship.” Then Tam’s smile grew. “I have

no doubt Dr. Crusher’ll have lots of questions.”

Isis made a face at the idea of that as she turned back toward the lift.

As she left, Tam settled the shoulder holster in place and stuffed the

clips in her belt. Then she looked to Riker. “How- ?”

“She’s the one that told us you and Deanna were headed for Earth,”

He answered.

“One minute to exit,” Data announced before Tam could reply.

8

The Borg cubes were the only objects in the area.

A moment later, actual rips began to appear in space itself, followed

by Romulan plasma energy bursts and Klingon disruptor fire.

But the ships firing those weapons were nowhere to be seen as one of

the rear cubes exploded under this opening assault.

Aboard her own cube, the Borg Queen had every sensor and scanner

at maximum. Every link- both organic and metallic- was contacted as she

sought the source of these attacks.

Then a ship appeared- just faded into existence.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. All the weapons fire couldn’t have

come from one-

Wait. The ship’s name.

FSS Enterprise

That name was known to the Borg. It was a name the Borg had faced

many times. “Locutus?” She tilted her head, but she could not hear him.

Even taken from them like he was, he was still one of them. She should

have been able-

But there was no trace.

She decided then that she would have answers.

Aboard the Enterprise, Tam slowly stood up. “Looks like we were

right.”

“They’ve seen the name,” Jan said. “They’re expecting Picard.”

The main viewscreen came to life with a scene of a Borg ship’s

interior- a scene that served as a backdrop for the Borg Queen. “I am the

Borg.” Her eyes narrowed. “You are not Locutus. You are the one named

‘Kirk’.” She shifted her gaze. “Two of you? Has your Union begun cloning

its Starfleet officers?”

Tam almost laughed at that. “No.” she nodded toward her sister.

“Admiral Janet Kirk.”

“Not possible,” the Queen declared. “The Collective is well aware that

Janet Kirk died six months ago.”

“I got better, “Jan stated as she stood up.

“You are clearly lying,” the Queen replied. “But it doesn’t matter. I will

have the truth once your minds are part of the Collective.”

“On a cold day in Hell, “Tam stated.

The Queen smiled and nodded slightly. “That day has come.” The

screen then blanked- returning to the view of the two remaining cubes.

“Data, send the signal,” Tam ordered as she turned to Jan.

“I hope everyone’s in place, “the Admiral said.

“We’ll soon find- “

“Intruder Alert!” The Computer announced. “Borg intruders on deck

30, 15, 12 and the Bridge!”

Throughout the ship, Borg drones arrived expecting Starfleet weapons

and with their personal shields ready to repel them. Instead, they got

Klingon and Romulan disruptors slicing through shields set for Starfleet

phasers.

On the Bridge, in and around disruptor fire, Tam’s .45 roared as the

Borg discovered that shields designed to repel phasers were useless

against solid projectiles.

At the helm, one drone materialized and reached for Data, who in

turn, reached out with one hand- while still manning his station with the

other- and broke off the drone’s cybernetic arm.

Taking advantage of the drone’s confusion, Data stood, broke his neck

with a quick twist and resumed his post as the body fell and

disintegrated in typical Borg fashion.

“Computer!” Tam called as she slammed a fresh clip in place and blew

away a Borg’s chest,” Calculate the Borg transporter frequency and block

it!”

“Acknowledged, Captain.”

In that same moment, a drone arrived and made to inject Jan with its

nanotech injection tubes. Jan grabbed that arm, dropped and pulled,

sending the drone flying-

-into Riker’s Klingon disruptor fire.

Elsewhere, Romulan and Klingon fleets dove toward the enemy with

their cloaks off and both Federal phasers and torpedoes flying.

To say the Borg were confused would be putting it mildly. The cubes

detected Klingon ships, programs kicked in confirming Klingon

technology, additional programs adjusted shields and other defenses-

-only to be hit with Federal phasers that sliced through their shields

and exploded against Borg hulls with no resistance.

Which is not to say the fleets escaped unscathed.

The FSS Sojourner- an Excelsior-class ship- ducked and dove, landing

several shots with Klingon disruptors. Then she dove to avoid fire from

one cube-

-only to be destroyed by the other.

A Romulan warbird of the D’Deridex-class dove for the second cube,

firing Federal phasers as it came. As the second cube shook and began to

explode, the Romulan flew straight into the breach it had created, taking

the cube with it when it self-destructed.

General Kang’s ship was one of the large Vor’cha-class ships with

firepower to spare. Fitted with both Romulan plasma energy cannons

and Federal phasers, his ship- the Dok’tow –dove for the Queen’s cube,

firing as it came.

Kang dove and fired till the last possible moment before pulling out,

blasting away large sections of the Queen’s ship.

Barely a kilometer away, the Dok’tow pulled up and away-

-just as the Queen shot out her warp nacelles.

The Enterprise

“Captain- !”

“I see it, Data,” Tam stated as she holstered her .45. “Ptrope 1- now.”

She sat down as she added, “Tractor beam stand by.”

Under Data’s skilled hands, the Enterprise dove for the Dok’tow-

coming in from behind her as the Borg Queens’ cube closed in on both of

them.

Always drawing closer, Enterprise continued to match the Klingon’s

speed as smoke and flames trailed from her nacelles. “Now,” Tam

ordered as the Enterprise began passing over the Dok’tow. “Tractor

beam on.”

The ship lurched and there was a loud crunch as the two- Union and

Klingon- began moving off together. As they slowly picked up speed, and

the cube bore down on them, a Romulan warbird dove toward them,

over them and opened fire on the cube with Federal phasers as it

continued along the enemy’s face.

Tam watched as the Romulan Commander distracted the Queen and

provided cover as he disappeared under his cloak before the Cube could

return fire.

“Data, I think you scraped the paint with that one,” Tam scolded

lightly.

“My apologies, Captain,” the second Officer replied. “I will attempt to

do better next time.”

The sisters exchanged glances. “Next time?” Jan whispered with a

smile.

Tam shrugged and returned her smile. “He’s learning. He’s definitely

learning.”

9

It had been a long time since any Queen had felt the level of anger

this one was feeling now. Two of her cubes destroyed and her own badly

damaged. The Borg had not encountered such resistance in decades.

Resistance is futile. Didn’t these creatures understand that? Don’t

they know they’re throwing their lives away for nothing? The Borg

always win in the end and they all become one with the Collective. Their

uniqueness enhances the Collective, adds to the music of the voices. The

Collective brings order to their lives, improves the quality of their lives.

Why would anyone fight to resist that?

A moment later, the two ships still on her screen faded away to

nothing.

There was a ‘bleep’ and a screen off to one side came to life with an

image of that human female she spoke to earlier. “This is Captain

Tamera Kirk. Don’t bother trying to track this signal, Your Majesty. I’m

sending it through too many relays for you to do so.”

“What do you want?”

“Everytime you and your cubes show up, you say you want to improve

the quality of life. Who’s life?

“The previous Enterprise- the one commanded by the man you called

‘Locutus’- was designed to allow its crew- scientists, researchers,

explorers- to bring their families with them. That’s how we intended to

improve the quality of our lives- by having our loved ones with us.

“But you made that impossible. Because we care about our loved

ones, we couldn’t expose them to the danger you represented. So

because of you we had to lower our quality of life.

“Because of you, we had to turn away from peaceful exploration and

build warships in order to defend our families and loved ones- all

because of you.

“How many unimatrix have you lost since you started coming here?

Had you lost any before? We have a saying, Your Majesty, ‘The loss of

one diminishes us all’.

“Do you miss those unimatrix? Those voices that are lost to you now?

“We have our own version of a Collective- our own version of order.

We don’t need or want yours.

“You came into the Alpha Quadrant with three cubes. You’re down to

one- and it’s damaged. How many drones have you lost today? How

many voices?

“If you want to lose the rest, then you keep trying to force your way

into our quadrant and see how it ends.

“If you want to save what’s left of your unimatrix, then go home.

“What’s more important? Continuing a fight you know you’re going to

lose, or saving what few voices are left?

“The choice is up to you. Kirk out.”

Tam signaled Data to close the channel and looked to Jan. “That’s the

longest speech I’ve made in years.”

“Sounded good to me,” the Admiral said. “The question is, did it

sound good to her?”

Data glanced back over his shoulder at them. “Captain, the cube’s

automatic repair systems have kicked in.”

Everyone watched the main screen as the cube seemed to repair

itself- growing tubes and pipes and whole sections of bulkhead. Deanna

shook her head. “Watching that always send chills down my spine.” She

looked over at Tam. “It’s almost as if it were alive.”

Within moments, the cube floated before them, apparently solid and

intact once more.

“Come on, Your Majesty,” Tam whispered. “Make up your mind.”

Jan looked over at her. “You got a date? The longer she takes to make

up her mind the better.”

“Not if she’s using the time to call for reinforcements,” Tam noted.

“Always looking for the bright side, aren’t you?” her sister asked.

“I try.”

Data’s voice sliced the air. “Captain!”

All eyes went to the screen to see the Queen’s cube-

-retreating.

The tension on the bridge visibly eased as everyone released the

breath they’d been holding. Jan was the first one to speak. “Data, send a

message to the entire task force. Tell them we’re staying right here for

the next three days to make sure she’s left.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Tam looked to Riker. “Will, take us down to General Quarters. Then

you and Geordi get with General Kang and see if he needs any help with

his repairs.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

As the two men left the Bridge, Tam looked to her sister as she sat

down. “I’m wore out.”

“It has been a hectic few weeks, “Jan admitted. “Hopefully, things can

start slowing down now.”

Tam snorted. “Don’t bet on it.”

10

Personal log; Stardate 48648.14

Tamera Kirk recording.

After three days of “Guard post” duty, the fleets have been dispersed and

the Enterprise has been re-called to Earth.

Upon arrival, Jan was summoned to the office of Grand Admiral

Mikels. I have no idea what was said in that meeting or who else

might’ve been there, but I expect Jan’s return anytime now…

Tam was pacing in her Ready Room when the door chime sounded.

“Come.” She turned as Jan entered. She was in civilian blouse and slacks,

but the admiral’s bars on her collar shone brightly in the room’s lights.

“Hey. I did like you asked. I called both Sarek and Amanda and told them

I wanted to see them. Fortunately, they’re both on Vulcan right now, so

they can be here in a few hours.”

“You didn’t tell them why you wanted to see them, did you?” Jan

asked.

Tamera shook her head. “No. No way am I going to ruin the surprise.”

She waved a hand toward the couch and spoke as the two sat down.

“Now, what did you and Mikels talk about?”

“Aunt T’Pel was there, too,” Jan told her. “I haven’t seen that much

surprise on her face since the day we introduced her and Uncle Frank to

you.

“They wanted details on everything.”

“And what was the result of all that?” Tam asked.

Jan stood up and stepped toward the desk as she spoke. “For one

thing, I’m legally alive again. The official story is a kind of delayed

regeneration caused by our encounter with the Guardian.”

Tam nodded and shrugged. “Close enough to the truth I guess. What

else?”

Jan turned to face Tam and leaned against the desk as she spoke. “I’m

staying in Starfleet- as an Admiral. The Enterprise will be my flagship- but

there won’t be any fleet unless we’re invaded again.”

A note of confusion entered Tam’s voice. “So…what will we be doing

then?”

“What the Enterprise should have been doing all along,” her sister

replied. “You get to ‘seek out new life and new civilizations’, then I use

my duly appointed ambassadorial powers to talk them into joining the

Union.” She shrugged. “Or at least forming an alliance. The idea’s to get

as many new technologies as possible into the Union before the Borg

return.”

Tam leaned back on the couch and nodded. “Okay. I can see that.

Stopping one unimatrix doesn’t stop the entire Collective even if it is all

connected somehow.” A slow smile came to her face. “So after we talk

to Sarek and Amanda, where to?”

Jan walked over to the Ready Room’s viewport and looked out at the

stars as a gleam came to her eyes. “Out there,” she said. Then that

crooked smile came to her lips as she added, ”Thataway.”

Created with Writer2ePub

by Luca Calcinai