![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fardell243. Meeting
Alpha was bored. Again. “Commander's log. Day 1021. The Baffin is still fully ship shape. I still think it will last indefinitely. I have completed my research of the overview of Earth's history. Today I will start on that of Qo'noS. Klingon Opera, more interesting than most Earth styles. End log.”
Another day had started on the Baffin. She pressed a button on the command console and a status diagram of the ship came up on the main viewscreen. No problems had emerged over the last 24 hours. Time to start. She grabbed the PADD she had been using for her research. “Load list of Chancellors after first contact with United Earth and re-start Klingon Opera playlist.' The Klingon Opera resumed.
After the rush of repairs and investigation into the crew's logs had been completed, Alpha had settled into a routine. She wasn't sure how to return the Baffin to it's home reality, so she had decided to make the best of it by learning everything that the ship's databases could teach her. She had periodically interacted with the other holograms but they seemed to be as stumped as she was. The crew logs hadn't been enlightening either...
An hour after she had recorded the log entry something happened. The computer paused the playback of Klingon Opera and reported. “Temporal distortion in the shuttlebay.”
“On screen,” Alpha ordered.
On the screen, what appeared to be another shuttlecraft seemed to be fading into existence with some kind of screeching sound. It solidified with a 'thump', and a person emerged. “Intruder Alert!”
“Computer, activate Emergency Security Hologram *”
“State the nature of the Security Emergency,” the large Klingon based hologram said.
“An unknown ship has appeared in the shuttlebay,” Alpha said.
“Acknowledged, Alpha,” * said as he looked at the screen. “Computer, raise forcefields at Shuttlebay exits.”
“Affirmative.”
Alpha pressed a button on the command console and a holographic diagram of the ship appeared. She pressed a position in the starboard corridor to the shuttlebay, and the two holograms then transferred to that location.
Nina (as Oneenejpenlumbra decided to call herself after she fled from Gallifrey) exited the TARDIS into the starship's shuttlebay. She could see indicator lights flashing red. 'Some kind of alert status?' she asked herself.
After fleeing Gallifrey, she had wandered the universe until she had found a Charged Vacuum Emboitment and had taken the TARDIS through it. That had been a rough experience, to say the least. Thus she began wandering the multiverse, taking inspiration from another rogue Time Lord.
Having found a crashed starship on a pre-industrial world she had decided to investigate. Quite strange that it seemed to be intact and yet was still where it had crash-landed. Very interesting.
She approached one of the doors, and got a shock. Some kind of forcefield! “Not very hospitable.” She decided to wait, while rubbing her arm where it had come into contact with the forcefield.
As soon as she and * had transferred to the location near the shuttlebay, Alpha grabbed a tricorder from a storage locker, while * grabbed a phaser. “Stay here,” she said.
“Are you sure?” * asked.
“It's not like I can be harmed,” Alpha retorted.
“That's true,” * conceded.
“Computer, lower the forcefield,” Alpha commanded.
“Affirmative.”
“Best not to reveal my holographic nature straight away.”
* nodded.
Nina saw the forcefield deactivate and the door open. “Hello. I'm sorry for intruding upon your vessel. I was curious about how it came to be crashed, and yet apparently unharmed,” she said as she saw a woman come through the door.
The woman seemed to surprised by what she said. “Apology accepted. I'm sorry about the forcefield. Precautions need to be taken.”
“I hope we haven't gotten off on the wrong foot, as humans say,” Nina said. In her journeys she had visited several versions of Earth.
“Not at all. Usually a ship would hail first before landing in another ship's shuttlebay.”
Nina could hear some sarcasm in the other woman's voice. 'Maybe we'll get along,' she thought. Maybe she could have landed in the forest nearby instead. “So it would have been better if I walked up to an airlock, and 'rang the doorbell,' so to speak?”
The woman shrugged. “Probably,” she said in a non-committal tone. She held out her hand. “You can call me Alpha.”
Nina shook the offered hand. “Nina.” There was something strange in the touch. Alpha looked human, but something was off.
“Want to come to the observation lounge?” Alpha asked. “It would be more comfortable than standing in the shuttlebay.”
“Sure,” Nina said. At lease she would have a look at the inside of the ship on the way.
Alpha followed Nina into the observation lounge after having discretely told * to deactivate himself. She was the one who had to run the ship. She could handle the visitors. Not for the first time did she wonder why Starfleet didn't install an Emergency Command Hologram for commanding the ships after activation of the Starship Preservation Protocol. The ship was facing east, with the planet's sun fully illuminating the room. Nina was looking out at the forest, where various animals were going about their activities.
“You are not alone on this planet, you know,” Nina said.
“Oh?”
“There are pre-industrial societies on all of the continents. This island is uninhabited, but I don't think that will remain true for long.”
That was a complication. There were situations where the Prime Directive would override the Starship Preservation Protocol! “Pre-industrial, you say?”
“Yes. The most advanced civilisation appears to be equivalent to Europe in the 15th or 16th Century.”
“I see.” Alpha realised something. “You're testing me, aren't you?”
“Yes. I could see that this ship came from Earth. The doors are all marked in English or a language derived from it, and you're speaking English. Your Universal Translator program can't fool me.”
“You have figured that out. I have figured something out about you. Your ship is far more advanced than anything the Federation has encountered.”
“Very astute,” Nina said with a smile. “I am a Time Lady. I have travelled the universe after leaving my home planet of Gallifrey.”
“Gallifrey...” Alpha considered. That didn't seem to be a planet Starfleet had visited. Not anywhere near Federation space in the Alpha Quadrant, nor in the Gamma Quadrant. It hadn't been encountered by Voyager in the Delta Quadrant, nor by the Baffin crew in their multiversial journey before the crash. Even so, she picked up a PADD and input the name.
Gallifrey
Home Planet of the interdimensional visitor known as the Doctor.
…
That didn't give Alpha much information. But maybe she was in that dimension? She used the PADD to tell the computer to compare Nina's quantum signature with that of the universe outside the ship.
Divergent Quantum Signature
...
So it was a third universe. That figured. But she thought that was the case anyway. “You're welcome to stay as long as you want to stay.”
“Thanks. I think I will for a while. But I also noticed something more, about you. You look human, but you don't 'feel' human. I think you're some kind of artificial intelligence.”
“How did you come to this conclusion?”
“Time Lords are touch telepaths. We can tell if someone is biological or not.”
“You're right. I am an Artificial Intelligence. A hologram to be more precise,” she said. She supposed it would have been more difficult for Starfleet to use Emergency Androids, even if the decision regarding Data's rights had gone the other way.
“I didn't detect any life signs. I suppose the original crew didn't survive the crash?” Nina asked.
“No,” Alpha answered.
They talked for a while longer. Alpha then assigned one of the quarters to Nina and showed her those quarters. “Thanks. Although I can stay on the TARDIS, this may be more convenient,” Nina said.
“You can use the replicator to make food, and the other door leads to the bathroom.”
“That's good.”
Alpha decided to demonstrate the replicator. “Any Earth meal you like?”
“Surprise me,” Nina said with a shrug.
Alpha was bored. Again. “Commander's log. Day 1021. The Baffin is still fully ship shape. I still think it will last indefinitely. I have completed my research of the overview of Earth's history. Today I will start on that of Qo'noS. Klingon Opera, more interesting than most Earth styles. End log.”
Another day had started on the Baffin. She pressed a button on the command console and a status diagram of the ship came up on the main viewscreen. No problems had emerged over the last 24 hours. Time to start. She grabbed the PADD she had been using for her research. “Load list of Chancellors after first contact with United Earth and re-start Klingon Opera playlist.' The Klingon Opera resumed.
After the rush of repairs and investigation into the crew's logs had been completed, Alpha had settled into a routine. She wasn't sure how to return the Baffin to it's home reality, so she had decided to make the best of it by learning everything that the ship's databases could teach her. She had periodically interacted with the other holograms but they seemed to be as stumped as she was. The crew logs hadn't been enlightening either...
An hour after she had recorded the log entry something happened. The computer paused the playback of Klingon Opera and reported. “Temporal distortion in the shuttlebay.”
“On screen,” Alpha ordered.
On the screen, what appeared to be another shuttlecraft seemed to be fading into existence with some kind of screeching sound. It solidified with a 'thump', and a person emerged. “Intruder Alert!”
“Computer, activate Emergency Security Hologram *”
“State the nature of the Security Emergency,” the large Klingon based hologram said.
“An unknown ship has appeared in the shuttlebay,” Alpha said.
“Acknowledged, Alpha,” * said as he looked at the screen. “Computer, raise forcefields at Shuttlebay exits.”
“Affirmative.”
Alpha pressed a button on the command console and a holographic diagram of the ship appeared. She pressed a position in the starboard corridor to the shuttlebay, and the two holograms then transferred to that location.
Nina (as Oneenejpenlumbra decided to call herself after she fled from Gallifrey) exited the TARDIS into the starship's shuttlebay. She could see indicator lights flashing red. 'Some kind of alert status?' she asked herself.
After fleeing Gallifrey, she had wandered the universe until she had found a Charged Vacuum Emboitment and had taken the TARDIS through it. That had been a rough experience, to say the least. Thus she began wandering the multiverse, taking inspiration from another rogue Time Lord.
Having found a crashed starship on a pre-industrial world she had decided to investigate. Quite strange that it seemed to be intact and yet was still where it had crash-landed. Very interesting.
She approached one of the doors, and got a shock. Some kind of forcefield! “Not very hospitable.” She decided to wait, while rubbing her arm where it had come into contact with the forcefield.
As soon as she and * had transferred to the location near the shuttlebay, Alpha grabbed a tricorder from a storage locker, while * grabbed a phaser. “Stay here,” she said.
“Are you sure?” * asked.
“It's not like I can be harmed,” Alpha retorted.
“That's true,” * conceded.
“Computer, lower the forcefield,” Alpha commanded.
“Affirmative.”
“Best not to reveal my holographic nature straight away.”
* nodded.
Nina saw the forcefield deactivate and the door open. “Hello. I'm sorry for intruding upon your vessel. I was curious about how it came to be crashed, and yet apparently unharmed,” she said as she saw a woman come through the door.
The woman seemed to surprised by what she said. “Apology accepted. I'm sorry about the forcefield. Precautions need to be taken.”
“I hope we haven't gotten off on the wrong foot, as humans say,” Nina said. In her journeys she had visited several versions of Earth.
“Not at all. Usually a ship would hail first before landing in another ship's shuttlebay.”
Nina could hear some sarcasm in the other woman's voice. 'Maybe we'll get along,' she thought. Maybe she could have landed in the forest nearby instead. “So it would have been better if I walked up to an airlock, and 'rang the doorbell,' so to speak?”
The woman shrugged. “Probably,” she said in a non-committal tone. She held out her hand. “You can call me Alpha.”
Nina shook the offered hand. “Nina.” There was something strange in the touch. Alpha looked human, but something was off.
“Want to come to the observation lounge?” Alpha asked. “It would be more comfortable than standing in the shuttlebay.”
“Sure,” Nina said. At lease she would have a look at the inside of the ship on the way.
Alpha followed Nina into the observation lounge after having discretely told * to deactivate himself. She was the one who had to run the ship. She could handle the visitors. Not for the first time did she wonder why Starfleet didn't install an Emergency Command Hologram for commanding the ships after activation of the Starship Preservation Protocol. The ship was facing east, with the planet's sun fully illuminating the room. Nina was looking out at the forest, where various animals were going about their activities.
“You are not alone on this planet, you know,” Nina said.
“Oh?”
“There are pre-industrial societies on all of the continents. This island is uninhabited, but I don't think that will remain true for long.”
That was a complication. There were situations where the Prime Directive would override the Starship Preservation Protocol! “Pre-industrial, you say?”
“Yes. The most advanced civilisation appears to be equivalent to Europe in the 15th or 16th Century.”
“I see.” Alpha realised something. “You're testing me, aren't you?”
“Yes. I could see that this ship came from Earth. The doors are all marked in English or a language derived from it, and you're speaking English. Your Universal Translator program can't fool me.”
“You have figured that out. I have figured something out about you. Your ship is far more advanced than anything the Federation has encountered.”
“Very astute,” Nina said with a smile. “I am a Time Lady. I have travelled the universe after leaving my home planet of Gallifrey.”
“Gallifrey...” Alpha considered. That didn't seem to be a planet Starfleet had visited. Not anywhere near Federation space in the Alpha Quadrant, nor in the Gamma Quadrant. It hadn't been encountered by Voyager in the Delta Quadrant, nor by the Baffin crew in their multiversial journey before the crash. Even so, she picked up a PADD and input the name.
Gallifrey
Home Planet of the interdimensional visitor known as the Doctor.
…
That didn't give Alpha much information. But maybe she was in that dimension? She used the PADD to tell the computer to compare Nina's quantum signature with that of the universe outside the ship.
Divergent Quantum Signature
...
So it was a third universe. That figured. But she thought that was the case anyway. “You're welcome to stay as long as you want to stay.”
“Thanks. I think I will for a while. But I also noticed something more, about you. You look human, but you don't 'feel' human. I think you're some kind of artificial intelligence.”
“How did you come to this conclusion?”
“Time Lords are touch telepaths. We can tell if someone is biological or not.”
“You're right. I am an Artificial Intelligence. A hologram to be more precise,” she said. She supposed it would have been more difficult for Starfleet to use Emergency Androids, even if the decision regarding Data's rights had gone the other way.
“I didn't detect any life signs. I suppose the original crew didn't survive the crash?” Nina asked.
“No,” Alpha answered.
They talked for a while longer. Alpha then assigned one of the quarters to Nina and showed her those quarters. “Thanks. Although I can stay on the TARDIS, this may be more convenient,” Nina said.
“You can use the replicator to make food, and the other door leads to the bathroom.”
“That's good.”
Alpha decided to demonstrate the replicator. “Any Earth meal you like?”
“Surprise me,” Nina said with a shrug.
