Star Trek: Starbase 777

The shallow, unnaturally blue river flowed lazily, the stream going upwards and rippling into small, similarly colored swirls as the fog. Some of the water would collect into small droplets, and swiftly move upwards towards the alien skies, like reversed rain. The sound of the stream that would be heard by the people walking alongside it, was oddly melodic - almost like distant wind chimes.

Very blue Aoife thought as she walked next to the river at the head of the group, bloo like passports as some would say.

Interesting. The briefing mentioned time distortions. Maybe that’s why the rain looked reversed? She would not actually voice that thought, choosing to just speak the obvious. “Better keep off that water. Doesn’t look normal, definitely.” She would leave the science to the scientists.

Iki walked near the front, camera poised to get as clear a view as possible of their surroundings as they monitored their tricorder. They made sure to get a video of the water raining upwards. Did it also ripple in reverse as the droplets fell up? It was rather serene, if you weren't disconcerted by the unnatural happenings. And Iki wasn't, so they were just enjoying the views.

Seht rushed to the side of the river, enamored by the ascendant blue liquid. He held his tricorder ahead and craned his neck dangerously close. He looked as if he was about to reach out and touch it.

And science the scientist shall as he immediately headed towards the water to scan it with his tricorder. If he had any vials and spare flasks with him, he would've taken a sample of the water to analyze for later if there was any weird stuff in it.

“Strange.” She muttered to no one in particular, watching it lap at the river’s edge, “Although not stranger than the rest of the planet. It’s gorgeous, though, under better circumstances I may’ve spent this time wandering.”

Though Silver had seen glacial lakes, which were often naturally a gorgeous shade of turquoise blue, this river seemed -unnaturally- blue. The rain was reversed too, and she looked at it in awe as some droplets struck her hand on the way up. She shook them off before moving on.

While the scientists scienced, she kept her trigger ready. Who knows what dangers could be in that beautifully blue water?

The water bore no reflection of any vegetation around it, nor of the officers who wandered closer. Until, of course, the rocky streambed would vanish, and Suun could see the reflected ceilings of the USS Rhode Island's corridors. Seht began to recognize the Antica's night skies and dark buildings which created the all too familiar alleyways, and as for Paco, it was the ceiling of his very own quarters on the starbase, looking right back at him. The water continued to chime.

6

Her brow creased as she stared, mesmerized and stunned at the sight. Was she seeing things? She hadn’t been on the Rhode Island in almost fifty years, and although it was a welcome sight, it was a bizarre one. (edited)

T'She looked over at the others, noticing Suun mesmerized by the water and getting... worried, if that was the best word for it. "Is everything alright?" They inquired in a flat tone of voice.

"...my Una Chin-Riley poster?" That was the first thing Paco saw when he witnessed his own ceiling somehow apparate in the water. There were just several layers of confused and concerned in Paco's face right now "Are you guys also seeing my quarters? Or your quarters?? I'm seeing my room right now."

”Are you seeing anything there?” Marze asked while still keeping her distance. To be honest, she had to fight her own curiosity, as the others seemed almost mesmerized. “What is it?”

“I… see my first posting, on the USS. Rhode Island.” She exhaled, “It’s as if it’s—“ Shaking her head, she took a big step back, “This must be part of the anomaly. Take caution, please.”

T'She nodded, not wanting to press at the moment but noting this down somewhere all the same. "I concur, is must be part of the anomaly."

”So… you see the past?” She took a tentative step close, riffle still ready, but now less apprehensive and definitely more curious. “Or is it like… a mirror to the present on those places you once were?” She was close enough to take a peak now.

“Fifty years in the past, for me.” She thinned her lips, folding her arms behind her back and forcibly tearing her gaze away from the river, “But I don’t see myself.”

"What are you lot talking about it's a river?" Aoife asked as she looked at the group mesmerized by the river, she took a step closer and looked into the deep blue waters herself.

"I see my Una Chin-Riley poster. I took that down a few months ago to store it." Paco answered, leaning forward into it to see if he could see more than just a ceiling. Then he turned back just to see a few more people approach the river "Wait no! What if looking at it makes bad things happen? And being pushed into it does a time loop thing?" (edited)

Iviaan lingered somewhere near the back of the group, somehow both relieved and a little sad he couldn't see the happenings for himself. "Temporal anomalies are fascinating," he murmured out loud, ridges furrowing. "It's not like anything I've ever heard of happening before..."

”Planning on pushing anyone little man?” She did not avert her eyes to him, still wondering what the water may show.

“We should avoid too much contact with it, there’s always a possibility of that.” She replied to Paco, before moving to stare at Marze. “Maybe we don’t dwell.” She muttered, mostly to herself, as if instructing a younger version of her.

"Ladies first." Paco jokingly answered Marze as he gestured to the river. "Jokes aside, going in the water may be.. le bad."

“Very… le bad.” She echoed, “May we continue on, or is there any other business we need to attend to? I imagine scans are in order.”

Grey, industrial-looking ceilings of a holding cell greeted Marze's sight. Either one of the many, or an amalgamation of all of them. Aoife's vision was also grey - smoke, swelling in the blood-red skies of Cestus III. Do you smell it, officer? Do you feel the heat? Do you notice the faceless man sneaking up behind you, Aoife?

7

The ensign peeked over the riverbed at the water flowing as she gave it a scan with her tricorder. She wasn’t paying very close attention to the reflections, not just yet at least…

It was just... water. Your normal, average water, slightly on the colder side, with boringly normal parameters. Perhaps before the incident this was a normal river, now affected by the temporal influence?..

”Mine… is just work.” Marze said finally letting go of that vision. “Maybe you get your readings fast and we proceed? I’m betting this won’t be the first anomaly we encounter.” Cells were just cells. No matter that, for just one moment, it looked like that particular one 10 years ago, the one that did not meant work, but loneliness. “And save that princess talk for other humans, little man. This one is a warrior.”

“Weird…temporal bullshit…” She muttered as she snapped her tricorder shut, “This is just water,” She announced to the group, looking back at everyone.

Aoife was brought back to that terrible place, the sky red and green from the constant disruptor bombardment mixed with the smell of sulphur, iron and ozone. The Klingons they were back, coming over the top of the trenches killing her men. A hand reached toward her rifle in a slow creeping motion like someone getting ready to place a cup over a spider that wandered into their room.

"I have a weird feeling that the more of us look at the river, the more likely something bad may happen." Paco said as he watched more people look into the river. Maybe it was just him being paranoid and the river is completely fine, sans the temporal anomaly. "Water that's somehow displaying individually catered aspects of our past..."

“Ensign, I believe that you see it that way.” She sighed, “I am glad you’re unaffected.” She nodded at Paco’s statement, agreeing completely. Words out of her own mouth, really.

She sorta flatly looked at everyone, not a clue what they’re all going through as she holstered her tricorder, “Hmph,” She huffed, peeking over the side at the water once more. She was already frustrated at all of this, which isn’t saying much, because she’s always frustrated.

5

Gimura ended up looking at the ceiling of the Commander Curesco's office aboard the USS Perseverance.

1

Marze had noticed that Aoife seemed to be starring into the blue abyss of the past for a little too long. They should actually better be going and someone had to break that spell. ”Ya alright, Commander?” She asked, taking a step close to the redhead. Deep voice, accent, riffle and all. Unknowing that she was probably the least qualified to do so at the moment.

The ensign noticeably grimaced before stepping back from the river, “Let’s get the hell out of here,” She muttered, turning away. She was very obviously trying to pretend like everything was okay, which it was, and nothing was wrong with her. There was a much more incensed look in her eyes as she moved back, “Stupid…bullshit…fuckin’…” She mumbled under her breath.

“You do see it, then.” She said under her breath, straightening her uniform shirt, as it had gotten rumpled in her quick aversion of the river’s view, “Are you alright, Ensign?”

“Fine,” She spat, fingernails digging into her palms with how tight her fists were before she released her hands, “…I took a scan, it’s just water, let’s go.”

”Let’s go , Let’s go!” she bounced impatiently. Not really paying attention to the situation.

She hummed, watching the half-Andorian but not saying anything else. She doubted there was anything the ensign actually wanted to hear from her that she could say.

As a scientist, Paco took Gimura's conclusion personally. "Temporal. Danger. Water. Ensign. Now let's get going."

1

Aoife heard a voice call out. Commander? No commander T'Ken was dead, killed by the Klingons days ago. She was barely a lieutenant even though she was in charge. No. Something was wrong with the voice, it was too deep, too raspy, too alien. Alien! Aliens are the enemy! It's a Klingon trap! How did they get behind the Starfleet line! Aoife's thoughts ran a million miles a second as a pair of narrow green eyes fell on Marze. A Klingon with a rifle! Enemy! Without thinking Aoife's hand shot out gripping Marze's rifle disarming the officer in a single automatic move. She threw the rifle to the floor as she stared down the lieutenant across from her. A Klingon in a federation uniform? Perfidy! War criminals! No, something was wrong she knew this face. It wasn't the face of an enemy. Aoife came out of her episode a moment later as she quicky stepped as far away from the water as she could wordlessly.

7

T'She was quick to move, quick to act, walking over to the Intelligence officer and trying to figure out what to say. They weren't the best with people, no matter who they were, but they would try anyways. "Easy Commander. Whatever you saw in the water is not real, it is simply a reflection of the past caused by a temporal anomaly."

"What the hell was that, Commander?" he grated out, swiftly pushing himself in between the two women, before the situation could turn into a clusterfuck. Somehow he did not drop an f-bomb. Godly intervention, probably. "Okay, after the medical check is performed, I am insisting we move on."

She had definitely not expected that turn of events. It was almost shameful, the way Aoife caught her so out of her guard to manage disarming her. Her hand almost went to her pistol, kept on her hip. Almost. “Hu’tegh!” Raspiness evolved to a full grown. And respect for your superior officer be damned! “Not the fucking time, Commander!” She went after her riffle, still muttering. She had meant to help and received fire instead… but what had Aoife seen? Did the vision justify this? Had she seen a previous danger? The others seemed pacific after seeing theirs…. Questions she would not voice.

4

“Moving on sounds wonderful.” She muttered, hoping to herd everyone away from the scene, and the river itself. “Ensigns, I want you all to get some distance from the water.”

An unfamiliar sense of dread hung in the air she was now forced to acknowledge. This wasn’t typical behavior for senior officers. Right? “Finally!” She muttered.

Silver, who hadn’t seen anything but the water, looked on in shock and confusion as everyone around her seemed to.. hallucinate? It was odd, and obviously strange and terrifying to everyone who could see things. “I think that is a good idea.” She echoed Suun, stepping well away from the water.

The angered Andorion didn’t have a lot of time to deal with two superiors having a fistfight, though her hand did hover near her phaser before T’She and Saren settled things just in case. At Suun’s urging, Gimura started moving back toward where they came.

Aoife shook her head for a moment clearing out the cognitive cobwebs that had formed in her brief semi conscious outburst. She held her hands to her eyes rubbing them as if she wanted to crush them like grapes. After a second she stood up properly. "I'm good apologies." She turned to T'She and gestured to allow her to do a scan, better safe than sorry. "Sorry about that Lieutenant." She said now looking at Marze. "I was back during the war. I know it's an anomaly but that felt real, I could even smell the iron that was hanging in the air with all of the literal bloodshed." (edited)

1

T'She nodded, still wary about everything, but performing a scan nonetheless. After all, a scan of someone effected by the temporal anomalies sounded like a great idea.

1

"Right. water times over. Let's go to the outpost where things might be more le bad, but not us attacking each other bad" Paco advised as he walked away from the river. If whatever Aoife sae made her attack Marze, he didnt want to know what the Una poster in his ceiling would trigger.

1

Avoiding falling into the trap of watching the disagreement, she turned to the group of ensigns once again, hoping to keep moving soon and not linger at the river. Spirits knew she didn’t want to know what it would show her next. “Did any of you get your own copy of the scans?”

A battle then! That explained it. But somethings would be better left unexplained as Marze’s annoyed expression turned darker, somber. Of course she knew what war Aoife referred to. How would people let her forget? Klingons that held against her not being warrior enough to fight for the Empire. Federation that held against her because she looked a little too much like the enemy. Fuck. Them. “Oh I am sorry, Commander. But I’ll make sure to keep my Klingon ass away for your comfort.” The last word was nearly spatted. Fuck every single one of them.

1

T’Evoryn remained as composed as usual, though her chest heaved for a moment as Aoife disarmed Marze, momentarily reaching for her own phaser before others closer to the Intelligence Officer stepped in. “Do we have anyone here who remains unaffected?”

And then, there were footsteps.

6

4

3

Fuck. Fuck. He franctically looked around, but there was... no one there. Yet the footsteps persisted, picking up their speed, rushing through the greenery towards them like a swift predator. "Bushes, over there," he hated to sound so frantic, but... "We can use them as a cover."

Her phaser was in hand, a tight grip on the handle as she looked around. This was not fucking happening. She was ready to put up a fight before Saren frantically pointed toward the bushes. As the footsteps sped up, Gimura felt her trigger finger twitch, “Fuck- Fine, fine,” She holstered her phaser and started moving toward the bushes.

She picked the sounds as fast as Saren. Holding another bunch of colorful words with her breath, she nodded and quickly moved while providing cover for the others to hide, joining them after. Eyes open, ears and trigger ready among the foliage.

Muscles and posture stiffening in a heartbeat, she took a large step back, heading with the others to the foliage that Saren suggested they use as cover.

With her rifle hastily risen, she fixed her aim on the direction she thought the footsteps were approaching from, all the while moving off to the only visible cover they had.

Aoife was mid way through the beginning sounds of a sentence in response to Marze when they heard footsteps approaching. Her rifle was quickly unsling as she made her way to a position amongst the bushes. She also grabbed Marze's rifle if they'd left it where Aoife threw it earlier.

Alongside the footsteps, there was also a staticky, low buzzing sound, steadily becoming louder and louder...

She held her breath from where she was hidden, eyes darting around. The buzz reminded her of radio static, or an empty comm line when listened to too closely. How strange.

Silver head to the bushes too, ducking low and making sure she was hidden behind foliage. She had a phaser, which she held as she lay in wait for.. whatever was coming. There was what sounded like static in the air, and she didn’t like it. But she couldn’t figure out a way to drown it out, so she dealt with it. At least she didn’t need to hold her breath, given she didn’t breathe.

Iviaan did his best to keep the low hum of his hoverchair quiet, fingers curled tightly around his medical bag. What in the world was going on?

Something... large, had stopped by the bushes that the away team was hiding behind. The air became warm and heavy, the static buzz no longer becoming louder, but it effortlessly oppressed every other sound in their vicinity. Even their own breathing and heartbeat and, perhaps, even their thoughts. The odd-colored leaves of their shelter were quivering, as if struck by primal fear of the thing that was looking for the officers.

5

The noise almost made Suun’s mind fuzzy, the way it overpowered everything. She looked to the others, then to the mass of something beside them, a wave of discomfort rising at the strange feeling of the air around her. She wished she had telepathic communication in the way many Vulcanoids did in that moment, as any way of speaking without perception would have been useful.

Iviaan couldn't even think straight. If he opened his mouth to scream, even with vocal chords that hardly ever went used, it would have been effortlessly drowned out as well. It was only a matter of time before they were all swallowed whole by the noise, or they were found, and whichever came first would mean doom for them all, most likely. So... The only thing he could do was try to get ahead of it all. All he could do was try to reach out. Try to communicate— "Please," hoping the thing could understand the concepts he was trying to convey telepathically, "We mean no harm. We're here to help."

2

Seht pinned himself to the blue grass, shoving his own face in the dirt, daring not to look up at whatever it was that emitted the horrible sound. The shock of the Commander's sudden outburst was terror enough, but a creature like this paralyzed him.

Ungraspable. Impossible. What Iviaan tried to reach out to, dripped through his understanding like liquid, too inadequately big, and too inadequately small. It recoiled, as if burned, everything about it wrong on a cosmic and material level. It did not fit this world. The buzzing ceased, now being replaced by chiming. Something behind that bush reared upwards, bathing everything around it in soft light, an alerted angel. Iviaan could feel something warm begin to trickle from his nose, down to his lips and chin, his thoughts left a grated mush after attempting to reach something so incomprehensible.

4

3

”QI'yaH!!” What the F was happening. She felt a fear in her bones for the first time in her life.

The ACMO drew back, everything that he was and everything he had ever been and everything that he ever would be crumbling, crumbling under an incomprehensible weight, something that was bigger than him. Something that was so much bigger than him. Consciousness slipped through his fingers like sand, like the blue blood pouring from his nose, like something just barely out of reach. He opened his mouth to scream. No sound came out.

T'She started to panic, but they stuffed those thoughts into a box and threw away the key. They had a patient now, their own ACMO, and they wanted to make sure he was alright, he wanted to know what happened. But, they knew they were putting themself in danger if they approached, so... they did more scans -- this time on Iviaan -- and hoped that might help them form a treatment plan.

Gimura’s antennae stood on end as the static drowned the entire away team. She gripped the sides of her head to cover her ears, but it did little to help. Her eyes wandered as the light shimmered through the bush, and she could feel them stinging.

She didn’t like that. She didn’t like that one bit. Water that showed the past and now a giant brain melting creature??? Her eyes went to the seniors present, catching those of the one closer to her. “What are the orders?” hers seemed to urge.

Silver watched in horror as the ACMO fell. She took one glance at the light before ripping her eyes away in fear it might be able to break circuits just as well as cells. If any gods are listening, have mercy on everyone, she thought. But she had a suspicion that nothing would be listening. She wished she could help, but she couldn’t fix flesh.

Her eyes widened slightly as she watched the blood drip from the ACMO’s nose. Almost instinctually, she waved her arm back towards the rest of the group. “Get back. Do not engage it.” It seemed the only logical thing to do.

He had felt like a cornered animal too many times in his life. This... thing, enforcing fear upon him and the other officers, was driving him to madness of both kinds. Seeing Iviaan go limp became his last straw. Saren pressed himself to the ground and leaned to the side of the bush, now seeing the river and the... the............... *With all his might, the Romulan chucked his tricorder somewhere into the treeline that ran on the other side of the river. Crack.*

6

It ran towards the sound, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared, deeper and deeper into the forest, chasing an invisible red herring. The chiming and the light and the heat were gone, too - taken away with it. (edited)

Gimura’s antennae practically deflated against her head before they perked back up and she popped out of the bush. Her hand was on her phaser, and she looked around the perimeter with a harried look. Fuck this. Fuck this, fuck this, fuck this!! (edited)

T'She finally jumped into action, now that everything had quieted and as a qualified medical professional, they ran to the hoverchair to bring it back to the rest of the group and perform some first aid.

The breath was out, and another deep followed in. A couple more, jagged, nearly not enough. Whatever the hell that was, it was way too close. If not for Saren, they would probably have had a terrible and deeply horrifying and unpleasant time. “We… gotta move.” Hold to your courage, Klingon! You do not stutter. Oh she knew the voice telling her that very well. “We can’t stay here. If that thing has anything close to a mind, it will be back once it realizes there is nothing to chase after!” (edited)

Her attention, having previously been stolen by the sound and the chaos, quickly snapped back to the situation at hand. “We need to reach the outpost. Now.” She stated, voice firm, “Someone needs to help the Lieutenant over there, but any shelter is good shelter.”

He might've shared his thoughts on that, if he had any. Instead, the scientist's shaking arms suddenly buckled, and he was sent sprawling out in the grass below him.

"Deehebfurghiz...." Seht whined incoherently. He pulled himself to his knees. "Can we leave!? That thing was gonna kill us!!" He did NOT sign up for this. Well he didn't sign up for it at all, but ESPECIALLY not with whatever that thing was.

“Lieutenant?” Her head turned rapidly to his body on the grass, “…spirits above, I’ll need that drink.” She moved to kneel beside him, hoping a medical officer could help Iviaan. In the meantime, she kept a close eye out for the strange creature. “I’d like to leave as well, but we have to finish this, do we not?” She muttered.

”Fucking hell! Is he unconscious?” Marze looked at Suun next to the lieutenant’s body.

Was he dead!? How? What happened? Was this supposed to be how starfleet missions when? Klaa let out a deep growl. Confused and distressed she stood frozen in place.

“I’ll need your help. We have to keep moving, and fast.” She looked up at the Lieutenant “Can you get his other side? And someone needs to get Iviaan’s chair, it doesn’t matter who.”

Similarly to Iviaan, the Romulan was out cold - the breathing a reassuring sign of that, despite the steady nosebleed and the slightly elevated pulse.

“I can carry him if need be, his weight will not be a problem for me” She offered, moving closer to Suun and the rest.

“That would be useful. I can get Lieutenant Ch’rhytross’ chair, in that case.” She nodded, stepping back, “Is everyone else alright? Does anybody need help?”

"I might need help." Seht whined. He shakily brought himself up. He hesitantly tip toed over to Iviaan. Crap dangit, he wasn't meant to be here! He was a like a delicate little flower, not a... tough plant meant for tough stuff. He paced about unhelpfully.

She strode over to Seht, beside Iviaan, and got a hold of the Lieutenant’s chair, enough to keep it steady as they moved. All of this was more than she could handle, and she didn’t have much on her mind other than the current tasks at hand. Get everyone in, solve something, and get out.

”I got your backs.” Marze nodded to both, riffle in hands, allowing the android to do the heavier work and the commander to reach their other fallen officer. “But we really gotta move! Don’t nobody else go under on us now!” She eyed the other lieutenant. Same rank, very different attitude. “Hear me??? You are an officer! We’ll get them safe, but we have to keep going on!”

By God, Silver loved being useful. Being told she was useful was always nice for someone who ran on efficiency. Gingerly, she picked Saren up, making sure his head wasn’t just hanging limply, and that she wasn’t aggravating any injuries too much. She knew organics were fragile compared to her, but years of working with delicate components made Silver gentle enough to do things like this.

If they now pressed onwards, the outpost should be right ahead of them...

She still had her rifle in hand, her fingers clasping it tighter as her eyes swept across their surroundings and back towards the group. Both Lieutenants were being tended to, and everybody else seemed fine enough, though they looked to be shaken. She herself had felt her own chest race, but now was not the time to dwell on it. With a steady foot forward, she began to move out. It was time to go.

And, true to her word, Saren’s weight meant little to Silver. He weighed about as much as one of the Eventide’s EPS conduits she’d had to replace on that Borg Cube rescue, but with the distinct bonus of not being hot enough to sear an organic’s hands. She followed along, keeping pace but staying in the middle so as to not put her unconscious crewmate in any unnecessary danger.

Maggie moved with the rest of the team, running with a small gasp. “Hurry hurry!”

"Fascinating." The benefit of being small and generally avoiding physical conflict was that you'd end up watching from the sidelines as interesting things went down, which was, to be clear, precisely what Iki had made their job this mission. They wondered what was the cause of all this, and whether it was something to solve, to contain, or to let be.

The ones excited and impacted Klingon was now hesitant. On high alert she watched and listened closely to her surroundings. Following her superior officers closely.

Aoife had been keeping an eye on the perimeter while the shit hit the fan ~~as Dan totally didn't fall asleep~~. Her rifle was raised now, they had to get a move on to the outpost. "Lieutenant G'khar! You've got the point we're gonna double to the outpost. I've got the rear let's get a move on!" Aoife did her best to rally the group so they could get moving in good order. It was best not to stay near that thing had found them.

T'She was keeping an eye on the injured, those who were knocked out that was, all while they made sure nobody was left behind.

Seht swallowed, particularly after the scolding from Marze. He kept his phaser in hand and shuffled close to the front, terrified of traveling too far behind. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his leather glove. It was too early to do this! Anytime would be too early for this! He kept close to tye hoverchair, peering over his shoulder ever few seconds.

Sinau shifted the pistol in her belt. After the last away mission she had, she felt a little better. Confident. Not like she struggled much, hiding away. Some Lieutenant she was, but this was less upsetting from a distance. It actually looked... quaint; kind of peaceful. Didn't stop her from having her face in her PADD, doing scans for any kind of threat or technology, but there was only faint flickers from what she could see. Her tech was struggling and she was trying to figure out the why, but her best guess was the same reason that forcefield was an issue, and her tech seemed to struggle when that... thing was in sight. "Are the Lieutenants recovering okay?" She asked, taking out a small bag from her pocket with various trinkets and wires, raspberry pies ~~not the food~~ and linking them remotely to her PADD. Seeing what Saren did, she was mumbling to herself about making 'noise makers' or a tinker-toy like that.

She didn’t seem affected by Aoife now that her objective was to get their people safe and away from whatever that giant thing was. “Aye, Commander!” Since the other took the rear, Marze assumed the front while the group moved.

Moving swiftly, the away team would make their way to the #outpost-chi-13...