The Lady Or The Tiger

Anomaly TrekMUX Episode (#01-017) 8/29/00

The doors slide open, and you enter into the activity and bustle of Operations.

Operations - Station 419 - [IC]

This is clearly the nerve center of the station. It is a roughly horseshoe-shaped room with the ends of the curved gun-metal gray walls giving way to a single flat wall on which three view-screens display scenes of the surrounding space. The highest level of the room has free standing control stations for security, science, and engineering personnel. Behind these stations, lining the curving walls, are recessed multi-purpose stations. At the lower end of the room is a set of three command chairs, with the Command Station in the center. A narrow walkway leads up and down from this center area. The third and lowest level contains a variety of stations for station operations, communications, tactical analysis and other support crew. To the far left hand side of the room is the Commander's Office. Along the ceiling, and following the curvature of the walls, is a set of transparent aluminum viewports, giving a breathtaking view of the stars above.

Contents:

Itaani

Obvious exits:

Commander's Office <CO> Out <O>

Jade steps into Operations in uniform for the first time, hands again clasped behind his back now he lacks suitable pockets for them to be thrust into. Head slightly tilted up, his eyes sweep the room slowly, picking out details before passed over, silently.

Itaani stands by an Ops station.. "Scans complete, Rushholm, You are cleared for docking port 3, approach vector.. Three six one mark four. Welcome to 419."

Itaani looks up.

Itaani says "Mister Jade. Good evening.""

Jade picks out the voice, but stays on the walkway, in the background. His gaze slides to the panorama of space, and his brow furrows momentarily. "T...T..." Beat. "Tak...Tap...Taj. Tajdanah?" A glance over, a flicker of a smile at the corners of his lips. "Good evening, sir. We seem to be finding each other on Station." A nod towards the stars. "I remember hearing an officer saying something similar to your words when I arrived here on a Ferengi freighter. Was just trying to remember the name." He steps slowly in Itaani's direction. "How goes the shift?"

Itaani says "Routine, thus far...""

A shrug of the Acting Ensign's eyebrows. "But after nights like last, you can never be sure." A beat, and Jade shifts, arms falling to his sides, attention now focusing on the various consoles and positions in Operations.

Itaani says "You may find that Starfleet is more about days like today than yesterday....""

Itaani says "But, worry not, the night is not yet begun, as they say.""

Jade swallows, nods gently, eyes averted from Itaani. "I would indeed hope so, Lieutenant..." Spoken softly. "However something that struck me about this place as soon as I arrived is that nothing here is as simple as it seems." He waves a hand dismissively of his own comment, glances back down. "Am I distracting you from duty?"

Itaani says "Only monitoring, at this point.."

Itaani says "Simplicity can be considered a virtue, after all...""

Jade nods again, once. "It's been so long since I had to learn the rules and regulations, so long since I had to obey anyone but myself, I'm still unsure where the boundaries lie." His arms recross over his chest.

Itaani says "You were thinking of previous service?"

Itaani taps her screen a number of times, and then back up...

Jade shakes his head, looking back down to the Andorian. "No, I applied to Starfleet once before, perhaps five or six years ago. That was my only real previous knowledge of such... restrictions." A soft, and brief, smirk, the slightest of lights in his eyes. "It's been ages since I had to actually get up in the morning."

Itaani says "You could transfer to third watch?""

Balin enters operations, the door sliding shut behind him.

Balin has arrived.

Itaani looks to Jade with a smirk, and what might have been a twinkle in the eye, ..or perhaps the anomaly...

Balin steps onto Ops, not looking very pleased. He walks down the few steps to where his chair is and sits down at it.

Itaani says "Good evening, Commander.""

Balin starts to tap in something at his console. "Not until we find Sinclaire, it isn't."

Itaani sighs, "A wish for later..."

Balin's lips turn up into a smirk. "It's no wish. We'll find her." He looks back toward Itaani, finally. "You can cancel the lock-down, Lieutenant. We've already ruled out all docked vessels as being where they transported to."

Itaani nods, "Aye, sir."

Jade stands, on the walkway, a few metres from Itaani, and observes for the time being, arms falling to his sides and clasping behind his back. At present, he has nothing to volunteer...

Itaani says "There's a freighter I'd been appeasing with a spiral approach, I was about to wave them off...""

Itaani presses a number of buttons at the top of her console. Moments later, it seems one can feel docking clamps unbarring throughout the station.

Balin taps in a few things into his console. "My apologies for not greeting you formally, Lieutenant. But yesterday sort of.. Got ugly." He looks over to her now. "Have you found everything you need so far?" he asks her.

*** Balin just looked at you. ***

Itaani says "My hometown priestess might disagree, sir, but, yes, the staff has been seeing me through. ""

Jade steps backwards from his position on the gantry, hands still clasped behind his back with nowhere else to hide. Since he had not yet been addressed, he nods towards Balin by means of a farewell, if looked for, then turns towards the Turbolift.

Balin nods once. "Good, I'm glad to hear it." He smiles. "Let me know if you need anything."

Itaani nods.. "There is one thing, sir..."

Balin nods to Jade as he passes. He looks up to Itaani. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

You exit operations.

Corridor - Level 1 - Station 419 - [IC]

This short, wide corridor runs between the Ward Room and Operations. The corridor is shaped like a tall, narrow hexagon, with soft white light dimly illuminating it from thin strips where the ceiling meets the walls. The ceiling has large dark blue-grey panels. Footsteps echo metallically through the passage as the boots strike the dark grey metal floor.

Obvious exits:

Ward Room <WR> Operations <OPS> Turbolift <T>

Jade summons the turbolift.

The turbolift doors slide open with a hiss.

You walk onto the turbolift.

Turbolift - Station 419 - [IC]

This is a standard turbolift, circular, and able to hold about ten people comfortably. The floor covered with a blue-grey industrial carpeting that runs from one gunmetal grey wall to the other. A small access panel is recessed beside the metal doors.

Obvious exits:

Out <O>

You say "Level Three"

The computer confirms entry with a chime and the turbolift starts to move toward Level 3.

The doors slide open at Level 3.

You exit the turbolift.

Level 3 - S1 - Station 419 - [IC]

Narrow doorways are spaced along each side of this long, gently curving corridor at five meter intervals. Each gunmetal grey door is emblazoned with the standard numerical room code and small control panel is recessed into the wall beside it. Although the lighting is sufficient, the muted blue-grey walls and medium grey carpeted deck serve to soften it, creating a calming effect. Midway along this corridor section, a side corridor leads coreward to a similar inner section, an indication of the deck's concentric ring layout.

Contents:

Accolon

Obvious exits:

Clockwise <CW> Science Lab One <S1> Turbolift <T> Counter Clockwise <CCW>

The turbolift doors slide closed.

Accolon stands outside a doorway, looking into a PADD with confusion. He glances up toward you and lifts a crooked smile in greeting.

*** Accolon just looked at you. ***

Jade steps from the Turbolift comparatively briskly, hands clasped behind his back, and starts clockwise down the corridor. Alex meets the glance and offers a nod in return. "Good evening, sir." Tone even, though not icy; expression reserved and neutral.

Accolon begins to laugh softly. He says, "I almost wouldn't have recognized you. So, you're Ensign Jade now? I noticed your assignment to the sciences department." He looks toward you, guaging whether he can believe you in a uniform or not. Some smile seems to reveal his approval.

"Well, more specifically Historical and Social Sciences." Jade replies, evenly, head tilting as he slows, stops, hands still behind his back. "My area of expertise; most of the temporal mechanics last night were over my head. Regardless, it's taking a little getting used to." Even as he comments, one hand rises to rub at the back of his head, where once fell long hair.

Accolon nods his head with a thoughtful expression. He says, "It's over my head too." quietly, then smiles. "It sure gets your imagination going with all the possibilities however. I've been working on trying to register if we are in our original timeline." He moves his arm out with the PADD tucked into it. "But, we have a new supplies to sciences which have distracted me." He sighs, "Well, welcome to sciences, and congratulations on your promotion."

Jade nods himself, once. "Thankyou sir." A beat. "And Lieutenant, though I know I am almost certainly repeating possibilities already considered, would it be possible to... take you through my line of thinking regarding Sinclaire?"

Accolon gestures to the hall and says, "Certainly. I'm headed toward Science Lab 1 if you would like to join me." He glances down at the PADD, mumbles something to himself, then glances up.

Ghorev comes into view along the corridor's arc, arriving from the counter-clockwise direction of section one.

Ghorev has arrived.

Jade doesn't react to the mumble, simply nods. "Thankyou, I will." Tone still measured, almost Vulcan in its near lack of inflection. He turns, begins to walk towards Science One. "Correct me if I am wrong, but as far as we know, Sinclaire could be from either our original timeline, or a parallel one?"

Ghorev's comm badge chirrups. "Balin to Ghorev," says a voice over it.

Ghorev taps his comm badge. "Ghorev here."

Ghorev walks along as he taps his badge.

Over Ghorev's comm badge, Balin says, "Report to Operations, Lt."

Ghorev says into his comm badge, "Aye, Commander."

Ghorev, who *was* walking *past* the turbolift, now turns *towards* it.

Accolon glances back toward Ghorev, lifting his hand in a wave. He walks toward Science Lab 1 at a slow pace. "It's possible, either way I suppose. But, it seems to me, the Admiral came from an alternate timeline, as she must have come with some purpose in mind."

Ghorev terminates transmission with a tap on his comm badge.

Nevaren comes in from Science Lab One.

Nevaren has arrived.

Ghorev touches the pad beside the turbolift door.

Ghorev summons the turbolift.

The turbolift doors slide open with a hiss.

Ghorev enters the turbolift.

Ghorev has left.

Nevaren enters the turbolift.

Nevaren has left.

The turbolift doors slide closed.

"Is it not equally possible that she returned from our timeline's future in order to avert a disaster which she saw?" Jade murmurs, half turning to Accolon as they walk. "I only ask because entertaining the possibility allows us to make certain mental steps."

Accolon enters Science Lab One.

Accolon has left.

You enter science lab one.

Science Lab One - Station 419 - [IC]

The light here is brighter and more direct than usual on Federation stations. The room is nearly empty except for several equipment lockers, a large work table, and a series of containment field emitters. The sparse furnishings are clearly intended to permit the lab to be used in a variety of ways. Along one wall, computer displays give a variety of readouts for simulations, tests, and station conditions.

Contents:

Accolon

Obvious exits:

Out <O>

Accolon opens the door and paces through the room saying, "Yes, but what makes you believe a disaster is involved." He considers it for a moment himself. "She did say all of our future's looked horrible." He sneers, "but the person who's been making it horrible is her."

Jade pauses just inside the door, fixes Accolon with a silent look for a moment, then drops his gaze. Still quiet for a good few moments, then: "Lieutenant. We know her." A beat. "We know who she -was-. Counsellor Crae said she felt true concern in Sinclaire. And she has always professed to be doing the insane things she has for the good of the Federation. Now..." He steps forward, looking over the lab again as he does so. "...we know her approach is wrong... but what if she has seen something happen to the Federation that has scared her into believing this is the only course of action?"

Accolon smiles softly and a little sadly. He says, "You sound just like me, not so long ago." He sighs and takes a seat, casting the PADD across the shelf of a console. "I really believed in her, and the things she said. And you're right. There is the possibility she is acting in the interests of the Federation." He lifts out a hand, "There is the case of her possibly breaking the Prime Directive and of course that contradicts that idea. And she is, like you said, after all, Wendy. Comparing the two is ridiculous." He kicks his feet out and sits back leisurely in the chair. "Wendy told me the Admiral was lying, when she said she wished to use the artifact to create peace in the galaxy. All this is why I suggested to the crew we search after the Admiral's true motives."

Jade nods, lips forming grimly. "That will be infinitely more difficult now she has departed, naturally. Perhaps if Starfleet Intelligence or Command could provide us with detailed records of her actions and locations since she appeared on record?" A beat, and he tilts his head down. "Still, if I could divert us back for a moment to our original topic... some thoughts on the temporal mechanics..."

Accolon nods and sits back, listening.

"As I say, this may be redundant. However..." Jade steps towards a nearby seat himself, swivels it, and deposits himself neatly onto it. "If she is from our timeline, she has caused a temporal loop by taking Wendy. Wendy can never become her, and so will not exist to return in time, et cetera... however, if we travel into our future to get her back and see something terrible there - which may have caused this shift in Wendy's nature -potentially-... then if we try to avert it ourselves, we will form yet another causality loop. But my point is... Sinclaire would -know- this... and whatever her motives and intentions, ending temporal progression is not an aim, surely."

Accolon listens thoughtfully, nodding on occasion as he understands. Finally he asks, "Were you going to suggest something perhaps?"

"That this suggests that Sinclaire will either return Wendy to prevent the formation of a temporal loop... or that she is indeed from another timeline." Jade replies, gesturing with one hand to indicate the sequentiality of his reasoning, as he sees it. "Furthermore, since Wendy could have been returned to the exact point in time that she departed, and has not been, the latter seems almost certain." He shifts, detensing and exhaling. "The only question is: is this line of reasoning solid enough to risk following Sinclaire? Because if she -is- from our future..."

Accolon says, "We can't be sure when Wendy returned to our timeline to become Admiral Sinclaire. It could have been years and years ago. It had to have been some time, because I believe she's been guiding Wendy, for some purpose. Perhaps something she was unable to attain in her own timeline, or some mistake or perhaps disaster like you said that needed averting. It is entirely possible for Wendy to follow the Sinclaire path, and that is a strong possibility, especially with help from her future self. To follow that path and become Admiral Sinclaire and hence, two Admiral Sinclaire's in the same timeline."

Accolon adds, "Admiral Sinclaire has also claimed she built this space station. This may not even be the first, or only timeline she returned in, for all we know. In alternate timelines, events are turning out in different ways. Admiral Sinclaire could have access to all these timelines."

Jade closes his eyes to listen, then nods several moments after Accolon finishes. "Right, I follow you. So she could have entirely circumvented the risk of causing a temporal loop herself." He claps his hands onto his thighs, looks up. "So we're back to step one." A shrug of his eyebrows. "Never mind." His tone has become a little more animated, but his face remains comparatively inexpressive, his eyes a tad cool.

Accolon remains quite for awhile. At length he says, "It's hard to imagine Wendy becoming Sinclaire and what she's really after. It's hard not to feel for even the Admiral." A sort of self-sardonic smile plays across his lips. "You know - I don't love her like you do."

Jade's gaze flickers at once to meet Accolon's eyes. Poker-faced, Alex watches the Lieutenant for a moment, then murmurs, quietly, "How so?"

Accolon narrows his eyes, recalling, "When she first came to this station, she was all alone. No one had any faith in her and she made some of the other crewmen miserable. Being unsure of herself, a little clumbsy and accident prone. I felt for her and we became friends. Both of us, practically the only friends we had on the station. I became very protective of her."

Jade still watches, closely, but remains silent for now; his question has not been directly answered, though his eyes flicker and shift slightly in a way that suggests he is mentally considering what is being promulgated.

Accolon continues, smiling, "I had heard that she had a crush on me. And that's flattering." He chuckles. "She's very attractive, herself, even if she hides it. I was cajoled by other crewmen to take her out on a date." He lifts his brows. "I never asked. I knew it wasn't quite right between us. My feelings for her, grew stronger. But, I think the love I feel is more like that of an older brother, who wishes only the best for her. When I saw you two together and when I heard about your occupation, perhaps you can get a better understanding of how I may have felt."

Jade straightens slightly, tilts his head back, resting one arm on the console beside him. A relatively long pause, once more, in which he regards Accolon. Then: "Permission to speak freely, sir?" Low and quick, but unthreatening.

Accolon shakes his head and says, "Of course."

"You told me once that both you and I should judge the other by their actions." Jade murmurs, slowly. His eyes carry none of the fury that they bore the previous night; rather, they grow even colder, his tone less human. "It is my opinion that you have persecuted me based on a feeling about my career and the words of Admiral Sinclaire." He pulls up there, allowing rebuttal.

Accolon nods his head, sadly. He says, "You're right." His head tilts to the side, no doubt giving this consideration.

Jade goes on, far more slowly now, leaning back slightly in the chair. His eyes close as he speaks, as if internally ordering - or controlling - his emotions and thoughts. "I will admit that my actions have been in questionable wisdom. It was foolish to expect no-one to comment on my career and that of Wendy. It was a badly misjudged decision to follow her into Science Two. It was idiocy to lie to her about my feelings for her, even for her own sake." His eyes flicker open again, blinking away grief. "However... I cannot believe what you say about your feelings for her... quite simply because I have every empirically derived reason not to trust you for a fraction of a second, and because I have come to believe your feelings have motivated you in a different way." He looks to the man sitting nearby.

Accolon lowers his eyes for a moment. He smiles, perhaps suprised. He says, "Feelings are something you can't make up. I've told you what I've discovered, in myself." He glances back up, looking toward you. The man actually has what could be described as an honest face. "I can tell how much you love her. We're alike in the way we both of poetic hearts. I feel my love is out there, somewhere, unmet." He clears his throat. "Beyond my personal feelings, as long as I have responsibility on this station, my crewmates and my duty will come first."

"It is, frankly, little comfort to know that only a Starfleet uniform stands between me and your feelings." Jade replies, quietly. His tone has softened slightly but noticeably following Jinn's words, but his words have not. "Even if I were not under a direct order to leave my personal feelings behind in working with you, I would, for Wendy's sake." He shifts in his chair, leaning forward, elbows on knees. "But I have changed my opinion of you from the day that I said you were not an evil man, or an enemy. And I do not trust you. Sir." Strangely, there is no enmity in his - now reasonably close - gaze; as in his tone, rather a solemn regret.

Accolon says, "What I meant..." tilting his head off to the side, "was that I would in no way be dishonest to you about these matters. You may distrust me if you like, but as fellow crewmen, I believe this detrimental." He shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not a maverick. I enjoy the harmony of working with others toward our common goal, whatever they may be."

Jade inhales nasally for a long moment, then folds his arms over his chest, leans back slightly. "I genuinely appreciate what I would like to believe is your openness. Here's a truth for you, Lieutenant. I've never been in a harmony. Since I was young I've been a loner, by necessity, choice, by species, at various times... and I have wanted nothing more than harmony with others. Not to be alone." At the end, there, his voice grew slightly rasping, a faltering edge to it; it is far harder when Alex resumes: "Until yesterday you acted as if dedicated to my ruin, despair, incarceration or death. And whatever your claims to a desire for harmony, I cannot forget that fact. I will work with you to the absolute best of my ability, but you should hope for nothing more."

Accolon says, "Very well." He falls silent afterward. He appears a little disappointed, but accepting none the less.

Jade watches Accolon, seemingly as ever after the young officer stops speaking, for a couple of seconds, then shifts. "That all said, have you made any progress on checking if we are in our native timeline?" A beat. His previous expression is hardening to blankness again. "And how exactly could we have been displaced from it? Something I did not understand." The transition is quick.

Accolon begins to smile and stands to his feet. He says, "No. I need to take care of this new shipment before I begin on that. But, that sholdn't take long. We ah... could have been displaced at any time we weren't looking. It seems the artifact had been used to make 'jumps' before. But that was wild speculation on my part, to show people that we are entering into a realm where the unexpected is going to happen."

Jade blinks. Draws a breath. Rises himself, shrugging his eyebrows. "I see. Quite disturbing..." He tails off, looks back over as he straightens his uniform. "I'm not sure if, aside from reporting to Mr Nevaren what I saw Wendy do in Science Two, I can assist in our current tasks... but if I can in any way, please let me know sir."

Accolon turns around and points toward a console area. He says, "I've arranged a workspace for you here that should be satisfactory. I appreciate your suggestions on these matters. Currently I have no project I need help in." He smiles. "Now, to take care of that shipment..." He lifts his PADD off the console and scans the room around for a moment.

Jade nods, once, in farewell. "Thankyou, Lieutenant. In that case, there is a communication that I need to take care of. Goodbye, sir." Alex turns, and steps towards the exit.

You head out.