Memories of Tomorrow

Anomaly TrekMUX Episode (#01-0007-04) 9/1/00

Level Ten - S1 - Station 419 - [IC]

Wide doorways are spaced along each side of this long, gently curving corridor at twenty-five meter intervals. Each set of gunmetal grey double doors is emblazoned with the standard numerical room code, and a 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.

Contents:

Domingo

Obvious exits:

Cargo Bay 6 <CB6> Turbolift <T>

The turbolift doors slide closed.

Jade steps from the Turbolift briskly, hands clasped behind his back, and pauses for a moment as the doors slide closed behind him. He tilts his head to sweep the corridor, looking for the target of this meeting.

Domingo stands with his back against the wall, muscled arms folded over his broad chest. A toothpick sticks lazily out of his mouth. When you arrive, he glances over, annoyed, then does a double take. He starts to chuckle. "Mr. Jade... You look so.. proper. Didn't know you were an officer."

"Acting, Domingo." Jade murmurs, stepping forward a few metres, more slowly now. "But I probably don't need to tell you how this affects things."

Domingo pushes himself off the wall and turns to face you, glancing you over. "Tuh." He snorts, in good humor. "No, I don't know." His eyes fall on your rank pin. "What's that? Science?"

Jade shakes his head, briefly. "No, the pip means I'm an Ensign." He quirks the corner of his mouth, shrugs his eyebrows. "If it seems weird to you, you can't imagine..." he adds, turning his head as he speaks, inspecting the nearby hold door. "The blue collar means science, though, as you say... " He looks back to the human, silent again.

Domingo looks at you in disbelief. He says, "I meant the collar." He says, "I see with the uniform you got the act down already too, ready to not give anyone a break who doesn't got the pole up the behind." He laughs heartily. "So, what's this all about? Something you want from me?"

Jade's lips flicker at the pole comment. "I simply misunderstood, I'm sorry, about the collar. Hell, you'd probably know better than me." He shifts, one hand rising to rub at the back of his shorter cropped hair, exhales. "What we talked about before is out of my mind... and I'd really recommend it leaves yours too." He looks directly to Domingo, then; his words are unthreatening, but quite emphatic. "I was thinking of something different. I have a... reasonable amount of money in my old accounts, of which I have no need. I'm willing to start paying you that in return for a limited information service of a new kind. Completely above board, nothing risky about it."

Domingo shifts in his stance, folding an arm over his chest and putting the other, with hand to his chin thoughtfully. The sound of money raises his brows. "What kind of information?" He asks.

"You said before that this was a potentially leaky ship. And I said before that the lives here were important to me - that was long before the uniform." Jade murmurs, also raising his arms to fold over his chest. He shifts stance. "So I'm looking for information on anyone who comes here intending direct or indirect damage to the lives on Station 419. Not smugglers, petty criminals... I wouldn't ask that. Threats to all of us."

Domingo wrinkles his forehead, nodding. "Sure, sure. I got you." He smiles wolfishly. "Should I turn myself in?" He reaches out, slapping you on the shoulder. "Just kiddin' chief. I'm not up to no good, but I do hear alot from the types I consort with."

Jade smirks at the slap; something perhaps he would not have done before. "I'm not asking you to betray friendships; I know if I did, you'd likely refuse. We can arrange the exact details of payment - which can be in contacts, favours owed to me, or plain cash - later. But do we have an arrangement?"

Domingo smiles, replying, "An arrangement it is. I'm not particular to seeing people killed senselessly, and certainly not particular to the likes of the Dominion or any of those other creeps out there." He extends a large hand to shake on the deal.

Jade takes the hand and shakes it firmly. "Excellent." His eyes flicker over Domingo's features for a moment, thoughtfully, but then he nods, releases from the shake. "Well, I have - admittedly quite dull - stuff to do." A step back. "Until next time, Domingo."

Domingo lifts his chin in a nod toward you. "See you around, chief." He says and leans back against the wall, much like his original position.

Jade nods once more, turns, and steps back towards the Turbolift.

Jade summons the turbolift.

The turbolift doors slide open with a hiss.

You board the turbolift

**Later**

The door slides shut behind you with a hiss.

Transporter Room 2 - Station 419 - [IC]

Most of this room is taken up by the transport chamber: Large enough to easily accomodate up to six people, a low platform housing the phase transition coils and pattern buffers is matched by a hanging bunker overhead, where translucent panels cover the primary energizing coils and molecular imaging scanners. The lighting here is sufficient, although subdued. The floor is covered with a blue-grey industrial carpeting that runs from one gunmetal grey wall to the other. Facing the transporter pad is the long podium of the transporter operator's console. A door emblazoned with the standard numerical room code leads out to the corridor. A small control panel is recessed into the wall beside it.

Contents:

Ghorev

Obvious exits:

Out <O>

Ghorev is poring over the display on the transporter console, humming something low and rythmic.

Jade steps inside, hands clasped behind his back, briskly. He slows, stops, a few metres into the room, looking it over in detail, then to the Engineer. "Good evening, sir." Murmured, but clearly.

Ghorev says "Evening, Mr. Jade. How goes the reading? Or are they *not* loading you down with reading material on regulations?"

"Oh, I started blasting through the wodges I knew I'd need as soon as I spoke to the Commander about reapplying..." Jade comments, lips flickering into a slight smirk at the corners. "A lot of it comes back from the first time. Having more problems with actually getting up in the morning." He steps forward, eyes sliding to the console before Ghorev - about which he admittedly understands next to nothing. "How go the efforts here?"

Ghorev answers, "Slowly but overall I have a positive attitude about it. I am doing a general analysis of the transporter frequencies Sinclaire used. I want to see if her technology generally behaves like our own with regards to shields, warp speed limitations, and so on.

Jade nods, slowly, eyes still playing over the display. Voice quieter, thoughtful: "So, just to recapitulate, we're certain she beamed through the Anomaly? And can we tell anything at all about how she initiated the gateway remotely, from security logs and so forth?"

Ghorev says "I don't know. What I *do* know is that the transporter beam ended 1000 meters from the anomaly as far as my sensors can determine."

Ghorev says "I have yet to read any of Lt. Nevaren's reports today, however, so it's possible that while I've been working on securing the station, he and Lt. Accolon have managed to determine further."

Jade nods once more, looks up to the Engineer. "My understanding of Starfleet systems is highly limited, but is there anything I can do? My current plans for assisting the efforts are more dependent on research..."

Ghorev says "I suppose you need to start learning eventually. Have they shoved you under Lt. Accolon, then, or under Medical?"

"Technically, Lieutenant Accolon, but I don't believe he will be having direct jurisdiction over my work..." Jade comments, almost absently, as he looks back to what he -can- comprehend of the readouts. Then looks back to the Engineer, shrugging his eyebrows. "I'm more a political, historical and diplomatic scientist... I imagine that's how I'll be used when this

current crisis is over, sir."

Ghorev says "You plan to stay in when it's all done, then?"

Jade's eyes pause where they are, his expression and exhalation freezing momentarily too. A second's consideration. "Yes, I'm pretty sure I will." He swallows, shrugs his brows. "It's been... a very long time since I was part of anything. And now I think it's time to come home."

Ghorev says "Fair enough. I suppose, actually, it'll be best for you and Tyler alike, in the long run. She lacks life experience, and if you *are* determined to continue with your relationship with her, together, you would likely make a whole and complete officer. A devastating team. Remind me never to challenge you to a game of contact bridge."

Jade does not reply at once. His head tilts back up and his eyes swivel to meet Ghorev's evenly. Quiet: "That is, if we get her back. We don't even know if we can follow her."

Ghorev says "I believe we will."

Ghorev says "As I've stated to the Commander, I believe Sinclaire still needs the resources of this station and its contents. While that need exists, she is vulnerable."

"I believe too." Jade murmurs, shrugging his eyebrows, looking down. "I don't know why. Something I saw in Sinclaire's eyes once... I don't know." He shifts, draws a breath.

"Regardless, thankyou for your words Lieutenant. They mean a lot. I'm not as confident as you, however, that Sinclaire needs to come back here."

Ghorev says "I didn't say she needed to come back, actually. I *do*, however, think she needs this station."

"Perhaps. Perhaps she just needed it. Perhaps not. But something I wonder is what will happen when we move the artifact." Jade shrugs, steps back from beside the console. "Regardless, I've distracted you enough, sir. Thankyou again for what you've said, and please, let me know the instant I can be of use in what you're doing."

Ghorev says "Of course. Good evening, Mr. Jade."

Jade nods to the Chief Engineer, lips tugging into a half smile, then turns on his heel and steps towards the exit.

**Later**

You head into quarters 614.

Civilian Quarters 614 - Station 419 - [IC]

The space of the quarters' central living area has been fully exploited. The otherwise gunmetal expanse of the walls bear a variety of watercolours, portraits, and unknown styles of picture, of various styles. There are two small, blue-grey and quite pristine chairs in the centre of the area, and one timeworn, in some places threadbare, couch.

A rug, clean and reasonably new, lies under a low-set, glass-based coffee table in the centre of the circle formed by the furniture. Something lies in the centre of it. Against the wall nearest to the intersection with the bedroom stands a full-wall bookcase, literally crammed with various titles, most of which seem to be in English. Opposite, shelves of ingredients suggest at least some culinary interest, as does a portable cooking array set up beside the intersection, not Federation issue.

The bathroom lies essentially as it was found, though with spartan ablutionary additions. The bed nestles under a voluminous duvet and pillows, a rich Imperial blue, with archaic styled stars, moons and suns emblazoned in yellow upon it. A bedside table bears some alien calendar and a small stack of datapads, as does a single shelf above it. The default lighting is low, masked, and slightly tinted blue.

A dreamcatcher hangs by the connecting wall between bedroom and the main living area. Beside it, on the wall, suspended by hooks, is a Klingon D'k'tahg, blades extended.

Contents:

Sinclaire

Obvious exits:

Out <O>

Jade steps into his quarters reasonably wearily, head tilted down, hand rubbing at the back of his recently close-cut head hair. "Computer, lights."

Sinclaire's sitting down in Jade's couch, one leg crossed over the other. "Hello, Alex," she says as the lights come up.

Jade's eyes peel wide as his head darts quickly up. A hand half rises to his compin, then pauses, hangs there. His eyes narrow, and he glances back over his shoulder, then to the Admiral again. He mouthes for a moment.

Sinclaire leans forward. "Don't do anything so brash. By the time they get here, I will be gone."

Jade's hand slowly lowers, but if that's anything to do with Sinclaire's words, is unknown. "Wendy..." Alex breaths, brow furrowing as he steps, haltingly, forward. "What the hell -happened- to you?"

Sinclaire shakes her head. "You wouldn't understand if I told you." Leaning back again, the old woman looks about the quarters. "Pretty much the way I've remembered it."

Jade moves further forward, to the back of one of the chairs, hands finding the back, clasping it. His eyes do not move from the Admiral. "I can't believe it's you... I mean, I suggested it, but... how could -you- do all this? You manipulated Accolon into acting against me... you've jeapardised the entire timeline... you -know- how temporal mechanics work."

Sinclaire nods, settling her eyes back on him. "Indeed, I do. Our relationship was destructive to me, Alex. I was trying to save myself the heartache." She sighs. "Obviously that didn't work."

Jade swallows, tilts his head down and to the side, jaw firming, almost a response to a physical blow. A pause. "Then I'm sorry, Wendy. But you don't know that's how it would work out in this timeline... only in your home one." His eyes are averted.

Sinclaire shrugs. "Don't apologize," she states as if she could care less. "This /is/ my timeline."

"I don't believe that." Jade murmurs, eyes sliding up to her again. "Firstly, because you know damn well what effect you're having, causing a causality loop, and I don't believe -any- Wendy would do that. And secondly, because that's exactly what you'd say to dissuade us from action..."

Sinclaire shakes her head. "You don't understand, Alex. In five years, the Federation will be destroyed. I created the loop in order to prevent that from ever happening. And I had the blessing of Starfleet Command to do it." She pauses for a moment and regards him. "It was my timeline up until two days ago, when I had to pick up Tyler."

Jade narrows his eyes, shaking his head gently. Swallows. "So what now? Time never proceeds? Or are you going to do something to break the loop, and if so, what?"

Sinclaire says quietly, "What was supposed to happen.. What you caused from happening by being a little too smart for your own good, is Sinclaire, the evil, horrible Sinclaire, was to be arrested at the end of the inquiry. That's what the plan was. ONE WEEK," she says a little bit harsher as she stands. "One week. That's all I had left, then I could go back to my own time and finally /retire/. With my Alex."

"You just said you wanted to abort the relationship here, you're not making any sense." Jade blurts, shakes his head, raises a hand to block those thoughts, paused. "Look... Wendy... you've lied to others before now. How can I know what you're saying is the truth?"

Sinclaire sighs softly. "Just because it was destructive doesn't mean I didn't still love you, you idiot."

"And I let you do all of this?" Jade shakes his head, emphatically, bitterly, looking down. "I don't believe it..." His eyes slide up. "But what now?" He swallows, shifts, arms folding over his chest. "What are you going to do?"

Sinclaire states, "You didn't let me, Alex, you helped me. I'm not alone here. Sitting out there in space, pretty close to the anomaly, is the USS. Aegis. Our Aegis. And you're on that ship." She sighs and looks out the viewport. "I don't know what we're going to do, honestly. I've not been this afraid in a long, long time. I'm not sure where the timeline actually got split, and where it is heading now. It's unexplored territory for us both. I may have to take Tyler back with me to do this all over again."

Jade steps towards the viewport arms still folded. "There's just one thing I don't understand... in the original plan, you returned to the past after five years to change the future so that the Federation did not get destroyed by guiding my Wendy differently, building this place, and so forth..." His head starts to shake, and he watches the Admiral closely. "But if you -had- averted the destruction of the Federation, you and your Aegis would disappear, as would all you had done... and a temporal loop would form."

Sinclaire says "A temporal loop /has/ formed."

"Alright, granted. So why did you want to achieve that? You couldn't go back to your own time and retire anyway, it wouldn't -be- there..." Alex stops shaking his head, utters, sharp and hard, "This makes no sense."

Sinclaire shakes her head. "I don't have the time to explain it to you, Alex."

"Alright, then just answer me this: why don't you contact Balin from your Aegis so we can work together on solving this?" Jade murmurs, stepping closer to Sinclaire, speaking from just behind and to the side of her. "If that's not what you want, then why did you come here?"

Sinclaire says "I came to tell you that she is okay, unhurt. We've kept her sedated. I didn't learn that I was Sinclaire until five years from now - I had a much larger understanding of things to come, too. It's been traumatic for her, and I'm wondering that if I just return her, if it won't break the loop. But that would mean the destruction of everything."

Jade blinks. "So you weren't the original Sinclaire...?" He glances to the side, following the logic, then glancing up. "-If- that's true... then you can't be affected by changes in the timeline, otherwise your alteration to this one would mean you wouldn't exist in the future." A beat. "And if that's true, then what do you have to worry about? Why not just send her back, tell us what to do to avert the destruction of the Federation, and head back into the changed future for your retirement?" Another beat. "Please, give us Wendy back..."

Sinclaire shakes her head. "It's not as simple as that. I wish it were that easy. There are.. Other.. Complications. I may have to take her back to become Sinclaire, and start this all over again."

Jade frowns, brow furrowing, head tilting forward. "This is... giving me a headache." He pinches his nose, exhales. "Don't you feel we've pissed about with time enough, Wendy? The worst that can happen if you return her is that the Federation is destroyed in this timeline, and we'll all agree to go back again in the future to prevent that..."

Sinclaire nods at that soberly. "Yes, I do feel that we've pissed about with time enough," she says quietly. "But I don't know if she will actually do it, now, Alex, knowing what she does now. She hates me. When I found out, I was sick to my stomach. But finding out five years down the line gave me a buffer for my anger towards myself. That was after we had jumped back and started looking for ways to insinuate ourselves into the timeline."

Sinclaire says "By then, I had no choice."

Jade turns his head to the viewport, exhales slowly. Half of his face is bathed in the light of the Anomaly, the other in the artificial light of the room. "Wendy, what you're saying seems the only sensible explanation for all of this... but I need proof that you're from this timeline." He tilts his head towards her. "Otherwise, we'll act to stop you in any way we can..."

Sinclaire takes a step forward toward him, then unzips the collar of the black undershirt of her black uniform. She pulls a leather necklace over her head and hands it him. Attached to it is a very old, very worn ankh. "There is your proof, Alex."

Jade reaches very slowly out and closes his hand around the ankh, face draining slightly of blood. He mouthes a moment, then retracts his hand, pressing it to his chest. Then looks down at his hand, opening it, murmuring as he does so: "That means you were definitely Wendy at least until I gave her this in the Holosuite... and if it has the correct quantum signature, that'll prove it's from this timeline, right?"

Jade's voice is actually weak, as if shocked.

Sinclaire shakes her head. "Unfortunately, that's not really here. Neither am I. This is a holoprojection, Alex."

Jade turns back towards the Anomaly, holds up the ankh by the end of its chord. Staring through the loop at its apex at that bright point of light, it looks for all the world like an impossible eye. Peering out of time and possibility. "Then... it still at least proves you were yourself guided by another Sinclaire... which dictates your words about our future are true..." His eyes close, tilt down. "I'll have to address the others."

Sinclaire nods. "I know."

Jade hands the ankh back, equally slowly as he took it, watching the sparkle from the Anomaly catch its edges, intently. "I don't know if it'll be sufficient to convince the others. If you beamed the original over...?" He looks back up to Sinclaire.

Sinclaire shakes her head again. "I can't do that, Alex. Not until I've decided what to do. But trust that I will take good care of her." She smiles. "I promise. Goodbye." She takes a step back, then, like turning off a television set, she disappears with a wink.

Sinclaire has left.