Revelations

 Episode Name:  Revelations

   Written By:  Starfleet

         Cast:  Balin, Dakin, Edwards, Evans, Ghorev, Duncan, Accolon, Bailey, 

                McAnally.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Starfleet

     Aired On:  Fri Feb 15 15:35:03 2002

     Stardate:  52185.2

Time: Tue Feb 12 17:46:47 2002

Stardate: 52182.3

Evans steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Evans has arrived.

Balin's sitting at the head of the table going over a PADD. He looks up as the doors open and nods once, standing. "Mr. Evans, please, come in."

Evans nods looking slightly nervous. "Yes sir."

Balin gestures to a chair as he sits back down. "What can I do for you, Mr. Evans? Everything all right in the science department?" he asks.

Evans comes in and sits down. "Sir. Everything is fine in the department. My concerns have to do with what happened on the last away mission."

Balin nods and leans back in his chair, regarding his officer. "From the reports of that mission, I can understand why. What's on your mind?" he asks.

Evans frowns and then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a datachip. "I think this will explain all. Its the last log entries from the Aegis."

Balin frowns and picks up the chip off the table. "Where did you get this?" he asks.

Evans brows furrow. "From the future. I didnt know exactly what was going on. But I did get the feeling that we werent supposed to let it fall into Agent Baileys hands?"

Balin is about to say something, then stops. He slides the chip into the PADD and starts to read over its contents. "Start at the beginning, Mr. Evans, and explain it all while I review this," he says.

Evans lets go a deep breath of relief. "We were on the ship. I didnt understand exactly what was going on. I thought it might be another of Lt. Edwards drills. I attempted to access the ships logs from a terminal was ordered not to by Lt. Edwards. Soon after Mrs. Bailey arrived."

Balin taps as he reads and listens to Evans.

Evans gulps and continues. "Then the thing attacked us. The Lathian?..No wait Lithian. Anyways we were separated and I and Lt. Laco made our way to the bridge. He started doing some repairs and I downloaded some logs to my tricorder while taking two chips with me. The others arrived with Mrs. Bailey and I never had a chance to explain what happened. Later Mrs. Bailey confiscated the tricorder but I kept the two chips."

Balin nods and sets the PADD back down. "You knowingly violated the temporal prime directive, Mr. Evans. Why are you turning the chip over to me?" he asks. "And what do the logs falling into the hands of Agent Bailey have to do with anything?"

Evans shrugs. "I dont know sir. I dont know anything anymore. As for the Temporal Prime Directive. Only applies if a future comes about. I dont think you want to go that future sir. Everything was dead."

Balin watches his officer and turns in his chair slightly. "The directive also applies to bringing information from the future to the present." He sighs softly and stands. "Most of what I see on this PADD is known to us already. In 2380, there will be an invasion of such overwhelming numbers, by the Lithians, that the Federation, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, everyone.. Will be wiped out. And there are temporal criminals out there," he says as he looks out the viewport toward the anomaly, "there are criminals out there trying to put a stop to it by time traveling. Future, past, present, none of them have any regard for the laws of the Federation." He turns back to his officer and leans on the back of the chair across from Evans. "You've still not told me about Bailey."

Evans frowns. "I dont know. There was something about Lt. Edwards reaction to her that I didnt like. That and her later attempt to access the same logs. Also someone who travels time so easily...Changing timelines? Thats just hard to belive. What can they hope to accomplish?"

Balin nods several times. "DTI is a recognized department of the Federation Science Council, and sometimes they make journeys across time. For historical purposes, or even to capture temporal criminals." He sighs again and sits down. "She was trying to access these logs?" he asks.

Evans nods. "Yes sir. I dont know if she had any better luck than I did. As for why I did it. Curiosity. I was more worried about the war than anything else."

Balin nods and watching him for several moments before saying, "All right, Mr. Evans. I will have to evaluate the facts before I make any recommendations for punitive action for your part in this. Coming to me, though, was a far wiser course than not. I'll read the logs in more detail, and may need specific analysis done on them as well, if you will assist in the endeavor."

Evans nods. "Of course sir. Anything I can do to help. I suppose you'll be wanting my resignation?"

Balin stands and offers the man his hand. "We'll discuss that after I review all information, Mr. Evans."

Evans gets up and takes the hand. "Yes sir. Thank you sir. I have always favoured a life in academia anyways."

Balin nods once to Evans and says, "Dismissed Lieutenant." After a pause, he says, "And thank you."

Evans nods and turns. Then looks back. "I dont think time is the answer here sir. I have studied the rise and fall of many civilizations. I dont think were doomed here. There is always some alternative. We just have to look for it." He turns to go again.

Balin nods to Evans and sits down as the Science Officer departs.

Evans heads out of the ward room, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Evans has left.

Balin taps his comm badge, "Commander Balin to Lieutenant Edwards."

Over Edwards's comm badge a voice answers, "Lieutenant Edwards here."

Into his comm badge, Balin says, "Mr. Edwards, round up Mr. Ghorev and report to the Ward Room."

From Balin's comm badge, Edwards says, "Aye, sir."

Balin's comm badge ends its transmission.

Ghorev steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Ghorev has arrived.

Edwards steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Edwards has arrived.

Balin's sitting at the head of the table with a dour look on his face.

Ghorev says "Sorry we're late, Sir. Michael had to walk a whole six inches from where he was standing to round me up." He says this with a straight face, and starts to take his usual seat. "Is something amiss?"

Edwards leaves the witty comments to Ghorev this time as he heads toward his usual chair.

Balin places an isolinear chip on the table and rolls it to the table's center with the flick of the index finger on his right hand. It stops there and wobbles back and forth before coming to a complete rest.

Ghorev eyes it. Then Balin. If Andorian antennae could move rather than just vibrate back and forth with the bobbing of the head, his would form a question mark.

Edwards makes note of the isolinear chip and guesses, "It's... broken?"

Balin leans back in his chair. "Depends on your definition of broken. It's displaced, that is for certain."

Ghorev says "Displaced, sir?"

Balin sighs softly. "Temporally. Mr. Evans brought it back with him from your trip to the future."

Ghorev makes a face. "Didn't Agent Bailey confiscate all that? The disruptors, the power cells from the EVA suits, all of it?"

Edwards blinks, "He did?" Deciding that he probably doesn't want to look to happy or interested about that, he comments, "Bad, bad Evans."

Balin folds his hands behind his head and leans back further. "She confiscated the tricorders, yes, but Mr. Evans took the chip itself, from the bridge of the future Aegis. In fact, he says that she was trying to get the chips herself." He swivels back and forth for a moment before adding, "It's the logs of the ship's last days."

Edwards looks a little thrown by that, "/Bailey/ was trying to get it?" He shakes his head and focuses on the more important aspect, "Logs? Have you looked at them?"

Ghorev says "Damn, I thought when I made my refusal to access the ship's computer public" -- he turns to Michael -- "the reasons were understood."

The Commander stands and makes his way towards the terminal. "I have," he says. "But I've only skimmed them." He taps something into the lower access panel. "I've downloaded the last one."

Ghorev looks *very* uncomfortable about the ground this is treading on, and straightens in his seat.

Edwards looks quite comfortable, himself. He leans back in his chair a little bit, "What's it say?"

Balin looks over his shoulder at Ghorev. "The information gleaned from this report is enough to warrant its review, Mr. Ghorev." He pushes the play button. The face of Ensign Tyler appears on the screen, only she is wearing JG pips. "Science log, final," she begins.

"I'm the last survivor on board this ship," states Wendy Tyler through her tears. "The L-lithians have killed all of my crewmates, all of my friends, all of my loved ones. I don't know what to do, so I've put the ship on standby and am leaving for Earth. The Lithians have not tried to harm me, in fact, they shy away whenever I approach, which is strange." The girl sniffles and wipes her arm across the bridge of her nose. "Michael and Sinclaire tried a desperate last stand in the fighter bay, but it.. It just didn't work. There were too many Lithians. And I was too scared to help them.." "The artifact was damaged in a firefight. I've tried for three days to restore power to it, but I'm just not an Engineer. I wish Bela.. I wish Bela was still alive. She could have helped me and we might have a chance of fixing this whole mess. Somehow, some way, I feel it is all my fault." She sighs heavily, as if the weight of the universe was on her. "I've tried to contact the station over and over. There are no subspace signals coming from Dulcais, or from the station. I've got to try to make it to Earth, so I am going to take the USS Rhine and head in that direction. I'm not sure what I will find." There is a long pause. "I am sure it won't be pretty." "Lt. Tyler out."

Ghorev hmphs. "She doesn't mention missing *me*." Funny how such things take on a new perspective of gallows humor. "Sir, this does ... jibe up with something I was talking to Michael about, about ten minutes before you summoned us."

Balin stops the report with the push of a button. "She is afraid of you, Mr. Ghorev." He moves back to his chair and sits down. "I'm listening," he says.

Edwards glances toward Ghorev, so he can pay attention to the explanation, and keeps quiet.

Ghorev hmphs again. And starts to protest, but sighs. "Sir, we were discussing our theories on the whole thing. Mine have no basis in actual fact, they're merely supposition based on half-clues and my own subjective impressions. But I believed in those theories enough that, the other night, on guard duty in the core, I .. asked the artifact, point blank, a question or two to confirm or refute my thoughts."

Balin spreads his hands. "I'm interested in your thoughts on the matter, Mr. Ghorev, no matter how wild the conjecture."

Ghorev says "Well, sir, I've been thinking that perhaps all of this really is just one big temporal paradox. I know enough about temporal physics to strangle myself on the past present passive agressive pluperfect subjective tense, or whatever it's called." He frowns. "However, it occurs to me that maybe Wendy Tyler became Sinclaire all because of a mistake. Becuse she misunderstood the Lithian's motives. Obviously, as we can see from that log, they aren't blindly destructive. they have either a purpose or taboos, and in either case, a guiding impulse."

Ghorev says "I had at first proposed the idea that .... well, again, this is conjecture ... that we *are* the Lithians. Or that they are us. Since they can mutate our dead into crystalline creatures, obviously, some vector for such a physical mutation exists. In a time paradox, it's not hard to imagine some kind of transformation that ... spread, possibly even a result of our studies of the artifact itself."

Balin nods several times and repeats Tyler's words: "'The Lithians have not tried to harm me, in fact, they shy away whenever I approach'," he quotes from the PADD. "Why would creatures, who seem hell-bent on destruction, avoid an individual after they had wiped out this sector? Your theory fits more than what anyone else has presented, certainly, conjecture or not."

Ghorev says "There's more."

Ghorev says "With these thoughts in my head, Sir ... I bluntly asked the artifact the other night to confirm or refute the idea, not that it protects Wendy Tyler because, as some have romanticized, it is fixated on her ... but rather that it *is* her."

Ghorev sighs. "I got a one word reply: 'Mother'. On a screen display. I don't think we have to reach too hard to determine what that means, given the new facts from that log."

Balin frowns deeply. "I'm not sure I like the implications either way."

Edwards decides to break his silence, "Could the Lithians have some kind of drone mentality? Like insects. Maybe they have a link with the artifact and that's why they left Tyler alone."

Balin thinks about that. "It is a possibility. Since we have so little empirical evidence to go on, it would be difficult to make that determination, though."

Ghorev says "I had been considering, Sir, doing some accelerated correspondence work in mineralogy, crystallography, and that sort of thing. See if we can delve into the physical structure of the Lithians and see what we can work out from there. Of course, I'm an engineer, not a scientist, but my metallurgical skills would need only a brushing up."

Edwards straightens up in his chair, "What happened when the anomaly was first created? Did it just pop out of nowhere?"

Balin says "Ensign Tyler has hypothesized that it was a temporal accident. The equivalent of a warp core breach. And, to address Mr. Ghorev's issue, I'm not sure that it would do much good without a Lithian. All we have are shards."

Ghorev says "Sir, as I see it, part of the strengths the Lithians have is that mutation they inflict on dead carbon-based life forms. If we can study the shards, perhaps at the very least we can find a way around the mutation angle and they lose numbers."

Balin says "We've studied the shards since we got them. Ensign Tyler's analysis is available to you for review. But you're welcome to re-analyze them in case she missed something."

Edwards umms, "You know, I just thought of something. Doesn't Wendy speak with the artifact? Can't she just ask it why it likes her so much?"

Ghorev says "She's pretty emotional fragile, Michael. That knowledge might ... hurt."

Balin states, "She knows. Mr. Ghorev's assessment was correct. The artifact imprinted on her during its earliest development and believes that Ensign Tyler is the creature's mother."

Edwards ohs, "Well that doesn't help at all." He slouches back in his chair. "Does it know anything about the Lithians?"

"I'm not sure," says the Commander.

Ghorev considers all this. And sinks into quiet thought.

Edwards suggests, "Maybe Leftenant Ghorev and I could have a question and answer session with the artifact, via Wendy Tyler, sir."

Ghorev says "It *did* answer me directly. Though obliquely."

Balin nods. "Perhaps that will not be a bad idea. What should we do with Mr. Evans?"

Ghorev says "It *is* a serious offense."

Edwards shrugs a little, "Reprimand sounds about right to me, sir."

Balin drums his fingers across the table. "It is serious. However, he's done us quite a favor, though, if you ask me. This is a serious bit of intelligence. Especially since Bailey wants it for herself. That means DTI was going to have her bring it back, unless she was acting alone. Or under other orders."

Ghorev nods and sighs. "Well, you could always give him a verbal reprimand, and then assign him without comment in record to a week of waste reclamation."

Edwards comments, "I wouldn't trust Bailey further than I could throw the station."

"Computer," states the commander. "Make three backups of this information and encrypt it using the Lurian encryption scheme Alpha Three Six Two. Distribute one to Balin, Tarsis; Edwards, Michaell; and Ghorev, Akeen. Erase logs of all three transactions and this request, authorization Balin Delta Four Four Eight Blue."

Ghorev adds, quietly, "Sir? Perhaps a verbal reprimand and assign him to the refresher class?"

Edwards nods and gestures toward Ghorev, "That one sounds fair to me, Commander."

Balin nods several times. "All right. When you get to your quarters, I want you to download the information onto isolinear chips. Put them in safe places. Mr. Ghorev, please make sure that there is no record of those transactions." He reaches across the table and picks up the original. "I'm going to give this one to Agent Bailey. To find out what she wants with it. And I'll take your recommendations for Evans under advisement." He sounds tired, suddenly. "This isn't my type of war, gentlemen."

Edwards nods slowly, "I know how you feel, sir." Hesitantly, he throws some more fuel onto the fire, "Sir, Mr. Evans' discovery aboard the future Aegis wasn't the only one made."

Balin frowns and looks to Mr. Edwards. "Report," he says. Speaking of reports, nobody has filed a single one about that trip.

Edwards offers a more personal report, "Shortly before we appeared in the future, it seems that Sinclaire's troops and some Romulans got in a firefight in the Aegis' computer core. Judging from the fact that all the corpses elsewhere were a year old, I'd say that we can be pretty certain that they weren't a part of that timeline. Anyway, the artifact was gone. Agent Bailey said that it wasn't in that time anymore. Evidence suggests that the Romulans took it."

Balin stares at Edwards and blinks several times.

Ghorev murmurs something about 'all the corpses' and looks away.

Edwards holds up three fingers, "Now there are three artifacts out there. One for us, one for Sinclaire and one for the Romulans."

"By the holy rings, Michael," the Betazoid says in quiet disbelief. "Please tell me you are joking."

Edwards shakes his head and comments soberly, "We can only hope that the artifact isn't cooperative. Otherwise..."

Ghorev says "I hadn't made hte logical leap of faith that the Romulans came back to *this* time with it, Sir, but he's otherwise dealing only in observed facts."

Balin throws up his hands. "Well, that's just /perfect/." He instantly starts heading towards the door. "I have to contact Starfleet Command. I wonder how long they're going to let me keep my post," he can be heard as he walks out the door.

Ghorev says "Sir."

Balin pauses at the door and looks back. "Yes?" he asks quickly.

Ghorev says "Due respect to you abilities and to Starfleet Command, there's no reasonable way to expect you to prevent crimes inmultiple timelines without having the full resourcs of, say, DTI. We are not a timefleet. We are a *Starfleet*. We do our best. YOU do YOUR best. Starfleet Command has no call to second-guess you on that. Unless you are held personally responsible to cultivate Romulan intelligence assets, and personally direct trips through time."

Edwards turns his chair around, so he can adds, "Besides, we'll get it back, Commander. That's a promise."

Balin points at the window to the hind quarter of the Aegis parked out there. "That ship is part of DTI's time fleet, Mr. Ghorev, and we /do/ have resources of DTI. Whether you think so or not, it will all fall on me. Likely, they'll... They'll send in a specialist to replace me." He turns and walks out, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Edwards remarks dryly, "A Bailey-clone to command the station? Shoot me now."

Ghorev frowns. "Right. Because clearly it's our fault, and his, that he can't cast a telempathic net wide enough to read the mind of every Romulan in creation. It's our fault, and his, that he can't police every instant that ever was or will be to make sure someone can't leap there. I don't mind a Commander having an ego, but I think Commander Balin's just got a little self-destructive."

Edwards rises from his seat and shrugs, "I won't worry about it. Can't see them replacing him."

Ghorev says "No, but, Michael, we honestly didn't deserve that tantrum. None of us would have gotten away with it and rank doesn't have that kind of privilege. Of course, I'm the cold-blooded rotter who can trip over his own corpse and marvel at the haircut. So what do I know?"

Edwards shakes his head a bit, "Don't worry about it, Ake. I think all of us just need to relax. This whole thing is going to give us ulcers if we don't."

Ghorev rises from his seat. "I can't get ulcers." He looks out the port at the Aegis. "But perhaps it's time to start."

Edwards turns around and peers out of the same port, "Maybe we should take it for a joyride. Think they'll let us?"

Ghorev says "We have to go pick up supplies anyway."

Edwards nods once, "Joyride it is, then." He starts off toward the exit.

Ghorev follows, after a moment.

[The next day, at the Senior Officer's Meeting]

Edwards is seated in his usual chair, with a dataPADD in front of him. Currently, he quietly reads from the PADD, as there isn't a whole lot else he can do alone in the ward room.

Ghorev takes is own usual seat quietly, sipping something steamy from a hot mug.

Edwards glances over toward Ghorev and inquires, "Wanna place any bets on who'll make it tonight?"

Ghorev says, "I'll bet that you and I will be here."

McAnally steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind her.

McAnally has arrived.

Ghorev says, "Damn, there went the opportunity to get some good odds."

Edwards slouches in his chair, "Not much of a high roller, are you?"

McAnally arrives a bit early for the meeting, and takes her seet with a friendly smile and nod for everyone in attendance. "Good evening, Sirs."

Ghorev says, "Gretchen." He sips some of the steaming brew in his mug. "All quiet?"

"At present," McAnally replies.

Edwards greets, "Gretch." So he's a little slow tonight. "No explosions or other wayward chaos? Damn."

McAnally grins. "I'm afraid you'll have to make do with the excitement of the meeting, Sir."

Ghorev turns to Edwards. "I thought *you* were the wayward chaos?"

Edwards corrects Ghorev, "I'm direct chaos. There's a difference."

Dakin steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Dakin has arrived.

Dakin walks into the room from the corridor, silently nodding to everyone here and taking his seat with zero fanfare.

Duncan steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Duncan has arrived.

Duncan steps in and looks around briefly.

Edwards nods toward Dakin and pauses when he hears the door again. Turning his chair around, he looks to Duncan and offers the politest greeting he can come up with, "Who are you?"

Duncan approaches Lt Edwards. "Sorry to be late Lt, I've only just arrived on station recently and only just recieved notification that I was required to attend this staff meeting."

Ghorev sips at his mug. Looks a bit surprised himself.

The doors slide apart and in steps the Commander, followed by Ensign Tyler. "This is Agent Duncan, DTI, Mr. Edwards." He makes his way towards his chair, and Tyler meanders toward a chair and sits down in it. She fidgets nervously with a PADD. "We have little time and much to discuss, so we should get right down to business," he says. "As you know, several of our officers experienced a time shift, and were thrown six years into the future. Mr. Edwards, give us your report on this, please."

Duncan extends his hand to Lt Edwards "Mycroft Duncan, DTI."

McAnally looks up at Duncan with some surprise, but it quickly passes as the Commander arrives and broachces a topic which is likely to sweep other thoughts from one's mind.

Edwards uhs and shakes Duncan hand. "We got tossed into the future, sir." he reports. "Don't know how. And, to make a long story short, we found the 419 and the Aegis dead in space. The anomaly was gone. We investigated on the Aegis as we searched for some dilithium to repower our runabout. Everyone had been dead for a year, except for some Romulans and black suits in the computer core. The artifact was gone. Evidence suggests that the Romulans took it and transported to a different time period."

McAnally furrows her brow a little as Edwards speaks.

Dakin simply remains silent, fingers steepled before him.

Duncan finds a seat and quietly begins taking notes.

Ghorev listens intently, which might lead one who doesn't know any better to suspect he wasn't there.

Balin nods and looks up from his PADD to Tyler. "Ensign, please give us your report."

Tyler stands, clears her throat and moves to the display. She taps on it and it brings up an iconographic representation of the station, the runabout, and the Aegis. "S-sir," she says nervously. "At the exact same moment that the runabout went into its time warp, we registered a h-high level of chronal activity across the neutral zone, of a kind that is consistent with the artifact." She taps the screen and it displays a section of the Romulan NZ.

Dakin blinks. "So, if I'm understanding... it's likely the artifact from the future is in the present timeframe now? And in the Neutral Zone?"

Edwards comments, "Or in the Romulan Empire."

McAnally frowns again. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wasn't privy to this information before. What exactly /is/ the artifact?"

Tyler nods to Dakin's question. "Yes, sir," she says softly. "It promptly started moving toward Romulus. There is a v-very high probability that the R-r-romulans have an artifact, sir. I g-give it ninety-nine point six percent chance." She regards McAnally. "A silicon based life form, sir. It is a temporal entity, and is sentient."

Dakin addresses McAnally, "It's something we've been studying covertly for some time, Gretchen. Only senior officers are in the loop on this."

Ghorev says, "And even we're not entirely sure of everything," quietly. "But we're working on it."

McAnally lifts her eyebrows in surprise but otherwise says nothing, digesting the enormity of the revelation.

Tyler states softly, "Each day that passes, I learn more and more about its behavior, what it can do and how it works. The Romulans don't have the b-benefit of my experience."

Balin nods. "And they are working with a damaged artifact, according to intel that we have received."

Ghorev says, "Do *they* know that, Sir?"

Dakin frowns. "Prophets, I hope so... maybe it'll keep them from trying something idiotic with it."

Balin nods at Dakin's sentiment, then regards Ghorev. "We don't know what they know, yet. The Romulans know about the artifact - we have foiled various plots for them to obtain it. They also know we are experimenting with it. And they are putting enormous diplomatic pressure on the Federation, which in turn gets re-applied to me.. Starfleet Command cannot issue a statement of its outrage, because it would be the equivalent of us admitting we have one too."

Edwards sighs faintly, "You know... this artifact has caused us a lot of headaches, but it is still a living being. Who knows what the Romulans are going to do to it, if it's not already 'dead'."

Ghorev says, "My big concern rather reverses Rann's. I'm afraid they *won't* stop mucking with it, and damaged as it is, something could ... break." He looks up. "Ensign," to Tyler, "do we know if there's a given range in normal space past which any links between the artifact and the anomaly .. dies?"

Tyler shakes her head. "No sir."

Balin steeples his fingers and leans forward. "Is that no, we don't know if there is a limit, or no, there is no limit?"

Tyler says softly, "There is no limit, sir."

Ghorev says, "And any link between multiple copies of the artifact itself?"

McAnally merely listens silently, as up until now she wasn't even aware of the artifact's existence.

Ghorev sips at his steaming mug of whatever.

Tyler says, "What do you mean by 'link', sir?"

Ghorev says, "I don't know. That's why I phrased it so ... generically. I suppose I'm trying to determine whether there's a possibility that their damaged artifact might cause problems with ours."

Dakin frowns. "So as long as it's still alive... if that's even a consideration... the Romulans can experiment and make use of it no matter where they are. This does not bode well."

Ghorev says, "Because, and I think I speak for us all, that's the last thing we need on top of everything else, is for our artifact to start having sympathetic 'pains'."

Tyler shakes her head. "It shouldn't present any p-problem with operational status, sir," she says. "It should be able to exist and operate concurrently with other artifacts."

Edwards leans forward in his chair, "Can it trace itself? Pinpoint its double's location?"

Duncan perks up at the thought.

Tyler shakes her head. "I d-don't know, I've never had the opportunity to experiment with that sort of thing," she says. "After all, we've only g-got one artifact in this timeline." She doesn't mention the Dark Aegis because she's programmed to forget it, not because she's hiding something.

The young science officer adds, "Until now."

Ghorev says, "Then maybe it's time we started? You can, by Borva, be sure that the Romulans won't pass up the chance to experiment the other way around."

Edwards snaps his fingers and points at Tyler, "We need to find out. Getting that artifact out of the hands of the Romulans has to be a priority."

Balin nods. "Indeed. This could seriously undermine our alliance with the Romulan Empire at a time when we need it most," he states.

Ghorev says, "Do we have intelligence on which given faction is responsible, Sir?"

Balin shakes his head. "We haven't got a shred of anything other than what you brought back from the future and the research that Ensign Tyler has come up with."

Dakin nods. "Given that the Romulans seem to require our aid against the Dominion as much as the reverse is true, I doubt the Imperial Senate's involved... maybe a renegade element?"

Balin glances to Dakin. "I wouldn't put it past the Tal'Shiar."

Dakin nods to the commander. "Point taken, sir."

Edwards nods at Balin's words, "They've shown that they have no qualms with fighting with us."

Ghorev says, "Any chance we know of any sympathetic elements in the current government that might be willing to have a covert meeting and ... well, hear us out on the dangers?"

Balin glances to Ghorev. "Who did you have in mind? Mekara? Mr. Jolvan? They're patriots."

Ghorev says, "Which is why I asked if we knew of anyone more sympathetic, sir. If we don't, we don't, but if we do, we might as well not turn aside the idea."

Edwards shakes his head, "No offense, but I seriously doubt that reasoning with the Romulans will work. We need to find the artifact and remove it ourselves."

Balin says "That will be a delicate matter, considering our current relationship."

Edwards comments, "Nothing says delicate like a phaser on heavy stun."

Ghorev says, "It will be hard enough crossing the Neutral Zone on a retrieval, Michael, without someone greasing the track for us."

Tyler offers, "If I can g-get the artifact to find.. itself.. We w-won't have to worry about it."

Dakin resists the urge to grin at Edwards' comment. Then to Ghorev, "Agreed. Which means if the Federation does have a sympathetic ear with the Empire, we need to find that someone or someones and fast..." He blinks to Tyler. "How do you figure, Ensign?"

The young human girl says, "If it can f-find its displaced counterpart, sir, we can tr-travel directly to it using the artifact itself. M-much the way you traveled in time, we can use to travel across sp-space too."

Edwards nods a little, "Galaxy's greatest transporter."

Duncan looks up at Tylers statement and offers "There is the possibility that the artifact is completely unaware that anything is missing. From its point of view the flow of time that we preceive is non-existant. So first you'll need to convince it that something is wrong I would think."

Tyler nods. "It m-may take some time," she says to the command staff.

Ghorev says, "I don't suppose it can 'see' the area it's sending us to in advance?"

Tyler shakes her head. "N-not really," she says to Ghorev. "It can sometimes get finnicky."

Dakin nods. "Last thing we want to do is arrive on the business ends of several Romulan disruptors."

Edwards doesn't seem bothered by that, "It wouldn't be fun if it did. I bet you'd get a real adrenaline rush from wondering if you're about to pop into a room full of armed Romulans."

Ghorev says, "Which means we might want to gather intel on what kind of place the Romulans *would* use for such storage and experimentation, just so we have some general idea of what to expect." To Balin: "Any way we can get a specialist on Romulan special operations from Starfleet Command to give us some possible scenarios for training?"

Balin nods. "I will see what I can do. Mr. Tyler, thank you for your report. Report to my ready room for our conference with Starfleet Command." Balin pushes up from the table as the young science officer heads out the door. "We have a subspace conference to attend. I want suggestions on my desk the first thing in the morning."

Balin and Tyler leave the Ward Room.

Dakin nods in understanding to Balin. "Understood, sir."

McAnally sits back in her chair, looking rather dumbfounded, still apparently trying to make sense of what she's heard.

Ghorev says, "Michael, we might want to start considering who would *go* on such a rescue op. Or, failing that, if we have any other options."

Edwards replies, "Me, some security officers, and Ensign Tyler if we have to worry about that thing frying us."

Dakin nods. "I'll see who I can free up. I myself would like to be present if there're no objections."

Ghorev coughs politely. "Do we have enough security officers cleared for this?"

Edwards nods to Dakin, "Could always use the best." Back to Ghorev, he responds, "Well Mr. Havaris has already been fried by the artifact once. Ensign Vespasian was there too."

McAnally looks up at the rest and says firmly, "I'll go. I'd have to be brought up to speed on it, but if I can be of use, then count me in."

Duncan looks directly at Lt Edwards. "If I may offer, I would be interested in helping on this mission. I'm handy with a phaser and I have a few skills that might come in handy."

Edwards inquires, "How are you with a phaser, Gretch?" As he waits for a response from her, he eyes Duncan warily, "You a team player?"

McAnally says "Fairly decent, Sir. I've been meaning to run some training programs in the Holosuite. This seems the perfect time."

Duncan nods at Edwards, "I've become a team player by nesessity. Lt."

Edwards nods slowly, "Well, obviously this won't be a slapdash thing, and everyone will be considered. Let's just hope that the mission is doable."

Dakin nods. "Michael, if I may interject, I had a question regarding the artifact..."

McAnally nods to Edwards, and then shifts her attention to the Security Chief.

Dakin says "You may have read my report that I experienced something rather unusual during my shift guarding the Artifact. I was simply wondering if such an occurrence was at all common when in close proximity to it."

Edwards uhs, "All I can say on that matter is that I've found that the artifact enjoys bouncing me through time."

Dakin nods. "Ah. Then it isn't uncommon. Never mind then."

Ghorev says, "I myself experienced such a thing. It projected me ... let's say, sideways."

Dakin says "Sideways?"

Bailey steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind her.

Bailey has arrived.

Edwards remarks, "At least it didn't go for inside out."

Ghorev says, "Not quite backwards. An alternate backwards."

Duncan nods to bailey and indicates an empty chair.

Dakin nods in semi-apprehension then nods once to the arriving Bailey.

Bailey nods back to Dunca and takes a seat in that empty chair, giving the Starfleet officers a brief and very faint smile of greetings... except for Edwards, of course.

Edwards offers a vaguely annoyed look of greeting for Bailey. His attention quickly shifts back to encompass everyone at the table, "Anything else?"

Dakin shakes his head. "Only that I'm awaiting results of a photo array I'mhaving Ensign Leah do for Ensign Dade. We're hoping she can identify whoever it was she saw leave the lab."

Ghorev says, "Michael, there's the matter of the need to schedule both a supply run and ... other use, for USS Aegis."

McAnally gives Ghorev a small smile for bringing this up and nods. "Its usage has been approved, and it only remains to staff the missions."

Edwards nods at that, "Two birds, one stone?"

Duncan makes a note on his padd during the long pause.

Ghorev says, "I suppose so. However, we might want to make the supply run first, just in case."

Edwards responds, "All right. Gretch, if you could set everything up for me?"

McAnally nods, then adds, "Just to be clear - we are doing the supply run first before the... investigation?"

Bailey simply folds her hands in front of her on the table, glancing to Duncan. Her gaze moves to Ghorev then, whom she watches a few long moments before glancing away.

Dakin nods to McAnally. "That's how I understand it."

Ghorev says, "I should think that would be best, given our need." Noticing Bailey's gaze after a moment, he returns it with a quizzical glance before asking, "Something to add, Agent Bailey?"

Edwards confirms, "Supplies first. We won't be able to do anything if we all starve."

Bailey shakes her head in the negative and replies to Ghorev softly, "No, Lieutenant."

McAnally nods. "I'll make the necessary arrangements and notify you when we have returned."

Ghorev says, "If it's just a milk-run, as we used to call it, I can handle the engineering section for this. Or assign Nevaren to do it, which ever you prefer."

McAnally smiles at Ghorev, "I'll leave that decision up to you, Lieutenant. I know your department is currently understaffed."

Edwards hmms briefly, "I'd rather have you handle this personally, Ake. If you can't, Nevaren will work in a pinch."

Duncan turns to Dakin and asks quietly. "when would be a good time to schedule some time in the phaser practice range?"

Ghorev says, "'In a pinch'? Michael, I must be blunt and admit that when it comes to warp drives, Nevaren's better than I am. My specialties are .. elsewhere."

Dakin looks over to Duncan. "The holodecks in the Dream Factory in the station's Mall are used for that... they're accessible at any time, although Holodeck Two is currently shut down."

Duncan nods "yes, I'd heard about that, any progress yet?"

Edwards nods a bit, "I know that, Ake. But, milk-run or not, someone with seniority has to be out there. When's the last time any mission around here went smoothly?"

Dakin shakes his head. "Sciences would be the department to ask."

Duncan smiles, "yes, thats true, sorry, curiosity gets the better of me sometimes."

Edwards stands up from his seat and glances about at everyone, "If there's nothing else..."

"Not until we return from our... milk run, Sir," says McAnally.

Dakin shakes his head and starts to push his chair away from the table.

Ghorev says, "I might a better time on the admiral's visit for the temporal ethics class."

Dakin frowns to himself slightly.

McAnally asks Ghorev, "Has any specific date been named for that yet?"

Edwards makes a face, "I forgot all about that. This is gonna be great. But, realistically, I don't think there would ever be a good time for an admiral to come here."

Ghorev says, "I've heard nothing on it. I'll be handling the classroom set up myself. It's simple enough that I can use it as the opportunity to give some folks cross-training as requested. So ask around to see if any of your people want some simple brush-up in structural engineering and ODN routing, and they can be assigned me for a few hours."

Dakin nods in fervent agreement with Edwards.

Ghorev shrugs in Edwards' direction. "Depends on the Admiral, I should think. Of course, I don't need to take the refresher course, but clearly it might be worthwhile to pick the Admiral's brains."

McAnally says, "I might take you up on that myself, Lt. Ghorev, if I have the time."

Bailey smirks slightly at Edwards' remark, looking down to the PADD she brought with her to enter something in.

Ghorev says, "Excellent."

Edwards grabs his PADD from the table and comments, "Personally, I'd rather not have to deal with anyone associated with Command. Usually, when you have to, that means something's gone wrong." With a vague gesture, he pronounces, "You're all dismissed."

Accolon steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Accolon has arrived.

Ghorev is starting to rise, as are, he should think, most folks.

Dakin starts to rise, nodding to Accolon as he arrives.

Duncan stands up and puts his padd away.

McAnally is indeed rising and tucking her chair under the table.

Accolon lifts his head up to see everyone standing from the table. He nods to everyone, glancing around. "Hi. How is everyone." He asks with a smile and moves around to a seat.

Edwards starts to move away from the table, until he notices Accolon. "You're kinda late." he observes.

Bailey rises from her seat as well, perking an eyebrow as Accolon arrives.

Ghorev pushes away from the table. "Gretchen, if you need more detail on the consumables Engineering will need on the supply run, you know where to find me."

McAnally nods. "Aye, Sir." Including the other superior officers in her nod, she makes her way out and back towards Operations.

McAnally heads out of the ward room, the doors sliding shut behind her.

McAnally has left.

Accolon, realizing that the meeting is over, leaves as well.

Accolon heads out of the ward room, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Accolon has left.

Dakin says to Edwards before he leaves, "I'll get you the photo ID results as soon as Morgan submits them. Be seeing you."

Dakin heads out of the ward room, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Dakin has left.

Bailey heads out of the ward room, the doors sliding shut behind her.

Bailey has left.

Ghorev takes his mug and places it in the replicator's reclamation slot, then returns to the table for his PADD.

Edwards glances toward Ghorev and finally asks, "So what was it?"

Ghorev says, "What was what?"

Edwards indicates the replicator with his PADD.

Ghorev says, "Oh." He shrugs. "Browndubble. It's a brew of mashed spices and berries from my homeworld. I guess you'd compare it to coffee, or more like hot cocoa, I suppose, since it's more of an evening pleasure drink than a stimulant."

Balin steps through the doors and heads back toward the table. "Well that could have gone better," he says as he sits down.

Edwards ohs. His attention turns to the Commander and he frowns a bit, "Didn't get replaced, did you, sir?"

"Three months," says the Commander as he straightens his jumpsuit in the chair. "We have three months to fix this. And, we have new orders. Orders, gentlemen, that you are not going to like."

Ghorev takes his seat again, then. "Well, statements like that always get my attention."

Edwards shoots a look at Ghorev briefly before retaking his own seat. "Just please don't be what I think it is." he mutters.

Balin steeples his fingers under his chin, his elbows on the arm rests of his chair. "Mr. Edwards, reassemble the senior officers, if their duties permit."

Duncan looks up from some calculations that have had him deeply absorbed. "Perhaps I should leave Cmdr, or do you think an outside perspective would be helpful?"

Edwards taps his comm badge, "Lieutenant Edwards to Lieutenant Dakin."

Over Edwards' comm badge, someone says, "Dakin here."

Balin looks in Duncan direction and nods. "Agent Duncan, I have to ask that you remain, unless you have more pressing business."

Into his comm badge, Edwards says, "Come on back, Rann."

From Edwards's comm badge, Dakin says, "Copy that. Dakin out."

Edwards's comm badge ends its transmission.

Edwards tries contacting the other senior officers, who apparently can't make it.

Duncanpulls out a second padd and puts the first one back down on the table at his earlier place. "Nothing pressing, am currently at loose ends right now. Esentially I am at your disposal."

Dakin steps into the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Dakin has arrived.

Dakin strides back into the room and retakes his seat.

Duncan pulls out his chair and re-seats himself.

Ghorev is already reseated, looking expectantly at Commander Balin.

The Commander doesn't beat around the Bolian palm tree. Once his Security chief is seated, he says, "We've been ordered to work with a specialist, or a team of specialists. From our twin sister USS Aegis."

Edwards prepares to be all reactive and ends up respond with... "Huh?"

Dakin resists the urge to let his jaw drop. "With Sinclaire's people?"

Ghorev clearly couldn't, in a million years, expect formal orders like that, and simply asks, "What?"

Surprise is the only word that describes the look on Duncan's face.

"Since she already obviously has people on this, we /apparently/ share interest in this regard. We have been ordered to try and establish contact with her, inform her of current events, and work /together/ to try and bring this to a satisfactory end." The Betazoid's disgust at the prospect is obvious.

Ghorev says, "Sir, perhaps I'm a little unclear on the issue of Starfleet Regulations in this matter," -- in fact, he looks totally stunned, as well as angry -- "but is an order to ally oneself with wanted criminals and continue to provide opportunity for them to violate the Temporal Prime Directive a legal order?"

Edwards can't even comprehend this enough to freak out. The proper words, or at least words that wouldn't get him court martialed, just don't come to mind.

Dakin waits for the answer to Ghorev's question before commenting further.

"Mr. Ghorev," the Commander says, "They've made it a legal order. They have formally dropped all charges against Sinclaire for /lack of evidence/."

Edwards holds up a hand and manages to speak, "Sir, if I may?"

Balin leans back and looks up. "By all means, Michael."

Dakin just sighs.

Ghorev just ... leans back in his seat. Stunned.

Edwards ponders his words, trying to choose them carefully, and settles on, "With all due respect, sir... I think everyone at Starfleet Command has gone completely insane. I'm not sure whether I should resign or just run around the Mall like a chicken with his head cut off and start ranting."

Balin leans forward. "Welcome to command of Four One Nine, Mr. Edwards, you have now walked in my shoes. It's been this way since that thing appeared out there," he says. "I've been shouting at Admirals for the past hour. I've tried everything I know - even so far to call in some personal favors. It boils down to, we do it, or we are /all/ transferred. And that /will not/ happen - we're on the front of a war out here, a war that is as rotten as the heart of Starfleet Command. Sometimes I think we're the last of our kind. War has brought out the worst in the Federation."

Dakin considers silently for a moment, then speaks. "Do we have location on the Dark Aegis, Commander."

Balin shakes his head.

Ghorev looks, quietly, to be boiling over on this one. Well, at least simmering. He says nothing, yet. Just sits there, silently, a contained ball of cerulean energy.

Edwards sighs and runs a hand through his hair absently, "But you know... there's an old Earth expression. Better the devil you know. While I hate Sinclaire and what she does as much as anyone, if the Tal'Shiar perfects time travel..."

Dakin nods to Edwards. "Yeah. Can we use the artifact to transport us there like the time we went after Bela?"

The Commander nods. "Yes. We can."

Edwards fiddles with his PADD absently as he thinks. "Sir, I'd like to request that I be put in charge of this mission." he states.

Duncan quietly absorbs the revelations that seem to be falling like rain around him.

Balin looks from his hands to the human. "Tell me why you're volunteering, Mr. Edwards."

Edwards looks over the faces of his friends and the fellow he just met. "I know Sinclaire. She knows me. We both don't agree the others methods. But we both understand that the galaxy will be made in the Romulans' image and our ideals will cease to matter if they're able to exploit that artifact." he replies.

Balin drums his fingers across the table once. Twice. Then sighs heavily. "Mr. Ghorev," he says softly so as not to uncork him too suddenly. "I would appreciate my Chief Engineer's input."

Ghorev says, very quietly, surprisingly so, "Legal trickery and bureaucratic slight of hand be damned. They are criminals. No court need declare them such. The fact that Starfleet Command is willing to bend over backwards to absolve and accomodate them means we have fallen. I don't think it matters at this point what the Romulans do, because Starfleet Command is bluntly telling us that they are willing to allow even the most vile transgressions against the thing we hold most dear in order to preserve the outward trappings of the Federation." He sits up, straighter now, and only now is it clear how tight his grip is on the edge of his chair. "I think I need to know whether there were any of my people involved in this decision, because if so, that's an Andorian who is going to be called quickly to the linens and it'll be one less vote of that particular Shadow Court."

Duncan looks pained at the mention of the quadrant remade in the romulan image. "They have tried before, and I doubt they are above trying again. The Department has repetedly defended this timeline against incursions that they have fumblingly purpitrated.

Duncan says "With the artifact in their hands, even defending against the things they've done will be come unlikely at best."

Balin nods at Ghorev's sentiment. "Believe me when I tell you that I am as angry at this development as you are, Mr. Ghorev. And trust me when I tell you that this is a /temporary/ alliance."

Edwards nods slowly, "If Starfleet Command doesn't allow us to pursue our activities against Sinclaire after this is over then... I'm done. I'll be handing in my resignation."

Ghorev asks back "Does that make it better or worse, Sir, that we're now willing to forgive them for as long as we need them? We've become mercenaries, if that's the case. I'll .... I think I may need to speak to you privately, or to a counselor about this, because .... frankly, I can't do it. And this is *not* coming from someone who has lost much to Sinclaire. Yet. There are many people on this station who have been hurt worse by her. This is purely a moral decision."

The commander watches Ghorev and he sighs again when the Andorian is finished. "Mr. Ghorev, you are excused from the mission. You are dismissed."

Ghorev rises, taking his PADD, "Aye, sir." And he heads for the door.

Duncan watches Ghorev's back as he exits the room.

Dakin simply exhales as he watches Ghorev leave.

Edwards watches Ghorev head out in silence.

Balin looks between the two officers remaining and asks, "Does anyone else have anything better to do than to march up and down the square?"

Edwards replies, "Sorry, sir... I don't get the reference."

Dakin quirks an eyebrow.

"Never mind. An anecdote about stupid orders, is all," states the Commander. "Mr. Dakin, you will make initial contact. Alone. If we send in a large contingent, I think it will be perceived as an attack. Mr. Dakin is head of security, and this, to me, falls right within his jurisdiction."

Dakin nods. "Understood, sir. Is armament permitted?"

Edwards observes, "Armament isn't really necessary."

Balin agrees, nodding. "Mr. Edwards is right. Under usual circumstances. But these circumstances are far from usual. I want Mr. Dakin to at least have something. Type I only, Mr. Dakin."

Dakin nods. "Understood, sir."

Duncan says "Do you think a representitive of the DTI would lend any more creedance to the "rescending" of charges against them?"

Balin shakes his head. "I don't think so. In the past they've aided us in time of distress. Mr. Dakin will be able to convey our intent well enough alone. We'll see where it goes from there and decide on a further course of action."

Edwards studies his PADD for the time being as he doesn't seem to have anything else to offer to the discussion.

Duncan 's dissapointment is not quite readily apparent. "understood Cmdr."

"Dismissed. Mr. Dakin, I'll brief you before your trip to the Aegis. Mr. Edwards, keep your chair, please." The Commander looks to his PADD and reviews something on it while he waits for the Bajoran and Trill to make their way out.

Dakin nods. "Aye, sir." He then rises from his chair and walks out.

Edwards stops staring at his PADD and waits in his seat silently.

Duncan stands from his chair gathering his padds. "Gentlemen..." and walks to the door.

Balin says "Thank you, Agent Duncan."

Duncan says "As I said earlier sir, I'm at your disposal."

Edwards nods toward the DTI Agent politely.

Duncan nods back at Edwards.

Duncan heads out of the ward room, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Duncan has left.

Balin tosses his PADD to the table in front of him. He wasn't really reading it anyway. "Do you know why I put Lt. Dakin on it instead of you?"

Edwards considers that, "Can't say that I do, sir. But I'm sure you had a good reason for it."

Balin nods several times. "I think you're a little too close to it. Mr. Dakin doesn't have the history you do with Sinclaire."

Edwards can't deny that, "He's a good officer. Keeps his cool, from what I've seen. I'm sure he'll be able to get the job down."

Balin nods. "Mr. Edwards, I wanted to talk to you about after this. You said if we are not allowed to pursue Sinclaire after this, that you would turn in your resignation. I want you to belay that."

Edwards frowns a bit, "Do you think they'd try to stop us from pursuing her, sir?"

Balin shrugs. "I'm not sure. But if they don't... I'm going to do it anyway."

Edwards offers a half-smile at that, "Well, sir... I joined Starfleet because I wanted to do good. To do the right thing. And I've found in the last year that even Starfleet doesn't do the right thing all the time. But, as long as we try, I'd like to stay."

Balin returns the smile. "I was hoping you would say that. Dismissed, Mr. Edwards."

Edwards nods and stands up, clutching his PADD, so he can make his way out.

[Some minutes later, outside the Level 1 Turbolift]

Dakin steps out of the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Dakin has arrived.

Dakin walks out of the room, exhaling a bit. Upon seeing Ghorev, he addresses him. "You all right?"

Duncan steps out of the ward room, and the door slides shut behind him.

Duncan has arrived.

Ghorev, reviewing data on the PADD near the turbolift, shakes his head somewhat at Dakin. "No."

Dakin nods and heads for the lift. "Be seeing you then."

Dakin touches the pad beside the turbolift door.

Dakin summons the turbolift.

The turbolift doors slide open with a hiss.

Dakin boards the turbolift as the double doors slide open.

Dakin has left.

The turbolift doors slide closed.

Ghorev takes the turbolift, as well.

Ghorev summons the turbolift.

The turbolift doors slide open with a hiss.

Duncan takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

Ghorev boards the turbolift as the double doors slide open.

Duncan steps onto the turbolift at Deck 1.

Duncan has arrived.

The doors slide closed.

Ghorev says, "You first. I'm going clear to the other end of the station."

Duncan says "Level 18."

The computer confirms entry with a chime and the turbolift starts to move toward Level 18.

The doors slide open at Level 18.

Duncan says "A question if I may?"

Ghorev says, "Go ahead."

Duncan asks, "The restaurant in the mall, How is their food? I understand that they really do fresh prepaired dishes?"

Ghorev says, "They can, if that is your preference, but not right now, since our supplies of non-replicated consumables are low."

Duncan looks wistful. "I havent had real food in months."

Duncan says "Anyway, thanks, I'll not hold you any further."

Ghorev says, "You can next week, I should think, once we restock."

Duncan nods. "I'll probably offer to help offload the cargo." and laughs quietly.

Ghorev nods. "Just so. Good evening."

Duncan steps out of the turbolift.

Duncan has left.

The doors slide closed.

Ghorev says, "Engineering."

[Some minutes later in the Chief of Engineering's Office...]

Edwards steps into the office from Engineering.

Edwards has arrived.

Ghorev is seated at his office desk, reading over some reports.

Edwards wanders through the entrance and remarks, "Knock knock."

Ghorev says, "Come on in."

Edwards moves closer to the desk and questions, "Anything interesting?"

Ghorev says, "No, just busy work. Tring to clear my head."

Edwards nods a bit, "All right. Didn't want to interrupt or anything, but... I just wanted to make sure you didn't snap and go on a rampage in the middle of the Mall with a phaser rifle."

Ghorev says, "I don't like phaser rifles. I'd use my bare hands."

Ghorev says this without looking up, actually, from the PADD, at least at first. Then he does look up, and he's not entirely kidding.

Edwards chuckles weakly, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. You know, in case you do snap. You don't think you will, do you?"

Ghorev says, "I don't know, frankly. The Commander's given me a reprieve by not including me on this mission, but I can only be pushed so far on this. Starfleet Command's amnesty doesn't make them not-criminals, Michael."

Edwards replies, "You're talking to a second generation lawman, Ake. I know something about criminals."

Ghorev says, "I am sixth generation Starfleet, Michael. My family's never been *very* distinguished, but there's been a Dovoro --- my second father's family -- in Starfleet since Constitution class ships were still on the drawing board. They're mostly diplomats and economic analysts. The Prime Directive is what you might call gospel to us. Gospel. This is beyond wrong."

Edwards furrows his brow slightly in thought as he moves to look out at the main engineering room through the aluminum window. "Well..." he responds carefully, "I don't know what to say. I mean, we all have our values and our beliefs. But what does that mean in the long run? Nothing. The universe keeps on spinning and people keep on doing whatever they think is right and everyone else can be damned."

Ghorev says, "Remember I told you that I was reading Earth drama to understand Sinclaire, Starfleet Command, and the rest of them? 'A Man for All Seasons', I think I told you I was reading?"

Edwards glances back and nods, "The man who gets stepped on for what holding to his morals, right?"

Ghorev says, "Right."

Ghorev says, "Hold on while I find the ... hrm ... " He fiddles with his PADD. "Ah ... here it is."

Edwards holds on and expectantly awaits the passage.

Ghorev looks up and explains: "Sir Thomas has resigned the 2nd most powerful position in England in order to protest what his conscience will not let him accept. HIs best friend, the Duke of Norfolk, the third most powerful man in England, says to him:"

Ghorev says, "'Does this make sense? You'll forfeit all you've got -- which includes the respect of your country -- for a theory?'"

Ghorev says, "And More replies: 'The Apostolic Succession of the Pope is *not* a ---- well, why, it's a theory, yes. You can't see it. You can't touch it. Yes, it *is* a theory. But what matters to me, Howard, is not whether it's true or not but that I believe it to be true. Or, rather, not that I *believe* it, but that *I* believe it. ... I trust I make myself obscure?'"

Ghorev says, "And that's what I feel, Michael. The Prime Directive ... is a theory. Against a fully charged phaser array, it is as meaningless as air. But its meaning is not in what force it can bring to bear but what it is meant to prevent."

Edwards nods slowly, taking that it, and replies, "You believe in the Prime Directive. You accept it as gospel. Any tampering would weigh on your conscience. Working with those who violate it would weigh on your conscience. I understand that. But what about my conscience? Balin's conscience? Rann's conscience?"

Ghorev says, "What about them? They do not weigh on MY decision not to accept this."

Edwards nods, "True enough. But what happens when we disagree? Is that going to be it? We just disagree?"

Ghorev says, "Disagree ... about your decision to accept them? I can accept that you accept them, Michael, if you do. It would be your decision to assist their methods, or look the other way, that I would condemn."

Edwards replies, "What I think now, in this matter, is that it would be better to work with them than to allow the Romulans unfettered access to history. That's what I believe now. I know I would never condone Sinclaire's methods. I believe that her methods make her worse than the Lithians. Not because she tampers with time, but because she's a human being and will stoop to any level to fulfill her obsession, including murder."

Ghorev says, "I think that, once again, we are letting Sinclaire, and Starfleet COmmand, make this a binary proposition: accept her methods, or fail. I resent that. And if there *is* an Andorian admiral involved in this decision making, I am going to kill him."

Edwards states flatly, "I don't think it matters. I don't think anyone is going to get out of here alive with a clear conscience."

Ghorev says, "We already know I'm not. So I suppose that gives me the freedom of the condemned man living on borrowed time."

Edwards replies, "Nobody is. If that future comes to pass, we all die."

Ghorev shrugs. "Anyway, I'm going to finish these reports, and then ... well, we'll see if I can find any blue skin in the moral quagmire that started this."

Edwards nods a little, "Keep thinking of a way to rig the simulator, will you?" That said, he turns and heads out of the office.

Ghorev nods grimly.

Edwards walks out of the office and into the bustle of Engineering.

Edwards has left.

Ghorev sighs as the other man departs, and eyes his PADD, still flashing the quotation from that highly appropriate play. He forwards a bit and continues to read aloud to the otherwise empty office, "And what would you do with a water spaniel that was afraid of water? You'd drown it! Well as a water spaniel is to water, so is a man to his own self. I will not give in because I oppose it -- *I* do -- not my pride, not my spleen, nor any other of my appetites but *I* do -- *I*! Is there no sinew in the midst of all this that serves no *appetite* of Norfolk's but is simply Norfolk? There is!? Then give *that* some exercise, my Lord!" And then he sets the PADD down, and holds his head in his hands for a very long time.