Chapter 18
"It's a trap Meng! How can you not see that?!" Brandon shouted. "This is a bad idea, you'll show up and they'll arrest you."
"And if they do, everything is already in motion. My arrest will not stop the progress of anything." Meng said calmly. The strike, the boycotts, everything had snowballed very quickly with only a small push now and then from him. Word of mouth and sympathy had done far more than his speeches ever could. "It's worth the risk Brandon."
Brandon growled, he actually growled at Meng, and then stormed out of the room. Lana looked from the door to Meng uncomfortably, "It could be a trap you know." she said quietly.
"Arresting me would only make their situation worse." Meng said. "They know that as well as we do. It would make me some sort of martyr and they don't want that anymore than I do."
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Freya, Hapsberg and the young engineer were huddled together looking over the computer. They talked quickly and every once in awhile the translator was unable to keep up with the alien's tongue. The three of them would laugh together when this happened before returning their attention to the computer screen.
"We've never encountered this kind of technology." Freya said, with awe in her voice. "It's incredible."
"If it works it will be incredible." Hapsberg said, she looked at the engineer and shrugged. "No offense but this wasn't intended for a human being, I don't know that I'm willing to put Mr. Ice through yet another surgery with such a risk."
"I understand." she nodded. "I just want to help, your crew has been very kind to us, I wish to help." she looked past them toward where her younger sister looked on disapprovingly. "It is not our way but I think it is yours..."
"We could leave it up to Julian." Freya ventured.
Hapsberg mulled the options over. "We'll be at the space port in a few hours; there's no way we can do this before you and your people leave though."
"This research...this information...is for you. You can use it anytime you like." she said. "I would be no good in your operating room anyway. I am engineer."
"Thank you." Freya said. "Thank you for the information, I hope we can put it to use. But even if we can't it was very kind of you."
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Several people had gathered around the viewports as the ship approached the large sprawling space port. The port spanned over space like an intergalactic thoroughfare and there were dozens of ships; though the Ark was by far one of the largest. "Wow." Freya said as she gazed out the port. She was flanked by a couple of nurses that had stepped out of the ward with her to watch. "Sometimes I forget we're in space..."
"How can you forget we're in space?" one of them asked with a laugh. "We live on a space ship."
"I just mean that our whole lives, our parents lives, grandparents and so on ...it's always been here. None of us have ever lived on a planet so living in space is just natural to us...it's in the back of my mind somewhere, just don't think of it much." Freya shrugged. "And then I see this and it's...it's just wow..."
"I get what you mean doctor." the other nurse said. "I've never been planet side, I've never been off this ship so I get what you mean."
"You think any of the other people on those ships out there have lived their whole lives on a ship?" Freya mused aloud. No one replied but no answer was really necessary.
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"It's been a pleasure to have you with us." Captain Hunt lied to the Ambassador and the other alien crew.
"Thank you for your assistance Captain." the Ambassador said. They watched as their broken ship was hauled with tractor beams from the Ark's bay by other vessels. They turned and left through an airlock to a waiting shuttle before saying anything else. Hunt waited until the shuttle had departed before breathing a sigh of relief; one he'd been holding in the whole time they were on board.
"Captain!" Andy exclaimed running up to him. She was out of breath, having run almost the whole way from engineering to the bridge and then here. "The aliens...where are they?" she looked around frantically.
"They just left Lieutenant," Captain Hunt said motioning toward the view where they could see their ship still being towed. "Thankfully." he tacked on with a small smile.
"But...damn!" she cursed a few times, a bad habit picked from Dex. "There was never anything wrong with their ship Captain!"
"Then why did they need a ride from us?" he asked, Andy didn't have the answer to that one.
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"What do you mean without the suit?" Julian asked in shock. "You mean...just on my own?"
"Well there would something inside your body but not outside like the suit." Hapsberg explained. "We've sent the research to Commander Katou and to engineering to get their opinions Mr. Ice. But I wanted to keep you informed of the possibility."
"Wow, I mean I've just gotten used to the suit and having my mobility back..." Julian mused.
"You don't have to do this procedure, it would mean another surgery and it's alien technology - assuming we can even reproduce it based on what she gave us...there could be risks." Hapsberg felt she had to caution him.
"Right right. Well, I guess just let me know what you and the other brains come up with." he smirked at her. "I'm used to the suit but I wouldn't mind getting out of it either..."
Hapsberg nodded. "I'll keep you informed Mr Ice. Thank you for coming by." She watched him leave before returning her attention back to the screen. She barely had a chance to look at it when Freya came in.
"Did I just see Julian? Did you tell him about the procedure?" she looked out the door a bit anxiously.
Hapsberg nodded. "I told him we'd keep him up to date on things. He's considering things." she paused a moment until Freya actually turned her attention back toward her. "And the Captain wanted to see you, as soon as possible."
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"Captain, you wanted to see me?" Freya asked. She glanced around the room and saw Bonwick, looking surly as ever as well as Julian's aunt. Freya had to resist the urge to frown at both of them and just nodded to Theresa Ice once before returning her attention to Captain Hunt.
"The Council," he motioned to Theresa, "has agreed to talk with the Sons of Liberty, in an effort to end the strike and restore peace." Freya sensed that Captain Hunt was cautious about this meeting as well.
She was about to let it slip that she already knew what he'd told her but realized it might not be entirely public knowledge. Last thing she wanted was everyone, especially those two women, thinking she was a member of the Sons of Liberty. "That's good news sir." she said.
"Yes, it is." Hunt said, though he didn't sound like he truly meant it. "They have requested your presence at the talks."
"They?" Freya asked not sure if he meant the Sons or the Council. Why would either of them need her there? "Sir, I'm a doctor not a..."
"Not a diplomat, I know. Nevertheless, you have been requested Doctor." Captain Hunt said.
"Then I guess I'll be there..." she said lamely. Behind her, Bonwick sneered and rolled her eyes.
"Very good Doctor." Captain Hunt said. "I will be sure you have the details, that's all."
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Rob Jamison checked the conference room one last time, everything was in place. With a smile, he headed for the bridge. "Captain, everything is ready."
"Thank you Mr. Jamison. The bridge is yours." he said with a solemn nod before heading for the lift to take him to the conference room.
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"Are you sure about this Meng? I mean really really sure?" Lana asked as she brushed a bit of lint off his shoulder. "If you get arrested...or killed..."
"These are peace talks Lana, I'm not walking to my execution." Meng said. He tugged at his jacket and nodded. "I'm sure, this is the best possible course of action." he paused and looked around the room, a couple other people were there to see him off, a few looked happy and hopeful like he was; others had the same fear in their face that Lana did. "Where's Brandon?" he asked, his brow furrowing. Everyone just shrugged.
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"Why you Freya?" Julian asked again. "I mean I know you had some contact with them earlier but it's not like you're one of them....are you?"
"No, I'm not. And I don't know why - just know I was asked so..." Freya looked at her self in the mirror and frowned. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful as always." Julian said giving her a kiss. "Send my love to my aunt." he said with a smirk.
"Oh yes, I can picture that now...some how I don't think that would get things off on the right foot." Freya said, but she smiled at him.
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Freya, Meng and Captain Hunt stood in the conference room not saying a whole lot. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable but they all had their parts to play in this and the two security sentry guards certainly kept them silent as they waited on the Council members to arrive.
Freya distracted herself by pouring a glass of juice and offered some to the others but they declined. Her glass just touched her lips when Bonwick hurried into the room looking more upset than Freya had ever seen her.
"Ah, Commander Bonwick - I hope your presence means the Council members are on their way." Captain Hunt said, not discerning the look on her face.
"They're dead sir!" Bonwick said, she looked toward Freya and Meng, barely taking them in before looking back to Hunt. "They're dead...the Council is dead...."
"Dead?" Meng and Hunt asked in shock at the same time.
"Murdered! All but Lady Ice, she's on her way to the ward now." Freya didn't even wait for Captain Hunt to acknowledge her before dropping her juice glass and heading for the door. There was a flurry of activity as she reached the door and she saw Bonwick grabbed Meng's arm.
He didn't resist her; he looked at Freya and she paused to catch his gaze. It was calm and collected as ever but deep inside his eyes she thought she saw anger....or sadness. And then she ran all the way to the medical ward.
End Chapter
End Season One
Chapter 17
Andy entered the darkened ship and walked toward the engineering bay while fiddling with her comm unit. The tiny tapping and electronic beeps and blurts were all that could be heard in the corridors of the alien vessel. It was like a ghost ship now, completely powered off and devoid of life. If it weren't for the small light from her hand unit, Andy wouldn't be able to see two feet in front of her. Of course she didn't need to see, she knew the layout of the ship after spending a week meandering through it alone. They'd intended to merely tractor the ship with them to a space port before sending the aliens off on their own but the Ambassador had felt it was taking too long and requested that the ship be brought inside the Ark's expansive bay. Captain Hunt had obliged and Andy had taken the opportunity to explore the vessel a bit.
She's always been interested in how things worked, and every chance to see alien technology made her a bit giddy. Plus the ship was obviously damaged and if she could help them out before they got to the space port, all the better right? At least that's how she rationalized it as she ducked out of engineering again, leaving Dex even more short handed. She'd probably catch some of his daily tirade later. As she entered the main bay, she pushed Dex out of her mind and started working.
The sound of light footsteps echoed into the bay and Andy looked up from the console in surprise. She glanced around the bay and out into the corridor; "Hello?" she said. Her voice traveled down the corridor, echoing all around her. There was no response. "Anyone out there?" she said; again, no one replied. She shook her head and let out a breath. Returning to the console she immersed herself in the ship's computer core, the occasional beep and tweet was her only company.
"What are you doing?" the soft, female voice broke startled Andy so much she whirled around and jumped out of her chair. The small, alien female tilted her head curiously. "What are you doing?" she asked again.
"Whoa..." Andy was breathing heavily, she placed her hand over her rapid heart beat and leaned back against the console. "You scared the life out of me!" she said finally. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the medical ward?"
"What are you doing?" the girl asked again. She was an odd one.
"I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with your ship." Andy said; the strange prickly sensation on the back of her neck told her not to turn her back to this girl.
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Freya tucked the girl back into the bed next to her sister. Freya couldn't figure out why the girl had wandered away from the ward considering she'd been unwilling to leave her sister's side the entire time she'd been here. Andy was leaning against the rail, looking out across the main thoroughfare deck, when Freya came out.
"That girl is seriously weird." Andy said, without looking at Freya.
Freya didn't say anything, she'd noticed the girl seemed a little off but had chalked it up to cultural differences. From what she'd seen of their alien visitors, they were a trusting but somewhat quiet group. She'd actually gotten used to the feeling of being watched when she was around them - because one of them always seemed to be watching. It wasn't in a menacing or even calculating way, they simply watched because it was what they did.
Across the deck, a small scuffle broke out between a shop owner and a group of people that had been loitering near the entrance. In the last week, tension on the ship had risen as the strike wore on. Some of the strikers had taken to boycotting and simply making a nuisance of themselves on the thoroughfare. Freya started toward the scuffle but Andy put a hand on her arm and held her back. With her other hand, she pointed toward the security office where Bonwick emerged, flanked by two other security personnel. "The school has closed now," she said as they watched the security team close in and break up the scuffle. "if this strike and everything goes on much longer, we're gonna be dead in space too; can't keep this place going with so few people working for much longer."
"Think the Council realizes that?" Freya asked, she grimaced as one of the security guard dealt an unnecessary blow.
"I hope so." Andy sounded subdued, far too quiet compared to her normal self. "I better get back to Engineering, if Dex hasn't torn it apart already."
Freya didn't have time to consider her friend's mood before she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned and looked around but didn't see anyone nearby. She turned back in time to see the security team disappear with the loiterers in tow and her cheeks flamed in anger. She knew the only reason Bonwick was taking them in was because they were embryotics. "Ryan!" a voice hissed. She snapped around and then saw Meng in the shadows.
"What are you doing here?" Freya hissed, glancing around for Bonwick. The security team had disappeared into the office. She thought for a moment about not following him, even as he waved her over and disappeared further into the darkness, but curiosity overwhelmed her sense of better judgment. Several minutes later they stopped and he turned toward her grinning. It was probably one of the first real smiles she'd ever seen on his face. "What's going on?"
"They've agreed to talk, they want to end the strike and they've agreed to talk." He was still grinning like crazy and Freya realized how hopeful he was; how excited the prospect of peace made him.
"That's good, it's great..." Freya said the words and instantly wondered if it was really great. Sure she wanted change but this all seemed too fast, too easy.
"Oh come on, why aren't you more excited? You remind me of Brandon - all doom and gloom. This is it; we can all be equal..." Meng's smile faded and was replaced by his normal neutral expression she was used to; she knew that this was the face he'd wear during the talks.
"It just seems too easy I guess." Freya said lamely. "Look I have to get back...um, you be careful - on your toes and all." she looked around the tight, dark service corridor and felt a prickly sensation on her neck like they were being watched. She shook it off after a moment and returned the way they'd come.
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"We'll be arriving at the space port in about sixteen hours Ambassador." Captain Hunt said. On the surface he was completely calm and respectful of their visitors. Inside, though, he was eager to be rid of them. They were disconcerting at times, they barely said anything and just made everyone a little uncomfortable. While the crew of Unity has been very welcoming of their visitors and shared information about their history; the visitors had told them nothing at all since they'd arrived.
The Ambassador merely nodded, gazing at the viewscreen in front of them for several minutes. Captain Hunt watched as several of the bridge crew shifted awkwardly in their seats, some straightening up as they felt the eyes of others on them. Some looked around discreetly until they saw the Ambassador standing there; then they turned their gazes forward quickly.
The captain of the other vessel walked through the bridge doors but only Captain Hunt and the Ambassador turned to look at him. He approached the pair and then began whispering quickly with the Ambassador in their own tongue. They were talking so softly and so quickly that the translator would do him no good even if he was in the mood to ease drop.
Captain Hunt kept his eyes on his bridge crew and tried to ignore them until they left the bridge, saying nothing to him as they left. "Strange people." he said under his breath once they were of the bridge. As soon as they were gone it was as if the whole bridge crew let out a collective sigh of relief and Hunt could see the tension leave them.
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Julian fidgeted by the bed. He'd come for his follow up appointment but Freya wasn't there and his only company were two of the odd aliens. They watched him with casual expressions and he felt an all too familiar sensation creep up his neck. What was it about these people?
"Sorry I'm late!" Freya said as she hurrying into the ward. "I got called over to the science lab for something." she rolled her eyes at some unspoken thought and then smiled at Julian. "Sit."
At the end of the exam, Julian leaned over to give Freya a quick kiss but stopped as he became all too aware of their silent audience again. "Um..." he glanced over at the sisters and then back at Freya. "I'll see you later." he said and hurried away from them.
Freya nodded to the sisters and started back toward the front desk. "The suit, it helps him walk yes?" the older of the two said.
Freya turned back to them startled. "Yes, he had an accident and is paralyzed from the waist down."
"But the suit, it helps?" she said again. The younger girl looked at her sister, clearly surprised as well. Freya nodded and waited for a few moments while the girl seemed to be contemplating something. Assuming this conversation was over, Freya turned her back on them to walk away once again. "We can help...help him walk without the suit." the woman said to Freya's back. "Can help..."
Freya turned back to her wide-eyed; her expression was mirrored on the girl's face as well. "How?" Freya had a dozen more questions on the tip of her tongue but was cut off by the sister who started talking very fast in their native tongue. The translator was able to pick up every fourth or fifth word but not enough for it to make sense.
End Chapter
Generation 4, Chapter 5
I was bursting with questions for Scotty but with the girls awake, it was impossible to ask him everything I wanted to know. They claimed our attention every minute of the day. For his part, Scotty wanted to make up for lost time and didn't want them too far away from him.
But eventually night fell and it was time for all the little ones to go to sleep. Scotty hovered behind me as I went through their bedtime routine. When they were finally all asleep, we slipped out of the room quietly and I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck. I refused to let go, even after several minutes, so he scooped me up in his arms and carried me into our room. Once we were laying in each others arms, I looked him in the eye and reduced all my earlier questions to one. "How?" I fought back the urge to cry.
"You'd have to ask your dad." Scotty said with a small smile. Then he started kissing me.
I really didn't need to know much more than that but I found out later that my dad had committed enormous resources to rescuing Scotty. He had a number of advisers telling him that one scientist wasn't worth it; but he persisted - back by the military - and they brought Scotty home.
Scotty wasn't ready to go back to work officially, in fact I noticed he tended to steer clear of the base and even the workbench. Instead he spent as much time as possible with the girls. And they had quickly become a unit; where one was, there were usually the other two.
Of course eventually they had to nap and sleep. Then it was all about making up time with me. "You know we still have a wedding to plan." he said one night after we'd put the girls to bed.
"Can we just go down to city hall?" I asked, the thought of some big affair like that seemed exhausting. "Hey maybe Dad can marry us...he's the president after all." I said with a giggle.
Speaking of my dad, even with Scotty home, he was at work a lot. Elections were constantly "just around the corner" so he was always having to campaign for himself or for others it seemed. He'd grown weary in recent years though and his age was slowing him down. I wondered, not for the first time, if he'd considered retiring.
He usually got home after all the girls were asleep. After changing, he'd slip in and wish them all good night. I was sad to think that the only time he seemed to see them they were asleep.
The triplets had been in the hospital for their first Halloween, but for their second we all got dressed up - minus Dad since he was working. Ezri was a pink bunny, Annika was a panda bear and Kira was a teddy bear.
It took Scotty several months to go back to really working on his inventions, even just dabbling at home. Going back to working for the military took him even longer. As the months passed, I'm sure they became impatient to have him back and the calls became more frequent.
I honestly did try to plan a wedding but between the triplets destroying every bridal magazine I brought home and just never having the time to really call or go anywhere for it, it didn't work out that way.
Instead Scotty and I got got married on the beach at sunset with our family and a few friends.
Mom passed away shortly after the wedding and in some bizarre way it seemed to be the kick in pants that Scotty needed to really get back to work. He even returned to the base now and again. Before long he was back at his table at all hours of the night just like he used to be.
After a few weeks of this, he came bursting into our bedroom at about five in the morning and shook me awake. He was grinning from ear to ear and dragged me down the stairs to see something. As we stepped onto the back porch, he covered my eyes with his hands and led me down the stairs to the work area carefully. When he removed his hands, there it was....there "he was...
Data Taffity
"You invented a robot...." I said, staring at the metal being.
Scotty grinned and nodded his head happily. He started giving the bot instructions and aside from the awkward walk and the mechanical voice, he seemed almost human. Still...it was a robot....
Between Scotty's abduction and return, Dad's presidency, Mom's passing and now Data - it was becoming impossible to go around town without people trying to talk, commiserate, whatever. So Scotty and I started considering moving away from Oz. It was a scary prospect, leaving behind family and so much family history. There was another island not too far away that was much quieter than Oz that we started looking at. One day Scotty came to me with two pictures, one of an empty lot near a gorgeous waterfall and one of a house built on the same lot.
"I talked to a builder...this was what she proposed for this lot over on Barnacle Bay...what do you think?" he asked.
"It's gorgeous!" I said looking over the house. "So you're set on this right? Moving?"
"If you are..." he said carefully. I nodded and smiled. We shared a quick kiss and he ran off to make the calls.
It took over a year for the house to be built. My sister Zoey and her family came to live in the old house on Oz with my dad. He couldn't leave since he was still the President but he was getting very old and we didn't want him to be alone.
The first big event we had in Barnacle Bay was the triplet's birthday party. I couldn't believe they were going to be five and going off to school!
We actually hadn't finished furnishing and decorating all the rooms in the house. When I'd originally decorated the downstairs bedroom suite, I'd intended it to be for my dad - I was hoping he'd retire finally and move with us. Since our upstairs suite wasn't even close to being done, Scotty and I took the room.
The girls' room hadn't been completely finished either since we knew they'd be growing up soon and might have their own ideas on decor. When we took them to the store, I expected them to come back with butterflies, princesses and fairies...not three forms of pirate bedding! Still, I'd agreed to let them pick their own decor...so they did...
The schools in Barnacle Bay had uniforms so when the girls all came downstairs dressed alike that first day, the mommy in me went "D'awww" and I lined them up on the porch for pictures.
"Mooooom!" Annika whined.
Just then the bus honked from below and they darted away, relieved to be free from my camera I think.
I spent the rest of the day trying to get my new garden started. I missed some of my old, grown, plants and hoped that Zoey was taking good care of them back home. But I'd brought some of the seeds, harvested from my very own garden, with me when we moved and used them to pick up where I'd left off.
When the girls came home from school, they were chattering excitedly about everything that had happened and ran off toward the house. "Homework!!" I called after them. The excited chatter quieted a bit but when I came inside a bit later they were all working on their homework in the dining room.
And Data...he'd come with us to Barnacle Bay and was turning out to be quite an asset to the family. He didn't wander outside the house much - Bots weren't exactly an every day sighting and the last thing we wanted was another press circus in our new home. He stayed in the house and helped with keeping up the appliances, he read and helped the girls with their homework. Aside from the random talking to the coffee maker or computer now and then, he really was part of our family.
A few months after our move, I woke up feeling ill. "You okay hun?" Scotty asked me sleepily as I fought the urge to throw up.
"Mmmhmm." I muttered, not really trusting myself to speak much. I tried to go back to sleep...I hoped if I fell asleep, the feeling would pass and I would feel better in the morning. But it didn't work.
End Chapter
Outtakes
Potty training
Panda for Halloween
Triplets playin
Digging up the beach
The grim coming for Padme :(
The girls off exploring the new house lol
The rec room
