//------------------------------// // Gathering Allies // Story: Worlds Apart: The Chosen of the Prognosticus // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// Captain’s Log, Stardate 47931.4 We have picked up a group of unlikely passengers from another universe entirely—or perhaps it would be better to say universes, since none of them share the same origin. They are an unusual group, placed together more by chance than choice, it seems, in the hunt for artifacts known as Pure Hearts so they may end the oppressive Void. Their search has led them here, to the Enterprise, though they know not why—if there is even a reason. We are working with them as best we can to hunt down any record of these Pure Heart artifacts, but so far there has been no such luck. Meanwhile, the crew is growing accustomed rather quickly to their presence on board; though their youngest, a rowdy girl by the name of Toph, has caused no small amount of unrest. Meanwhile, there is a large yellow door sitting in plain sight in Ten Forward that leads to another universe. Were we not so preoccupied with the impending desolation of the Void, I would be enthralled to explore a brand new frontier beyond the stars themselves. However, times are pressing, and we cannot afford as many luxuries as we are used to. That said, I am organizing a team to go over and meet with the denizens of other worlds in this “Flipside,” which is supposedly an in-between place… ~~~ Data, Twilight, and Tippi were hard at work in one of the Enterprise’s many computer labs. Data and Twilight were sitting, staring intently at screens as information scrolled past. The chair had, once again, not been suitable for Twilight’s body shape, but Data had removed it and replaced it with a large cushion. She’d found that her telekinesis didn’t interface well with the touch screens, so she used her wingtips to navigate. After about ten minutes of being taught the interface, she was already an expert. Whizzing through documents, flitting her eyes across everything, absorbing all she could in reference to artifacts about hearts. Data did much the same, though at a vastly increased rate, his eyes moving so fast it was nearly impossible to tell where exactly he was looking at any given moment. Tippi fluttered a ways back, keeping her senses trained on both screens at once. In the middle of his research, Data spoke up. “I am correct in assuming you are an artificial life form as well, Tippi?” “I am a Pixl, which is essentially that…” Tippi admitted. “Though my intelligence had to be based after a template, unlike you…” “That is not entirely true,” Data said. “While I do not have one source for my neural pathways, my creator used the scanned brains of many colonists to map my functions.” “Scanned a brain!?” Twilight stopped her research from scrolling past. “Wh… how do you do that? Knowing exactly how a brain works could help with so many—” “Twilight, we do need to focus...” Tippi pointed out. Twilight let out an annoyed neigh. “Fine, fine… Pure Hearts!” She started scrolling through information faster. “I am curious,” Data said, once again addressing Tippi. “Do you have your full range of emotions?” “I believe so… I have only been conscious for a month or so…” “I do not currently have emotions installed. There is a chip I may use to initiate them, but I have yet to do so.” Twilight looked up. “Why not?” Data cocked his head to the side. “There are many times where it has been useful to have an impartial outlook on situations not clouded by bias or impulse. Furthermore, the chip may end up unstable, in the end. I am sure I will install it one day, simply because I do wish to experience them. I have spent much of my life trying to be more human and less… ‘machine.’ “ Twilight laughed softly. “I can scarcely imagine what you go through, emotions are so close to me… If you ever turn them on and need some help sorting through them, I’ll be available to help.” “I shall keep you in mind, but I suspect Counselor Troi knows me somewhat better.” “Oh. Right. The offer still stands!” Twilight pressed a few more buttons, searching through more and more files. “...Have either of you seen anything helpful?” “I have researched two-hundred forty-three thousand eight-hundred nineteen different heart-based artifacts,” Data reported. “None of them have matched the description precisely enough to warrant further research.” “Nothing has stuck out to me, either…” Tippi said. Twilight sighed. “There’s got to be something in here…” “For all we know, the information is lost to history,” Data said. “Tippi, you did say there was no Federation of Planets when Flipside was built, correct?” Tippi turned to him, sending out a few sparkles with the motion. “Yes. There weren’t even humans in this World. There must have been some sort of dimensional connection to deposit humans here…” “A strange theory,” Data noted. “It is generally accepted that humans are native to this universe.” “Humans aren’t native to any universe…” Tippi said. Twilight and Data stopped what they were doing to stare at her. “Oh, uh…” Tippi stammered. “I suppose there might be other information since Flipside’s creators weren’t around then, but… it is fairly certain that there was only one universe in the beginning, and that place was where humans originated.” “Interesting theory,” Data mused. “What is the evidence for it?” “I do not have a… full report, but…” Tippi thought about it for a moment. “Well, the Pure Hearts are connected in such a way that suggests they were once all one. This theoretical construct is known as the Purity Heart, the Heart of the first universe. It is possible that we will reassemble it once we find all eight…” “Then we just keep looking.” Twilight pulled up another file, squinting to read the text. “Just keep looking…” “Is there a chance it is not in our universe?” Data asked, returning to his files as well. “No,” Tippi said. “I know it’s in this universe—I felt it resonating with our door—it is simply too far away for me to pinpoint directly. My senses can search planets, not galaxies. This far away I only get a vibration, not a direction.” “So narrow it down to a planet…” Twilight breathed. “Should be easy, right?” Data spoke up. “Actually, there are several billion planets in the galaxy, most of which are not charted.” “Thank you, Data,” Twilight deadpanned. ~~~ Iroh and Vanilla were having jasmine tea when the yellow doors swung open, depositing three crew members of the Enterprise onto Flipside, one in red, the other in yellow, and the last in blue; showcasing the full spectrum of the uniform colors. Iroh grinned. “Ah, I’d been told you might be coming! Come, have a seat, there’s plenty for everyone.” Vanilla nodded in agreement. The red-suited man nodded, stepping over the chair to sit in it. “I am Commander William T. Riker of the Federation starship Enterprise. This is Lieutenant Worf and Doctor Beverly Crusher.” The Doctor was a middle-aged woman with red hair and a calm, disarming smile. Worf’s smile wasn’t present, and if it had been, it would have been a different sort of disarming. “Well met, Riker,” Iroh said, pouring him some tea. “Welcome to the city between worlds, Flipside. Down the elevator you’ll find the city’s effective ruler, Merlon, though to be honest he doesn’t do much. Below that is where everyone else sits, doing whatever they feel like. The orange door leads to Mobius, and the red leads to Diqiu. But, right now, I bet you want to sit for tea.” “I would love to,” Riker admitted. “But we have a mission to make contact with the various leaders and governments of the other worlds, as well as learn about this… Flipside.” Iroh turned to Vanilla. “Does your world have government?” “Not really,” Vanilla admitted. “Occasionally Eggman tries to set up an empire, but nobody takes that seriously.” “Interesting… I was under the impression your people had space-faring technology,” Riker said. “Oh, we do,” Vanilla said. “Though that’s mostly the realm of Tails, Eggman, and a few other tinkers. Most of us just live in our simple houses and enjoy life.” “Sounds like a paradise,” Crusher said. “It usually is, but Eggman is always Eggman every month or so.” Vanilla chuckled at the thought. “It’s a good thing this Void situation seems to have put his plans on hold. He’s actually been quite helpful the past few days.” “Nothing like impending doom to bring people together,” Iroh added. “The enemy of your enemy…” Worf said, nodding as though they were witness to something profound. “What of your world, Iroh?” Riker asked. “You’re in luck.” Iroh sat back and put on a big grin. “I happen to be the uncle to the current Fire Lord.” Vanilla started at him. “What?” “I’ve mentioned Zuko, right? He’s the Fire Lord!” He raised an amused eyebrow. “Didn’t expect a tea restaurant owner to be someone of importance, did you?” Vanilla giggled. “No, I didn’t!” “Regardless, I can only speak for one nation of our world, not all of them. I have sent word to the Avatar so that he may come and represent all of us, but word will take time to reach him, seeing as he’s off meditating somewhere isolated at the moment. Furthermore, he is likely a bit too young for your culture to respect.” “Toph has been… testing our abilities to look beyond our cultural presumptions,” Riker admitted. “But we are making progress.” “Good. She is a strong young woman, and she has her place in these proceedings.” Iroh leaned forward, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Now, we could talk politics all day if you wanted. But I suspect there are other reasons you are here.” Crusher nodded. “I am here to discover how this place’s healing aura functions.” “And I am here to assess the danger of Count Bleck,” Worf added. Iroh nodded. “Merlon can help you with those, but I won’t expect much in the way of answers. Not even he is fully aware of the truth of this place or Count Bleck.” “We will take anything we can get,” Crusher insisted. “Though, if you do have any injured, please, come here.” Iroh broke out into a grin. “The door is never locked!” “Thank you.” Riker nodded to Worf and Crusher, who stood up and entered the Elevator to talk with Merlon. Riker remained to talk further with Iroh. “Would it be acceptable to visit your worlds?” “Mobius’ door is wide open,” Iroh said. “However, on Diqiu the people are not fully aware of the direness of the situation. I do not wish to explain to the city of Ba Sing Se that the world might end soon.” “Understandable,” Riker admitted. “For the record, Picard has authorized me to extend invitations to the Enterprise, though you will have to be registered the first time you step through our door. I do recommend the bar in Ten Forward, Guinan is an excellent host.” “So I’ve heard,” Iroh chuckled. “And you are welcome in my tea shop as well, Riker. Just be sure to change your clothes into something less conspicuous so you don’t stand out, if you ever feel the need to drop by.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” Riker leaned forward. “Now, we know each other, but we know very little about each other’s cultures. We should fix that.” Iroh nodded. “Of course. Vanilla, do you think you can speak for your world’s culture?” “I can try…” she responded, uncertain. “Good enough to start,” Riker said. “Now, the Fede—” The orange door opened, allowing Eggman and Ty Lee through, both tugging on a large metal bin filled with random robotic implements, wires, and a few synthetic chaos emeralds sprawled about. “Pull harder!” Eggman growled. “I am!” Ty Lee grunted. “You’re the one slacking!” “I’m old!” “You got that right!” Shakily, they managed to drag the crate of machines across the Flipside platform and over to the elevator. “Whew…” Eggman wiped the sweat off his brow. “I really should have had the robots do that.” Ty Lee stretched back, touching her fingers to the backs of her heels. “Probably. But it was fun!” She waved at the trio drinking tea. “Hi!” Eggman noticed them for the first time, quickly recognizing Riker as someone of importance. “Greetings. I am Doctor Eggman,” he said with an exaggerated bow. “Commander Riker.” Riker scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Have we met somewhere before?” “I think I’d remember someone like you,” Eggman said with a twirl of his mustache. “You still seem oddly familiar.” Eggman shrugged. “Perhaps the multiverse wishes to spread my genius by feelings of vague familiarity. Regardless, well met, Commander. Ty Lee and I are a few floors down, trying to uncover the secrets of this empty city.” “A noble goal.” “We’re exploring!” Ty Lee jumped gleefully. “We found an ancient theatre! With plays!” “Not very useful,” Eggman grumbled. “But they tell us a lot about the ancient people who built this place! How they lived, how they loved, how they died…” She leaned back, letting out a wistful sigh. Shooting back to her full height like a spring, she pointed frantically at the elevator. “Let’s go!” Eggman and Ty Lee quickly left them alone, though not after a fair bit of struggling trying to fit into the elevator doors with the bin. So once again, Riker began his speech. “The Federation is…” The doors to Mobius opened again, this time bringing Tails and a small backpack filled with mechanical bits similar to what Eggman had just hauled through. “Oh! You’re from the Enterprise, right?” “Commander Riker,” Riker introduced—getting a little tired of re-introducing himself over and over again. “Captain Tails, I presume?” Tails nodded. “Yeah. I’m currently trying to figure out how to move things through the doors that are larger than the doors themselves. It’s… complicated. I was just about to head over and see if I could investigate how your transporters work, see if we could use that.” Riker tapped his communicator pin. “This is Riker to Commander LaForge, testing communication through the door.” “I hear you, Commander,” a man said from the other side. “What do you need?” “I’m sending you a yellow two-tailed Mobian to learn about transporters. He’s working on getting things larger than the doors through them, and believes our technology may be the way to do it.” “Send him down to Engineering, I’ll be waiting.” Riker nodded to Tails. “Go ahead. Be sure to let the people at the door know who you are so they can register you.” “Will do!” Hefting his backpack up, Tails jumped through the yellow door. “Now…” Riker turned back to Iroh and Vanilla. “Where were we?” “The Federation,” Vanilla offered. “Right. The United Federation of Planets is a union of many different worlds spread out across the galaxy, devoted to unity, progress, understanding, and betterment of life for all. We seek peace and friendly relations above all else, despising conflict…” ~~~ Cosmo sat down at the bar in Ten Forward, smiling at Guinan. “What brings you here, little flower?” Guinan asked. Cosmo shrugged. “Twilight and Tippi are researching with Data, Toph’s wandering around, and I just felt like talking to someone.” “Feeling useless?” “Not at all. It’s more of…” Cosmo tapped her finger on the counter. “I feel like time is running out.” Guinan nodded slowly. “Things do seem pretty dire, don’t they?” “Yes. But at the same time, it doesn’t.” She glanced back at the various patrons. Now that they were somewhat used to her, they were talking amongst each other amicably, as though everything were normal. “See?” “Oh yes, I see.” Guinan tapped a finger on the counter. “The threat seems distant to them. They can’t fully comprehend the scale of the danger, and it doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything right now. So they continue their lives as normal. It’s a coping mechanism, and usually it doesn’t cause problems.” “Is it causing problems now?” “I don’t know. I won’t until we figure out later if we wasted too much time getting to know one another.” “Oh… my.” “Though…” Guinan leaned in. “Don’t go spreading this around, but I think if the price of saving the world is destroying our ability to sit down and talk with each other, it’s not worth it.” For some reason she couldn’t discern, this brought a smile to Cosmo’s lips. “I won’t tell.” “Good.” Guinan took a moment to serve a blue-skinned man a red drink before returning to Cosmo. “Now… what else did you want to talk about?” Cosmo shrugged. “I don’t know. I figured you would.” “Hmm…” Guinan turned her back to Cosmo for a moment. “You want me to make an observation?” “About me? Sure.” “You’re sad. And it’s not a new sadness either, it’s an old one that cuts right to your soul.” Cosmo nodded, looking down at the counter. “I… am the last of my kind. The Metarex took care of all the others.” “The Metarex?” “Cyborgs that were terrorizing our galaxy until the Void showed up.” She traced the edge of the counter with her fingertip. “They sound a lot like the Borg,” Guinan said. “The Borg?” “A hive-mind of cyborgs. They destroyed my world, assimilating almost all its people into their own.” Cosmo put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry…” Guinan nodded. “I’m not the last of my kind, there are several others who escaped. But, still… it’s harrowing to remember.” Cosmo looked to the floor. “I never want to think about it.” “I know the feeling.” Guinan leaned forward. “But life keeps making us remember.” Cosmo nodded. “The Metarex were always fighting us, and now they’re working with the Count, we think.” “It’s weirder over here. Do you know what we’ve detected observing the Void? Borg ships, just as curious about it as we are. For once in their lives, they aren’t concerned with trying to destroy and absorb the rest of us here.” Guinan looked out the window. At the moment, it didn’t show stars, but rather the Void with several ships between the Enterprise and the swirling vortex. “This has called an unprecedented truce. While the Void’s here, warring peoples aren’t shooting at each other. They’re pointing their guns at a thing they aren’t sure they can destroy with all the power in the universe.” “So many ships…” Cosmo said, taking a moment to take in the scene outside. “The enemy of my enemy…” Guinan said with a bitter chuckle. “Everyone’s unified so long as there’s a bigger fish in the pond.” “Maybe they’ll remember working together after this is over.” “Some will,” Guinan admitted. “Others won’t.” “I hope more will than won’t.” Cosmo looked up, a soft smile on her face. “It’ll mean all this terror and darkness actually brought about something good.” “I like your hope, Cosmo. More people need that.” ~~~ Picard passed Sonic, sleeping in one of the Enterprise’s many hallways. Ever since the hedgehog had been released, he’d been allowed to roam free so long as he didn’t break anything. So far, he hadn’t broken anything, but he had been spotted sleeping in the most bizarre places—on top of consoles, in jeffreys tubes, and apparently on the floors of random hallways. He had made several requests to be dropped off on another ship to explore. All had been denied. Nobody wanted to set the blue blur loose. Doing his best to ignore the hedgehog, Picard entered the turbolift. To his disdain, it was already occupied by none other than Toph. “Hey, baldy!” Toph waived. “Where ya headed?” “Bridge,” Picard said, instructing the computer to take him there. “Nice. I’m going to the holodecks. I’m gonna see if I can program it to simulate earthbending.” “Mhm…” “I mean, your ship is nice and all, but it feels so wrong not to be able to move rocks around, y’know? Can’t imagine how Twilight lived in my world!” Picard nodded curtly. “What do you use the holodeck for?” I’m going to have to answer that. “I rarely engage with it,” Picard admitted. “When I do, I spend a fair time taking part in plays. Not the sort you would like, I’m afraid.” Toph folded her arms. “I wouldn’t like? Is that because they’re serious and not fit for a kid?” Picard’s jaw shifted slightly. “They just… don’t strike me as your kind.” “You’ve barely talked to me. I’m pretty sure you’re avoiding me.” “Ah, well…” the doors slid open. “Here’s your stop.” With a dismissive wave of her hand, Toph left the turbolift, leaving Picard to sweet, sweet lonely silence. When the turbolift resumed its journey to the bridge, Picard let out a sigh of relief. The less he had to deal with that girl, the better. Upon arrival, instead of going to his chair, he walked out of the bridge and down the small hall to the debriefing room, where all of his senior staff except Data were already assembled. Data would likely come precisely on time and not a moment too soon, so Picard wasn’t concerned. It was a lot of people to keep track of, to be fair. Commander Riker, Doctor Crusher, Counselor Troi, Commander LaForge, and Lieutenant Worf, all of whom would have a particular viewpoint on the situation. It was Picard’s job to weigh what all of them had to say and make the final choice himself. As he sat down, he adjusted his uniform to make sure it fit comfortably. As expected, Data arrived less than a minute later, taking his seat at the table. “Very well, let us begin,” Picard said. “It has been a few days since the arrival of our visitors, and all of us have had some interaction with them and their mission. I want to hear all your impressions of them, their city, and these other worlds. Riker, if you please?” Riker nodded. “Sir, it seems to me that they are being completely honest and open with us, but they have a distinct lack of discipline. There is almost nothing in the way of command structures in Flipside to speak of, and the ‘heroes’ are all being selected based on some ancient prophecy written by the long-dead builders of Flipside. Mobius has no government to speak of, and the governments of Diqiu are currently recovering from a century-long world war. Mobius has space travel, but this is limited to a small number of ships and people spread out across the world. No one has our structure or our organization. Flipside itself is significantly more advanced, but no one knows how to use it or how far it extends.” “Your recommendation?” “We need to start sending people over to Flipside to organize it. Right now it’s just a loose collection of people doing random things. The most organized endeavor is being performed by a notable scientist named Doctor Eggman, although it’s still rather disjointed at that. Iroh, Vanilla, and Merlon have no issue with us sending people over, so I think we should take advantage of that.” “Thank you, number one. Data?” Data nodded curtly. “I share many of Commander Riker’s sentiments, but there are a few points I wish to contest. Riker implied that following the prophecy was an unwise decision. However, it is this same prophecy that permitted Flipside to be built, Twilight to be saved, and this resistance to the Count to start in the first place. It has proven very reliable to them already, predicting the exact position of Twilight and many details about the Void’s creation and mission.” “You, believing in a prophecy?” Picard leaned back. “Forgive me for being surprised, Data.” “The evidence points to the words within being legitimate,” Data continued. “Furthermore, an interdimensional society far more advanced than our own trusted it and acted accordingly. Perhaps they were aware of future prediction technology we are not aware of.” Picard nodded. “Fair enough. Anything else?” “Our research has turned up nothing on the Pure Heart so far. We have begun spreading our searches to include mention of interdimensional activity, but we only began this a few minutes before this meeting. Apparently, the ‘mirror universe’ and the other planes of existence we are aware of, such as the Q-continuum, are all actually part of the same universe as ours, they are just ‘reflections’ of each other. It seems as though we have not actually broken into the multiverse proper, though we have yet to sift through all the reports.” “Thank you, Mr. Data. Keep us informed.” “I do wish to express my confidence in Twilight and Tippi. I have been working with them and they are truly devoted to their cause, and have begun to form a bond with me.” Picard nodded, turning to Troi. “Counselor?” “From what I can tell, all of them are devoted to their mission, though I can’t read Tippi at all. Toph is exceptionally self-confident and brash, but decidedly mature for her age. She hides her intellect and maturity behind her attitude because she fears that aspect of herself. Cosmo is a sweet woman with a sorrowful heart that somehow manages to see the hope in things, though I got most of this from Guinan’s observations rather than my own. Twilight… she’s a leader, like yourself, Captain. She worries constantly about her friends and how to balance her relationships with them in her journey to save everything. She misses her home dearly.” “Hmm…” “And Sonic is just what he appears to be: a free spirit with a disdain for worldly attachment.” “No surprise there,” Worf grunted. “Worf, what is your opinion of our guests?” Picard asked. “And Flipside.” Worf leaned in, locking his eyes with the Captain’s. “Flipside is a masterful fortress that is undermanned and underpowered. I was able to locate several weapons systems and shields, but none of it had been touched in eons. Not even Merlon understood how to get it to work. For a computer, he is remarkably unhelpful. They need more people. As for our visitors… For a child, Toph is a masterful warrior. I have seen her spar, and her strength is impressive for her small size. Twilight has a warrior’s spirit as well, though she hides it behind her smile. Cosmo… is a peacemaker. I had little to talk about with her.” Picard nodded slowly. “Do you trust them?” “They seem to be legitimate.” “Everyone seems to think that. Is there a single person in this room who doesn’t?” Everyone shook their heads. Picard allowed a smile to creep up his face. “Good. I was afraid we might fall into the trap that so many peoples fall into when they run into us—unable to accept the idea of benevolent explorers who only seek to help and extend friendship. Still, I want to hear it all. Doctor Crusher?” Crusher frowned. “I spent most of my time in Flipside, and I unfortunately haven’t been able to deduce anything aside from the fact that the rejuvenation effect is real. I have no clue as to what its mechanisms are and have no idea where to start. I recommend we send people to work with Doctor Eggman’s team, we need to uncover the secrets of Flipside.” “Mhm…” Picard turned to the last member of his senior staff. “Commander LaForge, I understand you’ve been working on a project?” “Yes, sir,” the dark man with a visor over his eyes said. “I’ve been collaborating with Captain Tails of the Mobian ship Blue Typhoon in an attempt to use transporter technology to travel from one universe to another—including objects larger than what can physically fit through the doors. We’ve managed to establish communications through all the universes, but so far we’ve only gotten to the theory of multiversal teleportation. Currently we’re considering building a teleportation hub that will sit in Flipside and manage requests from all universes.” “And how is Captain Tails?” “He’s young for a Captain, sir, and thinks a lot more like an engineer than I would have expected. But he’s earnest and I think he has some brilliant ideas. There’s even talk of moving the door off the Enterprise, somehow, though we’re not exactly clear on how to do that yet.” “Good.” Picard nodded. “...This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to send a request to Starfleet for extra personnel for Flipside, to uncover its secrets. Data, you are to continue searching for mention of the Pure Heart, or anything remotely related. If you need extra resources, just let me know. With this report, I will also suggest that Starfleet contact the other galactic governments and let them know of the situation. Now that we know what all this interdimensional activity means, it’s time to share what we know. Any objections?” “The Romulans will attempt to twist this to their advantage,” Worf said. “And who knows what the Borg might do,” Riker added. Picard nodded. “I am aware, but we need to be open with each other in this trying time. Even with—it pains me to say—the Borg. As dangerous as they are, their heightened processing may be able to destroy this Void for us.” “Or they could adapt its power into their own,” Crusher suggested. “It is a risk—but I do not see us sharing it with the Klingons, Cardassians, and Romulans without the Borg hearing about it in some way. Riker, you should prepare Flipside for visitors from many different nations.” Riker nodded. “I’m assuming not the Borg?” “Of course not. I’ll destroy the door before I let them access interdimensional technology.” He stood up, adjusting his jersey again. “Dismissed.”