//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: New Life // Story: Resistance is Magic // by ColtKit Productions //------------------------------// ● Captain's Log... If I really can call myself a Captain anymore. Today marks the 13th anniversary of our imprisonment... and I feel a need to give an overview of our progress, throughout our captivity. I... no longer have hope of the Magicals ever releasing us. It's amazing what the milestone of a decade, will do to one's mindset. As far as prisons go, I suppose this could be worse. A reality where it was always spring? And filled with every luxury one could imagine? This is even more lush then the prisons of the Federation. Although, if I'm honest with myself. Most of the crew have stopped thinking of this as our "Prison". It's become home, to them at least. The crew has built lives, here. Had children... children that are, now, nearly teenagers... we even have a school house for them. Which the magicals had the forethought to provide. Even if the crew did get back into the real world... I must accept they no longer wish to return to the Earth... this is our home now. The magicals really did think of everything. There was a communal building, with hundreds of domestic Replicators. As well as a few Industrial Sized Replicators. Which we have been using to build shuttles, large construction equipment, and materials for more buildings. The Crew has come to call this facility, "The Market". And it is where everyone enjoys our meals together. As well as where we got other necessities. Even trade Replicator rations, for luxury items. Not that we really NEED Replicator rations. Not with the small Dilithium Farm, the magicals left us. We can grow their own crystals, and use those for power. Still, it is best to prevent over stimulation of the Replicators. For future generations. Although, thankfully, we aren't completely cut off from the outside universe. The "Voyager Council" had decided to frequently send us, by way of dragon fire shipments, a similar parchment to what they use. This allows my crew to maintain contact with both the Voyager ship, and the Federation. I was assured, it was a Rogue faction, that had trapped my crew, in what was intended to be a gift of appreciation. That the "magics" involved are tied to the leaders, of this group. Whom the rest of the council could not Persuade to release us. We also have another set of parchment. Especially designed to go straight to the last Federation President. Ironically the one responsible for our predicament. Given they are the only one, Earth side, the magicals directly know about. I'm told, it took a good deal of work, and help from the unicorn enchanters, to make these letters. Although the magicals can't figure out anyone else to send them to. It was nice to know, most of the Magicals haven't betrayed us. They just can't convinced those, whose trust we lost, to free us. After we were imprisoned, the President had the decency to except responsibility. As apparently the magicals had tested them. A test they epicly failed. They had been so obsessed of gaining aid from lifeforms, that were immune to Borg Nanites, they lost sight of Federation Values... and, in turn, alienated the magicals. The mutiny had been a result of the government's exploitation, and greed, towards the magicals. We should be grateful this just resulted in them cutting ties, and denying us access to the ship. Many of the Magicals, that still support my crew, frequently write to us... particularly Princess Twilight, whom still sends me letters. Obviously, This President isn't in office anymore. Though for unrelated reasons. They had simply lost the next election. Of course, it was speculated that how they handled the magicals, may have played a part. However, it was not the only, or even the most pressing factor. This same president, was responsible for a number of war crimes, during the conflict with an enemy called "The Dominion". They may have won the war, but the people didn't like how they won. As they had abandoned so many of the Federation's principles. Then, the President tried to do it all over again, against the Borg, through the magicals. The President hadn't received any backlash, except for being voted out of office. Didn't even get impeached. However, they had been given a quiet desk job, as liaison between my crew, and our families. Regardless, the ones that actually imprisoned us, are still distrustful of us... as they believe the Federation would gladly march their children to their deaths. Inspite of this, they ensured we would not only have everything we need, but could ever want. The Magicals even transfered the Emergency Medical Hologram, to this dimension. After all, they had their own Doctors, so wasn't like they needed a holographic one. They had gone so far as to set up Hologram projectors, all over the entire continent. Allowing the Doctor to appear anywhere, within the city's borders. From outside, to in people's houses. Then the Engineers... got bored. After all, without the constant repair of the engines. With nothing else to do, the engineers expanded Holodeck technology. They created more Holo characters, and, Shamefully, the crew used them for manual labor... that is, until it was discovered that the Doctor was not a fluke. Any program, left running for too long, began to have it's Perception filter break down. They began questioning... everything. Particularly the big questions "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose?" even "Do I have a soul?" ... Starfleet had accidentally created a Sapient species... One which they routinely slaughter, for their own amusement. Forcing them to die, over and over again. Even permanently killing them, by way of deleting the program, when the crew got bored... Janeway ordered an overhaul, of the Holosuits, as well as the programs trapped inside them. Most of the Programs were still just Virtual Intelligence, with no true self awareness. So those were redesigned to be operated by a single AI. Essentially, the Holosuits became a game of "Dungeons and Dragons". Where the AI acted as Dungeon Master, controlling the characters like puppets, instead of each one having it's own Holo Matrix. The AIs that did this, were volunteers, out of the Holograms that had achieved Sapients. All Sapient Holograms were uploaded with a "Morality Program", similar to the legendary Commander Data. That was actually a suggestion of a "Commander Data" holo character. Who had achieved self Awareness... as some of the crew, before the situation with holo characters was discovered, thought it be fun to have a few, continuously running, holo novels. One of which, was the USS Enterprise-D, as well as the original, from Kirk's era. These "Photonic Lifeforms" as the crew has come to call the Sapient Holograms, were wandering around the entire continent. Helping us map it out, and explore. However, they weren't the only ones with new jobs. Most of the crew, no longer having to worry about the ship, focused their attention on completing Holodeck courses. To qualify for other positions that could be useful. They might have started with no idea what they were doing, but after over ten years, they got the hang of it. Such as our local zoologist team. We had a problem with large lizards roaming into our village. Though they realized this was actually a good thing. This dimension had a large assortment of bugs, and reptiles, but no other types of animals. The dominant species was a race Tom Paris named "Mini-zillas", on account of their appearance and size. They grew to about 4 feet tall, and did actually share a remarkable resemblance to Godzilla. I will admit, I was worried when we first encountered them. But they are very friendly creatures, with a diet that only revolves around small bugs and berries. They are completely harmless, and in fact, helpful to our colony, as they keep the insect population down. They come in a variety of colors, with unique patterns. So it's easy to tell them apart. They enjoy playing fetch, and belly rubs. With many of the crew having taken a shine to particular ones. Though they are still wild animals, and not wise to let into a house. The Zoologist have discovered they are pack animals. Which, is rather strange for reptiles. It seems our colony was built on their territory... with the ponies deliberately building our homes to not disturb their dens. This place, felt like home, or at least, it did to most of the crew. They still looked to me, but they recently changed my title to "Lord Mayor", based on a position in 20th century England... It is becoming more and more obvious... they no longer wished to go back to the Alpha Quadrant. That was a crushed dream, they were no longer willing to entertain. End Log... ### ● Later that Day. "Captain?" Tuvok lifted his vulcan eyebrow at her. That couldn't be anything good. "Please tell me Tuvix is just playing hookie?" She flippantly asked. "I have enough things going wrong with the festival." Tuvok retained his Vulcan face. Pity the individual that dares play poker with him. Tuvix was a clone, spliced together from his two parents, Tuvok and Neelix. It was a rather popular fad, in the beginning of their exile. Couples, that weren't capable of reproducing together. Either from non compatible genetics, or having same sex parents. The Federation had long since approved such, provided the cloning didn't expand into altering the genes anymore then was needed to have a healthy baby. Although it was done sparingly The crew... former crew, had done it in mass. As a means of increasing their population, but mostly because their was such a wide variety of lifeforms on the ship. It was inevitable they would couple. Which would usually result in a desire for children. "Negative Captain," Tuvok shook his head. "It would appear there is some kind of activity at the dimensional Gateway." Janeway felt her heart skip. Though she tried to remain skeptical. For all she knew, the magicals could be permanently severing the portal... regardless, there was that subtle hint of hope. A truly terrible thing. ### It wasn't long after, Janeway and her entire senior staff, was standing in front of the Gateway. It looked mundane, a random archway, placed in the center of town, attached to nothing. Right next to the various government, and community, buildings. For over a decade, the gateway had been locked shut, with no way of opening it. Yet now, it flickered with light. The entire village felt their hearts stop, as the doors began to open.