//------------------------------//
// Episode 5: Narrow Horror 
// Story: Star Trek Equestria: Reformatted: Wild Access 
// by Captain_Cosmos 
//------------------------------//

“The ship is vulnerable in that Nebula. You know what to do.” A deep voice said.

“Yes My lord. The Cyber Compass will be ours. I shall see to it personally.” Bio Bionic responded with a wicked smile. News of the Equestria’s position had reached the forces of darkness and they were going to take advantage of it.

Bio Bionic got back onto her hooves and walked into a control room. “Set course for the Aurora Nebula, maximum speed.” She ordered.

“Yes Mistress.” A terrorcon responded.

Bio Bionic smirked as a Terrorcon fleet launched to warp. “It is time I met these Federation fools in person.” She commented.




Space: The final frontier. This is the story of the USS Equestria. A ship fresh out of construction, with a crew fresh from the Academy. Together they will embark on a mission of discovery, and evolution. They will explore a strange new frontier, seek out new life and a new civilization, and boldly go farther than anyone has ever gone.



In the Nebula, The USS Equestria laid dark, dormant, her nonessential systems in most areas shut down completely to try to boost what systems remained to buy time for the crew. Sela stepped onto the bridge. “Report.” She said.

“Power levels are dropping.” Norman responded. “I’d say we have about six more hours before we’re completely dead in the water.”

“There’s nothing we can do? We can’t load more Energon into Harmony?” Mr. Paris asked.

“The Cybertronians warned AGAINST that. It’ll do more harm than good.” Norman responded.

“So our only hope is that sample we collected giving up its compound secrets so that we can cure the Captain and Harmony.” Shron said.

“Bridge to Cmdr Prestine. How are we doing with that cure?” Sela asked through coms.

“Now that we know what to look for, we’re making progress.” Prestine reported. “At this point I’m confident a cure can be made today.”

“You have six hours to do so.” Sela responded.

“Understood.” Prestine replied.

At that moment, Shron noticed something on his console. He gave it a close look, and he didn’t like it. “You’ve got to be frakking kidding me right now.” He said.

“What?” Norman asked.

“We have a squadron of Terrorcon ships incoming.” Shron announced.

When they heard that, there was a collective groan on the bridge. “Sure.” Mr. Paris responded. “Why not. Just give us a Terrorcon fleet bearing down on us while we’re at it.”

“Estimated time of arrival?” Sela asked.

“At their present speed, 1.5 hours.” Norman responded.

“Ok, we need options people.” Sela responded. “We have to assume they know our current condition.”

“We’re doing everything we can just to stay afloat captain.” Norman responded. “At this point all we can do is hope Prestine and her team figure out the cure in time.”

“Harmony will need time to recover. She might not have that time.” Yamik pointed out.

“But curing her would probably restore power.” Mr. Paris responded. “We do know that we do not need her to actively control the ship, she just needs to stay alive.”

“If we can, we could possibly bridge on out of here at the first opportunity.” Shron suggested.

“The problem is that we do not know how long it will take for power levels to be restored after the cure is administered.” Sela responded. “And that is assuming we find a cure at all.”

“Cmdr Sela, if I may.” Harmony said in a raspy voice. “I have found a large asteroid nearby, it is hollow. We might be able to conceal ourselves within it to evade the Terrorcon threat.”

The crew glanced at each other, considering Harmony’s suggestion. “Norman, confirm?” Sela asked.

Norman tapped at his console and scanned the surrounding area. “Confirmed captain.” Norman responded. “2,000 kilometers out, there’s a large asteroid with an entrance into its hollow interior.” He reported.

“Wait, we’re not considering going in there are we?” Shron asked. “Not only would we be trapped if the Terrorcons find us, we would be going inside an asteroid that is seeping with compounds Harmony is allergic to.”

“It will likely be detrimental to her health.” Mr. Paris said.

“Well, we have 1.5 hours to make a decision.” Sela responded. “Bridge to Prestine, your time table just became tighter.” She told Prestine.

“You never cut the com line. I heard the whole thing.” Pristine replied. “You do realize you are essentially asking for a miracle, correct?” She asked.

“If we must rely on a miracle, then that is what we must do.” Sela replied.

In the science lab, Prestine acknowledged Sela. “Understood commander. Prestine out.” She said as she turned her attention back to the sample, which they had drilled into. “Alright we have 1.5 hours to make a cure before we have Terrorcons on our asses.” She announced.

“Terrorcons. Because that’s just what we need right now.” An officer responded.

“Yes. Today is officially the worst day we’ve had since we’ve been out here.” Risa responded. “But the flipside is that it can only go up from here.”

“Unless we’re blown out of the sky.” An officer commented.

“Have faith Ensign.” Prestine responded. “We’re close now, I can feel it.”

Meanwhile, in Engineering, Kasey was busy trying every trick in the book to try to save their power levels. “Let’s try recycling the waste energon. Maybe if we jerryrig a loop we can keep the Spark alive.”

“And risk getting Harmony and Proxima even more sick?” Teletran asked. “Are you serious?”

“I’m trying to keep our ship alive. And we do not have a Cybertronian medic on hand.” Baker responded. “And while we’re talking about it, would have been nice for you to WARN us that If one of them gets sick, both Proxima and Harmony get sick.” She added.

“In my defense, I had no idea that would happen. True normal titans and City Speakers share that bond but Harmony is not a normal Titan. And the captain’s not a normal City Speaker.” Teletran responded.

“So it’s true that Curing one will auto cure the other?” Baker asked.

“No, Both have to take the cure. Of that I am certain.” Teletran responded.

“So Harmony will be cured first, then the captain. And in the meantime, we have to do everything we can to delay a complete systems shutdown.” Baker responded.

At that moment, Baker noticed a bright light shining off her peripheral vision and turned her head. She saw the Harmony Core glowing in a rainbow pattern, she approached for a closer look and saw the Elements of Harmony and the Unity Crystal glowing. “Really? Now?” Baker asked.

“It’s tied into our power grid right?” An officer asked.

“It is. Shut it down now.” Baker responded.

“Cmdr, we tried to before, this thing will not shut down.” The officer replied.

“What could it be doing?” Teletran asked.

Baker was about to reply, before the glowing disk in the middle of the core projected a hologram in the middle of Engineering, catching everyone off guard.

Baker studied the hologram and its apparent presentation, before tapping her combadge. “Baker to Bridge, Cmdr Sela you might want to come down here. The Harmony Core’s up to something.” She reported.

“Acknowledged. On my way.” Sela responded. On the bridge, Sela got up from the captain’s chair.

“Harmony and Proxima are sick, we’re losing power, we have Terrorcons bearing down on us, and now the Harmony Core is acting up. What’s next? The BORG decide to show up?” Yamik asked sarcastically.

“Dude.” Mr. Paris responded. “Don’t jinx it. Now we’re gonna run into the borg at some point and it will be your fault.” He said.

“Mr. Paris, Mr. Yamik. Enough.” Sela said. “At least with the Harmony Core we can deduce that whatever it is up to will be a good thing.”

“I’ll take that bit of good news right now.” Shron said as Sela left the bridge.





“Chief Medical Officer’s log supplemental. Terrorcons are now on their way. As if today wasn’t bad enough already. Fortunately though, Prestine reports that she has found a cure for the sickness and is on her way with the cure now.”

Prestine gripped the hydrospanner loaded with the cure for Proxima tightly in her hand as she speed walked down the corridor to the medbay, phaser at the ready in case the Terrorcons came early. Her combadge came alive with one of her team’s voice. “Cmdr Prestine, Teletran’s just arrived. We’re working on Harmony’s cure now.” They reported.

“Good. Make the cure as fast as you can. Where do we administer Harmony’s cure Teletran.” Prestine asked.

“Easiest way to do so is administering it in the Spark chamber itself.” Teletran responded.

“Isn’t that risky?” Prestine asked.

“No, a Spark chamber may be the equivalent of an organic heart but unlike the organic heart, a Spark Chamber can be opened with no risk to the Titan. You open the chamber every day to feed Harmony.” Teletran explained.

“Fair enough, and how long after before Harmony is back to 100%?”

“An hour. At most.” Teletran responded.

“We don’t HAVE an hour.” Prestine replied. “Terrorcons will be on our asses in half that time.”

“It’s the best answer I can give you. I’m a support drone, not a doctor.” Teletran said.

Prestine nodded as she reached the Medbay. “Well once this is done We’re gonna have a talk and you will tell us what ELSE could happen.” She said.

Dr Boimler saw Prestine enter and approached her. “You have the cure?” He asked.

“Right here.” Prestine responded as she gave the Hydrospanner to Phlox.

“And you’re sure it will work?”

“We used contrasting compounds to combat the sickness. It will work.” Prestine said.

“Possible side effects?” Phlox asked.

“Proxima’s knocked out cold for a few minutes. And that is a possible side effect. It’s equally likely she won’t experience anything.” Prestine replied.

“At this point I’ll take–” Phlox started before the whole medbay heard a loud sneeze, followed by an explosion.

Phlox and Prestine turned their attention to the back where they could CLEARLY smoke coming from the backroom. Panic arose as Boimler rushed into the back room and began waving away the smoke that came from Proxima. “Captain! Are you–” He asked before he saw something that made him truly panic.

Proxima, not yet knowing what just happened, rubbed her forehead. “That was the worst headache yet.” She commented. She noticed Boimler’s panic. “What?” She asked.

Boiler approached the bed and immediately removed the Magic inhibitor. “The Magic Inhibitor just stopped a massive discharge of magic, but it was so powerful it CRACKED YOUR HORN!” He exclaimed.

“What?!” Proxima responded.

Boimler readied the Hydrospanner, and also called for additional help. “Just hang on Cap, I have your cure right here, and then we’ll seal up those cracks.” He said as he administered the cure to Proxima. “You might be knocked out for a few minutes, but now that will be a good thing since we need to put you under for a quick surgery.” He explained.

Proxima did indeed start to feel woozy when she was given the Cure. “And Harmony?” She asked, getting groggy.

“Harmony’s cure will be administered soon. It’s almost over.” He said.

Prestine poked her head in a second later. “I gotta get back to the lab. Everything good here?” She asked.

“Everything’s under control.” Phlox responded, which was the last thing Proxima heard before she passed out.

Prestine nodded and headed out, comming Commander Sela. “Prestine to Cmdr Sela. Proxima’s cured of this sickness.” She reported.

“Are you certain?” Sela asked.

“Yes sir.” Prestine responded. “But there was a complication. Her latest sneeze produced a magical discharge so powerful that it cracked her horn due to the Magic inhibitor blocking its release. Boimler’s prepping her for horn repair surgery now.”

“So she will likely still be in the medbay when the Terrorcons arrive.”

“Most likely.” Prestine responded. “Unless a miracle happens.”

“We must not push our luck when relying on Miracles.” Sela responded from engineering. “Cmdr Yamik, assign a security detail to the Medbay.”

“Aye captain.” Yamik responded.

Sela nodded and cut the connection, turning her attention back to Baker. “Apologies Chief, you were saying?” She urged.

“Yes. Well, as I was saying, when we first installed the Core, it changed our Spore Drive to work as a space bridge vortex generator.” Baker explained. “As well as a complete system efficiency boost to 150%.”

“An upgrade we can probably thank it for since it is likely that which has saved us thus far in this crisis.” Sela responded.

“Right, well, it would seem the Harmony core has decided to reveal what might be its primary function aboard this ship.” Baker reported.

“Elaborate?” Sela asked.

“For now, We’ll focus on the one that will probably help us the most in this situation.” Baker responded as a holographic simulation appeared. “Now, most starships have a maximum Impulse speed of 0.5c, a speed limit put in place to protect subspace systems.”

“Correct.” Sela responded.

“Well, I believe the Element of Loyalty is looking to give us a speed boost. As it appears to have connected itself to our engines.” Baker responded.

“Why did it connect with that system?” Sela asked.

“My current theory has to do with its Geode counterpart in what we call the EQG dimension. The Geode counterpart grants its bearer superspeed. So with that in mind the Element of Loyalty connecting to our speed related systems seems a logical move.” Baker explained.

“Estimated speed with the Element of Loyalty’s assistance?” Sela asked.

“0.75c.” Baker replied. “And at warp, it is the equivalent of the experimental Protostar drive from the late 24th century.”

“Impressive.” Sela said. “What is the catch?”

“It can only be active for a maximum of 60 seconds.” Baker responded. “After that it needs a week to recharge.”

“Is there any drain on our current power levels?” Sela asked.

“In 30 minutes, power will be the least of our concerns. Whereas we currently have 5 more hours of power left. Before I would not have advised trying to get out of this nebula, but with the Harmony Core providing a boost, I’d say it’s an acceptable risk.” Baker reported.

Sela weighed their options. Sure she was confident they could fight off a Terrorcon attack, but in their current state she knew they would have a much more difficult fight. After a moment of consideration, she made her decision. “Ready the ship for full impulse. And monitor the systems closely.” She said.

“Aye captain.” Baker responded as Sela tapped her combadge. “Sela to bridge, plot a course out of this Nebula. We are going to get out of here before those Terrorcons get to us. Mr. Paris, it is time for you to show your metal with your piloting.” She said.

“Captain?” Mr. Paris asked, confused.

“We cannot hit a single asteroid during this escape attempt. So we need the best pilot at the helm.” Sela explained.

“Ah. Alright, sure. I assume we’ll be flying at full impulse?”

“Actually, Baker is going to get us up to 0.75c thanks to the Harmony Core.” Sela responded.

“So faster than full impulse. Tall order, but I’m confident I can do it.” Paris responded.

“I sure hope so.” Sela responded as she made her way out of engineering. “Teletran, Prestine, update on Harmony’s cure.”

“Another minute and we’ll have that cure all ready sir.” Prestine responded.

“Report to engineering to administer the cure as soon as possible.” Sela ordered. “And everyone, do not wait for an order to initiate. As soon as everything is ready, we go.”

“Aye sir.” Everyone responded.

Sela nodded as she exited engineering. Her mood lightening with the knowledge that things were looking up…Until she turned the corner and saw her parents AGAIN. Sela stopped, stared at them, and shook her head. “No, No they are not here, they cannot be here, this is–” She started telling herself before she watched her parents pull out Vulcan weapons and started to shoot at her. Sela instinctively ducked to avoid the shots. She glanced up to see her parents running. “Not this time.” Sela commented. Forgetting her previous statement and racing after her parents.

On the bridge, Paris plotted a course that took them out of the Nebula. “Well the good news is Asteroid density decreases as we move out of the Nebula, the bad news is moving asteroids are the name of the game.”

“I can reroute power to engines and phasers. Whatever we can’t evade, we can hopefully destroy.” Norman replied.

“Just give me a clear shot and I’ll take care of anything that gets in our way.” Sharon replied confidently as he opened a shipwide channel. “Attention all hands. We are preparing to breach the Nebula. I would advise everyone to hang on to something, inertia dampeners and gravity generators might shut down during this.” He warned.

“I just had a thought that might increase our odds of slipping past asteroids. We use Multi Vector Mode as an avoidance system.” Yamik suggested. “Smaller equals bulk to maneuver.”

“Good call.” Shron responded. “Bridge to Engineering.”

“Baker here.” Baker replied through coms.

“Chances that engaging Multi Vector Mode will do more harm than good right now?” Shron asked.

“For what purpose would it serve?” Baker asked.

“Avoidance system. Less mass per ship equals decreased likelihood of collisions.” Shron explained.

“But you also INCREASE the chances of the Equestria being hit.” Baker added. “Any one segment can crash and that’s a third of our strength and of Harmony’s body wiped out.”

“What are the odds that actually happens?” Shron asked.

“I’ll get back to you on that, Harmony’s cure just arrived. Standby.” Baker responded.

Shron nodded. “Norman, ETA on that fleet?” He asked.

“15 minutes and counting.” Norman responded.

“We’re cutting it pretty close.” Yamik commented.

“Well things are looking up. Assuming everything goes according to plan we’ll be long gone by the time they get here.” Shron responded.

In Engineering, Prestine entered the department with Teletran behind her. “Open the Spark chamber. It’s the easiest way to administer the cure.” She said.

“Wait, isn’t that dangerous?” Baker asked.

“No. It’s not.” Teletran responded. “You feed Harmony every day through the same opening.” He explained. “Doesn’t matter how many times it’s opened.”

“Alright. Let’s do it.” Baker responded.

“I’d advise everyone to not breathe so much.” Teletran responded. “There’s a real chance that Harmony will be knocked unconscious for a few minutes and that will take the power with it.”

“Seriously? You choose to warn us about that now?” Baker asked.

“Sorry.” Teletran responded. “I have a habit it seems of withholding information I didn’t think needed to be mentioned.”

“I bet the captain will want to have a word with you on that.” Baker responded as the three approached the Spark Chamber. “Harmony, this is might sting a bit. You ready?” She asked.

“I am Cmdr.” Harmony responded in a raspy voice after a cough. “I will try not to do anything that will make energon splatter all over you.”

“Alright.” Baker responded as she got behind a console. “The chamber has a yard wide door. How long do you need to administer the cure?” She asked Prestine.

“Two seconds even.” Prestine responded as she set herself up within range of the chamber’s entrance, holding the hydrospanner like a phaser. “Ready.” She said.

“Alright, opening in 3, 2, 1.” Baker counted down before pressing the open button.

The chamber slid open, exposing the glowing orb of light that was dimmer than yesterday, Energon was flowing around it. Prestine pressed the trigger as soon as the door opened and sprayed the spark with the cure. Two seconds later, the door slid closed. The cure having been successfully administered. “Ok. Cure’s in.” Prestine responded.

“I…I feel a bit woozy.” Harmony said, her voice less raspy and more groggy.

“Everyone standby for power outage!” Baker called out.

A few seconds later, everything powered down. Just like that. It was only after when Baker realized something. “We shoulda checked in with Boimler, damnit.” She said.

“Prestine to Boimler, do you copy?” Prestine asked into her combadge.

“I copy Prestine.” Boimler responded. “All power just went out, I assume that is the cure working its magic on Harmony?”

“It is, sorry we forgot to check with you first.” Prestine replied.

“The captain is my only patient right now and we completed her horn repair surgery 2 minutes ago, she’s sleeping like a filly now. So consider yourselves lucky.” Boimler said.

“Acknowledged.” Prestine responded as the connection was cut. “Now all we need to do is wait, and after that get out of here and everything will be back to normal.” Prestine told everyone.

“Good.” An officer commented. “The feeling of Terrorcons bearing down on us in total darkness is not a pleasant feeling.”

“True that.” Baker responded.

Sela meanwhile had her wrist light on full blast as she searched for her parents. She didn’t have a phaser, but she did manage to find her personal Vulcan weapon that she kept around in case of emergencies. Somewhere in her mind, she still knew that she wasn’t actually seeing them, but all the pain and torment she had been subjected to because of them throughout her life made it difficult for that part of her mind to assert itself over her need for bringing her parents down once and for all. She had believed herself to finally be free of them when she reached the age of ascension. But something was clearly wrong if she was seeing visions of them.

She was about to turn a corner when she heard a scream down the path she was following, she took off in a sprint down the hallway and saw a body in the distance. She took a few more steps before the light showed her a body. An unmoving body. Upon closer inspection, she jumped when she realized it was… “Captain Maxima!” She exclaimed. Fear for her best friend skyrocketing to an all time high.

She was about to get down to check for a pulse when all the lights in the hallway came back on. She noticed something off her peripheral vision, and she turned to see something that made her back into a bulkhead. There was writing. Big red letters that read.

“Welcome to your test Sela. If you are a true Vulcan you will not show fear.”

Sela couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would all go away. “This is not real, this is not real.” She whispered to herself a few times. She opened her eyes again and saw a new, even more terrifying message.

“So far you are failing.”

Sela’s breathing was fast and heavy. She glanced at the motionless Proxima, before she took off running, resuming her search for her parents, now resolving to find answers. “Sela to medbay, medical emergency on deck 10 section 23. Security run a full sweep of the ship, two middle aged Vulcans.” She said.

On the bridge, Yamik took a deep breath. “All security personnel be on the lookout for two Middle Aged Vulcans.” He told his people. “Something strange is going on.” He commented.

“We’ll look into it when we’re out of this Nebula.” Shron responded. “Baker. Status?”

“All systems coming back online, power levels rising. Looks like we’re back in business. Harmony?” Baker asked.

“I am feeling increasingly better with every passing minute.” Harmony responded, her voice now less Raspy. “Thank you Cmdr Prestine.”

“Anytime Harmony.” Prestine responded.

“Odds of Multi Vector Mode being the wrong choice?” Shron asked.

“Now that the computer has adequate power to draw from, I can give you a confident 10% chance of a segment collision.” Baker responded.

“Good enough for us. Engage Multivector mode.” Shron ordered.

“Multivector mode, online.” The computer responded. The three segments of the USS Equestria split as they powered back up.

“Paris, how long will it take to get out of here?” Shron asked.

“Assuming our course stays true, all three segments will be out of the Nebula in thirty seconds.” Paris responded.

“Terrorcon Fleet?” Shron asked.

“Five minutes out, coming in from our port side.” Norman reported.

“And they’ll find nothing.” Shron responded. “Mr. Paris, take us out.” He ordered as he got on the tactical controls, readying Phasers to blast through anything that blocked their path.

“Aye sir. Cmdr Baker, engage the Element of Loyalty.” Paris asked.

“Engaging.” Baker responded as she pressed a button on her console, the blue Element of Loyalty glowed brightly and all lights on the ship turned a magnificent blue. The engines could be heard roaring to life like a car revving its engine.

“Ooh, I like the purr.” Paris commented. “Full Impulse in three, two, one. Let’s fly!” Paris said as he threw all three segments into full Impulse.

Meanwhile, in the medbay, Boimler was confused about Sela’s report, but suddenly got a hunch as to what it might actually be, so he called up the feed from Sela’s neural monitor, and as he played back the last few moments, his blood ran cold. “This is not a mere hallucination.” He concluded after looking at the noticeable increase in brain activity. “Someone watch Proxima like a hawk!” He ordered as he grabbed a phaser and bolted out of the medbay. He had to get to Sela before it was too late.

The USS Equestria meanwhile segments weaved in and out of asteroids at lightning fast speeds. The Saucer Section flew through a donut shaped Asteroid doing a barrel roll. “Whew doggy this thing is really booking it now!” Mr. Paris called out excitedly.

“Focus Mr. Paris!” Shron replied.

The segments continued to weave in and out of the field of asteroids, the density getting less and less, until all three segments burst right out of the Nebula into open space. “All three segments are cleared!” Norman called out.

“Put the ship back together, get us under cloak and let’s get the HELL out of here!” Shron ordered.

The crew did as ordered. The three segments were brought back together, the ship disappeared under cloak, and the ship rocketed into warp at maximum, non amplified speed due to the Element of Loyalty shutting down for a recharge during the redocking process.

On the bridge while the ship jumped, everyone let out a sigh of relief. “Norman. Terrorcons?” Shron asked.

“They should be arriving at our last location now. Is it bad that I want that cursed Nebula to infect them?’ Norman asked.

That got the whole bridge laughing. “Not at all bud, after what we went through it’s only fair.” Yamik responded, before his eyes widened. “Oh no.” He said.

Paris was about to ask what he was talking about before Yamik leaned off to the side and straight up puked. He coughed up puke for a moment before he sat back up, and turned to Paris. “Paris, did you HAVE to do so many barrel rolls?” He asked.

“Sorry, I was just trying to keep it a fun watch for the readers.” Paris responded.

“Uhm, anyone mind if I had a DOT clean up Mr. Yamik’s puke ASAP?” Harmony asked.

“Go ahead Harmony.” Shron responded. “You have the right for your immune system to combat any ailments that might befall you.” He said. “Congratulations everyone, we just avoided a very unceremonious end.”

Back in the Nebula, Bio Bionic and her fleet had reached the last known position of the Equestria to find that it had gotten away. “Grrr.” She grumbled.

“Mistress, there is no sign of them anywhere in the area. They must have–” A minion said before Bio Bionic bonked him in the head.

“NO KIDDING!” She growled. “FIND THEM!”

“Yes Mistress.” The minion responded.

Bio Bionic turned back to her viewscreen. “The hunt is on now.”

Back on the Equestria, Sela was engaged in her own little hunt. With the lights back on she didn’t need her wrist light anymore. Behind her, but not too close, Boimler followed her, phaser set to stun should it be needed. After turning another corner, he decided to speak up, sticking close to cover. “Sela. It’s me. You won’t–” Boimler started before Sela whirled around and began blasting her weapon at the voice. Boimler ducked behind the corner and narrowly avoided getting hit. “Whoa! Commander!” He called out. “Calm down. You have nothing to worry about! They’re not here.”

“Do not try to lie to me father, I am done with your lies. Now come out and tell me what the hell is going on!” Sela said.

Boimler listened to her, and realized what was happening. “She’s full blown lost it now.” He whispered. He realized nothing he could say to her would help now. Sela was too far gone for anyone to reason with her, anyone except maybe… “Boimler to security.” He whispered into his combadge. “Commander Sela has gone crazy. I need her to be corralled into the shuttlebay. And to have the shuttlebay cleared of everyone. Now!” He said.

“Acknowledged.” A security officer responded. Boimler then tapped his combadge and instatransported back to the medbay.

In the shuttlebay, Cliff and Blitz saw the shuttlebay clear out. “Wonder what’s going on.” Blitz commented.

“My guess is that it’s not good.” Cliff responded.

“Cliffjumper! Blitzwing!” Called a security officer. “You two need to clear the shuttlebay immediately. I heard you can magnetize your boots. Our warp bubble will protect you from gettingsucked off the ship in the vacuum of Warp travel.” the officer explained.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about the dangers.” Cliff said.

“I’m just letting you know what I’ve been ordered to, feel free to see what happens when you don’t get out of here but by the sound of it you would be better served getting out of here.” The security officer explained before leaving.

Blitz and Cliff glanced at each other. “Do you want to find out what happens?” Cliff asked.

“I ain’t risking my tailpipe out there without more information.” Blitz responded.

In the medbay, Boimler approached Proxima’s bed. “Vitals?” He asked the doctor watching her.

“Stable. Definitely on the healthy side.” The doctor responded.

“Good. We need to wake her up.” Boimler said.

“Sir?” The doctor asked. “We just completed horn repair 10 minutes ago. We need to let her rest.”

“I know. And for all intents and purposes we should. But commander Sela’s gone AWOL and Captain Proxima is the only one that can bring her back to reality.” Boimler responded. “It should be fine so long as she doesn’t try to use magic.” He reasoned as he pressed a hydrospanner against Proxima’s neck, administering an adrenaline to wake her.

Proxima’s eyes fluttered open a second later and she turned her head to inspect her surroundings. “Ugh. What happened?” She asked groggily.

“Welcome back Captain.” Boimler responded. “How’re you feeling?”

Proxima took a second to consider her situation. She felt her horn wrapped in bandages, and she didn’t feel sick anymore. “I feel like my horn cracked, but I’m not sick anymore.” She said.

“Yeah, we made a cure and both you and Harmony are good to go, We’re now out of the Nebula in warp.” Boimler explained. “As for the bandages around your horn, we fixed the cracks but just to be safe I am putting you on a no magic order for a week.” He said.

“That’s fair.” Proxima responded.

“Now, I’m sorry we had to wake you up but we need you.” Boimler responded. “And more specifically, Sela needs you.”

“Huh?” Proxima asked. “What do you mean?”

Boimler just called up the Neural monitor feed for Proxima to watch. “She’s been having visions all day. Of her parents.” He said simply.

Proxima’s eyes widened as she shot right up at the mention of Sela’s parents. “Her parents?!” She shrieked. She watched the feed from the Neural Monitor, and her blood ran cold when she saw the things that Sela had seen recently. “What the hell is happening to her?” She asked, getting out of bed.

“I don’t know. But it’s more than mere hallucinations. There is too much brain activity for that.” Boimler responded. “The only other thing I can think of is a mind…meld…” Boimler trailed off when he said that.

Proxima could tell what Boimler was thinking. “Someone is doing this to her.” She concluded. “Someone who knows how to do a mind meld and clearly knows how to trigger her.”

“What do we do?” The doctor asked the both of them.

“Right now we save Sela. We’ll worry about everything else later. Come on.” Proxima responded.

Moments later, Sela entered an empty shuttlebay. Weapon drawn and eyes, ironically, sharp as a hawk. She moved through the bay, searching high and low for her parents. “Come on out mother, father. There is nowhere else to go.” She called out.

Cliff and Blitz saw her come in, and heard her. “Uh, We never saw anyone come in. Everyone just–” Cliff started before Sela cut him off.

“They are in here Cliffjumper! I know they are!” Sela growled.

Both the Cybertronians instinctively backed away, sensing Sela was on a warpath that they knew better than to enter.

Sela continued to look, until she heard familiar voices. “You are wasting your time child. You will never find us.” The voice of her mother said.

“Do not be so sure. There are only so many places you can hide.” Sela responded. To the outside world, Sela just talked to herself.

Just outside the shuttlebay entrance, Proxima, Boimler, and the doctor all met up with Yamik and a few security officers. “Alright, wanna tell us what the hell is going on? Commander Sela’s been acting weird all day.” Yamik said. “Also, good to see you back on your hooves captain.” He added.

“She thinks her parents are onboard when they really are not.” Proxima responded.

“And now she is too far gone from reality that we only have one hope of bringing her back. Proxima.” Boimler responded.

Yamik glanced into the bay, and then back to Proxima. “Are you worried you might be overestimating the bond you two have captain?” He asked.

“Trust me Yamik. I know how to get her back.” Proxima responded as she entered the shuttlebay. “Commander Sela!” She called.

Sela had been preparing to breach a shuttle when she heard that voice, she whirled around and aimed her weapon, but stopped when she saw. “P-Proxi?” She asked, eyes wide.

Proxima nodded as she carefully approached Sela. “Yes Sela, it’s me. Sela, It’s ok. They aren’t here. They cannot hurt you anymore.” She assured Sela.

“They ARE here.” Sela responded. “I have been seeing them all day. They…They…” She trailed off as her eyes began to glisten.

“Cliff! Blitz! Clear the bay now!” Proxima ordered when she saw the two.

“Captain, We have–” Blitz tried to explain before Proxima cut him off.

“You can magnetize. Out onto the hull NOW!” Proxima said.

Cliff and Blitz, seeing that Proxima wasn’t kidding around, bolted for the hangar entrance and disappeared out onto the hull of the ship. With them gone, Proxima turned back to Sela. “I know. I saw what you saw from your neural monitor.” Proxima responded. “But that was NOT real.” She said. “I don’t know what’s happening to you but I do know that your parents are far, FAR away from here.”

The two doctors and the security team watched the two carefully, all their weapons on stun, just in case. “Think we should approach?” Yamik asked.

“No, that will only make things worse.” Boimler responded. “We just need to make sure they aren’t disturbed.”

Back in the bay, Sela was shaking, still gripping the weapon tightly. “I want to believe that. But I have been seeing them all day. I believed myself to be rid of them and they are back. I do not want to go through all of it again. I…I cannot.” She said, breathing heavily and fast.

Proxima could tell how terrified Sela was. And she couldn’t blame her. Proxima herself had seen first hand on multiple occasions what Sela’s parents did to her. She understood why Sela would never want to go through that again. “And you will not.” Proxima replied. “No matter what they might try, they cannot get to you. You are only among friends here on the ship.” She assured Sela.

The part of her mind that told her the same thing was starting to assert itself in Sela’s mind again, but her desire to stop her parents was still strong. “I suffered so much…” She whispered.

“I know.” Proxima responded. She could tell that words alone would not save the day. So she decided to pull out the big guns. “Computer, music.” She said. She knew one thing that would, and always will work on Sela, every time, her singing.

Just like that, music started playing in the shuttlebay.

(Just imagine that the computer gets rid of the female voice for Proxima to take over.)

Sela heard Proxima singing to her, she had turned her attention back to the shuttle she was about to enter, so her ear was pointed right at Proxima. When Proxima started singing, Sela froze and her mind thought back to all the other times she heard Proxima’s singing voice. It was calm and soothing. Just as it had been every time in the past that Sela was distraught and needed support, support that Proxima always gave her.

However, the voice of Sela’s father spoke to her. “If you actually need another to help you, then you are not a real Vulcan, because Vulcans do not need help to suppress their emotions.”

More of the same nonsense that Sela’s parents had ALWAYS told her. Stuff that she only knew was nonsense because…because of Proxima.

By the end of Proxima’s song to her, Sela found it in herself to drop the weapon she had been holding, fighting back against the urge that had been driving her for the last few minutes. Proxima, seeing this, stepped closer to Sela, being ready for what was coming as she finished the song.

When the song DID end, Sela was on the verge of tears. She noticed Proxima had come within arms reach. Sela took one step closer to meet her, and she wrapped her arms around Proxima, who in turn returned the hug as she positioned Sela’s head on her shoulder. Just in time for the tears to finally start coming down as Sela just let it out. Here, in the forelegs of her best friend, she finally allowed the sensible part of her brain to reassert itself and remind her that her parents were FAR away from her. And with the stress washing away from her, she let her emotions show themselves in full.

Proxima, for her part, held Sela tight but comforting as she soothed her friend. “It’s ok. It’s alright.” She cooed. “You’re safe.” She assured Sela.

At the entrance, Yamik and his team holstered their Phasers, seeing that the situation was under control. “The magic of friendship saves the day.” Yamik commented.

Boimler just smiled as he called up the Neural Monitor, and saw Sela’s brain activity decreasing to acceptable, normal operating levels. “Yeah.” He said in relief. He motioned for his fellow doctor to come with him into the bay to check on Sela. Which he did.





“Captain’s log stardate 321220.12, it’s been a week since our stint in what we’re calling the Aurora Nebula, and I’m happy to say that things have been going smoothly ever since. We ditched the sample we made a cure from in order to ensure it doesn’t harm Harmony again. And that patch on the hull has returned to normal color. Commander Sela has been put on medical leave to recover from her…ordeal. It is sad what she has gone through just to make it to this point in her life. But at least the worst seems to be behind her.”

“You all did good work in the Nebula.” Proxima told her staff upon her return to the Captain’s chair after a week of medical leave. “I’m glad I wasn’t made to regret my choices of personnel.”

“You can always count on us, Captain. Come hell or high water we will never let you down.” Shron responded.

“Good.” Proxima responded. “However, let’s make one thing clear. The bridge viewscreen is NEVER to be used for video games.” She said, directing it at the boys on the bridge. “If I get wind that you are playing games on the viewscreen again while on duty there WILL be consequences. Am I clear?” She asked.

“Yes Captain.” Shron, Yamik, Norman, and Paris all said,

“Everyone is dismissed except for the doctor.” Proxima responded.

Everyone except for the doctor left the captain’s ready room. Boimler waited for them to be gone before speaking. “With luck this week’s crisis has taught them to always stay sharp.” He commented.

“I think it did.” Proxima responded.

Boimler nodded. “So, how is Sela doing?” He asked.

“She’s doing ok. She’ll return to duty following the weekend.” Proxima responded.

“Have you two talked much about it?” Boimler asked.

“Sela hasn’t said much. And I don’t want to push her into a conversation she’s not ready for.” Proxima responded. She and Sela had spent the last week together just being in each other’s company. In that time they talked, just not about the incident.

“Well, I would recommend you two DO talk. We still have a mystery on our hands. What exactly happened.” Boimler said. “Because it was not a hallucination.”

“But what ELSE it could be should be impossible. Mind Melding is a rare and nearly lost art, not a lot of Vulcans know it.” Proxima replied.

“Well, maybe we just got lucky and we have a few Mind Meld capable Vulcans onboard.” Boimler said.

“But who out of the 13 other Vulcans on board would know about Sela’s parents. The things she saw, only someone who knew her history in great detail could make something that horrifying.”

“Maybe you should ask her.” Boimler responded. “Give us a suspect or two.”

“I’ll do that.” Proxima responded. “But before I go, one more thing.” Proxima said. “I am aware that you might not be at liberty to discuss but…”

“You want to know the severity of Sela’s ESI.” Phlox guessed.

Proxima nodded. “She hasn’t mentioned it for a while and after the ordeal I’ve been worried it might have become fatal again.” She said.

“Well, That is also a conversation for you to have with Sela, but I can say that she is expected to live a long life.” Boimler responded. “More than a few years.”

Proxima let out a sigh of relief. “Good.” She said. “Dismissed.”

Boimler nodded and left the ready room. Leaving Proxima alone. After a second, she too left. She left Shron on the con and left the bridge.

In her quarters, Sela sat in front of a candle, eyes closed, meditating. She had been doing it as a way to process and cope with what she had gone through while in the Nebula. After several long minutes, she heard the doorbell chime. “Enter.” She called, opening her eyes to see Proxima enter. “Captain.” Sela acknowledged.

“Hey Sela.” Proxima replied. “How’re you doing?”

“I am coping.” Sela responded as Proxima sat down across from her in front of the Candle. “I see that Boimler has removed your horn bandage.” Sela commented.

“Yeah.” Proxima responded. “I’m cleared to use magic again. And now I have a stronger Magic inhibitor for next time.”

“It is more important than ever that you do not become sick. Otherwise Harmony will share your illness.” Sela told her.

“Oh I heard. It must have been frightening for everyone.”

“It definitely kept us on our toes.” Sela replied. “We just narrowly escaped a Terrorcon attack.”

“Thanks to a little help from the Element of Loyalty.” Proxima said. “God bless those gems.”

“Indeed.” Sela responded.

The two fell into silence for a few seconds before Proxima decided to bring it up. “Are you going to be OK after what happened?” She asked.

Sela glanced down at the candle, considering an answer. “...One day, I will be.” She responded truthfully after a second. “But there is too much history for me to just let go so easily. You will forgive me if it takes time?” She asked.

“Of course.” Proxima responded. “Take all the time you need. And if you ever need me, just holler.” She added.

“Of course Proxima. In truth, there is no one else I would rather talk to.” Sela replied.

Proxima couldn’t help but smile when Sela said that. “Me and you.” She said.

“Always have each other’s back we do.” Sela replied, completing their friendship vow they made up as kids.

Proxima let out a chuckle. It felt good to say that again. She then lost her smile. “There is something else you should know. Some more details about what happened.” Proxima told her.

“I suspect that it has to do with the nature of my ordeal. I came to the same conclusion.” Sela responded.

“A mind meld.” Proxima said. “The high brain activity pretty much confirms it.”

“However, we do not know where it could have come from.” Sela replied. “I am certain no other Vulcan onboard has any knowledge of my history and how to perform such a procedure. Both of which are required for how realistic my ordeal felt.” She said.

“If it did not come from anyone on this ship that it should have been flat out impossible.” Proxima said.

“It is curious indeed.” Sela replied. “And…If I may be perfectly honest, it also terrifies me.”

“Well, do not worry Sela, we will find out what’s happening to you and we will stop it somehow.” Proxima said. “And, maybe we can continue to mitigate the severity of ESI along the way.” She added.

Sela’s heart sank at the mention of ESI. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the inevitable. “In that area, I am actually thankful that this ordeal has happened. Without it, I would only have had 15.5 months before my demise.” She told Proxima.

Proxima’s eyes widened. 15.5 months? “What?” She asked. “You only had a year and a quarter left before this week?” She asked.

“Indeed.” Sela responded.

So many questions flooded Proxima’s mind. How long had Sela known it became fatal again, what the hell did her parents do, and maybe most importantly. “Why did you never say anything?” She asked.

“Because the last time it turned fatal, I watched as you nearly drove yourself into a panic attack worrying about me.” Sela responded. “I could not bear to see you go through that again. No matter how much time we might have had to try to mitigate the severity.” She explained. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Proxima sniffled as she wiped her eyes dry, but she nodded. She couldn’t argue with Sela on that one. “Yeah. Yeah I can forgive you. What matters is that now you have longer than 15.5 months.” She said.

“The ultimate timeframe gained from this ordeal comes out to 10 years.” Sela said.

“But you had to experience a horror flick to earn that time.” Proxima responded. “You had to…” She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

“It scared me more than anything ever had before.” Sela admitted, guessing what Proxima meant. “Some part of me knew that you were safe in the medbay, but for the briefest moment, I had actually thought that you…The thought of losing you is not a thought that I welcome. It is one that I hope to never have again.” She said.

Proxima got up, walked around to sit beside Sela, and extended one of her wings to drape over Sela’s shoulders, prompting Sela to instinctively lean against her. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Proxima told her. “When Phlox showed me the neural monitor feed my blood ran cold.” She said.

“If you do not mind, I would prefer we end the conversation on this topic.” Sela said, not having the mental capacity to think about this week’s chilling events anymore.

Proxima nodded in understanding. “Of course.” She said. “But for real Sela, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. You can tell me anything.”

“I appreciate it Proxi. Really.” Sela responded, silence befalling the two of them after that.

It did not last long as a thought came to Sela. “Captain, there is something else I need to tell you. Harmony, you will want to hear this too.” She said.

Harmony’s blue orb appeared in front of them. “What is it commander?” She asked.

“Yeah, what is it?” Proxima asked.

“Admiral Vance called while you two were indisposed. He wanted me to let you know that the Federation council wishes to meet with you two. THey wish to discuss a few concerns that they have over Harmony’s enrollment into the Academy before a final decision is reached.” She said.

“Did he give any specifics?” Proxima asked.

“You will have to ask him. He did not say. Although, I do remember that he predicted one such concern is Harmony’s current condition, being locked in starship mode.” Sela theorized.

“I am just about finished with my avatar body. Captain, might we call the admiral this coming monday?” Harmony asked.

“We can.” Proxima responded. “If I may ask, what species did you choose Harmony?” She asked.

“I shall unveil it on Monday. But I do believe it will be satisfactory.” Harmony replied.

Proxima smiled and nodded. “Looking forward to seeing it.” She said.

“And you might want to talk to Baker as well, she has been working on a way for Harmony’s avatar to be freed from the confines of a holo emitter’s range and allow Harmony to put her consciousness into a mobile holographic body.” Sela revealed.

Proxima’s eyes widened, and Harmony was in shock. “She’s really doing that?” Harmony asked.

“You are going to be trapped in Starship mode for a while, possibly for years.” Sela said. “This way you can have some semblance of mobility that us organics enjoy while you await your T-goc repair.” She explained.

Harmony was at a loss for words for several seconds. Not expecting a gesture like this. “I am going to be able to move around freely…Wow.” She said.

Proxima couldn’t help but smile. “I believe that will go a long way towards your admittance being allowed.” She said as she glanced at Sela. “It was your idea wasn’t it.”

“It was only logical.” Sela replied simply.

“Impeccable logic at that.” Proxima responded. “So, up for a binging night? I believe Season 3 of The Cadet just arrived through subspace.”

Sela’s face lit up at the mention of the show. “Yes.” She said. “That sounds great.”

“The Cadet?” Harmony asked.

“Oh you’ll love it Harmony.” Proxima responded. “It’s an over exaggerated reality show look into Starfleet operations but it’s great.” She said as she and Sela got up off the floor.

Harmony, curious as ever, moved her orb so that it was positioned in front of the holo screen as Proxima and Sela sat on Sela’s couch to watch the show.

To be continued…