Finally... Answers!

Posted on Tue 23rd Sep, 2025 @ 11:56am by Captain Gordon Francis & Commander Geraldine "Geri" Severide

3,256 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: From The Ashes
Location: Docking Bay 2
Timeline: current

-Start-

{SB109- Conference Lounge Bravo}

The smaller of the Conference lounge rooms, it had a view of something important so Geri had selected it since the overlook showed Docking Bay Two. The bay was still out of order, and work crews weren't allowed to access it. This oddity would only compound in actual interest over time. She stared at the ship, knowing others had seen it by now. Less than a day ago, the pitted, hulled, utterly wracked vessel had settled into their docking bay, but the crew inside still hadn't come out. Alex, their captain had disappeared altogether, although Captain Francis had a small level of insight as to where he was.

The crew had orders to maintain secrecy, and were sticking to them. This left Geri and Gordon putting pieces together, before a long overdue conversation with the recently returned to duty Andrus Grax.

Geri tried to understand as she listened to the Captain explain the place Alex had called the "White Room."

"So he's in this... he called it the white room? And that is a space somewhere inside the IBEX? How do you go back?"

Captain Francis shook his head. "You now understand it about as well as I do," he said. "It was a big, empty space. I was very disoriented at the time. I was there for maybe a few minutes, but when I came out I was still standing in the Loading Bay. It was a lot like a dream. Perhaps I should have Dr. Delling test me for narcolepsy. This Captain Richardson said it was 'outside of physics.' If I hadn't been there myself I'd call him kooky as a Sunday turnip. Maybe I should schedule a psych eval with Commander Graves too..." He paused for another moment, trying to think of more. "Richardson said we had much to discuss..."

Geri exhaled far too loudly for it to be anything other than a statement.

"Sir if i may offer a personal opinion?"

"Of course," Francis replied.

"I am done with professional courtesy to non Starfleet operatives. They have a Federation program so we are being accommodating but we have jumped through flaming hoops without question. We are owed answers or they can go on their merry way in sixteen hours like they said they would, whatever state they are in. Sir."

Francis tried to hold back a smile. "So how do you really feel about it, Commander?" he joked. He brushed the moment away and continued.

"I guess when you've been around in Intelligence so long you get used to the half-truths and vague orders. Most of it is just honky talk, but you have to jump through the hoops anyway." He sighed. "I think I should handle this one on my own. Richardson seems to be interested in only me at the moment. For now, let's divide and conquer. I need you monitoring the Ravager activity not far from here, and keeping me updated on the Second Son hooligans. I'll handle the IBEX."

"Gladly. The three other crew, a Ferengi, a Cardassian, and a Human... who is from a different Quantum Reality..." She deep sighed, "are on board. Good luck. What we have on them, I just sent to you."

Kolor, a Cardassian with half a page of details to his whole profile. Middle Aged, Cardassian Male.
Grazia, Sisters with a Fala Gaz, which cross indicated to the MX Second Star. Sisters. Fala is supposed to be serving a term for political violence during the Feminine reforms of Ferenginar.
Duke, nothing was on the page except the most recent data obtained in their crossing. Middle aged Human Male, from a different Quantum Reality.

The files were light, and all of it under a Sigma clearance forbidding discussion. Geri had no fun over the last day fishing endlessly with no bites.

Francis scoffed at the report. "This almost reads like a joke! A Cardassian, Ferengi, and Terran come aboard a space station... I'm dreading the punchline."

She scoffed, "The punchline will come when I meet whoever is the cloak and dagger James Bond loving Tailor of Panama that orchestrated this affair. It'll land solid with a hefty audience response I promise."

She shook her head in dismay before recovering her decorum. "I'll try and put order to the reports, we have a lot going on. Thank you for taking this off my plate."

"Not a problem," Francis replied.

{IBEX- Docking Bay Two}

Kolor knew Grazia had no control over her odor, but this interminable period of stress had brought on a certain chemical quality after she had only used wipes for the last week. He silently endured, knowing he would never say anything to her but still finding ways to be far far away from her. He was repairing the hull fractures in the Lower deck, thanking the new smell of a plasma torch and matter reintegrator stitching metal.

Reggie materialized nearby, to no surprise of the Cardassian. He had learned to hear the sizzle-pop of the vacuum created prior to the holo-crewman appearing. There wasnt time to do anything except stifle the alerted response it gave him.

"Kolor, we have company. Alex sent word its the new handler."

He expressed exhaustion in a deep sigh, "Ok, I'm guessing we take him to the Obfuscation deck?"

Reggie shrugged, a programmed response more than a natural reply. "Alex hasn't named him yet, so presumably they need to meet in the White Room."

Kolor snarled a bit, the odd space set his nerves on edge. He avoided it at every turn, something about it seemed wrong, and that anyone who occupied that space for too long could become trapped, or lost.

"Is Alex staying there?"

Reggie sneered, "He used an illegal cypher to override me, broke silence and lost six crew. He will stay in there to avoid prosecution as long as he can."

Kolor stayed quiet, there was no point debating Reggie, a literal embodiment of their mandate and protocols. Alexander Richardson had been a hell of a captain, had truly embodied the mission. His mistake was staying in the seat long enough to make a mistake.

The White Room existed outside of time, but staying in too long got problematic with where and when you returned. Maybe that was Alex's plan?

Kolor only said, "He will come out eventually. That place is a leech on a living soul."

Reggie said nothing to the comment of a "living soul", it was definitely pointed his way, and disappeared after a moment. Holograms couldn't get into the White Room, there were no projectors. Grazia had never been inside either. Yuma had, but she had left the IBEX along with Duke to live on the station and recover from the ordeal.

Without Alex on board there was nobody else to talk to Francis here. Reggie sent a text based message, the only kind which could transmit into the subliminal space, to the former Captain.

[Captain Francis is arriving momentarily.]

Reggie checked on the bots performing repairs, found them doing good work and then dissipated entirely to go back into standby.

{White Room- A precursor to the “Infinity Room” Extra Planar non dimensional sub-space reality}

Alex had only just said farewell to Francis before the man appeared once again, this time a little more confident and self assured. The art-deco 1970's era patio furniture was between them and Alex gestured to it. The grass and cabin was real, brought in by hand and built for comfort, it was an island of reality a mind could attach to by some form of psychic gravity. Wandering too far out of sight without a tether or beacon meant an eternity of existing in a timeless, emotionless, sensation-less void. Thoughts alone exist, and matter is an afterthought. Time only passed if it was observed, and going back through the door was a crapshoot on where and when you came out the longer you stayed.

Knowing this makes the Cabin less cozy to some. It explains why there is no bed or kitchen. Just art, and color, music, things to affirm a minds need to experience something in this numb place of static. The tethers running into the white fog connected to a far off place someone had found exploring. Alex had always experienced a deep curiosity to where they went.

Captain Francis looked much better, he stood on the grass like it was natural to do so, which meant his mind was dominating the space and asserting its reality. One's own thoughts and shared experiences formed the basis for everything they encountered, such ability fortified this place. At the back of the brain, an instinct that should it not be observed or remembered it could go away develops.

“Here you come!” Alex was smiling to himself for getting this one right, he stopped just short of self congratulations. Alex had spent "only God knows" how long researching the data on anyone the Starbase had to help the program rebound and recover.

Not only was Captain Francis ideal for the role, he didn't want it . Foisting power was always preferred, he’d resist but would ultimately be compelled take the reins so that the job was done well. He didn't have an agenda beyond his career and serving with honor. He had the capacity to learn from his mistakes and had developed the right traits.

This was demonstrated well, as shown by the Kataan Test.

With a confidence well earned, he beamed at the captain who had fully formed, the transporter doing what the mind had to now sustain as he was deposited into this place, "Welcome back!”

With the appearance of a new uniform and day old stubble, Alex asked, “And how long has it been?"

Francis looked around. "Given the complexity of this place, I'm not sure." He noticed he felt very disoriented. It was a familiar feeling, but where had he had it before?

"Lately, I've been having these dreams," Francis said, coming to grips with his surroundings. "In them, I'm not myself. I'm seeing things through the eyes of someone else... and it's not like other dreams. These feel too vivid. To be honest, my existence in those dreams feels similar to how it is in here."

Captain Alexander Richardson knew this was the conversation, the moment had arrived. He gestured to the patio chairs and table, unaged, pristine as the day they were brought here. The grass should have long withered, there was no smell, even touch came with a numb non sensation. The bucolic setting was a gilded anomaly, a coping mechanism at best.

On the table was a handwritten letter, also, somehow pristine and unburdened by the ravages of time.

“You’ve had the memories of a trial undertaken returned to you. We feel it’s only proper you remember the lifetime you lived, if even just as a simulation. If you had not turned out to be a suitable candidate they would never have been returned and you would not be here. However, you are, and here, you stand.”

Alex indicated the folded paper on the table, “If you could read this, I’ll be ready to answer anything I can after.”

It may have been due to his sudden arrival, but Francis was getting sick of this. He didn't even glance at the paper. "I'm a slow reader, and I think I already get the gist. Tell you what, give me the skivvy now and I'll read whatever you like later. Why was I chosen for this Kataan hocus pocus mind journey and how many other candidates were there?"

Alex shrugged, "Well if you dont care for the answers a handwritten letter provides I'll connect the dots for you then."

Francis nodded, but his voice was gruff as he said, "Sounds good."

Alex continued. "You were selected, for a number of reasons to take over an outfit that has served Humanity since our first days in space. There are lots of us Francis, I encourage you to develop a sense of curiosity. They don't make it easy to find out more but we are there, behind some of the biggest moments in Human history. We exist to keep humans on a righteous footing, to foil the other more sinister agents of change. You were the only candidate who fit the bill, no other person on board qualified as much as you did, so if you reject the call we will move on and you'll be sworn to secrecy."

"Ok," said Francis. "The Abner dreams, they were the tests. I'm assuming I passed." He crossed his arms now. "I seem to have grown that sense of curiosity you mentioned. What is the 'outfit?'"

Alex glanced at the letter, then to Francis, "Do read it will you, at some point. In short, we won't show up in any searches, but we are the spaces in between the words on the pages of history. Our mandate is simple, "Keep Humanity on a good path." We don't want to have fame or to have the quadrant know our name. We are independent cells, coordinated only by people like you. You will be contacted by the others in time, if needed. and there is a Monitor who sees all of our activities, but I have never met them. We don't often get orders, our mandate has us seeking the problems. We pass on the military grade responses, and we feed Starfleet Intelligence. Our secrecy is better than any cloak,we gave parts to Noonien Soongh who developed a working positronic brain, we've gone to the homeworld of the Dominion carrying the cure for their blight, we helped find intelligence to replicate Ketracel white and liberate the Jem'Hadar should they ever return, we've helped the Timeship Wells restore the proper order of time, all because we can do it without making a splash.

Alex pointed to the tree, with strands running off into the mists, "I know of other ships, the WREN, the HARE, in this cabin we have a list running, and those strands, we think, connect to the white space on those and other vessels." He held up an older generation padd, and set a small totem on the table. The padd was in pristine shape despite its classical age, "This is the Monitor Padd. Only text based messaging and file send capabilities. You won't receive orders from this however, they will come through other channels and we will discern them. All of this is in a training module that can take a fair amount of time to complete, months or a year even since you're also commanding a Starbase. Kolor and Grazia are gifted cryptographers and will help you make sure you aren't making bad reads.... But you havent said yes yet... so I'm wondering if I should go on?"

"You distracted me around the time you said something about 'feeding Starfleet Intelligence,' and I was really gone after you pointed to the tree," Francis remarked with a tinge of sarcasm.

Francis sighed. "Mister whoever, I turn sixty-three in a few months. Commanding this station has been it's own test of my late-career abilities. I've been a workaholic all my life, my ex-wife despises me, my kids won't talk to me, I don't even know what my grandchildren look like, I have a cholesterol problem, my hair is falling out, I have an ache in my knee, and I wear glasses because I'm allergic to Retinex." He straightened. "If I'm your best candidate for the job you're offering, there is something seriously wrong with the universe. So if that universe needs me, I'd be a blind hog if I said no, because I truly have nothing to lose."

Alex was still trying to decide if the machine was crazy or he had just lost the faith. But the IBEX required someone to give its missions or hand off intel, they needed someone outside the norm and Francis was proving to be his own man. That was the job, and it came with surprises all the time. The tests were already passed, with the recommendations resoundingly in his favor.

"Or..." Alex held up his hand with one finger extended to recant the previous statement point by point, "You have prioritized service over your own personal life needs to the great credit of our organization, estranged family makes for excellent Intelligence agents, you have personal development and enrichment yet to experience in meeting new family, Cholesterol is manageable, who cares about a bald man many find it plenty attractive, your glasses offer you unique outlooks on situations.... and a hesitance for reading up close print."

Francis furrowed his brow. "Thanks?"

Alex flashed an award winning smile, "and its not the universe asking, it's us. One day we hope you'll ask someone else, after a long career forwarding the progress of Human civilization. Oh and that tree does break your brain to think about, but imagine what it was like before anything was here. Allegedly the Captain of the WOLF staggered out of the mists with a trailing spool of linked optical fiber, uniform burned, he was near death. Didn't say a word, our security system beamed into the buffer before we knew anything. So, if you want to explore any of those strands, I recommend not the WOLF."

Francis cracked a half-smile. "I learned not to climb trees when I was six years old and bopped my noggin falling out of the ol' pine tree in our front yard." He gave a nod. "Your offer intrigues me and I accept."

The former captain of the IBEX gave a sad smile, "With these words, I thee wed. Congratulations Captain, it's done."

Alex stood, and gestured towards the cabin. It's parochial wooden frame was in stark contrast to the stark white around them. The eerie juxtaposition underscored the bizarre place as he explained, "So the training takes place in here. you can finish it in moments real time, but to us here, time passes forward at picoseconds on the whole. Imagine cooking Bacon, and it never cooks, or burns, despite the heat of the pan. The Grass that's out there comes from a garden on Alpha Centauri two hundred years ago. Bring a clock with you, don't stay more than a few days at a time. When you re-emerge it is at the time you entered, but sometimes, if you stay too long, it gets weird on where it puts you."

He referenced the totem on the table, it looked like a gyro with rolling cage around it, "That's a mobile emitter, from the Timeship Wells. It contains an extremely advanced holomatrix, "Reggie" who is the thinking computer of this ship. It was Reggie who made us go through that ordeal. I had to override him, using a cypher Kolor had loaded onto an isolinear rod. For this I'll be recommending you do the same, Reggie is an asset and will keep the mission alive, but you must have control. This will keep him in line..."

Alex waited, "I'll stick around til you're ready but I will need to get back to reality before too long. At some point this place will drive you out, but also, there comes a time to face the music."

"I'll stay as long as I can," Francis said. "But the music I have to face is a full orchestra, and they're all relying on me to conduct."

Alex buried a smile, "Places then."

END

 

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