with The Editor: UK Atheist & Science E-Zine, Ben Slythe & Paul Hollings
Franklin and Alexander stopped outside Enterprises' sickbay. Franklin was a frequent visitor to the Enterprise and was now allowed low security access to most of the ship. One of the few Babylon 5 command staff who found the clean sterility of the other-space vessel of comfort he could easily find his way from the shuttle bay to Dr. Crushers medical facilities.
He turned to Alexander and whispered "Lyta, as far as I'm concerned these people are our friends however the president has requested that we exercise extreme caution concerning any matters relevant to station security". "Of course Stephen".
Alexander knew how paranoid Sheridan was when it came to the Enterprise and her crew. It wasn't that he regarded them as a threat, more that he recognised their potential destabilising influence in the area and the delicate political balances being nurtured by the Alliance.
Stephen smiled almost sadly and stepped towards the doors ... they slid open quietly and he and his companion stepped through.
Dr. Crusher was in her office and rose from her desk as they approached.
"Hello Stephen" she smiled and warmly shook his outstretched hand ... "a little too warmly" thought Alexander.Stephen smiled back and introduced his companion, "Beverley, I'd like you to meet a colleague of mine, Ms. Lyta Alexander".
Dr. Crusher turned to Alexander and shook her similarly outstretched hand and as she did so the telepath felt a tumble of emotions indicating a little jealousy of her hair, or maybe her age followed by a near instant surge to suppress unprofessional emotions. Almost simultaneously the two expressed their sincere pleasure at meeting the other.
Franklin was sensitive, for a man, and immediately broached the subject of Ivanova lying unconscious on a bed on the far side of the sickbay.
"She's progressing well Stephen but it's likely to be 48 hours or so before we can release her on her own cognisance ... the damage to her head was fairly extensive!" "She looks fine though ... " "And looks can be deceiving" replied Crusher.
"Strange", thought Alexander, "she means us and Susan well, but she's hiding something ... I wonder what?"
"Um, if you don't mind me asking Dr. Crusher," Lyta probed, "exactly what damage was done to her head?"
For a moment Dr. Crusher seemed a little nonplussed but then "the Medulla Oblongata ... it was, um, damaged and we have had to take some unusual measures to correct it" "What kind of measures?" asked Stephen "Well ... it involved a technique that is still, very much, experimental Stephen" said Crusher looking the confident doctor once again, "Considering this was the first time I've ever done it I'm very pleased with the patient's progress. It was fairly radical and she very nearly died but, believe it or not, it appears to have been a great success."
Stephen knew it was time to back off ... Federation medical technology was, if anything, even more advanced than their weapons and he had already spent too many late nights studying what Beverley had described as "basic medical texts" in the Federation databases.
Alexander was less happy but she knew she would be overplaying her hand if she followed it any further.
Full assurance regained Dr. Crusher requested they follow her to a bed on the other side of sickbay. A young woman lay there, small scars evident at temple and chin ... she was asleep but looked troubled.
"By now you've heard of the black ship we encountered as we entered your space?"
Franklin and Alexander nodded
"This woman was rescued from it ... " "How did you remove the implants" asked Franklin "... and we ... eh? Well it wasn't that difficult, there were organic metal fibrils embedded in her brain which had to be attacked using self removing nanobax and after that ... " "Nanobax? You mean nanotechnology? Bacterial nanotechnology?" "Yes Stephen, now if you'll stop interrupting" Crusher smiled, "Where was I? Um ... yes, after that it was merely a matter of removing the external elements and repairing the evident damage. We haven't repaired the scarring yet, we wanted to give her more time to recover but we will do a little later. She's been flicking in and out of consciousness and now we are actively repressing her" "When will you let her awake?" asked Franklin "I've called Counsellor Troi down because I felt we should have someone with some empathic abilities here and, ever since our arrival in B-Space, she has developed some more overt, possibly telepathic, characteristics."
Crusher was looking down at her patient as she spoke and failed to notice a "barrier" look flick over Alexander's face and the slight discomfort upon Franklin's. The doors swished open behind them and a tall dark-haired woman walked in.
"Deanna? May I introduce Dr. Stephen Franklin and Ms. Alexander. Stephen, Ms. Alexander have you met Counsellor Troi?" "No" said Alexander "I believe so," said Franklin, "We met at the welcome celebration some months ago on Babylon 5." "That's right," said Troi, "A pleasure to meet you, um .." "Lyta" said Alexander. "... Lyta" said Troi and smiled.
"Now I like her" thought Alexander as they gathered around the Shadow pilot's bed.
"So what are you planning to do with ... with ... um, Shadow here?" "We're about to allow her to wake up" and as she said this Crusher touched some controls and the humming from the bed decreased slightly.
Alexander was looking at Troi and, in particular, the brooch she was wearing. She moved forward and was about to speak when a soft moan from the bed made her turn. "Shadow's" eyes had opened. Crusher moved forward and made as if to adjust some of the bed controls.
Without warning "Shadow" sat up, the beds' controls and table crashing to the side and knocking Crusher to the floor. She looked around dazedly, first at Alexander, then at Franklin, then Troi. For a moment she looked confused as she struggled to focus on Troi. Her eyes travelled down from Troi's face to her belt than up again to her brooch. Suddenly her gaze hardened, she reared back and in an almost snake-like manner threw her head forward.
Troi stumbled back a few inches more than a little surprise but Lyta Alexander was leaning forward, sweat beading at her forehead ... only she knew what was really happening.
It only lasted a fraction of a second. As "Shadow" had leant forward she had summoned up all her energy and threw a mental shredder bolt, P11 or greater, at the wearer of that dreaded symbol ... the Psi-corps badge. Alexander smashed the bolt only millimetres from its intended victim and blasted back with a bolt of her own. "Shadow" reeled back and then collapsed as Alexander followed up with a savage probe that drove straight to the patient's sleep centres. Alexander relaxed slightly.
As "Shadow" fell back to her bed and Crusher, who had been on the floor for less than a second, jumped back to her patient's side Alexander turned towards the still shocked Troi and ripped the brooch from her breast.
"Wh ... what are you doing" she stammered. "Saving your life" Alexander mumbled, dropping the badge on the floor where it lay almost out of sight under the bed. "What do you ..." began Troi "Where did you get that brooch?" Alexander demanded. "It was a gift ..." "From who?" "Well ... there was this man in your station gardens ..." "Which man?" "Short, dressed in black, his name is ..." "Bester" breathed Alexander, "I didn't know that bastard was back!"
Alexander forced her emotions aside and quietly, but with fire in her voice, said "Watch!"
Alexander released her hold on "Shadow's" mind and, as the girl struggled back to full consciousness, kicked Troi's brooch out into the middle of the sickbay's floor. "Shadow's" head snapped round at the noise and then saw the brooch. Immediately she reared, struck and moments later the brooch was a blob of fused precious stone and metal on the sickbay floor.
"Whoa," breathed Alexander, "What wouldn't I give to be able to do that!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen", said Sheridan, "Can we have a little order?" "Order Captain?" sneered Molari, "How can we have order if these Federation dogs remain unleashed and can attack your ambassadors as they please?"
Sheridan looked at Molari, one arm was still in a sling, there were cuts on his face and one of his eyes was swollen.
"Ambassador Molari" said the President, "I know you were attacked but rumour suggests, and Captain Picard confirms, that you provoked Commander Worf into retaliatory action against you ..." "But that does not justify ..." "... I am well aware of what such action does or does not justify but Captain Picard has assured me that Commander Worf is paying for his indiscretions ..." "I demand that the Federation dog be tried on Babylon 5 and ..." "You know I can't do that Ambassador ... until Captain Picard gives his speech to the Interstellar Alliance and the Alliance his vessel has been granted the diplomatic status equivalent to a visiting dignitary from a newly discovered sovereign nation. Anyway I understand that Captain Picard has had Commander Worf suspended from duty " "But ..." "Mr. President?" queried Ambassador G'Kar.
Sheridan looked at the Narn Ambassador ... G'Kar went on.
"We have far more important things to discuss than the wounded pride of a sad and embittered old man ..."
Molari's head snapped towards G'Kar and then he winced.
"What do you mean a sad ...?" "We must discuss," went on G'Kar, ignoring Molari, "How all of us are to benefit from the new technologies your Federation friends are, no doubt, going to give us" "Well ... I'm afraid it isn't quite that simple Ambassador," Sheridan paused ...
G'Kar looked at Sheridan saying nothing.
"Um ... as you know the Federation have what they call a 'Prime Directive' which places limits on what they can & cannot do in situations like the one they now find themselves." "Yes Mr. President?" "Yes ... the Prime Directive ... hmmm!" again Sheridan paused, "As I am sure you are aware the Federation's Prime Directive is a set of guidelines set down for dealing with primitive or less advanced cultures that, essentially, prevents them from interfering in such a cultures development or technology!" "And we are?" "The primitive culture!" said Sheridan "I see," said G'Kar.
There is a moment's silence then Delenn speaks up.
"Gentlemen? There is little that can, currently, be done about the Federation, though my government is none too pleased about it either. Can I suggest we move on to the next topic?"
Again silence reigns ...
"Very well," said Delenn, "On a similar subject, that is Federation technology, it seems that Dr. Crusher, the Enterprises chief medical officer has had some success with a patient they picked up ..."
At that moment Corwin's link bleeps.
"Corwin ... yes?" "Uhuh? OK? Right!"
Lieutenant Corwin, standing in for Captain Ivanova, briefly surveys the room and then speaks.
"The 'patient' has escaped!"
Troi and Alexander were in Ten Forward sipping a drink that Guinnan had concocted ... Alexander thought it was good but as a rule preferred dryer, neat spirits.
"So do you think what I've taught you will actually do any good?" "I guess," said Troi, "Still, I don't really want to meet him again!" "You can't really get out of it ... he'll be here in a few minutes." "Yes his shuttle has landed ... " "OK ... I'll be over there, in the alcove ... just think of me if you need me", Alexander smiled. "Thank you, Lyta." Said Troi.
Just as Lyta disappeared from view the doors opened and Mr. Bester appeared in the doorway. He seemed less assured and, unlike the previous occasion scanned the room for Troi.
Bester spotted her and began to head in her direction. As he made his way over, apparently as confident as ever, Troi remembered fragments of her earlier conversation with Lyta Alexander ... like Troi was fast becoming, a telepath.
"... drug telepaths who don't want to be part of the corps ..." "... implant alternate personalities deep inside their own ..." "... ruthlessly destroy all that stand between them and power ..."
Troi's mind was full of images ... one, particularly strong, of a mundane being ejected alive into the red death of hyper-space. A voice interrupted her ...
"Hello again, Deanna" "Mr. Bester." "Alfred ..." "So what do you want to talk about," Troi's voice was cold ... a degree or so lower than the ice in her drained glass. "Well," Bester suddenly seemed more unsure, "I wanted to talk to you about the Psi Corps ..." "I am not interested in any organisation that exists to repress or supplant others Mr. Bester" "Alfred please ... the Psi Corps exists to help telepaths ..." "Human telepaths, only those who agree to your aims and at the expense of 'mundanes'," Deanna snarled the word then paused, " ... at the expense of 'mundanes' everywhere" "But ... you ... " "No, Mr. Bester," I am not now, nor will I ever be interested in an organisation founded on the principles of your Psi-Corps!"
Bester looked disappointed and depressed and raised himself to his feet ... he held out his hand. Troi did not move, just stared at his face.
Without warning Bester whirled to face Troi, his face set as he launched a mental bolt that no one, no one at all, had ever resisted then reeled back in shock as Troi sat and smiled at him.
"I'm very good at getting what I want, Deanna," Bester turned on his heel and left.
Troi relaxed and under her breath said "Thank You Lyta ... I couldn't have done it without you!"
In her mind she felt Lyta Alexander laugh. Troi smiled ...
Ivanova's eyes opened and slowly, so very slowly, the roof over her head swam into view. She tried to sit up but couldn't so she relaxed for a while. In the room she could hear snatches of conversation"
"... was recaptured in the Zocalo ..." "... beat the hell out of three security ..." "... it took a whole syringeful of ..." "... and then ...
Then a louder voice spoke, "Look who's awake?"
A face appeared over her ... Dr. Crusher of the Enterprise.
"How are you feeling Captain Ivanova? "Not good," Ivanova grunted hoarsely, "I feel like I've been to hell and back!" "Considering what you've been through that's to be expected ... you very nearly died! Turn over please" "OK ... er ... I can't!" "I'll help you!" "Thanks"
Now Ivanova could see across the sickbay ... so she was definitely on the Enterprise. Someone was in the next bed. With difficulty she adjusted her vision from long to short range.
It was a young woman ... sleeping, though she looked troubled. Ivanova focussed her thoughts and remembered Sheridan, it seemed only a few hours ago, talking about a pilot and the Enterprise but her mind was a jumble of thought.
She looked further round the curved room at another bed. It too had someone, presumably one of the Enterprises crew, in it. He, she was sure he was male, was asleep too. His hair was long, certainly longer than E-Crew typically wore she thought ... his face calm and hauntingly, almost achingly, familiar.
"Who's that?" she croaked. "Oh, just someone we picked up," smiled Crusher. "Looks familiar ..."
Dr. Crusher stopped and looked at Ivanova.
Ivanova was still focussing on the second patient ... his face, she knew that face!
"I know you," she whispered to herself, "I know you ... you're ... you're .... Marcus!"
She fainted.
""Chapter 9: Consequences""
"Chapter 11: Choices"
"Enterprise in Babylon: Rules, Guidelines & Submissions"
"The Enterprise In Babylon"