[sb118-khitomer] Lieutenant (JG) Ezra Zerva - The Temporal Violations Headache (Part 2)
BC Cooper
((OOC: You guys are rocking this whole scene. As always, Ezra’s thoughts are his own and do not reflect how awesome everyone is in their writing))
((Conference Room, Deck 1, en route to Deep Space 33))
Ayemet: You can’t be serious.
Hobart: Lieutenant.
No she was right. She spoke her mind. She said what many were afraid to say out loud. Was she out of line? Maybe, maybe not. Despite the results of their simulation, Ezra was with the Counselor on this one.
Dewitt: What matters then, Ens… Gin… ::quietly:: Admiral?
Why doesn’t a high ranking official matter? If they are here to change the past, why not save them too? Heck why not make sure DS33’s Orange Julius was serving his favorite flavor of ICEY when they got back. Go wild and crazy while you’re at it! Actually that sounded like something Richard would want to do. Extra thick free milkshakes for everyone. Yeah, let's do that instead.
Now he had a brain freeze from thinking too much on all of this. Ugh.
Admiral: A lowly quartermaster, a Tholian. Captured at the Siege of DS33, he proved to be a… unifying and stabilizing figure. Eventually, Supreme Leader. Unified the alliance, and conquered the Quadrant within a decade.
Zerva: From a year ago on Frontier Day?
El’Heem: Great man theory? You want us to kill baby Hitler?
Oh boy. Here we go headache.
Michaels: History is full of examples where a single strong leader dies and another rises up to take their place.
This was very true. It happened many times in the Federation's own history.
Richard: Even if you took the leader out before they rose to power. You haven’t done anything to stop the situations that are occurring right now to have set them up. Who is to say someone else doesn’t slot right into place. If assassination is your goal here I mean.
Richard was right of course. They all were, for asking all those questions. Questions that needed to be answered.
Zerva: It would be a derelict of my duties as a security officer if I didn’t bring this up. We were all taught about this at the Academy. We’ve all heard about the Constitution-class starship Captain who had at least 17 violations alone. Not to mention the Intrepid-class starship that first traveled in the Delta Quadrant with their own share of time travel problems and that's just two captains
Any: Response
Tori: Sorry - who’s Hitler?
Hobart: Somebody worth strangling in the crib.
Was it though? Could Ezra go through with it? During his time on earth, his history teacher made sure he knew of earth’s history. He knew all too well about those demons of earth’s past. But a baby? Even one destined to grow up to be a bad person? Could he do that?
Any: Response?
Ayemet : Hitler was a 20th century dictator who was the leader of Germany on Earth. The war against him cost millions of lives.
El’Heem: What made ::pausing:: uhh makes this…Tholian so formidable?
Tori: He speaks fluent Sheliak.
And? He felt there was more to it than just speaking a language.
Zerva:::raising a brow:: How is that possible?
Nobody understood them without a translator.
Any: Response?
Tori: You have to understand that, at this time, no member of any species has ever learned the Sheliak language. Even telepaths can’t understand them. It's part of what their sense of superiority is built on. But Tholians being imprisoned side-by-side with Sheliak created a unique environment for one to learn the language. His book will be the first published in their language by an alien to their culture. He will be the first non-Sheliak to deliver addresses in the language. Factor in his radicalization during his imprisonment, and he’s going to become a force of uniting hatred the likes of which this quadrant has never seen.
Tori: Tholian and Sheliak units don’t combine outside of Federation prison. It’s possible there will never be another like him.
So what, before this Tholian they were uncooperative and unable to work together? No, that wasn’t right at all. They had seen first hand on Frontier day that the Lattice Alliance had no trouble working well together. After all they surely had communications translators to talk to each other just like the Federation, right?
Michaels: That is possible. But, it is not impossible that there will be several more like him. Based on what you said, every Tholian or Sheliak in that prison is a candidate.
Ohnari: While I can understand how dangerous an extremely charismatic opportunist can be...how are we certain that this particular Tholian is the linchpin?
Admiral: Because of the dramatic change in fortune upon its rise. The Alliance simply… got better at choosing battles, supplying its forces.
Zerva: ::muttering mostly to himself:: And they weren’t already?
Any: Response?
Michaels: I have a question. ::beat:: A two part question. ::beat:: I confess that I do not understand the equations and engineering around time travel or inter-multiverse travel. I will concede that your version of the Ouachita is capable of both. You could have travelled to anywhere in space and time. Why did you pick this place, in a nebula that makes detection difficult, and this time? If the quartermaster is the critical individual, why not travel to DS33 during the siege, where there were numerous dead Tholians, and kill him there?
Ohhh good questions Lera. Now why didn’t he think of them?
Kael: Traveling through time ain't like dusting crops! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end our trip real quick, wouldn't it?
Zerva: ::shifts in his seat muttering:: Like we're supposed to know you can travel back in time in less than 12 seconds.
Ezra shifted in his seat once more. There Kael is again with that attitude. And there was his migraine again. Maybe where Kael comes from they can make time travel runs in less than 12 seconds. But not here. The Khitomer crew were not some sort of inexperienced farm hands from a long time ago on a distant planet in a binary star system. No, they were an experienced crew. One who could face any challenge and be up for that task.
Ohnari: ::snapping:: Kael. Give the Lieutenant some grace, we're all just trying to come to terms with...::her hands gestured to the trio:: and how it came to pass.
oO If you didn’t say it, I was about too. Now about that soap? Oo
Maybe he was a bit over dramatic. Ezra knew the Doctor would one day make a fantastic mom. She was already a good parent to Statler and her ability to work well with her patients said she was on the right track. So how did this kid of hers end up speaking that way? The only thing he could think of was that this future had changed him in some way.
Banks: To clarify: you’re saying that your ability to travel back in time is constrained, and there are only certain places or times you can successfully travel to?
Tori: Yes.
Makes sense. Assuming they were not lying. And what was that look the Admiral had given Tori just now? Something was up. His security senses were tingling. Were they not telling them the whole story?
Admiral: The singularity we created in the nebula. It’s the only way any of this works. It limits where and when we can go. ::beat:: It also pins the timeline together. Any changes made before the singularity collapses in the next fifty-two years will stick. ::a glance to Tori:: Or so I'm told.
Dewitt: So what is the exact plan, then, Ginny?
The way he said that. Like no time had passed between them. He didn’t know Ginny as well as Conor. It still felt weird calling the future version of her that.
Admiral: You misunderstand. It's not just the one I want to kill. The entire facility needs to go. It's the only way to stop the raid for sure.
Nuke the sight from orbit? Was it the only way to be sure?
Richard: :: Head tilting to the side in confusion :: I really hope you mean ‘evacuate the facility’ and not ‘destroy it all’ because the later is such a stupid plan.
Zerva: I have some security concerns regarding that. What you’re proposing is like using an entire can of bug spray just for one fly.
Any: Response.
Ayemet: Admiral, I’ve had my taste of the Lattice Alliance hospitality :pause and then speaking slowly: But you can’t seriously think that by killing this individual it will somehow change everything for the better? You’ve no idea the effects their death might have.
Ezra nodded in agreement. What was called? The butterfly effect?
Ayemet: You expect us to help you? Why would we do that?
Ezra turned his chair in their direction, his hands folded together, one brow raised up, wanting to know that very same answer.
Tori: Because if you don’t, you die. :: beat :: Not all of you, not all at once, but most of you soon enough. :: The silence in the room was deafening. :: Mostly pointless deaths fighting pointless battles. If you don’t like the sound of that, then open your ears.
Open our ears? You expect us to just what exactly?
Zerva: My hearing is just fine thank you. ::beat:: So we either help you or die? That’s not a lot of options. I have a job to do as we all do. oO It’s the safety and security of the Federation, right mom? Oo If I am meant to die then that is because I’ve done my duty as a Starfleet Officer. Do you realize how many temporal violations just sitting here having this conversation we are all breaking?
Any: Response.
There it was. All about coming through time to save lives and to hell with the timeline rules.
Michaels: ::To Tori :: Miss, unless you desire to become a Cassandra... and if you do not know what that means, I am certain that Admiral Lacy can explain it... you may wish to consider the need for trust. Your male companion's... Kael is it not? I assume you were not named after Superman... Your companion's "answer" to my question has convinced me that there is a great deal you are not telling us. Whatever your reasons, it does give the impression that you do not trust us. That leaves us :: beat :: that leaves me little reason to trust you.
Ezra could not help but agree with Lera on this one. Snappy judgements from all three of them. Especially at Lieutenant Dewitt. Maybe it was time to opt for option 2 and toss them into the brig after all.
Ohnari: ::stern:: Lieutenant Michaels that was entirely unnecessary. Do not insult them. While this is a lot to take into account..I am sure there is a sense of urgency on their part, considering what was the timeline Admiral? A week's time? A little desperation is understandable.
Now it was his turn to snap back. What Taila was saying did not give them the right to treat them this way.
Zerva: Insult them? ::beet:: We have shown them nothing but hospitality. They have been hostile since they arrived. Especially your s… ::bitting his tongue as hard as he could, causing it to it bleed::
He regretted it the moment he had said it to Taila. It was as if he had tossed a dagger into her ability as a parent. He wished he could have taken it back. But it was too late.
He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room upon him. Especially Taila. At that moment, he felt himself shrinking in his seat. His eyes briefly caught the Captain’s. It wasn’t good.
oO There goes my next promotion. Oo
Shane / Ohanir / Kael / Tori / Admiral / Any: Response
Ezra swallowed the small amount of blood hard. He tried to mouth the words he was sorry to the CMO, as the Captain spoke, but between his ever growing migraine that wouldn’t stop beating and his bleeding tongue it came out rather blurred in response.
Zerva: ::stumbling on his words:: Y-yes sir. Apolo- ::clearing his throat:: I’m sorry everyone for my outburst.
Ezra lowered his head. His face flushed. The way these three from the future talked to Lieutenant Dewitt, Lera and himself wasn’t right. He had let Kael and the others get to him. He gave a soft sigh. He was frustrated at the whole thing. He couldn’t blame anyone for getting upset at him. It was not like him and unbecoming a security officer. He was better than that and he knew it.
oO Thanks a lot mom. Oo
He began to wonder if he mom had ever experienced anything like this during the Dominion War.
Admiral: Lera has a point. We haven't told you everything, because we—I didn't want it to cloud your judgment. Starfleet principles aren't worth much anymore, to us, any more than Napoleonic principles are worth to you. ::to Tori:: Another European conqueror, with a much better reputation.
Oh Ezra knew who he was and he still would feel the same way about it. About messing with the timeline.
Hobart: Might as well tell us.
What wise Tod they have to lose by telling them. They had already came back in time as it were to change the past. If they intend to do it, then they would need to leave all the cards on the table.
Any: Response
Admiral: Might as well. After the raid, Khitomer and newly-promoted Commodore Shayne were tasked with organizing the search for the Alliance launching point. Khitomer, Ronin, Renown, Lowell, and Cadence were all deployed, but it was Khitomer that got lucky. Or unlucky, as it turned out.
Commodore Shane? Does this mean Hobat will be the new Captain? So many ships lost too? Will Shane not get promoted then if the timeline changes? The throbbing got so bad he had to squint. He did his best to not fidget in his seat. His eyes glanced around the table hoping someone would hand him some medication for it. His eyes fell upon Semara from across the table. He gave her that same look he did on the bridge the last mission, when his headache from Sensha waves was causing a problem. This time however, it wasn’t a result of the S-waves. The butt jab saw to that. It was just a lot for him to process.
Admiral: We followed a lead to an uncharted system, just a series of letters and numbers on a star chart. They saw us before we saw them. The battle was brief. We crashed onto an L-class planet. Survivable—for a while.
Richard: :: Taking notes again :: I kind of would like more info about that. Maybe we could focus on preventing loss with this foreknowledge of how things will go. Before we jump the gun and start assassinating innocent people. :: He looked up from what he was writing down :: Because, again, just to confirm with everyone. ‘The entire facility needs to go.’ sounds an awful lot like kill them all.
Once again he found himself agreeing. Ezra made a point to get a copy of those notes from Richard later on after the meeting. Richard was good at note taking.
Any: Response
Admiral: Between the battle, the impact, and the nearly three weeks it took for Starfleet to find us, less than half the crew survived. Those that did were pulled off the line.
Richard: :: Looking down again :: So let's avoid what we can. Who can go over the crash, the events leading up to and after. So we can work out contingency plans? I’d be happy to drop by your holding cells to talk later if that is easier. It sounds like we will be going to the place where we crash anyway, if it’s an Alliance strong hold.
Ezr couldn’t help but grin at Blue Matthews as he mentioned the holding cells.
Zerva: Good suggestion, Ensign. We should cover every possiblity
Any: Response
Admiral: That was the beginning of the end. They knew what they'd taken off the board, and hit DS33 hard and fast. Within a few months, the Federation gave up all claim to the Isles. But the Alliance was never going to stop there.
Zerva: ::whispering:: Holy crap
Any: Response
Zerva: I don’t mean to beat upon a dead horse here ::to the three:: You took a lot of risks coming here to tell us all of that to us. As was pointed out before, what if this leads us to a time paradox? One we are forced to repeat. One where the very actions of being here started this whole thing? There are many examples among the dozens of logs from other starships that this very thing has happened before.
Any: Response
The question on his mind now. What happened to each of them? Did he want to know? Should they know? Would knowing change anything?
Zerva: I would rather not know my own fate in your timeline, thank you.
No fate? Where had he heard that one before?
Any: Response
TAGS/TBC
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Lieutenant (JG) Ezra Zerva
Security Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240101EZ2