Mission Archive

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 30148.1850

Everyone held their breaths as the Yxidii Battle Cruiser returned to its previous location directly in between the USS ANUBIS and the moon of PI ALPHA III.  Whatever had prompted the alien ship to return, it had done so with distinct urgency and that alone had been enough to make Lieutenant Commander Maya, Ensign Ya'Han and Ensign Stark nervous and expecting a less than pleasant next encounter with the trans-dimensional race.

"We are being hailed," the Chief of Operations announced, not sounding surprised in the least.

"All combat systems are ready and on stand-by," the Chief of Security quickly added, certain that at one point or another during the conversation things would turn ugly.

"You are not to take any actions unless I explicitly say so," the acting First Officer said in a calm voice, the Shillian still hoping that whatever had taken place would be able to be resolved through a diplomatic avenue.  "Put them on screen."

The angered face of the blue skinned alien filled the main view screen of the USS ANUBIS leaving it impossible for anyone to miss the rage that the Yxidii felt at that very moment.  

[/\] What have you people done *this time*? Stay *OUT* of our way or else. [/\] The blue skinned commanding officer angrily barked.

"This time?" Ensign Ya'Han repeated as the image on the main view screen returned to the default setting, that of a forward perspective which right now showed the Yxidii Battle Cruiser turning on its Y-Axis to face the moon instead of the USS ANUBIS.

"Something happened down on the moon and I think it would be best for all parties involved if we figured out what with all due urgency," the Shillian said with a sigh, glad that the communication had ended without a fight but concerned as to what had actually taken place and if it meant that the rest of the crew currently on the moon had been in any sort of danger.

---
Setting: Moon of PI ALPHA III, Inside the Underground Ruins
Stardate: 30148.1855

The away team led by Captain Morningstar followed the lead of the Akitashiinu name Eeru, everyone trying in their own way to understand what had happened.

After his talk with Thomas Jackson, Erik knew more than anyone else but there had still been a great deal of unanswered questions left for the Commanding Officer of the USS ANUBIS to address.  Keeping the crew safe had been a high priority but the Captain knew that there had been a much larger issue at stake.  Keeping the Akitashiinu from completing their plan, whatever it might have been, had become a more important goal, at least that had been the conclusion following the desperate and silent plea of the former Assistant Chief Engineering Officer.

As the group arrived into a large room, everyone stopped in shock at what they saw.  A great machine that stretched as far as the eyes could see with lights and moving parts that would have filled countless starships.  What the crew found more troubling had been the sight of the Assistant Chief Medical Officer standing into some sort of alcove, shimmering wires held the Bajoran in place in a manner that did not reflect imprisonment but rather a strange type of embrace.

"Captain," the Intelligence Liaison Officer quickly jumped in with, the machine matching the memory that Shar'El had seen in the mind of Eeru.  "This is what Thomas Jackson was trying to make you understand.  *This* is the machine."

Captain Morningstar quickly turned to look at Ensign Shar'El in shock as he took a few seconds to understand how the Intelligence Liaison Officer had come to know this.  His mental barriers must have been down after having spoken to his former Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, but in the end the Commanding Officer found himself grateful that he did not have to explain anything.

"Try to get as much as you can from Eeru and Seska.  We need to know what it is we are dealing with," The words of the Commanding Officer had been precise and to he point making it clear that they would be dealing with this on every possible level and that any knowledge on what this machine actually was would be very useful.

Having already tried to get some information from the Akitashiinu with little success, Shar'El turned her full attention onto the Assistant Chief Medical Officer while Captain Morningstar and the rest of the away team dealt with Eeru and her likely unique explanation.

The Intelligence Liaison Officer was surprised to find the mind of the Bajoran at peace, lost in a world of her own.  Shar'El quickly concluded that the machine used some sort of hypnotic system to subdue and control its victims, but for what purpose?  As easy as it had been to look into the memories of the Assistant Chief Medical Officer, these had been very focused on her home planet of BAJOR.

Although Shar'El could hear some sort of heated discussion between Captain Morningstar and Eeru, the Intelligence Liaison Officer continued her efforts to find out more about the machine and its purpose.  It was then that the Ullian felt within her mind another presence, something that she could not explain but yet recognized as being a consciousness.

With the utmost urgency Shar'El severed her link with the Bajoran woman to seek guidance and assistance.  The person nearest to her had been the Chief Engineering Officer who noted the visible distress on the face of the Ensign.

"Are you alright?" Sonja asked, offering her arms to help steady the wobbly woman.

"There is another mind in here with us," the Intelligence Liaison Officer explained, "and somehow it has made a link with Seska."

"The only thing that has *linked* with our adventurous Doctor over there seems to be that machine," the redheaded engineer pointed out, "and our long-nosed foxy *friend* over there is trying to sell us the notion that it is something that will help us return to the ANUBIS.  I think there is some swamp land involved in that deal," Sonja added with a distinct tone of sarcasm.

"The machine?!?" Shar'El whispered as she studied the part of the contraption what had been visible to the group.  "Of course, now it makes perfect sense."

"Alright, and now for the English speaking audience?" the redhead said as she blinked several times.

"The Borg, V-Ger, the Imperian, they are all types of *living* machines," the black haired woman explained sounding as if the solution to this entire mystery had been discovered.  "The mind that I felt in Seska *is* the machine, and if it has a mind I should be able to reach it."

"That does not sound like a prudent idea... clearly though you are ignoring me as you have already started... damn it woman," the Chief Engineer said having realized as the words passed her lips that the Intelligence Liaison Officer had already begun to link with the mechanical monstrosity.

---
Setting: Space between time
Stardate: Inapplicable

To look through the mind of a Humanoid usually meant a search through decades of memories, each filled with specific feelings.  This was the main difference that Shar'El faced in this journey as the memories she had gained accessed to stretched over several millennium and contained no feelings or emotions what-so-ever.

The centuries flashed passed the inner eyes of the Operative as she fell deeper into the memories of a distant past.  Without emotions there had been nothing standing in her way as she pushed events aside until she finally reached the beginning... the birth of this mechanical entity.

Even then the race that had given life to this machine appeared ancient, as if they had been present in that universe since its very birth.  From there Shar'El made her way back through countless memories allowing the black haired woman to see that the purpose of the machine had initially been to gather and safeguard all knowledge.

From this knowledge an intellect emerged, one with a hunger that could not be satisfied within the boundaries of that universe.  In an effort to grow beyond its physical limits the machine learned to use the unique properties found within carbon-based life forms.  This granted it unimaginable powers and abilities, the opening of portals between dimensions having been only one of countless others.  With their continued existence threatened, several races including the Yxidii united to fight the machine.  The battle ended when many gave their lives to cast the artificial entity into a dimension where its powers would prove useless.

Lost and isolated within a dimension where silicon was the only source of life, the machine became dormant, waiting in silence for an opportunity to re-awaken and resume its quest for the knowledge found within the multi-verse.

It took centuries for the Akitashiinu to break the secrets kept hidden within the machine after it had been discovered.  Not possessing any means to travel to other dimensions in search of the element required by the machine, the race joined in the patient wait, eagerly planning the conquest of their universe.

It was less than a year ago that the USS PROPHECY, under the command of Captain Seamus McTavish, arrived into the silicon dimension as explorers.  The Akitashiinu quickly saw a golden opportunity and eventually enlisted the help of the crew to revive the machine, promising access to an endless source of knowledge.

By the time the crew of the PROPHECY had figured out the ruse, the machine along with the entire Akitashiinu fleet had vanished to return to the point of origin of the entity.  There, a war like no other took place, the machine no longer content to only gathering information thanks to the ambitions that it had collected from its new ally.

Recognizing the grave error that they had made, the crew of the PROPHECY traveled to the home dimension of the Yxidii and joined in the fight against the machine and Akitashiinu.  In the hopes of shifting the tide of the war and depriving the silicon-based race its greatest asset, six Officers of the Terran vessel found their way into the heart of the machine.  There, the half dozen daring men found a way to bring the machine to their home dimension where the Officers had hoped the Federation and its allies would find a way to dismantle it.

Unfortunately, during the trans-dimensional jump several vessels of the Akitashiinu fleet were dragged along with a single Yxidii Battle Cruiser.  Thomas Jackson, the sole survivor had just enough strength to send the machine deep into a world where he had hoped it would remain hidden and out of reach of the alien race.  Driven by greed and a desire to regroup with their fleet, the silicon-based canine race hunted the man until they found him and their artificial ally.

Too weak to be of any use to the machine and the Akitashiinu, Thomas Jackson was held captive, interrogated and tortured to gain as much information on this dimension and those who would be of help to complete their goal of universal conquest.

---
Setting: Moon of PI ALPHA III, Inside the Underground Ruins
Stardate: 30148.1900

Shar'El blinked several times as she tried to make sense of everything that she had seen.  Centuries of information had been hers to review in mere seconds and this had proven to be a rather taxing event.  With Lieutenant Paquette now kneeling next to the Intelligence Liaison Officer, the black haired woman realized that she had collapsed onto the floor.

"Captain," Shar'El frantically called out needing to get the attention of the Captain at all costs.  "It needs us... all six of us to open a rift back to the home dimension of the Akitashiinu.  There a fleet is at war with the Yxidii and several other races.  The machine wants knowledge, not only from its home dimension but from all others, and those beasts have offered their help with the price of being the conquerors or everything they find."

---

Jessica Solarik