As was becoming almost routine by now, Kamiana rang the chime outside Paulos' office as soon as her shift on the Bridge was over with.
"Paulos?" she smiled. "I know, this is getting to be a habit."
He smiled back at her, "At least it isn't a bad habit, though I think that I see you more often than I see Emil." He gestured for her to enter the office.
She nodded and moved to her usual seat. Taking it, she looked up at Paulos. "How is he doing, anyway? I haven't seen much of him for quite a while now. I suppose I could have gone by the classrooms, but I didn't want to interrupt anything. And besides, I didn't make a very good first impression on him, I know that." There was no trace of self pity in her voice, she was merely stating a fact.
"Well, I was kind of being literal. I see almost everyone on the ship more than I see Emil. He's been staying with an old friend of his." Paulos tried to smile again, "You came to see me for another reason than to hear my problems though. The dreams are still occuring?"
Kamiana nodded. "And Dr Serrin is no closer to figuring out why than he was when we first went to see him. The odd thing is, you'd think with it being *these* memories, I should be feeling sadness, the pain, again, like I was before, and I don't. What I do feel is...I don't know how to explain it. Like something is about to happen, I don't know what but I don't feel afraid of whatever it is." She shook her head. "I know that probably makes no sense. The only thing that is getting to me is the not knowing what or why."
Paulos thought for a moment. "Have you chronicled any of the dreams? Maybe it would be a good idea to keep a dream journal. There might be a pattern other than the main events of the dreams. Of course, repetition also can tell us something. Whatever the source may be, there may be a message in the dreams that you are meant to see. It's worth a try at least."
Kamiana thought for a moment. "It's as good an idea as any." she tried to smile. "You mean, write down what happens each time? That's what it sounds like you're saying." She paused and looked directly at Paulos. "Do you think that might help us find out what's causing this?"
"If you can write down everything that you remember from the dreams, even the little details, it might give a clue as to who is causing the dreams. And if we know who it is maybe we can find them and the reason for them." He turned and rummaged through his desk for a moment. "Here, this is an Alarian dream stone. The Alarian's are a telepathic people who value the truths they believe are shown through dreams. Keep the stone near your bed, and before you sleep focus on it for a few moments. Tell yourself to remember the dreams, and when you wake up write down anything that you can recall."
Paulos handed her the light blue rock, and blushed faintly. "It may see a little hokey, but I've come across many things in my research and this actually seems to work. The nature of the stone has a quality that allows it to interact with telepathy, for whatever reason...I just know that it has been able to help others."
Kamiana took the stone, cradling it gently in her hand. "Then hopefully it'll be able to help me, too." she said quietly. She looked down at the small rock for a few moments, then back up at Paulos. "You know, I've been in touch with Renee. I don't know if you remember her, she was the one who went to the shuttle bay with you that day." She couldn't quite keep the embarrassed blush off her face at recalling that episode, her near breakdown. "She keeps telling me to keep talking to you." she smiled, "and at least I can, now." There had been such a long time there when even hearing Paulos' name had made her have to resist the urge to scream.
"And I'm glad that you can. If there is anything else? You can call me at anytime, I don't mind." He glanced at the computer screen. "We could schedule another appointment, I'm not really sure what else to do until after a few nights with the journal. We could get together to discuss what you remember of the dreams, and if there isn't very much at that time, we can talk about it anyway."
Kamiana nodded. "I guess I'll see you once I've put something in here." she nodded at the padd. "And thank you--for everything.
She left and went on to dinner, where she happened to run into Cmdr Jen. That led to a chat about old times and friends, a chat the two hadn't had a chance to have in a while.
It actually did make Kamiana feel a bit better, not that she was feeling bad, just puzzled as to the source of these recurring dreams.
She sighed. Perhaps this dream diary would help, she rather hoped it would anyway, she thought as she returned to her quarters and prepared for bed. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep,just as the chronometer's glowing numbers changed to 2030.
* * *
The USS Avalon, 2150 hours, the Bridge
The second shift crew were at their stations, and the only member of the senior staff present at this particular moment was Cmdr Jen.
She had been talking with the officer at helm--Kamiana's relief--when she caught a glimpse of a flash out of the corner of her eye. Turning quickly, she saw three humanoids, rather young looking too. A slender blonde haired girl, who looked to be in her late teens, flanked by two slightly younger looking boys.
She reached for her commbadge. "Intruder alert--" That was as far as she got before there was another flash and she couldn't move, couldn't even speak.
"We claim this ship in the name of the Light," the girl said firmly, stepping forward to the vacant CO's chair, nodding at the boys who moved, one to the science station, the other to helm.
(Why weren't the others doing anything?) Jen thought, as she struggled to regain control of herself. (Unless they've been `frozen', too. Who are they? What do they want?)
The girl paused at the chair, then turned to Jen and reached over to place her hand on Jen's, in what under any other circumstances would have been a reassuring gesture. "Do not be afraid," she began, "we are not here to harm you, or anyone else," the girl said.
Commander Jen struggled, but whatever these children had done had immobilized even her. She not only couldn't move, she couldn't even shapeshift. If she could just *change* she could break free, she knew it.
And the rest of the second shift crew was in little better shape, from what she could see of them.
Damn it! Captain MacBreandain *had* to be alerted but how? She strained to reach the alert button but her hand wouldn't move.
"Do not resist, as I said we will not harm you." the girl continued. "This ship must first be prepared, however." With that she held out her hands. The two boys who had accompanied her left their positions and joined her, though to do that, they had to step around the frozen forms of the crew.
A moment later their three forms were surrounded by a brilliant white light, a light that swept from them through the Bridge then vanished as quickly as it had come, passing through the bulkhead into the rest of the ship.
And when it left the Bridge, when Jen and the other crew could again see properly, they saw the bridge had changed. The tactical console was gone. The phaser controls, weapons systems--all of them, vanished utterly.
"Now they will know something is happening. We must begin to prepare the crew." She walked to the empty CO chair and touched the comm switch.
"Attention, everyone. We have claimed this ship in the name of the Light. No harm will come to any of you. This ship and all aboard have been chosen for a greater Purpose. Through us you will learn of the Light and through it find the way to true Peace."
Jen would have sworn at the very least, if she could have. (Not harm anyone?) she thought. (Just what did they call what they were doing to her and the others?) She struggled yet again to move, to even *change*, to no avail. They talked of 'peace'? Damn it if she could move she'd show them a little 'peace' herself.
* * *
The same thing was happening all over the Avalon. Everywhere the light swept through, every weapon or weapons system it touched disappeared as completely as if it had never been.
But that wasn't the only thing it did.
Those among the crew who had telepathic abilities--Paulos and T'pril, as well as several others--felt a presence in the Light, a powerful one. So strong it caused pain, though they did all get the impression it was not deliberately trying to do so.
Among these was Chief of Security Goth Lasher. Still unaware of the situation on the ship, he was in his quarters, deep in meditation, as he would normally be at this time of night.
Until the light entered his room and touched him.
And a white hot knife stabbed into the center of his mind.
Goth's eyes snapped open. The neurons and synapses of his brain were burning. The Vampire Lord wanted to scream out, but he could not move. Every fiber of his being was locked tight as if he were held in a vise.
He had to be free of this, or he would die. Goth knew this. He reached into the core of himself, the core of all his people, the center from which his race drew their dark gifts, and summoned his will. He had to stop this before it killed him. He had to.
Goth's eyes snapped shut once more. His breathing stopped. His heart beat slowed until it too had stopped. Goth's body fell over to one side, until it hit the floor with a soft thud. And there he laid. For all senseand purpose Goth Lasher. Vampire Lord of the Thanaos race was quite dead.
* * *
Elsewhere on the Avalon...
Some of the crew had found themselves in a similar predicament to those on the Bridge; specifically, frozen in place, helpless to do anything but watch as white robed children took over their stations with as much ease as if they had been crewmembers themselves.
Still others--those who had been off duty--waited for someone to give orders, tell them what to do.
The senior staff were in an emergency meeting in Sickbay, which Capt MacBreandain had turned into a temporary command post pending their regaining control of the Bridge.
"So here's what we've got." MacBreandain began. "We've got an unknown number of...well, hijackers, in every important control area of the ship. This power they're using has cut off everything in those areas."
"Right." Lcdr Longshadow replied. "And it's not any kind of energy we're familiar with. If it were, we could shut it off like we could conventional force fields."
Dr Serrin spoke up. "I suspect it is some sort of psychic force, given the way it's affected almost every psi on board."
"Affected how?" MacBreandain asked.
"A mild headache, no more." was Serrin's reply.
"I had the impression," Paulos cut in, "that it was a mind that did not wish to hurt but--did not seem to know its own strength."
Capt MacBreandain nodded, then paused. "Wait a minute, ye said 'almost'"
"There are two we haven't heard from." Serrin said, worriedly. "Cmdr Goth--and Lt Tyrrel."
Lt Tyrrel was around here somewhere, MacBreandain thought. As for Goth, why he hadn't reported in after the light swept the ship was a mystery in itself. Let alone why he hadn't done so after the kids had made their little announcement.
He opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, there was a flash of white light. Then another, and then another, as all of the crews from the Bridge, Engineering, every section that had been sealed off, appeared.
Among these was Cmdr Jen, who as soon as she realized where she was *and* that she could move again came right over to where MacBreandain and the other officers were. "Cmdr Jen reporting," she said firmly.
"All right, what happened up there?"
Jen gave MacBreandain and the others a quick rundown on her experience on the Bridge.
"Tha's it." he murmured when she'd finished. He had to do something.
Especially with Cmdr Goth still unaccounted for. Though Fifth was here for Security if needed, the lack of weapons of any sort complicated matters even more than just the simple fact of a hijacking.
He reached for the commswitch, but before he could say anything, a flash of white light surrounded him. He vanished.
An instant later he found himself on the Bridge, though it was a quite different Bridge. Not only were his crew not there, but the Security, Weapons, and Tactical station was gone, as utterly as if it had never existed. The blonde girl rose from *his* chair to face him. "Captain MacBreandain."
"Ye want ta be explaining who ye are and what this is all about? Raight naow?" he didn't waste time getting to the point. "And ye can start by returning control of the ship to my crew."
The blonde girl shook her head. "I can answer your questions, but we cannot return the ship to you. We must reach our homeworld, then all will become clear. I am Tamianth, we are the Followers of the Light."
"And who or what is this 'Light'?"
"The Light is the Light," Tamianth replied as if repeating a phrase she had learned by rote. "It is Life, and Peace, and all that is good."
"But what does it want with *my ship*?" MacBreandain tried again to get a straight answer--he wasn't inclined to debate theology with this kid or anyone else.
"We are to collect the rest of our people, then go forth to spread the message of the Light, to guide all of you to the way of Peace." She paused for a moment, then went on. "The Prophet has asked that we bring you to him so that he may teach you of the Light himself."
(First the Light, now a Prophet?) MacBreandain wondered. "I guess this Prophet taught ye about the Light, hm?"
Tamianth nodded. "He did, and now he will teach you."
"Uh uh." MacBreandain shook his head. Starfleet rules were quite specific on this. Much as he hated to do it, he would have to. "Ye will release me ship, right now, or I'll be orderin' a self destruct."
Not that he could do that by himself, of course, Cmdr Jen and Cmdr Longshadow would have to input their codes, too. MacBreandain thought.
Tamianth's eyes widened at this. "You would destroy not only your own people but mine as well?" She shook her head. "This cannot be permitted, it is an act of the Darkness."
"Then bring out this Light of yuirs, this Prophet!" MacBreandain demanded.
Tamianth opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment a ripple of light appeared on the deck in front of the main viewer. A light that expanded and shaped itself into the image of a robed male figure. A tall, grey haired man who didn't look to be more than late 30s in Terran years...though MacBreandain knew that appearances could deceive. He appeared to be clad in the same sort of simple white robe as the children, though unlike them he was wearing a large white crystal mounted on a silver chain. That might mean something, MacBreandain thought. For now, though, maybe he'd start getting some real answers instead of vague statements about the Light and Peace.
"You have something to say?"
The figure nodded. (Captain MacBreandain. I am the one that these,) he gestured towards Tamianth and the other two children present, (have named Prophet. And I will not permit you to destroy them, or yourselves)
What *was* this guy, one of the Q? MacBreandain thought. No, this wasn't their style, at least not the style of any Q he'd ever heard of.
(You are correct, Captain. I am not of the Continuum.) the 'Prophet' replied, sensing MacBreandain's thoughts.
"Then who are ye an' what do ye want with tha ship? I want some real answers, Mr. Because we didn't ask ta be mixed up in this game of gods ye seem ta be playing and I intend ta give me crew a choice. It's just a human thing."
(You will have those answers, Captain. But the time is not yet. When you reach their world I will appear before you in the flesh and then all will be made clear. As for being human, I know more about humans than you yet realize. I know because,) here he paused, a flicker of something showed in his blue eyes, then he continued. (I *am* human. Or, rather, I was, once.)
MacBreandain had caught the look. "If it bothers ye so much, do something about it and start acting like a human being again!"
(It is not the time to talk of that, either. Nor are you the one who must first hear it. There is one among you who must hear first.)
"`One among us'!" MacBreandain exclaimed. "Talk ta me already, if ye want me and mine involved in this. Who is it?"
The Prophet's eyes held Cullyn's for a long moment, a flicker of emotion appeared again. (Her name is...Kamiana.) He gazed into MacBreandain's eyes a moment longer. (Meditate on that, Cullyn MacBreandain. When next we meet, I will explain all.)
With that he vanished, leaving a rather frustrated and puzzled Captain standing there.
MacBreandain started to turn to the girl then another light flashed and he found himself back in Sickbay.
"All raight," he raised a hand, waving off the questions of the senior officers--which *still* did not include Goth. Another question that nagged, especially since the computer insisted it could not locate him, nor would it allow them to access his quarters. But that mystery would have to wait for later. "Find Lt Tyrrel--I want ta talk ta her."
* * *
Toshi Station, 0300 hours, stardate-the present
In her quarters, Midshipman Shellian Renee lay fast asleep, the darkened room was quiet except for the barely audible hum of the air circulation systems.
That was until a red light began blinking on the bedside terminal, a screen came to life.
"Renee...please answer...please?" a woman's voice sounded. The screen flickered, was a pattern of snow and wavy lines for a moment, then resolved into the image of a midtwenties woman with blonde hair and deep dark eyes.
Renee roused up from a very comforting dream to see Kamiana's face on the screen in a state of hysteria.
"What is wrong Kami, where are you?"
Kamiana's face showed relief as she heard Renee's voice. "Oh, thank the stars I got through. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay on. They've cut everything else off."
Midshipman Renee sat up straighter and wondered if Kamiana had lost it finally with these dreams or if there really was something wrong on Avalon.
"Kamiana, slow down, who is cutting off communication and what is going on??"
"Children," she replied. "I know what that sounds like, but these aren't normal children--they keep talking about some power they call the Light. They've taken the whole ship..." Kamiana looked to her left then to her right. "They've taken the whole ship..." she repeated. "and they want me and they won't say why."
The image blinked, wavered. "Renee--they've found the channel--" Kami's voice was heard a moment longer. Then the screen turned to wavy lines, and then back to the regular Starfleet logo that showed when the screen was not in use.
"Contact lost." the computer reported.
Midshipman Renee sat there for a moment in shock at what she had heard and the hysterical look on Lt. Kamiana Tyrrel's face and voice.
Renee hit her comm badge. "Renee to Security, Medical and Ops. Possible emergency. Respond."
"Security here. Report." came the duty officer's voice, followed by responses from Medical and Ops.
"You need to have Os download the transmission I just received from Avalon to security and possibly medical staff. Received transmissson for Lt. Kamiana Tyrrel that there was a possible mutiny or take over by hostile forces. Either that, or she is out of control and medical needs to be contacted on Avalon before she does harm to herself or others of the crew."
"We're checking commtraffic now." came Security's reply.
Renee continued. "If Avalon has been taken over, we need to know if it is headed here to Toshi Station and contact command for a possible search and rescue of its crew. How close is the nearest Star Fleet Vessel to last coordinates for Avalon.?" A female voice cut in on the channel, before the Security officer could reply. "This is Ens Calara, what is going on?"
"I have been receiving transmission from the Lt. for a few weeks now saying that something was affecting her on the Avalon. I truly believe this is not a hoax and we should investigate."
"Kamiana Tyrrel?" Calara questioned, "I remember her from Defiant. Are you certain this is not another--"
Ens Calara's voice was interrupted by another, one Renee recognized as Capt Hardin's. "Midshipman Renee, proceed to Ops immediately. Dr., you may meet her there."
"On my way." Renee and Calara both replied, almost in unison, before signing off.
* * *
A few minutes later, Renee arrived in Ops. Entering, she saw not only Ens Calara, but the entire senior staff assembled...Capt Hardin, Myah, Bedard, Barak, Alexa.
"Midshipman Renee," Capt Hardin began. "I'll get right to the point. You had contact with the USS Avalon a few minutes ago, correct?"
"Yes, and I think there is something wrong, either with the ship or Kami-I mean, Lt Tyrrel." Renee replied, not wanting to get her friend into any trouble, but knowing she needed help--perhaps others did, too.
Myah glanced to Hardin, who nodded for her to continue.
"What you likely don't know is that we lost all contact with the Avalon last night. One minute we had our computer linked to theirs via subspace for a routine data transfer, the next the link broke and we couldn't reestablish it. There's also been no response to any voice transmissions." Myah took a deep breath, this wasn't easy for her or for that matter any of them, there was not one person in that room who didn't have friends on board Avalon. "That was at 2200 hours last night."
"And until you called, we didn't even know for certain if the Avalon was still out there. We were discussing sending out a search when you called." Bedard put in.
Renee looked at the row of worried faces. There had to be something really wrong, she knew now. If it had just been Kamiana, communications would still be working. Since it wasn't that meant it was definitely something else.
"We need to know what Lt Tyrrel told you." Capt Hardin continued. "I know it's not easy--it isn't for any of us, but if we're to find them we have to know."
"Of course." Renee replied, then proceeded to repeat the aborted message from Kamiana. That someone had taken the ship--the references Kami had made to 'children' and 'the Light' whatever that was. "What's the nearest Starfleet ship to where we last knew the Avalon was?" she asked.
"The only one even close is Defiant itself, and without knowing what exactly is going on out there, I don't want to chance leaving the sector unprotected." Hardin put in.
"We have to try and find them!" Renee exclaimed.
"We will." Capt Hardin reassured her. "It's just a question of how."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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