The one named Scala was digging around in her overcoat before finally pulling out a metallic device. She quickly glanced down and pressed several buttons and then held it up to her ear. Repeating this a couple more times brought visible frustration to Scala's face.
"What's wrong Scala?" Mullen asked.
"I can't get through. The cell-phone isn't working."
"Throw those things you're holding over here," he instructed of Lieutenant Ivanovna; she did so. "Now that thing at your waist. Slowly!" The moment that task was complete, Mullen ordered, "Get your hands back up! Is there anyone else in that airplane of yours?"
"My what?" Ivanovna asked.
"You're standing on it. The vessel you crashed in," Mullen explained evenly.
"Yes, there are people."
Mullen put both hands on his weapon and trained it directly at Ivanovna's face; she continued to stare him in the eye without flinching. "Tell them to come out here, now!" Mullen ordered.
"They can not come out," Ivanovna replied. "They are hurt and need help."
"Alright, why don't you take a seat over there," Mullen said, motioning with his gun while keeping it trained on Ivanovna. The Bristol's Chief of Security complied and sat several feet away with her back to a damaged tree while Mullen went over and pocketed the items she'd been carrying.
"Mullen, I'm going to go take a look," Scala informed her partner as she made her way up the deployed exit ramp and into the disabled Runabout.
"Be careful Scala," Mullen replied. Addressing Ivanovna he continued, "So what is your name?"
"I am Lieutenant Katrina Ivanovna, Starfleet, United Federation of Planets. Serial number 9-486-1113L," Ivanovna replied stoically, speaking slowly, trying to enunciate properly.
"Uh huh. Do you have any identification?" Mullen inquired.
"No; the computer in my ship could help, but it is broken," Ivanovna replied. "Do you not believe I am who I say?"
"Sure I do," Mullen replied, smiling a somewhat patronizing smile. "Tell me more about yourself."
"My commander is Captain Mark Freeman and we serve on the Federation starship Bristol," Ivanovna said.
"Is your commander one of the injured crew of your ship?" Mullen asked; Ivanovna shook her head no. "Where is he?"
"On the Bristol."
"Isn't that your ship?" Mullen asked.
"It is a shuttle from the Bristol," Ivanovna explained, shaking her head.
At that, Scala made her way out of the Runabout. "Mullen, she's right; everyone in there who is still alive is hurt, and badly. They're going to need medical attention if they are to survive." The two F.B.I. agents then walked off a few feet from their prisoner and spoke in low tones while Mullen faced her and made sure she didn't move from her spot under the tree.
"Mullen, you should see the inside of that thing; I've never seen a helicopter or plane like it. I don't know how it is supposed to fly; it doesn't have wings or propellers, and I've never seen a cockpit like theirs before," Scala commented. "Have you learned anything from her?" she asked, looking back towards their prisoner.
"Yeah, she claims she's a Lieutenant in the Starfleet of the United Federation of Planets," Mullen replied with a wry smile. "She may be a Lieutenant, but it's more likely she serves the Russian Air Force."
"I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions Mullen," Scala replied as Mullen took a glance over her shoulder.
"What are you saying?"
"Well, as I said, that ship is like nothing I've ever seen before or even heard about, except . . ." Scala let her thought trail off.
"Except? What?" Mullen laughed. "Do you think she's some sort of space alien, who just happens to speak both Russian and English? My guess is this could be an escape pod from the Russian Space Station," Mullen replied, gesturing skyward as he spoke.
Scala speculatively looked back at their captive, who in turn eyed them expectantly. "I am not from a space station," Ivanovna informed them curtly. Both agents then walked back towards their captive, stopping a few feet short of where she sat and shining their flashlights in her face.
"Tell us where you're from," Mullen ordered, then added, "where were you born?"
"Saint Petersburg, USN, on the planet Earth," she replied. The two agents exchanged glances. "I have a question also," Ivanovna countered.
Mullen sighed irritably while Scala nodded, "Go ahead, Lieutenant."
"What year is this?" Ivanovna asked.
"Come on Scala, this is ridiculous," Mullen said to his partner. "We should walk her back to the car; maybe we can get through from down there. If not, we'll drive back into town and get an ambulance and some backup."
"I must take care of my friends," Ivanovna objected.
"I think we should leave her here. One of us can go back and make the necessary arrangements while the other stays on guard here. We don't want to leave the other people alone in that ship to die," Scala suggested. "There could be animals out here."
"Or ancestral ghosts?" Mullen added sarcastically.
Scala ignored the jibe. "If she knows how to work the technology in that thing, she might be able to do something for her friends before help arrives."
"Yeah, like wave her magic wand and cure them all, and then the group of them can take you away in their space ship," Mullen replied sarcastically.
"Actually, I should be the one to go to the car while you stay here; I can better describe the injuries of the people in ship and get the proper medical staff on their way," Scala replied.
Mullen looked up into the darkness. "I kind of like the forest at night anyways; and who better to share it with than a Russian spy. Good luck Scala." Scala nodded and jogged off through the forest in the direction of their car. Mullen turned his full attention to his captive, sitting in front of her with his gun in hand.
"Agent Mullen?" Ivanovna said.
"Yes?"
"What year is it?"
"Can we skip the games, please?" Mullen replied irritably. Ivanovna frowned and fell silent. With her silence, the night became unusually still; the crash of the ship and the subsequent presence of the F.B.I. and one or more space aliens had undoubtedly had an effect on the surrounding wild life. Mullen mused that they had likely all turned in early, much as a neighborhood closes its doors and windows to keep out an unwelcome presence; at that thought he smiled.
"Something makes you smile, Agent Mullen?" Ivanovna asked.
"The evening is quiet," Mullen replied simply.
"Agent Mullen, how can I show you I am not your enemy?" Ivanovna inquired.
"I don't know," Mullen replied. "Tell me how to work these gadgets of yours you were carrying," he suggested, not believing she would agree. To his surprise, she nodded approval. Keeping an eye on Ivanovna the entire time, Mullen produced the three things he'd confiscated from her; one was obviously a flashlight, and he surmised the one on the belt she'd given him was some sort of weapon.
"Okay, take the phaser," Ivanovna said, pointing to the weapon amongst the pile of her things. Mullen pulled the tricorder from her detached belt. "No, that is my tricorder. The other one." Mullen then found her phaser. "Now point with it that way," she instructed. "Do you see the top silver button?" Mullen nodded. "Press the button six times. Now aim it at that brush over there and press the the other button." Mullen complied and vaporized the brush. He stared with astonishment at where the brush used to be.
"Do all of you have weapons like this?" Mullen asked, still staring at the place where he had destroyed the brush.
"Yes."
"You could've easily killed Scala and myself. Why didn't you?" Mullen replied, turning to face his captive.
"Because I am your friend," Ivanovna said, trying to be reassuring. "The Federation believes in talking through situations; we fire weapons only when we must."
Mullen shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, what does this other thing do?"
"We call it a tricorder," Ivanovna replied. "You can scan things with it. Open the top part, then turn it around and raise your arm up and down," she instructed; Mullen did so, scanning himself with the tricorder. "Now turn it back around; what does it say?"
"It indicates I'm somewhat nutritionally deficient and that I once had three broken ribs," Mullen replied, pausing. "Among other things." Mullen made a face and closed the tricorder. He and Ivanovna exchanged glances; Mullen then gave her a half-smile. "Why are you here, Lieutenant?"
"We were exploring an anomaly in space, when it pulled us through some sort of wormhole. Our ship was damaged; we appeared above Earth and got stuck in the atmosphere," Ivanovna explained.
"And you haven't been coming here for months and abducting people?"
"Why would we want to do that?" Ivanovna replied with a genuine expression of confusion on her face.
"Why don't we have a look around that shuttle of yours?" he said, offering her a hand up; when she stood, it became apparent she was noticeably taller than Mullen. He had thought it was because she'd been standing on the exit ramp of her ship, but now that they were on even ground, she was still much larger than he. "Is everyone in this Federation of yours so big?" Mullen asked in a deadpan manner.
Ivanovna smiled, "No, I am one of the bigger people."
Mullen nodded, "Will you tell me about where you come from?"
"I would be happy to," she replied as the two made their way inside the Runabout.
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