Before Picard gave the order to enter the fissure, he turned to address Worf.

"Worf, do your sensors detect any objects other than the planetoid?"

The Klingon security officer checked the sensors. "Nothing within sensor range, Captain."

Picard weighed his options a third time. He was bound and determined not to have any other crew members exposed to the same conditions as Ensign Cassandra Duncan. One drone vessel attacking the Enterprise was bad enough, but if they were about to fly into an ambush, he wanted a fighting chance.

The Ops sensors began pinging, which attracted Data's interest. "Captain. I am detecting something coming from within the fissure."

Picard strode to the Ops position, with Riker close behind. "What is it, Data?" the captain asked.

"If I am correct, sir, these readings are identical to the alien particulate signature," Data said.

Picard looked at Riker, who glanced at Data. "Are you certain, Commander?" the captain asked.

"The signatures are identical, Captain. This may be where the alien vessel originated from."

"Let's hold position here. I want a further study of the particulates," Picard said.

"Aye, sir," Data said, as he rose from Ops, crossing the bridge to one of the Science stations.

=======================================================================

In her quarters, Cassie was still looking out the window toward the spatial fissure. She remembered the logs she had read about the Running Brook finding this fissure, but they weren't attacked by any alien vessels. Maybe Captain Terr got lucky and avoided a confrontation, she thought. So, why aren't we going anywhere? Maybe Captain Picard wants to be extremely careful...

Cassie anticipated going into the fissure, as did everyone else on the ship. Maybe the answer to her problem was within the fissure itself...

=======================================================================

The Enterprise held position about 100,000 kilometers from the fissure, as Geordi and Data worked on the shield harmonics to soften the passage into the fissure, and to ward off the alien particulates. They were still working on Cassie's problem, figuring that she had received several thousand times the energy that the starship had received, in relation to their sizes.

In Engineering, Geordi had been running hundreds of simulations on Cassie's problem, not once being able to match the exact conditions of her exposure to the particulates. Data had joined him a few hours later.

"It would appear that Ensign Duncan may not be able to reverse her condition," Data said, noting the simulation reports.

"Not so fast, Data. We're close on this one. There's something familiar about this...I just can't seem to put my finger on it," LaForge said.

"Why would you want to put your finger on an unassumed condition, Geordi?" Data asked.

Geordi chuckled. "It's a figure of speech, Data." An engineering assistant handed him a PADD. "It means that there is something we're just not seeing now, that we have sometime ago..." The lightbulb suddenly went on over his head. "I got it!" Geordi exclaimed. "LaForge to Ensign Duncan," he said, tapping his commbadge.

Data was confused. "What do you have, Geordi?" he asked.

"Duncan here," Cassie said.

"Ensign, I need you to meet us on Holodeck 3. I think I might have the answer to your problem," Geordi said.

She could barely contain her excitement. Finally! They found a possible cure! she thought. "On my way, sir," Cassie said.

"Come on, Data, I need your help, as well," Geordi said, as they started toward the turbolift.

=======================================================================

Minutes later, Geordi, Data, and Cassie were standing outside the Holodeck itself, programming the parameters of Cassie's accident.

"I still do not see what you are referring to, Geordi," Data said. He could program the Holodeck simulation faster than anyone on the ship.

"Well, Data, you remember the Promellian Battlecruiser boobytrap?" Geordi asked.

"Of course," Data said.

"I think we went about this the wrong way. Maybe Cassie is in phase with the rest of the universe, and we are slightly out of phase with her."

Cassie suddenly felt very self-conscious. Data noticed the arms of her uniform moving by themselves.

"Ensign Duncan, is something wrong?" the android officer asked her.

"Well, sir, if you consider being naked to the entire universe..." she started.

Data blinked. "Ah. I understand your embarrassment," he said, returning to his task.

A few seconds later, the computer chimed. "Program complete," it announced. "Enter when ready."

"Begin simulation," Geordi announced. The computer responded with a familiar chirp.

Cassie drew a deep breath as the Holodeck door slid open. She was noticeably nervous as they entered.

Inside, they were greeted by a holographic simulation of the Jefferies' Tube where Cassie's accident occurred a few weeks earlier, the grating and module junction as they were before Cassie had accessed the area.

"Computer...create simulation of Ensign Cassandra Duncan," Geordi announced.

Instantly, the computer recreated Cassie, just outside the entry to the Jefferies' Tube.

Cassie pursed her lips and swallowed hard. She had almost forgotten what she looked like, as she inspected her holographic double. It really looks like me, she thought, trying hard to maintain her composure.

Geordi referred to the PADD he had brought with him. "Computer...place simulation of Ensign Duncan in her position at time index 19.2 and run simulation."

The scene shifted to Cassie wrestling the module out of it's socket.

"LaForge to Duncan...what's the holdup there?" the simulated voice of Geordi said.

Cassie's double wrestled with the module. "I'm having...uhnn...a bit of...nngggg...trouble getting this...ahhh...junction to come loose," she said. Cassie mouthed the same words along with the simulation.

"Do you need some help up there, Ensign?"

Cassie's double loosened the module. ""Um...uggg...no, sir. I think I've just about got it...there!" It them turned to retrieve the replacement module.

"Good work, Cassie. Now get that replacement module in right away."

"Yes, sir," the double said, turning to retrieve the replacement module. The module had barely been seated when all hell broke loose.

Cassie watched, horrified at reliving the accident.

During the unfolding of one particular explosion, Geordi noticed something. "Computer...freeze program!"

The simulation froze in mid-explosion. Cassie's double had covered her head and began to scream.

"Cassie, take a look at this," Geordi said, handing her the PADD.

Cassie took the PADD, and looked at what Geordi was referring to.

One EPS power tap had erupted near where Cassie's most serious plasma burn occurred.

"Computer...remove EPS plasma from the simulation," Geordi said.

The familiar color of EPS plasma was replaced by a yellow-green bolt of energy. Geordi moved in closer to inspect this, and Cassie's position in the tube.

"Data, Cassie...take a look at this," Geordi said, pointing to Cassie's double's hand.

They both looked at where Geordi was indicating. Cassie had been in contact with the replaced module at the time of the attack, effectively making herself a bridge to absorb the alien energy that had entered her body from the exploding EPS tap. Cassie had noticed that her body had taken on the same hue as the alien energy, which explained the fire ants feeling she had experienced.

"That's why I was in so much pain," she finally said.

"Right...now watch. Computer...continue simulation, 1/10th normal speed," Geordi said.

The simulation continued in slow motion. A few seconds later, the surrounding Jefferies' Tube seemed to shimmer and glow a bright yellow-green, then returned to normal.

"Computer...freeze program," Geordi said. The simulation froze as Cassie's double was bathed in the alien energy, almost as if she were in the midst of a transporter process.

"And that's what we were missing," Geordi said. "It looks like the aliens were trying to transport you off the ship, but didn't get a good lock on you. Worf had the shields raised by now, and most likely cut their transporter beam off at the source. And, from the look of the data here, it seems that we exist slightly out of phase with you, Cassie...that's why you're invisible to us."

"Shouldn't my uniform also have been rendered invisible, as well?" she asked.

"I doubt it," Geordi said. "Take a look here." He indicated the PADD, then pointed to the alien energy bolt. "This energy is organic. You were more in contact with it than everyone else on the ship. At your side is where the energy entered your body, and where you were touching the sensor array module is where it left."

Cassie absorbed the information. So, if she was in normal space, and the rest of the ship wasn't...

"So, why aren't I dead?" Cassie asked.

"What do you mean, Ensign?" Data asked.

"Well, if I'm in normal space..."

"That's what we can't figure out, Cassie. Maybe you're in some metaphasic bubble that's keeping you slightly out of phase with the rest of us...I simply don't know," Geordi said, letting out a breath. "Perhaps we'll know more when we enter orbit."

"Enter orbit of what?" Cassie asked.

"We have located a small planetoid inside the fissure the Running Brook discovered," Data said. "The captain requested that Geordi and I..."

Suddenly, the Red Alert klaxons began sounding, as the ship rocked.

"Red Alert! All decks, Red Alert!" Riker commanded over the ship's intercom.

Geordi and Data took off for the nearest turbolift, while Cassie ran to her quarters. Technically, she was still relieved of duty, and in the confusion of the crew going to Battle Stations, she could easily slip away unnoticed. As she entered her quarters, she looked out the window...

And saw that Hell itself had swallowed the Enterprise.

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