Discovery Gaming Community

This story is set after the events of Parallels, Admiral Scarman and the crew of the Avalanche, as well as the DWB medical ship Pasteur and the Bretonian science vessel Sygnus are flying together as one fleet with New York as their destination. Marcus and his crew managed to find the correct version of Doctor Wilcox's science vessel and reverse the effects, sending the parallel versions of the Avalanche, Pasteur and Sygnus back to their respective dimensions.

As for the details of how that happened, I will let all who have been reading the story wait and see :lol:There will be a twist at the end of the story, which may have repercussions later on in the storyline of the characters from Evolved.

I made this post in order to include all of my old friends from Evolved. Sorry I didn't include you all in Parallels guys but the story was a very closed book one, aimed at introducing Scarecrow to the Discovery mod. I'm surprised its still going now, I thought I would have finished it, well it is well under way, and me and Sayne / Wilder ought to get it finished before the end of the week. Anyway, to the current story...

---

The Reunion
LNS Avalanche, uncharted space

"Someone ought to have installed a frigging jump drive," Victoria grumbled as she tinkered with the shattered console. Marcus chuckled from his command seat, shaking his head. The Avalanche had been under way now for eight days. Flying in a dead straight line at maximum cruise speed. The DWB ship Pasteur and Doctor Wilcox's ship, the Sygnus were in a close controlled formation along with the old Navy dreadnought. After the brief space battle with two renegade versions of the Avalanche, Marcus' Avalanche had taken quite a pounding.

She had however gained a new crew member. Admiral Jayce Wilder, a man from a universe he had named 'valor' had been appointed official ambassador on board the Avalanche until it could be decided what was to be done. The man had been stranded along with Marcus and his crew when his ship had been destroyed and he had stubbornly refused to be transported to the Pasteur of his own time in order to ensure to success of Marcus' mission to shut down the power core of the rift manipulator. Marcus couldn't deny that he wouldn't have been able to complete his task had Admiral Wilder not been there to lend his assistance. The two men were becoming fast friends, telling stories of their respective pasts over meals in the mess hall and bonding through simulated sports games on the holodeck.
Marcus liked Jayce a lot, and admired him for everything he had been through in his own universe and in the one they had suddenly found themselves in.

He sighed and turned to Victoria, who was knelt on her hands and knees, her head invisible inside the burned out hulk of one of the helm consoles.
"Really Victoria, let me call tech, I can have someone replace the damn console."
"No," the young Captain emerged from the console, a line of soot across the bridge of her nose. "I can fix this; I just need to find the right power coupling."
She moved to re-enter the console, but Marcus held up a hand. "Please, just sit down. Your face is far prettier than your rear end."
Victoria sat on the chair behind her, grinning. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"
"Take it as you please," Marcus raised his eyebrows and returned his attention to the forward viewscreen, trying to hide a grin of his own. "I meant that it is easier to talk to you with your head out of that damned console."

They were the only two on the bridge. It was the night shift and Marcus had granted everyone a couple of extra hours rest, he and Victoria could easily manage the bridge for a shift or two. It wasn't like there was much going on either. Rear Admiral Anderson had taken charge of engineering since the Chief Engineer had been hospitalized in the last encounter with the hostile Avalanche.
"What are you moaning about anyway," Marcus asked, spinning his seat to face Victoria. He suppressed a chuckle at the smudges on her face.
"Bloody cruise engines," She began, "The Tuatha de Danaan gets to have a damn jump drive, why not the Avalanche!"
Marcus laughed out loud, "Victoria given the circumstances before the Danaan left I think the Navy had more priorities than equipping a jump drive onto a sixty eight year old warship. I dont doubt it was near enough time for the Avalanche to be decommissioned anyway."
"Still, I'm getting sick of living on this can. Its going to be at least another four weeks before we arrive in the New York system, I need air Marcus!" Edge slumped in her seat, looking dejected.

Marcus shook his head and turned back to the viewscreen. All it showed was the intricate tapestry of endless space, stretched out before the Avalanche. Marcus enjoyed watching the stars however, and often found himself alone on the bridge or in an observation blister admiring the stars for hours. They made him think of home, and his family, and how far away from them he actually was.
The ship suddenly rocked slightly. It was only a small shudder, but it was enough to get their attention. Marcus sat up in his seat and looked at Captain Wade.
"Take the con," he said, pressing a button on his chair arm console. "Bridge crew to your stations,"
"Admiral?" Lucas' voice replied over the speaker.
"We might have a potential situation Lucas, get up here quick."
"Aye sir,"

By now Victoria had moved herself to the other functioning helm console. "I have initiated proximity scans, nothing so far Admiral."
"Do a thorough system sweep, cut cruise engines."
The ship rocked again, only this time a little more violently.
"Damn it, asteroids."
Marcus dropped back into his chair, "You're kidding me,"
"No, a string of them, must be part of a comet cluster, looks like we've caught them up and bounced two of them off their trajectory." Victoria turned to look at him.
"Okay, false alarm," Marcus pressed the button on his chair arm once more, "False alarm people, just asteroids. No need to get riled, get back to bed, all of you."
A series of grumbles and complaints returned over the communicator, Lucas' the most prominent.
"I'm in the bloody turbolift now!"
Marcus cut the channel and scratched his forehead. "Oops, guess I'm getting jumpy."
"No, we all are Admiral," Victoria turned and looked back out of the main viewscreen. "Its too quiet out here."

"Quiet isn't the exact word I would give it." a deep voice said from behind Scarecrow, the two turned to look and Raziel stood there with an extremely stupid grin on his face. "Howdy guys. I take it you had a nice trip?"

"R-Raziel?" Scarecrow said in disbelief.

"The one and the same. I trust you had a safe trip from Evolved?"

"Not the most simple if that's what you mean."

"Hmm? Explain." he said with a smile.

"You already know don't you?" the young woman captain asked.

Raziel returned her with a baffled look and then a smile. "Of course not my dear. Simply asking-" Raziel stopped speaking and looked off in a certain direction with a worried look.

"I felt it too" said a female voice, Kimiga had appeared behind her father looking in the same direction.

"Kimiga?" Edge said this time.

"The one and the same." she said.

"Like father-" Scarecrow started

"Like daughter." Kimiga finished.

Raziel interjected. "Over the past few days, we've felt Zakerath in that section of space. He's escaped his bonds and we believe he killed Janzt before you salvaged the rift device, right before everything was fixed, I lost the signal to Janzt completly. If Zakerath is killing family already, then that means he's coming after me and Kimiga."

"No way, he's not that stupid." Scarecrow said.

"He's stronger than I am, he could take out Manhattan and then wipe out the remainder of mankind, what the hell do you mean he's not that stupid? He's planning something, but I don't know what. True, it isn't like him to just all out attack head on, but even if not, he's still cooking up something big.

"Several more Zeta readings have been coming into this realm that I havn't sensed in years, even people I thought were dead in the wars of the past. He's planning something big, and I just wanted you all to be on the look out."

"You're not taking us back to NY?" Edge said with a sigh.

"What, and spoil you? I think not, find your own way back. Good luck."

With that there was two audable pops inside the bridge and the two Zeta vanished from sight.

Marcus turned around to Victoria, who sat in stunned silence by her burned out console. He swallowed before speaking.
"Victoria?"
"How did they..." Her voice trailed off.
"They are Zeta Captain, they are written into space and time, and they are simple fact, like matter. The galaxy is theirs to bend. I had forgotten their teleportation skills were so... unpredictably convenient."
"Inconvenient more like!" Victoria suddenly exploded, bolting up from her seat. "Did you see the smug face on that bastard when he told us to make our own way to New York! Zeta or not, just you wait till I..."
"Calm down Captain, thats an order," Marcus bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. Edge's temper had been known to get the better of her from time to time.

"Either get back to your console or get some rest, I think I'm going to have Lucas take control of the bridge for the next shift, I'm going to go get some sleep myself." Marcus picked himself up out of the command chair and headed for the exit. He looked back at Victoria, but she had distracted herself once more with the damaged console. He gave her turned back a meek smile before exiting the bridge.
On his way to his quarters, he found he felt a strange sinking sensation inside of him. He knew exactly what it was: Victoria. The more time he spent with her, the more he was drawn closer to her. Marcus had prided himself on keeping high morals throughout his life, but for a married man to lust for another woman was despicable. He hated himself for it, but he couldn't help Victoria's allure. He was beginning to trust himself less and less each day.

[DELETED]

[DELETED]

Merlow's Office, Tuatha de Danaan
Undisclosed Grid Location
New York System / Liberty Space

Merlow read over the data pads on his desk, not believing what he was reading.
They're alive... he thought to himself, astonished, I can't believe that they managed to survive! He grinned to himself, stroking his chin.

Thanks to Zeta technology, they had made it through to this universe and had made an arrangement with the current Liberty Government. They still had a fleet, but they had no place to set the Sleeper Ships down. None of this was on his mind, however. The only thing that concerned him right now was the faced that one of his most trusted Admirals was finally coming back. The last time he saw him was when Merlow engaged the Zeta in Omicron Alpha, throwing him into a universe he himself referred to as "Shattered." He hadn't seen him for the past year, nor had he seen the rest of the people he had left behind.

He walked to the door, reading a datapad. Not paying attention, he knocked over someone when he walked through. Merlow reacted quickly, catching the person in a second.
"Sorry, Tessa. Didn't see you there." Merlow said, helping her regain her balance.
Tessa straightened her skirt and jacket, looking up at her superior, "Sorry Sir, but we have a new report on the location of the Avalanche."
Merlow nodded, allowing a small smile, "Good. I assume we have a model on the Bridge?"
"No, Sir. We have the model in Astrometrics."
"Well, let's not waste a minute. I want all the details, as detailed as we have."
"Of course, Sir." Tessa began explaining everything they knew as they walked to the lift.

"Yes, everything is going fine Marcus," Jayce relaxed in his seat, closing the holographic projection in front of him. The shimmering blue hologram glitched and faded back into his console. Marcus entered Wilder's quarters and looked about him. The room was a standard size, and Jayce had done little to decorate it except pin a rack of medals across from his bed and constantly run a holographic projection of his previous' ship's crew roster on the room's single smart wall. Upon closer inspection of the medals, Marcus noted the number of different names etched into each along with words such as 'valor' and 'bravery'. Each of the names held the title of General or above, so Marcus assumed they were each mentors or colleagues of a sort.

"What are you working on," Marcus took one of the chairs across from Wilder and sat down.
"I am observing your database on the Zeta, and have asked myself several questions," Wilder put down his stylus and crossed his arms, indicating the datapad on the desk before him. "The Zeta in my dimension were all but hostile towards us, yet it seems you have befriended the Zeta from your time and space. However a note in their data file indicates that they were somehow written to space and time during their creation, as if they were simple fact."
"I have reviewed the data myself; it does look like the Zeta were somehow created to simply exist, ignorant of concepts such as time and relative dimension. They are an interesting and formidable species indeed,"
"But why would they be hostile toward humanity in another universe whilst simultaneously befriending humanity in another? Especially as they are allegedly written to time and space," Wilder scratched his chin, looking mildly annoyed.
"I'm sorry but I can't give you the answers you seek," Marcus gave his friend a sympathetic smile, "Remember that the version of humanity from my dimension have literally only just made peace with the Zeta, maybe it has taken time for word to spread."
"I don't know Marcus," Jayce looked directly at the Admiral, "I think they have a hidden agenda,"

Marcus thought for a moment before responding. "Only time will tell I suppose, the last time I saw the Zeta, they were totally hostile towards humanity, it is only since then and my brief encounters with Kimiga and Raziel that I now understand their allegiance."
"Raziel," Jayce mused for a moment, "So you have met the leader of the Zeta?"
"And had a chance to kill him," Marcus nodded, "During the battle of Omicron Alpha. As I understand it, the Zeta Raziel has his own internal demons, and the man I dealt with on Karina was different to the man who now stands as an ally of humanity."

"What happened," Jayce leaned forwards in his chair, a spark of interest lighting his eyes.
"Blasters were no effect, so I was forced to improvise. I'm sure you understand the differences of strength between a man and a Zeta. I used, admittedly not knowing it at the time, a fragment of a Don' Kavosh hypergate and managed to embed the substance in SpAz's shoulder. The Zeta are influenced by space and time, and the substance the fragment was made off seemed to weaken him."
"But it did not kill him," Jayce leaned back in his chair.
"No, it merely weakened him as I said; once he noticed me it didn't take much effort to throw me across the entire courtyard. Although if that hadn't happened, I don't think I would have escaped the explosion."
Jayce took a moment to think about what Marcus had said before standing. "Well, lets hope the man holds no grudges. Now I don't know about you, but I could do with a warm meal."

---

Lucas Anderson sat in the Avalanche's command chair, with Ensign Powell, Lieutenant Kaye and Captain Wade operating the bridge. Victoria sat at the communications console, monitoring the idle chat moving between a young technician in engineering and a crew member somewhere towards the aft end of the ship, near the fission reactor coils. The two crew members were arguing over a trivial matter not related to their work and Edge was finding it amusing.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop," Lucas chided, shaking his head at her.
"As you shouldn't sit watching what I do," Victoria turned around to face the Rear Admiral. Lucas wasn't too keen on the upstart young marine, especially as she was getting closer to Marcus by the day. He had noticed the way she was looking at his friend, and was appalled to find that Marcus was reacting too it. Lucas was unsure as to remind Marcus that he was a married man, with a son no less, being afraid of the reaction he would get.
Victoria sat at her station, defiantly returning his stare with her bright eyes. She was extremely attractive, Lucas had to agree, but as a man devoted to another woman, Marcus shouldn't even be considering such an action, and Lucas had known him long enough to understand that he was.

"Sir, I've got several contacts on long range scanners," Lieutenant Kaye piped up from his position at the helm. Lucas spun his chair back around to face the viewscreen.
"On screen, magnify," The image on the main screen cut to an angle of space. There seemed to be little of interest in the angle, however the camera quickly zoomed in on a small section of the screen and the other vessels became evident. A motley group of fighters seemed to be following them. Each one of them spoke unease to Lucas, especially what seemed to be the lead fighter. A jet black sabre, bearing no markings at all. A small shiver shot down Lucas' spine as he watched the sabre cruise slowly, its allies flanking it.

"They were difficult to detect sir, they are using thrusters with no inertial to keep momentum to mask their ion drives. Looks to me like they didn't want to be spotted," Kaye reported, turning on his seat to face the Rear Admiral.
"Maintain course," Lucas said, sitting up more in his chair. "Letting them know we've spotted them might not be the right move to make just yet,"
He flicked open the communicator on the arm of the commander's seat and opened a channel to the crew's quarters.
"Admiral Scarman to the bridge,"

[DELETED]

..."But their protomatter signature is different to ours!"
Doctor James was whispering harshly with Marcus as Admiral Wilder entered the bridge.
"So what did I miss?" He stopped before Admiral Scarman, looking inquisitive.
"We have company," Marcus stood upright, looking over at Wilder. He then turned back to the Doctor, "We still havent identified the protomatter type for this universe as of yet, don't go drawing conclusions based on no evidence. They could be as lost as we are."
"I don't know Admiral," Lucas said from beside his station beside the command chair, "There is something about them that just strikes me as odd,"

"Well for one its obvious they are some kind of pirate come raider band," James protested more, a level of panic rising in his voice.
"Calm down Harry," Marcus eased him, "We are fully armed and operational Battlecruiser and they are a small handful of fighters. Even if the push came to shove, I'm confident in our combat capabilities when faced with strengths such as theirs."
"You shouldn't be too overconfident in yourself Admiral," Wilder advised as Doctor James exited the bridge, "I know a good number of occasions when a mere handful of pilots have brought down the toughest of capitalships."
"I understand all too fully Jayce," Marcus replied in low tones, "However I need to keep some sort of morale, it appears this rabble of fighters has been following us for some time in some sort of stealth mode. I have no idea what their intentions are, and for the moment I am going to feign ignorance. Something tells me though that they arent here for a party."

"Still, precautions must be made. Is there any way I can be of assistance?" Wilder asked.
"I appreciate the offer, but there is nothing you can do but wait like the rest of us. If conflict arises, then I could use your combat experience. Are you experienced with a fighter?"
Wilder gave Marcus a toothy grin. "Is that a joke?"
"Excellent," Marcus returned the grin, "You can be getting up to speed with our compliment of fighters and clocking some simulator time then. You may or may not have come across the ASF-X2 Typhoon, but if you want to help us, I suggest you go take a look at the specs."
"I'll get right on it," Wilder gave Marcus a smart salute and turned to leave. Marcus halted him before he could go however and gave him an equally immaculate salute in return. Wilder smiled and nodded before leaving the bridge.
"Maybe you ought to clock some time in the simulators too Marcus," Victoria said from the helm. "Its been a while since you've flown a Typhoon too."
"Thank you for the advice Captain, I'll make my way down to the hangar bay shortly. Marcus sat down in his command seat.

Victoria grinned and spun her seat around, "Nice, I'll join you if you don't mind."
Marcus looked at her for a moment, Wilder's words of wisdom flashing through his mind. He finally spoke.
"No, you remain on the bridge at the helm, Lucas will fly with me."
Victoria's grin dropped to a look of dismay and finally annoyance. She turned back to the console with an air of stung dignity. Marcus watched her turned back for several moments before turning his attention to the readout on the arm of his chair and began idly accessing different data streams.

Merlow and Tessa arrived in the Astrometrics Lab, cleared recently thanks to the completion of numerous projects during their travels in Void Space. Doctor Tilas stood at the lift door, waiting for them. Behind him, a gigantic holographic image of open space was displayed. Merlow stepped out first.

"Doc, where are they?" Merlow asked as they walked towards the holographic image.
"Well, it looks as if they're on the edge of the Omicron-82 system. They seemed to have just entered that space, and they're basically flying blind."
Tessa pointed to the Avalanche, "Isn't there some way we can contact them?"
Tilas nodded, "We can, but we'd need to get closer."
"How much closer?" Merlow asked.
"To maintain operational security, I'd say we'd have to go into Kusari Space."
"Kusari Space?" Tessa asked, "Doesn't that run the risk of us getting detected, not to mention accidentally provoking a sovereign nation to war?"
"She has a point, Doc." Merlow added, "We have the most advanced technology in the sector, but we don't command the respect we deserve quite yet. Kusari won't be too happy with us flying a fully armed Dreadnaught into their space."
Doctor Tilas scoffed, "We can be in the Hokkaido system in a matter of hours, not to mention that it is literally impossible to detect us with the technology that they have."
Merlow turned to Tessa, "Is it possible for us to fly in full stealth mode for a few days?"
"With the recent modifications, it will become apart of our daily routine." Tessa said, "If we just still to our Warp Drive, we should be able to avoid all possible confrontation."

Merlow smiled, "Make it so, Admiral. Doc, I want this data relayed to scanner control on the bridge. I want us ready to roll out now."
"Yes Sir." Tessa saluted, "What ships will come with us?"
"Notify the Data Entity and Yukon that they're coming with us," Merlow said, beginning to walk towards the lift, "They have the modifications, I hope?"
Tessa ran a little, nearly tripping in her heels trying to catch up, "Yes Sir. They can go stealth and match our warp speeds, but they can't keep it going for nearly as long."
"No matter. I want them with us."
"Yes Sir."
The lift shot back towards the bridge, Tessa and Merlow standing silently in the center.