Away team :- Destination 1664 England Part 2

Posted on Fri Jul 31st, 2020 @ 3:21am by Consul Josephine Carlyle-Cragen & Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Lieutenant Casper Thornhill & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: England, 30 miles South of London,
Timeline: MD9 07h00
2498 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

The away team beamed down in a small clearing. Through the trees they could clearly see the pale brick of Hever Castle. Hever Castle was what every child wants a castle to be: crenellated, moated and supposedly haunted. Even in the early hours it was still. No servants moved in the gardens, nothing but silence.

Arrianna held up her mirror and began to appear like she was straightening her hair. Scanning for any technological trace. She began to walk and follow the mirror. "This way.."

Miraj followed, frowning. "Shouldn't there be people? All the novels say everyone gets up early, to not lose the light?"

"Well, mebbe them novels was wrong, love?" Gallia laughed, "Ye cannae go buy them novels for real information."

Arrianna spoke. "If there is no one here, all the better. Lets take advantage of this absence and accomplish our mission. The distress beacon is over here." She stated.

Varis brought up the rear in silence. His own personal mission was to observe and report. With the added directive of stopping anyone who would threaten the timeline. He knew that Arrianna had the right of it again. They had to try to get the mission done before anyone saw them. Despite the intensity of the mission in the back of his head Varis had thoughts about his own people. How many of them would be on Earth at that very moment? If he ran into one would they know that he is El Aurian? Those questions sparked a small ache in the pit of his stomach.

As they approached the castle and came out into the well cared for gardens, the main door opened and a slim blond woman walked out. She was dressed in era appropriate clothes. And there were a number of dogs around her ankles. She stopped on the steps and looked towards the group. She didn't speak. She waited.

Arrianna approached the woman, it was odd that this was the only woman in this castle. No guards, no servants, no maids. No one here. She decided to initiate contact. "Mi'lady. Allow me to introduce myself. Lady Arrianna de'Medici. We are here on a matter of some importance." She decided to assume the title of a Florentine noble.

The woman studied her for a moment. "If you are here for my brother, Ser James Humphreys, I am afraid he left yesterday afternoon on a Journey. I am afraid, also that I am awaiting important guests, travelers, from my home to arrive. I am unable to entertain my brothers guests."

Arri remained quiet and held up her mirror again. This was all to cut and dry. She took a scan of this woman covertly.

Josephine noted the mirror being held up and tilted her head to the side. She considered speaking in another language to see if they would react. Could this group, be, the people she was expecting?

She instead clicked her fingers at the dogs and headed back into the house. She paused on the doorstep. "I suggest you leave, unless you have a good reason to be here" she spoke firmly.

Arrianna looked at the woman. "Actually we do." She noted. Arri pulled out her Starfleet Communicator from her dress. It was a quiet gesture, if this was one of the survivors, she'd know what it was. Otherwise, it would disregarded as a simple trinket. "I am a collector of fine jewlery from Florence. And I'm wondering if you've seen someone with a piece like this. We would very much like to meet the people who posses this rare piece."

Keeping her face straight, Josephine stepped into the house saying over her shoulder. "You best come in, Rain is coming."

Well, dinnae know if I woulda done that, Arri, but okay, seems te have worked. Gallia thought as she followed the others into the castle; unlike most of them it was not her first visit to Haver Castle, though it was in better condition now than when she last visited. It was a museum in her time, Gallia had gone there on a school trip in Grade 4, it wasn't anywhere near as nice anymore.

Josephine led the group into the morning room and walked to the far end of the room.
Turning she watched the group enter and then, she waited.

Arrianna approached. "Clearing the castle to prevent any witnesses to us beaming down was wise, and it is what I would do if our roles were reversed. I then ran a scan on you to confirm you were whom I thought you were, and I have concluded from multiple variables. You do not belong in this time, do you?" She mentioned.

"No. I belong in a time of sonic showers and holodecks." Josephine was through hiding. "Lieutenant Josephine Carlyle. Assign to the runabout Miranda. Assigned to study the VOID in 2394." She took a breath. "What year are you from?"

"We are from 2396, Lieutenant." Arri noted. "My name is Lt. Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar, Chief Science Officer, USS Elysium. This is Lt. Commander Gallia Norrs, Lt. Casper Thornhill, Ensign Miraj Derani, 1st Lt. Mark Cross, and this Mister Varis from the Department of Temporal Investigations." She introduced the team.

Josephine nodded at each officer and waved to chairs. "I have never been more happy to see a starship on scans before."

"Keep in mind there isnae a guarantee we can get us home, much less ye." Gallia added, "Bu' we're sure gonna try."

Arri responded. "The Elysium was damaged as we attempted to explore the Void. Much like your vessel was. We are still in the process of figuring out how to return to our time, but rest assured. You will have your sonic showers and holodeck, Lieutenant." She noted. "We have been sent to retrieve you, along with any technology you may have. Are you the only survivor from the Miranda?"

Josephine had considered her answer before the question had been asked. She, had two options. One was to say yes she was and leave James here to do whatever, which lets be honest was not really an option. The other was the one she took. "No. Lt. Commander James Westin was in charge of the Miranda and he also survived the trip through the Void."

Arri spoke. "Then we will retrieve Lt. Commander Westin as well. Is he here in this Castle?" She inquired. The fact the Lt. Commander was not here when Lt. Carlyle meet them told her that something was amidst. Suspicion began to grow in Commander an Vantar's mind.

"No. As I said, he left on a journey yesterday." came the calm reply."I know not where, Ja.. Commander Westin has places I know not." Josephine bent and scooped up one of the dogs and ruffled the animal's head.

"Lieutenant..." Arrianna noted. "Has Commander Westin done anything that you disapprove of as a Starfleet Officer?"

"Starfleet was not here." Josephine replied. "And I have done my best not to interfere with history. Commander Westin, wanted a bit more than to live quietly." She gave half a shrug. "Survival was key."

"Did he bugger the timeline or no, Leftenant?" Gallia asked, she was ready for this temporal field trip to be over with.

"Gallia..." Arri looked at Norris with a calm voice. "Lieutenant, I know you have been through a great ordeal. In a strange time, cut off from everything, and everyone, you know. But understand, any alteration here in this century, will have profound repercussions for our future. Lieutenant, this is a society that is in development. They have made great strives in representative government and the cornerstone of ethics and reason, but that is in direct conflict with centuries of dogma and fanaticism that enlightenment philosophers are now just beginning to question. Any cultural contamination now... would destroy our future. Answer my question."

This was what she expected. "I have done nothing to change the succession of the crown nor of the health of those around me. I have done nothing to interrupt the timeline. And I have counseled the Commander to do the same. He disagrees. So far however, the timeline continues unchanged."

Arri sighed and shook her head. "Then we will have to find Commander Westin and place him under arrest for violations of General Order 1." Arri looked at Varis for his approval, he was still in charge of this mission.

"He has not done anything yet." came the addition from the Lieutenant.

Varis nodded in agreement with Arri. "Lieutenant the fact that he hasn't done anything yet is the exact reason why he is going to be placed under arrest. When it comes to the timeline all I need is intent, and I have it."

Casper listened to the exchange between the two, they had one officer that was happy to see them and then they had another Officer that would probably not be so happy to see them inwardly Casper gave a groan thinking about it. This was about to get messy... extremely messy, "How long is your broth.... the Commander usually gone for?"

Gallia wasn't thrilled with the information Lt. Carlyle just dropped, either, but she kept any expression of that completely internal, reminding herself that nothing they did to him to bring him in would change history as he wasn't supposed to be there anyway.

Varis said nothing as all of this transpired. He listened and took notes. The fact that there was another Starfleet Officer here compounded the issues that they were having already. They were quickly approaching the threshold and it was time for him to speak up. "Lieutenant Carlyle you are going to have to give me a complete and thorough account of everything you and the Commander have done since you arrived. We are quickly approaching the threshold where you and he are not infringing upon history, you are history." The El Aurian spoke slowly and deliberately. His eyes were glued on Carlyle, as he attempted to gauge her reaction.

The Lieutenant nodded "I am aware of that Mr Varis. I have done what I can to stay out of history's gaze. I do not attend court and I stay out of London as much as possible. I also attend a religious service weekly as per the custom. And I am not religious." She paused. "James was not happy I sent the distress call. He came and then left again, by horse. He could be anywhere in England or even on a ship to the continent."

Arrianna examined Carlyle for a moment and then stood without another word. The woman annoyed her. She was supposed to be starfleet. Arri did not know where this woman got the idea that she was somehow released from duty by being trapped back in time, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She went outside searching for horse tracks and flipped open her pocket mirror. Scanning them. Each horse, even the ones with forged iron horseshoes were unique, she knew this from her own horses at her residence on New Alindar. But these unique horseshoes were forged with hammers and tongs. It would leave a signature like a human fingerprint. She also scanned for anything else related to that particular horse, any hair that would indicate DNA. There may have been several horses passing through, but at least an analysis could narrow the search down.

Ignoring the Lt. Commander who abruptly left, Josephine turned to the others. "I believe you will want to see the Miranda. Please follow me"

When confident Carlyle was out of earshot. Arri retrieved her combadge and tapped it. "an Vantar to Elysium. Captain are you there?"

"Lalor here. Report commander"

"Listen Carefully, Captain." Arri began to explain the situation in detail with Lt. Carlyle and Lt. Commander Westin. She then continued. "Captain, Lieutenant Carlyle has thus far upheld the prime directive to the best of her ability, but she became evasive when I asked her several questions concerning the status of Commander Westin. True she has upheld the prime directive, but if she has knowledge of Lt. Commander Westin's activities here, and fails to to come forward with that information if we determine Westin has violated the prime directive, I will have to place her under arrest for dereliction of duty, and an accessory to a violation of General Order One." She mentioned. "I am not certain she understands how serious the situation she's in, even the charge of Dereliction of Duty will destroy her starfleet career, considering the circumstances around it."

"Well we shall cross that bridge when it comes to it. I will start a search of their files and prepare more teams to beam down to assist with the search." Lalor stated.

----
Miraj was the first to follow Lieutenat Carlysle through locked dowors and down into the musty cold of the great cellar. Seeing the shuttle thick with a coat of dust, and black from a rough trip through the atmosphere, her heart went out to it. "Oh, baby, what happened to you?" She asked it, running a hand over the pockmarked hull plating. "that must have been one hell of a landing." She'd seen enough damaged ships from her father's work. "You're lucky the inertial dampers held."

"They just held" Josie replied. "And it was not easy hiding that thing during the day. We crashed about a day's ride from here. Took us several weeks to get it into here."

Varis followed the group and took notes with a quill on parchment as was the implements of the time. As it stood right now once they had the information needed they would have to stage Lieutenant Carlysle's death for the benefit of the people. Then she would be taken to the Elysium and locked in the brig for breach of the Temporal Prime Directive among other charges. For the love of everything how far into histories skirts does this go. he thought. The second thing Varis knew was that he owed Lalor and apology.

Watching the group look over the shuttle, Josphine paused by Varis. "Sir, I am not sure how to say this, but Commander Westin has the king's ear. We must get away from here as soon as possible. That said, James will not lead them down here because then he will be seen as a fraud." Varis nodded and headed off to tell Arrianna.

Miraj opend the door and slid into shuttle. Internally it seemed undamaged. settling into the pilots seat, she started the power up sequence. The miranda made a squealing noise that sounded like someone was crushing kittens. She shut it down sharply, wincing in pain. "Okay, you arent going anywhere." She looked over to Gallia, "Can you get her running?"

Arrianna returned into the castle after taking her scans. "Lieutenant Thornhill, Lieutenant Cross. We're going to remove all of Josephine Carlyle's personal effects from this place. Including the dogs." She mentioned. "Our presence must be completely sterile."