The Director and The Captain

Posted on Wed Sep 4th, 2019 @ 10:40am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson

Mission: Mission 2: Heaven On Earth
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: Two Days After "How to keep your horse on time"
1456 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

{On}
Varis had settled into his quarters and relaxed by reading up on the Elysium's ship logs. He decided that while he was stuck aboard this ship he would make sure that it did not screw the timeline any more than it already had. Besides he might gain help for his life's work.

After reading through the logs he decided that it was time to meet the Captain. Varis stood outside the door of the Ready Room and rang the chime. The looks from the crew as he walked to meet the Captain were confused. Most of them had never seen a man wear a suit before.

Phoenix had been catching up on her work when the chime rank. She looked up and called out "Come!" As she set aside the paperwork.

Varis walked in and slapped the most endearing smile that he could muster onto his face. "Captain my apologies for interrupting your work. I just felt that I had to meet you. I am Varis, the Assistant Director of the Department of Temporal Investigations. The DTI has assigned me here to open up an office. I have read the ship's log and I must say that I am a...fan."

Phoenix stood, held out her hand to him smiling in welcome. "Ah yes, please come have a seat. Welcome to the Elysium Director Varis."

Varis sat down. "Thank you Captain. I would hate to say it but you have earned a spot on the list with Picard, Kirk, and Janeway. You should stop messing around with time."

"I try my best not to Director, I leave that to Admiral Sharr." She smiled. "And I will be honest, I am more likely to basically run the other way when I see temporal things. Our last interaction with them kinda scared the crew."

Varis nodded. "Hmmm... Tell me about it. Reading reports is one thing. But, I like to hear the first hand accounts. Really get a feel for when went on when the incursion occurred." He paused as a genuine smile crossed his face. "The good Admiral and I had many conversations on my way over here."

Phoenix nodded. "I am sure. Sharr has a history of good stories and adventures. However, our last run in was more of a temporal and Alternative universe mix." She began. "We were on an exploration mission in the Gamma Quadrant out past Dominion Space, and we encounter .. for lack of a better word a fold in space and debris, from our own vessel. Within that fold we found a planet, and... our crew.. ourselves mostly. Some of us were dead. But our alternates had crashed landed there nearly 20 years before. And there was a lot of other things but... key was the majority had not aged a day."

"I see... It is rare that a ship encounters a temporal fold gamut. But to encounter one, and then encounter a planet where time progresses and a massively slower pace. Fascinating! Tell me what did you do to right the wrong you did to their timeline?" Varis responded with interest. He was interested in the story, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer to his question. It was the same with all Captains they encounter interesting phenomena and do nothing to correct their mistakes.

"As to that I am not sure. We were able to fix their rescue beacon. They had been there for 20 years, they had children and ... some of us were dead. We figured out that it was more alternative timeline then Temporal from us. They lost the planet Andoria in 2358. Destroyed. unstable core according to their Elysium's computer core. We reactivated their rescue beacon, beamed down supplies and food, as well as two solar powered replicators. Visited the graves of those dead, argued and debated with them. There was nothing different we could do. We never hit the anomaly that hit their Elysium. Oh and we made sure one of the kids could not continue his plans for universal domination." She added with a wry smile.

Varis cocked an eyebrow. "Universal domination, that seems rather ominous. Is this child aboard right now, or a version of them aboard? Did it occur to you that in your actions you broke the temporal prime directive. How do you know that those versions of yourself were not slated to all die. Since you gave them supplies and repaired their equipment they survived. And the timeline is altered." It was moments like this when Varis wondered if anyone understood the timeline the way he did.

"No the child will most likely never be conceived as both the parents who are currently on this ship are more likely to kill each other than do anything else, and frankly, he just really wanted off that planet. I believe the term used by his sister was Crazy arsed kid. And two, nice to know I am to die in a forest fire," She smiled faintly. "I was not about to leave my crew, even alternates of them, and children to suffer on a planet with little to no supplies."

"The question is who are you to make that decision. We are all slaves to the time vortex. The great equalizer and the one thing none of us can control. I understand you feel for those people, what happened to them and what will happen to them. But who are you to change their fate? The temporal prime directive applied there." Varis leaned forward slightly the game had begun. As far as he was concerned she was Captain of the ship, but when it came to matters about time and the timeline he was the first, last and only word.

She leaned back in her chair and watched his face carefully as she formulated her response. "I am the Captain of this vessel. Given command by Admiral Sharr himself as he sacrificed his freedom for this ship and her crew. And when I took command, I swore to uphold the laws and regulations of both Starfleet and the Federation. But I also swore to help those in need and not to turn my back on those situations. And as I am the Captain of this vessel it was my call, and I made it." Her tone was mild and calm, but her Erisian eyes had gone from their normal sky blue to a pale blue, a sign that she was controlling her words carefully.

Varis' black eyes took the Captain in. He knew that she did not like what he had to say, but it had to be said. "I understand that you are the Captain of this vessel. However, when it comes to matters about time and the timeline the DTI holds jurisdiction over you. Hence the reason that Admiral Sharr and the rest of Ninth Fleet Command decided that I should be assigned here. Suppose your actions in assisting those people resulted in the Federation no longer existing. There is no way that you could tell what effects your actions will have on the timeline."

Phoenix made a mental note to send Sharr the Federation equivalent of a Howler and possibly a live skunk for this. She merely raised an eyebrow however at the man opposite her. "Well one will never know will one? We do not have contact with that pocket verse anymore."

Somewhere in the back of the El Aurian's mind the words or do we repeated over and over. "At least for now. I must request that if this ship encounters any further incursions from within or without I be informed immediately." Varis' demeanor changed, it softened. "Captain listen I do not want to be at odds here. We essentially want the same thing, that is the safety of this crew and by extension the Federation. I think a fair deal is I let you do your job, if you will let me do mine."

"Agreed" Phoenix replied. "I have no issue with you doing your job Director. In fact I am sure you will find a lot to keep you busy."

He smiled genuinely for the first time in this conversation. "I bet. Your logs alone make for an entertaining read." Just as quickly as it had come the smile was gone. Varis stood up and took a tentative step toward the door. "Well Captain I think I have taken up enough of your time. I want to thank you for the time that you have given me."

She stood up and nodded. "My door is always open to any member of the crew Director. Welcome again to the Elysium"
{Off}

Captain Phoenix Lalor
Commanding Officer
USS Elysium

Varis
Assistant Director
Department of Temporal Investigations