From: Ranjani Sabarinathan (rantrek_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Jul 13 2008 - 19:25:39 PDT
“Anaqueen vs. Captain Spankryz, Part 2 & Loony Kate vs. Lt. Cmdr. Kate”
(contd from Shawn’s ‘Helping Hand, Part 2’)
Location: USS COMMENDATION
SD: 2.80710.1901
Scene: Ready Room
How would it feel when one glared at their own reflection in the mirror? Well a bit funny, actually except one could hardly find humor in the situation Captain Anaqueen Spankryz faced at the moment. The CO of the USS COMMENDATION was furious at the other woman for holding her hostage with the lives of the crew at stake. The Trill’s blue eyes were shooting daggers at the mirror version whose actions clearly weighed heavily in her mind. Spankryz wondered if her alternate was either mentally insane or just plain evil for putting over 1000 lives at risk. No matter what, Ana wasn’t going to let anything happen to her crew.
Mirror Anaqueen wasn’t taking any pleasure in that whole confrontation. She had no desire to harm anyone in the COMMENDATION but was left with no choice if she wanted to capture the Captain’s attention. Ana didn’t enjoy killing in general, it was something she considered a necessary evil towards the symbionts and their collaborators. Hatred built up inside her as she faced the Starfleet Captain. That hate was irrational and deep down she knew it. But the intense loathing towards Spankryz in her own dimension blinded the resistance fighter from understanding not every reality worked the same way as her own. Not every Trill who bore the last name ‘Spankryz’ was ruthless and cold-hearted.
Captain Spankryz sighed exasperatedly and commanded, her patience wearing thin. “State your demands.”
“Aren’t you the least bit flustered to meet someone who looks exactly you?” Ana questioned, sarcasm filling her voice. She tightened her grip on the trigger of the phaser handheld.
“This is not the first time I’ve encountered a doppelganger,” Ana mentioned caustically. “So don’t expect me to get distracted just because you resemble me physically.”
“Oh we may have the same outward physique,” the other Ana began icily. “But deep down you and I are completely different.”
“Yes I know,” Spankryz stated dryly. “One of us is joined and the other isn’t.”
Alternate Ana shook her head and derided. “No it’s more like I am still capable of independent thought and the host you’re occupying has lost her identity the day she joined with you.
A dawn of realization had struck the Trill Captain as she slowly understood what her alternate meant. Perhaps the symbionts in that mirror universe were really different and not quite as benevolent as the ones in this reality. But Ana did not have time for debates on the differences between the Trills of both universes, while the ship and crew’s lives were in danger. “I would happily discuss just how misguided you are about the Trill society in this universe with you but we have other pressing matters such as your demands,” she reminded harshly.
“Yes of course,” mirror Ana remarked snidely, still pointing her weapon at the CO. Taking in a deep breath, she waited for a second before dropping the ball on the Starfleet officer. “I only have one demand, free Anaqueen from your slavery.”
Suddenly Captain Spankryz’s expression darkened at the outrageous demand, one which she was unwilling to grant. “You can’t be serious!”
-----------------------------
Location: GS-2
Scene: Sickbay
Cynthia Matilde inquired sternly. “George, why did you call me here?” The Fedcom reporter was addressing her colleague, a tall and lanky human male with salt and pepper hair. “This better be good, since I need to pick up my son from school soon.”
“Today is my lucky day,” George announced, caressing his goatee.
Cynthia rolled her eyes. “Oh really.” The El Aurian/Trill/Human hybrid looked bored as she believed her colleague to be a joke in the press community. George had a bad habit of wasting another’s time with his ridiculous theories that he one day hoped would transform into a ground breaking story. Matilde believed this time was no different and wondered with annoyance what useless theory did the man cook up.
George groaned. “Come on, Cynthia. This time it’s for real.” He pleaded, trying to convince the other reporter of his seriousness. “I really do think there is a great story waiting for me and my gut tells me its right here in sickbay.”
“Well then what could you possibly find here?” The hybrid queried impatiently and hoped he was right. She thought of her little son, Nova and did not want him waiting. The situation in the promenade was chaotic with the sudden appearance of two grotesque dead bodies. A large group of reporters from both Fedcom and Federation News Service had already raced to the scene to get their stories. Some thought it was a sick practical joke; others believed the bodies to be holographic projections.
The other reporter placed a finger on his lips and hushed her. “Sssh, wait for a few minutes and you’ll see.” Unbeknownst to the press agents, the alternate Kathryn MacNeil glided into the room, wearing a long brown coat and dark blue shaded eye glasses to prevent anyone from recognizing her. She stood eyeing Lt. Cmdr. Kate MacNeil who was busy searching for Dr. Grace Poe.
“Grace,” Kate greeted, spotting the green skinned woman leaving her office. “How are things going?”
The Orion woman replied, placing a couple of instruments on the tray. “Busy. Doctor Tran from the COMMENDATION had forwarded the medical files on these rogues. So a lot of studying to do.”
“Well if you need help, please let me know,” MacNeil offered, smiling.
Poe returned the smile, sensing the yearning from her friend to spend time in sickbay. In fact while the Orion didn’t want to admit openly, she liked having Kate around working side by side with her. Grace secretly harbored feelings for the half-Nuimon and was guarded about revealing them to her for fear of rejection. The Orion’s thoughts briefly went to the present for Kate to be given on her birthday, hidden in the office. MacNeil was turning 29 on July 14th. She had no idea the same was happening with MacNeil except the Scot hadn’t realized it yet.
Without anyone looking, mirror Kate quickly sneaked inside the supply room. Five minutes later the half-Nuimon doctor appeared with a couple of hyposprays in her pocket and was grinning wickedly. The former SHIV physician was going to conduct an experiment to test her latest creation. The setting was perfect with a variety of subjects and Doctor MacNeil couldn’t be any happier.
Nurse Falcone called out, having caught the hybrid leave the storage room. “Excuse me! You aren’t supposed to be in there.”
Kate continued grinning as she pulled out the hyposprays and presented them to the angry petty officer. Lillian immediately grabbed them and scolded. “Stealing is prohibited. Were you trying to sell them to the black market?” Peering behind her shoulder, Falcone spotted Lt. Cmdr. MacNeil and Dr. Poe in a conversation. “Wait here,” she ordered, glaring at the taller woman and marched off towards the aCMO, but first the nurse dropped the hyposprays on a medical tray.
“Oh I don’t plan on going away,” Kate whispered cryptically as she watched Lillian get called away by Ensign Troy Stone, the emergency care physician on duty before she could speak to Dr. Poe.
------------------------------------------------
Location: USS COMMENDATION
Scene: Ready Room
“Yes I am,” mirror Ana confirmed, her jaws tightening and eyes narrowing. “I want to set Anaqueen free from your control.” With one hand on the trigger, she placed the other inside her pocket to hold the controller.
Captain Spankryz looked aghast at her alternate. “Spankryz and I are strongly bonded as one,” she informed coolly. “Separate us and we both die.”
“I am aware of the fact,” Ana stated bitterly. “The process of joining is irreversible and the host dies once separated from the symbiont but I believe death is preferable to slavery.”
Spankryz questioned, her tone frigid. “What makes you think it’s the case in my reality?” She suggested, sarcasm noted in her voice. “Perhaps you should do some research first on the Trills here before you start demanding people’s lives.” The Captain took a few steps closer, her attention fixed on the phaser.
Instead of responding directly to the CO’s question, Anaqueen reminded. “Well this is the deal. Comply with my demand and I will spare your ship and crew.”
“Deactivate the device first and then I’ll come with you,” the Trill officer demanded, fury burning inside her.
The resistance fighter disagreed. “I can’t take the chance of you going back on your word.” She then insisted, her hand fiddling with the device’s controller, ready to activate if needed. “No we do it my way. You give up control of Anaqueen and I will remove the device.”
Spankryz had to think quickly on finding a solution. She hoped Lt. Polairis would be able to find and deactivate the device to avoid the ugliness that would ensue should the Bajoran CEO fail. Eyeing the phaser, Ana demanded. “First off, drop your weapon.”
“I don’t think so.” The other tightened her grip on the weapon.
“If I agree to your demands, will you?”
The alternate Ana pondered for a second, feeling slightly surprised at the Captain’s request. “Okay,” she agreed a minute later, putting the handheld back in its holster. Feeling the controller with her thumb, the Trill woman slowly asked. “Just out of my own curiosity, why didn’t Anaqueen try to escape from joining?”
“Well if you took the time to understand how the Trills here function, where the host and symbiont actually share a symbiotic relationship, then you’d know the answer,” Anaqueen answered tersely. She further approached the alternate Ana now that the weapon had been put away and stood a few inches from her. “It’s not too late to back out,” she lowered her voice to a mere whisper. “If you just let me explain, then I believe you’ll see things here don’t work the same as in your universe.”
A part of mirror Ana wanted to believe the Captain and was beginning to suspect that perhaps the symbionts in this reality weren’t like the parasitic creatures she had been fighting for a decade in her universe. But the anger towards them was burning so strongly that it forced her to not give in to the Starfleet officer. “You’re lying, Spankryz,” she finally spoke, her voice dripping with venom. “A typical aristocrat. I bet the two of you aren’t any different as you will say and do anything to get what you want.”
“The symbionts in your universe are parasites, right?” Spankryz questioned calmly.
Mirror Ana snapped. “Don’t waste my time, Spankryz and let’s get this over with.”
“Well it seems we both have something in common,” the COMMENDATION CO remarked sardonically, regarding the lack of patience, an attribute shared by both Anaqueens.
Without any warning, alternate Ana pulled out the controller and pressed a button. A high pitch sound resonated in the room and was extremely loud. Spankryz bent forward and covered her ears, wincing with intense pain.
“This is only a warning,” the mirror version coldly informed, looking unfazed by the noise. “Sonic waves blasting all over the ship.” She wore specially made ear plugs, which acted as buffer against loud noise but was designed in a way to allow her to hear others talking. “And this is only the lowest setting,” she warned. Pressing the button on the controller, the Trill shut off the noise.
Captain Spankryz slowly got up to her full height and glowered at the other woman, noting the thumb sized instrument amidst her fingers. Apparently the Trill realized the device wasn’t an explosive and that the alternate implied as such as a scare tactic. Perhaps removal of the device would not cause an explosion after all as mirror Ana claimed. But that notion didn’t make the device any less dangerous.
The starship Captain decided to play along. “Alright, you win,” she declared with resignation in her voice. “My life is yours to take.”
“Good choice,” mirror Ana remarked flatly, loosening her hold on the controller. “Perhaps you’re different from Lord Spankryz after all.” Sighing with relief, the former member of the SHIV put one foot forward and extended her hand to grab the Captain’s elbow. However Spankryz stunned Ana by punching her jaw, causing the latter to lose her balance. The controller slipped out of its owner’s hands and dropped to the carpeted floor. Mirror Ana attempted to dive for the little instrument but her efforts were thwarted by the Captain who shoved the unjoined Trill backwards. Alternate Ana fell on her back to the ground and lay there, recoiling with pain as she held her cheek.
Captain Spankryz tapped her comm. badge as she rushed over to the fallen woman and removed the phaser weapon. “Spankryz to security.”
[[Security here, Ensign Grimauldi,]] came the voice of one of the assistant security chiefs since Matthew was in sickbay getting treatment.
“Send a team to the ready room,” the Trill CO ordered. “The intruder is down.”
[[Aye Captain.]] In a few minutes, a team of security officers led by a tall, Human/Grazerite hybrid burst into the room, followed by Commander G’blok and Lt. JG Stramere the CSciO. Ensign Grimauldi ordered his team to point their weapons at both Trills as a precautionary measure and took the phaser from the CO. Stramere quickly scanned his CO, checking to see whether a switch had taken place.
The Benzite reported calmly, turning to the ExO. “Sir, everything checks out fine.”
“Good,” the Klingon acknowledged as security officers pulled mirror Ana off the floor and held onto her. Turning to address the Captain, G’blok reported. “Captain, the device has been located. Lt. Polairis is currently examining it and finding a way to deactivate it.”
Spankryz headed over to mirror Ana, who was wriggling furiously in the security officer’s grip. “It’s not an explosive, is it?” She questioned briskly, glaring at her.
Mirror Ana shook her head slowly and answered in an icy tone. “No, it’s a sonic wave inducer and is very lethal.” She quickly pointed out with a frown. “I wasn’t lying about that part. The ship was in danger and if I had activated the device at the highest setting, it would have been a disaster.” High levels of noise had detrimental health effects such as hearing loss, vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) leading to elevated blood pressure, which could result in heart failure.
“So if we remove the device, it won’t explode, correct?” The CO interrogated.
“Right,” Ana nodded before warning with a tone of arrogance. “But without me inputting the correct codes to disarm the fail safe mechanism, removing it would generate sound at the highest setting.”
“Well then Anaqueen,” the Captain demanded crossly. “You’re going to provide those codes to my chief engineer and get that device removed. Is that understood?”
“Yes, loud and clear and I will help disarm the device,” mirror Ana agreed, sighing. “Besides I don’t want anyone else to die here.”
“If that’s the way you feel, then you never should have done this,” Spankryz retorted angrily.
The other Trill questioned haughtily. “What is going to happen to me?”
Anaqueen Spankryz gave out an exasperated sigh, feeling tempted to slap the alternate for her arrogance. “Anaqueen,” the Trill began firmly. “Like your fellow renegades, you will be charged for crimes against the Federation and in your case, it will be prison for life.” Her angry stare fixed on the other Ana, Spankryz continued on. “Add the act of terrorism against me and my crew to the list of charges against you.”
Mirror Ana remarked venomously, undaunted by the Captain’s statement. “I’m already a terrorist sentenced to death by my homeworld’s government for murdering a prominent symbiont.” She watched the COMMENDATION CO look unimpressed by her remark. “I possess many valuable skills gained from my experiences as a member of the resistance and after serving on a number of ships.” Ana despite her rebellious streak and fondness for independence had an aversion to leading, something that came easy for Captain Spankryz.
“Leave your explanations for Starfleet Command because I’m not interested in what you did back in your reality,” Spankryz admonished.
Deep down, the CO of the century class battle cruiser was very curious to know more about her alternate and the Trills in that mirror universe. Something didn’t sit well with the commanding officer regarding the mirror Trills’ society and mirror Ana’s hostility towards the symbionts in her reality could be justified considering they were parasites. But her actions against the COMMENDATION were totally unacceptable and had to pay a hefty price for them. “Take her to Lt. Polairis,” she ordered. “And then after the device is removed without any problems, transfer her to GATEWAY security.”
“Yes ma’am,” the aSec/Tac complied as he signaled his men to depart.
Mirror Ana reproached, addressing her alternate. “Captain, if only you’ve suffered under the oppression of the ruling class, elite symbionts who call themselves the Aristocracy, then you’d understand my situation.”
“You certainly hurt your case with your latest crime against my crew,” Spankryz informed coldly as security dragged the other Ana out of the room. Anaqueen sighed, walking up to her desk and sat down on the large, comfortable chair. Turning to her first officer, the Trill ordered. “Tell Cmdr. Daiuon to download information on everything about Trills to a PADD and have it sent to the GATEWAY brig.”
“May I ask for what purpose, Captain?” G’blok inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s for Anaqueen,” the CO replied bluntly. “While that woman is wallowing in the station’s brig, she will learn to understand the consequences of her actions here and regret her impulsiveness that placed this crew at risk.”
The Klingon stated. “A wise course of action, Captain.”
An hour later, Lt. Polairis Arisa reported the device had been removed and successfully deactivated without a hitch. Pre-cautionary measures like providing ear protection to everyone on the ship had already been taken in case mirror Ana’s codes were false. To everyone’s relief, the Trill from the other universe was true to her word.
--------------------------------------
Location: GS-2
Scene: Operations
Lt. Savitri Ganesh, acting chief of operations, reported. “Commander. COMMENDATION reports the security situation is under control. The ship is no longer under lockdown.”
“That’s good to hear,” Daisy said, sighing with relief. “And the culprit?”
The Indian woman answered. “She is being transferred to our brig as we speak.”
Davidson remarked, her eyes filled with dismay at what was happening in regards to the rogues in her station. “Let’s hope she behaves and not make another escape attempt.”
Lt. Ganesh announced, glancing at her console. “Commander, I’m receiving an incoming message from Starfleet Command for Lt. Palandora.”
**What could SFC possibly want with my security chief? ** The blonde CO mused. “Send it to her. Whatever it is, she will let me know anyway.”
“Yes ma’am,” Savitri complied, rerouting the message to the Vissian’s terminal in her office.
A few minutes later, Trella arrived at Operations, requesting to see Daisy. The two women spoke and Davidson discovered to her disappointment the contents of the message. “So you have to leave the station?”
“Yes,” the Vissian confirmed.
------------------------------
Scene: Sickbay
Cynthia growled with impatience. “So where is it?” She demanded, becoming irate.
George hopped onto the biobed and proclaimed, his smile widening in delight. “The illicit love affair between Lt. Cmdr. MacNeil and Lt. Poe.” His revelation astonished Matilde, who glared at him.
“That’s your great story?” Cynthia mocked, rolling her eyes in irritation. “That’s what you’re wasting my time with?”
The other reporter nodded and was feeling gleeful, thinking his big break in the press business was happening. George began dreaming of how his peers would treat him with respect and finally consider him a reporter of high esteem. He imagined the showers of praise thrown at him by his bosses. The one thing he didn’t expect was his colleague laughing at him. “Why not, Cynthia?” He questioned, scowling at the tall woman. “Imagine the scandal erupting with MacNeil a member of the senior staff fooling around with Poe, a junior officer.”
“The story has no legs,” Matilde pointed out acidly. “I mean who cares if MacNeil and Poe are dating.” Sighing, she rebuked the fellow reporter. “You’re grasping at straws, George. It is not uncommon for officers serving together to fall in love.”
George disagreed, sounding indignant. “You’re wrong, Cynthia. Just watch.” He clutched his knee and began to yell, pretending to be in pain. “Help! My knee is hurt!”
“George,” the El Aurian/Human/Trill hybrid chastised. “They’ll figure out your gig just from one scan and kick you out.” But the other reporter paid no heed to his colleague as he continued to shout, rocking back and forth on the biobed.
Mirror Kate MacNeil crept up, unnoticed by the two reporters and picked up the hypospray filled with her drug from the tray, which was already half-empty as other medical personnel had picked them up for their work. She casually injected the liquid through the man’s neck. George immediately relaxed on cue. The drug, a clear blue-green liquid, dissolved in the man’s bloodstream upon contact and was about to do its worst to the poor, unsuspecting victim.
Kate was caught in the act by Matilde who immediately reproached her. “Hey! You’re part of the staff!” Her call got the attention of Poe and Cmdr. MacNeil.
Grace inquired, approaching the scene. “What’s going on here?” Alternate Kate stepped away quickly from the scene and leaned against the wall, watching everything in anticipation.
Before Cynthia could explain, George suddenly screamed in pain, feeling his body tighten. Matilde groaned, thinking it was another act by her colleague. “George, stop the pretense. It’s getting tiresome.” She was wrong.
Poe immediately picked up a medical tricorder and began scanning the reporter. Lt. Cmdr. MacNeil watched her at work in silence, standing next to Cynthia. “This is bad,” the Orion reported, alarm washing over her facial features.
“What’s wrong?” Cynthia questioned, her brow furrowing in worry as she realized her colleague was not acting.
Grace informed quickly, when Nurses Falcone and Kalen, a Bolian male, arrived to help steady the patient. “I’m detecting calcium deposits forming all over the body and they’re accumulating at a faster rate than normal, thereby hardening the affected areas.” She showed the results of the scans to Kate, who became concerned. “This is highly unusual.”
“My goodness,” MacNeil observed. “They’re forming in the tissues of the skin, internal organs…”
“He only has few hours before the rapid rate of the calcification kills him,” Poe concluded, speaking to Lillian and Kalen. “Unless we find something to reverse the hardening process and get rid of the calcium deposits from his system.”
Cynthia announced, pointing an accusatory finger at mirror Kate, who was watching her experiment at work with satisfaction. “She did something to him.” Her announcement turned Lt. Cmdr. MacNeil’s attention towards her alternate.
Kate’s mouth dropped in shock upon meeting her mirror for the first time. She walked closer to the other’s position, not taking her eyes off the SHIV’s physician. Cynthia watched the exchange and after taking a closer look at alternate Kate became stunned. Mirror Kate sported dark blue shades over her eyes, making it hard for anyone to pick up the resemblance between her and Cmdr. MacNeil.
“Kate MacNeil has an evil twin?” The reporter questioned, breathing rapidly. “George, this could have been your breakthrough story.”
Mirror Kate remarked coolly, her voice devoid of any emotion. “So Kathryn, what do you think of my experiment?” One of the other medical personnel in the room had alerted security, who was on their way to sickbay.
“It’s monstrous,” MacNeil quipped angrily. Both women stared long and hard at each other, their eye colours simultaneously changing. Hazel to violet for Cmdr. MacNeil and blue to black for alternate Kate.
Mirror Kate looked smug and stated. “All in the name of scientific advancement.” The physician also knew how to devise a way to fix the medical problem, her drug caused even though she didn’t have an antidote on hand.
Sickbay became chaotic as five other medical officers alerted Grace of their patients suffering from the same medical condition as George. Apparently those doctors applied the contaminated hyposprays to their patients. A medical crisis had been declared to the officers in Operations and Cmdr. Davidson was upset.
************************************************************************
NRPG: Part 2 of Anaqueens standoff on the COMMENDATION, which has been finished, though I will have another post out at a later date which will contain a conversation between Ana and Ana. I had already wrote some background stuff on Mirrors Ana, Mirror Trills and Mirror Kate in two previous posts (‘Story of Mirror Ana and Mirror Kate’ and ‘Gathering in the Galley and Sickbay’) at the beginning of the mission in case you need a refresher on the two alternates.
So the Kate MacNeils finally meet and that too during a medical crisis caused by mirror Kate. Who knows, they may have to work together or force mirror Kate to give her formula for the antidote.
Cynthia Matilde is a protected NPC Fedcom reporter of my creation that I’ll be using from time to time. I’m also happy to see another protected NPC, Lt. Savitri Ganesh, aOps that I created being utilized in posts quite nicely :)
Please note this post and my last one (Anaqueen vs. Captain Spankryz, Part 1) takes place after Taylor’s post ‘132 (where mirror Daisy died) just to avoid any confusion with the timeline. I didn’t mention anything about the engineering crisis with the SHIV in Shawn’s posts (that takes place before Captain Byrne dies as already mentioned in those posts) since he is still working on that storyline.
Looking forward to reading everyone's posts :)
Ranjani Sabarinathan
Speaking for...
[/\]o..
Lieutenant Commander Kathryn MacNeil, MD
Executive Officer
GATEWAY STATION- 2
and
[/\]....
Captain Anaqueen Spankryz
Commanding Officer
USS COMMENDATION, NCC-10021 (Non RP ship)
__________________________________________________________________
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