Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 05:28:06 -0500 (CDT) From: Matt Hydeman Subject: USS OBERON: "To Ascend the Throne...of Forever!" SD: 80710.6 Scene: The mindscape *How many children are there, Phillip?* demanded the Image of Dr. Adam Crown, his aqua eyes defiantly staring at the faded blue eyes of his father, Dr. Phillip Crown, as the elder began to speak. The music of Stae-faan LuCypher's 'maerel' filled the air of the mindscape, as Adam saw his father's face freeze slightly, the fine muscles of Phillip's Image's face twitching in silent symphony. willing himself to keep the focus. Keep the connection. To Adam. And just as suddenly as the music of the StormLord filled the mindscape, it snapped off like a light switch, silence rushing in to fill the gap, as Adam's Image wavered slightly, his eyes looking around, searching for his comrade and friend. *Stae-faan? Stae-faan?* But there was nothing again, Adam realized, as Phillip's nearly colorless eyes seemed to blaze with a blinding light momentarily, as he took a hesitant step back within the mindscape. The link was strengthened again. ***** "No!" Iona Zinoviev cried out. Before she could think, she'd launched herself at the source of Adam's pain. As she threw herself into his abdomen, she could hear the air *whoosh* out of the older man's lungs. He grunted in surprise and stumbled backward, lost his balance, and fell to the floor. "Child!" he exclaimed. His voice was very old, strained. "You have *no* idea what you've done!" A voice cried out in agony. A voice she knew. Adam's voice. Horrified, Iona turned away from the man she had assaulted. She could feel Adam becoming closed to her.... Slipping off the edge of a dark, dark place...as she heard her voice tear from her throat, words of anguish, pain and desperate fear. "*A*D*A*M*!!!!!!!!!" Iona's voice exploded in the vaulted room, chimed distortion from the suspended crystal of the monument, as the body of Adam Crown spasmed violently on the floor of the Arboretum of SSE1. A flailing hand struck Commander Thomas Lawrence on the side of his head, as Adam's eyes snapped open, his pupils now eclipsing the impossible aqua of his eyes, his body wracking with convulsions, as Iona's terrified voice careened to the ears of the assembled. A snap, louder than any bone that could ever be broken, filled the Arboretum, as Miranda Kensington-Crown's wail died, a record suddenly shut off. But only for a moment. "No! Adam! Phillip!!!" screamed Miranda Kensington-Crown, her green eyes wide with horror, unaware of Shane Archer's own hands holding her back from the bizarre tableau by Tabitha's memorial. "PHILLIP!!!!!!!" But there was nothing to be seen, as Thomas Lawrence fell backwards, catching himself with his hands, murmuring a curse under his breath, Stae-faan LuCypher's violet eyes blazing with understanding and concern all in one. "Where are they?" cried Iona, her voice almost a whisper, Descartes whimpering on her shoulder, the tiny primate shaking at the telepathic energies in this small area alone. She looked around again, her eyes wide. "Where?" But there was nothing to be seen, no fleeting footsteps, no glimmer of a tawny blond curl as it turned a corner. Nothing. Adam and Phillip Crown had disappeared in front of them all. ***** Scene: The mindscape Iona's scream echoed through the mindscape, shaking the inhabitants as Adam's Image felt the anguish of the young woman rip into his very soul, his hands slamming over his ears, his eyes squeezed shut, trying to block out the noise. "Make...her...stop!" his Image cried out, as he forced himself to look at his father's Image across the way, distorted by the pain of Iona's screams. The Image of Phillip Crown was nearly bent double, an effect of Iona Zinoviev's real life assault on Phillip Crown's real body. His head looked weakly up as he tried to motion to Adam-- And the mindscape's floor began to tilt, sending Adam sliding towards an edge he hadn't seen before, into a void blacker than anything Adam had ever imagined. Adam fell to the floor of the mindscape, his Image's fingers trying to dig for purchase, but there were no handholds, no crags or depressions to hang onto. Just the inevitable slide towards the edge as the cry echoed endlessly within the mindscape. *FATHER!* shouted Adam Trennell Crown, as he felt the firmness beneath him disappear and the pull of gravity take him downwards. Dimly in the distance, a sound like a *SNAP!* seemed to echo above. And then, there was nothing.... ***** Scene: The Arboretum Stae-faan's hand slapped his combadge. "LuCypher to SSE1 Operations. I need a stationwide scan for Commander Adam Crown's combadge stat!" His voice, usually soft, was now edged with steel, his violet eyes still burning as he realized his request was likely for naught. [Commander T'mara here, Captain LuCypher. I have no combadge signal on station sensors for Commander Crown.] The Vulcan's voice held no trace of emotion. [I will begin a scan for Commander Crown's biochemical makeup--] "Belay that order," murmured LuCypher, cutting T'mara off. "You won't find him that way, either. Thank you, Commander. LuCypher out." His eyes gleamed darker as Thomas Lawrence moved over to him. "What in the hell's happening, Stae-faan?" demanded the Oberon's Counselor. "Adam--" "I believe Adam to be safe," said Stae-faan quietly, as Lawrence raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Perhaps injured, but nonetheless relatively safe." "Safe?" said Thomas, aghast. He pointed at the ground where seconds before Adam Crown had been lying, the place where Miranda Kensington-Crown was still kneeling, her body shaking slightly. "Did you see his body? Did you -sense- the trauma he was suffering?" LuCypher nodded. "You know I did, Thomas." He looked over at Iona, whose haunted eyes looked back dully a moment before the Russian woman broke the gaze and turned away, her face a mask of emotions. He looked back at Lawrence. "All I know is that whatever Phillip Crown was telling Adam, it was something where time was of the essence." He stroked his jaw a moment, his eyes focusing on some inner point in space. He looked up at Thomas Lawrence again, this time locking his gaze with the blue eyes of the Englishman. "And that essence is rapidly fading fast, Thomas." ***** A few feet away from the two officers of the Oberon, Shane Archer was moving slowly over to the diminutive woman dressed in the colors of Science, his blue eyes narrowed in a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Descartes hissed wickedly as Iona whirled to see the tall blond-auburn-haired man behind her, who slowed and looked at her, his hands slightly away from his sides. "I'm no threat," he said, as Iona's eyes narrowed slightly, staring at his face. His features were reminiscent of Adam's, and those eyes, though certainly not Adam's dazzling aqua, were a shade of blue that gave the skies themselves some challenge. "At least not right now." "You're Adam's brother." It was not a question, though Iona wasn't certain how or why the words came out so effortlessly. How did she know this was the truth? She just -knew-...and this flare of precognition startled her slightly, as it did to Descartes as well, who chittered worriedly on her shoulder, mentally calling to his mistress. Thoughts of Adam were still strong on her mind, but the man before her bore a deeper mystery to her mind for the immediate moment. "Half-brother," said Shane, brushing a lock of his long hair from his face. "We share the same father." "Adam doesn't have a brother," said Iona softly, her mind recalling Adam Crown's Starfleet biography. It was extremely comprehensive, and if the CMO had a brother, why would he hide it? He certainly had shared a deep love for Tabitha Crown, and it didn't seem in character for Adam to deny a kinship with someone...especially a sibling, half or otherwise. "And yet...." "Yeah, well, Goldenboy and I just really met," said Shane, his shoulders shrugging slightly. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, the handheld crossbow pressing into the left side of his chest slightly as he performed the action. "And he didn't know." He cocked his chin up slightly at the memorial behind Iona. "And she never got to know, either." Archer's voice seemed to hold a note of regret, at least to Iona's ears. "And it's a little late for introductions now, since she's space dust." It seemed unduly harsh, but Iona got the feeling this was the man's usual attitude about most things. Unflappable, with a hard shell that was next to impossible to crack. "She was a wonderful woman," she heard herself saying. "Strong, smart and beautiful." She didn't know what more she could say, having only known Tabitha Crown for only a short time before the young captain's death in a runabout accident. Her eyes flicked over to meet Shane's. Archer's shoulders lifted slightly. "Seems like that was the general consensus, anyway." ***** "Come on, Adam." Phillip Crown's voice was weak as Adam looked up to see his father extending a hand to him, a breeze ruffling the elder Crown's hair. "Time's running out." "Where are we?" demanded Adam, refusing the hand and slowly getting to his feet, Phillip starting to walk away, the dust puffing up from his shoes. His body felt as though he'd gone another 10 rounds with the holographic N'tai master in one of the Oberon's holodecks, and his mind felt the same way. "Dad!" Phillip turned to face his son, a few feet away, his body immobile as Adam's aqua eyes reflected the stubbornness of his spirit. "You'll see, Adam--" "I'm done seeing," snarled Adam, cutting Phillip off. "What I have -seen- is a man who is supposed to be dead standing before me. Someone who apparently lived as much of a life outside a marriage as Miranda did." He folded his arms across his broad chest, his eyes defiant. "All this time, you were tricking behind Miranda's back as well? Is that what the truth is? And you still haven't answered the question I asked you--" Adam gestured around him a moment. "Back at SSE1, because I know we're sure as hell not there anymore. How many siblings do I have?" "I wasn't 'tricking,' as you so eloquently put it," explained Phillip patiently. "There's a lot about my life that you don't know, Adam--" "I'm finding that out," said Adam, his eyes darkening slightly. "And I want to know. Now." "Soon," said Phillip, glancing back at the seemingly endless dusty land behind him. He looked back at Adam again. "I promise you that I will answer all of those questions, Adam, but I--" He gasped slightly, the pain wracking through his frame a moment, his body bending slightly, as his hands curled into fists as Adam ran to his father's side. "Talk to me," the CMO said, as Phillip waved a hand weakly, straightening up. "What's wrong with you? A Lynastran spasm? Dad, I--" Adam's voice cut off as Phillip's eyes met his and he saw what so many others hadn't after one of the spasms. Like a layer of an onion, the blue of Phillip Crown's eyes lessened slightly, their tone now more of a faint watery blue, the eyes becoming more and more clear. "Good Lord," murmured Adam, astonished, as Phillip turned slightly and started to walk, his voice carrying to Adam as he moved away from his son. "The answers you I owe you -- and the ones you'll need -- are this way, Adam. I can't reveal them yet...not here." With a mix of anger and curiosity, tempered by the concern he felt for his father, Adam began to walk towards the figure of the still-walking Phillip Crown, his eyes looking at the landscape around him. Where was this place? And what were the answers he needed? Like an answer on the tip of his tongue, it teased Adam with the familiarity and yet defied an answer. He quickened his pace to keep up with Phillip, his mind racing. ***** "There are seven other Crown siblings." Phillip Crown's words were calm and measured, as if discussing the weather. Adam stopped a moment, as Phillip slowed in his walk and turned to look at his son. "Seven?" "Six, actually," said Phillip quietly, his eyes downcast a moment. "Tabitha's gone now." "Seven?" repeated Adam dumbly, as Phillip turned and continued to walk. "Wait -- don't you just walk away! Are you telling me that I have FIVE other brothers and sisters?" He picked up the pace of his walk through the arid landscape to catch up with Phillip. "Half-siblings, Adam," replied the elder Crown. He cocked his head slightly, looking up at the buff-colored sky a moment. "You saw one of them a little while ago." "You mean that Neanderthal with the leather fetish? He's my *brother*?" Phillip smiled. "I did wonder why Shane had that particular desire for it. Certainly wasn't Sarah's influence...I don't think--" "Wait a minute!" said Adam, his mind reeling. He grabbed Phillip's shoulder and spun his father around. "I'm getting the feeling there is a -lot- more to this than you're telling." He paused a moment, readying a question that would either make a fool of himself or get an answer he wasn't quite sure he wanted to hear. "How old are you?" "847 years old." Phillip looked at his son, eyes steady. "You're serious." Adam looked at him, his power coiled, the silver thread waiting to lash out and determine the truth. "You're telling me you're over eight centuries old." His heart was beating a little faster now. He was surprised it hadn't stopped completely. "Almost eight and a half, yes, Adam," said Phillip, looking at the sky again and shaking his head slightly. "We've got to move on, Adam. There's very little time now." He resumed his walk, this time with a bit more speed in his step, as Adam, stunned, began to walk to catch up with Phillip Crown -- or whomever it was. "Will you at least tell me where we are? Or where we're going?" "You'll know soon enough, Adam," came Phillip's reply. "And I know you too well for you not to follow. All the answers you ever wanted to know about your sister and yourself lie ahead." Phillip looked back, his eyes seeingly nearly colorless in the light, as Adam sighed. And followed. ***** "I hadn't realized I had jaunted us so far away," murmured Phillip, as Adam squinted at his father. "That young woman had quite a punch for me." He touched his stomach gingerly, remembering Iona Zinoviev's powerful fist slamming into his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. He had maintained control of the link between Adam and he, but his mind was just unsteady enough that the jaunt from SSE1 to here was less focused -- hence Adam and his long walk to their eventual destination. Adam said nothing in reply, his mind still poring over the various pieces of information he had been able to glean out of Phillip. He was numbed, in some respects -- who wouldn't be, he thought to himself -- but in others, it almost seemed as though to make...sense. He bumped into Phillip, as the elder Crown stopped suddenly, a hand outstretched to point in front of him. "We're here." Adam followed his father's pointing finger, as his eyes caught sight of what was holding Phillip's gaze.... ...and the last, most final piece of the puzzle snapped into place for Adam Crown.... "What...?" he said, as Phillip and he began to walk forward.... ***** Scene: USS Oberon, CO's Quarters Lexia Tremaine-Crown tossed the PADD to the coffee table, as she turned slightly on the couch to look at the stars outside the picture window behind her. She'd read some of the latest holozines, trying to keep her mind on other things. But there didn't seem to be a way to keep the thoughts out of her mind. Her children were dead. The thought hung there, a lead balloon in her mind, one that defied any attempts at suppressing the sorrow. Besides, it wasn't a Betazoid trait to without one's sorrow -- emotions and expressing those emotions, were inherent in her race. Her mind quickened suddenly, as an oddly familiar sensation flitted through her thoughts, seemingly setting aside the loss of her children -- but only for a moment. She closed her eyes, telepathically reaching for that element of Stae-faan's 'maerel' she knew she could reach almost by instinct now-- --and her eyes snapped open suddenly, gasp escaping from her lips. Adam. Something had happened to Adam, and whatever it had been, even the StormLord himself was shocked and fascinated by the revelations of it. Not even waiting to send a mental message, Lexia Tremaine-Crown was running out the door, her blonde hair blown back from her face by her swift run to a turbolift. Her destination -- the Arboretum on SSE1. ***** It loomed before Adam Crown, a silent sentinel of this planet, a gateway to an infinite number of worlds. And yet, as Adam drew closer, Phillip a step behind him, the dark material that Time itself could not wear down slowly started to quicken with a faint glow beneath the surface, as if lava beneath a fragile crust. It was as if the days that had gone by had never happened, thought Adam to himself, quietly, silently reveling in the awe of the ancient construct. The Guardian of Forever. **HEALER** it boomed, the portal in the center misting with the veils of color that shimmered and shone and sparkled. **PROTECTOR** Adam felt Phillip's hand on his shoulder, the elder Crown's grip surprisingly strong now, as Phillip moved past Adam to stand facing the Guardian. "I return, Guardian," he said, his voice strong and clear, his eyes never straying from the construct. "I return." **WHERE LIES THE VOYAGER?** thundered the Guardian of Forever, as Adam's head dropped slightly and Phillip's rose slightly, his nearly colorless eyes -- the faded blue nearly faded to nothingness -- shining with the same glowing shimmer as the Guardian itself. "The Voyager is lost, Guardian," he said, his mind wholly focused on the task ahead. He had to get this done -- for Adam, for himself, for forever. "Search within, Guardian, and you shall see. Not even you can challenge the destiny that Fate has sketched for the path of the Voyager. And," said Phillip, his mouth quivering slightly, "neither can I." "Wait," whispered Adam, moving to reach Phillip. "Dad -- I don't get this. What's going on? I--" he began, as he stopped suddenly, Phillip turning to stare at Adam. "Think, Adam," he said patiently. "Think about the events of your life, after I was gone. What defined it?" The light emanating from the Guardian of Forever painted his blond hair with highlights seemingly picked from the cosmos, as he stared at his son, whose own tawny blond mane was glimmering with the same coloring. "I...I made you a promise," said Adam slowly, as Phillip nodded. "To find Tabitha. I was joining Starfleet to find Tabitha. And perhaps to help find me, too." "Yes," nodded Phillip, giving a wisp of a smile. "And when you thought about things, about your life and the promise you made me, you started to understand, to question. Didn't you?" Seeing Adam's nod, he continued. "You unlocked doors that you somehow, amazingly, had the keys for, Adam. You became aware of inconsistencies in my life; of missing events and gaps in understanding. Those were all things for Tabitha to find -- she was the one who was supposed to unlock those doors first. But," said Phillip, his eyes distant, "She accepted the assignment on the Dallion and was lost, though if I had had the luxury of still being alive, I would have found a way of saving her." "But...you didn't. You were dead--" "To you and your mother, yes. And you don't know how many times I wished I could have come back to have seen you, to have shared your triumphs and tragedies." Phillip's eyes grew ever more distant. "I did, however, allow Lexia to understand that you were more than either you or she would know in 2161, though I knew I couldn't reveal myself to her then lest I disrupt your mission." "Then Evennohr--" "Was and is a trusted associate, though he is not of our kind," said Phillip, as Adam's aqua eyes narrowed in suspicion. "He's pure El Aurian, as his mother was...or is. She's still around, unless she decided to give up on her travels." The elder Crown looked at his son, giving a smile. "There's so much to tell you, Adam, and so very little time." His shoulders stiffened slightly as he felt the pain in his body once again, his hands curling into fists, trying not to let Adam see his suffering. But he failed. "Tell me," whispered Adam, his hands grabbing his father's shoulders, his aqua eyes locking with Phillip's slowly fading eyes. "Tell me everything, even if I have to suspend every ounce of disbelief I have. You're ill, aren't you?" His voice framed a question that both knew the answer to. "I haven't much time," admitted Phillip, glancing from his son's face to the Guardian, whose bright glow was steadily increasing. He looked back at Adam. "I never meant to deceive Tabitha and you for this long, Adam. So many things have interceded along the way, good and bad. But never did I think that the loss of one of the Guardian's Children would throw events into the chaos that they have become." He looked at Adam, who suddenly realized the words his father had said. "What?" he whispered, his aqua eyes widening. "Dad--" "There were many children that I sired over my life, Adam," said Phillip, as Adam stared at him, dumbfounded. "Many perished in foolish and careless ways. And now, in this time, there were seven, until Tabitha's death...and then there were six. "Of the women I have loved in this time -- Deonera, Athene, Sarah, Elysse, Miranda -- only the one who possessed the greatest flaws was able to produce the most powerful of my descendents...and the Guardian's, by extension. Miranda...your mother. "You are a Child of the Guardian of Forever, Adam. Within you is all the power I possess, coupled with the humanity and ability to dream beyond logic that only humans can possess. Tabitha possessed -- possesses, wherever she may be -- those same qualities. Your match." Phillip's voice was hypnotic, his every word slowly drawing the curtains back from the hidden past that he knew his son had to know. Before it was too late. "'You are the Voice, but I am the Guide,'" murmured Adam, recalling the words Tabitha had used when they had battled the still-unknown being within the sub-Nexus...freeing themselves from their prison of two years. "Yes," said Phillip, nodding. "Though I have lived a long time, we are by no means immortal. There comes a time in which one must allow a new door to open...and let the old one close." He looked at Adam again, giving a ghost of a smile. "Your mother went searching for me, though she had no idea of that at the time. And in the process, she found Shane -- a remarkable stroke of luck, I will admit. "I knew my time was running out, Adam. Though I had left you and Tabitha behind, I knew that the others either didn't possess any abilities at all -- like Shane -- or they were so weak, the enemies of the Guardian could easily overpower them. Your sister and you were to succeed me as Protector of the Guardian." His colorless eyes dimmed slightly. "But now it's only you, Adam, and I fear that may not be enough. The alternative simply cannot happen." "That being?" asked Adam, his mind spinning. He willed himself to focus, to listen and understand, no matter how fantastic it seemed. It was real...he knew it as certain as he knew his way around Oberon Medical -- perhaps better. "Destruction of the Guardian," said Phillip softly, as Adam felt his skin chill. "And with that, allowing chaos to reign supremely." He looked at Adam again, his eyes now serious. "You came to the Guardian initially as a new officer on the Olympic, unaware of your connection to it. But you knew you were tied to it...somehow, someway, you knew you were a part of it." "You...you spoke to me. There...in that place--" "Beyond? Yes," said Phillip, frowning. "And it was there that I stole your youth, Adam, in dire necessity. Something I regret, though the events will come to pass someday." The words rang a warning in Adam, but before he could ask, Phillip continued: "And after your sister and you escaped captivity, you found yourself there again." The dusty winds of the Forever World picked up slightly, making Adam shiver, while Phillip continued to talk softly. "Your life, like mine and the lives of the Protectors before, is connected to this place, this world. It is your home." "My home's the Oberon--" "It is here, Adam," whispered Phillip , his hands touching his chest and head. "In -here-. You need not reside here physically, so long as you know your destiny lies here...your destiny lies beyond your mortal life." He spoke the words so calmly, Adam realized, the voice of a man who had lived centuries, seeing all there was to see. "So I'll live...after..." He stopped, taking a breath. "After they're all gone?" His voice had dropped to a whisper, trying hard not to see the faces of his comrades -- Thomas, Iona, 'Lanni, Stae-faan...Lexia. "I can't...." "You have to, Adam," said Phillip, his voice soft. "You are the very last of the Children. There is nobody else--" "I don't want it!" shouted Adam, breaking from his father's grasp and storming over to the Guardian, which had sat silently, the dark stone now gleaming with preternatural light, the portal still thick with the shimmering mists. "I didn't ask for this! I don't want to be the last!" "Adam!" said Phillip, his eyes alarmed, moving towards his son. "No!" cried Adam, the winds of the Forever World blowing his blond mane back, his aqua eyes as clear as the seas of Earth. "I'm just one man! Just one person! Why me?" He looked at the Guardian, searching for answers that might never be found. "I don't know if you can understand this, or if you choose to or whatever, but I know that if my sister were here, she would say the same thing. The responsibility is too much...what gives me the right to hold the power you want to give me? I'm not some omnipotent being!" **HEALER** boomed the Guardian of Forever. **YOU SPEAK OF RIGHTS AND POWER WITHIN ME, WHEN YOU YOURSELF POSSESS MORE THAN I** Adam's eyes widened slightly, as Phillip drew alongside him and lowered his head slightly. "I don't understand!" **YOU HEAL, HEALER, JUST AS THE LEADER LEADS AND THE LISTENER LISTENS. WITHIN ALL THAT LIES MORE POWER THAN I COULD EVER WIELD** The words of the ancient construct were remarkably eloquent, as Adam listened. **YOU PROTECT LIFE, JUST AS THE PROTECTOR GUARDS THE LIFE OF THIS TIME, OF THIS PLACE. IS IT NOT BETTER TO PROTECT -LIFE- IN ALL ITS FORMS, HEALER?** "Riddles, wrapped in enigmae," murmured Adam, as Phillip gasped, clutching the CMO's arm, then falling to the ground. "Dad!" cried Adam, kneeling down to cradle Phillip Crown's head in his lap, as Adam's Medical experience kicked in. "Talk to me, Dad...." Phillip Crown's face was twisted in agony, his words being hissed out as the pain came and went in waves. "There's...more to tell...Adam," he moaned as another wave of pain hit and Adam was forced to slam down his empathic shields for fear of succombing to the reflections of his father's pain. "I...cannot...force you to accept it, but....Dear Lord," he whispered, his eyes, the last trace of blue in them seeming to seep out, like azure chalk washed from a sidewalk. "Adam...son. Please...." Adam looked up at the Guardian, the anguish and pain filling his handsome face in every pore as the ancient construct shone even brighter, the dark stone now infused with a light that was becoming increasingly blinding. "Can't you do anything? Please...." **THE PROTECTOR'S DUTY IS NEARLY OVER, HEALER. CHAOS WILL REIGN IF THE PROTECTOR'S LIFE ENDS, CHILD. ONE CAN MAKE THE CHOICE...I CANNOT** "Adam..." whispered Phillip, as Adam's head dropped, his golden mane brushing his father's perspiring brow.... ...And then he lifted his head, his aqua eyes shining with a light almost incandescent, as he looked at the Guardian and nodded. "I can't deny Fate," he whispered. "Nor Destiny or any of the other sisters who may plague my life from this point on to...whenever. "I...accept." ***** Scene: SSE1 Operations "Commander Layton!" shouted an officer at the long-range sensor station. "I have a hot spot in Sector 43-994!" Commander Emily Layton's heart seemed to skip a beat as she dropped the PADD she had been looking at and vaulted the railing before her, running to the anxious man, whose LCARS panels before him were lit as if for Christmas. "Location!" she snapped, as the officer's fingers stabbed at buttons before him, the words scrolling on the screen. "Gateway?" said Layton, perplexed. "Give me a breakdown." "Long-range sensor arrays shows a significant amount of energy building up on the Forever...er, Gateway," said the officer, stumbling over the correct term for the planet. "Energy signature is consistent with databased information regarding use of the Guardian of Forever, sir." Layton muttered a curse that would have made a Klingon blush, as she looked over at the officer staffing the communications array of SSE1, her green eyes serious. "Closest ships to Gateway?" "None within the sector," said the Benzite, the gases from her lifepack wafting into her face. "USS Collins is the closest; however, even at maximum warp, it will take the Collins approximately three hours to reach Gateway." "Not fast enough," said Layton, her hand striking the railing before her. "Damn it! Ellis," she said, looking at the officer at sensors. "Keep me up to date on it. H'naak, page Admiral Sull--" "Energy expansion!" cried Ellis, as Emily Layton's eyes widened. "Commander, I have a energy beam leaving Gateway. Rate of motion -- it's off the fragging scale!" he said, his eyes meeting Layton's. "Heading on a direct path with SSE1!" There was no time to think, no time to call, no time to evacuate, thought Emily Layton to herself, as she lunged at the panel to her right and slammed her hand down on the dark red button at the top of the LCARS display. The collision alarm. ***** Scene: The Arboretum, SSE1 Lexia Tremaine-Crown ran into the gigantic room, her eyes skimming the perimeter of the Arboretum, spying the crowd of people near the glittering memorial of her sister-in-law. "Stae-faan!" she called out, running towards the tall figure nearest to her, as the Oberon's First Officer turned to see her figure running towards her.... ...As the unmistakable sound of the collision alarm sounded.... ***** "Time to impact?" asked Emily Layton, her eyes never leaving the main viewer in Operations, where a rapidly growing ball of light was filling the holographic screen. "Seven seconds." Emily Layton said nothing, only holding onto the railing before her, not noticing the edge of the metal cut deeply into her hand. ***** "Dear God," whispered Thomas Edward Lawrence, as he saw Iona and Shane's head snap up at the sound of the alarm. "We're in the worst place we could be!" He glanced over at Stae-faan, who had just intercepted Lexia, the captain breathless from her sprint. "We've got to try and get out of here," said Lexia briskly, as she spied a bewildered Miranda Kensington-Crown looking around in alarm. "Everyone, I don't know how much time we have, but--" "Not enough, Blondie," said Shane, pointing up at the transluminum ceiling of the Arboretum, as a glitter of light grew rapidly. Behind the frozen tableaux of people, the crystal obelisk of Captain Tabitha Crown began to spin faster and faster, the forcefields holding it in place straining to compensate for the increased speed. ***** "Four....three...two...one.... "Impact." ***** The light grew blinding, as it rammed through the transluminum ceiling of the Arboretum, slamming into the crystal obelisk a few feet above the heads of the startled family and friends of Adam Crown. And then outward, an explosion of light, sound and power. ***** It was Miranda Kensington-Crown's choked scream of surprise that made people realize something had been within the light, as Stae-faan LuCypher and Lexia Tremaine-Crown sat up slightly from where they had fallen to the floor of the Arboretum, seeing Thomas, Iona and Shane doing the same thing. Adam Crown knelt on the floor, the body of Dr. Phillip Crown cradled in his arms, as a corona of light shimmered around the two men momentarily, the image of the Guardian winking out of existence. "Dad..." whispered Adam, his hand clasping Phillip's, the elder Crown's eyes closed momentarily. "Dad...please...." Phillip's eyes opened, now luminous -- though colorless -- as he looked at his son. Adam Crown...Child of the Guardian. Protector of Forever. "I guess this is it," he whispered as Adam shook his head. "No...we'll get you to Sickbay. I'll make sure you get well--" "No," whispered Phillip, softly interrupting Adam. "No, Adam. This is how it has to be." "No it doesn't," said Adam, squeezing his father's hand. "You can't leave now, Dad...you just came back." Tears filled his eyes, tracing patterns across his cheeks, falling into his blond hair. "Please don't leave me, Dad. Please...." But there was no answer from Phillip Crown, as the former Protector of Forever, closed his eyes for the final time, his chest ceasing to rise and fall as a whimper came from Miranda. "Please," repeated Adam, his hands smoothing the hair back from Phillip Crown's forehead. "Please, Dad. I don't know if I did the right thing. Help me...wake up, Dad. Please...." His voice grew softer and softer as Stae-faan moved up to his friend and knelt before him. "It's done, Adam," he said, as Thomas Lawrence moved to Miranda's side, old enmity forgotten, as the Crown matriarch began to sob. "He's gone, Doctor." Adam raised his aqua eyes to the StormLord, his voice a whisper. "I don't know if I can do it...what he's asked of me." Behind LuCypher, he saw Lexia, her green eyes full of shock and worry for him, as she sensed all his defenses were down, as she let herself share in the loss, emerald eyes welling with tears. "Stae-faan...did I do the right thing?" In all the years of his existence, this was something he had never experienced before, thought Stae-faan to himself, as he looked at his friend in front of him, Adam's hand still entwined with the hand of his father. He had seen what Phillip Crown had to give away, even at the price of his own life. There was perhaps no greater gift than the gift a parent could give to his or her child -- the ability to give something of themselves for the next generation. Truly, Phillip Crown had proven that in an ultimate manner. He looked at Adam and slowly nodded, his heart hurting for the loss he knew his friend was suffering. "You did, Adam." ************************************* NRPG: Almost three and a half years, two computers, two starships, two newsgroups, two administrations and countless thousands of words later, I give you the culmination of Adam Crown's saga...the backstory, at least. I know this post is long enough, but I have to thank every player who's ever suffered through my character development, every person who served on the Olympic and Oberon. Your patience with me is legendary. Jeff: I can't begin to imagine what Thomas will say, but I think we'll have a damned good time trying. Susan: And to think, you could have heard all of this that one night. Bet you're glad you waited. Brian: As Jack Sullivan or as Owen, you have watched me come along as Adam. I hope this passes muster, Admiral. Greg: I really hope 'Lanni's not lying in wait to yell at Adam for what he did to the Oberon. It wasn't his fault.... Jason: You're one of the newest to the saga, but I hope it's been interesting in some way. Frank: Welcome back -- seems as though Adam was suffering when Sam left. Some things never change, eh? Kurt: You continue to inspire me, sir with your portrayal of Stae-faan. I can only hope that I used him in the spirit of how you intended in this post. Judi: To the woman who put up with all of this shameless character development and a lot more, I can tell you I've never regretted accepting the invitation to pair off Adam and Lexia. No matter their outcome, I hope I shall always have the opportunity to roleplay with such a lady as yourself. And finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't dedicate this to the original crew of the USS Olympic, NCC-0100. Some are missing, some have endured, but it was that original crew, supplanted by the consummate professionals I have the honor to write with, that helped foster my growth as a writer. I am humbled to be among your ranks. --Matt Hydeman Commander Adam Trennell Crown, M.D. Chief Medical Officer USS Oberon, NCC-0111 Director, Starfleet Medical -- Matt Hydeman |***Copyright 1996, Stormchaser Endeavours*** voyage@falcon.cc.ukans.edu |************All rights reserved************* University of Kansas |**** http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu/~voyage ****