Chapter Text
A childish giggle brought Alli out of her slumber. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn’t alone on her bed. A small hand patted her cheek, and another little giggle made her own lips lift in a smile. She cracked open one eye and saw curly hair and blue eyes looking earnestly at her face.
“Hello Cord.” She said quietly after opening the other eye.
“elow” He replied, and the sound of his voice made her heart lift. He laid his head on her shoulder and looked up at her. His soft body was a warm weight against hers. Her room was dim, but she could hear movement in the washroom.
“Where is Jot?” She asked him. He lifted his head and pointed toward the noise. The low rumble of a man’s voice counterpointed the higher pitched babble of little Jot. Alli smiled to hear Jim try to convince a two year old to use the potty. She wondered who would win that little battle. Cord snuggled closer to her and she hugged his warmth. She had no idea why they were here, but she wasn’t going to argue.
Soon Jim came out of the washroom carrying the boy. He sat on the edge of the bed and let Jot crawl across her blanket to snuggle against her belly.
“Is there any room for me in there?” he asked quietly. She smiled and patted the narrow stretch of mattress closest to the wall.
“We will make room.” She told him. He kicked off his boots and lay down next to her fully clothed. She snuggled up to him and the twins rearranged themselves to their own comfort. One ended up lying across them both, and the other lay his head on her arm with his back to her side. She was happily trapped in the middle. After a few quiet moments, Jot felt heavier and his breathing deepened. Soon his brother followed suite. Alli turned her head and looked up at Jim.
“I was coming to find you, and your brother told me that you hadn’t been back to see the children. These two were being rowdy while the other children were trying to sleep, so I brought them with me to hunt you down.” Jim explained quietly. “I walked them around the whole ship, just to tire them out before bringing them here. I realized that you must have fallen asleep or you would have been with them.”
“Yes that is true. How are matters elsewhere?” She asked.
“This entire system has been swarming with Federation ships. The Cardassians were chased off and the ones you removed from the station taken into custody. Scotty has been helping repair the damaged vessels. All in all, everything is under control.” He assured her.
“Well, that is a relief. And how are you?” She asked as she played with his fingers.
“Tired. This has been the longest day.” His hand caressed hers, and she began to regret that he had brought little ones to her room. Privacy was not going to happen with them across her bed.
“Well, get some sleep.” She told him. He kissed her gently and then rested his head against hers. Before long, she could feel his body begin to relax against her, and she too drifted back to sleep.
“So, how long were you in that Vortex?” Jim asked Alli as she sat across from him feeding one of the twins some breakfast. She handed the child some cut toast and glanced over at him. He couldn’t help but marvel at her tousled beauty. She fit the role of mother just as easily as she did everything else.
“Well, the scans say that I was in there for over a hundred years.” She told him, and he almost choked on the coffee he was drinking. She handed him a napkin with a sympathetic smile.
“One hundred years? Is that possible?” He asked after he finished sputtering. She gave the other half of the toast to the other twin. Somehow she managed to keep their names straight, even though they looked identical.
“Well, I think it could be. I mean that I wasn’t aware of the passage of time. Kind of like when you get involved in a project and you look up to find four hours have gone by without your notice. That place was something I had to understand. It absorbed my attention fully. It was only when I realized that I was missing something, and there were people who needed me that I managed to find my way back.” She explained as she cut up a strawberry into bite sized pieces and put them on the children’s plates.
He thought about what she said. If anyone else had tried to close that portal, they most likely would have died. Not her. For Alliandra, it was a field trip. He shook his head in wonder. So he added another hundred years to her age, ending somewhere around six hundred years old, possibly more. Well, she looked darn good for a woman her age. And with that thought came the realization that he hadn’t told her about informing the Admiral about her true nature. That was not something for her to learn by chance.
“I need to tell you that Costack knows everything that is in your private file.” He told her. She paused in the act of lifting a fork full of eggs to her mouth. Slowly she replaced the fork on her plate and she looked him in the eye.
“Well, he was bound to ask questions.” She told him. He knew by her utter stillness that she was bracing herself for the worst. Jim wished he had more to tell her.
“I do not know what he plans to do about it. I showed it to him after he demanded to know more about you. I believe that he is a good man. I can only hope he sees what I do.” He told her.
“And what do you see?” She asked. Well at least she was not holding herself still any more as she wiped strawberry smear off one of the boys’ faces.
“I see a woman who has some extremely impressive skills who chooses to use them for the greater good. I see a woman who has repeatedly put others ahead of herself, and is content to do so. I see a woman who has stolen my heart.” The smile he had hoped to see appeared when he said the last bit.
“I am a very accomplished thief after all. But that is another story for another time.” She said with a smile. One of the boys started to squirm, and Alli stood to take him into the wash room. Jim was left with the other one who was squishing strawberry pieces into his plate and drawing with the resulting red goo. Jim was worried about Costack’s decision. After he had read the file Jim had shown him, he had handed it back to him and dismissed Jim from the room. Costack had not spoken to him since, and that could mean anything.
“I am going to take the twins back to the Wanderer. Unless you need me for something, I will be with the children for the rest of the day. Do you think that I might be allowed to send a message to Jake and Kailee about the children? They would most likely be able to find them adoptive parents in their colony.” She asked as she carried a clean boy back into the room.
“I will ask Uhura to forward any message you want. Wouldn’t it be faster to step over and ask them in person?” Jim stood and accepted the clean boy. She smiled at him, and he pulled her in close too.
“It would be faster, but I need to keep this all official for the children’s sakes. Jake and Kailee both know how I feel about children in trouble. After all, Kailee was one such child. She would most likely adopt them herself, I think. Al would add his family recommendation, and the children would be able to live together in a community that would understand their blended natures.” She stepped back and picked up the other child.
“Come on Cord. Your turn to get clean.” She told the strawberry smeared boy. Jim looked at the big blue eyes of the boy he held.
“So, you are Jot? I need to find a way to keep you two straight.” He looked around her quarters and came up with an idea.
Several minutes later, Alli came out with the second clean boy and stopped suddenly when she saw the child Jim held.
“Blue?” She asked as she came up and fingered the streak of blue in Jot’s hair.
“I can’t tell them apart, and neither could your brother. I just thought that this would make it easier for those of us who are not as clever as you.” He told her. She laughed.
“I’m not that clever, although I admit to cheating.” She said as she brought the other boy next to the one he held. “Look at their eyes.”
Jim did as she asked and looked at each boy’s eyes. Finally he saw what she meant. One boy had a birth mark next to his eyelashes on his left eyelid. It was extremely small, but noticeable once you looked for it.
“I see it. But how did you know who was who to begin with?” He asked.
“They know their names.” She told him and she pointed to her head.
“You listened to their minds.” He said with admiration. She shrugged and moved in for a brief kiss. She then placed the second boy in his arms and she went to her closet to pick out some durable casual clothes. She ended up dressed in shades of blue, which she must have chosen in honor of Jot’s blue hair streak. He watched as she braided her long brown hair and secured it into a loop at the back of her head, which she accomplished without even looking in the mirror. Never before had he known a female to take less time dressing and end up looking that good.
“Ok, I think Jot and Cord and I will make our way to the cargo bay.” She said as he set the children on the ground and she took them by the hand. Jim took Jot’s hand and smiled over at her.
“I’ll walk you there, since I wanted to talk to some of the Captains staying aboard the Wanderer anyway.” Jim told her. While that was true, the real reason was that he didn’t want to let her out of his sight just yet. He hadn’t been able to spend much time with her, and he missed that.
“Ok boys; let’s show Captain Kirk how to find the Cargo bay. Which way should we go to get there?” Alli asked the children in a perky voice when they stepped out into the hall. Cord and Jot babbled to each other for a second and then the both of them pointed the correct direction.
“I thought so.” She said quietly as they headed in the direction the boys pointed. She smiled at those they passed and Jim followed suite, knowing that his relationship with Alliandra would no longer be secret from his crew. Her comment puzzled him.
“What are you talking about?”
“Standard isn’t their primary language. They are speaking Thorkairian. I believe that their mother was from Thorkairia One. Their father must have been the human half of the equation.” She then began talking to them in words that sounded much the same as babbling to him. The boys became excited, and she laughed at their antics.
“Are all of the children from mixed parentages?” he asked curiously. He hadn’t had the time to fully acquaint himself to their unique situations.
“Yes. They all seem to have at least one human parent, but their other halves were non-human. The small boy with brown hair, Rake, is part Aquarian. You should have seen him in that bathing pool! Pat and Elsa had an Orion father. I am hoping that Leonard will have determined the parentages of the others.” Alli led the boys into the turbo lift and asked them which deck they needed to go to. Again they conferred and then babbled to Alliandra. She smiled widely and praised them.
As they rode the lift, Jim tried to recall what he knew about Thorkairians. He had once had a navigator that was Thorkairian, he remembered. She could accurately chart a course from memory as long as she had traveled it before. Jim had taken these children all over the ship, so, because of their natural Thorkairian senses, they could guide the adults where they were asked to go. The turbo lift doors opened and the boys pulled the adults along, taking them unerringly towards the cargo bay.
“You boys are very cleaver!” He told them, and they both smiled up at him. He knew future assets when he saw them, and he approved more than ever to allow the Harroya family to adopt these children. He would make it a priority to get a message to Jake and Kailee as soon as possible.
The corridors of the Enterprise and the Wanderer were full of people getting ready to report for their duty assignments. Jim smiled and nodded as he passed, and even had to stop a few times to answer a question or two. Alliandra took it in stride and even contributed, or gave him space, depending on the type of question being asked. As a result it took them nearly fifteen minutes to make a five minute walk.
They arrived at the Med bay in the Wanderer and were met by a smiling McCoy.
“Good morning Leonard!” Alli greeted his friend and then began asking him questions about the children. Jim left them to it and took the boys into the room where the other children were staying. He was more than a bit surprised to find Admiral Costack stacking blocks with the younger children. Al was nowhere to be seen. The older children were absent as well. Jot and Cord squealed in delight and made their way over to the blocks.
“Ah Jim, come to join the fun?” Costack asked with a smile. He handed a block to Jot and then the twins began babbling to themselves as they proceeded to stack the blocks into a high tower.
“Carl, I wouldn’t have expected to see you here.” Jim replied, sitting in a nearby chair. Immediately, the little girl, Pippa, left her block castle and climbed into his lap. He admired the doll she showed him, and then she was content to sit quietly cuddled up to him. Jim remembered that these children had lost their families on their colony and this girl obviously needed to be close to someone.
“Did you know I am a grandfather Jim? My daughter had her first child last month. Being the Fleet Admiral doesn’t allow me much time to be around children, and when this fine lad told me I frowned too much, I realized that he was right. So, I have been taking a bit of time to relax with these children.” Costack laughed as Rake toppled his tower and gurgled in delight. Jim smiled too.
“I was just walking Alli and these lads to join the others. I have been playing with the twins all morning. Where are Al and the older three?” He asked as Pippa snuggled closer to him. He hugged her, marveling at the fatherly feelings such an act seemed to stir in him.
“Young Mark was feeling restless, so Al took him and the girls to get some exercise. I was hoping to speak with Lieutenant Harroya this morning.” Costack told him as he handed blocks to Cord.
“She is conferring with Dr. McCoy. She will be in momentarily.” He told him. Pippa looked up at him and he smiled down at her.
“Captain play with us?” She asked him in a high voice. He nodded at her and she slid off his lap. She pulled his hand toward the blocks and he followed her, sitting across from the Admiral. He still had an hour before he needed to be on the Bridge, so he decided that this was an activity that he would be content to engage in for a while.
“So Pippa is Callosian? No wonder she is so clingy, the poor dear. Was she first born do you think?” Alli asked Dr. McCoy.
“Yes, I am almost certain. I didn’t even know that Callosians and Humans could interbreed, so I have no idea where to go with her. Callosians, as you know, grow in pods of twenty or more, and are basically plants. Her half human heritage is the only thing that is keeping her healthy aboard a ship. She needs sunlight to get stronger. As far as the pod mentality that Callosians usually display, she is always needing to be held, and usually insists on sitting on someone’s lap.” McCoy told her. Alliandra nodded.
“I know that the twins are Thorkairian, so shouldn’t need any special care. Pat and Elsa are too young to display the Orion hormone phenomenon, aren’t they?” She asked.
“Yes, although Pat is getting close to that age. Whoever adopts her will need to be prepared for that. I am not sure that Elsa will have that hormone, as she seems to favor the Human side of her genepool. Otherwise, they are recovered enough to not need medical care.”
“That is good. Now, Rake is part Aquarian, or I am an idiot. He has webbed toes and fingers. Will I have to watch him closely around water, or are his aqualungs developed fully?” She asked. McCoy pulled up the scan he had made of the boy and Alli could clearly see two sets of fully developed lungs.
“He should be as comfortable under water as above it, I shouldn’t wonder. Although he doesn’t have the ear flaps that full Aquarians possess. You should show him how to wear ear guards to protect his inner ears. Now Mark and Connor are brothers.” He told her as he brought up their scans. Alli looked at them in interest, Althothisan people usually looked more Vulcan than Human, although the two races were only related from their ancient ancestry.
“He has the green blood, but his brother has red? So one eats just plants but the other is an omnivore.” She said as she interpreted the medical jargon on the screen.
“More carnivore than not.” McCoy told her. “That kid loves meat.”
“Wow. These children are going to need to be adopted by some very understanding people. I am thinking that my “parents” will be willing, but I think that I will need you to help me to recommend the placement. I also think they should stick together, if not in the same family, than at least in the same colony.” She told him.
“Which will make your weekly visits home more meaningful.” He commented. She slid a glance at him. “Don’t try to deny it.” He added.
“I won’t. I was just wondering how you knew.” She told him.
“Since you gave me that com pin, I have been talking to Interface in my off hours. He mentioned it in passing, and when I asked, he told me when and how long.” He smiled at her grimace of dismay.
“I lived for a very long time without having my whereabouts tracked. I now have more than a few people who can keep extremely close track of me at all times. It is somewhat disconcerting. Which reminds me; I need your assistance on a minor surgery.” Alli told him as she pulled a med scanner off the table. She pointed to a spot on her jaw and indicated he should scan it.
“What is that thing and why have I never seen that on your scans?” He asked as the tic became visible on the scanner.
“It is called a tic. When active it mimics the tissue around it. You can only see it now because it is broken. I discovered that device a few realities away. I confiscated them from the person who was using them in a bad way and stored them here in the Pocket. When I was killed by Jim and was regenerating, Interface implanted one in my jaw. I eventually realized it and deactivated the explosive, but I left it in place to allow him to keep tabs on me. That Vortex managed to break it somehow. I want you to extract that one, and replace it with an updated model that I have created. I’d do it myself, but the angle is complicated for self-surgery.”
He just gave her a funny look, but he eventually nodded.
“I can do that. Do you have the tic with you?” He asked. Alli held out her hand and the tic moved from her workshop to her hand with a thought from her. It was very small, no bigger than a grain of rice. Most of that size was the star ruby sliver that powered it.
“It will need to be placed in the maxilla, preferably not too close to my wisdom teeth. It causes a hell of a tooth ache when the scanning feature is engaged.” She told him.
“Just what is this thing capable of?” He asked as she lay down on the surgery table.
“It has the scanning ability of a tricorder which Interface can access, and allows him to communicate directly to my inner ear and also to hear my speech.” She told him, and then stopped talking while he deadened the area and extracted the old tic. He had to move quickly due to the fast healing nature of her body. In a matter of moments, he had imbedded the new device in her jaw and applied the skin mender. In less than four minutes the procedure was complete and her skin only looked slightly red.
“Thank you. Now to test it.” She said, and teleported her sonic screwdriver to her hand. She aimed it at the tic and pulsed a quick burst of sound energy into her jaw.
“Testing. Interface, show me your handsome face if you hear me.” Alli said quietly. A moment later he activated his hologram next to Dr. McCoy.
“It works.” He said through the new implant.
“Well, if that is all you need young lady, I am going back to the Enterprise. Those children are cleared by me. They can be housed in non-medical quarters. Interface, I will talk to you later.” Alliandra stepped up to him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you Leonard.” She said and turned to move into the next room.
“Oh, Alli, just so you are not surprised; Admiral Costack is in there.” McCoy told her.
Alliandra was a bit startled to hear that news, but just nodded her understanding.
“Interface, if you wouldn’t mind, would you please accompany us to the garden?” Alli asked the hologram.
“You have a garden? Since when?” McCoy asked.
“That is an excellent question, but I don’t know the answer, since I have never been there. I figure that if it has plants that are thriving inside the Pocket, then maybe it will help little Pippa.” She responded.
“I will guide you there Alliandra. I have not been able to go inside yet because the space is too large for my holo projectors to penetrate. Perhaps you could come up with a solution while we are there.” Interface suggested.
“May I come back later and see it?” McCoy inquired of her.
“You are welcome here any time you wish. If I am unable to accompany you, perhaps Interface could do the honors.” With that, Alli stepped into the other room and left Interface to escort Dr. McCoy off the Wanderer.
“Wow. That is a marvel of block workmanship!” She exclaimed when she saw the two meter tall building of blocks. Admiral Costack had Connor lifted on his shoulders, and the boy was carefully placing the final block on the top. He succeeded, and then squealed in delight when Costack whisked him off his shoulders and swung him to the ground. Jot and Cord came over to her and began pulling her forward, all the time begging her to see their houses. She was amazed when they pointed to the apparent maze they had created on the floor beside the tower.
“Is that deck five of the Enterprise?” She asked them. They responded in their favorite language, even though it seemed that they understood Standard perfectly. Jim popped out from behind the block building and looked at the twin’s block model.
“Well, so it is!” He exclaimed as he smiled his approval at the boys. Alli saw Pippa clinging to Jim’s neck and he seemed content to hold her. The girl waved at Alli.
“Captain made a big house!” She told Alli in her high pitched voice.
“Yes it is big!” She agreed.
“Admiral helped too!” Rake told her. He was standing next to Costack, beaming.
“Well, I just asked them how tall they thought it could go.” Costack said with a shrug. He hadn’t yet looked directly at her, and Alli got the sense that he was embarrassed to be caught playing. He didn’t run off though and Alli went with the flow.
“Well, before you bring it tumbling down, let me make a holo copy. That way we can show the older kids later. Nobody move!” She told them as she tapped a control panel on the wall. A blue beam of light swept over the blocks and people, creating a three dimensional scan of the masterpiece.
“Ok, the best part of building a block building is knocking it down. Get to it!” She told them. The boys yelled loudly and attacked the building. Pippa clung tighter to Jim and laughed at the noise of the tower collapsing. Within moments the blocks were everywhere and the boys were buried under the rubble. She was glad that the blocks were not overly heavy.
“Ok, time to clean up. Rake, would you open the storage bin?” She asked the boy, who being the oldest among them, was proud to have a special job. Once the door was open, Alli touched the retrieve button on the wall, and the blocks were pulled into the bin. In no time the room was tidy again.
“I need to go. Pippa, I will come visit you when I am done working. Can you let go now?” Jim asked the little girl. She reluctantly released his neck, and he set her on the floor. He then moved around the children and took Alli’s hand, pulling her a little bit to the side.
“I know you will be busy with the children, but I want to have dinner with you. Your place or mine?” He asked softly. She glanced around the room, silently indicating that they were in her place now, but she smiled at him.
“I will meet you in your quarters at eighteen hundred.” She responded. “I may even come without a child. Don’t forget to visit Pippa later. She needs the interaction.”
“I will.” He gave her a toe curling kiss, and stepped back. A giggle had them both looking over at the children, who were making silly kissy faces at them. Costack was attempting not to smile, but his lips twitched.
“That is enough of that. Slide your shoes on; we are going on an adventure.” Alli said sternly, but she too couldn’t help smiling. The children scrambled to obey.
“Are you coming Carl?” Jim asked as he moved toward the exit. The Admiral shook his head.
“No, I don’t think so. Lieutenant Harroya and I are overdue to have a talk, so I think that I will join them on their adventure. If anyone asks for me, tell them I am unavailable till after lunch.” Costack told Jim, who paused uncertainly for a moment. He glanced at her, and she did her best to look unconcerned.
“Yes sir.” Jim said and then left the room.
Alli moved to help the children with their shoes, and smiled when Costack did the same.
“Where are you planning to take them?” He asked her. She remembered that he was a father himself, so was an old hand at wrangling children. Having been tied to his mind for the duration of the Borg invasion helped her to keep calm. If he meant to make her life difficult, he wouldn’t start by being this helpful.
“Interface discovered a garden, which he describes as more of a jungle. Since little Pippa here is part Callosian, I thought that being among a bunch of growing plants would do her good. Considering that no one yet has explored that part of the Pocket, we will be the first. I think that qualifies as an adventure. First though, I need to collect the older children and my brother.” She replied as she wrestled wriggling feet into shoes.
“Yes, it does sound intriguing. Well, lead the way Lieutenant.” He commanded good-naturedly.
After telling the children the rules of sticking together, Alli took Jot and Cord’s hands and led the way out of the Med bay. Interface met her in the corridor and greeted the Admiral pleasantly. He then took Pippa up in his arms and joined them on their walk. Pippa scrambled around Interface much like a monkey and ended up perched piggy back behind him. Connor and Rake held onto Costack’s hands as they brought up the rear of the group.
“Alejandro is at the gym with the other children.” Interface told her.
“Yes, I figured as much.” Alli replied. There were still several people moving about the corridors, and she wondered if she would ever have her private space back. She had allowed herself to get spoiled, she supposed.
-You still have half the ship dedicated to your personal use. Considering that the Pocket is nearly infinite, that means you have more private space than most people ever can claim. – Spock told her mentally.
-I suppose that is true. Still, this living linearly is not what I am used to. I am used to stepping in here and adjusting the flow of time to suite me, but I can’t do that when all these people are about. I would be missed if I went into my workshop to fiddle with my devices in linear time. Still, it is only temporary. –
-You just came back from a hundred year trip. Staying in the same time stream as the rest of us will not dampen your creativity. – Spock told her, and she felt a flash of humor from him. That inconsistency was enough to distract her from her grump, and she found herself smiling widely.
She led the group to the area of the Pocket that she had called the gym. It was a series of open areas and obstacle courses that she used to hone her physical skills. Several people were making use of the various facilities, including Kiff. He was currently attempting to climb her challenge mountain. It was a replica of an actual mountain that she had encountered in another reality. It had traps and pitfalls, vertical cliff faces and various other obstacles. He had made it half way up the side, but as they watched, a geyser burst beneath his feet, and he was launched off the side, to land on the spongy surface below.
The children cheered his fall, and he stood up and bowed playfully for them. Alli kept moving, and soon found Al instructing the children in basic self-defense. She remembered teaching him and his siblings these same things, calling it a dance. Mark seemed the most adept at it, but Pat and Elsa were picking up the basic moves well.
“You are all doing very well! Do you think that you are at a good stopping place? We are going on an adventure and we would like you to come.” Alli asked Al with a challenging smile. He long ago learned that Aunt Alli’s adventures were not to be missed.
“We were just about to put it all together, but maybe we will save that for next time.” Al told her as he moved toward her. “I have been guiding them through the parts, just like when I was a kid.” He said, giving her credit for his knowledge without being specific. Soon Mark, Pat and Elsa were ready to go, and Alli turned to guide them out of the room and nearly bumped into Kiff.
“If I didn’t have a kid on each hand you would be on the floor in agony you big lug.” She told him in Rustarian. He just smiled down at her with a challenging eyebrow lift.
“I would like to go on an adventure too. I am off duty today.” He told her. She realized that he had already seen more than most, so taking him deeper into the unexplored regions of the Pocket wouldn’t be a big deal.
“Sure, you can be Elsa and Pat’s escort. Al, you bring up the rear and make sure no one strays please. Mark, would you please take Jot’s hand? He is cutting off circulation to my fingers.” Kiff knelt down to look at the rather small girls and they looked up at his gigantic mass wearing identical expressions of doubt. Alli watched in amusement as Elsa walked up to him and touched his red face with her rather pale hand and looked at the color difference.
“Did you stay out in the sun too long? I did that once and my skin got all red like yours. Does it hurt?” She asked with great concern.
“No, little one, where I come from all of the people have skin this color. I don’t know why. I don’t get hurt when I am in the sun though. Would you let me walk with you on our adventure?” Kiff asked, and Alli was amazed at the gentle tone he was able to employ with the child.
“Will you step on us? You are awful big.” She asked, looking at his massive feet.
“I will be careful.” Kiff assured her. Pat moved to stand with her sister, and her green skin offset his red nicely.
“We will walk with you, won’t we Elsa?” Pat said. Elsa looked up at her sister and then nodded.
“Good.” Kiff said and stood up. Each girl put a small hand inside one of his big mitts, and Alli led the way out of the gym. She hadn’t counted on having this many helpers with the children, and she was concerned about the Admiral and his wish to talk. It didn’t matter much though if he saw more of the Pocket, considering what information he already knew.
Al had yet to learn that this ship was actually that magical place she used to hide things to amuse him. She wanted to carve some time to spend with him, but things were still unsettled enough that she was unsure when she could.
They made their way through the crowded corridors to the blocked off section of the North Hall. Alli glanced over at Interface and he nodded his head. The seemingly flat wall shimmered and Alli walked through it, pulling Cord behind her. Interface followed with Pippa squealing in delight.
Soon a tentative hand poked through the wall, followed by the bodies of Mark and Jot. He smiled at arriving through unscathed and moved out of the way when Rake bumped him from behind. The rest of them forged through the apparent barrier. Once they were all through, Interface made the hologram solid again, and Costack placed his hand on it to verify.
“Nice trick. How is it done?” He asked as he pressed his body against the wall to see if it would budge.
“It is a combination of photon energy and transporter technology. I combined the two concepts to create solid holograms. It requires those special holo emitters to function, but Interface has placed them all over the corridors and rooms.” She told him while pointing out the emitters.
“That is amazing! Could this technology be recreated on a Starship?” Al asked as they continued down the corridor.
“Maybe someday. This environment is special, as the components I need are readily available. I would need to come up with a design that would integrate with the Dilithium power available on a Starship.”
“Are they powered by the rubies then?” Al asked her. She shook her head negative.
“The rubies are a backup if the power fails. No, this place is powered by a special and unique power source. I’ll show you later. For now we will step into the cart and catch a lift.” She said. On cue Interface turned on the holographic conveyance she had programed for rapid movement down the long passage.
“Is that a horse? On a space ship?” Costack asked as he looked at the animal attached to the wagon.
“Well, a pretend one. This corridor leads to the unexplored areas of the Pocket, which hold all sorts of unexpected things.” She told them.
“Just what is this place Alli? You sound as if you own it.” Her brother asked quietly in her ear. She was in the process of boosting the children onto the cart, and she met his eyes as she moved closer to answer.
“It is my Pocket.” She told him, and nodded when his eyes opened wide in understanding. He looked around in awe.
“This is where all that stuff went?” He asked as she jumped up into the cart. She offered him her hand and pulled him up.
“Yep.” She said simply. When all of them were aboard, the horse began walking at a quick pace down the corridor. The younger children were delighted and watched the horse move into a canter. Alli sat down next to Costack. He had been quiet, and Alli wondered what was going on inside his head.
“I have a reoccurring dream. One that doesn’t seem to make any sense. It scares the hell out of me, because I become a monster in it.” He finally said when all of the others were at the back of the wagon, out of earshot.
“Is that so?” She asked, and a shot of alarm ran down her spine. She had removed the memories, hadn’t she?
“In that dream, I am forced to do unspeakable things, and sit unmoving while unspeakable things are done to me. I always want to wake up, but I cannot. Until the woman shows up and joins me. She then restores me to myself, and I wake up. I have been battling to understand that dream for months, and until yesterday I had not succeeded. I was afraid that I was losing my mind.” He sat with his head turned away from her, staring at the children leaning over the rail watching the wheels turn. They were in no danger because Kiff and Al were holding on to them, and Alli had a kinetic hold on them too. Alli considered Costack’s profile, wondering how the memory erasure had failed.
“When I look at you, I get a curious sense of familiarity. Almost like you are someone I knew well once, but have forgotten since.” He said quietly. Alli sighed.
“That would be a fairly accurate description of the situation.” She told him, equally quietly. He did turn to look at her then.
“Did Kirk tell you that he showed me the file he created on you?” He asked her.
“Yes.”
“Then you realize that I saw the footage from Earth.” He said as a statement of fact. “I saw from the viewpoint of your body camera when you removed those mechanical parts from me and healed me. That you were able to do that for all of those people is amazing.” He told her, and she looked away from his earnest eyes.
“I couldn’t stand back and allow humanity to be consumed by those monstrosities.” She admitted quietly.
“They managed to consume you. And yet, here you are, unscathed.” He commented.
“Unscathed is a general and presumptuous word Admiral.” She told him as Cord climbed into her lap. His brother was quick to follow and she hugged the boys to her body.
“Yes, I imagine it is.” Costack said and then lapsed into silence. Alli watched the corridors and rooms pass by, all the while wishing that her memory wasn’t always so darn clear.
“I smell flowers!” Pippa exclaimed a few moments later as they drew closer to their destination. The other children began sniffing the air, and soon the heady smell of roses in bloom took Alli’s mind off the past. The carriage came to a stop, and the horse nickered softly. Interface jumped down and assisted the children off the cart. Alli and the three men got down quickly and approached the arched entrance to the garden that seemed to be covered in climbing vines.
“Wow!” Mark said, and that statement seemed to say it all.
“I am afraid that I cannot come inside.” Interface told her via her Jaw tic. She glanced over at his holographic image, and realized that he felt unhappy about not being able to go join them. Alli got an idea and quietly teleported her bowl of micro tics into her hand. Since she was standing behind everyone, no one noticed that she kinetically dusted everyone with the microscopic devices. She did the same for herself, and then sent the empty bowl back to its place.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s check it out!” Alli exclaimed and shooed the children inside. The adults followed the kids with wide eyes. Alli hung back a moment and glanced at Interface.
“Are you picking up the signals?” She asked.
“Yes, thank you. I can also keep track of the children better this way.” He told her. He gave her a wink and deactivated his hologram. Alli was glad that she was able to find a way for him to experience this new area. She followed the group and was amazed at the gigantic space that was the garden. It needed tending, was the first thought that went through her mind, but that was soon disregarded by the sheer scope of the growth.
“How is this possible?” Kiff asked in awe as he touched a rose.
Alli didn’t answer, but just walked down the smooth path that seemed to meander through the trees and flowers. The children were darting from plant to plant, touching the leaves and smelling the flowers. This area held several Earth species, with a few from other places growing randomly. The path began to rise, and soon it brought them to a hilltop in which the landscape of the garden was laid out before them. Above them, clouds hugged the white ceiling, and what appeared to be the sun shone down on them all.
“This is no garden, it is an entire world!” Costack exclaimed.
“I didn’t think that I collected this many specimens. I wonder how they all thrive without the pollinator species from the many planets I got them from. If I am correct, if we go that direction, we will find an orchard.” She said, pointing toward what looked like apple trees.
Alli glanced around to count heads. All of the children were there, except Pippa, and of her there was no sign. The adults were too caught up in the panorama to notice her absence.
“Interface, Pippa is missing. Which way did she go?” She whispered; glad now that she had placed the micro tics on the girl.
“She is at the bottom of the rise, moving at a brisk pace. No, turn around.” He instructed. She rotated in place. Alli saw an open meadow filled with flowers, and Pippa’s head bobbing among the blossoms.
“Al, Pippa’s gone walk-about. I am going to go head her off. Why don’t you all walk toward that orchard and we will meet you there?”
“Righty o. Come on kids! Let’s see how many plants we can name as we go!” He moved off following a gamboling group of kids. Mark was smiling as he ran down the hill side, with the others in hot pursuit.
“Kiff, would you mind helping Al keep track of those children. I will accompany Alliandra.” Costack asked. Kiff nodded and ran after the rapidly moving group.
“I was planning on teleporting closer to her.” She told him.
“Then teleport us both. I know you can.” He ordered. Alli shrugged and looked in the direction Pippa had gone. She picked a likely spot and rested her hand on Costack’s arm. In a blink they were in the middle of the field. Pippa bumped into Alli’s leg and looked up in shock.
“You are fast!” The girl told her. Alli scooped the little girl up and looked her in the eye.
“I am fast because I care about you. I would be upset if you got lost in this place and I wasn’t able to find you.” She told Pippa sternly.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to play with the trees. They are calling me.” She told Alli.
“Which trees are calling you sweetling?” Alli asked, looking around at the foliage she could see.
“Those ones!” Pippa said with an excited bounce. She was pointing to an unusual trace of trees on the other side of the meadow. They looked familiar, and Alli thought about where she had seen them before.
“Well, I didn’t know that I had picked up some of their seeds! By all means, Pippa, let’s go meet those trees. You run ahead, but wait for us at the edge of the meadow. Understand? I will get cross with you if you don’t wait for us.” She told the eager child.
“Yes Aunt Alli, I understand.” She said obediently. Alli nodded and set the girl down on the ground. Pippa promptly ran toward the trees.
“I feel like I am missing something obvious. What is going on?” Costack asked.
“Pippa is only half human. Her other component is Callosian.” She began to explain.
“You mean that she is part plant? I didn’t even know that humans and Callosians could interbreed.” He exclaimed, unknowingly echoing her own thoughts.
“Yes, well, Pippa obviously has an affinity for other plant life, and those trees are something special indeed. They are sentient. I visited their planet early in my life, and must have inadvertently stored some of their seeds in this place. Probably stuck inside that cloak I wore. I don’t know how all of the seeds made it to this room, but there has been enough time for them to reach maturity. When we reach them, follow my lead. They speak, but you have to listen carefully.”
“I have met a few plant based entities. They usually seem to be in no hurry to express themselves.” Costack commented.
“Yes, you were on Comtaster during the budding.” Alli agreed. Then she wished that she had kept her mouth shut. Costack looked at her with a frown as they walked.
“So, it is true. All of it. Why does no one else remember being turned into monsters?” He asked quietly.
“I erased their memories of the Borg when I removed the components. I had thought that I had done the same to you, but you were more integrated into the collective then the others.” She replied, not really relishing the messy memories that the conversation invoked.
“So, you allowed yourself to become one of them so that you could free us all from their collective. My memories of it are vague. Just flashes, really.” He said.
“Consider that a mercy. I remember everything. I absorbed all of the shared thoughts and memories of an unnumbered amount of people. Did you know that I don’t forget anything, ever? And those creatures were from the far future.” Alli closed her eyes for a moment and calmed her breathing. She had drifted to a stop, and she was stuck in the haunting sound of all of those minds for a brief moment.
“So, the collective’s information is in your head? Doesn’t that drive you crazy?” He asked as he touched her shoulder. The feel of his hand on her arm anchored her back into the moment.
“No. I have learned to compartmentalize. Spock taught me a lot of ways to control my mind, which has helped. I just know a lot of information that isn’t available to the general public.” She told him and continued toward the eagerly waiting Pippa.
“Including facts about me.” He stated.
“Well, at the time, you and I were operating in tandem, and my mind was acting as the central hub so was accessible, as yours was. I was able to keep them out of most of my head though. That is why I am familiar to you.” Alli wanted to drop the subject, but figured that he would bring it up again. For the moment, though, they joined Pippa in entering the sentient forest.
“They are so happy to see us!” Pippa exclaimed. Alli could hear the sighing of the leaves too, and she smiled.
“We come peacefully into this company, and offer our complements to your great height and health!” Alli said loudly. The leaf sounds increased, as if a stiff breeze were blowing through the branches. Pippa giggled and moved deeper into the mass of trunks. Alli and Costack followed at a slower pace, watching the branches move to caress their faces with their leaves. Soon they came to a small clearing where Pippa stood with her arms spread wide in the shaft of light that speared through the break in the leaves. Alli looked up to see that the trees were leaning away, allowing the light to penetrate.
“They are talking to her. Can you hear them?” Alli asked Costack.
“Shh, I am trying to hear it all.” He replied. They both stood still to better hear the trees talk.
“This child is one of us. She needs the light and the rain. Her people are gone. She will stay with us and we will help her to grow.” The wispy voice said. Costack and Alli shared a look.
“This girl is part of my people too. She needs to be taught our ways and customs.” He said to the trees. The noise of the leaves increased, and Alli knew that was the way the trees spoke to one another.
“The Traveler lives here too. That one shares a part of your heritage. She will raise the child with us. Like us, she has grown over time. We will all mature together.” The trees answered.
“Who is this Traveler?” Costack asked. Alli had a feeling that she knew the answer, but didn’t interrupt the Admiral.
“The one who is made up of four. She who holds time in her hands and moves where she wishes. She who is beside you.” Came the disjointed voices from many trees speaking at once. Costack turned to look at her.
“They mean you, don’t they?” He asked.
“Yes, I believe they do. It isn’t unheard of for me to adopt a child. I have done it numerous times, and had planned on asking Al’s parents to adopt the other children, which would allow me to be a part of their lives for a time. These entities would be more than capable of looking after Pippa, since she is still in the pod stage of her development. I am certain that this forest holds no danger to her.” Alli moved closer to where Pippa stood and knelt down to look the girl in the eyes.
“Pippa, do you understand what the trees want?” Alli asked.
“Yes, Aunt Alli. They want to be my family. And they want you to be my family too. I think that would be wonderful!” Pippa told her. Alli hugged the girl, and knew that she thought it was wonderful too. Still, caution was in order.
“A decision this big needs to be thought about by the adults. We need to make sure that is the best thing for you. Why don’t you stay here with the trees for the rest of the day? I will come collect you later, agreed?” Alli told the fragile seeming girl in her arms.
“Yes please. I want to feel the light.” Pippa told her and held her arms open in the shaft of light once more. Alli backed up and looked around at the trees.
“Keep her safe. If I am needed, call out my name. I will come as swiftly as I can.”
“She will be safe.” Came the reply, and Alli turned and left the trees the same way she had come. A moment later, Costack followed her. Once they were in the meadow again, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Just like that? You would leave her there with them, just like that?” Costack asked, sounding as if he didn’t believe her actions.
“When I went to the planet that those trees came from, I was in very bad shape. Granted, I heal very quickly, but that trait was not always so swift. I was able to create a door-way to their planet, but I collapsed as soon as I stepped foot on their soil. When I woke, I was cradled in the branches of one of those trees like an infant. They cared for me until I was well again. They may be rooted to the ground, but they are capable and sincere. She will be fine.” Alli told him.
“What makes you think that you get to make the decisions for that girl?” He demanded, and Alli looked at him as if he were insane.
“Well, two things, actually. I am the children’s caregiver until further notice, as per my orders. And I have enough experience with helping orphaned children to know when they have found an ideal situation. If you noticed, I did not promise her anything, and I warned her that the decision wasn’t final. I accept that in this situation I am not the one who has the power. That would be you.” Costack narrowed his eyes at her when she said that, but didn’t say anything further.
“Interface? What is the current condition of Pippa?” Alli asked, realizing that she should share that bit of information with Costack.
“Pippa is still standing in that shaft of light. Her vital signs are improving at a rapid rate. The trees are gathering a pile of fruit and some water for her to consume.” Interface’s voice came from her com pin as he understood the reason she was asking.
“How do you know that? You didn’t even come inside with us!” Costack asked the hologram, but Alli answered instead.
“I am not so careless that I wouldn’t tag the children when entering a new environment. All of us are carrying a small tracking device of my own making. They are called micro tics, and they allow Interface to monitor each of us. I will remove them once we are back in the main area of the ship, at least from off the adults.”
“How small?” He asked. His demeanor changed, and she wondered why.
“There is one on the back of your left hand.” She told him. He looked at the bare skin in disbelief. “They are the size of a skin cell, and mimic the surrounding tissue when attached. They are water proof and will only come off at my urging.”
“Can their signal be picked up easily?”
“No. Only Interface can pick them up. They have a decent range, but they haven’t been tested beyond a few Kilometers. I only made them two days ago.”
“How long have I been wearing this one?” Costack continued to search for the one on his hand, but it was undetectable.
“I placed it on you right before we came into the garden.” She responded. “You also have one in your hair and on your shoe.” She added for accuracy.
“And do you have any on you?” He asked.
“Yes, because they aid Interface in mapping this terrain. They have other uses as well. If you will recall in your rescue that I appeared differently. That is because I had those micro tics creating a holographic disguise. That application requires all of them working at the same time, and Interface’s extremely clever computing ability.” Alli began to walk again toward the hill top as she spoke. She got the impression that everything she was saying to Costack was being stored for some future purpose in his convoluted mind. He wasn’t the Fleet Admiral just because he had rank. He had the mentality of a secret agent mixed with a diplomat that made Alli wish that he was still ignorant of her skills.
“This Interface, he isn’t as human as he seems, correct?” Costack asked after a few minutes of quiet walking.
“No. He is a self-aware, sentient program that I integrated into this environment. I rescued him from that crashed Betazoid ship. I am fairly sure that all of that information is in that file that Jim showed you.” She said with a touch of exasperation.
“Don’t you know for sure?” Costack paused to take a deep breath of fragrant air at the top of the rise and look at the panorama as he asked.
“I agreed as a condition of my staying on the Enterprise that I would follow Jim’s orders as long as he was my commanding officer, and that I would allow him to keep an accurate record on me, in case I would continue my Starfleet career afterwards. He seemed to think that anyone who would be my commander in the future would need to know what I can do. I submit two sets of reports on incidences I am involved with; one that is fit for normal log entries, and one that is far less edited for content. Those second kind are added to my file, according to Spock. Beyond that, I don’t know what it says. I figure, knowing them, that they haven’t left much out.”
“But you are telepathic. Surely you could find out if you wanted to know.” He began to walk toward the apple trees, and Alli kept pace with him, realizing belatedly that Costack was still trying to decide what, if anything, to do about her. Risk assessment would be a part of that process.
“I admit to having that capability. That doesn’t mean that I would. After all, you have the knowledge of all of Starfleet defenses locked away in your mind. That doesn’t mean that you would fly a Starship through them and blow up something. I respect a person’s right to privacy. Besides, listening to people think isn’t as easy or glamorous as it would seem; especially men. Often there are thoughts that you wish you could forget hearing. I was so glad when Spock taught me how to shield my mind.” They were passing through a batch of lilac bushes, and Alli inhaled deeply of the aroma. She wasn’t surprised to find so many varieties of this flower in her pocket. She had collected hundreds of their seeds. Costack seemed to be watching her, and she could almost see the wheels working in his mind. She was ready for the next question, though she had hoped that he wouldn’t ask.
“You claim to remember everything, and we were mentally linked during that incident. Does that mean that you know everything that I know?” He asked. Alli sighed and turned away from the blooms to look him in the eye.
“Yes. I know everything you know, felt, and experienced from your earliest memories up until you were made a part of the collective. I also know that same information for every Borg that ever was, or shall be. That includes members of every species integrated into the collective for the next eight centuries. I am aware of every security code ever used in that amount of time, and I could most likely anticipate what you will change them to after learning this information. That is how I knew how to deal with the Cardassians. Some of their species had been made into Borg over the next two hundred years. I am not happy to have this knowledge, but I have it anyway. And even if I hadn’t gotten this information through a mental download, I could have easily stepped into the future and read a few history texts to learn much the same information.” She admitted and then began walking again. She could hear the children laughing and shouting in the distance.
“Why are you here? You are stronger, faster, more capable, and more powerful than any other human. You possess skills that scare the hell out of me. You could easily claim leadership over the Federation or anywhere else you wished. So why are you a Lieutenant serving under the orders of a fallible man?” he demanded finally. They were at the edge of the apple orchard, and the aroma of apples filled the fragrant air. Alli leaned against the trunk of the nearest tree with one hand, and she hung her head, trying to find a way to explain a concept that she had never put into words.
“Do you know how short a human life is? I mean, I know you are aware of it from your own point of view, but to someone who can live for centuries? Just when you get to know someone really well, they die. And all you have left for the coming years is memories and a hole where that person used to be. Now, imagine that you allowed that to make you hard. If you allowed yourself to build a wall around your heart and never let someone get close enough to matter again. The loneliness of such an existence would drive you mad. You would become a monster, only caring about yourself. I met someone like that the first time I dimension jumped. He was an alien so powerful and fierce that he makes me look like a baby. He had lived far longer than I could conceive, and he was bitter and lonely. I learned a lot about what it meant to live a long life, and I came to realize that it was the small things that matter. The cry of a baby, the touch of a friend. I decided that no matter how long I lived, I would do my best to make things better for the people I interacted with. So I have a heart that is riddled with holes where people I loved used to be. The thing about a heart is that it is strong enough to heal, if you let it. So, I allow myself to care, and in doing so I can see patterns that others cannot. Actually, even I was blind to those patterns before stepping into that Vortex, but a part of me still sensed them.” All during this explanation, she had her eyes closed and her face turned away from him. Costack moved to stand next to the tree trunk where he could see her expression.
“What pattern did you see?”
“I know that you are familiar with the concept of a multiverse: the many realities that are stacked together, interacting on energetic levels, yet separate. There is an added level to that concept; that of a Base reality. That is one where all actions originate, and they spread out like a ripple to be replayed or altered in the connecting realities. Not much can affect a Base reality beyond other base realities. Those are on an entirely different level, and much harder to explain. So this reality that we are standing in is a base reality. The things that happen here affect everything else, but they happen here first. So, if an entity wished to remove humanity from existence, or to alter a course of events over a wide array of realities, they would focus their attacks on a base reality, thereby making the most impact in a relatively short amount of time. This reality is under attack, and I am attempting to fight that attack.” She explained to him, hoping that he would understand the complicated concept.
“That is unbelievable!” He exclaimed. Costack placed his hand on the tree for support.
“Look at the facts. In my short tenure on the Enterprise I have fought off at least three attempts by aliens to eradicate humanity. I have also acted in smaller ways to keep the balance of power from shifting radically. I admit to taking down a corrupt government in a distant galaxy. But that action stopped them from using their wormhole device to bring their big gun to this galaxy to blow up humanity. And those are just the things you know about. I was a member of this crew for six months before Spock discovered my skills, and in that time I kept the integrity of the time space continuum from collapsing due to this ship’s missions. I don’t want to rule anything. I just want to keep humanity, including Starfleet, in the picture for the foreseeable future. And to do what good I can along the way. All of which I can’t seem to do without the support of the command crew of the Enterprise.” She shook her head at that thought, but knew it was true. She then glanced up and met the Admiral’s green eyes. “Or now yours either.”
He blinked in response to that idea, but was unable to comment further as the children suddenly noticed them standing there and decided to show them all the wonders they had found. Alli set her worries about Costack’s questions aside for the rest of the morning and lived in the moment. What would come would come.