Return of a Champion (Chapter 1)
May. 30th, 2010 09:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akainagiReturn of a Champion (Chapter 1)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
akainagi (conceptual credit to chrismata1976)
Rating: PG
Genre: Star Trek: The Next Generation/Alice in Wonderland crossover
Pairings: Tarrant/T’Lara, Data/Tasha
Summary: Centuries later, the direct descendent of Alice Kingsley, now serving on the USS Enterprise, is called on to aid Underland. Unfortunately, a few other people get sucked along for the ride.
By T’Lara’s calculations, she was en route to be at her workstation at precisely 0700, if she was not delayed any further.
It had not been a smooth morning. It had started with the dreams again. They always left her feeling unsettled; not a way she wanted to start her day. Then her sonic shower had malfunctioned. By the time she had diagnosed and fixed the problem and managed to get showered, her customary cushion of time had evaporated, leaving her fortunate to get down to engineering without being tardy. Tardiness was unprofessional and not befitting her rank or her nature.
She made her way to the turbolift; her short, quick stride spoke much about her character; precise, measured, uniform and purposeful with no wasted movement.
She reached the turbolift and ordered the computer to take her to engineering. The doors were about to close when-
“Hold the lift please!” a female voice called out.
“Hold Turbolift,” T’Lara ordered. Now she was definitely going to be late. She was on good terms with her commanding officer, so she had no doubt it would be overlooked, but it still rankled her that she didn’t keep to her own schedule.
She found herself joined by two of the command staff. She stood at attention to greet them. “Lieutenant Commanders.”
They both responded in turn, Lieutenant Commander Yar smiling and Lieutenant Commander Data addressing her by name.
T’Lara barely noticed because her senses were assaulted by the overwhelming scent of sex pheromones. Clearly the two officers, who were well known to be what her human coworkers colloquially referred to as “an item,” had been participating in sexual congress a short time ago. It was mostly Yar who gave off the overwhelming odor, although some of her pheromones could be detected on her android partner as well. This clear evidence of the act of mating brought up memories and thoughts that she would rather stay buried, and she was relieved when they reached her destination and she was able to get out of the cramped space that reeked of sex.
As it was she reached her work station 32 seconds late and thoroughly out of sorts. On the outside she projected her same placid half-Vulcan demeanor, but on the inside she was … unnerved. She sat at her station, determined to immerse herself in work. Her current assignment was one given to her by Chief LaForge himself, researching the rotation of power cells fed by the warp core and how they might be used to boost engine efficiency. A truly intellectually stimulating and worthy task, one that might also help her stand out to her commanding officer.
But the scent of pheromones was still in her nostrils, the name “Alice” was still in her ears and the figure of a tall man in a tall hat still flirted with the edges of her consciousness. Even using the Vulcan controls she had exercised since childhood did not completely allow her to focus.
It was truly an embarrassing moment when, halfway through the day, Chief LaForge himself pulled her aside to ask if anything was bothering her. Had her inattention been so apparent? A green blush rose to her cheeks at the public acknowledgement of her failure.
“My apologies, Chief LaForge. I find I am somewhat … distracted … today. I shall endeavor to focus more on the task at hand. “
The Chief made it clear that he didn’t mean it as criticism. He was concerned.
T’Lara fervently wished that the chief had curbed his so called concern, rather than dragging her failure as a Vulcan out into the open and rubbing her face in it. After assuring him again that she was fine, she went back to her workstation and dove back into her work, viciously squashing the unwanted thoughts and the unwanted emotions they produced.
By the time she went off-shift she felt she had redeemed herself somewhat. She had spent the latter half of the day running simulations that had yielded promising results. As early as tomorrow, perhaps she could have results that were concrete enough to show the Chief. She would show him that he had picked the right crewman to conduct such important research.
Despite her optimism, she was exhausted. Using her mental controls as often and as vigilantly as she had was draining. She headed for the turbolift thinking about a soothing sonic shower and the comfort of her bed, which hopefully would not yield up any more disturbing dreams tonight.
Her day, unfortunately, had not stopped tormenting her just yet.
The turbolift doors opened to reveal Lieutenant Commanders Data and Yar. Again. At least this time they weren’t reeking of pheromones. Having no excuse not to, she joined the two officers in the turbolift, greeting them respectfully. She was greeted in return, Yar again smiling warmly at her. T’Lara couldn’t quite bring herself to look the other woman in the eyes, not after this morning.
As the turbolift started moving, T’Lara’s uneasiness intensified. Not because of anything to do with the two officers she found herself sharing the small space with, but because she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of presence. The feeling grew in intensity until she concluded that it could not be just her imagination. She was about to say something to Lieutenant Commander Data –
The lift stopped.
The three passengers looked at each other.
“Computer, restart turbolift,” Yar ordered.
Nothing.
The presence was so strong it was practically in the turbolift with them. “Lieutenant Commander Data,” T’Lara interjected. “I believe we are not the only ones in this lift. I sense a presence-“
A disembodied voice wafted on a nonexistent breeze:
They told me you had been to her,
And mentioned me to him:
She gave me a good character,
But said I could not swim.
T’Lara watched a scowl take over Lieutenant Commander Yar’s face. “I know that voice.”
He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on,
What would become of you?
Data, who had reached into his vast store of memories, furnished the name of the owner. “It would appear to be Q. The passage he is reciting is by Lewis Carroll.”
“Right you are, my mechanical friend!” the voice cried merrily.
With disturbing speed the walls of the turbolift melted away, followed by the ceiling and the floor to reveal an autumnal forest. But rather than brilliant reds and yellows everything had a brown, aged cast to it. And in the middle of it all, stood Q. Smiling widely, he spread his arms in welcome.
“Well, what do you think?” the omnipotent creature asked. “I’ll admit its seen better days, but let me be the first to welcome the Champion back to Underland.”
T’Lara had heard of Q from other crewmembers. She had never been aboard when the Enterprise had encountered him in the past. The one thing she had gleaned is that he usually came with trouble.
A scowl affixed itself to Yar’s face. “Q, what the hell do you want from us?”
“I suppose complete and utter silence from you would be too much to ask for?” Q shot back.
“Send us back. Now,” Yar growled.
Q advanced on the glaring blonde. “Oh, you’re just still grumpy over that whole human popsicle incident.”
Moving faster than T’Lara could follow, Data interjected himself between the Security Chief and her omnipotent nemesis.
“I must also ask, Q,” Data queried in his usual placid tone, “why have you brought us here?”
“First, let me express to you my sincere disappointment in your taste in women,” Q said.
“The Lieutenant Commander and my relationship is not at issue.” Data replied. “What is at issue is why you have taken us from the Enterprise and brought us to this place.”
“Underland. This place is called Underland. And you are here to assist in the saving of this world. You are the supporting cast, shall we say.” Q redirected his attention from the two officers to T’Lara, who had hung back, observing the exchange with interest. “You, my little half-Vulcan crumpet, you are the Star. Or, rather, the Champion.”
T’Lara arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “And what, may I ask, qualifies me to be a champion?”
Q disappeared in a flash, only to reappear directly behind T’Lara. She gave a start and spun around, quickly backing away from the alien.
“The blood that runs in your veins makes you the Champion. The soul that resides inside you makes you the Champion. It is foretold in the Oraculum. You will save Underland.” Q cast an eye to Data and Yar, “with some assistance from them.” Q broke into a grin. “Well, Data mainly. Actually, I’m not quite sure we need the sour faced security chief. What’s say we send her back?”
“No way, Q. Data stays, I stay. Period.” Yar declared. Data stared at her, an unreadable look in his eyes.
“Well, she’s a loyal dog, I’ll give you that much,” Q told Data.
Tasha put on a smirk of her own. “Y’know, Q, remember that time you were stripped of your powers and booted out of the continuum. I really miss those days.”
Q was unmoved by the taunting. He addressed T’Lara. “Now, Champion. I suggest you make haste to the castle at Marmoreal. Explanations and surprises await you there. Head to the East and you will find it. Although it’s not quite the place it used to be.”
Before the eyes of the three crewmembers, Q’s body began growing dim, then transparent.
“You might want to hurry, though. Time is something of an issue.”
T’Lara realized she was rapidly losing her opportunity to protest this scenario. “I do not know what leads you to believe it so, but I am not your Champion”
Q’s face, the only part of him left, let out a hearty laugh. “She said the same thing.”
“Who did?” T’Lara asked.
“The one who is part of you,” Q replied cryptically. His face proceeded to disappear until only his mouth was left. It broadened into a grin as it recited:
I gave her one, they gave him two,
You gave us three or more:
They all returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before.
If I or she should chance to be
Involved in this affair,
He trusts to you to set them free,
Exactly as they were.
And then even the smile was gone, leaving the three crewmembers to ruminate on their lot, and decide their fate; strangers in a strange land.
Author:
akainagi (conceptual credit to chrismata1976)Rating: PG
Genre: Star Trek: The Next Generation/Alice in Wonderland crossover
Pairings: Tarrant/T’Lara, Data/Tasha
Summary: Centuries later, the direct descendent of Alice Kingsley, now serving on the USS Enterprise, is called on to aid Underland. Unfortunately, a few other people get sucked along for the ride.
By T’Lara’s calculations, she was en route to be at her workstation at precisely 0700, if she was not delayed any further.
It had not been a smooth morning. It had started with the dreams again. They always left her feeling unsettled; not a way she wanted to start her day. Then her sonic shower had malfunctioned. By the time she had diagnosed and fixed the problem and managed to get showered, her customary cushion of time had evaporated, leaving her fortunate to get down to engineering without being tardy. Tardiness was unprofessional and not befitting her rank or her nature.
She made her way to the turbolift; her short, quick stride spoke much about her character; precise, measured, uniform and purposeful with no wasted movement.
She reached the turbolift and ordered the computer to take her to engineering. The doors were about to close when-
“Hold the lift please!” a female voice called out.
“Hold Turbolift,” T’Lara ordered. Now she was definitely going to be late. She was on good terms with her commanding officer, so she had no doubt it would be overlooked, but it still rankled her that she didn’t keep to her own schedule.
She found herself joined by two of the command staff. She stood at attention to greet them. “Lieutenant Commanders.”
They both responded in turn, Lieutenant Commander Yar smiling and Lieutenant Commander Data addressing her by name.
T’Lara barely noticed because her senses were assaulted by the overwhelming scent of sex pheromones. Clearly the two officers, who were well known to be what her human coworkers colloquially referred to as “an item,” had been participating in sexual congress a short time ago. It was mostly Yar who gave off the overwhelming odor, although some of her pheromones could be detected on her android partner as well. This clear evidence of the act of mating brought up memories and thoughts that she would rather stay buried, and she was relieved when they reached her destination and she was able to get out of the cramped space that reeked of sex.
As it was she reached her work station 32 seconds late and thoroughly out of sorts. On the outside she projected her same placid half-Vulcan demeanor, but on the inside she was … unnerved. She sat at her station, determined to immerse herself in work. Her current assignment was one given to her by Chief LaForge himself, researching the rotation of power cells fed by the warp core and how they might be used to boost engine efficiency. A truly intellectually stimulating and worthy task, one that might also help her stand out to her commanding officer.
But the scent of pheromones was still in her nostrils, the name “Alice” was still in her ears and the figure of a tall man in a tall hat still flirted with the edges of her consciousness. Even using the Vulcan controls she had exercised since childhood did not completely allow her to focus.
It was truly an embarrassing moment when, halfway through the day, Chief LaForge himself pulled her aside to ask if anything was bothering her. Had her inattention been so apparent? A green blush rose to her cheeks at the public acknowledgement of her failure.
“My apologies, Chief LaForge. I find I am somewhat … distracted … today. I shall endeavor to focus more on the task at hand. “
The Chief made it clear that he didn’t mean it as criticism. He was concerned.
T’Lara fervently wished that the chief had curbed his so called concern, rather than dragging her failure as a Vulcan out into the open and rubbing her face in it. After assuring him again that she was fine, she went back to her workstation and dove back into her work, viciously squashing the unwanted thoughts and the unwanted emotions they produced.
By the time she went off-shift she felt she had redeemed herself somewhat. She had spent the latter half of the day running simulations that had yielded promising results. As early as tomorrow, perhaps she could have results that were concrete enough to show the Chief. She would show him that he had picked the right crewman to conduct such important research.
Despite her optimism, she was exhausted. Using her mental controls as often and as vigilantly as she had was draining. She headed for the turbolift thinking about a soothing sonic shower and the comfort of her bed, which hopefully would not yield up any more disturbing dreams tonight.
Her day, unfortunately, had not stopped tormenting her just yet.
The turbolift doors opened to reveal Lieutenant Commanders Data and Yar. Again. At least this time they weren’t reeking of pheromones. Having no excuse not to, she joined the two officers in the turbolift, greeting them respectfully. She was greeted in return, Yar again smiling warmly at her. T’Lara couldn’t quite bring herself to look the other woman in the eyes, not after this morning.
As the turbolift started moving, T’Lara’s uneasiness intensified. Not because of anything to do with the two officers she found herself sharing the small space with, but because she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of presence. The feeling grew in intensity until she concluded that it could not be just her imagination. She was about to say something to Lieutenant Commander Data –
The lift stopped.
The three passengers looked at each other.
“Computer, restart turbolift,” Yar ordered.
Nothing.
The presence was so strong it was practically in the turbolift with them. “Lieutenant Commander Data,” T’Lara interjected. “I believe we are not the only ones in this lift. I sense a presence-“
A disembodied voice wafted on a nonexistent breeze:
They told me you had been to her,
And mentioned me to him:
She gave me a good character,
But said I could not swim.
T’Lara watched a scowl take over Lieutenant Commander Yar’s face. “I know that voice.”
He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on,
What would become of you?
Data, who had reached into his vast store of memories, furnished the name of the owner. “It would appear to be Q. The passage he is reciting is by Lewis Carroll.”
“Right you are, my mechanical friend!” the voice cried merrily.
With disturbing speed the walls of the turbolift melted away, followed by the ceiling and the floor to reveal an autumnal forest. But rather than brilliant reds and yellows everything had a brown, aged cast to it. And in the middle of it all, stood Q. Smiling widely, he spread his arms in welcome.
“Well, what do you think?” the omnipotent creature asked. “I’ll admit its seen better days, but let me be the first to welcome the Champion back to Underland.”
T’Lara had heard of Q from other crewmembers. She had never been aboard when the Enterprise had encountered him in the past. The one thing she had gleaned is that he usually came with trouble.
A scowl affixed itself to Yar’s face. “Q, what the hell do you want from us?”
“I suppose complete and utter silence from you would be too much to ask for?” Q shot back.
“Send us back. Now,” Yar growled.
Q advanced on the glaring blonde. “Oh, you’re just still grumpy over that whole human popsicle incident.”
Moving faster than T’Lara could follow, Data interjected himself between the Security Chief and her omnipotent nemesis.
“I must also ask, Q,” Data queried in his usual placid tone, “why have you brought us here?”
“First, let me express to you my sincere disappointment in your taste in women,” Q said.
“The Lieutenant Commander and my relationship is not at issue.” Data replied. “What is at issue is why you have taken us from the Enterprise and brought us to this place.”
“Underland. This place is called Underland. And you are here to assist in the saving of this world. You are the supporting cast, shall we say.” Q redirected his attention from the two officers to T’Lara, who had hung back, observing the exchange with interest. “You, my little half-Vulcan crumpet, you are the Star. Or, rather, the Champion.”
T’Lara arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “And what, may I ask, qualifies me to be a champion?”
Q disappeared in a flash, only to reappear directly behind T’Lara. She gave a start and spun around, quickly backing away from the alien.
“The blood that runs in your veins makes you the Champion. The soul that resides inside you makes you the Champion. It is foretold in the Oraculum. You will save Underland.” Q cast an eye to Data and Yar, “with some assistance from them.” Q broke into a grin. “Well, Data mainly. Actually, I’m not quite sure we need the sour faced security chief. What’s say we send her back?”
“No way, Q. Data stays, I stay. Period.” Yar declared. Data stared at her, an unreadable look in his eyes.
“Well, she’s a loyal dog, I’ll give you that much,” Q told Data.
Tasha put on a smirk of her own. “Y’know, Q, remember that time you were stripped of your powers and booted out of the continuum. I really miss those days.”
Q was unmoved by the taunting. He addressed T’Lara. “Now, Champion. I suggest you make haste to the castle at Marmoreal. Explanations and surprises await you there. Head to the East and you will find it. Although it’s not quite the place it used to be.”
Before the eyes of the three crewmembers, Q’s body began growing dim, then transparent.
“You might want to hurry, though. Time is something of an issue.”
T’Lara realized she was rapidly losing her opportunity to protest this scenario. “I do not know what leads you to believe it so, but I am not your Champion”
Q’s face, the only part of him left, let out a hearty laugh. “She said the same thing.”
“Who did?” T’Lara asked.
“The one who is part of you,” Q replied cryptically. His face proceeded to disappear until only his mouth was left. It broadened into a grin as it recited:
I gave her one, they gave him two,
You gave us three or more:
They all returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before.
If I or she should chance to be
Involved in this affair,
He trusts to you to set them free,
Exactly as they were.
And then even the smile was gone, leaving the three crewmembers to ruminate on their lot, and decide their fate; strangers in a strange land.
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Date: 2010-05-31 02:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-31 04:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-14 11:48 am (UTC)