Third Mission, Part XI

Posted on Apr 26, 2019 @ 4:45am by Chloe Nielsen
Edited on on Apr 26, 2019 @ 4:45am

Mission: Section 31

“Third Mission, Part XI”

*************************

Location: Riivenvale, NUMINO
SD: [2.19] 0413.1655
Scene: Lake

Chloe Nielsen dragged her herself out of the water and collapsed onto the shore, her arms stretched out, grazing the mud. She was lying on the beach, face down to catch her breath. Her hair and clothes were dripping with water. The trip down the waterfall led her to a vast, round lake that glistened under the reflection of the planet’s first sun. Chloe managed to swim ashore amidst all the pain reverberating through her body. She exhaled, turning around and lay on her back – her gaze fixed on the sky above and then her eyes widened in realization.

The agent lifted herself to a sitting position, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder due to the wound inflicted by that Klingon’s bat’leth. She glanced behind at her shoulder, caked with dried blood, mud and grime. With her left hand, she pulled out a hypospray from her jacket pocket and injected it into the side of her neck, temporarily easing the pain. Dropping the instrument back into her pocket, the Canadian slowly stood up and began feeling woozy, followed by a dull ache in her head. Then she had remembered hitting her head during the tumble from that staircase waterfall.

She tapped on her wristband, when a low moan was heard. The agent turned around and spotted the still form of a Nuimon man, floating in the shallow end of the lake. Yesper Breg. She staggered towards the consul and pulled him up onto the shore. She then knelt down beside him. He was struggling to lift his head, coughing up blood before gritting his teeth in pain. Chloe’s lens displayed information on the Nuimon’s medical condition and the prognosis was bad. A collapsed lung and internal bleeding due to injuries to his vital organs, caused by impact from the blast’s shockwave and likely his body came into contact with debris. In all likelihood, he wasn’t going to survive for much longer.

The agent sighed out of frustration. She wasn’t a doctor so despite having the information of his medical condition, there wasn’t anything she could do to help him. But there was one thing the blonde could do. “Okay,” she began in a calm voice. “Can you tell me if you know the location of this doctor’s laboratory?”

Yesper coughed up more blood before nodding an affirmative.

“Where?”

He raised his arm a little, pointing his finger to the lower end of his coat. “There…” he croaked. “Siml…ran…”

Chloe arched a brow, her gaze following the direction of his finger and then bent forward, inserting her hand into a side pocket. She pulled out a data chip of Nuimon design, which like all technology on this world, was organic. “So the information is in here?”

Yesper coughed up blood one more time and then his head lolled back with eyes wide open but not moving. The agent’s lens confirmed he was dead. Using her fingers to close his eyes, the blonde stood up.

Her first priority was locating the nearest medical facility as she urgently needed treatment for her injuries. She then accessed the map, which was overlaid on the rock nearby, showing her current location to be in the more remote section of the Three Peaks Resort. That was unfortunate. The closest medical centre was many miles away – apparently medics travelled to these remote parts by shuttle. She could contact the facility directly with her communicator and request a medic but the signal would be picked up by her enemies who’d realize she had survived and come after her. She sighed, feeling woozy again, wondering about her other options, when she spotted a tiny dot, marking it as a cottage about five hundred feet from her current position. The blonde began walking, hoping the occupants of the cottage would contact a medic on her behalf, assuming they were innocent civilians.

Chloe made her way towards a hill, following the direction laid out on the map. She was moving slower than her normal pace, considering her injuries and staggered a bit. When she reached the bottom of the hill, she paused, leaning against a rock and took a moment to catch her breath. The agent gazed upwards – the climb wasn’t expected to be steep but in her condition, it seemed more challenging than usual. Taking in a deep breath, the Canadian began her trek up the hill.

About half way up the hill, Nielsen stopped, feeling very dizzy and then collapsed onto the ground, her hands brushing against some fallen branches. She could hear voices above her and barking, puzzling the agent – a dog. The voices and the barking grew louder, along with sounds of footsteps, falling stones and rustling branches. Then there was a soft, soothing female voice, speaking with a Scottish accent and that was the last thing she remembered before falling unconscious.

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Location: USS CAMELOT
Scene: CO’s Ready Room -> Bridge
TI: Few hours later

Captain Anaqueen Spankryz looked up as the door slid open and her first officer entered the room. It was a hectic morning for the Trill and her crew. Beginning with a shuttle explosion in the planet’s atmosphere, the situation had become quite chaotic in a valley on the outskirts of Riivenvale. The bridge crew had been monitoring that particular region, where sensors had picked up weapons firing and then some kind of explosion that apparently had the Klingon vessel transporting its landing party from the surface.

Ana had been able to reach Chief Consul Hollande whom as she had expected, had already been awake and briefed on the situation by the police chief. What surprised the CO, was the promptness of the Ruling Council to permit the starship to send down the marines to provide assistance to the planetary police. It took no more than half hour before Hollande informed her that Camelot’s request was accepted. Perhaps, the Nuimons were pragmatists after all. Now the marines were currently helping to clear the troublemakers from the valley. In fact, one team had returned with a rather interesting individual.

“Captain, Lieutenant Lith completed scanning the prisoner for her quantum signature,” Commander Sol informed, standing in front of the desk. “Well, it’s different from our own, which concludes she came from another universe.” Lieutenant Lith was the ship’s Chief Science Officer and a J’naii.

Ana nodded. “It’s what I suspect. A doppelganger of myself here on Numino.”

“I don’t understand, Captain.”Azula raised an eyebrow. “How did a version of you from another universe come here?”

“I don’t know.” The Trill sighed.

“Well, I guess Ensign Das’ story checked out, when she claimed to have spotted you…I mean the doppelganger in Tirithi.” The young woman shrugged.

“What about that Deltan who was with her?”

Sol rolled her eyes, sighing out of exasperation. “He calls himself, Lord Percy and works for an import/export company here on Numino. Apparently, he claims this doppelganger is his prisoner with many bounties on her head.”

“Bounties?” Ana raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“According to this Percy,” the ExO began. “This look-a-like apparently is a con artist with many aliases such as Queen Anne, Anna Price and has a lot of bounties placed on her, worth a gigantic fortune. In fact, a Cardassian warlord had placed a bounty of fifty bars of gold pressed latinum for this woman. She must have ripped him off pretty badly.”

“So that could explain why all those privateers converged in that valley,” Ana suggested.

“At first, I thought this woman was surgically altered to look like you to perform some sort of con job on us.” Azula bit her lip. “But Dr. Pawnirr conducted a medical scan of the doppelganger and confirms that physically she matches you in every way except for one big difference.” Lieutenant Commander Pawnirr, a male Caitian, was the Chief Medical Officer.

“Difference? Like what?”

“She’s not joined. Scans revealed no symbiont inside her.”

“Okay.” Ana nodded. “Did the marines manage to extract any information out of her?”

“No.” Sol rolled her eyes. “I’ve received reports that the prisoner is being uncooperative and hurling insults instead of answering the marines’ questions. It seems she has got quite a temper.”

Anaqueen remained silent, wondering if there was a version of her in another dimension who didn’t have issues with her temper. “I see.”

“And regarding Lord Percy,” Sol asked. “How should we handle him?”

“Well, since security found no evidence of any crimes committed against the Federation during their background search, then release him,” the Trill replied. “And assign a security escort to take him to the transporter room.”

“Understood, Captain.”

“Anything else, Commander?” Ana inquired, leaning forward.

“Yes,” the human woman answered. “The doppelganger directed pretty much most of her insults at you, Captain as if she knew you.” The CO raised an eyebrow. “She keeps referring to your symbiont as a parasite and demands a reunion with you, which has everyone confused.”

A dawn of realization struck the Trill like a bolt of lightning, when her eyes widened. “I don’t believe it,” she murmured. “It’s not possible.”

“Captain, everything okay?”

“Yes.” Ana nodded. “I met this woman during the last Dominion war, when I was commanding the USS COMMENDATION at the time. She was the one, I remember telling you about, who hijacked the ship and attempted to kill me.”

“That doppelganger was the hijacker who tried to kill you?” Sol looked alarmed. “Is that why she’s here?”

The Trill nodded. “You only knew it was a misguided and mentally challenged Trill woman but what I left out was that she was a version of me from a parallel dimension.”

Azula was lost for words. “And now she’s here, likely to finish the job.”

“Last I heard, she was sentenced to the penal colony for life,” Ana said. “But now she’s here. When was she released or did she escape?”

“How should we deal with her?”

“Keep her in the holding cell for now,” Spankryz ordered. “She is a Federation prisoner anyway.”

“Yes, Captain.” The ExO then gave her a weak smile. “I am amazed though how calm you are, considering most would have freaked out if they ever run into another version of themselves.”

“It serves us no purpose to panic, Commander.” The Trill shrugged. Her first officer wasn’t aware that Spankryz’s first command, the USS PROPHECY, was a starship that had the ability to cross into other dimensions. So alternate realities, doppelgangers now hardly ever surprised her.

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Scene: Holding cell

“Mr. Percy,” an ebony skinned human woman informed, approaching the holding area, where Mirror Anaqueen and the Deltan were placed in adjacent cells. Ana sent the marine a menacing glare, while Percy wore a smug expression.

“It’s Lord Percy, sweetheart.” The bald man winked.

“Alright, Lord of whatever,” the marine warned in a stern voice. “Call me sweetheart again and I’ll rearrange that pretty face of yours.”

“Ouch.” The Deltan gave her a mocking smile. “You have anger issues.”

“Well, Lord Percy, as of now you’re a free man,” she said, giving him a steely gaze. “Someone will be here shortly to escort you to the transporter room.”

“Good.” He sneered at her. “I ought to lodge a complaint with your superiors for this wrongful arrest. It’s a blatant abuse of power.” Much to his chagrin, the marine ignored him as she tapped her comm badge so he addressed Mirror Ana. “Well, darling. We are going to have a busy day as I will need to set up an auction to sell you to the highest bidder and make a tidy profit for myself.”

“Yes,” the black woman spoke through her communicator. “I’ve already informed him and what about the imposter?”

“I am not an imposter!” Ana snapped, banging the wall with her fist. “That bitch with the parasite whom you call Captain, is!”

“Understood, Big Boss,” the marine said, ignoring the Trill’s outburst. “Beta leader out.”

“Don’t let this Lord scumbag take me.” Ana shouted, stomping her foot. “And where is your Captain? Is she too much of a coward to face me?” She watched the marine turn off the forcefield and Percy stepping out.

“Okay, Lord Percy, let’s get moving.” The dark skinned officer reached out to grab his shoulder.

“Why is she still in there?” Percy glanced behind his shoulder at Ana. “She belongs to me. I demand you hand her over to me.”

“No, she is not,” came another female voice.

Ana’s gaze shifted to a human woman with East Asian features, who, like the other human woman, wore a black jumpsuit with a green band across her chest and shoulders. The Trill watched Percy approach the new arrival like a hungry predator.

“And why not?” The Deltan demanded in a snide tone.

“She is now our prisoner as per our Captain’s orders,” the Asian woman, the one whom the other marine referred to as ‘Big Boss’, informed in a flat one. The newly arrived marine was a slender woman with a lean build and stood at around five-feet-five-inches with jet black hair, cut short in the style of a bob and brown eyes fixed intently on the Deltan. She and the other marine were similar in terms of height and build, except the latter had her hair cropped to the nape.

“Tell your Captain that I am the owner of her wretched twin here.” Percy hissed, pointing at the Trill woman.

The beta team leader pulled the man towards her. “Alright, pal. It’s off to the transporter room for you, while the Major has a quick chat with the prisoner.”

Percy freed himself from her grip. “I will not leave without her and demand to speak with your Captain.” He then let out a chuckle. “Oh what a funny sight, identical twins so far apart in life.”

“She is not my twin,” Ana yelled, launching herself on the forcefield but was then pushed back by the static. “Ouch.”

“Yes you will leave, Lord of …what exactly.” Major Choi Mina, who was actually a marine captain, judging from the rank insignia on her collar, folded her arms. She was the ship’s Marine Commanding Officer and of Korean descent. “That woman is now our prisoner. If you cause any trouble, then we will throw you back into that cell, so my advice is that you cooperate with the nice Sergeant here.”

“Nice? Big Boss.” The Sergeant grinned. “I’m not nice.” She grabbed the unwilling Deltan, dragging him across the room.

“I will make you pay, dearly,” Percy declared, when she shoved him forward, handing him to a tall humanoid man. As the Deltan was herded out, the Sergeant let out a sigh of relief.

“What an a*hole.” She shook her head, turning around to face the MCO.

Anaqueen stomped her foot, releasing another outburst. “You cannot keep me here. I am a free woman and why is that Captain bitch not ready to face me?” She flipped her middle finger at the marines.

“Bitch, right back at you,” the Sergeant responded in kind. “I don’t think I can get over this visual. I know she isn’t the Captain but can you imagine Spankryz cursing and giving the finger like that.”

“No, I cannot.” Choi sighed, eyeing the Trill with morbid curiosity. “Hey look-a-like or annoying twin, are you always such a pain in the…?” She paused upon hearing a rather familiar voice from behind.

Mirror Ana’s heart skipped a beat, the Trill clenching her fists. **It really is her. The bitch showed up. **

“Major Choi.” Captain Spankryz stood a few feet from the two marines, her blue eyes giving them a cool gaze. She began approaching them.

The marines stood in attention. “Captain,” Mina greeted.

“At ease.” As the two marines relaxed their postures, the Captain moved past them. She stopped a foot from the forcefield, when Mirror Ana burst out in bitter laughter as the two Trill women locked eyes.

“So you finally decided to show your face, Captain,” Mirror Ana said the last word with a sour taste in her mouth. “What do you plan to do with me? Torture me for information or pleasure. If it’s for pleasure, then I have preferences, regarding certain devices and…positions. ” She smiled sweetly, twirling a strand of her silver hair. “And I’d like a blonde female doing it.”

“I did not just hear that,” the Sergeant said, her mouth hung open.

The Korean nodded, her eyes widened. “Me neither.”

“I need to speak with this prisoner alone.” Spankryz addressed the marines in a calm, yet firm voice, while her gaze remained on the other Trill. “Major, Sergeant, leave the room.”

The Korean nodded. “Yes ma’am.” She and the other marine turned around and left.

For a few moments, both Anaqueens remained silent, their gaze fixed on the other.

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Location: Riivenvale, NUMINO
Scene: Resort Cottage

Chloe opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the bright light enveloping the room. The blonde slowly got up to a sitting position and glanced around her surroundings. She was laying on a bed – a black-green rectangular stone block. A soft blue blanket, patterned with tiny golden waterfalls, covered part of her slender form. The agent was in a room, resembling a small cave, surrounded by grey walls, made of rock and realized she was brought to a resort cottage. The last thing she remembered before waking up here, was hearing someone, speaking with a Scottish accent and a dog barking, on the cliff. At the time, she was on route to a nearby cottage. **Scottish accent. Dog barking. ** Chloe raised an eyebrow.

Realizing she wasn’t feeling the pain from the injuries, the agent took a quick look at herself and furrowed her brow. Gone were her black clothes, replaced by a dark blue gown, embroidered with multi-coloured waterfalls. She tilted her head to the side and found her garments folded neatly on a table with the jacket hanging over a chair and the shoes sitting under it. She jumped off the bed and made her way to the table. She began inspecting her outfits, starting with the jacket to make sure none of the Section 31 issued equipment were discovered.

Chances of discovery were low but not for highly specialized agents like herself and she had not seen her rescuers yet. The Quartermaster had her fashion tech team design a couple of thin clear coloured fabrics that would be attached underneath a jacket or coat, tailored to her size and body shape. The fabrics contained little pockets, where she could hide her devices and had an embedded miniaturized holo-emitter, automatically activated to conceal all the pockets.

The agent sighed with relief, having inspected her clothes and found everything was intact. So now, feeling better, though not to her full strength, she decided to leave the cottage and head to the transport centre to catch the first shuttle to Ciris. The data chip, Yesper handed to her, was in her possession and as soon as she reached the planet’s capital, she was going to access the information.

If Breg’s chip really did contain the location of Mirror Kate’s lab, then the blonde was determined to go there. **Siml..ran.** The agent just recalled the consul’s last worlds. Simlran, the planet’s tropical continent. Could Mirror Kate be there? It was mostly uninhabited, except for a few resorts and research expeditions so it could serve as a suitable spot for the doctor to conduct her work in secret.

A soft whimper interrupted her train of thought. The blonde’s gaze shifted down and a smile crept across her lips. A corgi puppy was sniffing around her shoes, releasing another whimper. “Where did you come from?” Her eyes moved around until they fixed on a hole at the bottom of a wall. “Now I see how you came in here.” The puppy began nipping on the edges of a shoe. “Hey,” Chloe said, bending down to gently touch the corgi’s head. “That’s not food.” She grabbed the pup with both hands and walked towards the hole in the wall. “Here return to where you came from.” She put the puppy down but instead of entering the opening, it just followed her back to the table. Chloe shook her head, deciding to just leave the corgi alone to its own devices as long as it didn’t nibble on her shoes, which she grabbed and placed on the table, away from the puppy’s reach.

With the corgi wandering around the table, Chloe changed out of the gown and into her own clothes. She reached out for her jacket but stopped upon hearing the heavy tread of someone’s footsteps coming down the stairs outside the room. Chloe glanced at the large opening, separating the room from the corridor, though found it unnerving there was no door present. Where was she? In a cave below ground, because that was it seemed like to her. Her muscles tensed as the sounds grew louder and soon relaxed when a tall and familiar auburn haired woman appeared, a smile gracing her lips.

**Kate MacNeil. But which one? ** The lens, displaying a blue outline around the half-Nuimon, confirmed it was the one from this universe. Nielsen let out a sigh of relief, yet felt more fatigued than usual. It all made sense to her now. She was in a cottage and not sent to a medical centre. Kate and her wife, Grace were doctors so either of them or both had treated her injuries.

“It’s good to see you up and about.” Kate’s smile soon turned to a frown. “And where do you think you’re going?” MacNeil stood at least half a foot taller than the agent.

“Look, I appreciate you rescuing me on that cliff and treating my injuries,” Chloe said. “But I need to be somewhere and don’t want to take up any more of your time.”

“As your doctor, I strongly advise against that,” Kate chided, folding her arms, lifting them up to her chest. “You need to remain here till you have completely recovered.”

“I feel fine.”

The Scot shook her head. “I don’t know what kind of situation you were embroiled in but you were in critical condition when I found you. You sustained some serious injuries and lost a lot of blood, not to mention you have a concussion that will take time to heal.”

Chloe sported a bewildered expression. “Why didn’t you have me transported to a medical centre?”

“Uh, a bit of a problem,” Kate said. “But transports to this section of the valley have been suspended by the Rangers, a division of the Nuimon Planetary Police until further notice. So instead, I had arranged for Camelot’s sickbay to beam down some medical supplies and tools, needed to treat you. Both me and my wife are doctors.”

“Well, give my thanks to your wife,” Chloe said, picking up her jacket. “But I really need to go.”

MacNeil sighed. “Well, I cannot force you to stay but make sure you check in at a medical centre as soon as possible.”

“I will.”

“At least, don’t leave on an empty stomach,” Kate said. “You will need the strength for the trip.”

“I don’t really want to inconvenience you…” The agent realized she hadn’t eaten in hours and sighed. “Alright, I’ll dine with you.”

“Wonderful!” The tall woman beamed and then turned, when she felt a nudge against her leg. Spotting the puppy, Kate’s mouth curled into a wide smile, speaking in a soft, soothing voice. “And how did you get here, wee one?” She bent down and took the puppy in her arms. “This is Papu, my daughter’s puppy.”

Chloe smiled, putting on her shoes and then slipping into her jacket. “It came through the hole on that wall over there.”

Kate turned around and sighed, eyeing the tiny cavity. “Well, of course. There are so many wee holes in this place.”

[[Mummy!]] A little girl yelled. [[Hamish’s mean to Crumpet!]]

Kate groaned, when a loud meow echoed through the room, followed by a boy shouting.

[[Mum! Crumpet’s after Bo and Cho again!]] This was followed by the cat screaming.

MacNeil turned to the agent with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry but my children are more restless than usual. See, we were supposed to go on a day trip to Triple Falls but because of the dangerous situation in the valley, the Camelot and the local authorities recommended us to stay indoors and that if we do go out, we don’t stray too far from the cottage. It’s just us adults who go outside in pairs to walk the dogs, taking turns and stay within a few feet from the cottage.”

“I see.” Chloe nodded, knowing the dangerous situation, the half-Nuimon was referring to, after all a few hours ago, she was in the thick of it. The agent followed her host out of the room and both women climbed up the stairs.

------------------------
Location: USS CAMELOT
Scene: Holding cell

Captain Anaqueen Spankryz had been surprised when she heard the doppelganger brought by the marines, was the one from the Mirror Universe. The same woman who had decided to hijack her ship over a decade ago, and threatened to harm her crew if she hadn’t complied with the doppelganger’s demand to surrender and be killed.

During the confrontation, Ana had discovered that Mirror Ana’s actions were based on a misguided notion that the Trill symbionts were aggressive and violent parasites like in the latter’s own universe. In the doppelganger’s mind, she was killing a parasite and freeing the host from its control. The Captain had been bothered that it hadn’t dawned on Mirror Ana that the symbionts could possibly be different and benevolent in another dimension. Mirror Ana wasn’t a stupid woman from what Spankryz read in the files on her. However those same files also indicated the woman’s reckless behavior and volatile temper had gotten her into lots of trouble.

Spankryz was able to eventually overpower her other who was then transferred to Gateway security before being sent to the penal colony on a life sentence. Yet now, Mirror Ana was discovered roaming free on Numino at the same time as herself – a coincidence or perhaps the doppelganger intended on finishing the job she had started over ten years ago.

“A fine mess you are in, Anaqueen,” the Captain said in a cold voice devoid of emotions. “Last I checked, you were in prison so how is it possible that I find you on this world.”

“So what Captain?” Mirror Ana scowled, speaking in a snide tone. “You going to torture me or what? Or do you just plan on sending me to prison? Or you could set me free.”

Captain Spankryz narrowed her eyes. The audacity of this woman. “You are most certainly not going free and for your information, Starfleet does not permit torture of prisoners.” Well, the fleet officers weren’t. The Trill couldn’t say the same about the marines or intelligence officers. “So, you will be held in this cell until our mission is complete and upon return to Gateway, you will be transferred to Starfleet Security, who will then send you back to prison.”

“I won’t be going back to prison.” Mirror Ana glared.

She was audacious and delusional, showing not one bit of remorse for her reckless actions back on the Commendation all those years ago. “How did you escape and why are you here on Numino?”

“Oh I didn’t escape.” Mirror Anaqueen shrugged. “I made a deal with Starfleet Intelligence who actually sought me out because they were so desperate for my services.”

Anaqueen gave her an incredulous look. “You seriously expect me to believe that. Recruited by Starfleet Intelligence? Do you take me for a fool?”

“No.” The other Trill shrugged, smirking. “You’re not a fool just a self-righteous bitch with a stick so far up her parasite’s bottom.”

The Captain’s ire reached its boiling point at the mention of ‘parasite’ and she raised her voice. “Did you ever read the files on the Trills in this dimension? If you did, then you should know that the symbionts here are not parasites and with joined Trills, both host and symbiont share a symbiotic relationship.”

“Oh yes I did.” Mirror Ana narrowed her eyes. “Fine, they are not parasites but you are naïve to believe the relationship is symbiotic.”

“Naïve? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The Trills in this universe are a brainwashed society, Captain!” Mirror Ana declared, her statement only further angering the captain. “For instance, the para…symbiont is considered this precious commodity whose life is valued above all others. Those joined sacrifice their own lives to save this needy creature.”

Ana pursed her lips together, forming a thin line. She was tempted to argue with her counterpart about how the host would not be able to live if the symbiont died. She wanted to tell the other woman that the host’s memories would live on in the symbiont and passed onto future hosts for many centuries, offering them numerous benefits. But the Captain chose to remain silent, reigning in her temper – a feat she had found challenging during her early years in Starfleet.

“It infuriates me how the unjoined, which makes up around ninety nine percent of the population, are made to feel worthless just because they were not chosen to have a parasite in them.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “And this whole only ‘one in thousand Trills are suitable for joining’ propaganda, the government is feeding to your gullible selves. Well, it’s a load of crock. I bet it is one big fat lie.”

“You believe the Trill Government is spreading propaganda about joining?”

“In my universe, the parasites have set up these enormous breeding facilities all over the planet and they multiply at an alarming rate.” Her voice dripped with intense anger and hatred. “Majority of the Trills are forcibly joined to those parasites and lose their own identity in the process. Many have also died during and even a few days after the procedure because they weren’t a suitable match. I am just thankful that I didn’t have to go through such a painful ordeal, where the last thing I do as myself would have been screaming in anguish.” A tense silence followed.

The Captain sighed, wondering if Mirror Ana was exaggerating because that was not the experience she had when undergoing the joining procedure with Spankryz. It was actually rather quick and painless. Then again, considering what she had read of the Trills in the Mirror Universe, perhaps her counterpart was telling the truth. After all, the symbionts there were actually parasites so it wasn’t farfetched that the procedure was forced and painful to the hosts. “It’s the reason that the Commission set up such a rigorous process for joining to weed out the wrong candidates to avoid such complications including death.”

“I believe you and the rest of your people are too gullible to see through the lies,” Mirror Ana said with bitterness. “It saddens me how your children are made to believe the only thing worth attaining in life is be a vessel for those pathetic creatures.”

“That’s not entirely true.” Spankryz stopped at that, realizing Mirror Ana was right about some things. The Symbiosis Commission was indeed lying to everyone but not the way the doppelganger suggested. The truth was about half the population were suitable for joining but there were only about three hundred symbionts available for joining in a given year and about a thousand host applicants. The Captain had discovered this information from a doctor during a visit to the Commission in 2422. She had remembered feeling shocked, even downright angry the Commission would keep such a secret. But she had later understood why the information was withheld. If word got out that the Commission had hidden this truth, then it would lead to widespread chaos, possibly a civil war with many fighting each other over the symbionts. So she had decided to just keep the truth to herself to ensure her homeworld didn’t descend into anarchy.

Ana had witnessed firsthand the desperation of many unjoined Trills during an undercover mission in late 2417, when the Prophecy crew came to the homeworld to investigate a black market operation, dealing in symbionts. In fact, she herself was abducted by the culprits and her symbiont removed for a short period of time and given to another host. It was through the successful rescue efforts by her fellow officers that she was able to get Spankryz back and put an end to the black market.

[[Bridge to Captain,]] came her ExO’s voice.

“Go ahead, Commander.”

[[Captain, your presence is urgently needed on the Bridge.]]

Spankryz frowned. “What’s going on?”

[[Well, we received a live news broadcast from the planet surface and it’s really bad.]]

“Understood, I will be right there.” The Captain let out a sigh of frustration and turned to her counterpart. “Anaqueen, I am afraid our rather fascinating discussion, comparing and contrasting our homeworlds, must be cut short as I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

“Oh I’m not going anywhere.”

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Location: Unknown, NUMINO
Scene: Underwater Lab

“Doctor MacNeil,” a Nuimon woman informed, approaching the tall, auburn haired woman. “Control is set up and ready to begin trial, awaiting your command.”

“In a minute. Still waiting for our important guest.” Kate nodded, her gaze fixed on a holographic projection that encompassed half the room. She was watching a 3D display of an impenetrable jungle with thick vegetation in a myriad of colours – red, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange and pink. MacNeil focused her attention on eight figures, standing amidst the dense vegetation with dazed and confused looks in their eyes. The individuals belonged to different species and three of them hailed from worlds in the Gamma Quadrant.

She wasn’t moved, when one of them, a young Ocampan woman, inquired as to how they ended up there and another, a Betazoid male wailing in anguish over being kidnapped. In fact, Mirror Kate frowned, offended over the subjects’ lack of appreciation at being chosen to participate in a great cause – well in her view. “Such mundane idiots. Don’t they realize this is all for the benefit of everyone?” She smiled, upon hearing a soft howl. “I know you appreciate my efforts to bring about enlightenment to this universe, my precious baby.” The husky puppy, in another attempt to howl, let out a whimper as he sat comfortably on a bed of ice cubes in a large bowl, his snow white fur glistening in the light. Kate came up to the pup and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

“Hey come back here!” The sudden yelling forced MacNeil to glance behind her shoulder. She sighed, watching a male underling shout and bang on the wall beside a forcefield separating him from a cell, where a small light purple furry creature, the size of an adult cat, was seen speeding away on all fours. The creature turned around, padding towards the forcefield, its round yellow eyes fixed on him. “Come, little one. Play with me.” Turning to Kate, he demanded. “Lower the forcefield.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” MacNeil warned in a chilling voice.

“Why not?” The underling protested. “A moochi moochi is harmless. I used to have one as a pet when I was a child. So why have you caged one?”

“Well, perhaps you need a demonstration.” Kate removed a thumb sized device and pressed on it, deactivating the forcefield. The underling extended his right arm to pet the cute furry, only for the latter to open its mouth wide and glowing multi-coloured tentacles, shot out, grabbing the Nuimon at lightning speed. The man screamed as he was being pulled inside the cell, when Kate reactivated the forcefield.

MacNeil turned to the female, noting the latter’s horrified expression and curled her lips into a cold smile. When her eyes flickered to the cage, there was no trace of the man left and the creature stood in silence, releasing soft purring sounds, looking innocent as if nothing had happened. “Now you see why the creature is held behind a forcefield.”

“But moochi moochies are not carnivores.”

“Correct.” Kate approached the cage. “However, this particular creature was created from splicing a moochi moochi DNA with a Hetla, a predator, found only in the Simlran jungle.”

“A Hetla!” The underling’s eyes widened. “But they are some of the most dangerous predators on the planet and leave no trace of their prey after consuming them. Their tentacles secrete a type of acid that completely disintegrates the prey on a molecular level prior to consumption.”

Kate eyed the cute yet deadly furry creature, which began approaching the forcefield. “She is hungry. Feed it.”

“With what?”

“One of the dead subjects,” the doctor answered in a nonchalant tone. “Now that the last few trials no longer resulted in melting subjects, this one and some of my other wee ones will not go hungry.”

“Doctor, the cleaning team are in the process of disposing the carcasses.”

“Well, then go now and tell them that my orders are they feed the dead to my wee ones.” Kate narrowed her eyes, warning. “Or perhaps you volunteer to be food for the cute moochi moochi.”

The other gulped, eyeing the furry with trepidation. “No, doctor. I’ll go now.” She took off as fast as her legs could carry.

Kate turned to the moochi moochi/hetal, her expression softening. “There, there, I know you’re hungry.” She smiled. “But don’t worry, I will take good care of you, lassie.” The creature let out a series of soft purrs.

“Well, it seems I made it just in time.”

“I am delighted to see you, Lady.” Kate smiled, her eyes flickering to the main entrance, where a tall woman – well not as tall as MacNeil - stood, garbed entirely in a snowy white robe, the hood pulled over to hide her face. The doctor grinned with the knowledge that she was the only one in the lab aware of the Lady’s true identity.

----------------------------------------
Location: Riivenvale, NUMINO
Scene: Resort Cottage

Chloe sighed, sipping her tea. The meal was delicious but then again she hadn’t eaten since before dawn and even then, the agent only had a protein bar. She ended up eating alone as Kate and her family had dined earlier in the day. Her meal was simple, comprising of a soup filled with vegetables and tiny protein cubes as well as a plate of purplish white grains with more veggies and a piece of their plant-based protein slab. Around 90-95 percent of the Nuimons were vegetarians and those relying on animal protein resided in the wilderness. She herself wasn’t a vegetarian but mostly preferred seafood and didn’t eat red meat.

“How was the food?” Kate sat down beside her.

Chloe nodded. “Pretty good. I was famished.”

“I’m happy to hear.” The Scot/Nuimon smiled, when William Wallace approached them, the beagle greeting the agent with a friendly bark and wagging his tail. “Well, I’d say the lad likes you.”

The blonde bent down to pet the dog. “Hey, I like you too.” The dog barked again. Chuckling, Chloe returned to her meal.

“Need more?” MacNeil inquired. “We still have a lot left - so much that we will have the same thing later in the evening.”

Chloe shook her head. “No, thanks.” At the corner of her eye, the agent spotted a black kitten curling up inside a small round green bowl. Muffin let out a soft meow and closed her eyes.

Kate asked, pouring herself a cup of tea, “So what were you doing in the valley and how did you get caught up in the chaos there?”

Nielsen inhaled deeply, knowing she had to fabricate a cover story. “I was doing an early morning hike. The terrain up there was challenging enough for my needs and then all these criminals showed up, fighting each other.” She shrugged. “And then they attacked me and unfortunately, I ended up right in the middle of a skirmish between some Klingons and bounty hunters as I was trying to escape to safety. Eventually, I fell down a waterfall into a lake and swam ashore. The rest you know.”

“I’m sorry you got caught up in the mess.” Kate sighed, patting her hand. “But I am glad you made it out alive.”

“I’d have been dead if you haven’t found me.” The agent sipped her tea. “So thanks for everything.”

“Well, it’s what I’m trained to do.” Kate took a sip from her cup. “Besides, I highly recommend you stay here to rest for the night so that both Grace and I can monitor your condition.”

“I appreciate the hospitality but I need to head back to Ciris,” Chloe said. “Today was my last day here.”

Before Kate opened her mouth, she froze upon hearing screaming behind her. The Scot let out an exasperated sigh, noticing Hamish and Crumpet were having some sort of screaming match. It was back and forth. First, the boy released a blood curdling scream, reaching for the cat’s tail but missed as the feline jumped away and then it was Crumpet’s turn to scream – her hairs along the spine standing up. “Break it off, you two!” The tall woman yelled, pulling her son away from the cat, which hissed angrily.

Chloe sighed, sipping her tea. Quite a lively family. She found it baffling as to how MacNeil and her wife managed to bring two small children, three dogs and two cats on such a long trip. Apparently, there were also twin gold fishes, which the boy kept hidden in his room. As Kate was scolding Hamish and then ordering him up to his room, her daughter came bursting into the room, squealing, followed by her two puppies. The agent glanced behind her shoulder, watching in amusement as the little olive green skinned girl ran back and forth, chased by the golden retriever and corgi puppies. They ran up the stairs, though the corgi lagged behind as he struggled to climb up each step.

“Sorry about that.” Kate exhaled, gulping down her tea as she sat back down.

“When will you know if it’s safe in the valley?”

“I have been maintaining regular contact with the Camelot,” Kate said. “And last I spoke to Commander Sol, she said the marines and the rangers are close to clearing the area of any remaining troublemakers. So probably sometime late in the afternoon or early evening.”

Marines. So much had happened while the agent was out cold. She was even more amazed the Nuimon Council agreed rather quickly to let the Camelot assist with resolving the crisis and with the political divisions, she had expected the decision to take a while. Perhaps, they had realized the urgency of the situation, considering the Planetary Police were way out of their depth in dealing with these criminal elements, not to mention the Klingon landing party. She then narrowed her eyes. Lord Percy – the man who set her up to die with Breg. She didn’t have solid proof yet but the agent knew without a doubt that the Deltan was the double agent ‘Satchel’ and in collusion with the Lady.

“We were threatened by three Ferengi,” Kate brought up.

“What happened?”

“Long story short,” MacNeil answered, her lips quivering. “They came looking for a Trill woman, who as they claimed, had many bounties placed on her, worth a huge fortune and threatened to take my wee ones if we didn’t cooperate.”

Chloe frowned. Those trolls were hunting for Mirror Anaqueen and threatened an innocent family.

“Fortunately, my mother came up with an alternate plan and offered them gemstones, which they eagerly accepted.” She grinned. “Only they were really bird guano.”

The agent laughed. Greed did blind the Ferengi enough to not check whether the gem stones were authentic or not. “Well, I’m glad it all worked out for you.”

“Yes…” She was interrupted by yelling from the upper floor.

[[Mum!]] Hamish yelled.

Josephine screamed. [[Mum! Hamish is mean.]]

[[Jo-Jo is stupid.]]

[[You’re stupid!]]

[[Mum!]]

[[Mummy!]]

MacNeil got up but then her wife called out from up the stairs. [[I’ve got this.]]

“Thank you, Grace.” Kate sighed with relief, sitting back down and pouring more tea into her cup. “More?”

“Sure.” Chloe nodded as MacNeil filled her cup. “I have to get going. The next transport to Ciris is in one hour.” She sipped her tea, when Dahlis entered the room, wearing a concerned expression.

“I am afraid you will not be able to leave tonight or anytime soon,” Dahlis said, addressing the blonde.

Nielsen raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

“The transport hub at this resort is under a lockdown,” the Nuimon informed. “Shuttles are neither permitted to land nor take off.”

“But why?” Kate inquired.

“No idea.” Her mother shrugged. “We just received an automatic message and that’s what it said. No further information was provided.”

Kate tapped her comm badge. “MacNeil to Camelot.”

[[Camelot here, Commander Sol speaking. Everything okay?]]

“Fine here,” Kate replied. “But we heard the transport hub at the resort has been placed under a lock down. What’s going on?”

[[I take it you haven’t seen the latest news broadcast.]]

“No why?”

[[I strongly urge you to gain access to a terminal.]] She paused for a moment. [[Hold on, the Captain just arrived. She was speaking to her look-a-like, the marines found not far from your cottage.]]

**Really Anaqueen, captured by the Camelot of all starships. Not ideal. ** Chloe’s muscles tightened, the agent narrowing her eyes. Well, her asset would have to remain there for now. Besides, the Camelot’s holding cell was likely the safest place for the Trill woman. What was the worst that could happen? Section 31 would likely be able to spirit Mirror Ana away during the prisoner transfer process on the Gateway.

Horaciin entered the room, passing a sleek, metallic bluish green rectangular handheld device to his mother. “The Free Nuimons have taken over the main resort and are holding everyone there as hostages.”


*************************************************************************************
NRPG: Here’s Part XI. We are getting closer to the climax like 2 or 3 posts left :)

Part XII preview (subject to change): Chloe, Prime Anaqueen and Prime Kate are finally together in one location and yes, Mirror Anaqueen will also be present. Mirror Kate and the Lady finalize their own sinister plans (The identity of the Lady will be revealed in a future post).

A little fact: The undercover mission to investigate and stop a black market trading in symbionts on Trill homeworld in 2417/2002 that Prime Anaqueen (she was ExO at the time) partook in, was the very first mission that I created and ran in the FRPG.

~*~
Ranjani S.
Writing for

Chloe Nielsen
Section 31 Agent

And

Special Appearances by

Captain Anaqueen Spankryz
Commander/Dr. Kate MacNeil