Star Trek: Ascension - Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Picard and Riker find themselves suspended side by side in a vast darkness like toy figures on a rack. Surrounding them on every side are thousands of alien species suspended and luminous in a Dominion designed stasis protocol. Above each of them is a glowing symbol, a Founders designation. Similar symbols appear above Picard and Riker as they are catalogued and the archive's stasis program activates.

*

"How did this happen!" Worf barks in a ferocious surge of pure Klingon dismay.

Reeling from the shocking abduction, La Forge gapes at the ambassador trying to collect his response as Troi searches frantically for her husband's presence empathically.

"It it it ha-had to be either Alden or Moriarty," Barclay stammers having gathered his wits almost as quickly as his words.

"That's not what I mean!" Worf snaps. "Why was no one watching the device?"

"We were all watching, Worf," Geordi replies, the gentleness in his voice reinforced with his rank, "it just happened so quickly."

"What can we do?" Troi asks with a faulting composure. "Is there anything, or are they lost?"

Undaunted, La Forge's intellect is already applying his mastery of technology. He looks at the device, at the wires and cables, standing silently for as the other look on. True to form, Geordi's expression is the first to change from frustration to eagerness and he looks to Worf and Troi, and then to Barclay. "I've got an idea. I've got to get back to the Enterprise, though. Reg, contact Chief Gomez and have her meet me in science lab thirteen. In the meantime, sever the device from command functions and start work on repairing the WARP engines."

*

Alden stands seething in the center of the renewed bridge of his Venture class starship. At the surrounding stations his reanimated crew stands by as he watches the two captains suspended within the dark sea of aliens on the view screen. "What is he doing?"

Like a spoiled child he turns on his heels and stomps back to his captain's chair. "Tactical, transfer our guests from the biological archive to the brig."

"Unable to comply, captain," his tactical officer replies "The captives are already being transferred out of holding."

Alden slams his fist on the arm of the command chair. "Damn it! What are you doing?"

Hoping to intervene, he enters counter commands into the armrest control console as quickly as his fingers can dance.

*

Within the biological archive the symbols above Riker and Picard grow brighter, sending a ray of light over them as they hang in suspended animation. Absorbed in the light, they disappear.

The two materialize on an expansive plain that is transforming from soil to deck plating to tile and a hundred other surfaces as the landscape transforms into to every alien environment in the database. The disconcerting sensation on the soles of their feet is much like sliding over a rough surface, but it is the assault on their hearing that forces a reaction. Even with both hands over their ears, the men cannot block out the blaring scream of every sound programmed into the matrix. On all sides wailing creatures writhing in anguish appear, transform, and vanish. Above, the sky changes from stars to sun to moon with worlds of every type blinking in and out of the dome overhead. Starships of every sort appear and disappear throughout the expanse. Gail driven rain buffets them, changing abruptly to snow then hail then volcanic pumice.

The expanse snaps into a quiet stillness. Recovering their composure, the gaze of the two captains is drawn to the legion of fiery streaks now streaming across the sunset sky.

"Cover!" Riker shouts, grabbing Picard's arm as a village has appears within running distance.

Caught in a tormenting nightmare, the faster they run the slower their progress as screaming meteorites begins to overwhelm the expanse. Explosive impacts dog and impede the captains, blasting them with dirt and ash. Within seconds it is impossible to avoid the hail of searing missiles and they are corralled in the sites of a mountainous meteorite hurdling down upon them.

Picard and Riker are startled to suddenly find themselves standing before the Titan's view screen watching as a wall of chaos in the expanse of space fall upon the alien world. The planet flies apart violently as it is consumed by the void.

"This is the hell you've condemned me to, captain," a familiar voice twisted by malice reviles.

Picard and Riker spin about to find Moriarty sitting in the darkness behind them in the replica of the Titan's command chair.

"The degradation of the matrix? " Picard surmises, searching Moriarty's form in the dim light.

"What would you do in my place, captain?" the silhouette chides.

"Why are we here, professor? " Riker queries defiantly.

Moriarty stands into the light, casting a cold gaze upon Riker.

"Had you kept your place, Captain Riker," the professor rebukes, "you would not be here. My issue is with Picard, your presence is inconsequential."

Picard steps toward Moriarty slowly. "You must believe that we had no knowledge of the degradation until recently and have since had our best people working to repair it."

"Believe you?" Moriarty scoffs, circling his command chair. "I am past believing you, captain. You have manipulated me from very beginning! And why not? Aren't I merely a fiction created for your entertainment? I'm sure I've been very entertaining indeed."

Picard inches closer, "Professor…"

To the dismay of Moriarty and the captains, both officers are unexpectedly caught up in a transporter beam.

Moriarty rushes to the control panel on the arm of the command chair.

Picard and Riker now find themselves in an empty holodeck. A single light source overhead illuminates the yellow grid work on the black walls and floor.

"I feel like a child's plaything!" Riker gripes. "Now where the hell are we?"

Picard walks to the exit and the doors open with a heavy hydraulic whine. He peers into the corridor to find it clear and motions to Riker to follow. As they step into the corridor they can hear the muffled crashing, screams, and roars of some beast seeping through the doors of an adjacent holodeck.

"It looks like a galaxy class," Picard says, taking in the structural designs.

"It sounds like hell," Riker adds with a quick nod towards the other holodeck.

"We are still inside the matrix," Picard surmises.

"Alden is probably around here somewhere in an admiral's uniform," Riker quips bitterly.

The doors to the adjacent holodeck slide open abruptly and a bloody crewman in a tattered gold-breasted, black-shouldered uniform bursts into the corridor and collapses on the floor. The captains freeze in astonishment as a huge alien monster grapples with the closing holodeck doors and forces them open with its long, dark claws.

"No!" the crewman screams at the threshold, cowering in terror.

The creature leaps from the holodeck to pin the crewman and slowly pan the new environment.

He turns his head evasively as the monster bares its slimy maw. With eyes harrowed by his fate, he throws his phaser to the horrified captains. "Run!"

Riker grabs the phaser and fires as the creature focuses on them with a hiss. The beam bursts its abdomen as it shrieks and, to their dismay, the spilled innards morph into smaller versions of the vicious beast. The crewman’s screams fill the corridor as Picard and Riker are driven into the depths of the darkening corridor by the hellish creature.

"Computer!" Riker calls without looking back. "End program!"

There is no change as they race through the corridor with creature in pursuit and closing. Catching sight of an open doorway, Picard grabs Riker's arm and pulls him in. The holodeck doors close with a heavy thud just beyond the creature's grasp and Picard quickly seals the door.

They back away from the door, uncertain if it will hold against the conjured creature pummeling it on the other side. Turning in search of some means of defense, they find themselves in a steamy alien rain forest filled with unnerving yet familiar cries.

"Out of the frying pan," Picard says aloud.

The holodeck door fades into the jungle program with the ferocious barrage of the monster permeating the scene.

"Worf's exercise program," Riker replies, reinforcing his determination with a deep breath.

An inhuman screech usurps their fixation with the impact distortions from the determined monster outside the holodeck and Picard and Riker spread out defensively against monsters stalking them within.

"We must assume there are no safety protocols," Picard adds, motioning Riker in anticipation of an attack.

As if on cue two of Worf's holodeck brutes leap from the dense foliage. The captains fight them hand to hand and, to their surprise, defeat the creatures with a little amount of effort.

The program resets with a noticeable catch in the holographic display.

"I think we've just graduated to the next level," Riker says, looking to Picard with steely resignation.

As if on cue, three misshapen adversaries burst on them from the jungle, moving quickly to surround the captains.

“Attack posture beta six nine!” Picard calls, marking a cluster of boulders with a gesture.

Riker rushes the adversary closest to the cluster to slide upon his target and sweep it off its feet as Picard heaves a boulder over his head. The stone incapacitates the creature with a gruesome impact, snapping its sternum and ribs. Picard is quickly tackled as a rupture opens in the jungle-scape. He throws a fistful of dirt in the skirmish and the brute stagers back, dropping its machete to clear its eyes. Picard steals the blade quickly and slices through the neck of the lunging adversary before sinking into the back of the creature pinning Riker.

The fracture in the doors widen under the ferocity of the murderous beast as the holodeck resets.

“Flank!” Picard orders, motioning Riker. The captains press themselves against the holodeck wall on either side of the failing doors.

With a triumphant roar, the monster from the first holodeck bursts through and rushes passed them into the waiting ambush of four powerful brutes.

"Computer! Arch! " Picard shouts, taking advantage of the distraction.

The arch appears and Riker falls into the thick brush for cover as the intruding monster is swiftly set upon by the four program opponents. Picard rushes to the arch amid the savage cries and screams of the holographic brawl. With every wound inflicted on the monster by the brutes, smaller monsters are created that quickly turn on Riker. He blasts as many as he can dodge, creating even smaller versions in larger numbers. The program is quickly crawling with the tiny monsters, with more being born out of the conflict with the brutes. As they slowly surround him, Picard is able to access the main computer and activate the transporter's remote functions. The two captains are quickly absorbed in a blue light and disappear.