Sky Trek: The Time Capsule

Chapters

A Missive From Missy
The Stakes
Grim Waters
The Vault

A Missive From Missy

In a place of golden yet dimly lit architecture, of cluttered counters where flasks and graduated cylinders congregated, a terrific whirring sound echoed through both it and the many corridors surrounding it. Like a ghost not sure if it really wanted to pop in from the afterlife, it appeared then disappeared several times, before finally settling on the latter. Yet this was no ghost, it was a simple, blue, police box.

Out of it stepped three figures. There was The Doctor, of course, his 'youthful' perkiness and cat-like curiosity immediately apparent. Then came Rose, a blonde-haired, enthusiastic young lady. Finally, there was Captain Jack Harkness, the newcomer of the Doctor's companions, who wore the uniform of a war that wouldn't be fought for many years.

None of this seemed to surprise the middle-aged, lab coat-sporting man who approached them.

"Doctor!" The Doctor grinned.

"Doctor!" the man grinned back.

"Seriously?" Rose smirked.

"It's our thing," The Doctor shrugged. "Don't knock our thing."

"Hey, I won't," Jack smiled, eyeing the other doctor over. "It's cute. And speaking of cute…" He approached the man for a handshake, a peculiar look in his eye. "Captain Jack Harkness. I like the title, but is there a name after it?"

"Jack…" The Doctor groaned.

"Just saying hello," he said, smiling innocently.

"Uh huh."

"Oh, I don't mind," the man replied, gripping the ‘captain’s’ hand. "I'm Noonian Soong, by the way. Welcome, all of you, to my…" He took a deep breath, before proclaiming in a dramatic tone: "LABORATORY UNDER THE SEA!"

"YES!" The Doctor grinned, fully onboard with Dr. Soong's hamminess. "I love it when you do that."

Rose and Jack looked at each other, then grinned. 'This is going to be a fun adventure,' the latter thought.

"Just my way of saying thank you for coming," Dr. Soong said. "Who are these new companions of yours?"

"Oh, shoot," The Doctor said. "That was rude of me. This is Rose Tyler and… well, I believe you know Captain Jack."

Jack shrugged.

"Intriguing," Dr. Soong said, examining them. "Your clothing, it's unlike anything I've ever seen. Tell me, are you from the ancient past or the distant future?"

"Good question," Rose said, glancing at the Doctor. "You never did mention where we were going."

"Or when," Jack added.

"Didn't I?" The Doctor said whimsically. "This is Vault Omicron-Theta of Gallifrey, around a thousand years before the Fed-- er, I mean your time."

"Wait… Gallifrey…” Rose said, her eyes widening. “Your people?”

"That's right," the Doctor said. "I don't usually like to hang around these parts, but for Dr. Soong, I'm making an exception."

"If you would stop messing around with time travel you could visit more often," Dr. Soong huffed. "The Ancient Ones tasked us with maintaining the timeline, not making it all wibbly wobbly."

"Yet you haven't narced on me yet," The Doctor smiled.

"Only because I trust you to be careful," Dr. Soong said, raising a finger. "And not do anything too stupid."

"Fingers crossed," The Doctor chirped. "So, what's up? You sounded sort of… distressed in your call. Almost like it was a… distress call! Hah!"

"Forgive me," Dr. Soong sighed. "I was still reeling from the shock of it."

"Shock from what?" Rose asked.

Dr. Soong glared at no one in particular. "Gallifreyan High Command believes the war is drawing to a close. I've been asked to seal this vault and leave its fate to time."

“The war?” Jack said. “Which war?”

“The war, my historically challenged friend,” Dr. Soong said. “One that the High Command would do anything to win.”

“We both know what that means,” The Doctor said darkly.

“Indeed,” Dr. Soong said. “But I for one am not just about to let everything here go to waste. At the very least, I’d like to guarantee my greatest creations will be safe."

"Greatest creations?" The Doctor asked. "Wait… you're not talking about--"

"I am," Dr. Soong said, a twinkle in his eye, before taking yet another deep breath: "And I don’t care what any visionless fools will say: they are ALIVE!”

Over a millennium later, The Federation Skyship Enterprise roared over rolling waves. With her engines at warp speed, they blared as brightly as the distant sun.

Captain’s Log, SFD 62.1932

To my dismay, our mission to chart the rest of the Arcturian Sea has been put on an unexpected hold. Instead, we have been dispatched on a Priority One mission by Skyfleet, who in turn are acting on a request from the Federation president herself. Given the unusual nature of what we’re being asked to do, I’m contacting the president to elaborate further on this matter.

In his ready room, Picard stood in front of a device the Federation had barely been able to get ahold of through trade: a megascope. Despite being from a relatively less advanced civilization, this strange piece of magitek still intrigued Picard due to what it was currently producing in front of him: a hologram.

It bore the resemblance of an older, but still marvelously perky woman in old-fashioned, gothic clothing. A cat-like smile adorned her face as she explained the situation with great enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm Captain Picard did not share.

“It’s not that I don’t understand the importance of what you wish us to do,” he said. “I’m merely concerned about the safety of my crew.”

“Oh Jean-Luc,” the hologram cooed. “Do you really think I’d put my favorite captain in such a position? I can assure you, the radiation levels of that area are quite harmless.”

“Ms. President…” Picard groaned.

“How many times must you make me say it?” She chided playfully. “Call me Missy; everyone who matters does.”

“Fine, Missy--”

“See? Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?”

“Ms. President!” Picard said, his voice dangerously close to a shout. “I am still curious as to how you even received the whereabouts of this… this Gallifreyan vault in the first place.”

“See, this is why I like you,” the President of the Federation beamed. “Infinitely curious.”

“I’m… flattered, of course,” Picard sighed. “But that doesn’t exactly answer my question.”

Missy smirked. “If I told you it was ‘classified’, what would your first course of action be?”

Jean-Luc studied her gaze, thinking carefully about his response.

She merely chuckled. “Oh, don’t bother. We both know you’d start making inquiries. With your influence, you’d probably find out eventually. So, why don’t I save you and many others the trouble. I assume a man as fascinated in archeology as yourself has kept up with the latest findings, yes?”

“I… dabble.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then you most likely know of what Dr. Jones discovered in the Arawak Rainforest.”

“Mmm, yes,” Picard nodded. “An apparent colony of a non-Terran Continent civilization, if I remember correctly.”

“Not the first, and most certainly not the last to be discovered,” Missy stated. “However, unlike many others, this was not so unknown. Care to take a guess as to who it belonged to?”

Picard folded his arms, thinking to himself. There were only so many non-Terran ancient civilizations the Federation knew about so far. So, he took a guess: “Was it… Gallifreyan?”

Missy smirked, a whimsical look coming over her. “Oh, he really would have liked you.”

“May I ask who it is you’re referring to?” Picard asked.

The president merely laughed. “I have no qualms with giving away some of my innumerable secrets to you for free, but for that particular one, you’re going to have to earn it.”

Picard folded his arms. “I see.”

“All in due time, dearest,” she continued in a sing-song tone. “Now then - I leave you to put two and two together as to how we came about the vault’s location. Not that it matters, anyway - it won’t be around for anyone else to find out about after long.”

“You’re saying there’s a ticking clock element to this?”

Missy bobbed her head back and forth. “Yes and no. For anyone else looking for it, perhaps. The length of said clock is entirely dependent on your expedience.”

Picard puzzled over that, before finally blinking in surprise. “You want us to destroy the vault?”

Missy smiled. “Another gold star for you, captain. Well done. I am a bit surprised at your surprise, however. What else did you expect to be sent there for?”

“You stated it was a vault of technology,” Picard said. “I only assumed--”

“If it were any other time and if we were any other nation,” Missy said. “Don’t get me wrong, if it wasn’t for democracy we wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation. However, the freer the people, the looser the lips, the easier to ease-drop.

Federation security has and never will be tight enough to keep it from being infested with spies. As we speak, other nations are likely being informed about the vault. They will undoubtedly begin deploying assets to its location very soon. The Galactan Empire, Nilfgaard, the United North, the Goa'uld, and even our BFFs the Klingon Orcs are all close enough to beat you to the punch. That or intercept any sort of shipment."

“And if they did …” Picard continued.

“They could be given a decisive advantage,” Missy stated. “You know as well as I how advanced the Gallifreyans were both technologically and mystically speaking. If only they weren’t stupid enough to wipe themselves out, they’d probably dominate the known world at this point.”

“It is still heavily debated whether they actually did so,” Picard said bluntly.

“Quick as a whip but still disappointingly optimistic,” Missy chuckled. “A true personification of the Federation. Come now, captain - we both know in our heart of hearts what happened to them. They were infants who tried to run before they could crawl. And that brings me to my next point: even if we got ahold of the technology before the other nations, there’s no guarantee it would stay in our hands, nor that we would be ready to use it anymore than the Gallifreans were. I will not allow their own hubris to destroy us.”

“You’ll hear no argument from me,” Picard stated. “I’ve long since been of the mindset that one’s technology should never outpace one’s culture. The Federation is, after all, still in its relative infancy. With that in mind, however, there may be factions within it that will take objection.”

“Let them cry,” Missy said nonchalantly. “I can handle the political blowback. Besides, it’ll likely stay behind closed doors. I don’t think they’ll want to try to rally the public on their side. No public support and Missy is on easy street.”

Picard raised an eyebrow. “Third person?”

“Never claimed not to have an ego,” Missy winked. “Now then: you have the coordinates. So mon capitaine - that’s Gallian for ‘my captain’, by the way - make mommy proud.”

Before Captain Picard could say another word, the hologram blinked off, and the light droning noise of the megascope drew silent. Picard shook his head in bafflement, silently uttering to himself: ‘mommy?’

The absolutely clear skies surrounding the Enterprise beckoned through her bridge's windows, offering an unusually beautiful view. This came with a bountiful supply of sunlight, enough to put anyone in a good mood. Despite this luxury, the crew were still tense when Picard stepped into the saucer-like room.

“Captain?” Riker asked, an apprehensive look in the (newly) bearded man’s eyes.

“Maintain course, Number One,” Picard sighed. “I just spoke with the president herself - whatever environmental hazards may be present, we are to complete this mission.”

“It must be pretty damned serious, then,” Riker said.

Picard nodded. “When both Skyfleet and the president agree on something, you bet it is. In fact, she seems personally invested in seeing this through. She views it as vital to the security of the Federation.”

“So the Federation is actually being proactive for once?" Leia smiled. "No argument from me."

"I still think this is a bad idea," Victor grumbled. "We really don't want to mess around in that neighborhood."

“Mind your post, ensign,” Mr. Worf grunted. “The honor is to serve, no matter the task.”

Victor raised his human eyebrow. "Hey, I'm not the one who is gonna be the most at risk."

“Can’t say I don't see your point, Ensign Stone,” Command Shepard stated. “The last time a ship was ordered into the Atomic Sea, half the crew died two weeks afterwards.”

Picard turned to her. “The president has... assured me that radiation levels of the particular area in question are perfectly safe.”

The battle-hardened woman folded her arms in skepticism. "I heard the same thing from officers about to order kids into a mustard gas-filled trench. 'Don't worry, it's safe.'"

"This isn't the Great War, commander," Picard said with a slight shiver. "Though I can’t say I don’t understand you.”

“Did you manage to get ahold of Dr. Crusher?” Riker asked. “Would have been nice to hear her opinion on this …”

"Dr. Crusher?” Luna asked curiously.

“An old friend,” Picard said. “We served together on the Seagazer. And no, unfortunately Skyfleet Medical reported she was out doing field work. Dr. Kelso was there, however. He gave me the same response as the president.” Picard raised a finger, turning back to Riker. “Nonetheless, I believe everyone’s concerns are warranted. I would like Dr. Cox to supply a small amount of Potassium Iodide supplements to all crew members who need them, just in case.”

“Aye, captain,” he said, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

He then turned to Deanna, sitting in a chair adjacent to the captain’s. “Counselor, both this order combined with the nature of the mission may cause a certain amount of unrest among the crew. I’d like you to proactively monitor their stress levels and intervene at your discretion.”

“My staff and I will be on the lookout, captain,” she said. “You’re right, though: radiation is still something barely understood by modern science. Many have an almost primordial fear of it.”

“Something that could kill you without you even knowing it’s there?” Tasha stated. “Can’t say it doesn’t freak me out a little.”

“I still think this is going to be worth it,” Princess Leia said. “Buuut…I do see where everyone’s coming from. Before joining the Federation, New Republic Intelligence had suggested the Empire was working on dirty weapons using radioactive elements. Then, it suddenly stopped. From what we learned later, the entire Imperial science division tasked with it had died of radiation poisoning.” She narrowed her eyes. “The Empire’s regard for life never extended beyond the Emperor’s himself.”

“Maybe that’s what happened with the Gallifreyans?” Riker said. “What if those sorts of weapons are the reason the whole place is a deadzone?” He then looked at Luna. “You wouldn’t happen to know, would you?”

“Don’t look at me,” the former princess stated. “As I've said to others, back when the Gallifreyans went extinct, my people were just starting to build wooden houses. We weren’t even aware of a world outside of our home continent.”

“If given the time, perhaps we will have a chance to solve this mystery, then,” Picard mused.

“Given the time?” Riker asked.

“Indeed. Our primary mission is to destroy the vault, whatever form it may take,” the captain said.

Naturally, this was enough to cause the bridge crew to break into murmurs.

“Destroy it? And all the tech goodies that might be there?”

“Has the president lost her mind?”

“Pffft… we already know she’s lost hermind. I just can’t believe Skyfleet’s going along with it.”

“Everyone, please,” Riker interjected, silencing the crew.

Picard nodded his way in thanks, before continuing. “There is reason to believe other factions may be aware of the vault. They may even be heading to it as we speak. We are not to allow such advanced technology to fall into potentially hostile hands.”

“Any in particular?” Victor asked.

“All nearby nations are suspect,” Picard stated.

"The Empire wouldn’t be above using that type of tech to create more superweapons," Leia said.

“My people would also have no issue using it,” Worf stated. “Even if it meant straining relations with the Federation.”

“What happens if someone gets there before us?” Shepard asked. “How far are we willing to go to keep things buried?”

“I’d prefer keeping our mouths open and our guns silent,” Picard said. “Though anything up to starting a war is on the table.”

“I’ll have Mr. Garrus calibrate the main cannons then,” Worf said, a slight hint of eagerness in his eyes.

Picard nodded. “I’d like all systems and crew ready for combat - again, just in case.”

“What about away teams, captain?” Shepard said. “Should we be strictly demolitions?”

Picard shook his head. “No, get a decent mix of specialists. I’d like to at least document as much as we can before we’re forced to destroy it.”

“Kill two birds with one stone,” Riker suggested.

“Indeed, Number One. Oh, and Commander Shepard, that includes one or more of our archeologists. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the opportunity to finally get their hands dirty.”

“Aye, sir, will do,” Shepard said.

Picard took a deep breath, taking his seat in the middle of the room and habitually adjusting his uniform. Riker took a seat next to him.

“So much for just exploring - eh, captain?” he asked.

“Mmm, it would certainly seem so," Picard mused. “Though if someone beats us to the punch, I don't believe exploration will be on the menu for a very long time. Let’s just hope the president's fears are unfounded."

“Disconnect safety locks from our Long Engines,” a cool, calm voice ordered. “And have our jedi ‘friend’ continually monitoring for any unexpected surges.”

“But Grand Admiral Thrawn, if it overloads…”

“It will be a long voyage home,” Thrawn spoke. “I know, Captain Pellaeon. However, it’s a choice between possibly making it there in time or not making it there at all.”

“I understand,” Pellaeon sighed, turning to his communications officer. “Relay the admiral’s orders, ensign.”

“Aye, sir.”

Above distant waters, on the bridge of the Imperial Sky Destroyer Chimera, Grand Admiral Thrawn was juggling between reading through various ship status reports and strategizing. Captain Pellaeon stood by him, hoping the Imperial leader wasn't detecting the worry on his face.

“We should assume the Federation will make no delay in dispatching a ship to the vault’s location,” Thrawn spoke.

“Do you think they know about our spy ring?” Pellaeon asked.

“Know? No,” Thrawn said. “Suspect? Almost certainly.”

“Then they’re definitely going to make haste,” Eli Vanto, Thrawn’s aide stated.

“That, too, is a certainty,” Thrawn acknowledged.

“How many ships do you believe they’ll send?” Pellaeon asked.

“Just one,” Thrawn said, no hint of doubt in his voice. “The Enterprise. It’s all they’ll need to end the vault’s long existence. It’s also the only ship that could reach it before rival vessels could. Or at least the vessels they're aware of.”

“Even so, I still have misgivings with you leading this mission personally,” Eli said. “You’re the leader of the Galactan Empire now - if something were to happen to you…”

Thrawn shook his head. “The menial risk to my life is well worth the benefits such ‘lead by example’ maneuverings afford me.”

Eli raised his eyebrows. “And I’m sure this has nothing to do with wanting to test the Federation’s mettle personally, either, right?”

Thrawn threw him a rare, bemused look in response. “We’ve already gained quite a bit of information on the Federation, but Picard… I want to see how he’ll react. He seems to be a somewhat unpredictable variable.”

“How can you be certain he’ll destroy the vault, then?” Pellaeon asked.

“Because there is one constant he has shown: Picard truly believes in the ideals of the Federation.” Thrawn said. “All they are is what they wish to be. You can see it in their art: every detail, every stroke of the brush shows a culture that wishes to be called enlightened. Their only concern in regards to defense is to ‘keep a level playing field’, so to speak. They believe that as long as that stays true, peace is always on the table.”

“I wish they were right,” Palleon sighed.

“As do I,” Thrawn said. “I’m actually more concerned with dealing with third parties - or rogue Federation elements.”

Palleon raised his eyebrows. “You believe they might get involved?”

Thrawn narrowed his blood-red eyes. “If they know about this - and they almost certainly do - then it’s without a doubt. The puzzle is how they’d plan to go about such an operation.”

Thousands of miles away, in a rare clearing among Farpoint Island's jungles, a group of individuals stacked supply crates in front of a large, upright circular ring. Directing them was a man whose face was entirely obscured by bandages. Seeing a spare moment, he slipped out a semi-automatic pistol from his vest, popped out its clip, and inspected the glowing bullets from within. Seemingly satisfied, he then slipped it back in just as a young, Xinian woman approached him.

"Is that everything, Ms. Sato?" he asked, his voice deep and calm yet laced with a smoldering fire.

“Yes, Joshua. We’re all set here,” the woman said. “Just need to wait for the Captain to send us the coordinates.”

“God be willing,” Joshua nodded, before clearing his throat and grabbing the attention of the four other individuals around him.

“I don’t think I need to tell anyone here that The Federation is the greatest miracle the almighty has ever bestowed upon this blasted world.

Its greatest flaw, unfortunately, is that its people don’t recognize this.

It’s hard to blame them when the memories of what came before have rotted away, but reality itself is never so easily eroded. Thus, we few who know what lies outside its stone walls must safeguard it from the terror that lingers just out of sight. We will be the fuel that allows its flame to burn in that darkness. And once we seize the technology of the ancient ones…”

The only visible features of his face, his eyes, narrowed.

“It will keep burning for a thousand years.”

The Stakes

Chapter Image

“Captain, we should be about a klick away from the coordinates,” Luna stated.

“And yet no land in sight,” Riker said, gazing out the bridge windows and over the bow of the Enterprise. All that could be seen were clear skies and ocean waves. “How certain was Skyfleet of its location?”

“Neither Skyfleet or the president gave a margin of error,” Picard said. “We have to assume the coordinates are relatively accurate.”

While they spoke, Luna was fiddling with the bulky, mechanical calculator at her station. After a second, she seemed to get the desired result. “At present speed, we’ll be directly over the coordinates in 10 seconds.”

“Nicely done, CN,” Riker said, pulling out a mechanical stopwatch from his uniform and clicking it on.

“And Celestia said mathematics were a useless study,” Luna said, smiling whimsically to herself. “She never could get the hang of calculus…”

Picard raised an eyebrow. “I thought your teacher was a wizard?”

“A wizard who believed in a broad curriculum,” Luna corrected.

"His diligence is our boon, then," Picard noted.

At that moment, Riker clicked off his stop-watch. “Ms. Hopper, cut the mana drive and extend braking sails.”

“Aye, sir,” the young, long-haired psychic complied.

Picard turned to Charlie. "Ms. Magne, please patch me through to our belly lookout."

"On it,” she said, now expertly manipulating her relay board. “You should be loud and clear."

Picard raised his voice slightly. “Mr. Wheeler, do you see anything unusual directly beneath the ship? Or anything for that matter aside from the obvious?”

“Sorry, captain, just waves,” a voice stated through the intercom. “Just got done searching with a spotlight, too, just in case. Got nothing. Um, and also, sorry for being kind of unprofessional, but is El up there?”

“Hey Mike!” Jane beamed.

“Hey! How are things in--”

“Thank you, Mr. Wheeler,” Picard grunted, giving Charlie a nod.

She gave a frowning Jane a sympathetic look as she cut the comms.

“What now, captain?” Riker asked.

“Mmm,” Picard said, bringing a hand to his chin. “It stands to reason that if the Gallifreyans wanted to keep their legacy preserved somewhere, they’d want it to be in a remote location.”

“Beneath the waves, maybe?” Shepard suggested.

“There would be no better place,” Picard said, before turning to Victor. “Mr. Stone, please lower a multi-beam echosounder probe. Let’s see if the seabed has any unusual features.”

“With pleasure, captain,” Victor stated, grinning slightly. “Been wanting to test this baby out.”

A moment later, a small hatch opened on the belly on the skyship. From it came a metallic sphere which began to lower via cable. Though the Enterprise was hovering around 200 meters above the ocean surface, it didn’t take long for the probe to splash beneath the waves.

“Starting to get readings now,” Victor said, gazing at a green-tinted screen at his workstation. Slowly, various lines began to trace on it: topographical data. To the untrained eye, it would seem like gibberish, but to him: “Yepper - we got something, captain. Solid rectangular feature is showing up kind of jutting out from the seafloor. Ten to one odds that thing isn’t natural.”

“An entrance of some kind?” Riker suggested.

“Perhaps to a structure buried beneath the seafloor,” Picard said, a hint of wonder in his voice.

“Definitely beyond what our engineers can do,” Leia said. “Even with magical assistance.”

“Ensign, what’s the depth of the object?” Picard asked Victor.

“Looks like it’s at a depth of about 200 meters. Unusually shallow for this far from land. Looks like we got lucky.”

Picard shook his head. “No, not luck. The Gallifreyans may have chosen this particular location for a reason. Just the right depth to keep their secrets hidden but not deep enough to be inconvenient to access.”

“We shouldn’t waste any time, then,” Shepard said. “Captain, permission to assemble an away team.”

“What do you have in mind, commander?” Picard asked.

“We’ll bring the Normander dropship as close to the surface as possible,” Shepard said. “Then, we drop right down on it.”

“Finally making use of the new diving suits?” Riker asked.

Shepard smiled slightly. “I have something more… unorthodox in mind.”

“Oh?”

“We could have one of the mages create a forcefield around the away team,” she explained. “All we’ll need to do then is ride it to the ocean floor.”

“Wait, what about oxygen?” Leia asked.

“She’s right,” Riker said, nodding. “Even if your mage manages to create a 20 foot bubble, you wouldn’t have much air.”

“Got an idea about that, too,” Shepard grinned.

“This is a terrible, terrible idea!” Dr. McKay whined. “A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea!”

Shepard resisted rolling her eyes with all her might. “I understand your concerns, Dr. McKay, but--”

“No, I don’t think you do,” Rodney growled. “Do you know how precise an alchemist would have to be to transmute the right quantities of CO2 to Oxygen? Pretty. Friggin’. Precise. Otherwise we either suffocate or die of oxygen poisoning.”

In the Bridge Spire’s conference room, six individuals sat around a long, wooden table. Rodney was, as usual, not in a good mood.

“Alphonse seems more than confident in his abilities,” Shepard said, gesturing at one of the two blonde, young men in the briefing room.

Alphonse glanced about nervously.

“Right?”

“Well, uh …”

Rodney gave Shepard a blank look. “Oh yeah, he looks like he’s ready to write a dissertation on it!”

“Easy, Rodney,” the other young, blonde man, Edward Elric cautioned. “Only I’m allowed to bust on my brother.”

“Thanks, Edward,” Alphonse said sarcastically.

“Look, we don’t have much of a choice here,” Tasha said. “From what the captain said, speed is everything.”

“Then we should just use my diving suits instead of wasting time on this!” Rodney snapped.

“Uhhh, aren’t they kind of bulky, though?” Undyne said, the semi-aquatic Astral folding her arms.

“Bulky but safe,” Rodney mumbled.

“Yeah, but that might cost us time we need,” Undyne pointed out.

“Says the fish person!" Rodney snapped. "You’re not the one who has to travel to the seafloor in a bubble.”

“Fish person?!” Undyne growled, the muscular woman towering over the cantankerous scientist. “Look, we’ve put up with plenty of your BS, Dr. McKay, but that’s going too far!”

Rodney gulped slightly, before glancing away from her. “... Alright, you’re right, that was stupid. Sorry.”

Undyne suddenly grinned at him. “Just busting your chops - I don’t really care. Do you know how many sushi jokes I’ve had to put up with?”

Tasha, naturally, burst out laughing. McKay, meanwhile, glanced about the room, as if unsure how to react.

“Hate to say it, but Dr. McKay has a point,” Edward said. “Only a top-level A-Type Alchemist could pull something like that off.”

“Thank you,” Rodney said, relief apparent in his voice.

“Fortunately, Alphonse is a top-level alchemist,” Edward beamed.

Alphonse looked back at him, nearly flabbergasted. “That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve said to me, brother.”

“Won't be me who will have trouble breathing if you screw this up,” Edward grinned.

Alphonse practically deflated. “Whelp, it was good while it lasted.”

“Come on, we need a straight answer here,” Shepard said, folding her arms. “Can you do it or not, Mr. Elric?”

Alphonse thought for a second, before nodding. “Yes, yes I’m positive.”

“Then that settles it,” Shepard said, before smirking at Rodney. “Of course, you’re free to stay on the ship…”

“Tempting.”

“If you want to miss studying Gallifreyan technology first-hand.”

“...”

Her smirk grew wider. “I’m told it’ll be at least 30 years before even Vulcan Elves can walk around their micro-continent.”

Dr. McKay shook his head, exasperated. “Alright, alright, fine, we’ll do it your way, commander. However, let’s at least bring along some small oxygen tanks if anything goes wrong.”

“Sounds good to me,” Shepard nodded.

“Who's gonna make the shield for you guys, though?" Undyne asked. "Cus I don't know those types of spells."

"What spells do you know?" Alphonse asked curiously.

"The stabby kind," Undyne said, summoning a blue-green energy spear in her hands. "Also, I'm good at lighting stuff on fire. Ironic, right?”

“That could certainly come in handy,” Shepard said.

She gave a toothy grin. “You betcha. If the C4 we bring isn't enough to blow the place, how bout’ I just torch it?"

“Assuming there’s even any air in the vault,” McKay said.

"Quit worrying, you two," Edward grinned. "This isn't just regular C4 I whipped up, I’m calling it C4-F. These things can tear through a foot of solid steel. And they work underwater."

“How can you be that confident?” Tasha asked.

Edward’s grin widened. “They’re enhanced by fire salts.”

"Wait… wait what?" Tasha said, flabbergasted. "I thought those were just a myth? How the hell did you manage to get ahold of some?"

"Premiere chemist in the Federation, remember?" Edward smirked. "I have sources."

“Vinny helped you get them, didn’t he?” Alphonse said cheekily. “Drachmans have always been good at blowing things up, after all.”

“Shut up, Al,” Edward grumbled.

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re very good at what you do,” McKay sighed. “I’d still like to know whose hocus pocus is going to keep me from drowning, however.”

“That would be my hocus pocus, Dr. McKay,” a new voice said.

“You’re late, Dr. T’Soni,” Commander Shepard said, her tone more teasing than angry.

“I apologize, Commander,” the clearly excited Asari Nymph said formally, walking over to the conference table and taking a seat. “I was compiling everything I have on the Gallifreyans and then consolidating the most useful information into a backpack-sized--”

“It’s alright, Liara,” Shepard said. “Long-range radar says we’re still in the clear. That being said, the captain still wants us to depart within two hours. I intend to be underwater within one.”

Dr. McKay raised an eyebrow. “While I’d normally trust an archeologist more than a trained magician, I thought that’s who we’d be getting for this.”

“Asari Nymphs are naturally gifted in barrier magic, Dr. McKay,” Shepard said. “She should be able to handle this pretty easily.”

“Indeed,” Liara nodded. “In fact, I’ve used a similar technique when exploring underwater Prothean ruins before. I am a little concerned about making a sustained forcefield more than eight feet in diameter, however.”

“The team is only composed of seven people,” Shepard said, glancing about the room. “Everyone in this room plus Lieutenant LaForge minus Specialist Edward. I’m sorry, Mr. Elric, I know you like sticking by your brother.”

Edward shot Shepard a look. “Hey, I said that in confidence!”

“It’s alright, brother, I know,” Alphonse said.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want everyone else to,” he mumbled, folding his arms.

Shepard deadpanned, before turning towards Undyne.

“Fortunately, Sergeant Undyne here--”

“Yo!” she said, waving.

“--happens to be aquatic, so she’ll be swimming along with us. Your bubble should be more than enough for the rest of us.”

“Bit of a tight squeeze,” Tasha joked.

“You should have tried riding in a horseless carriage with Al when he used to be made of metal,” Edward said.

Tasha raised her eyebrows. “Used to be made of what?”

“Brother, you said you’d stop talking about that!” Alphonse grumbled. “It just confuses people.” He glanced towards Tasha, looking apologetic. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Tasha said playfully, before turning back to Shepard. “Sorry, commander. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s fine - I think we’ve covered everything,” she said. “Remember, I want to be underwater in an hour. Gather up everything you need and meet me on the Normander in 45 minutes. 1500 hours.”

"Wait, quick question. Should we bother with radiopacks?" Alphonse asked

"It might be worth it for you," Edward pointed out.

Shepard paused, gazing at nobody in particular with a thinking look on. Finally, she shook her head. “Normally I'd say yes, but given the circumstances, no. They're too bulky. Any other questions?"

The group stood silently.

"Alright then," Shepard said. "Remember, it's possible someone is going to show up to screw with us any time now, so move like we're expecting that sort of company. Go, go, go!"

“Sir, somebody’s just showed up on long range radar,” Stone said, a hint of worry in his voice. “One contact heading directly towards us. Range 50 kilometers, relative bearing 87 mark 27."

“That’s directly from the Galactan Empire,” Luna stated.

“Looks like a large skyship,” Stone continued. “My guess? Sky Destroyer. They’re hauling ass, too. Will be in weapon’s range in one hour and thirty minutes. Didn't even think they could move that quick.”

“They must have made improvements to their engines,” Worf said. “A pretty big coincidence they managed to do so right around the same time we did.”

“A good point, Mr. Worf, but we’ll have to look into that matter later,” Picard said. “Right now, we need to figure out what they want.”

“We’re too far from their territory for them to just be ‘checking us out’,” Leia said. “Not that they need an excuse for aggressive BS, but it just wouldn’t make sense.'

“She’s right, captain,” Riker advised. “They must have been tipped off.”

Picard squinted in thought for a moment. “It seems to be the most likely explanation, though I’d like to keep the door open to other possibilities.”

“Still having trouble following your gut, huh?” Leia said, slightly annoyed.

“I never said we weren’t going to be cautious,” Picard said. He then swivelled his chair 180 degrees. “Mr. Worf, go on yellow alert. Have all gunners report to their stations.”

“Aye, sir.”

Klaxons began to blare yellow.

Picard then turned to Charlie. “Ms. Magne, contact our flight teams. Have all support craft ready to launch on my signal. After that, let Shepard know he needs to launch his mission as soon as possible. Oh, and contact Counselor Troi and have her report to the bridge. Her help would be appreciated.”

“Would you like that with a side of fries?” she joked.

Picard gave her a blank look in response.

“Guess not,” she simpered.

Riker turned to Picard. “We’re still trying diplomacy, right?”

“Before doing anything, I’d like to confirm what they’re up to,” Picard said firmly. “But yes, as much as we possibly can. Our orders explicitly state to avoid starting a war, and I intend to follow them to the letter.”

Leia gazed at him ominously. “You may not want a war, captain, but trust me, they do. By every definition, the Empire is a fascist nation, and a fascist nation needs conflict to survive.”

Picard gave her a wary look. “With the Empire being led by a more… rational leader in Thrawn, isn’t there a chance they may be open to talk?”

Leia thought for a second, before shaking her head. “Thrawn is as unknown as the Unknown Regions he comes from, but you don’t become a Grand Admiral by being soft - not in the Empire. He’s also one of the few non-humans to achieve that rank, despite their general xenophobia. That should give you an idea as to what he’s capable of.”

“You’re speaking like he’ll be coming here personally,” Riker said.

Leia chuckled slightly. “Though we know little about him, we do know he enjoys leading from the front. That might just be the case.”

“Well then,” Picard said, narrowing his eyes. “Look sharp, everyone. We may be receiving a state visit."

“Admiral, radar’s showing a ship at the designated coordinates,” an officer reported on the bridge of the Chimera.

“Looks like they beat us to the punch,” Eli said, slightly disappointed.

“Unfortunate, though not unexpected,” Thrawn said calmly. “The Federation flagship is almost certainly using their new Green Hornet encryption technique for radio communications. It’s time to see if what our spies provided us was worth the effort.”

“Aye, sir,” Eli said. “Just a reminder, though: Federation ships do not use radio for internal communications. They’re entirely wire-based.”

“Not to worry,” Thrawn said. “I’m specifically interested in hearing the communications between them and their away team.”

“Away team?” Palleon said, curious.

“The Federation prizes knowledge to a great degree," Thrawn explained. "One of their best attributes. It’s likely they’ll attempt to study the Gallifreyan vault before destroying it.”

"How are we supposed to secure it for ourselves if they already have a team on the ground?" Palleon asked.

"I will consider it an acceptable loss if we do not secure the technology and it is merely destroyed," Thrawn said. "As long as they make no attempt to extract it, of course, which I don't believe they will. Not with Picard in command."

"Then we just need to sit back and wait to Picard to do the job for us," Eli said, relaxing slightly.

"That would be preferable. However, as I stated earlier… it may not be so simple. There is a third party that may try to obtain the technology on the Federation's behalf, even if they do not ‘officially’ want it." Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "Make no mistake: we will do everything in our power to make sure that doesn't happen."

"What if Picard objects?" Palleon asked.

Thrawn’s tone grew colder than usual as he answered: "Then the wreck of the Enterprise becomes a second curious ruin in this stretch of ocean. May future civilizations find it interesting."

Grim Waters

Chapter Image

A mere half-hour later, Liara had packed her things and was briskly strutting across the Enterprise's flight deck. The usually calm portion of the ship was now a flurry of activity, with various X-Wing fighters and Y-Wing bombers busily being armed and fueled.

Nearby, several of the quad-barelled anti-aircraft guns that lined the flight deck were also being readied. As she passed by one of the three-man nests, should could roughly overhear a conversation:

"Come on, Double D. Is the height adjuster working yet or not?"

"Patience, Eddy. I must remind you that the slightest me miscalibration with this can exponentially decrease the chance to--"

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Just make sure we can hit something with it. Remember, the more Tie Fighters we shoot down, the faster we get promoted, the more we get paid."

"And the more gravy we get in the mess hall!"

"Sure, Ed."

"Do you really think the Empire is going to attack, Eddy?"

"Pffft, it's the Empire. Of course they're gonna attack. Get your rear in gear, mi amigo!"

"Oh dear, oh dear! Must work faster, must work faster!"

Liara grimaced as she continued towards the Normander, currently sitting beyond the flight deck on its landing pad. However, right before reaching it, she heard a familiar voice:

"Liara, wait!"

She turned about to the sight of Sunset Shimmer rushing towards her. She noticed she was holding something: the strange Gallifreyan artifact the two of them had been studying.

Liara blinked. "Sunset? My apologies, but I'm not sure I have time to--"

"I know, I know," she said. "I just wanted to give you this before you went. We cracked it, Luna and I. We're almost certain it's used as a power source now."

"Like a mana battery?" Liara asked.

"It is a battery, but a purely electric one, and quite powerful at that," she replied in wonder. "Which is why it was giving us such a rough time. But never mind that. What's important is it still has a charge. Might come in handy given where you're going."

"Doesn't seem right that I'll be enjoying the fruits of your labor," Liara frowned sympathetically, accepting the 'gift'. "I wish you could come as well."

Sunset shrugged. "I appreciate it - I do love getting out on the field - but it is what it is. Just promise you'll share your notes with me when you get back."

"Of course," she smiled. "Be safe."

"You too," Sunset nodded. "Celestia's light be with you."

And so the two parted ways.

After another moment of brisk walking, Liara arrived at the Normander's ramp. Most of her 'squad' was already there, plus one extra.

"J-Just promise you'll be e-extra careful on this one," a small, lizard-like creature said, gazing up at Undyne with a mix of worry and affection. "These old ruins can sometimes have t-traps and automated security and--"

"Nothing's gonna get in the way of me coming back with a souvenir for you, Alphys," Undyne grinned. "Don't care how many Gallifreyan deathbots I gotta smash."

A hint of a smirk grew on Alphys's face. "N-Now that I'd like to see myself… assuming they even had machines like--"

"Shhh, don't lose hope," Undyne said, leaning down and pecking her partner on the lips. "And don't let the Empire wreck this place while I'm gone."

"I'd like to see them try," Alphys said, her eyes narrowing.

Undyne smiled proudly. "Boo, you're getting tougher by the day. Love you."

"You too. G-Good luck."

And with one more kiss, they parted as well. A moment later, the only people left in the dropship's troop bay were the away team.

The Normander didn't need to travel far to reach the ocean's surface. Hovering so close to the water its underside was being licked by white-caps, it could easily be mistaken for an oddly-shaped boat rather than a skyship.

"Alright kids," Joker announced over the intercom. "Have a fun day at the pool."

A mechanical whir of gears and chains spinning signalled the rear ramp of the ship was extending. Soon after, a large, shimmering bubble exited it, plopping into the waves.

“Deep breaths, Rodney, deep breaths,” the anxious doctor said to himself, gazing at the clicking geiger counter in his hands. "Totally not floating to the bottom of a radioactive ocean in a wizard bubble right now."

Tasha could barely resist chuckling at his comment.

"Relax, doctor," Geordi comforted, his glowing blue orbs for eyes gazing at the counter as well. "There's no more radiation than what I get working around the mana engine, and I haven't grown a third hand yet."

"Yeah, well you might want to check for one, Mr. Engineer," Rodney scoffed. "This is still frontier science we’re talking about - my field. Nobody is exactly volunteering to be a test subject, so we still don't know exactly how much is too much."

"With how paranoid Skyfleet is about safety?" Shepard chuckled. "A lot more than this."

"I'd still much rather be in my lab right now," Rodney grumbled. "My nice, atmospherically stable lab."

"Do you want me to turn this bubble around, Dr. McKay?" Liara joked.

Rodney merely huffed in response.

Within said bubble, Liara's blue hands glowed softly, trickles of magical energy flickering from them and into the bubble walls. Periodically, Alphonse clapped his hands, producing no results to the naked eye, but subatomically alchemically transmuting carbon-monoxide into breathable oxygen.

As they grew deeper, the bubble's glow was the only thing illuminating a seemingly infinite darkness.

Outside, Undyne swam alongside them in the murky waters, a bemused expression on the former royal guard's face. "You guys okay in there?" she called, her voice somehow loud and clear inside the forcefield.

"Wait, wait what?" Tasha said, blinking. "How come you don't sound, well, like you're underwater?"

"Uh, how can we hear her at all?" Alphonse asked.

"It's magic, probably," Rodney moaned. "And that means it practically resists making sense."

"Spoken like a non-magic user," Liara chided.

"Nothing wrong with wanting a bit of precision," Geordi said. "Magic can't offer that."

"Thank you," Rodney said.

“I can’t knock it that hard, though,” Geordi said, pointing at his 'eyes.' “Wouldn’t be able to see without it, really.”

"Also, T-Type Alchemy has plenty of precision behind it," Alphonse objected in-between two claps of his hands. “Do you know how many calculations I have to do in my head just to turn Carbon-12 into Carbon-13?”

“Two?” Rodney smirked.

“Well… yeah, but that’s not the point!”

Geordi chuckled. “It’s still a hot topic whether or not that type of alchemy should be considered a magic field.”

“If it requires a detailed memorization of the periodic table, it definitely counts as science,” Alphonse said.

“And I thought Alphys was a nerd,” Undyne laughed. “You guys are giving her a run for her money, though.”

“Wait, you can hear us out there, too?!” Rodney said, shaking his head in confusion.

Liara raised an eyebrow. “This type of magic is odd even for me. What sort of spell are you using?”

“A top secret Monster spell,” Undyne said. “Long buried in our own secret vaults!"

“Really?” Tasha said, giving her a sarcastic smirk.

She stuck out her tongue. “Naw, just kidding, I don’t know how it works either. Just does what it does.”

“Fascinating,” Liara said, turning her attention towards the swimming astral. “It sounds passive in nature. It must come as naturally to you as breathing...”

Just then, the bubble began to flicker, as if it were losing strength.

“Uh, is it supposed to be doing that?” Tasha asked.

“Liara, concentrate!” Shepard snapped.

“Oh no, sorry!” she said, taking a deep breath.

Immediately, the bubble regained integrity.

“Please tell me we’re almost there,” Rodney moaned, sweat now leaking from his forehead.

“We’ve got to be getting close - been dropping for ten minutes now,” Shepard noted.

A second later, as if replying to her, there was a light thud as the group touched the sea floor, the bottom of the bubble moving under it ever-so-slightly.

And with nothing but magic between them and the water, they stood on drenched sand 20 leagues deep.

“That’s a yes,” Tasha said. “Geordi, do you see anything?”

Geordi glanced about, his ‘eyes’ glowing brighter for a second. “Nothing but some weird-looking fish so far."

"Weird fish, you say?" Shepard said, a surprising hint of eagerness in her tone.

"Yeah, why?" Geordi puzzled.

"Oh, nothing," Shepard said.

"Wishing you could add them to your collection?" Liara asked.

Shepard coughed. "Uh, anyway, are you sure there's nothing out there, Mr. LaForge?

“Sorry commander, nothing but--" He paused. "Huh. Wait a sec."

"What?"

"There’s something over that way.” He pointed in a particular direction. “Some sort of obtrusion. It's hard to see. Kind of just an outline.”

“Better than nothing,” Shepard said, nodding. “Let’s move. Remember, nice and slow.”

And so they began to walk along the seafloor, their backpacks full of equipment clanking along the way. Despite the limited view of their surroundings, the group still gazed about in awe.

“Never thought strolling along the bottom of the ocean would be part of my Skyfleet career,” Geordi said.

Liara chuckled. “You know, they say we’ve only charted around 20% of the known landmases of the world, to say nothing of the unknown. And even then, all of that’s nothing compared to the sea.”

“Can’t imagine how many things are down here to discover,” Alphonse said.

“Yeah, well, let’s just hope nothing down here wants to discover us,” Rodney gulped. “‘Eaten by giant whale’ isn’t what I want on my epitaph.”

“You really need to stop thinking that way, Dr. McKay,” Alphonse said in a kind tone. “It’s not healthy.”

“If it helps keep me alive, it’s the very definition of ‘healthy’,” Rodney snarked.

“Pipe down, everyone,” Shepard said. “We've got something.”

“Is that what I think it is?” Liara said, a hint of excitement in her tone.

Directly ahead of them, jutting out from the seafloor was a rusted, but solid metal rectangular structure. Taking up half of one of the faces was what appeared to be twin sliding doors.

“Please be a floodable airlock, please be a floodable airlock,” Rodney said to himself, his fingers crossed.

“If there is one,” Geordi said. “And if it still works after all these years.”

“Now who's being cynical?” Rodney said.

Geordi shrugged. “Hey, I know the Gallifreyans were far ahead of us, but even they’d struggle to--”

He paused just as they reached the twin doors.

“What? What is it?” Shepard asked.

“I can’t believe it, but that door’s still powered,” Geordi said.

“Huh? How can you tell?” Liara asked.

Geordi pointed at his eyes “These peepers can see different spectrums, including thermal, and little lines of it are running across that door."

"Most likely due to high capacity wiring," McKay said.

Liara eyed Geordi with awe. "That's truly incredible."

“Uh huh, but how do we get it open?” Shepard asked.

“Not sure. Give me a second,” Geordi said.

“I’m not seeing any sort of controls,” Undyne called, busy swimming around the small structure. “It’s just a big metal box for the most part.”

Geordi shook his head. “Neither am I.”

“There may not be any controls,” Rodney said. “We’ve been experimenting with remote control devices lately. The Gallifreyans may have opened it via some sort of signal."

“If that’s the case, there’s no way we’re getting in,” Shepard sighed.

“Hey, let me be the cynic here,” Rodney said, throwing her a rare smile. “I never said there’s no way to open it, just that we won’t be able to waltz right in like the Freyans did.”

Shepard raised an eyebrow. “‘Freyans’”?

“Yes, yes, I’m sick of saying Gallifreyans over and over again,” Rodney said.

“There are a lot of syllables,” Tasha said.

“Fine. You can call them what you want,” Shepard said. “So, options: how do we get this door open?”

Undyne opened her mouth—

“Preferably without destroying it.”

She closed it, frowning.

“Could you transmute it, magic hands?” Rodney said, looking at Alphonse. “Turn it into a cube then back into a slab when we need to?”

“Not without knowing what it’s made of,” he said. “I’d say it’s most likely some sort of steel, but with the Gallifrey— er, Freyans, you never know.”

“What about forcing it open?” Undyne asked.

“Probably wouldn’t work,” Geordi said. “This ocean may not be that deep, but those doors are still holding back a hell of a lot of pressure. They’re also sealed tight. You wouldn’t even be able to get anything between them to pry em’ open.”

Shepard tapped her foot, frustrated, before showing a defeated expression. “Then we’ll just have to use the C4-F.”

“It will likely flood the entire structure if we do,” Liara pointed out. “Anything down there could be ruined.”

“Our first priority is to destroy the vault - studying it is secondary,” Shepard stated. “Remember, the Empire will be here very soon. We don’t have time to waste.” She then turned to Alphonse. “Go ahead and place some of your brother’s bombs. It should be more than enough to cut through.”

“B-But--” Liara pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Liara. It’s the only way,” Shepard said.

“Woah, hang on there a sec,” Undyne called, swimming some distance away from the bubble and the structure. “As much as I'd love to see some underwater fireworks, I've found something interesting.”

“What do you got?” Shepard asked, peering out into the dark waters. The outline of Undyne and… something laying at her fin-like feet were barely visible.

“Uh, probably want to see it for yourself,” she called, some trepidation in her voice.

Shepard thought for a second, before nodding to Liara. “Alright, let’s check it out. Again, nice and slow. Don’t want anyone falling out of the bubble.”

The group gazed at her in horror.

“... Alright, bad joke,” Shepard coughed. “Come on.”

So once again, they moved across the seafloor. As they grew closer to Undyne, they noticed she was kneeling over what appeared to be a plastic suit, a diving helmet with a glass face-plate adorned atop of it. However, it soon became apparent there was more to it than just that.

Inside the flooded helmet was the unmistakable sight of a humanoid skull, its crevices for eyes gazing towards the surface. For a brief second, Tasha imagined they were longing for it.

“Oh god,” Rodney gulped. “This just turned into a horror pic.”

“Hey, you weren’t the one who stumbled into it,” Undyne grumbled. “I wouldn’t worry that much, though. Whoever this was died a long, long time ago.”

“Let’s bring them into the bubble,” Shepard said in a morbid tone. “We’ll want to find out how this happened."

Tepidly, the group did just that, the bubble slowly morphing around its contours. Soon, they stood around the corpse, and Geordi was the first to take a closer look.

“Not seeing any sort of obvious tears,” Geordi said, before carefully turning the suit over. “None on the back either. Flooding's probably from the helmet and suit severing slightly."

Alphonse was the next to kneel down, carefully feeling the fabric of the suit with two fingers. “It's made of some sort of plastic alloy. I think it’d be skin-tight if, well…”

He grimaced. Tasha was quick to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Rodney winced himself, before turning the corpse over to its front once again. “I’m not a doctor doctor, but the skull looks… somewhat well-preserved.”

“How old do you believe it is?” Liara said.

“I can’t say for sure down here,” Rodney said. “But I’d be willing to bet it’s at least a thousand years."

"How did you guess that?" Undyne asked.

Rodney gave her a blank look. "Because that's when the Freyans disappeared."

Undyne turned about, folding her arms. Tasha could have sworn she heard her mutter something along the lines of, 'I was just asking a question, asshole.'

"You're sure it's one of them?" Shepard asked.

"Who else would it be?" Rodney groaned. "We've never seen anyone with this advanced of diving equipment and we found them right near a Freyan vault."

“How is that possible, though?” Liara said. “Undersea currents should have at least covered up the body by now.”

“Mmm, not necessarily,” Geordi said. “We are in a bit of a trench according to the readings. Also, this is a pretty calm area of ocean. Might be part of the reason the Freyans decided to build this here.”

"What I don’t get is what kind of people would just leave a fallen comrade like this?" Undyne asked, a small bit of anger in her voice.

"If they died around the same time as the Gallifreyans, perhaps nobody was around to do it," Liara suggested.

"Maybe we should, then," Alphonse said tenderly.

Shepard nodded. "Agreed. We'll take the remains back with us to the surface when we’re done. First things first, however--"

"Wait, hang on a sec," Geordi said, examining one of the arms of the suit. Strapped on it appeared to be a small, rectangular control pad. There were small symbols etched near each of its multiple, tiny buttons.

Rodney knelt next to him, taking a look at it. "Ah-ha."

"What? What is it?" Shepard asked.

"Hopefully, our ticket in," he said. "Dr. T'Soni, take a look at this."

She moved next to him. "Those are Gallifreyan symbols, most certainly."

"Do you see anything that says 'on' or similar?" Rodney asked.

Liara studied it for a second, before nodding. She then pointed to a particular, larger button. Rodney smirked, before pressing it, and to the astonishment of the group, a small light blinked green on the side of it.

"How the hell did you know it'd still have power after all this time?" Geordi asked, shocked.

"I'd like to say I was certain, but really, it was just an extremely well educated guess," Rodney grinned. "Now then, someone hand me a knife. We're probably going to want to take this with us."

A minute or so later, the group stood in front of the twin, sliding doors once again. Rodney stood next to Liara, holding the rectangular device as the latter continued to study it.

“I believe that is the Gallifreyan symbol for ‘enter’,” she said firmly, pointing at another, small button.

“Open says-me, then,” Rodney smiled, tapping it.

There was a slight pause. The sound of water being sucked somewhere could faintly be heard. Then, almost instantaneously, the twin doors flung open, revealing a small chamber within. On the far end’s floor was both a circular hatch and a large, grated drain next to it.

“Sealock?” Rodney said, glancing Geordi’s way.

“I can’t think of a better name,” he shrugged. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

With a mix of anxiety and excitement, the group did just that.

“What now?” Shepard said.

“Dr. T’Soni?” Rodney asked, handing her the control pad and clearing his throat. “You deserve to take the reins. For a magician, you’ve been remarkably useful so far.”

She rolled her eyes, chuckling slightly. “Thanks.”

“Trust me, coming from Dr. McKay, that’s high praise,” Geordi smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rodney moaned, though with a hint of uncharacteristic bemusement. He then glanced back at Liara. “Do you see anything about an airlock, sealock, whatever?”

She shook her head. “No, nothing like that.”

“Try hitting the same button for ‘enter’,” Undyne suggested.

“How would you know that?” Rodney said, gazing at her skeptically.

“Because I could hear water moving somewhere when we opened the damn thing,” Undyne growled, causing Rodney to simper once again. “I think it was filling up this room.”

“She’s right,” Geordi said. “The whole process could be semi-automated. Engaged and disengaged with just the tap of a button.”

“Go ahead and do it, then,” Shepard said to Liara. “No harm in trying.”

Liara nodded, before tapping the button once again. This time, the doors shut immediately. A second afterwards, water began to drain from the room. Along with that came a whooshing sound as air took its place. Finally, the hatch at the far end of the metal room slowly lifted upwards, revealing a short, laddered, and surprisingly well-lit tunnel down to another room.

“Nice!” Alphonse grinned, before noticing Undyne's somewhat dejected look. "But, uh, don’t worry, there’s still a lot down here to blow up.”

She perked up slightly at that.

“After we get done studying it, of course,” Liara said, retracting her forcefield. “Right, Shepard?”

She nodded, glancing around at the group. "As long as we're quick with the C4-F, you should have enough time."

And with a giant wink, she announced:

"Welcome to paradise."

The Vault

Chapter Image

Directly beneath the ‘sealock’ chamber was another, larger room. At the far end of it was an open lift large enough to carry the seven-person team downward in one fell-swoop. It didn't take long for the team to board it.

Fortunately, this time the controls were more accessible via a small panel on the far side of it. With a quick read-over, Liara was able to activate the lift, sending it downward at a brisk pace. After moving through a small, enclosed, metallic shaft, they then found themselves moving down the center of a large, four-story tall, cubic corridor.

On every side of each level were closed, twin-doors. Allowing access to them were a series of balcony catwalks which wrapped around each levels' sides, each connected via stairways. Like everything else they had seen so far, it was well lit by various ceiling and wall lights. And though somewhat spartan when it came to ornaments, the place still had a hint of beauty due to its silverish complexion: including the occasional intricate pattern of gold scattered here or there.

Geordi was the first to react with a loud, impressed whistle. He glanced at Shepard, raising his eyebrows. "Blowing this place is gonna feel like a crime, you know."

"I'll say," Liara said, glancing around in wonder. "Can you imagine what it must have been like to work down here?"

"Work down here?" Tasha asked. "I thought it was just a vault."

"'Vault' was just a convenient name for 'a place that has lost technology stored in it'," Liara corrected. "For all we know, it could also have been a laboratory, a shelter..."

"An armory?" Undyne interjected hopefully. "Think the Gallifreyans were into giant robots?"

"Still holding out hope for a steam mech division?" Tasha teased.

"Just don't think the Empire should have the monopoly on them," Undyne pouted.

"They don't seem like the massive war machine type," Geordi said. "Though I bet whatever's powering this place could put a mana battery to shame."

"Hopefully we'll be able to find it," Shepard said. "Sounds like a good place to plant C4-F."

A second after she spoke the lift arrived at the bottom of the corridor, a small clanging sound accompanying it. Immediately, the group's eyes widened. Previously hidden under a section of catwalk was none other than a large, hollow ring.

"Yoooo!" Undyne said. "Tasha, isn't that one of those things you said you saw on Farpoint?"

"A warpgate," Tasha said, still stunned. "I wonder…"

"If the Freyan may have been one of the people to use it?" Liara said, stars practically twinkling in her eyes. "Starting to seem like it!"

"For all we know, they could have helped design the things," Geordi pointed out.

"Wait, I thought using them to move around was just a myth?" Alphonse said.

"Not after Farpoint," Tasha said. "There was strong evidence to suggest the Threstrals knew how to use them."

"We can't sit here speculating," Shepard said, her voice filled with focus as always. "If you want time to study, we have no time to lose. We need to split into groups and cover as much of this place as we can."

"B-But--"

"Sorry, Liara, you know the drill." She began pointing at people. "McKay, LaForge, Yar, you'll search the third floor. Liara and I will take the fourth. Elric and Undyne, you have the bottom two. Each team should grab as much C4-F as they can carry. Remember, the primary objective is to look for structural weakpoints to set your explosives on. Secondary objective is to detail any tech or other significant items down here. Remember to be careful, people. We still know next to nothing about what's down here."

She took a deep breath. "And soon, nobody else ever will."

The groups sped into their searches.

On the third floor up, Tasha stepped in front of one of the double doors, blinking in surprise as it opened automatically. They couldn’t see what was beyond them just yet, however, as it led straight into a corner.

“Heh, even the doors in this place are pretty wild,” Geordi said.

“I'm impressed, too," McKay nodded. “Wonder what mechanism did that? Would be nice to have time to study it." His voice turned sour. "Whelp, guess we’ll never know.”

“Second thoughts on this whole thing?” Geordi asked.

McKay sighed. “Let’s just say I think you’re right: destroying this place is a crime. Or at least it should be.”

“You know the stakes,” Tasha said.

“Of course I know the stakes,” Rodney grumbled. “Know them, salted them, and dipped them in sauce. But that’s the point. The stakes are so high that we shouldn’t be rushing into anything. There has to be an alternative to just blowing everything up. It just feels so… dumb."

"What other options do we have?" Tasha asked.

"Oh, I don't know," McKay said sarcastically. "Maybe strike a deal with the Empire? The other nations? Share the discoveries here equally?"

Tasha gazed at him skeptically. "I'm not sure the Goa'uld or the Empire are the 'sharing' types. Even the Klingons would be iffy."

"The Federation is a diplomatic powerhouse," McKay said. "There has to be some way we could make a deal."

“Let’s put a pin on that for later,” Geordi said. “Right now, we don’t even know how much stuff is still in here. For all we know, the Freyans could have stripped it before leaving."

“Well, let’s take a peak, shall we?” Rodney said, smirking towards Tasha. “Lady’s first?”

“Very gracious,” Tasha said, giving him a sarcastic look.

At that, they went through the door frame and rounded the corner. Though Tasha expected to run into some sort of laboratory or storage room, the actual contents were quite different from that.

"Huh."

Puzzled at first, it didn’t take her long to realize they were in someone’s long forgotten quarters. There was a small, comfortable looking bed at the far end of the room, along with what looked like some sort of stove, sink, and kitchen counters, a few pots and plates still adorning them. Whoever lived here must have been studious, as there were also a few shelves lining the walls. They were relatively empty, but there were still a number of books and trinkets scattered around. It looked as if someone had grabbed what they could in a hurry.

“Holy smokes,” Geordi chuckled. “I think we’ve hit the jackpot already.”

“I’m surprised everything hasn’t crumbled to dust,” Tasha said, stunned. “Especially the books. Everything looks so… pristine.”

Geordi nodded. “The Freyans must have perfected atmospheric control. Limit changes in humidity and temperature and you could theoretically preserve things even longer.”

“We are allowed to take the books, right?” Rodney said, rushing up to one of the shelves. “Actually, forget I asked. I don’t care. I’m bringing back at least one.”

"Not like we can read them without Dr. T'soni," Geordi said, pointing at the ancient texts printed on them. "For all we know, they could just be about history. The captain wouldn't object to that. Right, Tasha?"

Tasha didn't respond, as she was barely paying attention to them. It was what was hanging on one of the walls that had caught her eye: a large, framed, color photo of two human-looking men in a savanna-like setting, their wild grey hair making them look like mad scientist twins.

And that wasn’t even the strangest part of it. That would be what was in the background of the photo: several massive, long-necked reptiles.

“Woah,” Tasha said, smiling slightly in excitement as she moved to examine it. “Are those…”

“Dinosaurs,” Rodney said, raising his eyebrows as he peered at it over his shoulder. “Heh, the Freyans must have discovered a living population. A lost world, so to speak."

“You think that’s weird? Look at the guys in the photo,” Geordi said. “Always heard the Freyans looked like humans, but they’re nearly identical.”

“Do you think one of them… lived here?” Tasha asked, almost with a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Maybe,” Geordi said, sighing slightly. “Does feel kind of… imposing, doesn’t it? To us it’s a treasure chest, but to whoever used these quarters... it might have been their home.”

“And I’m sure whoever that was wouldn’t want all of this to go to waste,” Dr. McKay said, eerily cheerful in tone as he gazed upon another book. Its cover appeared to show a detailed sketch of some form of half-human, half-machine entity, split right down the middle. Parts of it were labelled by unintelligible Gallifreyan text. "I can practically smell the genius under every cover!"

"At least we know they're books," Geordi said, moving over to examine another object. "I have no clue what this thing does."

He gestured to what seemed to be a golden, flatscreen monitor of some kind sitting on a polished desk. It was connected via a few metal tubes and wires to a small box. And connected to that were a few other devices: an ovaloid-like object with a few buttons on it and a small sort of typewriter, Gallifreyan symbols dotting its keys.

"Whatever it is, I think it's important," Tasha said. "Look where it’s placed. Center of the desk."

"Good point," Geordi nodded, quickly figuring out how to and disconnecting the box before placing it in his backpack. "Dunno if I can fit the other stuff, but I'm taking this at least."

"I wouldn't," Tasha said. "The captain specifically ordered we leave any technology behind. Bringing it back could be considered insubordination."

"In this one case, I'm willing to take the risk," Geordi said firmly. "Besides, he could just have us chuck it in the ocean if he doesn't approve."

"If he does, I declare mutiny," Rodney laughed.

Tasha gave him a sarcastic look. "Please don't make me cuff you."

"Hey, he's the one who's committing a crime: a crime against scientific progress," Rodney grumbled, walking over to another corner of the room. Here, there were another pair of closed doors, though these weren't opening automatically.

"Huh. Wonder what's behind door number two." He looked around the area of it for a second. "No door controls. It might be locked from the inside."

"Maybe it's embarrassing tie-dye t-shirts," Tasha quipped, earning a chuckle for Geordi.

"Or something sexier," Rodney smirked.

"Really?" Geordi said, giving him a look.

"You know what I meant!" Rodney groaned.

"I don't," Tasha said.

"Me neither," Geordi smirked.

"By 'sexier' I meant something more valuable than clothes, not whatever's running through your dirty minds!"

"Relax, doctor, we're just playing around," Tasha chuckled.

"Oh hardy har har," Rodney sighed. "Do you two want to get this door open or not?"

"Looks like it's not getting any power," Geordi said, gazing it over with his glowing eyes. "Circuit's been cut behind that wall on the left. If it got juice, I'd bet it'd open automatically like the others."

"I really need to get a pair of those eyes," Rodney said.

Geordi raised an eyebrow at that. "You have any idea how painful that process is? And I'm not just talking about the removal."

Rodney gulped. "On second thought, I'll pass."

"Let's just figure out how to open this thing manually," Geordi said.

"Wait a minute. If it's not getting power..." Tasha trailed, smiling slightly. "Maybe this is where I step in."

She concentrated for a moment, drawing on some of her mana reserves Undyne had filled up for her. To her satisfaction electricity began to sparkle around her fingertips.

"Hey, careful!" Rodney warned. "This isn't the time for magician tricks!"

"He's right," Geordi nodded. "Too much and you'll fry the circuit. Though if you start low…"

"There's still virtually no chance this will work," Rodney huffed.

"Depends on if there's a conductive path to the cut wires…" Geordi said. "I really don't see the harm in trying."

"A sealed door in a sealed vault," Tasha said, smirking Rodney's way. "You know it's worth a shot."

Rodney thought for a second, then rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if something goes wrong, don't say I didn't warn you."

"No reward without risk," Tasha said. "That should be Skyfleet's motto."

“Not exactly the words I’d expect from a security officer,” Geordi joked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tasha said. “Just trust me - I’ll be careful.”

With that, she walked over to the door and held her palms up to it. Even before she touched its metal surface, small arcs of electricity were surging into it. She concentrated, trying to control how much she was putting into it the best she could, adding more and more as the seconds rolled on.

“That is… that’s awesome, not going to lie,” Geordi said, smirking.

Rodney tapped his foot. “Still not opening the--”

“GOT IT!” Tasha beamed, the door swinging open in front of her.

Rodney shook his head in bafflement. "I can't believe that worked."

Geordi gave him a playful smirk. "Finally starting to appreciate magic?"

"Don't push it," he grumbled.

As the two exchanged quips, Tasha peaked inside the 'closet', which in actuality turned out to be a small storeroom. However, that wasn't what surprised her; it was the contents.

“Uh, Geordi, Dr. McKay, you may want to take a look at this.”

A floor above them, Liara and Shepard stood before the first door in sight. There was a symbol next to the double doors - a label of sorts - Liara was quick to translate.

"'Containment Facility - Caution Advised'," Liara said aloud, puzzled. "Containment of what?"

"I don't know," Shepard said, warily. "And I really don't like the look of it. But we need to check it out. We can't afford to miss any structural weakpoints."

Without another word, she stepped in front of the door, which opened automatically. To their surprise, it turned out to lead downward; a flight of stairs lining the floor in a descending tunnel.

"Don't trip," Shepard joked, leading the way into it.

"I don't understand," Liara questioned as she followed him. "Why would they have a downward staircase lead from the top floor?"

"Don't look at me," Shepard shrugged. "Never been one for architecture."

"Yes, but--"

She paused, more Gallifreyan symbols were lining the stairwell tunnel's walls.

"What do they say?" Shepard asked.

"Something about this being a 'failsafe detonation point'," Liara read. "Then there's something about seeing the… the something something 'laboratory reference manual for more information.' I couldn't translate the first part, unfortunately."

Shepard took a deep breath. "A failsafe, huh? Sounds like a self-destruct mechanism."

"Perhaps they were conducting unsafe experiments?" Liara pondered. "Experiments that they couldn't afford leaving this place. Maybe biological in nature?"

"This is making me regret not packing HAZMAT suits," Shepard grunted.

"We were in a rush," Liara consoled. "We brought what we could on short notice. It wasn't your fault."

"I suppose," Shepard sighed. "Just wish I wasn't always on such a tight schedule. But that's MACO, and now Skyfleet, too, for you. Never a moment where you aren't flying by the seat of your pants."

"You don't need to tell me," Liara said. "I remember the adventures we've been through."

"Like when we first met?" Shepard smirked.

An image of herself being trapped in a Prothean stasis rune flashed through her head, causing her to simper. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have brought that up."

"Sorry," Shepard chuckled. "I do miss the old days, though. Just you, me, and the crew hunting down Saren. Short timetables or not, they were simpler times."

Liara pondered his words. "Do you still resent not finding him?"

"I blame only myself," Shepard said. "The Federation Council, though a pain in the ass at times, gave us all the resources we needed, and the rest of you performed admirably." She then narrowed her eyes. "Though I still haven't given up hope of completing that old mission."

As if she wanted to end the conversation, Shepard led them forward, leaving Liara with a puzzled expression. After another brief moment of walking they finally reached a door. Unlike the others, this one was not double in nature and no way automated. It seemed incredibly sturdy, and on its front was a large valve wheel such as those found on maritime ships.

"We're going to have to open it," Shepard said, a hint of apprehension in her tone. "Remember, we have to make sure the whole place is, at the very least, completely flooded."

"And these type of doors are usually water-tight," Liara sighed.

"Exactly."

Shepard gripped the wheel, and with noticeable strain despite her tip top physique, began to slowly turn it. A moment or so later, there was a small clank, and the door was unlocked. With the help of Liara, she pushed it open.

The duo peaked in. The room was near pitch-black. Unlike the rest of the facility, not a flicker of light could be seen.

Without hesitation, both Liara and Shepard detached the flashlights clipped onto their belts and clicked them on. Shining their torches into the room, they found it to be large but surprisingly barren. There was, however, what looked like two metal rings in the center: one on the ceiling and one on the floor, parallel to each other.

And inside the bottom one...

"... What… is that?" Liara gulped.

"So Alphonse, right?" Undyne asked, having finished checking their first and mostly empty room on the bottom level.

"Al is fine," he said, giving her a polite smile.

"Works for me," Undyne said. "But yeah, word is you used to roll around in a metal suit of armor?"

Al winced slightly. "You could say that…"

"Hey, nothing wrong with armor," Undyne said. "I have a pretty kick-ass set of it myself. Forged right in the Underground's CORE. That baby had and still has temperatures in the quadruple digits. Easy peasy for smelting even Deep Iron."

“Oh?” Al asked, his voice growing more curious. “Not many people in Amestris know about the Underground, including myself. When you say CORE, you’re talking about some sort of lava tube, right?”

“Pfffft, no,” Undyne laughed. “It was this giant energy producing… thing that used a uh…” She suddenly frowned. “Screw it. Alphys could tell you more. Really wish I didn’t have to keep saying that.”

“Huh? Why?” Alphonse asked.

“Dunno,” she shrugged. “Guess just hanging around so many geeks-- er, smart people lately has…” She shook her head. “Bleh, it’s nothing.”

“Secret’s safe with me if you wanna talk,” Al offered.

She sighed. “Fine, guess I’m just feeling a little… dumb. Especially around that Dr. McKay guy. He always seems to rub it in whenever you say something not at his level, ya’ know?”

"I understand,” Alphonse said. "Heh. He actually reminds me of my brother a little bit."

“Huh? Your brother didn’t seem that bad to me,” Undyne said.

“He isn’t so much anymore,” Alphonse said, smirking slightly. “But back before… certain events happened, let’s just say he was a little… cantankerous?”

“Cantankerous?” Undyne said, frustrated.

“Means ‘easily angered’.”

Undyne sighed. “Bleh, there we go again. Me not knowing something.”

“Hey, just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean you’re dumb,” Alphonse said firmly. “If you know a lot, it just means you’re book smart. There are millions of different other ways people can be intelligent.”

“Like what?”

“Well… being able to adapt quickly, for one thing,” Alphonse said. “And Victor said you and Tasha really shined with that last week.”

“With the Latawiec?”

“Uh huh,” Alphonse said. “You really went 'full throttle', as my brother would say!”

She grinned ever so slightly. “Heh, we were kind of awesome, weren’t we?”

"If saving all of our lives isn't, I don't know what is."

"Fair enough." She then nodded appreciatively. “Thanks. I needed that. You’ve got a kind soul, you know that? Reminds me of Tasha and another human I know. Just don't tell anyone about my… er, emotional moment of weakness, alright?"

Alphonse gave a thumbs up.

"You're alright, Al," she beamed. "Anyways, you said you're from Amestris, ri--"

She was forced to pause, interrupted by a series of loud clanks and then a mechanical whirring sound coming from the nearby warpgate. The two twirled about, their faces caked with surprise. The formerly static object's inner ring was now spinning back and forth, its various ancient symbols lining up with the numerous chevrons positioned on the gate's outer ring, each of them shining brightly as it did.

"Okay, so this is happening," Undyne said apprehensively, glancing at Alphonse. "What exactly is happening?"

"I have no idea," he said, equally baffled. "M-Maybe it's nothing? Something routine?"

"I thought these things were used to teleport stuff or something like that," Undyne said. "Seems weird they'd do that as part of a routine."

"Whatever it is, we need to tell Commander Shepard," Alphonse noted, before wincing slightly as he gazed at the minute long route to the fourth level. "Easier said than done, though. Brother was right: we really should have brought radio packs."

Undyne gave him a stern look. "My turn for a pep talk: save second guessing for later. We need to come up with a plan ASAP."

He nodded. "True, it's just how--"

Before he could finish, there was a tremendous whooshing sound. What looked like a tidal wave of water had suddenly erupted from the center of the gate. Before anyone could blink, it had ploomed to a size nearly as wide as its origin and outwards over ten feet. Then, as quickly as it came, it retracted, leaving behind a shimmering, watery surface extending across the mouth of the device.

"Would you believe me if I said this is only the second strangest thing I've seen?" Undyne asked, summoning a blue spear and carefully moving closer to the gate.

"It's beautiful," Alphonse said, nearly mezmorized, before snapping out of it. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Getting ready to kick some ass if needed," she said, twirling her spear, a hint of an excited grin on her face. "For all we know, hostiles could be getting ready to come through."

"And you're happy about that?!"

"Didn't expect to get to fight today," she shrugged. "And someone's gotta keep an eye on this thing anyway. I'll take care of that, you get Shepard."

"And leave you here alone?" Al said skeptically.

"I can handle a few bad guys if needed," Undyne said confidentially. "If that's what about to… swim through? Still not sure how it works with the whole shimmering water thing."

The universe was quick to answer her questions. For a brief second later, two figures appeared out of the ring, shocking the two Enterprise crewmembers even further.

"Uhhhh..." Alphonse gulped. "Hello?"

Both were rather strange in appearance. One had a face, minus his eyes, completely wrapped in white bandages, looking like some sort of mummy. The other had slick black hair and wore an outdated, Great War trenchcoat. While it was impossible to tell the bandaged one's expression, the latter looked almost as surprised as they did.

Almost.

A curious and almost playful look soon came upon him. However, his companion was clearly not in the mood for that. Without hesitation, he drew a pistol from his holster, pointing it at Undyne. His eyes narrowed into a glare as the weapon's cartridge glowed a bright yellow.

Undyne seemed to instantly ascertain this threat would need a different counter. As soon as she saw the pistol, she dissipated her spear, held her palms forward, and summoned a twirling ball of flame. She held it in place, giving a menacing look towards the bandaged individual that she hoped relayed a simple message:

'Don't try it.'

"Woah, easy there, everyone," the jet black haired individual said, almost chuckling as he did so. "Let's take it down a notch, shall we?"

"Captain…" the bandaged man growled, his voice as deep as thunder.

"I know, Jacob, but we didn't come here to knock around our own team."

"Own team?" Alphonse asked in a slightly calmer tone. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, who the hell are you people?!" Undyne snapped.

"Well, you're both Skyfleet, judging by your uniforms," the 'captain' said. "And last I checked, that was under the Federation. So yeah, same team."

"You're… working for the Federation?" Alphonse said in a slightly hopeful tone.

"Which branch?" Undyne asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"Federation Intelligence," the bandaged man said coldly. "And as far as I'm concerned, that's all you need to know." He glanced at his partner. "We don't have time for this. We need to give the signal. There are likely more Skyfleet officers here."

"Nope, just us," Undyne said.

"Er, yeah," Alphonse coughed. "My friend here was teaching me, um, deep sea diving on our… vacation, and what do you know? We found this crazy place!"

"Thank you for confirming my suspicions," the bandaged man replied.

"To be fair, at least they tried," the captain said. "But enough fun and games, it's time to get this show on the road."

"Make a move and you're gonna get toasted, buddy," Undyne growled, flaring the fire in her hands for a split-second.

Alphone's eyes widened in horror. "Undyne, you can't! That's a--"

"Shhh!" Undyne hissed.

"Listen to your friend," the bandaged man said. "Federation law forbids the use of offensive flame magic. As someone who once baptized in it, I can understand the reasoning. Would you turn against the nation you swore to defend just to win a minor skirmish against someone who may or may not even be your enemy?"

Undyne glanced away from him.

"We each have transceivers," the captain explained. "Either way, the signal gets out. Won't be able to fry both of us in time."

"The signal for what?" Alphonse asked. "What are you doing here? How did you figure out how to use the warpgate? What--"

"Depending how this plays out, we'll see about getting you answers," the captain said. "For now, I need you to get your pretty friend here to surrender."

"'Pretty friend?!'" Undyne growled. "The Hell are you on, creep? Who do you think you are?"

He shrugged. "Just giving a compliment, but maybe it's a bit too forward. I should have at least started with a name." He then gave one of the most darling smiles Al had ever seen. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness. And who might you be?"