Episode 82. Area 51
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Saturday, August 10, 2024 - 18:45
- Location
-
- Earth
- USA
- Nevada
- Area 51
- Underground AspiroTube Station
- Timeline
- Schak'Irra Timeline
- Previously
-
After the special operation carried out in Russia and the capture of the Grand Tsar, Captain Agnes Rodriguez was gravely wounded while protecting President Macron. Placed in a coma, she experienced a strange encounter with a certain Q, who whispered three enigmatic words to her: Angie, Koala, Area 51. During her convalescence, Acting Captain Angie Chen took command of the Enterprise. Convinced that those words are a trail left by Agnes, she sets course for Area 51, accompanied by T'Met, Tarsi, Gomard and Eros. After passing through NORAD, the team boards the SonicShuttle to reach Nevada via the AspiroTube network.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Original Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angie Chen | NATO / Special Fleet | Commander Acting Captain |
Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Commander | Andorian | Prime Timeline |
| T'Met | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Captain | Vulcan | Prime Timeline |
| Robert Gomard | NATO / Army | Colonel | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Eros Vitos | NATO / Special Fleet | Ensign | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| James Cliffton | NATO / Army | General | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
Manifest
| USS Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Earth Orbit |
| Captain | Angie Chen (Acting) |
| First Officer | N/A |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
| Tactical | Eric Corda Charlene Savea |
| Science | Manu |
| Advanced Weapons | Eros Vitos |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel |
| Counselor/Consultant | Manu |
| Custodian | Manu |
| Passengers |
Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi (Confidential) Robert Gomard and his squad T'Met and 4 Vulcan survivors from Schak'Irra Emmanuel Macron |
| Detainees | Vladimir Joseph Putin and his bodyguards |
| Ground Team |
Angie Chen Robert Gomard Eros Vitos Tarsi T'Met Several crew members |
TL;DR
Angie Chen's convoy finally arrives at the mythical Area 51, greeted by General James Cliffton and a nervous battalion. Between military protocol and diplomatic tension, Angie keeps her composure and presents T'Met and Tarsi as the owners of the alien vessel recovered in 1954. After a forceful security check, the team is escorted through the complex's immense galleries, watched warily by scientists and engineers. Their path ends before a monumental door that slowly opens, revealing access to the top-secret sector where the missing twenty-sixth-century vessel is believed to be kept...
Story
The SonicShuttle slows, then comes to a stop with a dull jolt.
The shuttles, still docked behind it, finally touch down on the floor of Area 51's underground station.
Through the tinted windows, a silhouette stands out in the harsh hangar light.
A high-ranking military officer.
Motionless.
Impassive.
Behind him, a battalion rushes in and deploys in tight formation.
Weapons raised.
Safeties probably already off.
The message is clear.
Angie's team's arrival is no surprise.
And access to Schak'Irra will not happen without explanations.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
T'Met. Tarsi.
Stay at the back of the shuttle.
Do not show yourselves under any circumstances.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Oh come on... again?
Have the humans of Area 51 never seen extraterrestrials?
Capt. T'Met
Be quiet, Vexoriana-Lyss'ra.
And obey Captain Chen.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
If you call me that again, I swear I will pull your ears.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
Shhh...
For your information, we are being watched.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Oops.
Sorry, Eros.
As Tarsi and T'Met disappear from view, Robert and Eros adopt a relaxed, almost casual posture.
Angie opens the airlock.
The air of the underground station rushes into the shuttle.
She steps down and walks toward the officer.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Captain Chen, I presume?
General James Cliffton. Head of Area 51 security.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
You presume correctly, General.
What a welcome...
An entire battalion for little old me. I am flattered.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Precautionary measure, Captain.
Since July 15, access to Area 51 has been strictly limited.
And your name was not on our list.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Naturally.
There has been an update you probably have not received yet: my taking command of the USS Enterprise.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
We have been informed.
NORAD reported your arrival.
If you were not captain of the USS Enterprise, you would never have taken the AspiroTube.
Battalion!
Lower your weapons!
The soldiers comply, without taking their eyes off the team.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
In that case, General, I want immediate access to the sector where the alien vessel is stored.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Impossible.
Classified national defense.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Thankfully.
It would be worrying if it were not.
Colonel Gomard, come here for a moment, please.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Well, now...
A military man on your team.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Not just any military man.
His unit has just dismantled the Kremlin and brought back an... interesting piece.
That is why I am here.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
General.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Colonel.
I hear you performed feats in Russia.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Feats are children's games, General.
I would call it an operation without precedent.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Colonel.
It is time to show the General what we found.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Yes, Captain.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
You intrigue me, Captain Chen.
Colonel Gomard climbs back into the shuttle.
A few seconds later, he climbs down again, accompanied by Tarsi and T'Met.
At the sight of the two extraterrestrials, the battalion reacts instantly.
Weapons raised.
Safeties engaged.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Jesus, Mary and Joseph...
What the hell is that?!
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Calm down, General.
Allow me to introduce Tarsi and T'Met.
The rightful owners of the alien vessel recovered in 1954 at the North Pole.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Uh... hi, everyone...
Do not shoot, we are just passing through...
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
They are extraterrestrials... and they speak English?!
Capt. T'Met
As does most of the galaxy.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Where did you find them?
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
In Russia.
They were being held by the Grand Tsar.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Uh... not me.
I came to rescue them.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Tarsi...
You still have aftereffects from the blow to the head.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Uh? No, I am perfectly fine.
Capt. T'Met
Vexoriana-Lyss'ra.
Let Captain Chen speak.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Ahhh...
Yes. I understand.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
General, tell your men to lower their weapons.
If they were a threat, I would not have brought them here.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Hmm...
Soldiers! Stand down!
The barrels lower, but the stares remain tense.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Thank you, General.
Can we access the vessel now?
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
Not yet.
You and your team must undergo a full scan.
As for your two... hm... extraterrestrials... regulations forbid them from entering the complex.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
You should read the fine print at the bottom of the page.
The people I bring with me are my responsibility, whether they are human or alien.
Gen. James Cliffton (Army)
I leave the fine print to the paper-pushers.
Have your team pass through the archway to be scanned.
I will take you there.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Acting Capt.)
Thank you, General.
Once the scan is successfully completed, General Cliffton invites Angie and her team to use the electric scooters parked at the exit from the platforms.
Along the way, they pass scientists and engineers who stop their work to observe them with curiosity.
The faces, lit by the laboratories' pale lights, betray their astonishment at the sight of Tarsi and T'Met.
The small procession crosses several sections of the complex: machining centers, the NATO Academy, living quarters, then the science laboratories.
After a few kilometers, they stop before a monumental door.
It reminds Angie of the one she crossed every morning in the Brussels bunker to reach the USS Mercator.
The general enters his code on the keypad.
A click.
The door slowly slides open, revealing the entrance to the hangar where Schak'Irra is supposed to be... Captain T'Met's twenty-sixth-century temporal vessel.