Episode 123. Scavenger Hunt
Context
- Stardate
- 231736.349
- Location
-
- Earth
- USA
- San Francisco
- Holosuite Complex
- Holosuite 427
- Timeline
- Prime Timeline
- Previously
-
Since their arrival in the 26th century, T'Met and the survivors of Enterprise have suffered the repercussions of a temporal manipulation they no longer truly understand. Tarsi has been arrested for temporal terrorism, on Admiral Quihoui's direct order, while T'Met has been removed from her command and tasked with reintegrating the human refugees from the 21st century into this society. Relocated to Vista Ridge, the former Enterprise crew members are doing their best to adapt, but Tarsi's trial opens in absolute secrecy, behind closed doors. Only Counsel Touit'Air, Tarsi's Aenar lawyer, seems to know what lies beneath the case. After the hearing, he leaves T'Met a coded message: "Holosuite 427 - 6:00 p.m. - San Francisco." There, the team discovers a strange simulation turned into a giant concert at the Stade de France, where Zaneth-Myra Lysana, Tarsi's century-old double, resurfaces.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Original Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T'Met | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Captain | Vulcan | Prime Timeline |
| Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Older Tarsi) | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Commander | Andorian | Prime Timeline |
| Touit'Air | United Federation of Planets | Counsel | Aenar | Prime Timeline |
| Emilie Flores | NATO / Special Fleet | Ensign | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Charlene Savea | NATO / Special Fleet | Lieutenant | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Robert Gomard | NATO / Army | Colonel | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
Manifests
| USS Enterprise Destroyed in 1954 Last known manifest | VSS Schak'Irra | |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO | Starfleet / Ni'Var |
| Location | 1954, near Earth | 2554, docked at the Starfleet Starbase |
| Captain | T'Met (Young) | |
| First Officer | Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Older Tarsi) | |
| Artificial Intelligence | Lingua (Initial Version) | |
| Pilot | Eric Corda | N/A |
| Communications | Emilie Flores | T'Killa |
| Operations | Charlene Savea | T'Less-Cop |
| Tactical | N/A | |
| Science | Manu | N/A |
| Engineering | Gornok (Unofficial) | N/A |
| Advanced Weaponry | Eros Vitos | N/A |
| Security | Robert Gomard (Unofficial) | N/A |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel K'hoka Khol'a (assistant) |
N/A |
| Counselor/Consultant | Manu | N/A |
| Custodial Technician | Manu | N/A |
TL;DR
In Holosuite 427, Counsel Touit'Air leads the group through a succession of absurd simulations: from concert backstage to a supermarket from the early 2000s, then onto a virtual yacht. But behind the staging, he delivers the first truths: Admiral Quihoui accuses Tarsi of stealing Tal'Kyr and attempting a temporal attack against Schak'Irra, while locking away every piece of evidence that might clear her. Worse still: all the material brought back from 1954 is being destroyed. But Touit'Air holds a key piece: a chip extracted from Tarsi's implant, containing the coordinates of the battle against Tarantula. The other data, however, was transferred before the temporal jump... to Lingua.
Story
Counsel Touit'Air leads the small troupe backstage at the Stade de France, where technicians bustle around the concert equipment. Cables and spotlights are scattered everywhere, and holographic engineers and roadies are busy adjusting instruments and checking the sound systems. The team makes its way through this maze of frantic preparations until the lawyer stops before a door adorned with a golden star.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
This way. Please enter.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Well, butter my cabbage head. We're going to see Johnny's dressing room, just like that!!!
They enter, but instead of finding themselves in an opulent dressing room filled with rare vinyl records, mirrors with vintage bulbs, and worn leather furniture, they end up in an immense supermarket. The aisles are packed with colorful products, and holographic customers wander around with shopping carts full of exotic goods.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Heeey! This isn't Johnny's dressing room!!!
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Sorry to disappoint you, human. I had some shopping to do. Make yourself useful and go fetch me a cart.
Ens. Emilie Flores (Communications)
Looks like we're still in a 20th-century simulation.
Lt. Charlene Savea (Operations)
Or the 21st century.
Ens. Emilie Flores (Communications)
No, Charlene. Look at the size of the customers' cell phones. They're big bricks from the '90s.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
You are both right. We are at the beginning of the millennium, approximately in 2003. So, is that cart coming?!
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Here I am! Sorry I took a bit. Believe it or not, here they use a currency called Euro. Can you imagine! I only had NATO dollars on me and had to dismantle that blasted chain by hand.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Well done, young man. Now fill the cart with those discounted cans of Romulan beer, and then follow me...
Capt. T'Met
Counsel, what is the meaning of all this? Why has Commander Lysana joined us? And why did you bring us to this holosuite?
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Patience, T'Met. Patience. I contacted Miss Zaneth because I judged she would be an asset to Miss Tarsi's defense.
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
Before you arrived, we spoke a little, and it turns out Counsel Touit'Air will not be able to rely on tangible evidence to defend Tarsi.
Capt. T'Met
First we need to know what Tarsi is accused of, and by whom.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
That viper Quihoui is leading the prosecution. She accuses Miss Tarsi of stealing Tal'Kyr and attempting a temporal attack by trying to ram Schak'Irra inside a wormhole.
Capt. T'Met
Illogical. Admiral Quihoui knows perfectly well that the JAG is not qualified to judge Temporal Division cases.
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
Exactly, and that is where it becomes almost funny. She is the one who ordered every piece of evidence the defense could use against the prosecution to be locked away.
Capt. T'Met
I see. You are referring to the confidentiality agreements and Schak'Irra's sealed data? There would still be physical evidence, such as Enterprise's shuttles and survival pods.
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
Not even that. Everything brought back from 1954 is being loaded onto a cargo ship to be destroyed.
Capt. T'Met
My younger double did not oppose it?
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
Oh no. She obeys her blindly.
Capt. T'Met
What do you think, Counsel?
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
That you both talk too much. Follow me...
Robert, his cart now filled with cans of Romulan beer, follows the group as Counsel Touit'Air crosses the supermarket aisles. Along the way, he grabs a few snacks, without hurrying, before heading toward an elevator.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
You, little starlet, press the button that leads to basement level 3.
Ens. Emilie Flores (Communications)
Hey! I'm not your maid, Andorian!
Capt. T'Met
Miss Flores, do not antagonize Counsel Touit'Air and do as he says.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Your little protege has spirit, dear T'Met. You trained her well.
Emilie gives him an exasperated look, but eventually presses the button. Immediately, the doors close and the elevator begins moving. When the doors open again, the group finds itself on the deck of a luxurious yacht, rocked by the waves of a glittering sea beneath a radiant sun.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Make yourselves comfortable on the deck chairs and enjoy the sun. You, big strong fellow, bring the cart and open a few cans for us.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Here are your cans, but please, stop stringing us along! Are you finally going to tell us what we came here to do?
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Patience, young man... Buuuurp... Delicious...
Capt. T'Met
Returning to our subject, Commander Lysana was saying you no longer have any defense. How do you intend to proceed?
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Prove the destruction of evidence. Elementary, my dear T'Met.
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
Everyone involved, directly or indirectly, is already under a confidentiality agreement. I do not see who could testify.
Capt. T'Met
I did not sign that agreement, but I fear my testimony would not be sufficient, given that I did not witness the theft of Tal'Kyr.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Forget witnesses and evidence. You are looking in the wrong place.
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
What do you mean, Counsel?
Counsel Touit'Air slips his hand into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small chip, which he shows to T'Met and Lysana.
Capt. T'Met
What is it?
Cmdr. Zaneth-Myra Lysana (Number One VSS Schak'Irra)
I recognize it. It is a chip from my implant.
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Correct, Miss Lysana. More precisely, a chip from your younger double's implant, Miss Tarsi. She handed it to me very discreetly yesterday evening during our first interview.
Capt. T'Met
So you have everything you need to defend her?
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Not exactly. This chip contains only the spatiotemporal data from the battle with Tarantula. There is no trace of your journey through the altered timeline.
Capt. T'Met
That is impossible. She records everything with that implant! Where is the rest?
Counsel Touit'Air (Lawyer)
Before Enterprise and Tal'Kyr went back in time from 2024 to 1954, she entrusted the contents to a certain Lingua. Do you know her?
Capt. T'Met
She is the AI we recovered in 2024 from the wreck of Schak'Irra at Area 51 and reinstalled aboard Enterprise.