Previously on Star Trek: Arcadia
Dr. Valthar:
- According to our old tales, every 10,000 years, our gods F'Shel and M'Cara become closer in a major spiritual event, the Kul' Qaga. F'Shel is our material world god and M'Cara, our spiritual world goddess. It is believed that during Kul' Qaga, some of our people will be blessed by M’Cara and they will ascend to her realm.
Mr. Visellius:
- We can’t detect anything out of the ordinary with the planet except for some unusual levels of neurogenic radiation.
- I was able to pinpoint the epicenter of the neurogenic radiation to the main clergy building at the center of their capital.
- It seems that this radiation is growing at an exponential rate. It's not only at the planet's surface, but also reaching anything at the planet's orbit.
Dr. Fujikawa:
- This might explain the several cases of headaches across the ship.
The U.S.S. Arcadia is being dragged by a tractor beam towards the planet.
A young Zaranite Ensign screams in pain, falls on his knees and puts his hands on his head. He can barely withstand the agony.
M’Cara’s monument glows more intensely emitting a high-pitched noise and everyone is caught by a bright purple light.
AND NOW, THE CONCLUSION:
ACT 1
SCENE 1
The brightness fades out. All the young Noqals and Starfleet officers suffering from the acute migraine magically appear unconscious on the floor of a very large and different room. Even though it has similar proportions to the High Hall of M’Cara, this one was much darker, badly illuminated by few sun rays that could enter through the narrow windows. The walls and floor are made of stone. The only similarity here is a copy of the same M’Cara statue. A couple dozen guards enter the room. They start to remove the Noqals, but they seem very disturbed by the other strange looking people.
- Sir, do we also take these others to the barracks? – a guard asks about Arcadia’s personnel.
- Take them as prisoners for now. The High Apostle will know what to do with them.
SCENE 2
A disoriented Lieutenant Daniel Lenda opens his eyes.
He doesn’t know if he’s dreaming, but as his vision starts to come back he can see Natasha face-to-face with him. He looks at her in daze. She doesn’t seem to be awake. He just can’t stop admiring her angelical physiognomy. Her hair is as yellow as the most beautiful Golden Trumpet flower. Her skin seems as soft and delicate as the softest Tholian silk. Her distinct perfume smells like a cat's strong halitosis …
- Wait … what? – he says to himself.
- What what, lieutenant? – says a young strong Kzinti engineer with a very distinct bad breath.
Daniel looks to his right and sees the cat-like colleague with his hands tied to the same cross shaped cage as he is.
- Welcome to the land of the dead, sir. – jokes a Zaranite Ensign. – I am Ensign Zorik, by the way. I don’t think we were ever introduced on the ship.
Now completely out of his love trance, Daniel moves his head to his left and finds the other young officer in the same uncomfortable position as everyone else.
- I am Ensign .. K’eetie. – the engineer says his name emphasizing the last syllable of his name.
The cage can barely support 4 people. The only technological devices they still have with them are their combadges and Ensign Zorik’s breathing device. Their hands are tied to the cage’s walls by a rope.
The room is much smaller compared to the Great Hall of M’Cara. Both ceiling and walls are built of some sort of dark and limey stone. The floor seems to be made of some rude cement. He feels like he is in a medieval dungeon of some sort.
The lieutenant can see there are about 10 other cages, all being held about 2 meters from the floor. At a quick glance, he can see that only a handful of prisoners are Noqals. From where he is he can count about 26 Arcadia crew members locked in the room with them. There is no sign of the captain or any of the senior officers.
He tries to gently wake up Natasha in a soft voice (Probability Matrix 50/50, rolled 2). She starts to slowly move her head when K’eetie shouts:
- WAKE UP PRINCESS!
Natasha quickly opens her eyes scared.
- What? – the blunt Ensign tells everyone.
SCENE 3
The Arcadia’s lights start to flicker as it almost seems to be regaining consciousness from a deep sleep. Lights from its empty corridors and rooms start to turn on again. Consoles shipwide are back to life. All softwares continue to run from the point where they stopped during the Kul’Qaga including the Emergency Medical Holographic program.
The EMH Mark II looks around puzzled since moments ago the room was filled with patients suffering from severe migraine. He taps his combadge:
- EMH to Doctor Fujikawa.
There is no response. He continues:
- Computer, locate Dr. Fujikawa
- Dr. Fujikawa Leiko is not onboard this ship. – the computer answers.
- Great – he complains. – EMH to bridge.
Again there is no response. He understands that there is something very off.
- Computer, how many life signs are onboard Arcadia?
- There are zero life signs aboard the U.S.S. Arcadia.
The holographic doctor looks even more puzzled.
Our view starts to zoom out through the ship’s walls until we can see the U.S.S. Arcadia landed on a desert-like location. The air is dry, there are no clouds in the sky. She is at the top of a hill, shining in its grandeur as the brightness from the two suns is gently reflected by the fuselage.
Our view continues to zoom out and we can see the ship surrounded by hundreds of Noqals. They are wearing much more rudimentary clothing from the ones we saw before. As the ship’s lights start to turn on, the multitude of people immediately kneel, they raise their arms towards the ship and start to chant some kind of mantra.
SCENE 4
The large and heavy metal door from the dungeon opens and a couple guards enter the room. They seem to be armed with some kind of crossbows. They are clearly Noqals, but dressed very differently from the ones they saw before. It is like they just came out of an alien renaissance fair. Right after them, a female Noqal enters the place. She wears a long luxurious purple tunic containing some unrecognizable symbols. Her head is fully covered by some sort of religious mask. The face depicted in the mask is incredibly similar to the one from M’Cara’s statue.
- Who are you? – she asks with a muffled voice in a clear air of superiority.
The crew stays quiet and scared. They all slowly start to point their eyes to Lieutenant Lenda.
The arrogant woman continues:
- Who is your leader?
He gets goosebumps and his spine chills when he realizes he is indeed the highest ranking officer wearing a command Starfleet uniform in that room. He takes a deep breath, looks at the woman and says:
- I am Lieutenant Lenda from the Federation starship Arcadia. We came here on a peaceful mission to study the Kul’Qaga. I can assure you we are not your enemies. There must be a misunderstanding. If you could please release us and verify what I am saying with Dr. Valthar, your High Apostle. We only want to rejoin the rest of our crew.
She starts to walk among the cages and she curiously looks at Ensign Zorik’s head. Then she touches Mr. K’eetie’s fur with her satin gloves. He hisses back at her.
- I am the High Apostle of Carensia. Your words and those names mean nothing to me.
- Carensia? I didn't know there was a region with such a name in Otera V. – Daniel says confused.
The conversation is halted by the loud chanting coming from outside the walls. One guard enters the room and whispers something in her ear. The apostle turns her back to the prisoners, points to one of the cages and orders the guards:
- Take that one to the interrogation room, now.
She leaves the room in a rush. The guards lower the heavy cage and forcefully take the single prisoner out. Under her niqab, the young female officer begs to Mr. Lenda: “Please help me, lieutenant.”
- Wait! What are you going to do with her? – Daniel shouts without any response back as she is taken out of the room.
- You are lucky that she didn't kill you for directing your voice at her. – said one of the male Naqal prisoners in an adjacent cage. – High Apostle Neri is known for her short temper. My name is Zareet, the city's blacksmith by the way.
- I didn't know there was more than one High Apostle. Do you know how far we are from the capital's center? We need to find our captain and the rest of our crew.
- We are in the capital's dungeons. There is no way out.
(Insight+Command, target:13, results: 10,20, +threat) Daniel starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together: no Dr. Valthar, no knowledge of the Federation, the cages, clothing, a dungeon, even a blacksmith… Daniel realizes they are not in Kansas anymore. But where or better saying… WHEN are they?
Anyway, they need to escape and get back to Arcadia. He turns back to his other 3 crewmates and asks:
- Can you untie any of your hands? (Probability Matrix/Highly improbable/result:6)
- No, these ropes are really tight – says Natasha.
- (Insight+Security, target 10, results: 2,11) Maybe if we can somehow tap a badge, we could open a channel to Arcadia. Mr. Zorik, you’re the one closest to mine. Are you able to reach it with one of the tubes from your breathing device? (Probability Matrix/50-50/result:10)
He tries his best, one of his tubes gets so close to the badge, but not close enough to activate it.
- Sorry sir, you are still too far.
- Maybe we can spit. – says Mr. K’eetie.
- What? – the others ask all together.
- Yes, if we all try to spit with enough pressure on the badge, it might work. Have you never participated in a spitting contest at the Academy? – he looks at them like it would be some kind of mandatory subject at Starfleet. – Come on, I’m an engineer. I know what I am talking about.
- OK, I don’t see any other way. – says Mr. Lenda. – let’s do it. One person at a time.
The Kzinti and Natasha take turns spitting at Daniel. Due to Mr’s Zorik breathing device, he can’t be part of the strange contest. All the other prisoners start to look at their cage with disgusted faces. Zareet baffled murmurs to himself: "These people are really weird."
(Probability Matrix/Highly Improbable/K'eetie 9, Natasha 20, K'eetie 13, Natasha 5, K'eetie 17, Natasha 5, K'eetie 18, Natasha 10, K'eetie 11, Natasha 5, K'eetie 9, Natasha 9, K'eetie 4, Natasha 20, K'eetie 17, Natasha 7, K'eetie 2)
After 16 unsuccessful attempts, Daniel is half covered in mixed saliva. Some crew mates are so disgusted looking at it that they want to vomit. Mr. K’eetie gives a deep look into the lieutenant's eyes and say:
- We will need a photon torpedo.
Nobody understood what he meant by that. He closed his eyes and deeply concentrated almost as if in a Vulcan meditative state with the difference that he started clearing throat for about 5 seconds in a loud noise. He expectorates a giant goo that is violently launched from his mouth. Almost as if in slow motion, the large green gooey ball crosses the cage and hits the combadge!
Everyone in that dungeon almost at the same time say: “Errrr!”
And as in a miracle, they all hear the badge beeping. All officers loudly celebrates Mr. K’eetie’s unusual accomplishment.
- Lieutenant Lenda to anyone in Arcadia! Please, respond! We need urgent assistance!
SCENE 5
The EMH was about to deactivate himself since there was nobody left in the ship when his comms badge beeped. As he listened to Mr. Lenda’s voice he replied:
- Emergency Medical Hologram here. Please state the nature of your emergency.
- Doc! Doc! Thank God someone is still there! I need to urgently talk to the captain or commander Erad. Can you please patch me through?
- Lieutenant, I am a doctor, not a 20th century phone operator. Anyway, I can’t because there's nobody on the ship. I do not know where they are.
- Doc, then can you lock on our coordinates and beam us back to the Arcadia?
- Again lieutenant, I am a doctor. I can perform brain surgery upside down with one hand tied on my back, but I am not programmed to operate a transporter.
- He’s right – says the Kzinti – but there’s someone else in that ship who can. Doctor, here is Ensign K’eetie. Arcadia has holographic emitters all around the ship. Please transfer yourself to Engineering and activate the Emergency Engineering Hologram when you get there. She will know what to do.
- Very well Ensign. On my way.
The doctor disappears from sickbay and instantly reappears at Engineering. He says:
- Computer, activate Emergency Engineering Hologram.
The figure of a beautiful human woman in her 30s appears. The green-eyed brunette holo-engineer says:
- Please state the nature of the technical emergency.
ACT 2
SCENE 1
She is in a much smaller room now. It looks and smells like the dungeons but somehow it feels creepier. Ensign Nooram Wanther is facing the most terrifying day of her life. Alone, separated from the others.
The Apostle enters the room with a strange quiet man. She starts to talk calmly:
- You know, I spent my whole life as a High Apostle. – she does a brief pause and continues – While the other kids were playing I was studying the scriptures. While they were experiencing their first love, I was studying the stars. I always knew they had such small minds, but deep down I just wanted to be like them. I wanted to be free from the invisible chains of this stupid religion. – the enigmatic woman calmly says while walking around the young ensign.
- What do you want from me? – the officer said, trembling.
- I want you to tell me everything you know. Who are you people? Where did you come from? Why is there a giant metallic structure outside this castle sparkling in lights?
- I will never cooperate with you until you release us. – the Starfleet officer says, trying to intimidate her.
- Oh, poor child, you will. You will see that our means of extracting information is very effective.
The pale Noqal male with rotten teeth and a grimm smile approaches with some sort of sharp object in his hands.
SCENE 2
- What are you doing here? – the Emergency Engineer looks intrigued to the Emergency Doctor. – What is going on?
- We don’t have much time to answer your questions. – a voice comes out of the EMH combadge. – This is Lieutenant Lenda. Engineer, please lock on all combadges on this planet and emergency transport everyone back to Cargo Bay 1 now. Doc, please meet us there.
The brunette immediately moves to a console and starts to hit multiple buttons. She replies:
- (Sensors+Engineering, target: 12, results: 15,4) All 26 signals locked. Initiating emergency transport.
In his cage, Daniel looks at his other prison mates and asks:
- 26 …? Before he was able to say anything else, he de-materializes and reappears back on the Arcadia.
All the young Federation personnel were safe and sound back on the ship. Mr. Lenda immediately asks for the doctor’s help:
- Doc, treat any wounded. We will need everybody back on their posts ASAP. – he then directs his eyes to the EEH – you said there were only 26 badge signals on the planet. Where is the rest of the crew?
- (Sensors+Science, target: 14, results: 16,17) Sir, Arcadia has the most sophisticated sensors in Starfleet. I really don’t know where they are. I can only say that they are not on this planet.
- Maybe they were taken to a starbase or a ship. We will need to try to scan again from orbit. Mr. K’eetie, please work with her and prepare the ship to take off. Mr. Zorik, Miss Vodyanov, let’s go to the bridge.
Daniel couldn't be more scared inside, but he can’t demonstrate it during a crisis. He swallows down his fear and walks with Natasha.
SCENE 3
The officers enter the bridge. The lieutenant assigns Mr Zorik to the science station. A young Vulcan officer goes to the Security console. Natasha naturally goes to the helm. Daniel looks at the "big chair" wishing Captain Ch'tholler would be there. He moves to the Operations console.
They start pushing buttons and Daniel can see the status of all systems. They all seem to be properly working. He says:
- Let’s get out of here before we do even more damage to the Prime Directive.
- Yes sir. Taking off – says the helmswoman.
The ship starts to shake. All hundreds of Noqals that were around the vessel start to run for their lives. It is like they had awakened the wrath of their god.
In a matter of seconds, the Arcadia leaves the ground and rapidly moves towards the sky.
SCENE 4
- Lieutenant Lenda’s personal log, stardate unknown: I am the top ranking officer at the moment aboard the Arcadia. 26 of the 78 crew members are safely back to the ship. Our goal now is to find and rescue the others. Somehow the bright light generated by M’Cara’s statue during the Kul’Qaga transported us to a medieval version of Otera V. Our secondary mission is to understand how we can revert the statue’s effects so we can all go back home.
Mr. Zorik, Ensign K’eetie, the EEH, the EMH, Ensign Vodyanov and the lieutenant were all in the meeting room trying to figure out what was going on.
- Mr. Zorik, were you able to identify where or when we are?
- (Sensors+Science, spending Threat, 12,12) Not yet. Everything we have seen so far points us to have traveled back in time. So I started to analyze the positions of the constellations compared to our last record from Otera V. Here’s what puzzles me, Lieutenant: the constellations don’t match at all. And there’s more: this planet is part of a binary system. Otera V orbits a single sun. So, I have plotted the necessary calculations at the ship’s computer to pinpoint where and when we are exactly. It will probably take a few hours until we get the results.
- How about the rest of the crew? Were you able to locate them? – asked Daniel.
- (Sensors+Science, target:14, results: 6, 18): My assumption is that only those affected by the effects of the neurogenic radiation were transported to this place. All missing crew members, including the captain, probably remained in the previous Otera V.
- That explains the crew, but why was the Arcadia transported as well? – asks the holo-doctor.
- (Computers+Engineering, target: 12, results: 4,17) The recently installed bio-neural gel packs. – says Mr. K’eetie. – the ship’s gel packs are mainly composed of neural fibers that act exactly like neurons. The source of the radiation might have mistaken it as part of a brain. In this case the ship’s brain. – At this moment the young Ensign realized he should have paid more attention to the pack analysis he did a day ago.
- Our main priority now is to find a way back. Maybe we could replicate what happened during the Kul’Qaga and transport us back to the original Otera V.
- (Sensors+Engineering, target:12, results: 2, 18) In theory, if we overload the statue with a high beam of neurogenic radiation, we might be able to induce another Kul’Qaga. – said the Emergency Engineering Hologram. – I will need a couple hours to adapt the main deflector dish, but it should be doable.
- Good, this should be your top priority. – commanded Mr. Lenda.
- In the meantime, Mr. K’eetie, please start transporting all abducted Noqals to the ship. I’m pretty sure this is not the ascension they were expecting.
- Aye, sir.
- Good, we will regroup in 2 hours.
SCENE 5
The alien sensor screen seems to be made of some sort of gelatinous material surrounded by wood as it was carved into a tree. The map shows a quadrant of the spiral galaxy.
Suddenly a red dot starts to blink on the map only a few light years from another green dot.
Someone speaks in an unknown language. It resembles the sound of dry leaves crackling when stepped on. A kind of twig touches the red marker. The screen zooms into that sector. It shows a planet that is part of a binary system.
ACT 3
SCENE 1
- Computer, mate tea with sugar, hot – Daniel orders to the replicator.
A cup of the famous South American tea materializes and he takes it. He is lost in every sense of the word. He is dealing with a great deal of pressure right now and he doesn’t know if he is ready for this. A few weeks ago he was just another Ensign. Now he needs to be the acting captain of a Federation starship with dozens of lives depending on him. He can’t stop asking “What would Captain Ch'tholler do ?”. He finishes his tea and takes a deep breath before getting back to the bridge.
SCENE 2
- Ensign K’eetie to Lenda. Sir, all Noqals are accounted for and temporarily assigned to Cargo Bay 1. The doctor is already checking them.
- Thank you. – the young lieutenant replies while at the Operations console. – Lenda to the Emergency Engineer. How are the deflector updates going?
- It’s almost finished, sir. Maybe another 20 minutes.
Before anyone could say anything else, Mr. Zorik’s console emits a loud beep.
- Sir, a ship is approaching our coordinates at high warp. It doesn’t seem to be of any known origin. It’s estimated it will reach us in 2 minutes and it’s already in visual range. – The young officer shows the vessel at the bridge’s main view screen. Everyone can see a spherical object at warp.
- What is that? – asks Lenda.
- I don’t know yet. But it’s the size of a small moon. – Mr. Zorik responds.
- These readings can’t be right, sir. – he adds puzzled. – It seems to be made of organic material. Wood more precisely. Scans can’t pinpoint a bridge, engineering, weapons, life signs, anything at all.
Daniel tries to open a channel to the vessel:
- This is the Federation starship Arcadia. Please identify yourself.
(Communications+Conn, target: 12, results: 12,12, +Momentum) They hear a strange noise like crackling leaves. The wooden ship gets larger on the screen by the second. Mr. Lenda tries again.
The alien vessel comes out of warp at the planet’s orbit, totally ignoring the communication efforts. The team can’t believe their eyes or the size of that space giant.
SCENE 3
Hundreds of intertwined branches start to rapidly grow from the alien vessel’s hull. They seem to move towards the planet at random locations as a grimm hand grasping towards an object.
- This doesn’t look good. – Red Alert! – commands Mr. Lenda and then he directs his voice to a young Vulcan at the Security station - Ensign lock phasers on those branches and fire.
- (Weapons+Security, target: 10, results: 6, 8) Direct hit sir, but there are too many branches. Some are already touching the ground.
- (Insight+Science, target: 12, results: 19,2) If it’s made out of wood, we may be able to burn it once it’s inside the atmosphere. This might give us some time. Ensign, target the branches at 10,000 kilometers from the surface and keep firing!
- (Weapons+Security, target: 10, results: 5, 20, Threat canceled by Momentum): Sir, it’s working! Phasers are having a better effect now, but we can’t hold this much longer.
- (Insight+Security, target: 10, results: 7,15) Mr. Zorik, does this tree have any kind of shield that would prevent us from transporting an armed photon torpedo to its center?
- There is no shield of any kind.
- This might be our only option then. – the lieutenant says – Ensign, arm a photon torpedo.
- Torpedo armed and ready sir!
- (Sensors+Engineering, target: 12, results: 2,4 +Momentum) Transporting torpedo to the center of the alien vessel now. – Lenda says hopeful.
The enemy ship suddenly explodes from the inside throwing pieces of wood into every direction.
The branches that had reached the planet continued to burn from the phaser attack.
- Sir – Mr. Zorik breaks the winning sentiment with some bad news – sensors show that the attack destroyed the castle and the statue in it.
SCENE 4
All abducted Noqals and Starfleet officers were gathered in Cargo Bay 1. Lieutenant Lenda was very nervous for this speech. He took a deep breath and started:
- Thanks everyone for coming. The last few days were really hard and intense for everyone here. We were abducted to a place we’re still trying to figure out where. What we know is that we are far from Starfleet, our captain and all other senior officers. We might not know where home is or even how to get there yet. But we will. Together. And on our way home I’m sure we will have numerous opportunities to encounter incredibly new challenges and civilizations.
We will return from where no one has gone before. Dismissed.
(Presence+Command, target: 13, results: 7, 14) The crew and the Noqals look at him with high hopes and confidence that he will lead them home safely.
SCENE 5
A few minutes after the acting captain’s speech, a light blinks at Ensign Vorik’s console showing the results of the most anticipated calculations about their location. He looks terrified:
- Sir, the computer finished calculating our location. We are in the Andromeda galaxy, sir. We’re 2.6 million light years from Starfleet headquarters. At our maximum warp, it would take us more than 2,500 years to get home.
END OF EPISODE 2
Plays "Where We Are" by The Lumineers
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