<USS Avalon> "Future Talks"

 
 
"Future Talks"
Captain Keith Ketchum, Captain Grace Redgrave - Dareth,  Cmdr Skyler & Marine 
Captain
Analu Maluhia
 
 
Sighing, Grace got up from her chair. "This should  prove interesting." She 
mutter as she looked over and down at the redhead in the  XO's chair. "You have 
the bridge, Ms. Kaelyre. Please try to keep the McEntires  under control."

Aeriannah stiffened a chuckle. "You're asking for a  miracle there, Captain."

Grace shook her head and tried not to smile.  "Just tell them that if they 
pull any more stunts like the last few I'll invite  their mother to tea."

Aeriannah laughed.

Heading for the turbo  lift, Grace smacked her comm badge as she entered.  
"Dareth to Maluhia,  meet me in Transporter Room One, ASAP."

Andy had been in his office but  he was on his feet and out the door in 
seconds.  "On my way, Captain," he  said.  He stopped long enough to fix 
Lieutenant 
Hale with a stare and to  say, "Tell her I'll be right back."

Grace nodded at Andy as he walked  into the room. "We're taking a little trip 
back in time, Captain. I'm fairly  sure your the only one on my Senior staff 
that doesn't have family on the  Avalon." Stepping up onto the pad she looked 
at the NCO behind the controls.  "Beam us to their conference room."

"Ah, no, no I don't," Andy said  mildly.  Shut your mouth, Marine.  Don't say 
anything.  "I'm only  nine years old over there."

"My birthday is in another four months."  Grace replied before nodded at the 
NCO. "Energize." Grace watched as her world  slowly turned fuzzy and blue and 
then replaced with a strange world she'd never  really known. Standing in the 
conference room she looked around and shrugged.  "Smaller then I thought it 
would be."

His was a stance that was both at  ease and ready.  He wasn't going to pose a 
threat but he'd definitely do  his job.  "I think things must go in phases 
from large to small then  back.  Ours is at the large stage."

Grace laughed. "That's because  no one in their right mind would put all five 
of the McEntires on one ship  unless it big enough to give them space."  
Taking a seat at the head of the  table, more out of habit then any disrespect, 
Grace steepled her fingers  together. "I wonder where they are."

"Not even born yet, Captain," Andy  replied as he took a standing post right 
behind her.  "As to our  hosts...perhaps watching as we speak."

Closing her eyes, Grace reached  out while keeping herself shielded and 
invisible. "No, they're coming." Then she  smiled. "She hasn't a clue who I am. 
Man 
will she get a shock when she sees  me."

Andy's smile was still his smile even if he was working.  "I  love fireworks."

Skyler looked at Keith and wondered what was going  on.  She put her own 
shields up just as a precaution. Looking at Keith she  commented, "Shall we go 
and 
see our guests?" Besides curiosity was getting the  best of her.

Andy didn't recall ever meeting this ship's captain in his  life nor its 
first officer but the first officer was one whose name he  knew.  Mrs. McEntire 
had asked about her.  It didn't matter.  She  could be the Second Coming of 
Maui 
and Christ and he'd still do his  job.

Keith stood from his chair and walked across the bridge, "Perhaps,  
Commander, I should do this alone.  Having too many know a future isn't a  good 
thing, 
and with Mr. Garrity having been over there, that's one too many as  it is."  
Holding the PADD in his hand, as if it were gold-pressed latinum,  He made his 
way to the conference room door.  Half hoping she wouldn't  follow, but 
knowing that sometimes inquisitiveness would bring her  in.

"Captain, I think it is highly unfair of you not to allow me into  this 
meeting. You have kept more than your share of secret's from me during this  
mission and I refuse to be left out of this meeting. I have already had contact 
 
with this other ship as you well know and I feel it is my right to attend this  
meeting. If for no other reason than being your XO."

Skyler stood her  ground determined that she was going to go into that 
conference room. She  started to follow him and was standing behind him before 
he  
entered.

"Very well, Commander.  But the information that you hear  and other things 
might be more than you can handle."  He turned and walked  into the Conference 
room.  He nodded to the Marine and the Captain,  "Captain, I am Captain Keith 
Ketchum and this is Commander Skyler.  Thank  you for coming over her for the 
meeting."  Holding out his hand to shake  with Grace and then Andy.  He looked 
around the room, "Is Mr. Garrity not  with you?"

Skyler walked into the conference room and stood next to the  Captain. As he 
was making the introductions she was stunned by the appearance of  the other 
Captain. She somehow looked familiar as if she should know this  person. It was 
her eyes. She had the eyes of herself and her sister. It couldn't  be could 
it? Could this be her future niece? Keith had not mentioned the  Captain's last 
name or her first name for that matter. She couldn't take her  eyes off the 
woman. Those eyes that she had seen before.  She stood there  in utter silence 
barely breathing. Should she say anything? Would the other  Captain say 
anything? What the hell was going on? 

Grace shook the Captain's hand and introduced Andy.  "This is my Marine 
Captain, Analu Maluhia." Then she looked over at her aunt and  simply nodded. 
This 
is such a bad idea for me to be here. I mean, for the love  of the Gods, my 
Mum, my step-Mum, my Granny, and my Aunt are all on this  ship.  Lets not even 
started on all other others. She sighed inwardly.  Dad's here too somewhere.

"We have a problem when it comes to your Mr.  Garrity, Captain. It would 
appear even though he was staying in a very low-tech  room, he managed to 
somehow 
leave my ship." She looked at her aunt and sighed  inward again before looking 
at Keith. "Also, those time bombs I mentioned? They  went off."

 

Andy politely shook the proffered hands then went back  to watchful and 
waiting.  well, now, here was the woman Mrs. McEntire had  mentioned.  He said 
nothing about the other time bombs though.  The  captain hadn't asked and he 
didn't dare offer.

Skyler nodded at  the other woman in return. If Georgia were here she would 
have a fit. If Mel  were here she would.....I don't know what she would do.  I 
don't even  know what I am going to do or say.  How could this happen?   
Skyler realized she wasn't breathing and took a slow deep breath, trying to 
calm  
her nerves. Keith had said that there were going to be things said she might 
not  be able to handle but she hadn't expected this. Not her own niece.


"Well... for once I had prepared for that" This was  going to be tough to 
explain given the need to keep the information  low-key.  "I have been provided 
information that was given to me by my  Temporal Group.  According to them, in 
our line, the ship that you are on  is not where you were."  Finally out of 
words, "It's all here on the PADD,"  handing it to Grace.

"What they know and such about your ship in our  line.  Also, there is a note 
about an unknown vessel rescuing our Mr.  Garrity, from my own future logs.  
They went to a lot of checking.  So  anything that might occur, in regard to 
those time-bombs, might also have been  meant to happen, though that is tough 
to say, but your ship should be safe from  the temporal tsunami so to speak."  
He paused to allow her to read the  PADD.

Grace read over the PADD and sighed deeply. "Your telling me that  not only 
are we 40 years in the past, but we're in the wrong reality?" 
 
Andy let out a soft sigh along with his captain.  Now that, he told  himself, 
just figures absolutely.
 
"That's what it appears.  Based on our timeline,  your ship was monitoring 
the Solar Flare of Timericus.  And it could have  been worse, this could have 
been a mirror universe or one that war had destroyed  almost everything.  At 
least this is probably close to what it was.. is..  well, you get the picture.  
Two things that need to occur, one in rather  short order, locate Mr. Garrity, 
and then two, we try to get you  home."
 
"Close?" Andy muttered.  "I'm nine years old here..."
 
Skyler listened to every word Keith said and those of  the other Captain. 
They were 40 yrs in the past. Different reality? Then it very  well could be. 
She 
looked at her, at her eyes. The eyes she looked at every day  in the mirror, 
or when she looked at her sister. This is why the Commander  wouldn't let her 
speak to the Captain. It was her niece. It was Grace. My  God, I am looking at 
my niece and in this line she isn't even born yet. She  looks like Mel, it 
astonishing.
 
Looking over at the visiting Captain, Skyler took a  deep breath. "Captain, I 
don't believe I caught your name? Could you please tell  me what it is? What 
more damage can be done by you telling me? Although I  have a fairly good 
idea." Skyler waited. Waited to hear her or someone tell her  that she was her 
niece Grace. Mel's wee poppet. Georgia's grandbaby. Celeste's  grandchild. She 
needed to hear the words.
 
Grace looked at Skyler, then at Keith, then at Andy and  then just sighed and 
shook her head. "There's been contact between several of my  crew and Mr. 
Garrity, there's been contact with at least others and your Chief  Medical 
Officer, why the hell not?" Looking at Skyler again she answered.  "Captain 
Grace 
Redgrave-Dareth."
 
Ignoring his captain's by-play with the Avalon's first office, Andy shook  
his head.  How'd she find out about the talks with Mrs. McEntire?   Great, mark 
number two on the list.  This one'll keep you in the brig til  the wedding.
 
Skyler looked at Grace in disbelief yet she knew it to  be true. "You...you 
look just like her. You have her eyes....my eyes. You are my  niece. My God." 
She looked at Grace and walked over to her not knowing if she  should hug her 
or what.
 
Grace offered her Aunt a warm smile. "If you mean my  Mum, so I've been 
told." 
 
"Not just your Mum, but Celeste as well. If Georgia  knew you were here she 
would go nuts. So, besides being awkward, how have you  been?"
 
"I've done well.. Well, at least in our time line we  have." Sighing again 
she shook her head. "I hate everything temporal." Turning  to look at Keith she 
added. "Your Mr. Garrity took his shuttle. My people are  working on a way to 
find it, but since your people know him better, perhaps  you should start your 
own search."
 
Skyler moved back to stand next to Keith. It was  apparent that Grace wanted 
nothing to do with her and she wasn't going to force  herself on her. She 
stood and listened to all that was being said, while her  thoughts were running 
in 
different directions. This was her niece, who actually  wasn't born yet. God 
she hated all things temporal, but she had demanded to be  present. She would 
have to deal with things as they happened. She would leave  whatever contact 
they were to have up to Grace. She already knew she couldn't  tell Mel or 
Georgia. This was something she had to keep to herself. Like it or  not.
 
Tapping his communicator, "Mr. McEntire and Ms. Li,"  having not known about 
a birth yet, "I need you to scan the space around the  ship to try and locate 
Mr. Garrity's shuttle, it is believed to be close by, I  need you to find it, 
and you know him best."  
 
Keith turned to Skyler, "Commander, I think that enough  at this point has 
been seen, if you agree, think you can return to the bridge  and coordinate the 
search.  I have a few other things that I would like to  discuss with the 
Captain."
 
Looking at Keith and back at Grace, Skyler sighed,  "Yes, Sir. I will 
coordinate the search with Engineering and OPS." Taking one  last look at her 
niece 
Skyler turned, leaving the conference room and made her  way back to the 
bridge. She wasn't happy about it. She was always being left out  or secrets 
were 
being kept from her. Almost as if her own Captain didn't trust  her. 
 
It always happened on her shift.

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