<USS Avalon> "In Retrospect, Part Two" (revised)
- From: CamtheTreknut@xxxxxxx
- To: avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2006 22:28:07 EDT
In Retrospect
Part Two (revised)
In 2369, Starfleet officers assigned to management of the
Cardassian-built space station in orbit of the planet Bajor encountered the
shapeshifting Odo for the first time. Frank Scott heard about the mysterious
being
through the usual means---Fleet gossip. He was mildly interested, wondering if
perhaps the genetic material of his daughter's 'sire' might be related to Deep
Space Nine's chief of security. As the Ireland was not usually in that sector
of space, he didn't give the matter much thought.
That is, until 2371, when the Fleet grapevine went abuzz again about
Odo. This time, the news was much bigger---he had discovered his homeworld.
Frank then copied every disclosed report he could get his hands on and showed
it all to his wife. They worried that Laney's upcoming graduation from
practical training might prompt her to ask questions no one was prepared to
answer---least of all the two of them.
The beginning of active duty went smoothly for Laney---while it was
true that the Ireland had it's share of adventures, nothing happened that
would have prompted her to reveal her extraordinary gifts. She had been living
in secret for so long that using them only in private or in the company of her
parents had become second nature to her.
At least, that was what she allowed her parents to think. Frank and
Marsha might believe she was content to live a 'normal' life, but like her
father, Laney gathered every available bit of material she could concerning
Odo
and the Dominion Founders. They called themselves Changelings, and they
could shapeshift. She could shapeshift to a certain degree, though with
nowhere
near the complexity of Odo and his people. Her abilities were limited to
elasticity and preternatural good health, but surely there was a connection.
A second Borg incursion into Federation space was followed by
all-out war with the Dominion and their new allies, the Cardassians, both in
2373.
Two years of constant conflict for the most part pushed the thought of
Laney's origins from the minds of the Scott family, though the questions of
the
youngest were never completely silenced.
Having been assigned to the Bajoran Sector battle group in the last
six months of the war, the Ireland stopped at DS9 after the cease fire
agreement is signed...
Stardate 9912.27
Laney stopped outside her father's office door. This was a
moment---the moment, really---she had been dreading for nearly four years. In
truth,
she had been dreading it all her life.
Taking a deep breath, she rang the chime, and entered when she head
his muted "Come in."
"Laney! Sweetheart, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Frank Scott
rose from his chair, a wide smile on his face. He came around the desk and
wrapped his daughter in a snug embrace.
She'd never been afraid to speak to her father before. In fact,
she'd always been able to talk to both her parents about anything. But as he
drew
back and she looked into his eyes, Laney was suddenly very afraid to speak.
Clearing her throat, she stiffened her spine as she said, "Daddy,
I've come to ask you for a favor."
"Sure," he said. "Whatever you need that I can provide. What is it?"
Laney swallowed. "A shuttle. Just for a few days."
Frank's eyebrows rose. "What do you need a shuttle for? You know
we'll be leaving tomorrow morning."
"Like I said, it's just for a few days," she said, hoping she
wouldn't actually have to tell him why. "I need some alone time."
"You can get that in your quarters. Or the holodeck." Frank backed
way and leaned against the desk, his arms crossed. "What's really going on,
Laney?"
"I just want to go somewhere. By myself."
Her father sighed. "Normally I'd just say yes, and don't forget to
file your flight plan. You also normally tell me right off where you're
planning to go. But I'm getting a feeling that not only were you not intending
to
file a flight plan, you also don't want me to know where you're going.
"I'm going to ask you again: What's really going on?"
Laney stepped away, then turned back to face him. "Daddy, I want to
go to the Gamma Quadrant. To the Changeling homeworld."
Frank could only stare. "You're kidding. Right?" he said after a
moment.
She shook her head slowly. "No, Daddy, I'm not."
He stared again. Then abruptly rose and returned to his chair.
"Request denied."
"What?"
Frank shuffled padds strewn over his desk, responding without
looking up. "I believe you heard me, Lieutenant."
Shaken from his tone and the pointed use of her rank and not her
name, she stepped forward. "I'm not asking you as an officer, Dad. I'm asking
you as your daughter."
"And as your father, the answer is still no. Cease-fire or no
cease-fire, the Gamma Quadrant is no place for anyone to travel alone, and the
Changeling homeworld is sure as hell no place for a Starfleet officer to go."
"Oh, come on!" Laney said, exasperation creeping into her voice.
"You had to know this was coming---you and mom both. The Changelings could be
my
people!"
Frank looked up sharply. "We are your people, Laney. Me. Your
mother. Your grandparents. Humanity itself is your people."
Laney narrowed her gaze. "Only in part."
Softening, she added, "Daddy, I may register to a scan as a normal,
run-of-the-mill Human female, but we both know why---because of the chip you
had put in my commbadge. And I'm not normal! Never being sick a day in my
life might not be so much a clue as my ability to reach clear across a room!"
She demonstrated by holding out her right arm and allowing it to
elongate, reaching behind her father's head and plucking one of his
certificates
off the wall. She dropped it on the desk before returning the arm to its
usual length.
"That is not normal."
Frank sighed. "Laney, I know you have questions. I have questions.
So does your mother. And yes, to be honest, we've suspected ever since '69
that your non-Human genetics could be in some way related to Odo's species."
"You also know that the Founders told Odo that he was one of a
hundred---one hundred---Changeling infants sent out to explore the galaxy who
would be compelled to return home eventually," Laney pointed out.
For a brief moment, Frank wondered if this sudden request might be
the result of such a compulsion. "Are you...?"
"No, Daddy. This is just me, standing here asking you to let me find
out who I am. You said even you and mom have questions. Why not let me get
the answers?" Laney said softly.
He was almost compelled to let her go, but it was just too risky. If
anyone found out where she was going and why... not to mention the fact that
his greatest fear was losing her to the Changelings' Great Link.
If she was even able to join the link.
"I'm sorry, Laney," he said at last. "I just can't let you."
Laney stiffened again, standing straight. "Then I'll put in for
immediate leave. You can't stop me on my own time."
"Actually, I can," he told her. "If I believe your intentions
present a danger to yourself or others, I can have you taken into custody."
She was shocked to hear that. It rankled that he was right. And
pissed her off because she knew he would do it.
Laney didn't wait for his dismissal before turning on her heel and
leaving.
Laney wandered around the Ireland aimlessly for about an hour. She
was still angry at her father, and didn't want to even contemplate the fact
that he had, in essence, threatened her with confinement. And for what?
Because
she was curious? Because she just wanted to know where the other half of her
came from? What was he so afraid of, anyway? Even if she were to get to the
Changeling homeworld, the chances of her being able to join the Great Link
were virtually zero. She might have some of their genetic structure, but she
already knew she couldn't turn herself into a puddle of gelatinous semi-solid.
Her wanderings, either by accident or subconscious design, had
brought her to her domain---the main shuttle bay. She entered and stood
silently
looking over the miniature ships, knowing in her heart that if she could just
take one for a couple of days, she could get every one of her questions
answered.
Looking around, Laney saw that no one was present. Taking that as a
sign, she strode over to the controller's console and entered her command
code. She tapped in a series of commands, then walked over to the closest
Type-9, the Belfast, and got in. She brought the shuttle's systems online as
the
bay door opened, and in mere minutes was on her way out into space.
When the opening wormhole swirled into view outside his ready room
window, Frank Scott initially paid it no mind. He'd seen it often enough to be
reasonably immune to the stunning view it presented each time the vortex was
approached. About an hour later, the message light on his desktop terminal
began to blink, and he keyed the message onto the screen with a nonchalant
air. His eyes grew wide and his breathing almost stopped when he read the text
message from Laney.
I'm sorry, Daddy.
Kira Nerys had quite enough to deal with. She didn't need another
request from yet another Starfleet captain to locate a missing crewman, who
was
probably at Quark's getting drunk still celebrating the war's end.
Captain Frank Scott's expression upon stepping into the office she
had reluctantly taken over after Ben's departure sobered her very quickly. He
spoke first, and floored her with the nature of his request.
"Colonel Kira, I need you to take me to the Changeling homeworld."
She blinked rapidly for about ten seconds. "I'm sorry... what did
you just say?"
No one went to the Changeling homeworld who didn't have to. For that
matter, there weren't too many who knew where the Founders had resettled
after the attack on their first world by Romulan-aided forces a couple of
years
ago. What could possibly have possessed this man to want to make the trip?
"Colonel, I have every reason to believe that my daughter has taken
a shuttlecraft to the planet," he went on, as if she hadn't spoken. "I don't
know how or where she got the coordinates, but I'm certain that is where she
is headed."
Kira cleared her throat. "May I ask why she would go there?"
"She believes her biological father was a Changeling."
Nearly repeating her first statement, Kira shook her head to dispel
the urge. "I mean no disrespect to you or your daughter, Captain, but is she
suffering from any sort of mental illness? Post-traumatic stress disorder?"
"No, Colonel."
The Bajoran frowned. "Then what could possibly make her think---"
"She might be right, Colonel," Frank said. "I haven't the time to
explain just now. If you go with me, I will explain on the way. If you don't
want to go, I still need you to tell me where it is. Time is of the
essence---if we hurry, we might be able to catch her before she reaches the
planet."
Kira was speechless for several seconds, then simply nodded. She
next reached up and tapped her commbadge.
"Kira to Bashir."
"Bashir here, go ahead."
"Doctor, I've an inescapable conference I need to attend on Bajor. I
don't know how long I'll be gone, but it should only take a few days. You're
in charge until I get back."
"Understood, Colonel. Take care."
Kira came around the desk. Frank walked behind her as they exited
the office and she said, "We'll take a runabout. It'll get us there much
faster."
*****
Materializing on a small spit of rocky land, Laney looked with
wonder at the shimmering sea of relaxed-state Changelings. Only a small
handful of
people from her side of the wormhole had ever seen this sight, and she
wondered if any had been as awe-struck as she was right now.
She was startled when the 'sea' began to shift, and a rising form
began to take shape. She instantly recognized Odo as he came toward her.
"Why have you come here?" he asked.
Laney suddenly didn't know how to answer that. "I... I think I might
be one of you. At least half of me might be," she said nervously.
Odo smiled even as he shook his head. "That can't be, Lieutenant.
There are no half-Changelings. It isn't even possible."
"It must be. Look." Taking off her commbadge, she dropped it on the
ground, then pulled a tricorder from the case on her belt and handed it to
him.
"Scan me," she instructed. "Without my commbadge, a scan will show
you I'm not completely Human."
Humoring the girl, not believing the scan would show him anything
other than a Human bio-signature, Odo flipped the tricorder open and keyed the
command for a biological scan. He held it in front of her just long enough
for the device to get a reading, and then brought it back to himself to look
at
the screen. And was shocked to see the result.
On one half of the tiny display was a Human double-helix. On the
other, the unmistakable genetic marker of his own people.
Odo glanced up. "You are one of us. How... how is this possible?"
His eyes strayed back to the tricorder screen, still not quite able
to comprehend how he could be seeing a Human-Changeling bio-signature.
"Twenty-two years ago, there was a meteor shower in the Verdana
system. A capsule containing an unknown organic compound was found among some
meteorites that had landed on Verdana Two. The thing ceased it's molecular
activity within three days of the capsule being opened, because of damage to
what
was later determined to be a stasis capsule. A civilian microbiologist,
working on the Starfleet vessel that had sent officers to study the fallout of
the
meteor shower, decided to experiment with the compound. She injected a
sample of it into the nucleus of a Human cell---one of her own cells, in fact.
"Almost instantly the sample and the cell nucleus fused, and then
began to divide. Over the next two days it continued dividing in the same
exact
fashion as do Human reproductive cells after conception. Impulsively, some
might say stupidly, the woman decided to transplant the cell cluster into her
uterus, effectively becoming her own science experiment. The cluster
implanted, and after a standard-length Human gestation cycle, I was born."
Odo continued to look her over with wonder, as were the dozen or so
Changelings who had taken shape while she recounted her origins.
"It is most incredible," said a female. "We have never reproduced in
such a fashion before. I do not see how this could have happened."
"In twenty-one years, I've never been sick," Laney went on. "I've
been injured numerous times, but I've always healed either instantly or within
days, depending on the severity. And I can stretch myself way beyond the
capacity of normal Human beings."
She demonstrated this latter ability by standing absolutely still
and lengthening her arm to pick up her commbadge. "There's a microchip in
here,
designed by my mother, that emits a signal whenever I'm scanned. It's
designed to make the scan read me as completely Human. I've worn this almost
since
birth."
"Have you ever...?" Odo started to say.
Laney shook her head. "I've always had a solid body."
"Then what made you come here?"
Laney smiled softly. "As I've known since I was very young how I
came to be, when I first heard about you, I began to wonder if we could be
related somehow. But being a military brat---daughter of a Starfleet captain,
a
graduate of Starfleet Academy myself---I couldn't just go around asking the
wrong kinds of questions."
"Seems to me they would have been the right questions," said the
female.
"When word got out that the Dominion Founders were Odo's people, it
made them the wrong ones," Laney returned. "And we were at war with your race
only last week.
"Anyway, I also knew I couldn't just disregard the people who raised
me, the love they had given me, or all the risks they had taken on my
behalf."
Laney's eyes found Odo's again. "The Changelings and the Federation
may not be allies, and we probably never will be. But we are at peace. I
thought it was time to find out who I am."
Odo smiled. He knew that feeling all too well. Closing the
tricorder, he handed it over. Laney returned it to the carrying case on her
belt.
Next, Odo held out his hand.
No one knew what would happen when their hands touched. All were
surprised---and elated---when, as Odo began to convert to his gelatinous
state---
---Laney began to change with him.
*****
They had been in orbit for two days, three days out from DS9, and
were taking turns getting sleep. They discovered Laney's empty uniform and
equipment abandoned on the shore of the Changeling sea, their scans showing
they
had missed her by no more than an hour. Frank had been devastated, and was
only marginally comforted by Kira's reassurances that Laney was almost
certainly alive and well in the Great Link. His concern now was whether or not
his
daughter would come back to him.
So they waited.
Kira was rather surprised there had been no activity for so long,
not even from Odo. She contemplated that nearly every waking moment.
She had just relieved Frank on the eve of the third day, and he had
been gone only a few minutes when there was activity at last.
She slapped her commbadge. "Frank, get back down here! Something's
happening!"
By the time Frank had fully rematerialized next to her, Laney was
standing in front of her, looking none the worse for wear. The younger Scott
did not look surprised to see them.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Laney, are you alright?" Frank asked cautiously, eyeing the uniform
she had appeared in, knowing the one they had found was up on the runabout.
"I'm fine, Daddy. You don't have to worry, I haven't been harmed."
Not taking her word for it, he opened up a tricorder and scanned
her. "Still a hybrid," he muttered.
"Did you think they would erase my Human DNA?" she asked.
"Quite frankly, yes," he answered.
Laney shook her head. "Daddy, Mom's experiment---though it may have
been unethical and possibly immoral---gave me life. There's no escaping that
and no changing it, because if she hadn't, the Changeling I was would have
died and they never would have known what happened to her. Although they have
the ability to remove my Human DNA they didn't, because being Human is part of
who I am."
"I know they did something to you."
Laney smiled again. "They have given me a gift---the ability to
shapeshift, and if I so desire, to join the Great Link."
Kira tried not to be offended when she saw the crestfallen look on
Frank Scott's face. After all, she'd known Odo for many years, and he was the
finest example of the Changeling race she'd ever met. On the other hand, he
had legitimate reason to fear losing his daughter---not to death, perhaps, but
to the very people who had until just a few days ago tried to decimate the
Alpha Quadrant.
"Obviously your father has filled me in on everything, so we won't
hash out just why I'm here," she said, speaking for the first time since the
Scotts had reunited. "What I don't understand is how a tissue sample from a
dead Changeling infant embryonized with a non-reproductive nucleus."
Laney looked at her. "We believe that the cellular structure of that
particular infant, a female, was not entirely devoid of electro-molecular
activity. Even Human cells maintain some electrochemical activity for months
after death. Apparently, once introduced to my mother's cell nucleus, the
genetic material of the Changeling sample bonded with the DNA contained in the
nucleus in order to preserve it's life. There was enough information contained
in the twenty-three chromosomes of my mother's cell nucleus for it to
determine what bio-molecular pattern it would need to form."
"So... as a final act of self-preservation, it chose to become
Human?" Kira asked incredulously.
"It is just a theory, but the only one that seems to make sense to
any of us. Even the Changelings are astounded. They don't reproduce the same
way Solids do, so they've never encountered anything like me," Laney
explained. "I still retain my half-Human genetics, but by coming here and
joining the
Great Link I'm also a true half-Changeling. The only one, in fact."
Frank couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Don't tell me you're
happy about this?! Laney, what am I supposed to tell your mother?"
"That she is still my mother---the Changelings have no desire to
take that distinction away from her. In fact, they hold her in very high
regard
because she gave one of their lost daughters a second chance at life, and it
was out of deepest respect for that gift that they didn't remove my Human DNA
and make me a full Changeling. I was given life by a Human and I have lived
my life as a Human, so Human is what I am. I just happen to also be a
Changeling."
"You're a bloody Founder, Laney!" her father exploded. "These people
tried their damnedest for two years to try and kill us! You might as well
have given up your Human DNA!"
"But I can do things they can't, Daddy! I'll need to. My Human DNA
will require me to eat and I will still bleed when injured, with the same
regenerative capabilities I've always had. Daddy," she stepped closer to him,
her
countenance imploring. "I had to do this. Whether you want to admit it or
not, being half-Changeling has always been a part of who I am. I had to come
here to find that out for sure, yes, but now we know why I've always had those
unbelievable abilities. I had the right to know."
"Will you have to regenerate?" Kira wondered out loud.
Laney nodded. "Yeah, but like them, as little as an hour will do.
I'll still be able to sleep in a bed for rest otherwise."
Frank Scott shook his head vigorously and paced away. He turned back
a moment later, his expression now schooled, hands on his hips and his mouth
set in a grim line.
"Laney, I don't think you have any idea of the position you have put
me in," he told her. "Or Colonel Kira, for that matter. I cannot ask her to
remain silent, and I doubt she would even if asked. The truth is going to
have to come out now, do you get that? I mean, can you comprehend that you
have
put not only your career, but mine and your mother's, at risk? Could you
think of no one but yourself and this insane personal quest of yours?"
Laney's expression tightened and her eyes narrowed. "Daddy, this
quest, while it may have been personal, was not insane."
"You can think that if you want, Delaney. You got what you wanted.
Now you have to face the consequences."
"What consequences?" she asked, already suspecting what he was going
to do.
"I'm afraid you have left me no choice," Frank said. "You may have
made a personal request as my daughter, but the fact remains that I am a
Starfleet captain and your commanding officer, and you disobeyed a direct
order
not to come here. I'm also going to add an insubordination charge. You are, as
of now, under arrest."
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