These Are The Voyages Part III
Posted on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 5:16am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke & Makeba Brown & Lieutenant Commander Larim Myles
Edited on on Thu Sep 13th, 2018 @ 3:44pm
3,014 words; about a 15 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4 - The Sum of Our Parts
Location: Cellblock C - Oklahoma Institute for the Criminally Insane
Timeline: MD002 1100 hrs
Makeba Brown and Dr Ian Frain sat at the meeting table. "Well it seems that the courts over in Pawhuska have sent us a live one. A man is claiming that Star Trek is real and he is the Captain of a starship." He said laughing as he set his coffee down and sat.
Makeba had no idea what Star Trek was, but she knew how to play along. Maquis training don't fail me now... She thought. She joined in the laughter "Well this one has got to be out of his bloody mind. What did he do?"
"It seems that he punched a load of police officers, and ranted at his own arraignment." Dr Frain said as he slid the file across the table to Makeba.
Makeba Brown had rarely been surprised in her entire life. But her jaw dropped as she looked at the folder in front her. There written in block lettering was TYLER MALBROOKE
May 29 2018 1100 hrs (relative time)
Tyler had not been treated well overnight. He was denied a real meal, water except for a bare minimum. But most importantly he was denied a phone call. He had to get in touch with Katherine. He knew that she was not his Kat but she would believe him, and get him out of there.
He found it harder and harder to believe that something like could have ever happened on Earth. The worst of his situation was he had to figure out how to get back to the Pioneer, to the reality where the Federation wasn't a thing of fiction.
Over the past two hours nursing assistants had come in a shown him episodes of Star Trek and all of it's spin offs. He was told that the show had a number movies made. They even went as far as to show him footage of something called a CON where the performers from these shows were greeting people and signing autographs. Despite it all Tyler maintained that he was a Captain in Starfleet, as he recited name, rank and serial number over and over again.
By 1100 hrs it was decided that a proper evaluation would have to be made so a Dr Brown was summonsed to his cell. Brown... Why does that name sound familiar? Tyler thought. Just as he was able to get his mind to focus on the name and not the situation that he was in footsteps were heard coming down the hall. Moments later his cell opened and Tyler's jaw dropped. In walked the Maquis officer that he had locked away in his brig, Makeba Brown and a man in scrubs. She held a file with his name on it and he carried a clipboard.
The tech,a tall man with messy hair and razor stubble whos nametag read Reg looked to the patient and to Dr Brown. He reached into his scrub pants and withdrew an ink pen and clicked it.
"Ready when you are, Doc." he said. He'd only started his shift and knew nothing about anything yet. Fullly believing that "Discovery was half the fun"
Makeba smiled ear to ear, she was indeed the cat who ate the canary. All pretense went out the window for the moment as she sat on stool. "Well, well, well what do we have here? Seems like a little role reversal to me."
Tyler for his part stared dumbfounded, and then he knew. She must have gotten displaced as well when the wave hit the ship. The question was did she know who she actually was and whence she was from? All of this flooded through his mind as he sat and stared.
Reg looked from Dr Brown to tha patient abd back. Scribbling on his pad. He was confused. Role reversal? he asked himself. "Have you met the patient before?" he asked, puzzled look on his face.
When Reg spoke up it snapped both from the stare down. Makeba was taken aback, she let her training slip best not to it again. "Reg, sometimes it helps to indulge the patient's fantasy. You see Mr Malbrooke believes himself to be the Captain of Federation Starship, the USS Pioneer I believe. Have you ever watched Star Trek Reg?"
"I have from time to time." he nodded. "One of my favorite shows."
Makeba continued "Well he told one of the officers that he thought I was a member of the Maquis, his enemy. Hence the role reversal." She cocked an eyebrow as her speech appeared to get Tyler visibly angry.
"Why you lying, traitorous son of a..." Tyler was cut off by one of the guards outside. "Hey you calm down in there when the good doctor is with you. If not I will come in there and it will not be good." The guard was holding a taser rifle and pointed it at Tyler, while he winked at Makeba. She blew him a kiss, if the guard was going to flirt. It couldn't hurt to flirt back, it pay off in the end. She thought.
"I suggest you calm down Mr Malbrooke. Now tell me why do you believe in this fantasy? Star Trek is a wonderful work of fiction and has been since 1966. Tell me about your work life, your wife etc... It is usually there that triggers events like this." Makeba cocked an eyebrow in the back of her head she had no idea where that all came from as she has no psychological background. However, there it was...Curious. But now I need to get rid of this Reg so that I can figure this out.She thought.
Reg clicked his pen. He had no idea what was going on. But he had enough common sense to know A that these two clearly had a history. And B that he was in the way. He took out his phone. And he made a show. "Doctor, excuse me? The wife called me again. Have to step out right quick. I'll be just outside the door if ya need me." He said
When Reg stepped out Makeba's entire demeanor changed she had to establish what was going on. She had to do it fast, before this Reg came back. She knelt down in front of Tyler. "Listen I know who you are, and it is clear you know who I am. There are a lot of questions that need answers. Not the least of which is how we get back. You are going to have to trust me Starfleet. For now I suggest you play along and we will go from there."
Tyler stared at her in that moment he knew that the only reason he could trust her now was that they had the same goal, to get home. When or if her goals change would be a reckoning indeed. However he needed to confirm, in a soft steady voice he spoke. "When I spoke to you after you came aboard the Pioneer. What was the last thing you said to me?"
Makeba smiled like a cat who ate the canary. "A reckoning is coming..." Her voice trailed off as both occupants of the cell could hear the footsteps of Reg returning.
Reg knocked and entered. "Sorry. She got all antsy about the dog." Reg said, slightly embarrassed. He got ready to take his notes.
"No problem Reg..." Makeba said. "Tyler and I were just becoming a little more acquainted. It seems that he will not open up to me. Could be because of my gender, or it could be because of something else. That said, Reg, care to take a stab at it."
"Sure." He pulled up a chair. "Hey, Tyler. Nice to meet you. My names Reg. How are you doing?" he said. He knew he was probably upset..to say the least. But Reg didn't know what else to say.
Tyler turned his head rather slowly to look at this Reg. "How am I doing? Well yesterday I was riding high with a wife, and a starship to command among other things. Today I am told that all of that is some sort of work of fiction and has been for over fifty years. Tell me Reg how would you feel if that happened to you?" Tyler took a deep cleansing breath. "The icing on this cake is that I do not think I could ever get back to where i am supposed to be because I am stuck locked up here."
"Id be pretty ticked too, Tyler. I gotta admit." He said. Something nagged at Reg. He turned to Doctor Brown. "Doc, maybe I can establish a rapport with him. Gimme a few minutes with him?"
Makeba cocked an eyebrow as she wondered what this man would get out of Tyler. But facades had to be maintained. "Very well Reg I will be just outside if needed. You must record everything for evaluation." With that she got up and called for the guard to open the door and let her out. "Reg you have fifteen minutes..."
Tyler was intrigued about what this Reg had in mind. Perhaps he was sympathetic and was actually going to listen and help Tyler get home to his Kat, and his Ellie.
"Tyler. I gotta tell you that I've heard a lot of wild stories since working here. That being said, I don't know what to make of this. All I know is that I believe you. Don't know why." He began. "Tell me more?"
Tyler furrowed his brow, what he wouldn't give to have Amelia her right now. He had to ascertain if Reg meant what he said or was he fishing, and he had to do it quick. The only way that I am going to get out of here is if I trust someone. Might as well be this guy, he thought. "Well where do you want me to begin. I am Captain Tyler Malbrooke, serial number 00936521/7 commanding officer of the USS Pioneer NCC-74757, Starfleet, United Federation of Planets. The year where I am from is 2394. My vessel was rushing to save a scientist and his crew, there was an explosion and here I am. Well there is the basics."
"Pleased to meet you. Just call me Reg. I knew something was up when you and Dr Brown locked eyes. I know doctors, she ain't one" he said
"No but she is a trained soldier, and killer. She is also from the place that I am from. There she is a prisoner captured while trying to kill billions. My question is how do you know her or moreover how everyone here seems to think that she is a doctor?" Tyler asked in earnest, the more he spoke with this man the more he realized that Reg was not placating him.
"I don't, really." Reg began. "I just go where assigned, to be honest. At first I figured she was new. But her comments earlier just seemed made up for some reason. As for everyone else, she must be one heck of an actress"
"Perhaps... But how do we use it to get home. I can't leave here without her now. The damage could be endless. How the heck do I get home anyway. I need my wife, have them bring Kat so that I may talk to her." Tyler had no idea how the woman from this era could help but it was a start and better than nothing.
"I can certainly see what I can do, Tyler." Reg said. "You seem not to be any kind of danger. I can BS a reason for a home visit. Gets you out of here. Im your nurse, so I go with. We go from there." Reg offered
Tyler breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of getting help from Reg. Now the only thing to do was to wait and see if it could or would be worked out. The rest of the meeting with Makeba was par for the course. As she attempted to goad him into acting insane in front of Reg.
However, with Reg on board the three of them were able to chat more candidly. More to the point Tyler was able to gain at least a modicum of trust from Makeba so they are going to work together to get home. For at least they had that goal in mind.
Tyler and Reg arrived at the house in Reg's car. "Listen Reg I appreciate you going out on a limb like this. But we have to play this delicately. I am not sure how my wife is going to act, or how receptive she is going to be..." Tyler's voice trailed off as an intense pain in his head overtook him. There was a voice and an image in his mind's eye. It was him, but also not him at the same time. The alternate him repeated over and over "She works for the National Aeronautics Space Administration, it is the same here as it is there."
Tyler came out of the momentary trance and his first thought was he is trying to help me...
"NASA. That's cool.' Reg said. "I was in the Air Force for a while." he smiled. "And I'll be in your corner the whole time."
Kat Malbrooke had received the phone call at work that her husband and an aide would be coming to talk to her. Everything that happened with Tyler seemed very much not like him at all. So when the doorbell rang she was a little startled. The two men walked and they all sat on the couch.
"Listen Katherine I do not have much time so I am going to cut right to the point. I am not the Tyler that you know. I am from an alternate universe, which at least it seems is also in the future. In my universe I am a Starship Captain, and what you know as Star Trek is real. I know it is a hard concept to grasp but it is the absolute truth." Tyler got the ball rolling without any delay.
When he finished speaking there was a pause as what he said sank in for Katherine Malbrooke. Finally, she turned to Reg and started to speak. "It is your professional opinion that he is not crazy? That this is all the truth?" The look on her face expressed both curiosity and wariness at the same time.
"Mrs Malbrooke. I know it sounds a little out there. But I've been doing this for a good bit. And I've heard some good ones." he began. "But I usually trust my gut. And it says Tyler is who he says he is."
"Okay if you are here, then where is my Tyler? Also what the f*@k do you need from me in order to make this right." Katherine sighed as she spoke.
Tyler smirked, if this woman was not his Kat, she damn sure acted like his Kat. "Well, I have a theory. I believe that my consciousness is shifting through parallel universes. That being the case your Tyler is here, he is just suppressed for the time being. In fact he was the one who told me that you worked for NASA. Which leads me to the next point. I need you to get me and a woman named Makeba Brown into Johnson Space Center. Makeba is from my universe as well and together we can use the equipment there to recreate the accident that caused all this, and set it all to rights. Please Kat..." Tyler's voice trailed off as he stared her in the eyes. It was the only way that he thought he could make her understand.
"I dunno all of this sounds way too far out there for me. Tyler you punched a librarian for no real reason. Why should I believe a thing that you are saying?" It was Kat's turn to be emphatic. She was torn at the moment one side wanted to help and the other wanted to leave well enough alone.
Mrs Malbrooke. I'm inclined to believe him. I've met this Makeba Brown he mentioned when I first met Tyler. The way they locked eyes. Yeah, they've met. And I know doctors. She definitely isn't one." Reg began. "And besides. Its a win win. He goes home, and you get your Tyler back."
Kat sat in silence for a good five minutes as she thought long and hard about all of this. She was torn but if there was even a small amount of truth to this she had to help. "Alright I will help but you will have to follow my lead the whole way. Reg go get that Makeba woman and have her come here. I am going to get us a flight out at around 0300."
Tyler simply smiled That's my girl... he thought.
"Ill get her." Reg said. As he left to get her, little did he know that his life would change from this as well. For NASA needed counselors for the Mars program.
A Joint Post By
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, Empok Nor
PNPC Malbrooke
Lieutenant Larim Myles (as Reg Foster)
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
Makeba Brown
Maquis Tactical Officer
PNPC Malbrooke
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