Complications in New York
“One Hour to Earth,” the ENH reported.
“One hour exactly?” Alpha asked.
“Yes,” the Pilot answered, exactly as he had 23 hours earlier.
“I’m ready to get there,” Alpha said.
“I know you are.”
Aialah was in the Mess Hall. She had had breakfast earlier, but was now reading an overview of Earth as it was in the 20th Century. It seemed that most Earths the Baffin crew had encountered were rather similar until then, with most of the divergences in history between the universes occurring during the course of that century. She wasn’t sure why that would be the case, considering that other star systems varied widely. Earth was a constant. She sighed. She wasn’t sure she was ready to be exploring Earth in whatever state it might be.
But she was going to try, so as to contribute to the crew of Baffin, such as it was.
“Approaching the Sol System now, Alpha,” the ENH reported.
“Full scan,” Alpha reported.
“Aye,” Nina said.
“The planetary positions match to Mid-August 2004,” Aialah reported.
“And the radio transmissions?” Alpha asked.
“15th August 2004,” Aialah reported.
“Prepare to drop out of warp and hide behind the moon,” Alpha ordered.
“Aye,” the ENH said.
Once Baffin had taken up position over the Moon's far side, they launched probes to spy on the sattelite traffic.
“Strange...” Nina commented.
“What's strange?” Alpha asked.
“Some of the news reports are referring to a fusion experiment in New York City,” Nina reported. “And the technological level generally is around the average for this time period.”
“That would be something worth investigating,” Aialah said.
It only took five minutes of research to dig up relevant information. “Doctor Otto Octavius,” Nina said. “Physicist, Software Engineer and Roboticist.”
“And lecturer at Empire State University,” Aialah added.
“But information on the fusion experiment?” Alpha asked.
“It's currently 8:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time,” Nina explained. “The experiment will be after 2:00 PM.”
“That should be plenty of time to investigate,” Alpha said.
“You're taking the TARDIS?” Alpha asked Nina in the shuttle bay ten minutes later.
“Yes. I still can't fly a shuttle,” Nina answered. “I will be able to land it at the right time. Certainly before that Experiment is due to take place.”
“Good,” Alpha said.
“Bridge to Shuttlebay,” Aialah called.
“Alpha here.”
“Nina is added to the guest list at Octavius' demonstration,” Aialah reported. “And the probe is scanning Manhattan now.”
“Good work, Aialah,” Alpha said.
“Preliminary scan is coming back,” Aialah said. “The island is mostly laid out the same as in the other universes on file.”
“What are the differences?” Nina asked.
“Some elevated rail lines and a large number of abandoned warehouses along the shore with the Hudson River.”
“Not much difference in the street layout?” Alpha asked.
“Not much in Manhattan... But there are more in Brooklyn and Queens.”
“Thanks, Alpha out.”
“I'm going to land close to where Octavius is conducting the experiment,” Nina said.
“According to the information, that is in the East Village,” Alpha said as she handed a PADD over.
Nina glanced at the information. “I'll report in after landing.”
The TARDIS landed in a parking space in the East Village a few minutes later. “Right time, right place,” Nina murmured. She opened a channel to the Baffin. “...Reporting in.”
“Acknowledged, Crewman Nina,” Aialah said.
“Starting the download of the internet before heading out.”
“Understood.”
Nina set up the download as she did on Aialah's world. The download would take 12 hours.
Nina stepped out of the TARDIS and saw that it had taken the form of a van, which had the Baffin's registration number on it's licence plates. Nina shrugged before heading off in the direction of Octavius' loft.
She realised she was quite early. She spent time looking through various books, papers and microfilm at the 58th Street Library.
Meanwhile, Alpha prepared Baffin for what might happen. She reviewed the records from the Federation's history of went wrong and had Eta as well as Beta, Gamma and Delta activated, along with the Emergency Tactical Hologram. Both Aialah and the ENH were briefed as to what to expect.
Octavius' loft was crowded. Nina supposed that most of them were either investors or reporters. It wasn't long before the demonstration began. Octavius began with a bad joke involving a roll of money and a rubber band.
“Today you will witness the birth of a new fusion based energy source. Safe, renewable energy and cheap electricity for everyone. And now let me introduce my assistants.” He moved over to a pedestal and removed a sheet showing four mechanical arms connected to a harness.”These four actuators were developed and programmed for the sole purpose of creating successful fusion! They are impervious to heat and magnetism.” The harness connected itself to him. Everyone winced as various metal parts pierced his flesh.
The arms activated and began to move about. “These smart arms are controlled by my brain through a neural link. Nanowires feed directly into my cerebellum, allowing me to use these arms to control fusion reaction in an environment no human hand can enter.”
One of the reporters spoke up. “Doctor, If the artificial intelligence in these arms is as advanced as you suggest, couldn't that make you vulnerable to them?”
“How right you are,” Octavius responded. He turned around and pointed to the top of the device. “Which is why I developed this inhibitor chip to protect my higher brain functions. Which is why I maintain control of these arms, instead of them controlling me. And now onto the main event.”
On Baffin, Alpha listened to what Octavius said through the open channel from Nina's combadge. Inhibitor chip or not, the actuators seemed rather dangerous. The EMH transferred to the bridge. She could tell from a glance that she was concerned. 'Let's see what happens.”
Octavius walked up to the reactor. 'That doesn't look like a normal reactor?' Nina thought. Her concern grew as Octavius grabbed a small globe.
“Precious Tritium is the fuel that makes this project go. There is only 25 pounds of it on the entire planet. I have to thank Harry Osborne and Oscorp Industries for providing it.”
“Tritium?” Alpha asked herself. That didn't make sense. 'It would work better with Deuterium!' she thought.
The experiment started. “Ladies and gentleman, fasten your seatbelts.” Lasers then lit up and something happened. There in the middle of the room was something that looked like a minature star.
“Doctor, we have a successful fusion reaction,” an assistant reported.
The crowd applauded.
“We're producing a thousand megawatt surplus,” the assistant added.
“The power of the sun in the palm of my hand,” Octavius said.
Then everything started to go wrong...
Nina's tricorder picked up a dramatic increase in magnetism. 'That's high!' she thought.
“Uh oh!” Aialah said.
Alpha brought up the scan data on the main viewscreen. “That's certainly not good. Nina, you're reading this.”
“Magnetic field density is increasing,” came Nina's whispered repy.
Nina saw the overhead lights move. She looked down at the tricorder (which she was sure was as impervious to magnetism as Octavius' mechanical arms). “Dramatically,” she added to her report as various metal objects started flying towards the minature star.
“Keep Calm! It's only a spike!” Octavius called out. “It will soon stabilise.”
'I don't think so,' Nina thought. She had to do something! One of the younger men passed her on his way out.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please clear the room!” the reporter who had spoken earlier called out.
Alpha stepped towards the helm. “Prepare to move.”
An alarm started blaring.Nina looked at a screen
Caution: Overload in progress
System Unstable
“We may need to intervene.” Nina said as metal platting came off a wall.
“We have a containment breach!” the assistant called out.
“We can be above Manhattan in ten seconds,” the Pilot said.
“Do it. Do it. Do it” Alpha ordered. They had to act now and think about the Prime Directive implications later.
The ENH engaged the emergency course he had laid in several minutes earlier.
The impulse engines flared and Baffin shot out from behind the Moon.
“Shut it off Otto!” Harry Osborn called out.
“It will stabilise. It's under control!”
“I'm in charge here!” Harry screamed. “It's my money!”
The situation on the Bridge was tense as Baffin approached the planet. “260 miles above Manhattan,” the ENH said quickly.
Aialah ran a quick intense scan of the loft where the potentially disasterous experiment was taking place. “It's getting worse!” she said straight after the ENH.
In Transporter Room 1, Beta locked onto some water in the Hudson, ready to beam it into the loft if he needed to.
Nina watched as the man in the spider-themed costume pushed Harry Osborn away from the oncoming equipment cart. 'It must be that Spider-Man,' she thought. He then leapt towards the switchboards. 'Of course!' she realized.
“What are you doing?” Ocatvius asked.
“Pulling the plug!” Spider-Man answered.
“No!” Octavius shouted as he swatted Spider-Man aside with one of the artificial arms.
'I have to risk it!' Nina thought. She leapt forwards as another increase in the magnetic field occurred and windows shattered.
It was definitely getting out of control. She glanced at the life signs scan of the loft. Nina was moving towards the switchboard, and Spider-Man seemed to be knocked out. Octavius was still right next to the overloading reactor. Most of the people had left, with who she suspected to be Octavius' wife and one of the investors still there. 'Not much choice,' she thought quickly. “Beta, energise!” she ordered.
Beta tried to beam water into the loft.
Alpha saw the life sign she was sure was Octavius' wife weaken. Something had happened. Then Beta's report came in. “The magnetic field is interefering. Water won't materialise.”
Spider-Man recovered from the hit. Rosie was dead. He was sure of it. He looked and saw that one of the other people was trying to unplug the reactor. 'Good!' But he could do it better. He was stronger.
The reaction stopped. But Octavius was down to the count. Nina looked him over as Spider-Man made himself scarce. 'I'll have to look him up again,' she thought. She quickly noticed that the inhibitor chip had burned out. “Oh no!” she said. She wasn't sure what would happen next, but she hoped that he'd get the help he needed. “Nina to Baffin, I'm returning to the TARDIS.”
“Acknowledged,” Aialah said.
Peter Parker watched as the paramedics loaded Octavius onto the ambulance. He thought back over what had just happened. (Other than Harry not forgiving his wall crawling alter ego. He had already thought on that a lot.) Did Octavius fall victim to hubris, therefore throwing caution to the wind? Probably. But then there was that lady who tried to help him pull the plug. 'Why would she risk herself?' Probably because she thought he was done for the count.
