Christmas on an Alternate Past Earth
The
Baffin
entered into orbit over the far side of the Moon. Lieutenant Daniela
Hernandez sighed in relief. The ship would not have been detected by
anyone on Earth. The approach from warp was from behind the Moon. She
knew that observing a mid to late 20th
Century Earth wouldn't help them in their dilemma, but the crew had
to do something.
“Prepare to launch the probes,” Commander Emmerson ordered.
“Aye, Commander,” Hernandez said.
The
Baffin
launched the probes, disguised as sattelites typical of the era.
Three probes stayed in orbit around the Moon, to act as relay
stations.
“Report,” Commander Emmerson said an hour later.
“So far, Earth seems to be identical. We would have do a deeper
scan,” Hernandez reported.
“Then you know what to do.”
“Aye commander.”
Half an hour later. “It's not identical. Many of the suburban
layouts are different in the United Kingdom and the rest of the
Commonwealth. Some settlements in the United States are in slightly
different locations.”
“But nothing else unusual?” Emmerson asked.
“Nothing,” Hernandez said. But then an alert came up. “Wait! A
strange energy signature, somewhere in Oxford.”
“That is something to investigate, wouldn't you think?” Emmerson
asked.
“Commanders
Log, supplemental. Indications of anachronistic technology have been
detected in the United Kingdom. An Away Team has been sent in a
shuttle to investigate.”
“We're clearing the Moon now, Lieutenant,” Albert reported.
Hernandez looked at Earth as it rose above the Lunar limb. “A sight
for sore eyes,” she breathed.
“Absolutely,” Lawson said.
“It is nearly sunset in the United Kingdom,” Albert reported. An
image of the North Sea and the surrounding land areas appeared on the
monitor. The terminator was approaching East Anglia.
“Right,” Hernandez decided. “Set us down near the Thames to the
south of Oxford, just after sunset. Keep out of the flightpaths of
any airliners that may be going to and from Heathrow.”
“Aye,” Albert said.
The
Toronto landed on a
deserted stretch of river bank. Hernandez emerged first and began to
scan. “The energy reading is located at the University.”
“It's going to be difficult to get in there at this hour,” Lawson
stated.
“We're going to try anyway,” Hernandez said.
They grabbed their supplies and headed towards the University.
“You're from Oxford, right?” Albert asked.
“Windsor actually,” Hernandez clarified. “But I did do a degree
at Oxford before going to Starfleet Academy.”
“So, Oxford will be familiar?” Lawson asked.
“In some ways,” Hernadez answered. “But there would be a lot of
differences between the 20th and 24th Century
versions. Exactly four hundred years...”
“Exactly?” Albert asked.
“Yes. I graduated in 2375, and was in the Academy's Class of 2379.”
“Post War...” Lawson murmured.
“I wanted to do a degree before joining Starfleet. The War didn't
influence my choice to delay going to the Academy.”
“I didn't say that,” Lawson said.
Back on the Baffin, Emmerson looked over the sensor data from
the probes. More minor differences in settlement patterns were picked
up in Europe, the Middle East, India and China. “Where are we on
the broadcasts?” he asked.
“So far the broadcasts are 95% identical to those at this time in
our universe,” Lu reported. “For example, there are
advertisements for airings of It's a Wonderful Life on either
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, in the United States, Canada,
Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.”
“What about the 5%?”
“Of those, 4/5ths have no equivalent in our universe. The remaining
1/5th is anachronistic by comparison, having been
developed up to 25 years early,” Lu answered.
“That's an interesting divergence,” Emmerson mused.
“However, the news reports are identical,” Lu added.
“So far,” Emmerson said.
Forty minutes after they landed, the Away Team approached the
southernmost of the University's buildings.
“We're within the University as it exists at home,” Hernandez
said.
“Of course,” Albert said.
“The reading is still further north,” Lawson reported.
Hernandez consulted her Tricorder. “Strange...” she commented.
“Another strange thing?” Lawson asked.
“It seems to be below the Bodelian. But that would mean there are
differences in the development of the University.”
“Another difference between universes?” Albert asked.
“Yes,” Hernandez answered.
In another fifteen minutes they approached the Bodelian Library. The
old building looked as it would during Hernandez's studies at an
alternate Oxford nearly four hundred years in the future.
“The main door is locked, but there may be another way in,”
Hernandez said, after scanning it with her tricorder. She widened the
scan radius again. “Strange...” she commented.
“What's strange?” Albert asked.
“There's a secret entrance on the western side, that leads to the
first basement level,” Hernandez answered.
“Wouldn't that be locked?” Lawson asked.
“Someone may have been remise,” Hernandez pointed out.
“Not that likely,” Albert pointed out.
A few minutes later, they came to that entrance. “It looks like
someone may have forced their way in,” Hernandez said. The door was
intact, but the door jamb wasn't.
“We probably need to report in first,” Lawson said. “In case we
interuppt a crime in progress.”
“And that may constitute a violation of the Prime Directive.”
Hernandez pointed out. “Good point.”
“We're receiving a message from the Away Team,” Lu reported.
“Put it through,” Emmerson ordered.
“Hernandez here, Sir. The energy reading is coming from beneath
the Bodelian Library. There is also evidence of a very recent break
and enter. We may not be alone there.”
“Procede with caution, Lieutenant,” Emmerson ordered.
“Aye, sir.”
The trio entered the subterranian passageway. It was dimly lit with
naked incandescent bulbs placed every four meters along the ceiling.
Whoever had entered before them hadn't switched them off. Hernandez
lead point with Lawson bringing up the rear. Half a minute later,
they came to the end of the passageway. The door was closed, but
Hernandez could see that it didn't have a lock. She gave a shush
motion with her finger over her lips before placing her ear on the
door. 'Nothing,' she thought as she backed up and turned the handle.
There was another passageway, perpendicular to the one they had just
come along. She looked in both directions and then back at her
tricorder. “The energy reading is coming from the north, and down
another level,” she said.
“I'm reading three lifesigns on this level, and two on the lower
level,” Lawson reported.
“Then we'll continue slowly,” Hernandez said as she drew her
phaser.
Both Lawson and Albert nodded. They then turned left and walked
slowly up the corridor. They found stairs leading down to the lower
level. The door to the stairwell had evidence of its lock being
picked. Hernandez glanced down the stairs, and saw that there were at
least three levels below the one they were going down to. 'That makes
five levels below the Bodelian,' she thought. She was certain the
Bodelian in their universe didn't have such modifications. 'What has
made this Oxford this different to ours?' she wondered.
She gestured down the stairway, telling the others to come slowly.
Lawson followed Hernandez and Albert into the lower level. The
corridor looked the same as the one on the level above. “The energy
reading is in a room 10 meters ahead,” Hernandez reported.
Suddenly, they heard the sounds of a scuffle, followed by the sharp
report of a gun.
“That came from that room,” Hernandez said.
Lawson looked around and found another room closer to the stairwell.
“Here,” he said.
“Good idea,” Hernandez whispered.
They entered the side room, which contained many old books, and
closed the door. Hernandez looked at her tricorder again. “Great!”
she whisphered.
“Huh?” Albert asked.
“Whoever the shooter is; they have got whatever is putting out that
energy,” she explained.
“So, we'll have follow whoever it is?” Lawson asked
rehetorically.
Hernandez nodded.
40 seconds later, Hernandez said. “They've gone back up the stairs,
the way we came. Now to follow!”
They followed slowly, until they came back out of the doorway they
entered. “There!” Hernandez said. The man turned around, and they
ducked back into the passageway.
“I know you're there!” he said.
Hernandez tapped her comm badge. “Hernandez to Toronto.
Emergency beam out!”
They materialised back on the Toronto. “Wouldn't he have
heard the transporter?” Lawson asked.
“Maybe,” Hernandez answered. “But he wouldn't know what to make
of the sound. We'll wait five minutes and beam back.”
Five minutes later, they did beam back. “He's moved off,”
Hernandez said after looking at her tricorder. “He's in one of the
car parks.”
“It's likely he's going to drive off,” Lawson stated.
“Almost certainly,” Hernandez said. “But Oxford is farely
compact. We'll be able to walk to where-ever he goes to.”
“I knew you would say that.”
“And we can use the Toronto to follow him if he leaves
town.”
“It would be risky,” Albert pointed out.
“Of course,” Hernandez said.
They followed the car through the passageways of the University. It
seemed that people were shopping and going out late this evening. The
University may have been deserted, but Oxford wasn't. 'One thing
doesn't change through time and alternative univeses,” Hernandez
mused. 'The propensity for some people to leave the business of
obtaining Christmas gifts to the last minute.' One thing was certain
however. The Man was taking the energy source in an easterly
direction. Was he heading towards London?
She directed the PADD to load the map of London for 1974, alongside
the scan of the city the Toronto took from orbit. '5%
missmatch,' she thought. Most of the mismatch was in the outer areas.
10 minutes later. “He's left Oxford on the A40,” Hernandez
reported.
“I'll call the Toronto then?” Albert asked.
“Yes. Call the shuttle,” Hernandez ordered.
Given the early evening traffic, it was difficult to find a spot
where the shuttle wouldn't be seen. But they did find an isolated
spot where it was able to land. Soon they were flying low over the
Oxford rooftops. “We have forty minutes before he reaches the
outskirts of London,” Hernandez said.
“Plenty of time,” Lawson said.
“But he may stop off somewhere on the way,” Hernandez said. She
turned to Albert who was getting into the pilot's seat. “Close in
on him, less than 50 meters behind, and just high enough to avoid any
trees and power cables.”
“Aye, Lieutenant,” Albert said.
Less than a two minutes later, they had closed in on the person's
car. “Scanning that vehicle,” Lawson said.
“Right,” Hernandez said, looking over at his screen.
“It's an Aston Martin DB5,” Lawson reported, seeing it match with
the Baffin's database on the 20th Century. “But,
there seem to be a large number of aftermarket modifications,
including integrated weapons and an ejector system built into the
passenger seat.”
“So, he may be a government agent,” Hernandez surmised. “Figures.
That makes it more difficult, but not impossible.”
