Posted by Captain Iphigenia Henao (Commanding Officer) in [OSFTSB] Conference/Ready Room

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Adam Magnusson (Chief Intelligence Officer) in [OSFTSB] Conference/Ready Room

Posted by Captain Iphigenia Henao (Commanding Officer) in [OSFTSB] Conference/Ready Room
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Iphigenia activated her console, reviewing the key points of the status report one last time. She mentally reviewed the areas of concern, the depleted dilithium reserves, the warp core instability, the structural integrity field damage, and the life support strain. These were their immediate priorities, the problems that could spell disaster if not handled properly.

She made her way to the ready room, it was impossible to ignore the heavy atmosphere aboard the ship.
The door to the ready room slid open with a soft hiss, and Iphigenia stepped inside. She stood behind the sleek desk, placing her hands on its surface as she studied the space. The large star chart on the far wall, usually a comfort, now only reminded her of how lost they were…light-years and millions of years from anything familiar.
She took in the few moments of quietness before the department heads began arrive.

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Steven wandered in, he always seemed a little bored with everything. He held a cup of coffee in his hand as he scanned the room. “I can’t believe I’m the first one here.” He left the part where that was uncool out.

Marsh

Brad wasn’t far behind, much more urgency in his motion. “Sickbay is prepped for triage and I have teams on decks throughout the ship.” He paused, took a breath, and stopped to Steven’s right. “We’re about as ready as we can be.”

Lieutenant Bradley Maxwell
Chief Medical Officer

Iphigenia’s eyes moved between Steven and Bradley as they entered, but she said nothing. She had expected them to arrive first. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Steven, who seemed as nonchalant as ever, but she knew his outward demeanor didn’t match his competence. The cup of coffee in his hand was a familiar sight, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was a comfort or just another routine he clung to.
She looked down at her console, mentally organizing the words she would use once the meeting began. The ship was holding together but each creak, each flicker of the lights, was a reminder of just how fragile their existence was in this time and place. Millions of years separated them from their own era. And while they had a capable crew, no one was immune to the pressure. Least of all her.
Her lips tightened into a thin line as she waited for the others to arrive.

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Hazel joined them next, “Sorry I am late I had to get changed.” She was not wearing a different set of uniform, same commander pips but was now in the red uniform of the Leviathan crew. “I think Captain when everyone is here an explanation of my… arrival.”

Commander Hazel Loughty
Starfleet Temporal Agent
USS Leviathan

Iphigenia exhaled quietly, Hazel’s words lingering in the air. She was right. Hazel’s presence couldn’t be ignored. It had already stirred curiosity and, more than likely, concern among the crew. The timeline had been disrupted, and while their current situation was scary, understanding Hazel’s arrival was just as crucial. “You are right, Commander. “would you prefer to explain your arrival and the situation, or would you rather I handle it?”

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Adam stepped into the room just in time to hear Hazel speak, he eyed the Captain giving her a flat look, he was clearly annoyed at not being in the know and even more annoyed at having to playact at not being aware of the oddity, he’d made that clear when he had Sickbay spend extra time clearing the Captain fit for duty earlier. He leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, eyeing the other intelligence officer.

CIO

Iphigenia didn’t meet the eyes of her CIO, she mindlessly scrolled through the data on the console as he settled into the room. His presence, more than anyone else’s, unnerved her. As the ship’s Chief Intelligence Officer, Magnusson had always been sharp, meticulous, and deeply suspicious of Hazel’s sudden arrival.
She felt the weight of his scrutiny as if it were a physical force. Her posture remained straight, shoulders back, every inch the commanding officer, but inside, she could feel tension winding tighter. She had known this moment would come, the moment when Hazel’s story was revealed, and Magnusson’s doubts about the situation and possibly about her would rise to the surface.
As Hazel prepared to speak, Iphigenia kept her gaze steady, resisting the urge to glance at Magnusson. She could already imagine his thoughts, how he might question her judgment, her loyalty to the crew. Would he think she had been too lenient? That her involvement in keeping Hazel’s presence under wraps.
She couldn’t afford for Magnusson to lose faith in her. Not now, when the entire crew’s survival depended on trust and unity. His mistrust would create fractures, and those cracks would spread faster than they could manage in this fragile situation. But as she glanced at Hazel, preparing to give her the floor, she knew she couldn’t control how Magnusson would react.
Her voice was steady when she finally spoke. “Commander....., please explain your presence and the circumstances surrounding it.”

She had done her part. Now, all she could do was watch and wait.

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Hazel stepped forward, addressing the Captain and the gathered command staff. She knew this moment was crucial, the weight of her explanation heavy on her shoulders. The faces in the room were filled with suspicion, confusion, and curiosity, and she had to make them understand. Taking a deep breath, she began.

Magnus turned his gaze to his counterpart and watched her intently, his mind raced to solve the puzzle before she revealed it.

“I’m not Commander Holmes,” she said, her voice calm but deliberate. “My real name is Commander Hazel Loughty, and I’m from the future of the original timeline—what you know as the ‘prime timeline’ of the USS Leviathan. I’m not supposed to be here, not in this timeline, not under these circumstances.”

Her words hung in the air, the gravity of her statement sinking in as the officers exchanged glances.

Three things happened to Magnus, or three things tried to happen at the same time, he tried to laugh, curse, and scowl all at the same time all the while as he suppressed his outward reaction. That resulted in an audible click as his jaw popped and a vein on his forehead throbbed for a moment or two, something that only those paying close attention to him would notice and something only those who knew him well could understand, he was angry. Of course, they wouldn’t know that he was furious at himself for not figuring out immediately that she was from the future, all the pieces clicked together. He was so angry with himself that it took his mind the rest of her speech to register her name.

Brad took an involuntary step backwards. Hazel. It had only been a couple days for the crew, of course, but that didn’t change that she’d vanished on his watch with nothing he could do to stop it. And now she was here, as an adult - one that outranked him, even.

“I arrived here because this timeline was on the verge of a discovery it was never meant to make—The device known as the ‘Teapot,’ an anomaly with the potential to rewrite the entire fabric of time and space. In my timeline, we knew about the Teapot, but we avoided its discovery for a reason. It can change everything, and not for the better. When I arrived, I tried to disable the ship, to prevent that discovery, but things… things have already diverged far beyond what I anticipated. Events are unfolding here that were never meant to happen.”

Hazel took a moment to gauge the reactions of the command staff, noticing the tension in their posture, the silent questions in their eyes. They had every right to be skeptical.

“I didn’t want to intervene this way,” she continued, her voice softening. “But once the timeline started to shift, I realised I couldn’t stop it outright. So, I did the next best thing—I tried to help. But this new timeline is unpredictable. It’s evolving in ways I never anticipated, and I’m trying to keep it from spiralling out of control. But now we have more pressing concern such as our current location and when I say location I mean when.”

Commander Oliver Loughty
Executive Officer
USS Leviathan

As Hazel explained her situation, Iphigenia thought about everything. A device that could rewrite time and space? What had they stumbled upon? This was beyond anything she had anticipated. Her insides felt like a storm. Iphigenia’s instincts urged her to speak, to support Hazel, but she held back, letting the commander answer. She needed to understand the dynamics of this new reality. She couldn’t afford to interrupt this flow of information.

Once Holmes, no Loughty, finished speaking, Magnus finished his racing thoughts. The implications behind her presence were huge, he’d heard hints of whispers of rumours regarding Starfleet temporal group from somewhere in the future, he personally had never met anyone from the future that he was certain of but an anomaly that could rewrite entire timelines was far more dangerous than some fool going back in time to kill Khan as a baby. As he considered the implications something else clicked in his mind, an odd expression he’d gotten from Commander Loughty, Hazel. The XO’s young daughter who’d been kidnapped, by herself. She’d looked at him as if she knew him personally, he’d just thought that she knew of him and simply had a high enough clearance to know everything about him but now he wondered what her life had been like.

He finally looked at the Captain and gave her a simple nod of understanding, this reveal was enough to absolve her of any mistrust in his mind. He looked back at Hazel “Commander Loughty, the teapot, how much do you know about how it operates?” Out of all the questions that was the most important one.

CIO

Magnusson’s question brought her back to the moment and the nod of acknowledgement gave her some solace.

“I will not let the officers on this ship be a part of the long list of lost crew on lost starships,” she said, breaking her silence as Hazel contemplated her response to Magnusson, “Not while I still have breath in my body. We will find our way back home. Commander Loughty, You mentioned the timeline is unpredictable. Well the first thing we need to do is stabilize the situation. After this meeting I will work with the CSO to see what our options are.”

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Hazel took a deep breath, feeling the eyes of the command staff on her. She knew she needed to start at the beginning to give them the full picture of what they were dealing with.

“The Teapot,” she began, her voice calm but weighted with the gravity of the situation, “is not just an ancient artifact. It represents the very flow of time itself. The Teapot never empties—it’s a perfect metaphor. It just flows, continuously, eternally. It’s a relic from an era so far back that even the oldest civilizations barely remember it. But, somehow, a now-extinct species, the Ratheonai, discovered a way to manipulate it.”

She glanced around, making sure they were following. “The Ratheonai were a time-traveling species, masters of temporal mechanics, and they learned how to disrupt the Teapot’s flow, which, in turn, disrupted the natural passage of time. This caused fractures in reality, time itself began to warp, splinter, and collapse in certain places. The result? A catastrophic series of events known as the Tea Wars. Entire timelines were erased, rewritten, or left fragmented, and civilizations blinked in and out of existence.”

Hazel sighed, the weight of history pressing down on her shoulders. “I was sent back to hide the Teapot, to protect it from those who would abuse its power. But, as you can see… I failed. Somehow, in this timeline, it’s been found and activated, and now, we’re living with the consequences.”

She paused, her expression darkening as she continued, “When the Teapot interacts with phenomena like the black hole we encountered, it creates unstable, unpredictable results. In this case, it appears we’ve been thrown back in time—so far back that subspace itself is still in its infancy. We’re at a point in history where the fabric of space is fragile, and any attempt to establish a warp bubble could cause unknown, potentially catastrophic effects.”

Hazel turned her attention fully to the Captain and the rest of the staff. “That’s why I agree with your assessment, Captain. Given the circumstances, we can’t risk engaging warp drive right now. We need to find a planet where we can land, make repairs, and assess the full extent of the damage to both the ship and the timeline.”

She let out a slow breath, the enormity of the situation hanging in the air. “We need to proceed carefully. Any misstep could make things far worse than they already are.”

Commander Oliver Loughty
Executive Officer
USS Leviathan
“Do we know how this might affect people in contact with it?” Brad asked. “Rapid aging, de-aging, etcetera?”

Lieutenant Bradley Maxwell
Chief Medical Officer

“I wouldn’t recommend brewing tea with it, let’s put it that way,” Hazel said with an awkward smile, making a mental note to apologize to Bradley later—and a growing list of others as well.

“From what we’ve studied, it’s safe to handle the Teapot itself,” she continued, her tone more serious now. “But whatever you do, don’t touch the stream that flows out from the spout and back into the pot. That’s where things get… dangerous. The effects vary depending on the individual, but in the worst cases, we’ve seen full-body age acceleration—entire lifespans lived out in mere moments.” She paused, her eyes flickering with the weight of that memory. “It’s unpredictable and catastrophic.”

Commander Hazel Loughty
Starfleet Temporal Agent
USS Leviathan

Magnus pulled off the wall and walked closer to the table “If your mission was to stop the Teapot what was the purpose of attacking the ship, kidnapping yourself and disabling our systems? I’m assuming that we were originally going to interact with the object in some manner” He was thinking out loud putting potential theories together, he rarely did so out loud as his process had just enough incorrect assumptions as correct ones “Having your past self in the same volatile situation seems risky so removing yourself from the equation makes a certain kind of sense” He stroked his chin, the prickling of his beard a comfort

Hazel took a deep breath, letting Magnus’s questions sink in. They were reasonable and exactly the kind of inquiries she expected from a seasoned officer. Her gaze settled on him as she began to respond, her voice calm yet filled with the tension of someone walking a fine line between sharing crucial information and protecting the integrity of the timeline.

“To answer your first question, my mission wasn’t entirely sanctioned by my chain of command,” she admitted, her tone slightly weighted. “There’s a lot of bureaucracy in the future, even when dealing with the fabric of time itself. But there’s also a strong belief among certain factions that some things need to be done, even if they aren’t officially approved.” She paused for a moment, glancing at the officers gathered. “The Leviathan has always been—will always be—connected to the Teapot. It’s drawn to this ship for reasons no one has fully understood. Every timeline we’ve observed, every time this anomaly emerges, the Leviathan is at the center of it. And with it, comes the war.”

She leaned back slightly, her eyes distant, as if recalling the endless battles over the Teapot. “The Tea Wars weren’t about tea,” she said with a sardonic smile. “They were about control—control over time itself. When the Teapot was found, war erupted almost immediately. Civilizations, factions, even rogue temporal agents all vied for its power. The Leviathan finding it was always the inciting incident, the spark that set off the conflict. So, my orders were clear: either secure the Teapot or, if that failed, ensure the ship never found it in the first place.”

Her voice softened as she continued, “Kidnapping my younger self was… the lesser evil. As you pointed out, Magnus, it’s risky to have two versions of the same person in a volatile situation. But if the Teapot interacted with her—me—directly, the temporal consequences could be far worse. So I did what I had to, to remove myself from that equation.”

“If it is extra-temporal in nature then does that mean that if it interacted with us in your timeline that it does what it can to do so again?” He paused “Is the Teapot in any way self aware?” He asked, he hated working with limited information… well no he actually loved working with limited info but not when the crew was at risk.

CIO

She continued, her voice heavy with concern. “The Teapot isn’t sentient, but it exists beyond our understanding, simply flowing like time itself. When it interacts with phenomena like the black hole, it causes unpredictable effects. That’s why I agree with the Captain—we can’t risk warp right now. We need to find a planet, make repairs, and stabilise the systems before doing anything that could further disrupt the timeline.”

Commander Oliver Loughty
Executive Officer
USS Leviathan

Iphigenia listened to Hazel’s explanation. The Teapot, time fractures, ancient wars, none of this was in her training as captain, and yet here she was, responsible for guiding her crew through it all. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table as she drew in a steadying breath. No matter how foreign this situation seemed, the burden of leadership rested squarely on her shoulders.

She cleared her throat, her voice calm but authoritative. “Thank you, Commander,” she said, her gaze moving to the faces of her senior staff, each one reflecting their own mixture of concern and determination. “What we’re dealing with here… it’s beyond what any of us could have anticipated. But that doesn’t change the fact that we have a job to do. Our first priority is the safety of this crew and the preservation of this ship. We need a stable location, somewhere we can conduct repairs, both to the Leviathan and to the timeline, if necessary.”

She turned back to Hazel. “You’ve done what you thought was necessary, and now we’re here. You’re part of this crew now, and we’ll face this together. I need you to work closely with the science and medical teams to ensure we fully understand the risks of this artifact. Every move we make from here on out has to be measured.”

A brief pause followed as Iphigenia gathered her thoughts, “As for the Teapot… We will not let it dictate our fate. It’s a tool, an artifact, an anomaly, nothing more. We may not understand it fully, but we will learn. We will adapt. And most importantly, we will survive this.” She stood straighter.

“And to all of you,” she addressed the room, her voice resonating with conviction, “remember this, I will not let us become just another name in the annals of ships lost to time. The Leviathan has a mission, and that mission is to come home. Together, we will find a way.”

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Magnus nodded at the Captain’s speech, it was a good one, a morale booster at the right time. Already he was thinking of a way to return, he’d spend his time helping with repairs where he could and think and currently all his thoughts went to using the teapot. Discovering why it was going specifically after the Leviathan would be key to discovering how to use it to return back to their time.

CIO

Iphigenia took a final look around the room, her officers still deep in thought after the discussion. Without another word, moved toward the door. They needed a clear plan to get home, and she needed to be at the CIC, where every decision could be measured and executed with precision.

The CIC doors slid open, revealing the organized chaos of the command center. Iphigenia stepped inside, her presence instantly commanding attention, though she didn’t pause to acknowledge it. She walked directly to her chair, her fingers moving swiftly across the console as she accessed the latest reports. The ship’s condition wasn’t optimal, but they had enough resources to make repairs, if they could find the right place.

Her eyes studied the star charts. There were potential systems within range, but nothing she could decide on just yet. They needed to evaluate the risks carefully, weighing both the immediate need for repairs and the unknown dangers lurking in every corner of space.
Iphigenia’s mind was a whirl of calculations and strategy. She would get them home, she had to. She needed her crew fully engaged, each department working seamlessly to solve the myriad problems standing in their way.

She began to prioritize. Science and Engineering would need to focus on the Teapot’s influence on their systems. The artifact had already shown it could disrupt their power and warp capabilities, and that had to be neutralized.

Her fingers moved quickly as she opened a channel to Science. The task was clear: “Full analysis of the Teapot. I need a comprehensive report on its energy signatures, any anomalies it’s emitting, and most importantly, how it’s interacting with the ship. Determine whether we can isolate it or contain its effects.”

Next, she contacted Engineering. Stabilizing the Leviathan’s systems was a non-negotiable priority. She needed to ensure they could sustain power and perform repairs without further interference from the Teapot. “Run diagnostics on all critical systems, especially warp and propulsion. I want solutions for isolating the Teapot’s impact on our systems—whether it’s rerouting power or shielding the core. We need to be able to move when the time comes.”

Finally, Medical. Iphigenia knew the temporal strain from the Teapot’s presence could potentially affect the crew in ways they couldn’t predict. Whether through physical effects or cognitive fatigue, her people needed to be monitored. “Keep an eye on the crew,” she instructed. “Run scans for any signs of temporal disturbance, physical anomalies, or cognitive shifts. If the Teapot is affecting them in any way, I want to know about it immediately.”

Iphigenia leaned back slightly in her chair, her orders now set into motion. The clock was ticking, and it was up to them to outsmart time itself. She couldn’t control the chaos of the universe, but she could ensure her crew was prepared to face whatever came next.

Captain Henao
(Commanding Officer)

Cadet Webb’s hands moving quickly over the control panel as he processed the Captain’s orders. The warp core pulsed rhythmically in front of him, but there was an undercurrent of instability that hadn’t been there before. Iphigenia’s voice had been calm but decisive, and he knew exactly what was needed.

Webb opened a channel to the CIC, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. “Captain, Webb here. We’ve started running diagnostics on the warp and propulsion systems as ordered. The Teapot’s energy signatures are showing up in multiple systems, but it’s more than just interference, it’s like the artifact is trying to link with our power grid.”

He paused, glancing at the readouts before continuing. “We’re working on a workaround now. If we can isolate the energy bleed, we might be able to reroute power to the secondary grid, which would give us some breathing room. I’ll need to coordinate with Science to get more detailed readings on the Teapot’s energy output, but for now, we’re on it.”

His fingers worked on the console as he sent commands to reroute some of the ship’s power and run deeper scans. He added quickly, “Captain, I’ll keep you updated. We’ll have a solution for you soon.”

With that, Webb closed the channel and got to work. The task was monumental, but Iphigenia’s orders were clear.

Cadet Webb
(Engineering Officer)