Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kord (XO) in Main Sim - Conference Room B, Deck 3 - Look who’s coming to dinner

Posted by Captain John Tiberius Glen (Captain) in Main Sim - Conference Room B, Deck 3 - Look who’s coming to dinner
[snip]

William was marking down his thoughts on his PaDD as the conversation went on, with the captain pausing he saw an opportunity to butt in “Do your sensory experience match up with that of our Captain’s memories?” He asked “What I mean is that does your hybrid body adapt to human physiology or is it more aligned with how the Ancients experience things?” He asked with unusual enthusiasm.

”..Not as such no, I can recall things that may particularly be strong in a memory, say a smell, or taste, or an emotional response. But it is still your Captain’s memory. I do not experience it as if I was him as you might understand..” Daniel said.

”..My body is formed as any Ancient’s would be. It is more so in the shared memories that form a personality for a hatchling later in life if that answers your question..” he continued.

Glen mindlessly crossed a question off his own list, he would have asked about physiology too later. Now he was still too consumed with what memories Daniel must share with him. Does he think like me too? Does he have similar thoughts? Does that make him a security risk? Am I a security risk? And then Glen realized that whatever Daniel knew about him, was from two years ago. Much had happened to him in those intervening years; much that had changed him. All of his security codes had been changed and, in any case, Starfleet’s whole security situation had changed too; with a cooling of relations between the Federation and the Klingons, Federation and the Romulans, even if not between themselves. There were new foes to deal with now like the Bolay. Glen felt that whatever Daniel thought that he knew about him, it would not be complete, and that any problems would be personal rather than professional.

Turning to regard Glen, Daniel spoke once more. “..If you would allow me Captain. I am curious on one matter, something we both share in a fashion. As you may recall the Ancients placed you and your crew at the time on trial due to allegations of temporal manipulations. I know from reviewing the trials notes and recordings you felt slighted in your understanding of temporal mechanics as you knew them that you had done nothing wrong. Thankfully from the trial your defense counselor had presented the evidence as you knew it to prove you and your crew’s innocents. Thus allowing you to prove your intentions as non-hostile as had been painted by your temporal doubles as being morally just in closing the tear in temporal reality. I’m curious if your feelings have changed on this matter?” He said.

Glen considered the question before replying, “We were totally innocent, and that verdict of innocence was correct. However, since then we have been the subject of further temporal manipulations, and I realise now that we were being rather naive. We were never the cause of the temporal changes that have involved us, at least never deliberately, but we have changed timelines through them, and so my feelings on this matter have changed since then, yes. It appears that in the future, everyone is changing timelines - some for nefarious reasons, some to save planets, some because they believe they are making the universe better, some to reverse changes made by others, some to put right what once went wrong. In actual fact, due to quantum entanglement it is impossible for our actions not to have some kind of ripple effect upon the fabric of space-time. We do it all the time; when we have a change of heart, a change of intention, a change of mind-set or belief. So, I now believe that if others can alter shifting timelines to their own advantage then there is nothing wrong if we do so a little bit too.”

Glen took a sip of water and continued. “But you asked me earlier, why our superiors feel a need to suppress knowledge of time travel. Time travel machines have not yet been invented at this point in history. There have been documented occurrences obviously, but officially, the flow of time is seen as irreversible, and the future and past cannot be shaped. Officially speaking, time travel is deemed impossible by the Vulcan Science Directorate. If ordinary people were to know that alterations to historical events were possible, to cause, among other things, alternate timelines and realities, then our whole society would need to change overnight. Our Federation government would, no doubt, set up some department tasked with ensuring that time travel events which occurred under Federation jurisdiction were handled within guidelines, that they would establish, to prevent contamination of the ‘true’ timeline. For the time being, it is much easier to pretend that it is impossible.”

-Glen, CO

Kord was impressed with Glens response. The young races always had people that could show great insight.

• Kord, XO

Hal rubbed his temples. “Time travel gives me a headache, Sir,” he complained. “Especially when dealing with time travellers who have wish granting powers. Power without limit.”

CoS