It Must Be Spring Because There's Change In The Air (Part I)

Posted on Tue Mar 18, 2025 @ 12:32pm by Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Lieutenant Liam Blackwood

1,175 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Time After Time
Location: Commander's Office
Timeline: One Day After "New Beginnings"

ON

After going over the most recent reports--there were far too many to truly catch up--T'mpest called Alanna Wells and Liam Blackwood to her office. She had been a chief science officer herself and had a fondness for science, so this would--she hoped--be a positive meeting.

Alanna was the first to arrive as she'd been catching up with work on the station. It had been a while since she'd seen the other scientist face-to-face. She'd also been waiting for this as she expected the commodore wanted answers.

She rang the chime and waited to enter.

"Come in." T'mpest turned the screen of her computer to the Starfleet logo as the door opened. "Hello, Alanna. Please, have a seat. Would you like a drink or something from the replicator?"

"No, thank you." Alanna sat in one of the two chairs facing the desk. "It's good to see you again."

"And you. I admit I did not expect to be here." The half-Vulcan smiled. "Although I was pleased to be invited to defend the station. Sometimes Starfleet can be too stuck in their beliefs to see that not all are as happy with the ways things currently are."

"Yes. I maintain that Ambassador Turvan was the chief instigator. He and those he cultivated believe that Cardassia deserved to win the war. No one believed he would dare attack, though."

"Yes. He was surprisingly subtle. Still, it all turned out well." She raised an eyebrow. "Now tell me about the time travel and the temporal ripples."

====

The station was a mess. The attack had left chaos in its wake, and Liam, barely a day into his assignment, had jumped right in to help. He’d spent the last few hours clearing debris in one of the science labs, getting his hands dirtier than he expected, when the call came in from the Commodore.

He wiped his hands on his uniform, let out a breath, and tapped his combadge. “Blackwood here. On my way.”

As he made his way through the corridors, he thought about Alanna Wells. He knew she’d made it back from Pangaea, but they hadn’t met in person yet. They’d exchanged a few messages before his transfer, enough to get a sense of each other, but nothing more than that. Still, from what he’d read, she seemed like an intriguing woman. He was looking forward to finally putting a face to the name.

Reaching the Commodore’s office, he straightened his uniform out of habit and hit the chime. No point in just walking in unannounced.

T'mpest turned to look at the door. "Come in."

Liam stepped inside, his eyes briefly scanning the room before landing on the Commodore and then Alanna.

"Commodore." He greeted with a respectful nod before turning to Alanna.

"I'm Lieutenant Blackwood. Good to finally meet you in person." His tone was casual but professional, with a hint of curiosity. He wasn't sure what this meeting was about yet, but considering the state of the station, there was no shortage of things that needed handling.

A smile spread across Alanna's face. "Nice to finally meet you, too. Please, call me Alanna."

"You two haven't met before?" T'mpest looked from one to the other. "And you're both in science?"

"I've spent most of my time on the planet lately. Then, once the Cardassians started causing trouble, it was safer for me to be there," Alanna began. "I know more about the portal complex than anyone but Captain Soran." And possibly Jason.

"Ah, yes. That makes sense." T'mpest turned back to Liam. "Please, have a seat. Would you like something from the replicator?"

Liam returned Alanna’s smile. "Alanna it is, then. And please, call me Liam." He settled into one of the empty chairs, his posture relaxed but attentive.

At the Commodore’s offer, he gave a small shake of his head. "Appreciate it, but I’m good for now."

His gaze flickered briefly to Alanna before settling back on T’mpest, curiosity creeping into his expression. "I get the feeling this isn’t just a welcome chat.

"No. This is a change of venue, so to speak." T'mpest turned to Alanna. "Your work on Pangaea has been noticed and appreciated. Starfleet Sciences would like you to continue that work." She paused and a small smile crossed her face. "I will add that the portal complex is chief among that, but it is still considered classified to protect it from others, like the Cardassians, trying to use it for their own purposes."

Alanna looked at Liam. "This is also classified, but you should be aware of it as well." Then she turned back to T'mpest. "Pangaea was gifted to the commander of Deep Space Five by the Fey. The commander of the station is technically the queen of the fey on Pangaea and as such, the portal guardians obey her--or him, as the case may be. I am simply the overseer and protector."

"Is that why they are no longer functioning?" T'mpest asked. They'd covered most of this, but with Liam present, she wanted him to at least understand what they were protecting.

"In part, yes. Ownership was in flux, as was the system. It's also that they've basically experienced a temporal overload and are offline until the planet and sun recover."

T'mpest nodded. "That, too, will not be reported to Starfleet. But it does not alter how we move forward." T'mpest paused and took two boxes out of her desk. "Effective immediately, Alanna Wells has been made the head of archaeological research and preservation on Pangaea. You will still report to me, but you are technically under Starfleet Sciences who, I understand, have jurisdiction over the portal complex itself." She slid a box over to Alanna. "The position comes with a promotion to lieutenant commander. Congratulations."

Alanna stared at the box for a moment. "Umm...thank you?" She slowly took the box. "So, I'll be permanently stationed on Pangaea?"

"Yes, although you may keep your quarters on the station so you can work from both locations."

T'mpest then turned to Liam. "That means I need a new chief science officer. Congratulations. The new position also comes with a promotion to lieutenant."

Liam had been following the conversation closely, his mind already working through the implications of what was being said. He had read plenty about Pangaea, but hearing it firsthand and learning about the Fey’s direct connection to the station’s leadership was something else entirely. He nodded slightly at Alanna as she mentioned the classified nature of the portal complex.

When she placed the boxes on the desk, and addressed Alanna he watched as she hesitated briefly over the promotion. Then as the attention was turned back to him his attention snapped back. For a moment, he was caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events.

(To be continued…)

Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5

Lieutenant JG Liam Blackwood
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space 5

Lieutenant Commander Alanna Wells
Director of Archaeological Research and Preservation
Pangaea

 

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