What Dreams May Linger
Posted on Mon Jul 21st, 2025 @ 10:21pm by Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida
1,936 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 9: Across Time
Location: Earth, San Francisco, Starfleet Command
INT. STARFLEET COMMAND – CONFERENCE ROOM 3B – SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH - STARDATE: 78456.8
A rain-slick afternoon cast diffused gray light into the curved-glass windows of Conference Room 3B, located midway up the towering Starfleet Command complex. A long holotable glows softly in the center, displaying a slow rotation of the Lethe star system.
Around the table sat several senior officers. Some drink coffee, tea, or an alien beverage like Raktajino. Others review datapadds with lines of code, crew reports, or somber casualty reports.
Present were Vice Admiral Senya Thorne (Half-Vulcan, logical but politically adept), Rear Admiral Elijah Tanaka (Head of Exploratory Risk and Response), Rear Admiral Kweku Dasilva (Strategy & Doctrine Division), Commodore Nia Velar (Andorian, Tactical Liaison), Captain Raseen Valtar (Denobulan, Starfleet Intelligence)
It was Vice Admiral Thorne who opened the meeting. “We are assembled to discuss the implications of the recent Lethe incident, as documented by Commander Sommers-Yoshida of Deep Space 21. The encounter with a Gorgon-class entity, named Euryale by the crew, has raised concerns that intersect all of our departments.”
She looked to the holotable, where a rendering of Euryale’s ship was displayed - spined, organic, partially crystalline - besides planet Lethe.
“Let’s proceed with initial statements. Captain Valtar, summarize Starfleet Intelligence’s stance.”
Captain Valtar steepled his fingers, as he often did before delivering important information. “Intelligence confirms that the profile described by the Away Team, consisting out of Lieutenants Abrasax, Alena Alessa, Lyras, and Mirez, matches mytho-xenological markers associated with the Gorgon-class. These entities were believed to be long-gone extinct. Their confirmed reemergence implies either survivor enclaves or a reawakening of buried threats.”
He paused.
“We are not prepared for either scenario.”
“Admiral Tanaka.” Vice Admiral Thorne said as she look at the Japanese man sitting next to Valtar. “You’ve read Commander Sommers-Yoshida’s report in full. Based on your mandate, is this an isolated incident… or the start of a wider problem?”
“That entirely depends on what we’re dealing with.” Tanaka briefly looked in the direction of Captain Valtar. “If it’s a survivor then we can safely assume it’s an incident. If not, then we may have a bigger problem on our hands. Based on the information we have now we cannot decide which situation we’re facing.”
Captain Valtar nodded slowly, hands folded.
“And therein lies the problem, Admiral. Euryale’s psychic interaction with the Away Team, particularly Lieutenant Alessa, suggests intentionality. That’s not the behavior of a dormant relic or derelict defense node. It chose to engage.”
It was now that Commodore Velar decided to speak up. She had her arms crossed and the tone of her voice made it clear she was skeptical, even for an Andorian. “Or the team tripped a very old tripwire and got caught in whatever echo-programming those things ran on. We’ve seen ruins project illusions before, neural feedback loops, AI decay. I’m not ready to classify this as a living threat.”
Rear Admiral Dasilva offered a gruff reaction. “Then explain the neurochemical disruption that was recorded. Or how the entity adapted its strategy based on Alessa’s thoughts. It knew how to provoke.”
He leans forward, nodding toward Tanaka.
“Elijah, you’ve seen this sort of thing before. Iconian ruins, Tkon outposts. But this? This feels more… insidious. Hungrier.”
“The question is whether we risk a second team… or move directly to containment.” Senya Thorne said quietly, balancing the pros and cons.
There was a slight pause before Tanaka chose to answer. “I think sending a second team would be prudent. How else do we get the information we need on which we can form a contingency plan? For the immediate future I endorse Commander Sommers-Yoshida’s advice to quarantine planet Lethe and mark the other unexplored regions of the Briar Patch off limits to non‑Starfleet vessels.”
Vice Admiral Thorne nodded slowly. “A cautious course. Reasoned. Starfleet will uphold the quarantine order. I’ll see to it that it’s registered and that the Federation Council’s colonial advisory is informed.”
“And what about Sommers‑Yoshida?” Velar asked and raised an eyebrow. “He’s competent, I’ll grant him that, but he’s also in command of a station that wasn’t designed to be a frontline post.”
“Frontlines have a habit of moving to meet us.” Dasilva replied in his typical gruff tone.
Captain Valtar reviewed the contents of his PADD once more. “Sommers‑Yoshida handled the situation with discipline and clarity. He kept his officers aligned under pressure and followed proper escalation protocols. He may be new to command, but there’s no indication he was out of his depth.”
Senya Thorne once more looked at Elijah.
“Admiral Tanaka, do you support retaining Sommers‑Yoshida as Commanding Officer of Deep Space 21 during the follow‑up investigation? Or do you believe we should assign someone with more experience in crisis‑theater command?”
The Rear Admiral remained calm eventhough all eyes were set on him. “He’s new to Command, yes, but to relieve him of Command at this time would be rash and a mistake. He handled the situation adequately and that says something. We should not revert our decision to give him Command of Deep Space 21 as soon as problems arrive. We chose him for a reason. Besides, he has a good Command team he can rely on.”
“Agreed.” Rear Admiral Dasilva said with approval in his tone. “Pulling him now would send the wrong message, to his crew and to every junior officer watching this unfold.”
Velar was still skeptical, but not insensitive to the arguments given in favor of DS21’s Commanding Officer. “He’ll be under scrutiny either way. That sector’s quiet days might be over.”
“Then let’s equip him accordingly.” Raseen Valtar said with an undertone of determination in his voice. “If Euryale is part of something larger, that station may become our listening post, intended or not.”
Senya Thorne looked around the table to see if anyone else wanted to add anything. “Very well. Commander Sommers-Yoshida retains command of Deep Space 21. The Lethe System remains under Red Watch quarantine, and the unexplored regions of the Briar Patch will be restricted to Starfleet vessels until further review. Admiral Tanaka, coordinate with Advanced Science and Medical on what resources Sommers‑Yoshida might require to continue his risk assessments.”
She stood.
“This meeting is adjourned.”
INT. STARFLEET COMMAND – VICE ADMIRAL THORNE’S OFFICE – TWILIGHT
The soft amber glow of San Francisco’s setting sun filters through wide slanted windows. The skyline shimmers behind layers of translucent privacy glass, lending the room a calm, golden hush.
Vice Admiral Thorne stood behind her desk, organizing padds into a secure lockbox before she notices Rear Admiral Tanaka still standing by the view.
“Your instincts were right, Elijah.” Senya said without looking up. “We’d be scrambling harder now if Commander Sommers-Yoshida hadn’t kept his people alive. Even if it was just barely.”
She finally lifted her eyes to meet Tanaka’s.
“But I suspect what’s weighing on you isn’t him. It’s them, the ones who went down to the surface.”
She gestures subtly toward the desk, where a slim padd still displayed the files of Lieutenants Abrasax, Lyras, Alessa, and Mirez.
Elijah Tanaka didn’t move from the window. Instead he kept looking outward at some arbitrary point in the distance. “They were junior officers, Senya. Of course, that doesn’t make them any less. But you know what I mean. No one expected in the slightest that Lethe would harbor something like the entity called Euryale. But beside that, I wonder what effect that telepathic invasion by Euryale has had on them. There are known cases where such a link led to negative after effects… to put it mildly.”
“I do know what you mean. We didn’t send seasoned officers down to that planet, we sent potential.” Senya sat down slowly, her hands clasped together “Raw, untested in the kinds of pressure that bend minds more than bones.”
She picked up the padd and scrolled deliberately through the mission data, stopping on biometric overlays tied to Abrasax, Lyras, and Alessa.
“Lieutenants Abrasax and Lyras are both showing low‑level synaptic adaptation. Nothing alarming yet, but it’s not baseline. They didn’t initiate a neurofield probe, there wasn’t time or protocol for that. But whatever Euryale did…it left a fingerprint.”
Her tone tightened.
“Lieutenant Alessa is the Chief Counselor, and she’ll likely claim she’s managing the aftereffects. But the entity went deep. Touched memories, fears. Her empathy is her strength but at the same time it also makes her vulnerable, especially from a Gorgon-class entity like Euryale.”
Senya tapped the padd again, now highlighting Mirez.
“Lieutenant Mirez held up well, steady readings, precise responses, but Benzite neurology isn’t fully charted under telepathic stress. We can’t say for certain whether her resilience was natural or if something is simply… lurking unnoticed.”
Her eyes returned to Tanaka, measured and deliberate.
“Alessa, though… she heard something the others didn’t. Something personal. She didn’t write it in the mission log, but her field report hinted at residual impressions.”
A beat of silence stretched between Senya and Elijah.
“You think I’m overreacting?”
Elijah raised his brows slightly after he turned towards Senya. “You should know better than to think I would ever think that way. How long do we know each other by now?” He walked over to Senya and pointed toward the PADD she was still holding. “I’m merely telling you about my concerns. We should keep tabs on the officers involved, and that includes Commander Sommers‑Yoshida.”
Senya’s mouth curved into a faint, knowing smile. “Too long for me to mistake you for one of the optimists.”
She placed the padd down, fingers tapping once on the display before locking it.
“You’re right. And not just about the away team. Commander Sommers‑Yoshida kept a lid on things, but he was there too. Whatever Euryale projected into their minds, he saw the aftermath. That leaves a mark, command experience or not.”
Senya rose from her chair and moved to the window, folding her arms as the city lights begin to flicker on across the bay.
“I’ll authorize quiet follow‑ups through Starfleet Medical and PsyOps. Nothing overt, just recurring evaluations, standard review cadence.” There was a pause before she continued. “And I’ll loop in Strategic Operations. If Lethe’s not an isolated anomaly, I want boots in place before we’re caught flat‑footed again.”
She glances over her shoulder at Elijah.
“Still, if any of those officers break under the weight of this, I want to know whether it’s because of what that Gorgon-entity did… or what we asked of them.”
Elijah gave a small nod, thoughtful. “We’ll be ready, Senya. Whatever this turns out to be, we won’t be unprepared next time.”
He let the silence settle, then turned, and headed toward the door with the quiet certainty of someone who’s carried unseen burdens before.
Senya watched him, and quietly said, “Let’s hope they won’t have to pay for our preparedness.”
The door sighed open with a soft hiss as the last light of the San Francisco sunset cast long shadows across the polished floor. The stars were beginning to show, distant, indifferent, waiting.
Vice Admiral Senya Thorne (NPC)
Rear Admiral Elijah Tanaka (NPC)
Rear Admiral Kweku Dasilva (NPC)
Commodore Nia Velar (NPC)
Captain Raseen Valtar (NPC)
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