The Trickster's Box, Part 1 (Patreon)

The Trickster's Box

Part 1

Warning: The following story is a Star Trek fanfic with heavy AB/DL elements. May include: original characters, sexual situations, messy diapers, mind control, humiliation, painfully unscientific technobabble, weight gain, personality alteration, light surgical alteration, and a conspicuous absence of male crewmembers. Reader discretion advised.

U.S.S. Ishigaki, Survey Vessel, Apollo Class

Crew Compliment: 32

Captain: Ara Lee

First Officer: Commander Priti Basu

Chief Engineering Officer: Lieutenant Commander Temar

Chief Science Officer: Lieutenant Tabitha Forester

Chief Medical Officer: Doctor Wonan Nixila

Day 6

Captain's Log: Supplemental

Stardate 47459.2

The U.S.S. Ishigaki has been performing a routine survey of the interior of Stellar Object 659543, a.k.a. The Rosebush Nebula. The crew have become restless, owing to to the rather disappointingly mundane nature of the search thus far. For the first five days, our scans revealed nothing except the gaseous fluorocarbons and pockets of unstable ionized gas that are typical of a nebula of this type. Indeed, it is likely that this vessel would have been sent on a more urgent errand if one were available. A low-priority survey of this kind is unlikely to be the crown jewel in anyone's duty record. I can sympathize.

The only highlights of the journey thus far have been the Engineering crew's attempts to reinforce the shields against the strong ionic discharges that the crew has taken to referring to as “Thorns”, as well as the Science department's attempts to transmit a subspace signal through the heavy ionic interference. The first project has been largely successful, as nearly all the hull damage we have suffered occurred during the first two days of the survey. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reestablish contact with Starfleet command, and doing so would require a journey of several days to reach the exterior of the nebula. Chief Science Officer Tabitha Forester has informed me the notion of generating a stable warp field under these conditions is both practically and theoretically untenable. I trust her expertise, but I still resent being forced to crawl through this entire nebula on impulse power only. At least we cannot be accused of not doing a thorough scan.

On a personal note, I appreciated the beauty of the luminous, mauve-colored clouds with streaks of lightning flowing through them at regular intervals when we first entered the nebula, but after only six days, I have already grown weary of the unchanging view. Our survey is scheduled for completion in three weeks time, and I will be counting the days until I can look at the stars again.

Today is our sixth day in the nebula. Early this morning, our scans detected a peculiar alien object of unknown age, purpose, and origin. The object is approximately .4 meters in diameter and composed of a previously undiscovered alloy of copper, nickel, and beryllium. The object seems to be unaccountably durable, as the powerful ionic discharges that typify the area should have destroyed it within minutes if it were unshielded. I ordered the object brought aboard, utilizing the tractor beam and cargo bay door, as the transporters cannot function outside the hull. The crew and I are both hopeful that this object will add one unexpected feature of our journey. It is currently being examined in the ship's laboratory by the Science Crew, who are eager for the opportunity to examine something that isn't a gas cloud.

“Do any of these symbols occur in the linguistics database?” asked Forester.

“Sure. Nearly every conceivable symbol has been used by at least a handful of known cultures. It will take time to eliminate all the possibilities.” said Mira McDaniels, Warp Field Specialist. “It would go quicker if our ship had a linguistics specialist, but who would have thought we would need one? It's a nebula survey, not a first contact.”

“First contact is within the range of possibilities when traveling in any unexplored region.” said Chief Engineer Temar, in her usual monotone. “Perhaps a linguist should be included in all survey missions.”

“You can't being everybody who might be useful any time you go anywhere.” responded Mira sourly. “Hey, maybe we should have a Chief of Security or a Tactical Officer as well? We don't have any weapons, but you never know where you might find pirates hanging out in Federation space!”

“Your penchant for sarcasm is as amusing as ever.” offered Temar, not looking up from her scanner readout.

“By which you mean, “not in the slightest”, I suppose?” said Mira.

“That was heavily implied, yes.” said Temar

“Focus, please. Perhaps the captain could assist? She studied xenolinguistics at the Academy, and it's not as though she's busy these days.” said Tabitha, taking holophotos of the object from every angle. It had the rough shape of an elongated tetrahedron. The outer surface looked like dark bronze, and it was coated entirely in diagonal lines of complex hieroglyphs. Some of the symbols looked vaguely like animals, although not ones that anyone present could identify.

“Have you determined the interior composition?” asked Tabitha.

“No.” said Temar, still not glancing away from her work. “Our scans are unable to penetrate the outer surface. It is likely that this object includes advanced technological components to protect it from electromagnetic radiation, but I have been unable to...” Tamar trailed off and her forehead suddenly knitted together. Mira and Tabitha ran to look at her scanner readout, knowing for a Vulcan this was the equivalent of falling out of your chair in shock.

“What is is it?” asked Mira excitedly.

“An aperture, concealed by a hinged cover. It is continuous with the symbols around it, which is why it was missed in the initial visual examination.” she turned to Tabitha. “With your permission, I will attempt to open it.”

Mira looked concerned. “Without knowing what's inside? That sounds...risky. Maybe we should ask the captain.”

Tabitha shook her head. “No. The captain ordered a thorough examination. Go ahead and open it if you can.”

Tamar reached out and dug a thumb into one of the rows of symbols. A small, round cover popped out from the surface. It revealed an inch-deep, silver-colored hole containing nothing visible.   The three women stood in silence as they examined the sensor readings.

“Somewhat anticlimactic.” complained Mira.

“Not so.” said Tabitha. “It looks like it could be a data port.”

“It is.” confirmed Tamar. “One of unknown design.”

A warning tone emitted from the examination table.

“The device is is now emitting a coherent energy signature.” reported Temar. “I believe we are being scanned.”

Tabitha felt a shiver shoot up her spine. “Computer! Yellow alert!” a warning siren began sounding and

She tapped her com-badge. “Captain, the device has activated. I recommend we beam it into space immediately, until we're certain it isn't an explosive of some kind.”

“Negative.” came Captain Lee's voice over the intercom. “Continue the examination. I am on my way!”

“Acknowledged, Captain.” came Forester's practiced reply. “Tamar, any information? What are we dealing with?”

Tamar was as unflappable as ever. “The device is attempting to interact with the onboard computer. It may be attempting to communicate in some fashion.”

The Computer's voice sounded over the intercom. “Warning. Unauthorized Computer access point detected. Invasive programming introduced to main computer. Emergency Shutdown Protocol initiated.”

“That's some communication!” shouted Mira, shielding her ears from the Computers impassive voice.

The laboratory doors swung aside, revealing Captain Lee. “Report!”

“The device just uploaded some kind of program into the main computer.” reported Lieutenant Forester. “It's shutting itself down to eliminate it.”

“That program could be our first contact with an alien civilization. Is there any way to save it?” asked the Captain.

“With all due respect, Captain” interrupted Tamar. “a computer breech of this kind may be a hostile action. The safety of the ship may be compromised if the program is not eliminated, or at least isolated.”

Before the Captain could respond, the floor under their feet suddenly heaved unexpectedly, sending the officers to their knees and scanning equipment clattering to the floor.. The lights dimmed, and the yellow emergency lights turned red. Captain Lee slapped her com-badge.

“Lee to the bridge! What's happening Priti?” she shouted as the shop continued to shake.

“Captain, the main computer is down and the shields just dropped! I have no explanation! Those  Thorns will tear us apart if we don't get the shields up!” came the First Officer's voice. Her voice was loud and clear, but tightly controlled.

Captain Lee launched into full command mode. “Tamar, Tabitha, get down to engineering and get the shields up! Mira, beam this thing into space!  I have to get back to the bridge!”

Day 7

Captain's Log: Supplemental

Stardate 47460.3

Our attempted examination of the unknown alien device has had serious consequences. It attempted to access the main computer for reasons as yet unknown. Tamar and her staff will need time to examine the computer records, but they are busy now repairing the damage we suffered while the shields were down. Why the shields dropped is also unclear. Mira spent the better part of a day attempting to get some kind of transporter lock on the device, but it has proven itself resistant to that technology as well. The device is now surrounded by a energy field that is blocking both our transporter beam and our attempts to physically move it. Whatever it is, it isn't interested in leaving. Mira suspects that the shielding will also prevent the object from contacting the computer again, but she cannot be certain. We have not yet attempted a phaser blast, although despite my scientific curiosity, I am tempted.

While the shields were down, the nebula's ionic discharges were free to play havoc with Ishigaki. Electrical arcs formed all over the ship, causing severe injuries to several crewmembers, including Dr. Nixila, our only physician. Tamar suffered a similar injury while working to get our shields back up. If we didn't have the new Emergency Medical Holographic Program installed, we would be in serious trouble. As it stands, no one has been killed, shields have been restored, and the main computer is back online. The computer reports that the program the device downloaded has been eliminated from the active programs and isolated in a read-only file, which will require a thorough examination to determine it's nature and purpose.

Dr. Wonan Nixila gradually regained consciousness on one of her own medical beds. She felt a severe electrical burn under her left breast, and another, smaller one on her temple. Looking around, she saw that every bed in the small sick bay was occupied by other crewmembers with similar injuries, and a few were resting with their backs against the wall, waiting for beds to open up. Sensing their pain, she instinctively started out of bed to help, but was struck by a sudden dizzy spell.

“I'm sorry ma'am, but you need to remain in bed. Your treatment is at a critical stage.” same a chirpy woman's voice. Wonan nearly jumped out of her skin in fright before realizing that the Emergency Medical Hologram was the one that had spoken. Being both telepathic and empathic, she was accustomed to receiving a sneak preview of anything a person was about to say, which, while often irritating, was very unnerving when it was suddenly absent. Wonan leaned back in her bed and watched the holographic woman work, moving back and forth from patient to patient. She was familiar with the degree of skill and knowledge that her holographic stand-in possessed, but had never actually used it before. Frankly, she found it utterly creepy. Like most vessels with an EMH, the Ishigaki had replaced the hologram's original appearance and personality (based, rather inadvisably, on the technology's developer, a Dr. Zimmerman) with one that was calculated to be more pleasant and cheerful. Examining the result, Wonan decided that a human would probably find the tall blonde appearance and near-constant smile pleasing, but to a Betazoid it was like watching a walking corpse tend to patients. That fake smile and the imitation of fondness and concern in her voice, without even a trace of the thoughts and emotions that should accompany it. Wonan decided to occupy herself by supervising and critiquing the electronic marionette's performance, just to be safe.

As she watched, she observed something curious. Tamar, the ship's vulcan Chief Engineer, was asleep on the surgical bed. Wonan had a passing acquaintance with Tamar, as they were two of only a handful on non-humans aboard, and it was sometimes refreshing to converse with someone who could comprehend how strange human behavior can be, even a Vulcan. Vulcans and Betazoids had a difficult time interacting in general, as one was desperate to conceal their emotions, and the other found emotions obvious and impossible to ignore.

At first, Wonan assumed that the surgical bed was in use simply because beds were in short supply. None of the injuries caused by the nebula's discharges should require any surgery. And yet, Tamar was dressed and positioned as though she had just undergone a surgical operation. She was lying face down, and her uniform had been sliced open at the back to expose her upper back. She even saw a tell-tale set of fine, pink lines where the skin had been opened and then closed again with a dermal regenerator.

When the hologram came around for another routine scan, Wonan took the opportunity to question her.

“Excuse me. Why is Tamar recovering from surgery? What happened to her?” she asked as the hologram ran the medical tricorder over her with her usual placid smile. Wonan noted an odd pause before the hologram answered her.

“She suffered a serious impact to the upper spine, most likely after being stunned by the electrical discharge. It is not necessary for you to concern yourself. She is recovering nicely. I do not believe that any of these patients will still require treatment by the time you recover enough to resume your duties.” said the electronic woman in her chirpy voice.

Wonan was very uncomfortable as the hologram moved on to other patients. She was used to knowing in an instant if someone was lying to her. She knew that humans could often spot a lie merely by looking at someone's body language and tone of voice, a necessary adaptation in a species that had not yet developed a sophisticated enough brain for telepathy. She had never had cause to develop such a skill herself. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the situation.

She kept watching the hologram as it worked. After a while, it moved Tamar from the surgical bed to a standard medical bed, and moved the ensign who had occupied that bed to the surgical bed. Wonan watch as the ensign was sedated and prepped for surgery.

“Hey! Excuse me!” called Wonan. The hologram turned to her, beaming pleasant concern.

“Yes, Doctor?”

“What procedure are you preparing? That woman's injuries are minor.” she said, now letting her annoyance into her voice.

'

The placid smile did not waver. “That's not the sort of diagnosis you can make from bed, Doctor.”

“I can see the readout from medical bed.” pointed out Wonan. Of course, she could also sense the ensign's pain, but even she knew that her telepathy was no substitute for advanced medical scanners.

The hologram loaded a hypo-spray. “You seem to having difficulty relaxing, Doctor. Your injuries will heal much faster if you sleep. I will give you something to help you rest.”

Wonan was afraid now. “I am not in any serious pain! I demand to know what procedure you are performing.”

The hologram pressed a hand to her chest and pinned her down to the the bed.

“Help! Someone help me!” screamed Wonan as the hypo-spray released into her carotid artery. She was fast asleep in seconds.

-----

Captain Lee sat at her desk in her ready room. On the screen in front of her were 3-dimensional images of the symbols from the alien artifact. She had spent the last few hours diligently searching through dozens of possible interpretations, but even the extensive cultural database and the universal translator can't just spin meaning out of nothing. Without a larger sample of the language, she was left with all kinds of possibilities, each of which sounded fairly convincing thanks to the computer's algorithmic logic.

Her door emitted a soft chirp.

“Come!” called the captain, secretly grateful for the distraction.

The slid open, admitting her First Officer.

“Priti! At ease. Good news, I hope?”

“Well, some good news.” replied the tall woman whose “at ease” was only hair more relaxed than her “at attention”. “Engineering reports that repairs are going well, and should be going better once Tamar has recovered from her injuries. Sickbay reports that Dr. Nixila is still recovering, but that there's no good reason that everyone can't be on duty tomorrow. The Emergency Medical Hologram appears to be functioning adequately. Morale is still an issue, but for entirely new reasons. The crew has gone from feeling bored and underutilized to anxious and stressed. I don't think any of us will be able to relax while that thing is still sitting in the laboratory. Any progress on figuring out what it is?”

“Not really.” admitted the captain. “These symbols are so elaborate that there should be plenty for the computer to extrapolate from, but so far, none of the most likely interpretations fit. I/m beginning to wonder if these are actually symbols at all. They could just as easily be purely decorative designs, or even just artistic works. If you ask the computer to interpret a Jackson Pollock, it will spit out all kinds of theories as its meaning.”

“You must be disappointed.” remarked Priti, in what she hoped was a conciliatory tone.

Captain Lee shrugged. “Not really. Relative to the mundanity of surveying this gas cloud, a mysterious alien artifact is actually a relief. It might even be a significant enough find to justify cutting  our survey short and bringing it back to Starfleet for analysis. Still, I don't want to do that until we've done our due diligence. The Ishigaki has a full science staff and a well-equipped lab. We ought to be able  to at least grasp the significance of what we have before we turn it over.”

“If it is a significant discovery, I'm sure the credit will go to whoever identifies its exact origin and purpose.” said Priti.

Ara arched an eyebrow. “That was a rather tasteless remark, Commander.”

“I apologize ma'am.” said Priti, folding her hands.

“No, I'm sorry.” said Captain Lee. “You're right. A find like this could seriously advance my career. But there's a great deal of injustice in the assignment of scientific credit. I can't just be the captain who stumbled across this thing on a routine survey mission. I want to be the captain who cracked it open and explored its mysteries.”

Priti elected to stay silent. Captain Lee had confided her ambitions in her before. Being a captain barely counted when you were captain of an Apollo class. Ara considered routine survey work inside Federation space to be beneath her talents, and rightly so. A significant discovery might be enough to get her name spoken aloud among the admiralty, which could be her path to a more prestigious assignment. Priti silently hoped that this would be the case, as Ara would then have her choice of officers.

Thoughts such as these were best not spoken aloud, however. Starfleet was about the protection and advancement of all life, not the ambitions of officers. Routine surveys were one way to serve, and service was the goal.

“I'm certain we will know more before the week is out. Let's try to withhold judgment.” said Priti, mainly just to fill the silence.

Priti's com-badge chirped. She slapped it, grateful for the interruption. “Basu here.”

“This is the Emergency Medical Hologram. I must report that I have detected evidence of radiation poisoning among the crew injured by the ionic discharges. It isn't too severe, but I will need to get the entire crew scheduled for testing and inoculations.”

“Why wasn't this included in your initial medical report?” asked Priti testily.

“It's not a form of radiation we normally scan for. I only noticed when some the injured began reporting nausea. I recommend  getting everyone tested within the two days, with priority to officers and anyone reporting nausea symptoms. Do you have time, by chance?” came the chirpy reply.

Priti let out a long sigh. Normally, she would have restrained her emotions more when addressing a subordinant, but it was only a hologram. “Very well. I'll be down there shortly. Basu out.”

“Radiation? What kind?” asked the captain.

“She didn't say. I suppose we might have gotten any kind with the shields down like that. Still, she said it wasn't too serious.” said Priti.

“Still, if it's enough to cause nausea, we ought to take it seriously. Go ahead and schedule me for an exam as well. I was wondering why I felt so off-kilter today.” said the captain.

“Aye, ma'am. Will that be all?” asked Priti.

“Dismissed.”