McKenzie's Flight

Crist sat there on the bridge for about 5 hours. During those 5 hours, he spent most of it on the Bridge, but spent some time in the Ready Room. He sat in the center chair, staring at the viewscreen. Up to this point, nothing special has happened. Just then Jolan entered, walking onto the bridge.

Jolan, "Lt, my men are good. They are patrolling deck 1 as you ordered."

Shran, "Good work."

Crist looked around the bridge, he could see how well his crew were coping. Their preparations and duties thus far, were just as he’d predicted. Crist then motioned to Jolan and Shran, "Would you two come with me, I’d like to have a word with you."

Crist got up from his chair and left the bridge, with Shran and Jolan following. As he exited, Crist nodded to the 2 guards, who were stationed outside the portside bridge doors. Crist walked into his ready room, and wanted for Shran and Jolan. After they entered, he locked the door, behind them.

"Are you two all set?" Crist asked.

Shran, "Aye sir, with the concerns of possible intruders on board, I’ve checked my men personally. I have ruled out about 75% of my men, as possible threats. Those men have been armed with hand phasers as well as rifles, and stationed at the ships key points as well as patrolling the ship. The others have been stationed at non critical areas, and will only be given type 2 phasers. If there are intruders onboard, we’ll capture them, just as you planned."

Jolan, "I know the Lt told me of this plan, but I still think it’s risky."

Crist, "No point it starting a witch hunt. That will get us nowhere. If there is somewhat onboard working for the children, we could use them to get information."

Jolan, "If you say so sir."

Crist, "Mr. Jolan, are you and your folks ready? And can you trust them all?"

Jolan, "I trust them completely, sir. And yes, we are ready. Just find the ship, and we’ll head over to get our missing man. We will patrol deck 1 until that time. The way that it’s set up, we can quickly making it to transporter pad 1, on deck 1, to board the enemy."

Crist, "Good work, the both of you. So with security safe, we just need to watch the rest of the crew. With any luck anyone dumb enough to try something will be captured, and if not then we shouldn’t have any problems."

Just then a voice came over the comm, "Sir, incoming message from a log buoy, it’s from the Republic."

Crist tapped his comm badge, "Alright I’m on my way. Guys, get back to your stations, I have a feeling were going to work earlier than expected."

The three men exited the ready room, Crist and Shran then returned to the bridge. Ok, let’s hear the message. Hughes began to read the message from his console.

Hughes, "I seems the Republic detected a Children fleet heading into the anomaly, they moved into intercept them, and requests we join them as soon as possible."

Crist, "Is there anything else?"

Hughes, "No sir."

Crist signed, "Hughes, intercept course, maximum warp."

Hughes, "Aye, it will take us 18 minutes to get there."

The McKenzie changed its course and increased speed.

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Crist, "ETA?"

Hughes, "2 minutes, sir."

Crist, "Shran go to red alert. I want torpedoes loaded, shields up, and phasers changed when we drop out of warp."

Shran, "Aye." The ship lights began to dim, and red lights began to flash.

Crist, "Hughes, drop us out of warp, at will."

Hughes, "Aye. We’ve reached the location of the Republic, and dropping out of warp."

The McKenzie dropped out of warp and continued at a high speed, at full impulse.

Crist, "Shran."

Shran, "Shields up, weapons primed."

Crist, "Good, Snowfire, where’s the Republic, and what else is out there?"

Snowfire looked down at her screen for a moment, then looked again. Fingers dashed across the board in a whirlwind of movement, isolating energy traces and beacon signals. Then she raised her head.

"The...the Republic's gone." She said softly. "I have an impulse trail leading into the plasma corona of the anomaly. And with the debris patterns, it's almost impossible that they had an active shield grid. I know the Republic's record, and I know that they'll do their best to improvise some sort of protection - and likely succeed. But against the Horizon, you need metaphasic shielding to have any chance of surviving for an extended period.

"It looks like this just became a rescue mission in addition to everything else." She sighed, then refocused on the multiple unknown - but presumably hostile - dots on the display before her.

"We've got what looks like the Horizon's Children fleet ahead of us. Multiple contacts, mostly civilian vessels carrying the majority of the cult. Three...wait, four escorts. A Cardassian Hideki class light cruiser on their port, a retrofitted Maquis class raider to starboard and what looks like a severely patched Jem'Hadar attack cruiser bringing up the rear. I'm also detecting a rather impressive masked energy pattern at the head of the convoy.

"From what seems to have happened to the Republic, I would guess that that pattern is the Children's main punch." She tapped keys on her panel and then nodded. "Assume the three light vessels are intended to bracket us into a perfect position for a salvo from that ship..."

There was a sudden flurry of activity from the helm station, and Hughes eyes and fingers frantically moving across his panel.

"Captain! I have no control over navigation!" He exclaimed.

And on the main viewer, the ominous fire of the Azimuth Horizon suddenly loomed threateningly towards them; and all across the small starship, the whine of warp engines building up to maximum activation was heard.

The sudden plight of the McKenzie was immediately noticed by the command crew of the Cult's cloaked lead ship.

"My Lady; the unbelievers, ship is veering off from us towards the Horizon... their warp engines are flaring up!"

"Their shields are going down, My lady," added the tactical officer.

"Thus be the Will of the Prophet," answered Ty'Renick with a joyless smile and a lifted satisfied chin."Let their sins be cleansed by the Fire of Heaven; and would they repent with their final breath, they will earn Salvation along with our martyr now guiding them towards the Truth."

In reverent silence, they watched as the now defenseless warship's prow completed a ninety-degrees turn to face the full flaring of the Azimuth Horizon.

On board, a voice reported through the bridge's speakers:

"Bridge, Jolan here; somebody barricaded himself within the computer core room! Tricorder reads one lifeform, Bajoran. And life support has been deactivated in there! ."

"Captain, we appear to have been compromised by Children agents." Snowfire said, her comment coming on the very heels of Jolan's. "Stand by." She tapped a few keys with one hand, the other hitting her commbadge. "Nolanis." She said calmly.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Initiate Scream."

Two decks down, Snowfire's science team closed their eyes and connected three rather...unique...modules into the McKenzie's primary data transfer conduit. And at the same time, Snowfire slid a similar device into her panel, eyes sliding shut in sudden concentration. She knew what she was doing, but this was going to be a test in practical application of theory for her team. She only hoped they had learnt enough.

Anti-intrusion and security software within almost every known culture has one crucial flaw. The words, spoken calmly in a voice only Snowfire knew, echoed through her head and those of her team. In every observed case, systems have proven themselves incapable of reacting efficiently against an attack mounted not through conventional 'hacking' methods, but through supplanting the datastream with the psionic energy of a Gifted.

Panels all across the ship flickered, many going dark as datastream was replaced by concentrated thought.

It is a powerful method, but unfortunately flawed in the details. For one thing, it requires at least two Gifted to attain any level of control over the systems of an average warship. More give expanded control and precision - also extending the period over which such control can be maintained.

Security protocols blooming into full functionality were swept away by the sweeping waves of energy, their powerful bastions of no effect against that which simply blew them away ahead of itself. And then they slammed into the computer core and every light on the ship flickered in shock as data suddenly became thought.

Snowfire reached out ahead of herself, seeking for the helm controls as Nolanis and Daniel split away from her towards the shield control circuits. The final member of their link anchored their connection to themselves with her typical mental solidity.

And the other flaw is the chance of overload. The voice continued. A typical starship's computer calculates hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of operations per second. Exposure to such an entity - and that is the only correct word - is an experience in and of itself.

Snowfire held that last part to herself though, fighting through the rising buzz of millions of calculations pouring through her head. She had experience with this. The others didn't. Not as much as she did at least. And with Keladry's help, she could survive it. She found the helm controls, caressing the interface with gentle mental fingers. Then she reached into it, searching for the lockout as her compatriots did likewise to the shield systems. They could do this. They had to.


Aboard the Galor-class, named "HCS Prophecy" commanded by the General Lord N'Eligahn and the Second-in-Command, Commander Lady Ty'Reynyk, the twisted, infected minds of all the so called "Children" watched with pleasure as the little Defiant-class struggled against the pull of the Azimuth Horizon. Now close enough that its pulsating light blinded the bridge crew such that they had to put filters on the viewscreen, the ship no longer needed the saboteur in the Engine room to navigate them toward it.

"They seem to be fighting better than expected. Shall we hasten their journey to salvation or damnation, my Lord?" asked Ty'reynyk.

"Perhaps we should ask the Prophet, my Lady," answered N'Eligahn and withdrew to the Captain's ready room of the ship.

As he returned, followed by the robed, bearded figure of the Prophet of the Horizon's Children, those on the bridge bowed their heads and looked away. Slowly the Prophet lifted his head to look at the viewscreen and threw back his hood. Those on the bridge who did happen to still be looking finally turned their heads in fear, as it was the first time they even saw a glimpse of his visage. Eyes wide open, the Prophet was frozen while his mind raced back to a life he once knew but had for so long forgotten. "Defiant-class... McKenzie..." words he remembered from that past life buzzed through his ears. Suddenly the image of a Cardassian... the one who had invaded his temple and had caused his previous pain... came hurtling at him from out of the small ship heading toward the Horizon. He ducked away from that roaring, approaching face with fear. This caused those on the bridge to look around confused and bewildered. Their prophet... afraid?

N'Eligahn, worried now for his Prophet's dedication reached for the weapons console.

"Stop!" shouted the man formally known as Joseph Daystrom Sisko, holding his arm out to the Rethian. "You shall... let them be... for now. The Preservers will decide whether they are worthy of Salvation through their actions here."

Inside the Computer Core room, the Bajoran officer praised the Preservers with his last breath before losing consciousness. But the course was already set and the forcefield was still up.

In sickbay, a communication was received from Dr. Michaels on Starbase 10, notifying Dr. Kinstar of the only known species that weren't affected by the infection spreading and causing people so easily convert to the radical views of the Horizon's Children cult. Vulcans, Andorians -- if they kept their rage emotion in check, Tellarites, and Saurians. He reported this information to Captain Crist.

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As the consoles flickered around the ship Sorripto sat in Engineering in a fully lit and functioning office. Looking around as other consoles in the space flickered, Sorripto jumped out of the chair in his office.

“What the hell?” Sorripto thought to himself.

Running over to the main control console Sorripto began to open up schematics of the internal network. Sorripto had built this mainframe from the ground up over the last few years. He knew every circuit, component, and more importantly internal code on the ship. The images Sorripto saw on the screen were not of his system. Pounding the console Sorripto yelled.

“There is a virus in the system; we need to contain whatever the hell this is quickly before it spreads to anything else.”

Just as Sorripto began preparations the buzz of an alarm snapped him back to reality. The voice yelling from across engineering might as well have been sitting at the same console.

“Sir the power grid is becoming unstable we are losing core containment”

Running over to the core Sorripto could see physical ripples in the shields surrounding the matrix and core itself. Yelling at the top of his lungs Sorripto pounded his fist on the console in front of him leaving a damaging dent and crack.

“This is enough. No cheap two bit virus and broken code fragment is going to be destroying my systems. We need to isolate this and we need to do it now.” Looking around Sorripto continued to yell. “Reichman lets shut this thing down!”

Running over to the isolinear matrix component Sorripto ripped the panel away throwing it behind him. With the speed of a casino card dealer Sorripto was shuffling isolinear chips and realigning the entire matrix. The frantic calls of the engineers behind Sorripto began to fill the Cardassian’s ears

“Reroute emergency power to the containment grid.”

“Containment is down to sixty three percent.”

“We are losing core containment the shield is failing!”

Hearing the frantic calls Sorripto began to move faster tossing and flipping isolinear chips throughout the entire panel and deck plate openings. The idea he had was simple. By rapidly increasing the algorithmic calculations of the systems combined with a changing computation cycle it would make the secondary series of coding unstable and allow for isolation and removal. By changing the stability of the code in which the virus was attacking and replacing it would make the spreading of the internal virus harder.

“This virus is moving faster then me… I will not get beaten not today” Sorripto laughed to himself.

Sorripto looked around as the panels and consoles in engineering began to stabilize and the lights returned to normal. Running over to another isolinear control box Sorripto slid down the ladder and again pulled the cover off throwing the cover behind him. As he began to shuffle chips frantically a call came from behind him.

“Sir with all due respect by realigning the control gird you are only going to strengthen the lockout on the navigation controls.”

Turning around to see a crewman behind him Sorripto kept working as if to quietly say he knew but did not care.

“Sir you must…”

Cutting off the crewman Sorripto yelled while never once stopping his work.

“I will realign every system on the ship if I must. Whatever this code is has shut down the power grid for core containment. There are so many secondary connections and subroutines I installed in this system even the most advanced computer virus would not comprehend the damage it would cause by attacking even a minor system. Yes I saw the message about the navigational controls but if I cant get the core shields back under control the fact that we cant navigate is meaningless.”

“But Sir you cant just…”

“I can’t just what? Keep control of the engineering systems within engineering? Keep the starboard shields online?”

Finishing the final swaps Sorripto turned to the crewman.

“Do you want to know why the core just fell apart on us? The fact is that I used the same shield power matrix for the core as I do for the secondary shielding around the deck control areas. I did that because it consolidated power closer to the ship not only making it a hell of a lot more efficient but safer. My problem crewman is that someone who clearly does not understand the complex nature of my changes has attempted to alter the code through what looks like a virus. A virus! When this thing attempted to shut down the deck control shields it shut down an entire power grid. Care to guess what life support systems are consolidated with the power to the navigation control room?”

Cutting off the crewman before he could finish Sorripto ran back up the ladder and climbing out of the top he tapped his combadge.

“Captain this is engineering I will have a report for you here in a moment I apologize for not updating you on the alarms.”

Running over to Chief Reichman Sorripto looked down at the console.

“Chief all systems should be stable why have you not isolated the virus?”

“Sir… I don’t think this is a virus, at least not one I have ever seen.”

Shaken by the assumption Sorripto pushed the Chief out of the way and began to analyze the data before him.

“Chief are you seeing this?”

“Yes Sir I am that is what I was talking about. The coding is not attacking the current subroutines… it is replacing them with an entire new data stream. One that is a hell of a lot more complex then anything I have ever dealt with.”

Looking at the algorithms on the console Sorripto stepped back slowly raising an eyebrow. Something had gotten into the system and was replacing entire sections of the internal coding with an advanced control subroutine. Looking up Sorripto slowly asked the question on his mind.

“Computer process and identify the algorithm currently in subcontrol section 3. Identify as organic.”

“Analysis complete. Subroutine is consistent with brainwave activity of a humanoid telepathic species. Further data required to analyze specific genus and species.”

Balling a fist the plated hand of the Cardassian came crashing down on the console.

“I have a feeling I know what is happening here. Chief you are in charge.”

Sorripto walked towards the exit of main engineering.

“Aye Sir, but where are going?”

“To have a talk with someone!”

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Pain exploded through the the neural connections as Sorripto frantically realigned the control grid, the number of calculations pouring through Snowfire's mind exploding exponentially into a steady haze of swirling code. False-light glared and spun in front of closed eyelids, the feedback slamming through her and the link between the rest of her team. The entire system flickered, the web of neural energy fraying at the edges under the strain of millions of operations every second. Snowfire's face tightened, muscles going taut in unconscious reflection of her mental state. Recalibration hammered her thoughts, overwhelming her in a sea of calculation that swelled in size every second. And then...then....

Snowfire, this is illogical. Do not destroy yourself here. Let the few help the one.

Keladry's presence...solidified beside her, and the sea that threatened to drown her receded. It didn't vanish, but it faded enough - pushed back far enough by the Vulcan's aid - to be bearable. The mental equivalent of a raised eyebrow sped across their link, responded to with resigned amusement.

You really think we didn't guess, Lieutenant? We're science officers. And you picked us for our knowledge of mental techniques. What else were you expecting? Let us share your burden, so that you can help save us.

Snowfire shook her head gently in the physical world, then concentrated as the link between the four expanded to share the strain of the computer's operations, focusing on her true goal. Mental fingers traced the lockout pattern around the helm controls, flowing across it and finding stress points in the programming. She had felt the shockwaves their control had sent through the systems, and was very sure that she was going to have to apologise to a Cardassian in the near future. But at this point they didn't have much choice. Break the lock, or the Horizon consumed them.

All right you son of a bitch, let's see how you like this!

Mental fingers compressed, the energy behind them sharpening, and the questing tendrils became a lance. Snowfire's breath hitched for a second, then blew out.

Goddess guide my hand. And let me be right.

The lance slammed down on the helm lock, punching through it in a blaze of mental force and she held her breath.

Come on, come on. Break you bastard!

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Sorripto barely got a few steps out of main engineering when Chief Reichman came running up behind him.

“Commander whatever the hell is going on with the computer is getting worse.”

Sorripto stopped in his tracks and ran back into engineering running over to the primary controls near the core center. Checking the readings Sorripto saw that the power grid was fluctuating again. Sorripto worked quickly to override a series of security protocols.

“We need to strengthen the controls whatever those guys are doing they seem to be getting better at it. Chief you now have whatever access you need, but don’t abuse it or it is my ass.”

Running up the ladder an engineering crewman yelled.

“Commander, where are you going? The only access up there is navigation controls”

Looking back down Sorripto glared to his crewman.

“You have your instructions allow me to deal with the navigation issues. Keep those shields stabilized. If anyone asks I will deal with the science team later.”

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Light!

Snowfire's vision came apart in a furious blaze of sound and colour, the override on the navigation controls shattering around her and she dived bodily into the unravelling maelstrom. Her focus on the rest of the system collapsed, pulling back from the searing millions of formulae within and dropping full control of the system back. Half a dozen consoles flickered again, mainly on engineering as the normal data stream started flowing.

Snowfire, what are you doing? She heard Keladry speak into her mind, her tone concerned.

Completing the sequence. She responded faintly, all her mind focused on breaking the final commands input into the system by the lost soul in the computer core. If I don't, we go to maximum warp straight into the mouth of the Horizon. And somehow I don't think we want that. The last was droll, almost amused by the fatal possibility. But....I think I know something that I can do. Her thoughts sharpened, her angle of attack changing and she slid into the centre of the controls for a single, infinitesimal moment. Two can play the warp drive game, Children. I hope you like our hand.

The McKenzie spun in place, her shields flickering as tendrils of the swirling gold Horizon spun out towards her. Then her engines flared, their blue flashing into incandescent white. Stars could not compete with that brilliance, and against it even the Horizon seemed to pale and withdraw. And to the eyes of her crew, it did. Or at least, it seemed to, shrinking away behind them as the ship leapt across the fabric of reality towards those who had orchestrated the attempt to obliterate her and all aboard.

And then they stopped.

Another blazing white star flared ahead of the sensor distortion at the prow of the Children's formation as she dropped out of warp, the last vestiges of her fading warp bubble sending the vessel beneath skittering aside as she swept past it. The entire ship reverberated at that faint impact, ringing like a bell as the inconceivable power of her stardrive took the impact. The McKenzie raced the length of the formation, her elongated form snapping back into itself as she passed the last ship in the convoy - the Jem'Hadar attack cruiser. She spun again, Snowfire's final command lining her up with a shot into the belly of the heavily patched craft.

Snowfire's eyes flickered open, her hand retrieving the device from the console as the mental link between herself and the three others of her science team faded. Their job's were done. Then the exhaustion hit. She turned her head to the Captain, struggling for every last degree of movement, and forced a battered brain and exhausted lips to form a coherent sentence.

" Captain. I believe ...we have a perfect...shot." She collapsed forward in her chair, body going limp as her conscious mind surrendered to the siren's call of slumber. She never even felt herself hit the ground.

Crist had been staring at Snowfire, hoping she could solve the problem that the crew had been facing, and not know how she would do so. As she snapped out of her trance, she spoke. Crist turned to the tactical station, “Shran, you heard her, fire.”

Shran nodded, and tapped away at his console. The McKenzie opened fire, firing several bolts from the pulse phasers. The Jem'Hadar attack ship took the several hits, and within 10 seconds it exploded.

Crist looked over to Snowfire, to say good work, but then noticed she had collapse. "Crist to Sickbay, medical emergence."