Through Time, Darkly

[Pryce]

[color=#FFFF00]Main Hangar Bay


Thomas Keller emerged from the aft hatchway, and left the hangar, to retrieve more equipment from an upper deck.

Samantha Ross caught Denises' attention; "This vessel has an identical deck plan to the R201?"


Denise nodded. "Yes, there are power conduits behind the bulkhead here, and also along that bulkhead there." She replied, pointing across the hangar as she spoke.


Ross nodded. She walked along one of the bulkheads, the other staff trailing behind her. She stopped near the large hangar doors leading to space, frowning . She continued along the doors, reaching the opposite bulkhead a moment later, now on the same side of the hangar leading to the smaller set of rooms aft. She considered the deckplan for a moment, then spoke; "Very well then. Let us place workstations along this wall, perhaps six tables, and the data processors in the room aft. We'll set most of the instruments along that wall, opposite of the hangar doors. We'll use the particle survey scanner from the N102, and place it here, and the Xts1 is quite alright where it is." As she began giving directions, she had begun to speak slightly louder, her manner indicative of her years giving scientific lectures; her voice carried firmly, clearly in the hangar, not quite conscious that she was doing so.


Ross continued slowly along the wall, her every step placed with such a delicate grace, that she seemed almost to float across the deck. Stopping near the smaller aft hatch, and indicating the center of the hangar, She continued to speak; "Doctor Hart, before we commence operations, please calculate our projected power expenditures from the equipment, and review it with Captain Wells, and also the Engineering staff. I'm a little concerned a vessel this size may not be able to sustain the equipment, and we cannot afford interruptions. Please let me know if we need to arrange a supplement to the power supply."


Doctor Gwen Hart answered. "Sure." She sniffed the air. "Mmmm. Coffees' ready. That's about all the power I'm gonna need."


Ross continued;

"We shall plan this project to consist of three primary phases, and make further adjustments as needed."

"Phase one shall be an analysis of the subject and his craft as they exist presently, to determine how or if they are different from the surrounding enviroment. Once we...."


Angela Wight muttered; "I think we got that already." She immediately wished she hadn't.


Ross directed a look at Wight that showed her clear displeasure at being interrupted. Additional words were not needed, and Angela felt as if she'd just been assigned extra homework.


Ross continued; "Once we have completed our Phase one, and determined the subject and his nature are consistent with his story, we''ll move to Phase two, the formation of a likely hypothesis for the phenomenon. Phase three shall be construction of an experiment to prove the hypothesis."


"I think the best way to proceed with Phase one is to divide into two teams. The first shall consist of Doctors Graham, Owens, and Myself, and we shall conduct the analysis of the craft. the second team, composed of the remainder, shall study the subject, Mr. Doyle." She glanced around the room again. "A shame we have such limited room. What idiot commissioned the N102 to be built without proper hangar facilities I'll never know. To be forced to use this smaller workspace is..undesirable. We'll have to move all this to The Institute as soon as possible."


"I don't think Lieutenant Doyle will consent to that." Denise said. "He's shown a considerable degree of aversion to losing his independence, and I think we should respect that."


Ross placed a hand on Denises arm. "Then it will be your job to obtain that consent. If this case is what it is said to be, then the work will become very important to the Institute, to all of us. Personal feelings cannot be permitted to stand in the way of that. Do not lose your objectivity."


Denise Ellis stepped away from the bulkhead, and faced the group. "And don't lose your humanity. Look; I know this is a fascinating case.There's so much to learn here, and I feel it too. None of us has ever seen anything like this. It's amazing, and His very presence here changes so much of what we know to be possible, and might add endless data to the advancement of human knowledge. History could be changed, history could be made. Perhaps hew technology, or maybe just new answers to old questions. Everlasting fame for each of us. Excitement. I feel it too."


She brushed a hand throught her hair.
"And as far as I know, he's completely alone. He has no one. Have any of you stopped to consider what that would be like? I have. He's gotten nothing but hostility and cold detachment from everyone he's met. Well, he won't get that from me."

"Please. Stop thinking about your careers , and think about how each of you can help this man. He's not a *subject*, he's a man that needs answers, and we can help him by finding those answers. We have to show him that we are worthy of his trust, and to do that our intentions *must* be pure. We can't be planning his future for him. He has to want to be here."

Ross blinked, and Denise knew she'd reached her. There


Suddenly she noticed the movement of a shadow in the open hatchway behind the group and realized that Doyle had been standing just inside the hatch.


Embarassed, she wondered how long he had been there.

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