Mission 3

[Amanda Rose]

The little crash with the XO had sort of thrown Laura
off balance. It took her a second to realize that
little message was meant for her and whom it was from!
She swallowed wondering what she'd done now then did
an about face and headed for that destination.

Arriving, she looked at the door as if it were the
entryway to some sort of cavernous doom. Perhaps the
intermix formula wasn't what the captain had wanted?
Maybe she was about to be repimanded? It was probably
best. Stick her back in her corner in the rear of
engineering she was more familiar with. She wasn't CEO
material and she knew it. Why try to be?

She chimed the door.

O'Connor yelled at the door, "Come in." O'Connor's
quarters were stark but here and there were scattered
odd looking instruments, as well as a model Excelsior
hanging from the ceiling. O'Connor gave Wells her
best crocodile smile as she walked into her quarters.

tag - Wells

"I bet you're wondering why I messaged you."

tag - Wells

"Well, it seems to me that you have not been on an
away mission and I figured since you had Southern
American roots that you might want to see what your
ancestors did."

tag - Wells

"There's just one problem. I need to go with you
alone. As you know, Young is going on his own mission
to the Union side. We're not getting a confederate
viewpoint. I don't think that's right. Do you?"

tag - Wells

O'Connor shrugged and smiled, "We're going secretly.
I want you to make copies of Pendragon's forcefield if
there are not enough for both of us. Do it now and
then change into costume. Any questions?"

tag - Wells

[Amanda Rose]

Arriving, Wells looked at the door as if it were the entryway to some
sort of cavernous doom. Perhaps the intermix formula wasn't what the
captain had wanted? Maybe she was about to be repimanded? It was
probably best. Stick her back in her corner in the rear of engineering
she was more familiar with. She wasn't CEO material and she knew it.
Why try to be?

She chimed the door.

O'Connor yelled out, "Come on in."

tag - Wells

O'Connor gave a nice wide crocodile smile as Wells entered. "I see
you got my message."

tag - Wells

"How closely have you worked with Pendragon on the forcefield devices
that are used by the away teams? I think it is time that you got some
time on an away team. I want to make sure those contraptions work and
I want this to be strictly top secret between you and me. We're going
down alone. Think you can handle it?"

tag - Wells

[Amanda Rose]

The little crash with the XO had sort of thrown Laura
off balance. It took her a second to realize that
little message was meant for her and whom it was from!
She swallowed wondering what she'd done now then did
an about face and headed for that destination.

Arriving, she looked at the door as if it were the
entryway to some sort of cavernous doom. Perhaps the
intermix formula wasn't what the captain had wanted?
Maybe she was about to be repimanded? It was probably
best. Stick her back in her corner in the rear of
engineering she was more familiar with. She wasn't CEO
material and she knew it. Why try to be?

She chimed the door.

O'Connor yelled at the door, "Come in." O'Connor's
quarters were stark but here and there were scattered
odd looking instruments, as well as a model Excelsior
hanging from the ceiling. O'Connor gave Wells her
best crocodile smile as she walked into her quarters.

tag - Wells

"I bet you're wondering why I messaged you."

tag - Wells

"Well, it seems to me that you have not been on an
away mission and I figured since you had Southern
American roots that you might want to see what your
ancestors did."

tag - Wells

"There's just one problem. I need to go with you
alone. As you know, Young is going on his own mission
to the Union side. We're not getting a confederate
viewpoint. I don't think that's right. Do you?"

tag - Wells

O'Connor shrugged and smiled, "We're going secretly.
I want you to make copies of Pendragon's forcefield if
there are not enough for both of us. Do it now and
then change into costume. Any questions?"

tag - Wells

[Amanda Rose]

Ltjg Laura Wells
Engineer
USS America

Maybe she was about to be repimanded? It was probably
best. Stick her back in her corner in the rear of
engineering she was more familiar with. She wasn't CEO
material and she knew it. Why try to be?

She chimed the door.

O'Connor yelled at the door, "Come in." O'Connor's
quarters were stark but here and there were scattered
odd looking instruments, as well as a model Excelsior
hanging from the ceiling. O'Connor gave Wells her
best crocodile smile as she walked into her quarters.

_Great. I am done for_ Laura thought as she felt the door close
behind her and seal her into whatever fate the captain had in
mind. "You wanted to see me, Captain?" the engineer asked in
a very normal tone.


"I bet you're wondering why I messaged you."

"Yes, Ma'am. The thought had crossed my mind." Laura waited.


"Well, it seems to me that you have not been on an
away mission and I figured since you had Southern
American roots that you might want to see what your
ancestors did."

"Go down...down there..?" Laura's face changed to one of surprise.
"Yes Ma'am, I'd welcome the chance, Thank you, Ma'am." Her southen
accent was more prominent than ever.


"There's just one problem. I need to go with you
alone. As you know, Young is going on his own mission
to the Union side. We're not getting a confederate
viewpoint. I don't think that's right. Do you?"

She shook her head. "No Ma'am, I think we probably need to know what's
going on with both sides..Ma'am." Laura felt her nerves jumping. A real
away mission into her family's past!


O'Connor shrugged and smiled, "We're going secretly.
I want you to make copies of Pendragon's forcefield if
there are not enough for both of us. Do it now and
then change into costume. Any questions?"

Laura shook her head. She hoped it was that easy. It depended if
Pendragon had put any safeguards into his system. "I'll let you know when
I'm ready, Ma'am. Is there anything else?"

[tag or move us ahead up to you]

[Amanda Rose]

O'Connor listened over the communicator to the all too familiar
cannons and rifle shots at Gettysburg. She would have sworn she
almost heard a machine gun, too. Could that be right? She would have
to ask Blake or Hamilton later.

However, her problem was the rift in space that kept growing and was
now threatening to envelop America. They had to get away. More than
likely, it would go away of its own accord once America was gone.
After all, history never recorded it.

She called down to the away team, =/\= You are beaming up now. =/\=

tag - away team

Then, she called out to Wells, "As soon as we have them, boot this
baby back to the future. I've had enough of the past to last three
lifetimes."

tag - Wells

O'Connor watched the rift grow and heard screams over the comm as
Wells was beaming them up. One clearly said, "General Jackson's
troops are coming!"

America started into its slingshot. Surprisingly, the rift enveloped
them as they did. Lights blinked on and off. America shook.
However, the slingshot was apparently continuing. On the viewscreen
was nothing but white until....

the slingshot abruptly ended. On the viewscreen were familiar planets
but before them was an Andorian dreadnaught. It hailed America and on
the viewscreen, a male Andorian appeared. "Captain O'Connor." The
voice was snide. "You are supposed to be on the Vulcan front.
Explain yourself!"

O'Connor turned back at her crew and signaled for the viewscreen sound
to be cut. She asked aloud, "What happened? Check the stardates!"

tag - everyone

[Amanda Rose]

Jessie sat at the tactical station, frowning over the horrible experience that they had just gone through. Well at least it was over and they were home, at least she thought so.

Science confirmed that they were at January 1, 2296. O'Connor turned to Jessie and said, "Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Alternate universe?"
"I'm not sure. Let's try contacting command, that'll at least tell us where we are." Jessie replied.

O'Connor nodded at Jessie to do it. The reply came back from the Andorian Protectorate of Human Starfleet, "Confirm. Earth responding. Orders to Vulcan front."
"Okay that's definately not right." Jessie said. "What do they mean by Andorian Protectorate and Vulcan front? We need more confirmation."

Jessie set out downloading updates to the computers history files and forwarded to the Captain. She looked over the files herself and they were definately different than she remembered.

The Andorian started laughing at O'Connor and said, "What, my pet? Looking for your toys again? Didn't you have enough earlier?"

O'Connor asked, "Enough what?"

Jessie cocked her head and glared at the screen. "What it blue skin. If you talk to my Captain like that again I will rip your antenna off and feed them to you."

The Andorian laughed. "Oh, you pink skins are so quaint. I don't know why you treat sex so privately. Nor do I understand why you get so defensive. Kelly, you really should keep your underlings in line. They may not live to see tomorrow and I'm sure you know how well we treat pink skins that do not cooperate." O'Connor gave Jessie a look to shut her mouth while the view screen was on.

O'Connor turned back to the viewscreen and put on a crooked, yet somehow seductive smile. "I'm so sorry about that, lover. It is jealousy, you know."
Jessie returned the look even more harshly and stood up. With that she simply flipped the screen off. "I'll be in the briefing room." she said.

O'Connor turned as Jessie left. She'd have to catch up to her after she played this game, whatever it was. She ordered the viewscreen back on and said, "Sorry about that.... As you can see, she has been taken care of."

Andorian nodded and said, "You're almost worthy of being an Andorian, Kelly. It is no wonder I prize you above all my others. Here, a gift before you go to the front. I know how you like furry things." In O'Connor's hands appeared a pink tribble. The andorian laughed again, "I know it isn't like your toy Huanni, Mr. Soban. By the way, thank you for demonstrating with him. It was most, um, educational."

O'Connor tried not to choke. She said, "We'll head to the front as soon as we take care of some warp issues. I hear repairs will take about half a day."

"Very well. Shoddy pink skin workmanship. General Thoph out."

O'Connor took the tribble and ordered Young to take the con while she headed off to Jessie in the briefing room.
Jessie was pacing back and forth, clenching her teeth and mad enough to chew through transparent aluminum when the Captain entered. "So have you figured out what the hell is going on?" she asked as the door slid closed.

"Not more than I'm apparently some lover/concubine to the Andorian General Thoph and that apparently I've had some rather questionable relationships with Lieutenant Soban." She held up the tribble. "Apparently, here, I like furry things. Anything on the history front?"

Jessie brought up a comparative history, charting everything up to the exact point where the histories diverged. "As you can see it's all right here." she said. "General Stonewall Jackson didn't die like he was supposed to and was able to enter Gettysburg. The North and South split into two countries and as a result we have what you see here."

Jessie left the info on the screen and glared harshly at the Captain. "I told you something like this would happen. I do happen to know a little bit about temporal mechanics. One of the first things that you learn is not to get involved and better yet don't travel into the past at all."

"I was hoping that you would not use those four words, 'I told you so.' Can we be sure we're not in some alternate universe? Would there be a way to tell?"

"No, this is the right place. Well as right as it can get despite the fact that history is all turned around. We need to find a way to fix this." she said "Oh and not to gloat of anything but, I told you so."

O'Connor stomped her hands on the table and said, "Once was bad enough, Jess, but twice?! Why do you insist on rubbing it in? I was following orders, as stupid as they may have been!"
"Yes, but everything that I am is because of that damnable man! So what if I towed the bloody Enterprise back. This is worthy of a promotion?! And, I certainly know when to bend the rules but an Admiral! You expect me to disobey an Admiral?!"

Jessie laughed in her face. "Do you honestly think that moron had anything to do with your promotion?" she asked. "He had nothing to do with it. The only Admiral that can promote someone without any input from others is the Chief of Operations and it ain't him. No you were promoted in to the position by no more than 5 Admirals." Jessie continued. "Moore just delivered the news and made it seem like he was the one who did it. That's his style. Take credit and get people in his debt. I tried to tell you this before but you wouldn't listen."

"Moore pushed for me to get a ship. I know I was controversial. They said I was a hothead. Couldn't stay calm under pressure was the report. So, what'd I get? Some second rate ship and not even to choose my XO, not once, but twice! It was Moore that helped get me here. I owed him. Now, I owe him something else for this mess." She furrowed her brows and clenched her fist.
"Your point? Jayme still got the Excelsior."
"Man are you dense." Jessie said. "The point is that you would have gotten a command regardless. They asked my brother to delay his own promotion so he could observe you. The thought was not only could he observe you... but that he would learn something from you. The ship was already his before he came aboard... it was his off the line. I wouldn't be surprised if you get one yourself. But you have to stop being a blind follower."

"I'm not a blind follower! Perhaps I misjudged but I don't do anything blindly. You've served with me long enough to know better!"
"We'll see." Jessie said. "For now lets see what we can do to fix this mess because in all certainty there is another America out there and when they find out what's going
on we'll probably be facing a fleet."

"Yes, this is true." O'Connor pet the tribble, which made some soft sounds. "Assemble the Chiefs, get a status report on the ship, and we'll figure out where and when we need to go."

"I know what we need to do" Jessie said. "We need to kill Stonewall Jackson." With the she sent out a message to have all department heads meet in the briefing room.

<A Joint Post By>
Captain Kelly Jean O'Connor

and

Lieutenant Commander Jessica Kirk

[Amanda Rose]

As ordered, Brian did a tricorder sweep to check they weren't being monitored. Two lifesigns showed as blips to the far edge of the area.
"Sir, we may need to hold on a minute, there's..."
He was interrupted by a voice from his hat, =/\= You are beaming up now. =/\= and the countryside dissolved to become the transporter room once more.
"... people just... oh!" he finished. "I guess that's kind of academic, then."

"Sorry about the lack of warning," the transporter operator apologised. "We were ordered to get you back fast."
Young darted from the room, followed quickly by Kirk. The others looked at each other.
"I guess they'll be needing me at Engineering then," Brian nodded and left the historians.

Not even pausing to change, Brian headed straight for Main Engineering. It was a hive of activity. The slingshot had happened while he was in transit, but there was still much cooling of systems, checking and recalibration to be done. He grabbed a clipboard and joined in.

Lt jg Brian Pendragon
Blissfully unaware that there's a bigger problem...

[Amanda Rose]

Mission Date: July 1, 1863 0800 hours

It was the third day of Gettysburg. Young didn't even want to get out
of bed for this one. Everything was still fine as far as history
went, but Blake and Hamilton wanted to make sure the battle got off to
the proper start. ~Historians~ Young thought to himself ~they just
want to make life difficult for us. It'd be better for us if we'd
just let the Andorians leave.~

It was well after dawn and it looked like both armies wanted to get an
early start on this battle. ~The early bird gets the worm~ Young
thought to himself. The bodies were beginning to fall to the ground.
The Union lines were withdrawing to the higher ground of Seminary
Ridge.

O'Connor listened over the communicator to the all too familiar
cannons and rifle shots at Gettysburg. She would have sworn she
almost heard a machine gun, too. Could that be right? She would have
to ask Blake or Hamilton later.

However, her problem was the rift in space that kept growing and was
now threatening to envelop America. They had to get away. More than
likely, it would go away of its own accord once America was gone.
After all, history never recorded it.

She called down to the away team, =/\= You are beaming up now. =/\=

O'Connor watched the rift grow and heard screams over the comm as
Wells was beaming them up. One clearly said, "General Jackson's
troops are coming!"

"Acknowledged," Young said. The away team assembled into their
beamdown positions and they started to dematerialize.

America started into its slingshot. Surprisingly, the rift enveloped
them as they did. Lights blinked on and off. America shook.
However, the slingshot was apparently continuing. On the viewscreen
was nothing but white until....

Something was going wrong. The transporter process was taking too
long. In fact, the colors were shifting. When he did rematerialize,
Young found himself riding a horse.

~What the hell?~ he thought. He reined the horse, but he was
surrounded by troops in grey uniforms.

Suddenly, another man on horseback bolted toward him. "Somethin'
matter, General?" he asked.

~General?~ Young thought. ~Where the heck am I?~

"General Jackson," another man shouted from behind. "Heth's engaging
Buford's cavalry, sir. He's pushing them back. Those Yanks are on
the run!!"

"Anything else to report?" Young responded, hoping that he was playing
correctly in character.

"General Stuart says that there are seven infantry divisions on their
way into the Gettysburg area," the first man replied. "Hill, Pickett,
Longstreet and Ewell are on their way. General Lee has sent Hill and
Pickett around south of the city to cut off reinforcements from
Washington."

"Good," Young said. "Let's get to this battle. I have a good feeling
about this."

~What am I doing?~ he asked himself. ~I'm leading men into a battle I
know they're going to lose. But I have to keep morale high. After
all, what good is being a leader when the followers have low morale?~

TBC

Commander Chad Young (trapped in the body of Lt. General Thomas
'Stonewall' Jackson)
Executive Officer/Chief of Science
U.S.S. America

[Amanda Rose]

Mission Date: July 1, 1863

The away team rematerialized on the transporter padd. Young lingered
on the transporter pad. He looked around as if everything was new to
him.

~Where is the name of God's blue heaven am I?~ he asked himself.
~Where's my horse? Where's my men? Who are these people?~

"Come on, Commander," a woman said as she grabbed his arm and took him
through a set of doors that slid open by themselves.

~Where am I? I've been all over the world and I've seen nothing like this.~

He felt the ship lurch a bit as he was ushered into a small closet.
All of a sudden, the closet began to move upwards.

~Very strange~ he thought. He then noticed that the woman still had
her hand grasping his arm.

"If you would please, ma'am," he said sternly, "remove your hand from
my arm it would be most appreciated."

tag - Kirk

The closet stopped and the doors slid open again. ~The expense that
these people go through. You would think they're a bunch of lazy
no-goods or something.~

He stepped through the doors and looked out to see the Earth and the
stars. It was odd. He had never seen a view of this before. It
irked him for the stars to seem that close. After all, it's been
daylight for a couple hours already.

America started into its slingshot. Surprisingly, the rift enveloped
them as they did. Lights blinked on and off. America shook.
However, the slingshot was apparently continuing. On the viewscreen
was nothing but white until....

the slingshot abruptly ended. On the viewscreen were familiar planets
but before them was an Andorian dreadnaught. It hailed America and on
the viewscreen, a male Andorian appeared. "Captain O'Connor." The
voice was snide. "You are supposed to be on the Vulcan front.
Explain yourself!"

O'Connor turned back at her crew and signaled for the viewscreen sound
to be cut. She asked aloud, "What happened? Check the stardates!"

Young just kind of stood there, wondering what was going on. Who was
the blue guy that magically appeared on the wall in front of him? He
just stood there. For once in his life, the great Stonewall Jackson
didn't know what the heck to do.

tag - Bridge

Lieutenant General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson
(trapped in the body of Commander Chad Young)

[Amanda Rose]

Jamison was manning one of the auxillary engineering consoles on the bridge when Lieutenant Collins walked over to him from the helm console.

"Ben, we're having problems with the circuitry up here. Can you attend the staff meeting?" he asked. Jamison nodded, logged off the console and headed for the turbolift.

As the lift descended to G-Deck, he thought that this must be the twelveth time that Jamison had to fill in for Collins at a staff meeting. The walk to the briefing room was not long, and Ben strolled in a took a seat, turning to the Captain. "Lieutenant Collins sent me in his place ma'am."

<TAG>