Star Trek Hunter
Episode 15: A Stitch in Spacetime

Scene 3: Wesley Prime

15.3

Wesley Prime

Dr. Napoleon Boles came thundering into the medical office, then into the small surgery, where Tauk, T’Lon, Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder and Dr. Tali Shae were seated at one end of the room, having lunch. 

“Hunter,” Boles called, breathlessly, “can you display those scans we were just looking at?”

A number of wave patterns were promptly displayed on several of the forensic monitors along the long wall.

“What are you on about, Napoleon?” Tauk asked. 

“I’m pretty sure I know why we keep imploding,” Boles answered. "I started to suspect the last time I went through it and I had Hunter take a number of readings…” Boles held up a data card. “I had him transfer the readings to this and kept it on me and it worked! I was able to take data from one loop into the next loop just by putting it on this card and keeping the card on me...”

“Hunter, discontinue display,” said Dr. Tali Shae.

The wave patterns disappeared from the monitors.

“Come with me, Boles,” Tali Shae said, then headed out to the medical office. Her antennae twitched and focused on Dr. Jazz, who was getting up to follow her. “The rest of you stay put.”

Boles followed her forward.

“Sit down, Sam,” Tauk said. “Enjoy your lunch. This is your first time through. You only get one first time, so pay attention to every taste, every flavor.”

“I get to have one last meal eight times and it has to be replicated food…” Dr. Jazz groused.

“Think she’s showing him File 9, Code 8?” T’Lon asked.

“Yes,” Tauk responded. 

“I haven’t seen it,” T’Lon said.

“You don’t need to. I didn’t either,” Tauk replied. “You won’t need it either, Sam. It’s just for our command staff and those officers who are so bull headed they might really screw things up if they don’t see it.”

“So they showed it to Kenny,” T’Lon said. It wasn’t a question.

“And, surprisingly, Gaia Gamor. Her boss is starting to rub off on her.”

“You should probably avoid using human aphorisms, sir,” T’Lon said. “I have found they often have additional unintended connotations. Humans have sex on their minds all the time.”

“I meant that she’s starting to pick up some of his characteristics,” Tauk said.

“Next time, I’ll try something other than the hasperat,” Dr. Jazz said. “I always thought the replicated version was passable, but now, really paying attention to it, I have to say it almost exactly fails to please the palate. So, did those patterns Napoleon put up look kind of like brain wave patterns to you?”

- * -

Dr. Sarekson Carrera was looking for Wes in Engineering. What he found instead was a very serious looking young man with neatly combed dark brown hair wearing gray slacks, a dark gray shirt and a vest with a number of rectangular patterns of various shades of gray. His clothing was just a little threadbare. With a shock, Carrera recognized this was also Wesley Crusher – at a younger age. He was startled by a pat on his back and found Wes standing next to him. 

“Dr. Carrera, Wesley Crusher. Wesley, this is our friend and the lead designer of this vessel, Dr. Sarekson Carrera.”

“Are you… me???” asked the younger Wesley Crusher. “Where did you find those horrible clothes?”

“The Summer of Love, baby…” The older Wesley did a pirouette. “Actually, these fashions weren’t widely available then. This is disco gear from the early 1970’s. I picked it up in Height Ashbury. You’re going to love it back in those days. The women – well – they totally put Risa to shame…”

Dr. Carrera and his entire department watched the Wesleys as if they were watching a tennis match.

“Wait, you took stuff from the 1970’s? You could have altered the timeline.”

“Not possible. But you’ll learn that,” Wes responded.

“Well, from what I sensed, all of those things are in danger,” Wesley said. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the warp core. “Does that thing generate reverse entropy bubbles?”

“Right on, man. I seriously need your help,” Wes responded. “It gets harder to control the implosion every cycle.”

“Well, let’s fix this engine, then,” said Wesley.

“Can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Mind if I have a look for myself?”

“We already did, man, but knock yourself out. Where do you think I came up with the idea for it in the first place?”

“Where did you pick up this ‘man’ stuff from?”

“I told you, baby, Summer of Love… Man are you going to have some wonderful times ahead of you back then…”

Wesley was more or less ignoring Wes at this point, going through the engine specs with Dr. Moon helping him find the files. He turned toward Wes.

“This recursive warp thing – zip drive – this was my idea?”

“Well, ours, yeah”

Wesley put his head in his hand dramatically. “I’m such an idiot…”

“And you talk to yourself too much…”

Wesley gave Wes a dirty look…

Wes turned to Dr. Carrera. “I had forgotten how cute I was at that age. He looks just like that statue of me at Star Fleet Academy… They should have captured me with that expression…”

15.3