Chapter 6 - Gnosis
Natalie Fowler shuffled into Archaeology Lab Three, expecting to find it empty at the late hour of 2317. She looked up with a start when she found it otherwise.
"Mei-Wan?" she asked, doing her best to regain her composure. "What the hell are you doing down here?"
Having had her near trance-like concentration broken, Mei-Wan swung around to face Fowler. "Natalie, oh..." She smiled, pointing to a comm display. "I'm just trying to read up on the Dalvani religion before we arrive on their world."
Natalie glided over to Mei-Wan and leaned against the desk. "Gnosticism?"
"Yeah," Mei-Wan said turning her chair back to the desk. "The primary Dalvani religion is very similar to Earth's Gnostic traditions. It's got the matter and spirit dualism, the fall of the soul from divine origins to incarnation into the prison of the body, the revelation of a secret history, and the teaching of that secret to an elite group who alone can be saved, and who, upon receiving the secret knowledge, are freed from the normal laws and morals of the society."
"Nice." Natalie frowned. "Exactly how did something like that become a major religion if it only revealed its secrets to an elite group?"
"A few centuries after the religion sprang up, some four thousand years ago, it went through a major transformation." Mei-Wan touched several controls on the display. "They expanded the definition of the elite into seven levels of knowledge, still leaving those at the top in total control while expanding the base of the religion."
"You've got to love pragmatic religions," Natalie said with a laugh as she grabbed two PADDs from a nearby desk. "Look, I just came by to pick up some reports, you want to go somewhere and unwind? I just found out about a secret lounge down on Deck Thirty-three."
"I don't know," Mei-Wan said with a sigh. "I really should keep at this."
"How long have you been here?"
Mei-Wan peered at the chronometer over her display with wide eyes. "I didn't know it was so late!" She turned to Fowler. "More than seven hours."
Natalie reached over and shut off the terminal. "Come on, Mei. You need a break."
Mei-Wan pulled herself up out of the seat she'd been glued to for far too long. "Okay, one drink and then I have to get back."
Just as they stepped out of the lab, Natalie murmured, "We'll see about that."
***
Three days after having left the Oceana and the Third Fleet at Nasuv, the Chamberlain burst out of warp.
On the bridge, Jack McCall stood watch over his vessel's arrival into the Dalvanax System. "Take us to one-half impulse and assume standard orbit."
"Aye, sir," Negev replied, turning to Mr. s'Felis at the conn to pass along the captain's orders.
The pale orange orb of Dalvanax Two slowly became more prominent on the main viewscreen.
"On to the next stage of this plan. Mr. Evans, you're with me. Mr. Negev, you have the bridge."
Kyle Hoffman turned in his seat toward Jack. "Captain, I think it would be wise for me to go along."
Jack stopped to face Hoffman. "I think we've got this covered."
"But I am the science officer and the device we'll be investigating will most likely prove to be of significance to..."
"Lieutenant Lau knows more about this machine than anyone else, Mr. Hoffman. I'm sure she can handle it."
Jack was about to make his way to the exit when Hoffman popped out of his seat.
"Sir, I want to go on record that I feel your choices for the away team for this mission are completely inadequate," he said with a smirk.
Jack understood the implied threat in Hoffman's statement, but he wasn't about to let the little man get to him.
"Mr. Hoffman, you may file a formal protest all the way up to the CinC of Starfleet himself," Jack said with a grin. "In fact, when I get back, how about you and I contact Admiral James together and see what he has to say?"
Hoffman stewed for a few seconds. "Uh, I don't think that will be necessary, sir." He slithered back into his seat at the science station.
Jack followed Hank to the exit, more than satisfied Hoffman wouldn't be causing any more scenes like that on the bridge for some time.
***
Mei-Wan quickly scanned her notes one last time on the terminal in the archaeology lab on Deck Eighteen. Jack had just let her know they'd be heading down to the surface in twenty minutes and she wanted to make certain she'd done her homework. If they messed this up, they weren't likely to get a second chance.
She heard the doors to the lab open and glanced over to see who it was.
Sunita Mahajadan walked up to her. "I'm a little surprised to find you still here, Mei."
"I had some things I wanted to check before I left." Mei-Wan shut the display off and faced the dark skinned, younger woman. "Did you need to talk to me about something?"
"You used to be the chief archaeologist on this ship." Sunita seemed uncomfortable. "And when we take everyone in the section down, if you'd like to be in charge..."
"Sunita, no. It's your section now." Mei-Wan rummaged through the items on her desk. She pushed aside two small Iconian tablets, a picture of San Francisco Bay her sister had sent her a few days ago, and a PADD containing potential candidates to fill positions at the new archaeological institute on Kel'jna.
"I still think it would be better for you to be in charge."
"I'll probably be too busy with the device. Someone needs to catalog everything else down there." Mei-Wan finally found the cylindrical container she'd been looking for. "Are you worried about being in charge?"
"No, I've gotten used to that. I'm just been wondering why the most accomplished archaeologist on this ship isn't commanding the section."
"I'd assumed you'd heard."
"Heard what?"
"I've been reassigned. After this mission I'm headed off to Kel-j'na. I'll be the executive director of the new archaeological institute the council is setting up."
"No, I hadn't heard about that." Sunita gave Mei-Wan a warm hug. "Congratulations, Mei! That's wonderful!"
"So don't worry about me wanting to be in charge. I'll have plenty of ordering around to do in a few weeks."
"I guess I shouldn't pay attention to gossip so much," Sunita said with a frown.
"What gossip?"
"That you were pushing for chief archaeologist again."
Mei-Wan could think of only one person who'd spread those kinds of rumors. "Kyle Hoffman, right?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"He never misses an opportunity to make other people's lives miserable."
***
Jack was glad he had taken Mei-Wan's advice and brought along a bottle of water to the surface of Dalvanax Two. The moment he stepped onto the streets of the capital city of Filbana, he felt the air suck the moisture from his body like the vacuum of space would empty someone's lungs.
"Well, this place sure isn't any different," Hank said, drinking from his own container. "Hot and dusty."
"The temple is right up ahead," Mei-Wan said, trying to keep the wind from blowing her long dark hair into her face.
Jack and Hank followed a clearly impatient Mei-Wan toward a tall, circular building with sand blasted walls which appeared as old as the Universe itself.
Once inside, Jack peered upward at the ornately decorated ceiling seventy feet above their heads. The craftsmanship was more than an equal for the artwork he'd seen in many of Earth's ancient cathedrals and temples.
Jack was going to ask Mei-Wan about the painted images on the ceiling, but found she'd crossed the hundred foot wide chamber to join a figure with orchid colored skin and white hair and beard.
"Is that the person she was looking for?" Jack whispered to Hank.
"Might be."
"Excuse me, could I speak with you a moment?" Mei-Wan asked the Dalvani she approached.
He turned to her. "Hello," he said.
"I'm from the Federation starship Chamberlain and..."
"Doctor McCall!" He smiled wide and offered his hand. "I recognize you from the presentation you gave on the Ancient Progenitors a year and a half ago. This is indeed a pleasure! I had been told you'd be arriving here today."
"Actually, my name's Lau now."
"Oh?"
"Sorry. It has to do with human custom," she told him, taking his hand.
"Well, no matter the name you go by, I was very impressed by your findings." He lowered his voice. "I understand your arrival here has something to do with them."
"Yes it does. I have information that suggests there is an Ancient Progenitor artifact beneath this very temple," Mei-Wan told him as Jack and Hank approached. "Are there legends of voices being heard in this place?"
Urim's eyes narrowed. "How could you possibly know about that? I only recently uncovered the tablets which describe those occurrences."
She took a single step toward him. "And you've found a room that was long ago called the Sanctuary of the Keepers of Light?"
Urim only nodded this time.
"Beyond that, there is a chamber with metal walls?"
"How can you know such things?"
"Do you believe there are mysteries in this life that are revealed to us in ways that are difficult to explain?" Mei-Wan asked him.
"When I was young, I was taught that," Urim said. "However, I grew beyond such things, Doctor Lau."
Mei-Wan regarded him a moment to consider her approach. "I assumed you had, but I'm not talking about mysticism. There is a scientific explanation for my knowing certain things, but because of its nature, I'm not at liberty to discuss the how of it with you."
Urim stood silent for several seconds. "My government asks me to keep many secrets as well."
Mei-Wan cast a quick glance at Jack, hoping he'd understand what she was about to do. "There is one secret I will share with you."
"Yes?" Urim raised an eyebrow.
"The Ancient Progenitors hid a device in the chamber below, a weapon."
"What sort of weapon?" he asked.
Mei-Wan saw Jack's eyes widen a moment, but he remained silent, evidently willing to see where she was taking this. "Have you heard of the G'voda?"
"Only recently," Urim replied. "The government shared a report with a select few from the scientific community last month. The G'voda are machines, correct?"
"Yes, and this device was built by the Progenitors to combat them."
"Are the G'voda aware of this weapon?"
"We do not believe so," Mei-Wan said. "But if it remains here and the G'voda do learn of it..."
"They would most certainly destroy my planet."
"Urim, help us convince your government that we should be allowed to take this weapon from your world so that we can use it against the G'voda."
After only a few seconds of consideration, "Yes. I will help you. Come." Urim walked toward a corridor that Mei-Wan knew led to the chamber with the device.
Jack stepped up to Mei-Wan. "You sure that was such a good idea?"
"It showed Urim I trusted him. And with him on our side, the Dalvani Premier will be more likely to let us take the device."
"Pretty slick, Mei."
"Knowing how a culture operates has its advantages."
***
It didn't take much for Jack, Hank, and Urim to persuade the Dalvani Premier to allow them to take the weapon. The last thing he wanted was a fleet of G'voda ships smashing his world to dust to destroy the thing.
Six hours later, an engineering team was down in the Ancient Progenitor chamber, working to remove the device the Federation Council hoped would turn the tide against the G'voda.
Mei-Wan showed Kristy Bishop a scan on her tricorder. "It looks like there's a latching mechanism at the bottom."
"And three tunnels that lead to it," Kristy said with a smile. "Seems someone designed this thing to be mobile."
"The Ancient Progenitors probably intended to do the very thing we're attempting."
"Do you think you can get a couple of archaeologists to check the tunnels? I'd hate for one of my engineers to break something important out of ignorance."
Mei-Wan glanced over at the entrance to the chamber and saw Natalie Fowler arrive with the rest of the personnel from the archaeology section. "I think I just found someone."
She strolled over to Fowler. "Hey, Natalie. You want to come with me and be the first to investigate an Ancient Progenitor artifact?"
***
"Very funny, Mei!" Fowler howled.
Mei-Wan hadn't bothered to check the height of the tunnels since their width showed up as two meters on the tricorder scan. They'd started out with enough room for them to walk, but at the halfway point, the passage had become only tall enough to crawl through.
Mei-Wan twisted her arm around so she could check the tricorder again. "It's only another six meters."
"I really don't know why I let you talk me into this."
"Because someone needs to check this out before Bishop sends her engineers down here to disconnect the latching mechanism."
Pulling herself forward, Natalie pointed her handheld light ahead. "I think Bishop conned you."
Mei-Wan touched another control on her tricorder. The display gave her more bad news. "Just to let you know, the tunnel is going to narrow when we get to the core."
"Wonderful."
The two women crawled the remaining distance.
"Mei, come up here."
Mei-Wan squeezed next to Natalie. "What is it?"
"Look at this."
Natalie shined her light on a small panel attached to a central cylinder two feet ahead of them. "Is there any way we can activate this?"
Mei-Wan scanned with the tricorder. "There's no internal power source as far as I can tell, but that's typical with Progenitor technology." She had expected some new quip from her companion, but the only sounds in the small space were of the two women breathing. She craned her neck to look at Natalie and found her staring. "What?"
Natalie smiled. "You smell nice."
"And that's important because?"
"Is there a problem with me complimenting you?" Natalie asked.
"We've got an Ancient Progenitor artifact only a few feet away and you want to discuss my choice of perfume?"
"With all the dust down here the fragrance really stands out."
Mei-Wan frowned and tried to return her attention to the tricorder. But their bodies were wedged so tightly together that Mei-Wan couldn't help but notice the steady and sure pounding of Natalie's pulse. The rhythm brought flashes of memory to Mei-Wan--- visions of Todd Nakano.
Their bodies were intertwined. His skin against hers, his warm breath against her neck, the thumping of his heart reverberating against her chest, his...
"You okay?"
Mei-Wan snapped out of the memory trance. She could feel the warmth in her face. My god, she thought. I'm getting turned on by a memory, and one that isn't even my own. These experiences belonged to her counterpart in the other timeline she'd recently visited. Somehow, in a way that the best minds in Starfleet had been so far unable to explain, the memories had become fused into Mei-Wan's consciousness.
After a few seconds of concentration, her breathing returned to something close to normal. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"If you say so," Natalie said, looking forward again.
"Did you bring the ultraviolet emitter?" Mei-Wan asked more to change the subject than for an answer.
"Yeah, I've got it."
"Adjust the wavelength as far as you can to the low end."
Natalie squeezed her arm toward the small toolkit she wore on her hip. She pulled out the narrow tube-shaped emitter and adjusted the control. "It's set."
"Direct it at the panel."
Natalie pointed the device at the flat black plate. A moment later, the panel glowed to life. Several lines of deep blue, Ancient Progenitor text appeared.
"Why is it ultraviolet always works?"
"What type of radiation could never naturally reach the places we keep finding Progenitor artifacts?" Mei-Wan asked with a smile.
"Ultraviolet." Natalie peered at the text on the panel. "Now what?"
"It looks like we can probably crawl around the core. My guess is there are two other panels like this one." Mei-Wan pointed her own light around the corner. "We translate the text, and then hopefully the latching mechanism will release."
"And what if it launches this thing into space?"
"Then we'll have some explaining to do to the captain."
"That would be a perfect end to my day," Natalie said with a frown.
