Story [Star Trek/Doctor Who] The Engineer and the Time Lady

17. Overnight Interlude
Half an hour later, Nina emerged from the TARDIS wearing a short cape over her Starfleet uniform, her hair loose and a small mask. She was carrying a tricorder, quarterstaff and a flashlight. She wasn't sure where in the city Octavius could have gone. She closed the ship's door and ran a scan. Octavius was no where near. Nor was Spider-Man. That wasn't entirely unexpected. 'I guess I'll scour the city anyway,' she thought. She walked along the street.


The night was uneventful as she scoured most of Midtown. She couldn't find neither Octavius nor Spider-Man. There were the usual things associated with a large city she found. Homeless taking advantage of whatever shelter they could find, along with nocturnal animals hunting along the streets that were less busy than during the day. The tricorder didn’t detect anything unusual. ‘But there might still be something there,’ she thought as she arrived back at the TARDIS just after sunrise.
She put the tricorder on the console. “Analyse the tricorder data. See if there’s anything unusual in the patterns.
There was a ding. Nina then looked up the information of the rescue of Hernandez from MI6, so she could re-read it while she waited.

 

18. An Away Team Moves to Rescue Hernandez
“Say that again?” Emmerson asked. “Hernandez was caught by the British agent?”

“That’s right,” Lawson said.

“Report back to the ship,” he ordered.

“Aye, Captain,” Albert said.

Ten minutes later, Lawson and Albert entered the Observation Lounge. “What just happened?”

“Hernandez went after the agent to grab the energy device off him,” Lawson answered.

“I know that, but how did she get captured?”

“We’re not entirely sure,” Albert said.

The captain sighed. “We’ll bring up the logs from the Toronto,” he decided. He input some instructions into his PADD and the logs came up on the wall monitor.

“Hernandez to Toronto.”

“Lawson here.”

“I have the device, and I'm now outside, in a back ally.”

“We're taking off now.”

“Thanks.”

“The device is giving out interference. I can't get a lock on either of them.”

“If she threw it, could you get it in a tractor beam?”

“If it's at a low factor. But wouldn't it be easier to land?”

“There isn't enough room!”

“We can't get a lock or land! But we can get it in a tractor beam if you throw it.”

“Let's do that.”

“Readying the tractor beam.”

The Captain glared at Lawson and Albert. “You then flew away with the device back here!”
“With it in our tractor beam, it was still interfering with the transporter,” Albert explained.

The Captain sighed. “I suppose. But now we have to rescue her without violating the Prime Directive. It's certainly a tall order.”


Hernandez glared at Bond as the car continued weaving it's way through the western suburbs of London.

“You know how it is,” Bond said as he took a blindfold from one of the other agents.

“As long as you are not the one holding my hands,” she said.

“I did what I needed to do for Queen and Country,” Bond said.

She considered spitting in his face, but decided against it. That was not how a Starfleet Officer behaved, even when captured. She hoped that Baffin would find her soon. Bond then blindfolded her.

“Relax. You're in the hands of others now,” Bond said.

That wasn't reassuring.


Captain Emerson emerged onto the Bridge. “Report.”

“We've decoded the MI6 signals, but there is hardly any indication of where she's being taken. After Toronto took off, there was interference in the atmosphere. We can't find Hernandez, or the agents who took her,” Lieutenant Lu reported.

“And the combadge signal?”

“We can't find that either. It must be turned off,” T'Sal interjected.

“Launch more probes. Run intense scans of London until you find her!”

“She's one Human in a city of millions of the same species. Even trying to find one born in the 24th century...” Lu said.

“And the quantum signature won't be much help either,” T'Sal added.

“How so?”

“Such a small amount of extradimensional matter can only be detected close up. Within a few hundred meters,” T'Sal answered.

The captain sighed.


Daniela was certain that the blindfolding was more for disorentation, rather than a need for secrecy. She was feeling that way shortly after the blindfold was put on. The sounds of the engine and tyres, along with the agents occasionally talking through their radios didn't help either. She certainly had no idea where they were going. After some time, the car came to a stop.
“We're here,” Bond said.

She remained silent as one of the other agents took her hand.

M was annoyed that Bond's mission to Oxford had gone awry. But he knew it wasn't 007's fault. “I expect a report before Noon tomorrow,” he told that particular agent over the phone.

“You will have it, sir.”


T'Sal looked at the latest scan of London. There was still nothing unusual, although more differences to their version of London in that era were being picked up. 'I'm not sure what we're looking for!' Then there was the fact a storm was coming in. That was sure to cause problems. 'Maybe if we use the storm as cover while we fly the ship in near the Thames Estuary?' But would the Captain agree? Only one way to find out. She quickly wrote up her proposal.


Q looked up as he heard Agent 007 enter his workshop. “You lost it, 007?” he asked.

“You know it wasn't my fault. But she had something else on her when she was captured,” 007 said. He handed over a small device that looked like some kind of badge. “I saw her use it as a communication device.”

Q picked up on what he wasn't saying. “And you think it may have a tracking function?”

“We still have no idea who she's working for,” Bond responded as he took the device.

Q nodded, as he looked at the device close up.


Emerson read over T'Sal's proposal. “It's a good idea.”

“Thank you, sir.”


The senior officers soon met in the Observation Lounge. “We have a plan,” the Captain said.

T'Sal stood up and turned on the screen. A map of London and it's surrounds was shown. “We know that Hernandez is being held by MI6. Rescuing her is going to be risky because we have no idea where in the MI6 building she's being held. Then there is also the Prime Directive. We need to find her combadge if it isn't still on her.”
She then pressed a command on her PADD and the screen zoomed out, showing the storm front approaching London over the southwest of England. “The storm will hit London in an hour and a half.” She pressed another command. The original map was shown and an icon representing the Baffin was shown. We'll fly in, and land in the Thames Estuary. Then we'll use an aquashuttle to infiltrate the river and approach the MI6 headquarters as close as possible.”

“That would seem to minimise the risk,” Lu said. “But wouldn't we be seen entering the atmosphere?”

“That is a possibility,” T'Sal conceded, “But we have to take the risk.”

An hour and a half later, the Baffin was ready to move. “We'll be in low Earth orbit in one minute, sir.” Andersen reported.

“Engage,” Emerson ordered.


Baffin moved out from behind the Moon.

“Approaching low orbital distance over the North Sea, sir,” Andersen reported a minute later.

“Have we been detected?” Emerson asked.

“No way of determining that at the moment, sir,” T'Sal responded.

“Understood,” Emerson said. “Continue in, Blue Alert.”

“Setting landing coordinates; 51.5 degrees North, 0.75 degrees East,” Andersen reported.


Baffin soon began atmospheric entry.


The winds buffeted Baffin as it entered the leading edge of the storm as she approached the Thames Estuary. “Easy as it goes, Andersen,” Emerson ordered as he noted his helmsperson stressing.

“Aye,” Andersen responded.


Despite Andersen's concerns and worries, Baffin landed easily and partially submerged, with the Engineering hull and the lowest deck of the saucer completely submerged. “We're down,” the helmsperson reported with relief.

Emerson turned to T'Sal. “Report to one of the Aquashuttles.”


Ten minutes later, the Harris launched from it's berth on the underside of the Saucer Section. “We're on our way,” Ensign Xander Hawkins reported.

“ETA to destination?” T'Sal asked.

“We'll be between the City and Southwark in fifteen minutes, depending on traffic and river conditions.”

“What traffic?” Lieutenant Svetlana Rostova asked. “It's the middle of the night.”

“There would still be some boats there,” Xander said.


It actually took them a little less than 20 minutes to get up past Tower Bridge, owing to the low depth of the river at that point. “We're going to have to surface,” Hawkins said as they approached the Tower. There had been many points where they had scraped the bottom, but had gone further.

“I have taken that into consideration,” T'Sal said.


“But we may be seen!” Rostova objected.

“By very few,” T'Sal reasoned. “Besides, there is fog.”

They surfaced and continued upstream.

 

19. Rescuing Hernandez
“We're now close to the MI6 Building,” Hawkins reported as they passed the Vauxhall Bridge.

“Beginning scan,” T'Sal reported.

The scan took a while.
“She's there,” T'Sal said.

“So, can we get a lock?” Rostova asked.

“No,” T'Sal said. “I can't localise it. We'll have to go in ourselves and free her.”

“Great!” Rostova complained. “At least it should be easier than during the War.”

“Remember that this is during the Cold War. It's not going to be a cakewalk,” Hawkins said.

“I know that,” Rostova said, putting on a bad British accent.

“Orders?” Hawkins asked.

“Pull up alongside the Embankment,” T'Sal ordered.

“We'll be there in a few moments,” Hawkins said.


As soon as the Harris came alongside the Embankment, T'Sal and Rostova emerged from the top hatch. “The Building is approximately half a kilometer to the northeast,” T'Sal said.

“That isn't too far,” Rostova said.

“But it would be quite a distance to run once we have Hernandez,” T'Sal said as she slipped on a hat to hide her Vulcan ears.

“Quite true. But I managed to outrun Vorta and Cardassians in the War. I'll manage.”

“I'm aware of that. That is one reason I chose you for this mission.”

Rostova acknowledged that with a nod.


Once on the Embankment they set off towards the MI6 Building at a slow, but steady pace.

They approached the building 15 minutes later. T’Sal whipped out her tricorder. “Narrowing down… Somewhere in a basement level.”
“Meaning, that we may need to fight our way through. I'm ready.”

T'Sal nodded. “We'll dig our way through a low wall and procede from there.”


Meanwhile. Q was looking over the device 007 had given him. He was wondering whether to leave it until morning, or whether to start immediately. He placed it on the bench. He decided that it would be worth it to look inside first. He quickly found that it wasn't possible to open with bare hands. 'Of course not,' thought as he picked up a multitool.


T'Sal and Rostova were inside. “Three levels down, at least,” T'Sal said.

“That's great!” Rostova said as she looked around a corner. She couldn't see anyone. “But I don't see any stairs downwards. We may need to blast holes in the floor.”

“Not a good idea,” T'Sal said. “We might compromise the structure.”

“As a last resort though.”

“Only as that.”


Q managed to open the device. The insides of the device weren't what he expected. The circuitry was rather small, and he saw what looked like a piece of glass taking up it's center. 'Maybe the case itself is the antenna,' he considered. He grabbed a camera and took a photo of the internals. 'The glass is connected to the circuitry...'


T'Sal and Rostova found a stairwell. “One would think it would be guarded,” the latter said.

“Undoubtedly she is being guarded,” T'Sal responded.

“Of course,” Rostova said.


They did find agents on the stairwell, but they were able to pass themselves off as fellow agents.

'That won't last long...' T'Sal thought.


Back on the Baffin, Emmerson asked for a status report. “The Harris is still up near the Vauxhall Bridge,” Lieutenant Lillia Daniels reported.

“Understood,” Emmerson said. He sighed. “I'll be my ready room.”

“We're on the right level,” T'Sal said. “40 meters to the east.”

Rostova nodded.


Daniela had been placed in a cell somewhere in the building. The blindfold had been removed, but the lighting was dim. Time passed slowly. She was falling asleep when suddenly she heard phaser fire outside the cell. She jumped up off the bench as the guards were nerve pinched into unconciousness by T'Sal. “Finally!” she breathed.

“Stand back!” Rostova said. She used her phaser to melt the lock and swung the door open.

“We have to go now,” T'Sal said. “I'm certain we've raised the entire building.”

“Of course,” Daniela said as she emerged from the cell. “But Agent Bond took my commbadge. The quartermaster is certain to have it by now.”

“I have planned for that,” T'Sal said as she took out her tricorder. “Scanning for it now.”

“Then we have to get out of the building again,” Rostova said.

“A storm is interfering with the transporters,” T'Sal said as a clap of thunder sounded outside. “But it is providing cover.”

“One thing after another...” Hernandez murmured.


“Intruders?” Bond asked the other agent.

“Yes. They are certain to be going after the prisoner.”

Bond nodded. He would recapture her, or there would be hell to pay.


Rostova tossed Hernandez a phaser as they walked up some stairs. “Another two floors,” T'Sal said.

Hernandez nodded.


They entered the room and saw a man at a workbench. Rostova was certain he was dissecting the commbadge. Would she speak and implicate the KGB in this operation? She didn't know whether that would inflame the tensions between Britain and the Soviet Union or not. She had thought on it, and T'Sal had said that the decision was hers. In a flash she made that decision. “Hands up!” she said playing up her accent.

The man turned, and grabbed a pen nearby. “I'm not as helpless as you think I am,” he said. “You're in my lab. My home turf. You don't know what is innocuous, and what isn't.”

“That's true,” T'Sal said, immitating Rostova's accent. “But were not leaving without the device you were given earlier this evening.”


“I'm not going to give it to you,” the quartermaster said.. The quartermaster clicked the end of the pen twice and threw it down. That produced a cloud of smoke. They then immediately fired their phasers, which had been set on stun and a wide beam. All three of them then walked over.

“Great!” Hernandez said. “He's taken it apart.”

“I see that,” T'Sal said. “He may have notes already.”

“Can't exactly reverse engineer without the original, right?” Rostova asked.

“Probably not, but it's still contamination,” T'Sal said.

“We should go,” Hernandez said.

T'Sal could tell that she was anxious to get away. “Let's go,” she decided. They grabbed the components of the commbadge and some of the gadgets and made themselves scarce.


“Bond!” Hernandez said when she saw him in the distance.

“Got it!” Rostova said. She fired her phaser on stun but missed. “Great!” she said as a bullet from the PKK whizzed by. “We have to go a different way.”

“T'Sal to Harris, can you get a lock?”

“Not yet. The storm is still interfering,” Hawkins said.

“Give us another five minutes, then fly at a low altitude towards the building.”

“Acknowledged.”


More agents cornered them three minutes later, but they ran up some stairs nearby.


“Five minutes,” Hawkins murmured, as he launched the Harris out of the river.


A door opened and Bond emerged from it. “You can't escape,” he said

“I beg to differ,” T'Sal said as she put herself in a stance.

The two sparred briefly before T'Sal was able to put in a nerve pinch. They were then beamed aboard the Harris.


“Orders?” Hawkins asked.

“Back to Baffin the way we came,” T'Sal ordered.

“Acknowledged.”

“We're back in the river,” Hawkins said.

“Keep going,” T'Sal said.


They arrived back at Baffin 20 minutes later.


“The Harris has docked,” Lu reported.

“Back behind the Moon,” Emerson, ordered. “Steady as she goes.”

“Aye, sir,” Andersen said as she input the commands for Baffin to take off.

The storm was still an issue, but the ship took off and left the atmosphere without trouble.

They were back behind the Moon a minute later.