Author Note

Yes I have finally gotten around to writing my Star Trek self insert story. The story begins on the Enterprise-D, but I don't intend for Augment Gothic to stick around for long as there's a whole galaxy to explore.

Lots of thanks to Joe Lawyer for his suggestions, advice and encouragement, and hard work as both beta as well co-writer. This story is dedicated to you. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer

I own nothing related to or part of Star Trek. This fan fiction was written purely for fun. Please don't sue.

Augment Gothic 1

Sickbay - The Enterprise D

My mind felt fuzzy, and I struggled to get my bearings. In fact, my body felt pain in a way that it hadn't ever before, it wasn't 'hurt' like I knew it, it was too dulled, like the distant half remembered memory of pain, only that wasn't quite what it was. Thankfully the aching echo was already starting to fade away.

"He's waking up," a woman's soft voice called out, but the voice was incredibly strange. It sounded far richer and more nuanced than I had ever heard before. If I had to describe it, it was like you had listened to your favorite song on a pair of cheap drug store headphones all your life and then suddenly you listened to that same song on a pair of extremely high end headphones. Suddenly you were hearing things and nuances in your favorite song that you never even knew were there!

I struggled to open my eyes as the dull pain now completely vanished. I tried to move, but my muscles just wouldn't obey the orders my brain was giving them. However, like the pain, my body's temporary paralysis soon ended and my body started to move the way I wished it to. Whatever was wrong with me it wasn't lasting for very long.

"Where am I?" was what I asked. Again, why did a simple voice sound like it was coming from concert grade speakers?!

My vision was still a bit blurry so I had to wait for it to clear up before I could see what was going on around me. As my vision improved it went way beyond what I remembered as normal. It was clarity like I had never experienced before. Just like with the sounds in the room, suddenly the world seemed brighter, colors more rich and vibrant. Focusing on any one spot felt like someone had put high grade binoculars over my eyes and auto adjusted the focus in a nanosecond. I was seeing subtle color gradations in the carpet and a woman's shed hair lying on the ground 30 feet away. Shadowed corners and an unlit office that I was sure were too dark to see into, were lit up to my eyes like someone had shone a spotlight. What the fuck was happening to me?!

As my awareness of the people in the room returned to me, I realized a man and a woman were standing over me. They both wore ridiculous looking full body, seemingly skin tight jumpsuits, under some sort of lab coat. Yet as silly as it seemed there was something oddly familiar about the woman. I just couldn't remember why.

There were more words spoken, but I was unable to make them out as my ears seemed to be far more interested in their sub vocal harmonics, or the way the room infinitesimally echoed, or the different electronic hums of the technology in the room. There was something wrong with my hearing; it was as if all my senses couldn't stay in focus for very long, or were focusing on all the wrong things, instead of the person actually speaking to me. Yet, I knew this clarity and range was so much greater than it should have been. The lights were just too bright, my eyes stung from the intensity, and the sounds were simply overwhelming. Was I on a boat? The room felt like it was subtly moving.

That was when the man in front of me reached down towards my neck and I saw that he had some sort of device in his hand. It didn't take a genius, or my new seemingly enhanced senses, to figure out that he was going to inject me with something. Since I didn't want that to happen my hand reached out faster than a snake striking and I grabbed the man's wrist, then with surprising strength I forced the limb away from me. The man in the lab coat had screamed as I felt bones breaking beneath the skin from the sheer strength of my grip.

Now my heart was beating like crazy, adrenaline flowing, and I still had no idea where I was. All I knew was that I had to escape from here because these doctors were obviously doing something to me. With that in mind I got up off the strange bed in one fast flowing movement, as if the rest of them were moving in slow motion, the people in the silly jumpsuits and lab coats all backing away from me. They were speaking again, however I couldn't understand them as now I had an intense ringing in my ears. Only it wasn't a ringing noise, it was more like everything I was hearing had all become one loud, senseless din.

At this point I panicked and the only thought in my mind was escape. I headed for what looked like a door, but found no handle or switch. That proved unnecessary as it turned out to be an automatic door that opened as I approached it so I was able to race out into the empty corridor. Things were still a little too bright here as well, but thankfully the noise was far more bearable now that no one was talking. This meant that I could finally hear the beating of my own heart and the franticness of my breathing, which I tried to steady with great effort.

"rIQ SoH!" someone yelled, my ears now ringing again from the volume.

I looked towards the source of the voice to see three Klingon cosplayers. They were wearing armour and they had weapons, but they weren't holding their swords and guns at the moment, though they looked ready to make use of them.

"No way," I whispered, as my vision quickly deduced that these guys were not wearing face prosthetics and the materials they wore were not the cheap imitation stuff you'd see in costumes. The level of detail was too extreme. But that couldn't be right.

Either I had gone totally crazy or I'd been abducted by some really, really hardcore cosplayers who had cut no corners and spent a shit ton on their gear. A less likely explanation was that I'd somehow been brought on board the U.S.S Enterprise, straight out of Star Trek the Next Generation. Full disclosure, I had a small nerdgasm at the thought. I was a big fan of all 5 Star Trek television series, well mostly.

"ghob'e' bImatlhba' jISaHchugh," another said.

I had no idea what the hell they were saying; admittedly a big fan of Star Trek, but not so big that I had taken the time to learn a made up fictional language like some did. Not that it really mattered, if these were real Klingons, then they most likely wanted to fight. If they were just guys in makeup, yeah, then I still didn't want them anywhere near me.

"maHvaD ghu'vam SoH QaH," the third said.

One of the real(?) Klingons stepped forward and I punched the alien right in the face. It was hard to tell who had been hurt more by the strike so I decided then and there not to hit anymore of them in the face. With their cranial ridges, these guys had very thick skulls and very sharp teeth.

Kicking them in the gut worked much better, the next crinkle faced fucker to come near me flew back and rolled onto his stomach after falling hard to the floor.

"Bunch of sissies," I snorted.

The smallest of the three so called warriors came at me far more cautiously than the others, now that I had proven to be much stronger and faster than I looked. He, assuming it was a man under all that make up, used some sort of fancy fighting move, not that it mattered as his movements looked painfully slow to me. I just took hold of one his arms that he had tried to strike me with, pulled down hard and his hairy chin met my knee. Then I pushed him back with what I thought was only medium strength.

That alien, assuming he was actually one, left the ground like he had been shot from a canon and hit the wall with the back of its head, before landing hard on the floor. Then the first one, who I had only punched earlier, made to tackle me. This was a mistake as these guys were not as fast on their feet as me and he just ended up meeting the wall after I sidestepped rather neatly.

Now the second cosplayer was picking himself up off the ground, but he didn't get very far as I kicked him in the stomach while he was still on his hands and knees. To my amazement he didn't just collapse to the ground my move actually lifted him up several feet in the air, and when he landed again he was on his back. How on Earth was I so strong now?

"ghaHvaD bach!" one of them then shouted.

That I didn't understand either, however I figured it out when I turned to see a couple of gold uniformed Starfleet officers with phasers. Which turned out to be very real because a second later a crimson ruby beam of energy hit me and the whole universe faded away into nothingness. The beam and its path, while faster than the Klingons, was still discernable to me and was something I probably could have moved out of the way of. I think I was mostly just shocked at the realization that this was all real that I froze up like I did.

(Line Break)

Briefing Room – The Enterprise

"I have spoken to our Klingon passengers," Worf informed everyone once they had taken their seats. "They claim that they saw our 'guest' leaving sickbay at a run and were attempting to return him to Doctor Crusher's care only for him to attack them. They were unprepared for such a savage and powerful foe".

Most people who had just woken up from centuries spent in cryostasis were hardly in a condition to fight so was it was understandable that the three warriors hadn't been prepared to do battle when meeting the man.

"How was he able to defeat three Klingon warriors?" Deanna Troi asked of the room. "I know that humans from the 20th and 21st century were more used to violence then we are, but he had only just woken up from spending centuries in stasis. He shouldn't have been able to even stand up, never mind start and win a fight".

Given that baseline Klingons were both stronger and far more durable than human beings, it seemed unlikely that any human could defeat three of them. Granted, humans had beaten Klingon warriors in battle, but three to one were very heavy odds. Even more so for someone who had just stumbled out of sickbay. Then there was the fact that this man had broken the wrist of one of the doctors moments after waking up.

"He's an Augment," Beverly Crusher informed the senior officers to the shock of them all. "The tests I ran confirm this, our guest had undergone a rather amazing amount of successful genetic resequencing; everything has been enhanced, from his body to his mind. What's strange is that as far as I can tell he was already an adult when the alternations were made, which makes him different from the Augments of Khan's era as they were born as Augments, or in some rare cases, modified as children after careful selective breeding".

That was indeed strange, but at least it explained how this centuries old human could have defeated three Klingon warriors.

"Do we have his DNA on file?" Captain Picard asked his officers. "Or any other way to confirm his identity?"

Data shook his head.

"I took the liberty of checking the records from that era," the android answered. "However yhe nuclear strikes during World War Three destroyed many of the records from that time. As such we have no way of confirming if he was on Earth during the Eugenics Wars and given Doctor Crusher's unusual findings it is possible that he is the result of later experimentation".

Without proof that their 'guest' was one of the augments who had been involved in the Eugenics Wars, then Picard wasn't willing to confine the man to the brig. Augments were dangerous, as this one had handily proven, but his actions could be put down to extreme disorientation rather than any sort of malice, after all he'd been asleep for more than three hundred years and then he had woken in a completely unknown environment. That was more than enough justification for someone to react with violence; their 'guest' may have truly believed that he was in peril.

"Do we have any good reason to confine him to sickbay?" Captain Picard asked Doctor Crusher.

While the captain wasn't willing to lock someone up for being genetically enhanced/engineered, he wasn't comfortable in letting an augment roam the ship freely either.

"No, and I'd prefer to get him out of there as soon as possible," Beverly answered. "My staff are afraid of him".

Which was worrying, but not surprising.

"What should we do?" Riker asked his superior.

Picard gave it some thought.

"Confine him to quarters for now," the Captain decided. "And keep a guard on him at all times. If he's anything like Khan then he will make some sort of move soon, and we must be prepared. If he is different, then I hope he will cooperate once he has had time to adjust to our time and we can take things from there. Perhaps if we can build some sort of trust he will simply tell us what we wish to know".

At this point Riker had something to add.

"There are historical accounts that state that Khan-era augments can have up to five times normal human strength and are incredibly fast," the second in command said. "If that's true then our normal security personnel might not be up to the job".

Given what the man could do to Klingon warriors moments after waking up from centuries of stasis, Riker was right to be concerned.

"Assign Vulcans to the security detail," Captain Picard ordered the commander. "I want at least two outside his door at all times, and they are to have two more security personnel with them nearby. Ensure force fields are ready to be activated at a moment's notice to contain him if necessary".

Vulcans were three times stronger than baseline humans on average, and while they wouldn't be a match for a Khan-era Augment, they might be strong enough to slow him down long enough for someone else to stun him with a phaser. Their guest could be stunned, that much was known, but now that he had had time to recover from stasis, at least physically, a single officer with a phaser might not be enough.

"Commander Data, I'd like you to escort our 'guest' to his quarters," Picard was now saying. "Should he react badly while being moved you should be able to restrain him without causing any harm".

The android was much stronger than any other member of the crew, even Worf, so it was a logical choice.

"I think it would be best for me to speak with him as soon as possible," Deanna Troi advised her commanding officer. "He might not be talking yet, but he still feels, so I might be able to get something out of him".

Putting her in harm's way wasn't something the Captain was happy about, however it did make sense, as Troi was specifically trained to get people to open up and talk. Which right now was what they needed.

"I agree, Counselor. Proceed with caution," Picard advised. "Now let's move on to other matters".

While the crew of the Enterprise got the most interesting missions in the fleet, the flagship was still part of Starfleet, which meant that they ended up doing plenty of routine mission types, just like every other ship. There were also always other onboard issues to deal with, especially on a ship carrying over a thousand souls, so the meeting carried on like normal.

(Line Break)

Quarters. U.S.S. Enterprise.

"These will be your quarters," Data said as we entered the room that would be my home for the foreseeable future. "If they are not to your liking then alternative accommodations can be found".

Either these were the VIP quarters meant for visiting ambassadors or the standard of living had greatly improved since the 21st century. However, I didn't dwell on that for long as that was when I noticed the windows and the startling view that they offered.

"Wow, I really am in space," I muttered.

And since we weren't orbiting the Earth that meant I was further out into the universe than anyone from my world and time had ever been.

"Were you not told this earlier?" Data asked me, in a confused tone.

I'd not been, but I had figured it out. It was just that knowing it and seeing it were two very different things.

"In fact you were discovered in space," I was then told. "By a Kivas Fajo. He was a Zibalian trader".

In addition to all my senses being super charged, I seemed to be thinking very fast and cleverly these days as well. I picked up on the word 'was' right away.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

The name meant something, it was just buried deep down in my mind, and while my brain seemed to working far better than it ever had before I hadn't suddenly become all knowing. It was a strange feeling though. My thoughts felt faster, I could remember everything that had happened to me since I had woken up on the Enterprise in exquisite detail, ideas were constantly coming to me, which I guess meant I was more creative now.

"You killed him," Data informed me unemotionally.

I'd never killed anyone, at least not as far as I knew. With my memory being so good now, why couldn't I remember that? Maybe it had to do with the after effects of stasis?

"Are you sure?" I inquired of the robot man. "I don't remember killing anyone".

Being an android meant that there was no judgement in his tone at all.

"Short term memory loss is a common side effect of long-term cyrostasis, especially with the available technology of your time," Data told me, "and I know for certain that you did kill Kivas Fajo. I saw you fire the disruptor".

Oddly, that didn't bother me at all.

"Am I in any sort of legal trouble for that?" I questioned.

Data shook his head.

"Given the effects of your time in stasis and the fact that you were a captive in an alien environment, the captain has ruled that you were not responsible for your actions," the robot guy told me. "Even if that were not the case you only killed Kivas Fajo because he was about to destroy me and he had already killed another person before your eyes".

That was a weight off my shoulders. I didn't care about some alien trader, but I didn't want to end up in some Federation prison. There was a wide open galaxy full of adventure out there just waiting for me.

"Okay, so you better show me what's what in this place," I then said.

Data moved towards a door and gestured.

"This is the bathroom," he informed me, "and there is a bedroom through this other door".

Hopefully the toilet hadn't changed all that much in three hundred and something odd years. Otherwise I might end up humiliating myself.

"This is the replicator," Data then said.

Of course I knew exactly what one of those was, all fans of the show did and wished they had one, but since I didn't want anyone else to know how much I knew about this time I feigned ignorance on the matter.

"What is a replicator?" I needlessly asked.

Data soon gave me an answer.

"Simply put, it creates things, by converting energy into matter," I was informed. "These replicators are normally used to provide food and clothing only. There are safeguards to prevent the creation of any dangerous materials or devices". Safeguards on this replicator, a replicator on a Starfleet vessel, but if I bought one of my own, there wouldn't be any safeguards. Fans of the shows had long geeked out on how useful replicators were and how underutilized they were in the shows.

So I wouldn't be able to make weapons, or at least something like a phaser. I imagined that with some effort and creativity on my part I could replicate bits and pieces to fashion some sort of killing tool. However, I also figured that someone on the ship, likely Mr. Worf, would be keeping a close eye on exactly what I replicated.

"How does it work?" I asked next.

The buttons looked very confusing, with seemingly no labeling on the buttons themselves. On the shows most people just thought the writers were trying to keep from having to actually create working displays specific to what was going on in the episode, but here it was. Humans weren't using computers as I knew them any longer, it looked like fancy touch screen tech, and the symbols ultimately meant nothing to me.

"It uses transporter technology to reconfigure matter on the quantum level-" Data started to explain.

With a gesture I stopped him.

"I mean how do I tell it what I want?" I said.

The android was not offended by my interruption. That'd be useful to exploit as I figured out this new time.

"Simply tell it what you want, verbally," Data explained. "For example, would you care for something to drink?"

I thought about that for a moment.

"Sure, I'll have some tea, earl grey, hot," I ordered with a small smirk. My inner geek was having a laugh at using Picard's standard order from the show!

It seemed appropriate, and the robot man didn't find it odd that I had ordered exactly what the captain drank so often.

"Computer," Data said, "one cup of Earl Grey Tea, hot".

As if by magic a steaming cup appeared in the replicator.

"Do you still have TV?" Was my next question. "Or even just a library? I have some catching up to do".

The machine man then directed me to a screen set up on a desk in the room that could be used to display both video and the written word, even better it could be controlled verbally. Until I became a lot more familiar with this time's technology, verbal commands to the computer would be a lifesaver.

"You have access to the entire Federation public database from here," I was told. "The only information off limits to you is that which is protected by our security programs".

While it might be cool to find out how to fire the ship's photon torpedoes, I doubted that I'd even understand the technical files that would explain their workings due to all the technobabble. Besides I had a few centuries of history and innovation to catch up on before I got to today's sciences.

"Thanks Data," I then said. "I can take it from here".

Once the android had gone I decided to strip off and try out the sonic shower from Star Trek fame, which left me feeling somewhat clean, but it just didn't give the same sense of freshness that a real shower would have. Still, pretty cool to experience it for myself. The only real depiction of it was an episode of Star Trek Voyager and many wondered what it would feel like.

Next I went back to the replicators and discovered a problem with them, well, not so much a problem as a pretty big limitation. They could only create objects whose patterns had already been scanned into memory, and this limited my choice of clothing, but since there was no way I was putting a unitard jumpsuit back on I looked through the historical records on the room's screen so that I could find something suitable to wear.

What I discovered was that next to nothing was stored in the computer's memory that would have come into existence between the 1990s and 2016. Which meant that while I was able to blast Nirvana through the speakers, that were hidden somewhere in the room, I just wasn't able to replicate myself any kind of clothing with which I was truly comfortable with.

Thankfully, after some serious effort, I was able to get my hands on some basic boots, socks, boxers, jeans, a t-shirt and a shirt. They all came in an assortment of colors and that made me feel much better than before, if nothing else I knew at least knew where my pockets were. Why did these people wear skin tight everything with no freaking pockets?

(Line Break)

Quarters. U.S.S. Enterprise.

Not long after starting my research I'd discovered that it wasn't just me who had changed, it was all of history! But perhaps more likely something or some ridiculously powerful someone had come along and changed me before dropping me off in this alternate time line/dimension. I suspected this because from what I was reading, it turned out Star Trek was not, in fact, the future of my people, it was a totally different universe!

For example, according to the history of this place, in 1968 the United States of America had launched an orbital nuclear weapons platform from 'McKinley Rocket Base.' Following the launch, the platform developed a severe malfunction and began to re-enter the atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner. Attempts to initiate the self-destruct initially failed, but the platform eventually detonated 104 miles above Asia. The result of this was a new and stronger agreement against the use of such weapons by the world's nations.

I was almost certain that this had never happened on my version of Earth, or if it had then the platform had remained hidden and secret from the public for nearly fifty years, which seemed highly unlikely to me.

The bigger changes were in the early 1990s, a group of genetically engineered super men, called augments, rose to power and pretty much took over most of the world before turning on each other and causing a massive war. Entire populations were bombed out of existence, ferocious battles were fought and the Earth was, for a while, on the verge of a new Dark Age. Augments had killed more people than Hitler and Stalin combined, no wonder they were so hated and feared even centuries later.

And now I was one of them. It was impossible that I wasn't, as it explained not only how I could beat up Klingon warriors with such ease, but my now incredibly enhanced senses and mind; it also explained why the humans on this ship were now so scared of me. They saw me as some kind of Nazi superman from a far gone past that most would probably like to forget. The problem was that I wasn't one of those super Nazis and had no desire to conquer the world, well, actually I did, but I'd been like that before and that feeling hadn't grown. And it was mostly a silly thought anyway. Who'd want all that responsibility? I'd much rather be a rich playboy adventurer with galactic influence and respect, certainly, and tons of hot women by my side. That sounded like way more fun.

I also learned I wasn't even the first Ubermensch to bother the crew of the Enterprise either, although that had been Kirk's Enterprise. Khan had tried to take over that vessel along with a group of his followers, which was why I was under guard. They had nearly been successful too.

More of this universe's history was different I found. There were manned missions all over the solar system in the early parts of the 21st century and some were even before 2016. Apparently the USA had mostly stayed out of the Eugenics War, and had invested a heck of a lot more resources into their space program than they ever had in my world/time.

It was either that or the Eugenics War hadn't been anywhere near as bad as the history books suggested, which I suspected was true, as the International Space Station had existed in this universe as well, which shouldn't have been possible if most of the planet was nearing a dark age. Something just didn't add up.

"Computer," I called aloud to the room, an answering chime indicating it was listening for my commands. "Tell me about the pod I was found in".

A copious amount of technical Information quickly filled the screen and I was informed that the pod had the word 'Gothic' printed on the side. I figured that that was as good a name as any to use since I didn't feel right using my real name. This universe's version of me had died in a bombing arranged by an augment back in 1991.

That just sucked.

(Line Break)

Quarters. U.S.S. Enterprise.

"Is this a good time to talk?" A woman asked as she entered the room, after requesting entry. I couldn't resist giving the Picard special 'Come!' "I can come back later, if you prefer".

When I heard that voice I had not looked away from the computer screen for hours. I'd absorbed a massive amount of information, and even after all of that I still wasn't sure what it was I had learned or what it all meant in the grand scheme.

All I knew for certain was that recorded history did not make sense to me. The Eugenics Wars could not have happened in my world, at least not on the scale the records had told me about. Someone had re-written the past, or I was right and this wasn't my universe/dimension.

"My name is Deanna Troi," my visitor said. "I'm the ship's counsellor. I was never given your name".

Immediately I noticed her somewhat transparent outfit; it was certainly less modest than the one she wore in the show and sure, it was pretty hot, but it was also strange that she was allowed to walk around wearing that on what was at least somewhat a military vessel. Granted, science and exploration were Starfleet's main purpose, still, she seemed rather unprofessional. The difference in her outfit from the show to the reality in front of me was rather interesting. If the show's writers were getting glimpses into the history of this universe, perhaps they might have seen her rather scandalous outfit but it just wasn't allowed on a network television show. That got me wondering, what else might be different simply because of content limitations or lack of available time in an hour long episode? I'd have to be careful.

"You can call me Gothic," I told her.

Nothing was then said for a while, perhaps that being a strategy to get people talking, the power of silence and all that, so I decided to get the conversation moving along.

"What would you like to talk about, Counselor?" I wondered as I took a seat. "My relationship with my mother, my slight case of evil megalomania?"

Counselor Troi seemed more amused than anything else at my snark. Perhaps there was hope yet for these stuffy people. Then again, she was wearing a practically transparent outfit.

"Gonna dope me up with happy pills?" I then asked.

I was starting to think that that wouldn't be such a bad idea. Star Trek seemed great on TV, living in it freaked me out something fierce. No matter how big a fan you were, that kind of change would freak anyone out.

"You don't need any medication," Deanna said. "Your body chemistry is perfectly normal according to Doctor Crusher, it's your emotional state that concerns me".

I really wanted to avoid talking about that, not that I needed to as she was empathic and therefore she already knew I how I felt.

"In my time the shrinks usually wore something a little more formal," I commented, somewhat deflecting, "and they tended to take notes".

She completely ignored my remarks.

"If it helps, I don't think you are insane," Deanna commented.

I'd once heard that if you worried that you might be insane then you're very likely not crazy, because insane people don't worry about their mental health. If that was true then I found it rather comforting, because my sanity did concern me quite a lot at the moment.

"But you guys do think I'm evil, don't you?" I asked her bluntly.

Given how many horrors the augments were credited with, it was understandable. They'd built 'work camps' and they had performed quite a bit of ethnic cleansing. At least according to the official records.

"I'm sure you only did what you believed to be right," Deanna hedged.

It struck me then that she might actually be talking about the trader guy I'd killed. However, I was not worried about that.

"Do you mind if we talk about the augments?" I requested.

She nodded.

"Did someone re-write the history books?" I asked. "Because none of it makes sense to me. I was there during the end of 20th century and there are things in your records that just aren't possible".

The history of my world made a lot of sense to me, but here it didn't. I just couldn't see how a world could suffer through the horrors of the Eugenics War and then somehow go on to be better at space exploration than my world ever had, a world that had not had anywhere near the amount of war and worldwide devastation that theirs did. Sure, WWII had advanced technology and led to space travel due to the first rockets being developed at that time, but the Eugenics Wars hadn't been like that. They'd certainly advanced biological weapons quite a bit, and genetic engineering, far more than mine had, however that didn't link well to better proficiency at space travel.

"You'll get to tell your side of the story," I was assured.

That wasn't what I wanted and the wording she'd just used was rather telling. I hadn't been there; I was almost positive I'd lived in an alternate time line. It was so frustrating, and that feeling was building up inside me like water behind a dam.

"Most people don't feel things as intensely as you do," Deanna then told me, looking a little uncomfortable. "It's a little overwhelming for me".

I could well imagine that in the Federation they had ways of dealing with emotional problems like mine, so it didn't surprise me that I was making her uncomfortable by acting all emo. Not that I would admit to being emo out loud. I idly wondered if I could make her super horny by feeling intense lust next.

"The funny thing is I'm actually quite sedate compared to some people I knew in my time," I told the woman. "You should have met my brother, now he had major issues".

Which was an understatement really.

"We've cured most of the known mental disorders, and we've taught people how to get along," Deanna explained. "So compared to the people of our time, you're the one with major issues. Not that this means you're crazy or need any sort of formal medical treatment or counseling. Just talking can help a great deal though".

I didn't think I could be the only one on board having trouble dealing with this existence.

"Yes, but you go to places where people fight and die," I pointed out. "Doesn't that kind of stuff lead to problems?".

If they didn't then it meant that Troi might not be qualified to help me adjust to the culture shock that I had to be feeling right now, even if I couldn't tell if it was affecting me. All my reactions were out of whack in this practically "new" body.

"Our primary mission is exploration," Deanna said. "Which involves risk, absolutely. And we do sometimes have confrontations that lead to a loss of life, but for the most part people are able to grieve appropriately and get on with their lives".

That seemed too easy to me.

"So why do they need you?" I asked. "If everybody in this time is all mentally stable why do they need counselling?"

She had an answer ready.

"People still have problems," she said. "And I'm not just a therapist, I also help the Captain evaluate encounters with different species," she told me.

This I knew, however it had never really made much sense. Emotions weren't that hard to recognize.

"So if someone alien ship shoots at you, then you can turn to the captain and tell him 'I think they're angry,'" I mocked.

She took my sort-of-insult in stride.

"Sometimes," Deanna admitted. "I can also help him by telling him if someone is lying or might be hiding something important from us".

That actually sounded pretty useful.

"What do you want to know?" I then inquired.

I didn't need to be empathic or trained in psychology to know that she hadn't come here just for a causal chat.

"Are you a danger to the crew?" I was then asked.

If she could tell if I was lying or holding something back, then the honest answer was complex.

"It depends on what the crew do to me," I told her truthfully. "I know they fear me, and if they act on that fear I will defend myself".

I wasn't like that arrogant fool, Khan. I knew I couldn't take over a ship that was centuries more advanced than anything in my time, and even if I was somehow able to, they'd send a fucking fleet after me. However, if they decided to exile me on some planet I wasn't going to go without a struggle.

"There will be an inquest," I was informed. "You will have a chance to tell your side of the story and deal with any accusations about what happened during the wars."

Now I was confused.

"I figured I'd be in trouble for killing the trader guy, but Data told me that that wasn't the case, and I wasn't involved in that war. I'm pretty sure I'm not even from this universe!" I explained. "Can't you guys tell when someone is not native to your dimension?"

I knew that this issue had come up in one episode, at some point.

"There are ways to confirm that," I was then informed. "Doctor Crusher can perform the appropriate test on samples she has already taken".

I figured that the matter that made up my body would have a different quantum signature than that of the matter that made up everything else in the universe. This freaked me out even more because I had no idea how I knew that.

"Are you a danger to the crew?" Deanna asked again.

I pondered the subject for a moment.

"As long as I'm treated fairly, I'll treat everyone else fairly," I told her. The idea that I would defend myself, but not initiate aggression, was hopefully understood.

On that subject I was telling the truth.

"Good. Now, you've been cooped up for more than three hundred and fifty years," Deanna said with a laugh. "It's time to stretch your legs a little".

Hearing that surprised me.

"Wait, so I can leave?" was my next question.

I'd assumed that I was under some sort of house arrest.

"You can with me," Trio explained, "although your security escort has to come with us for the time being. At least until we know for sure you weren't involved with the war. The captain wanted to keep you in your quarters for the foreseeable future but I was able to convince him that this would be counterproductive".

Given that during Khan's rise to power I was still wearing diapers it seemed silly to me that anyone suspected that I was actually a part of it.

"Well, as long as no one tries to shove me out of an airlock," I said as I headed for the exit. "I guess I could take a walk".

I was out the door before she even stood up. I couldn't wait to see the Enterprise and all of its many wonders!