A Wrinkle In Time

Fandom: Star Trek (TOS) x Doctor Who (revived series)

Warnings: Nothing you haven't seen before.

Summary: After a shaking encounter with an anti-matter alternate universe, the Enterprise is on its way to Star Base 200 when they pick up a peculiar signal; an eerie siren that is being heard all across the universe. Tracing the sound to a strange blue box, the crew of the Enterprise beams it aboard to discover its connection with the dimensional rift. Yet its contents only throws them deep into an interdimensional conflict that could end all time! (Set after Star Trek episode 27; "The Alternative Factor")

Disclaimer:I do not own Star Trek, Dr. Who, the Federation of Planets, Daleks or any of that business.
*Yes I love "A Wrinkle in Time" by L'Engle! I thought the title fit my story and I realize that it is not original.

Well it's sure been awhile since I wrote anything for fun! Welcome to my first Dr. Who and Star Trek fics all in one. This idea has been simmering in my head for years and after much reviewing and editing, I think I've found something I'm happy with! I hope you enjoy my little contribution to these fantastic series...es? (plural for series? I dont know). Enjoy!

Captain's Log, Star Date 3087.6: Lazarus is locked away for good in a void breaching time and space, in an eternal battle with his alternate self – a sane and respectable anti-matter twin, Lazarus B who came from some alternate universe. Mr. Spock informed me that theories of an anti-matter universe have been around for some time, but it appears that the Enterprise is its first witness. I now feel a direct course to Star Fleet command is necessary to report this groundbreaking discovery in person…

Captain James T. Kirk sat brooding in his chair as the unknown dead planet grew smaller and smaller until it finally faded among the stars. Long after the curious mystery of Lazarus and his alternate twin, the crew heard the sentence "and what of Lazarus…" running in endless repeat from their Captain's lips; quiet enough to be faded out as background noise, but eerie enough was his tone that it plagued the conscious of the crew members and made them pass worried glances at his frozen figure upon the helm.

Spock dismissed the Captain's antics as shock and with words spoken coolly and detached, temporarily steadying the anxiety of the other members on the Bridge.
"The Captain evidently had interactions with Lazarus or his other self of which none of us are aware." The half-Vulcan said in the familiar steady monotone. His aquiline face remained as placid and unreadable as the expanse of a frozen lake. "He naturally holds some grim knowledge of which the rest of the crew is ignorant and it has disturbed him."

The First Officer knew well what thoughts the Captain entertained. They were thoughts of Lazarus B and his "foe", identical to him in nearly all aspects yet polar opposite in disposition, locked together in the corridor of Time and Space for all eternity for the preservation of all universes; for the preservation of time itself. In his mind, Captain Kirk was putting himself in the same situation. Mr. Spock could almost hear his superior's mind spinning as he questioned his own strength.

Could he, Captain Kirk, lend himself to such a horrific fate if it meant the survival of Time? A strong sense of duty and a selfless mind lead the answer to likely be 'yes' if he were given the same circumstances, yet James Kirk was possessed by the pure selflessness of Lazarus's actions and the hellish fate he assigned himself to. It was this the Captain pondered; the horror of being trapped with your worst enemy for all time…with your worst enemy being yourself.

"Scotty t' the Bridge," The thickly accented voice of the Enterprise's head engineer came from the speaker at the arm of the Captain's chair and James Kirk was brought back to the present reality and immediately pressed the intercom.

"Kirk here."

"Capt'n, I and sum of te crew have been noticin' a change in te air; a surge o' energy in space, sir."

"An energy surge, Scotty?" Kirk's eyes seemed to spark as the usual daring fire lit in his eyes. His posture straightened into a confidant pose and he at once became the adored Captain all the crew revered.

"Yes Captin'. All throughout te ship I've b'n getting' calls since we left that planet."

"Have you…" Kirk's voice trailed off until he fell silent entirely and the bridge seemed to freeze in the absence of its sound.
"Mr. Spock." After some time, Captain Kirk directed his gaze to his First Officer. "Have you gotten any unusual readings?"

The pointy-eared man turned to his station and looked momentarily through his eyepiece before turning back to the Captain.

"Yes and no, Captain." The Vulcan replied as he peered over his station.

"What do you mean, Mr. Spock?"

"It is almost exactly as before, Captain." The Science Officer said. As he spoke, his thick eyebrows seemed to become even more angled and nearly met in the middle of his forehead. "There are readings of a sudden surge in energy that seems to be rippling across all of space and time as we speak, but they are much like the radiation we glimpsed on the planet. They are here, but give off no measurable substance as if they don't exist…"

The view screen in front of the helm suddenly flickered and the office at Star Command came into view. The Admiral sat before the members of the Bridge with his square jaws set hard as steel and his eyes grim.
"Captain Kirk, I thought you reported that the hole in Time was closed near Starbase 200 and the man, Lazarus, was keeping it so."

"I believe I did, sir." Kirk replied, standing at attention.

"Well then Captain, I suppose it is a mystery then as to why Star Command and every Star Fleet ship and station in the Federation is calling in to report ripples of energy that have been traced back to that same planet your crew just left."

"That's impossible, sir."

"Evidently not, because it is happening as we speak-"

"Captain," Spock called urgently.

"Yes, Mr. Spock?" Turning from the monitor, Kirk came to the Vulcan's side.

"The energy has become a more distinct pattern of wavelengths. They are sound waves sir. Shall I patch them in to the intercom systems of the ship?"

"Go ahead, Mr. Spock."

Spock flicked a switch on the command board and the sound of a siren echoed through the transmission, repeating the same lonely echo louder and louder. On the view screen, a Lieutenant came into view and the admiral muted the transmission as he heard the report. He returned to the transmission.

"We are now getting reports of sound waves; long drawn out echoes of the same sound over and over, like a siren."

"We are receiving similar sounds as well, Admiral." The young Captain said. "Lieutenant Uhra, patch the waves through to Star Fleet Command."

The Admiral nodded. "They are an exact match. We are getting calls from all over the Federation reporting siren-like sound waves. I will call Intelligence and order them to trace the source. I want you to report to Star Fleet Command in person, Captain Kirk."

"I already have the course plotted Admiral. Kirk out,"

The stone face of the Commander-in-Chief flickered out and the vast blackness of space returned to the Enterprise's view screen. The unsettling echo of that screeching siren still rang inside the bridge. The Captain noticed his crew was unnerved by it.

Suddenly the two men stationed at the helm cried. "Captain! The view screen!"

The Captain's guarded eyes flashed towards the front of his ship, failing to believe the sight before them. Spiraling toward the Enterprise, whirling out of control, was a flashing blue box.

"It is the source of the siren, Captain." The Vulcan First Officer confirmed from his station. It was whirling too fast to identify, but Spock's sensitive equipment found it was made of wood.
"Impossible…" Spock muttered. "No plant-based material of any kind could withstand the variances in pressure and extreme temperatures experienced in space-travel."

The Captain hurriedly called to Engineering. "Mr. Scotty! Relay a tractor-beam on the unidentified blue object and rein it in for examination!"

Black smoke billowed from the hodge-podge of buttons and levers, creating a thick, noxious fog around the circular tower from which the vessel was controlled. The fog was so dense you couldn't see an inch away from your face, but little did it matter for the solitary passenger was sprawled across the floor. All around the circular room, the lonely song of a siren rebounded off the oddly twisted metal platforms, ramps and oddly colored walls, but even its great volume could do nothing to rouse the unconscious body. It was quite dead to the world.

Bright blue light shot suddenly through the small circular windows that dotted the room and through the cracks in the double-door entrance which opened the way to countless new adventures. The erratic spinning slowed and finally came to a stop, darkness enveloped the vessel, and its song ceased.

In the transporter room, a large blue rectangular box stood on the beaming platform. A small crowd of bewildered ensigns stared at it as the mysterious siren slowly faded in volume and finally fell silent. Air hissed as the hydraulic doors slid open and the Captain strode in with the First Officer, Doctor, and Head Engineer in tow. All halted before the inexplicable object. It just did not make any sense!

The thing before them was nothing more than a wooden box. Deep blue paint could be seen in the few patches where it was not scorched black. It looked much like a shed, with its double-doors fastened with nothing more than a simple metal latch, whose design must have been outdated by a millennia! On the top of the structure on all four sides were the words "Police Box". A small bulb sat dead-center on the top of the box, which made a feeble flash. This, the First Officer concluded, must have been the source of the siren. In the small windows around the inscription, black soot could be seen on the inside.

The Head Engineer, Mr. Scott, was the first to approach. He stepped upon the platform and circled cautiously around the box. "T'is vessel is impossible, Capt'n!"

"I can make nothing of it either," remarked First Officer Spock, who approached the structure with his tricorder and began to scan its surface. "However the outside of the structure is badly burned and I am getting readings of more significant damage inside."

"Well we have to open it up then!" The Doctor exclaimed. "What if there's someone hurt in there?"

"Don't be too quick, Bones." The Captain cautioned. "Whatever's inside might be dangerous."

With Phasers drawn, the men approached the blackened doors. Captain Kirk nudged the latch with his weapon, but it held fast. With one hand, he pried at the lock, but it had the same effect.

"McCoy, Scotty, Spock, I need a hand!"

The three men rushed to their Captain's aid. Together, they pried at the latch, straining with the effort. It wasn't long before they fell away, discouraged. Picking himself up from the floor, Kirk lunged at the door and bounced back.
"Okay! All of you on three, ready? One, two, three!"

All cried out as they lurched against the doors. With a groan, the wood gave away and the team fell through into a cloud of blackness.

All hacking and coughing, the head officers were aided by the ensigns, who rushed to their aid. Stepping back, the Captain waited for the smoke to clear before he rushed in bravely, with the Doctor close behind.

Through the toxic atmosphere, the pair was greeted with an incredible sight. The small wooden shed contained a vast room of twisting spirals of unknown metal alloys. A staircase lead to a platform where a massive column riddled with devices towered to the ceiling, which arched nearly twenty feet above and all around them the brightly colored walls were riddled with circular windows and dark spaces where corridors lead off to unknown depts.

"Well I'll be damned, Jim! It's bigger on the inside!" Doctor McCoy exclaimed. "What outlandish race does this beauty belong to?"

"I don't know Bones, but that looks like our man." Kirk pointed towards a figure that lay sprawled across the platform by the tower of instruments. It was hard to make it out through the remaining smoke, but from where they stood it looked human enough.

The Captain and Doctor rushed to the side of the fallen figure, Phasers at ready. The weapons were shielded when it was clear the unknown man showed no signs of consciousness. Dr. McCoy knelt down and put his fingers to the man's neck. "His pulse is extremely low, Jim and fading fast. I need to get him to Sick Bay if we can have any chance of saving him."

With an arm over each man's shoulder, the unconscious humanoid was dragged out of the mysterious vessel and revealed to the crowd of curious crewmen.

His clothes were outdated by thousands of years. His brown tweed jacket was scuffed and blackened, and his thick brown hair matted and disheveled; hanging down to obscure his sooty face. And my god was that a bow tie? By now a massive crowd had gathered along the corridor outside and muffled gasps and puzzled remarks were passed down the line of uniformed spectators like a game of Telephone as the Captain and his top four officers past by, carrying the impossible man.

"Aren't you all supposed to be running a Star Fleet ship?" Captain Kirk shouted at their idle forms. "Get back to your posts, all of you!"

With those words, the Captain made his crew disperse to their stations like a foot scatters an ant hill and the party of four continued their grim escort to Sick Bay.