Post by Admin on Apr 8, 2016 0:11:01 GMT
Julia stared openly, trying to keep her jaw closed in spite of the sight before her. "Atton," she breathed. "You are alive," she started, but it soon devolved into the realization that there was no way this Atton was the one who went through the Guardian of Forever.
Atton's eyes, this Atton's eyes, stared at Julia with a cold hatred. If Julia had ever recognized she was the subject of a gruesome murder fantasy, she did now. "Yes," He spoke. "No thanks to you." His voice had an artificial tone to it, and brief examination of his neck revealed a scar directly above where his vocal cords would be.
"You know this woman?" Tor addressed Atton, his curiosity renewed again.
Jetrel silently nodded.
"Well, she must not know you, or your work. You don't seem to frighten her."
"No..I never did. This time will be different." A thin smile formed on his lips as inspiration flowed through him.
"Good. Remember, your life depends on it. I expect a full report, on this...and your past affiliation with this woman. Now, I have much better things to do then degrade myself by sharing space with a Human and a Betazoid." Tor said no more, quickly stalking out of the tent, leaving Atton and Julia alone. After a few seconds the telepathic inhibitor on his left temple deactivated. Obviously Tor had no intentions of having his own thoughts read.
Any relief that Julia had felt at this Atton's appearance was quickly falling away. "I really do not know you," she said quietly. "But I take it that you think that you know me. I promise you -- you do not. At least not how you might think."
Atton grinned, breaking into laughter. "No? I do not? How you and your pathetic resistance managed to get all the way out here is beyond me, but I will know soon enough. But you are Julia Quintus. Same eyes, same hair..." He circled around her, inhaling deep. "Same scent."
Her expression flattened. "I highly doubt that you would have any familiarity with such things. But regardless, I know nothing of any resistance, and if you are a telepath as highly ranked as you say, you will see that I tell you no lies."
He gave her a confidant smile. "You always did like it when I spoke Latin in bed. That..." He looked her over, his smile curving towards sly. "...and when I'd push you up against the wall and fuck you like an Orion whore."
"Always so righteous, so duty bound. But you secretly loved to be on your knees before me. You'd always started off so strong, so in control but by the end, every time you'd be writhing underneath me begging me for one more thrust."
"You have the wrong woman," she snapped, cutting him off, but she was clearly flustered to a point where something -- or somethings -- he had said struck a nerve. "I would never... I never." She steeled herself, regaining her resolve and doing her best not to think too much at the moment. "Mister Jetrel. The simple fact exists that whatever woman you... involved yourself with, that is not me. Nor am I going to be pleased if you subject me to telepathic tortures. Nor will they be profitable."
"They won't?" He grinned, outstretching a hand towards her. Suddenly, Julia began to feel sick to her stomach. All too quickly images, emotions and a thought process that was very clearly foreign entered Julia's mind? "Your walls are weak Julia, much weaker then the last time we were together."
Half in anger, half in training coming back to her, her mind acted against the alien interference. "Atton," she started. "You... will not be able to succeed." She actively focused on mental defenses, slipping into a frame of mind designed for withstanding him. "I swear -- I will not fall."
"In the end, everyone falls." His voice resonated through her mind Julia could feel him pressing down on her. "You can not shield all of your memories from me. Tor is many things, but a liar he is not. I will take from you bit by bit until there is nothing left but what I want to see."
Her mental blocks were firmly in place, and she refused to let herself be distracted by his words. "You will not be able to overwhelm me," she said flatly. "You are neither my first telepath nor am I a weak-minded fool. I have trained for this. Though," she added, "I had rather hoped I would not have to use defenses against you."
The pressure in her mind continued to increase, before it suddenly tapered off. Then, from all sides it crashed down on her like a hurricane. Still her walls did not break, and the pressure subsided.
"Good...good." Atton's voice pierced through the silence. "I had hoped you were stronger then you first appeared. Where found this new strength, I will soon know, just like everything else. Perhaps I can not break your walls...but all walls need foundation, and that is very much exposed to me"
The mental anguish was growing stronger by the second, and Julia collapsed to her knees, refusing to let him get the better of her. "You are... wrong. You could not possibly conceive of what I know, and I will die before I expose secrets to you. Can you really do that? Kill me?"
"I do not kill." A chuckle translated through the link. "Though, you'll wish I did. Ponder yourself this: Who is Julia Quintus? What makes her the person she is today? All that has come before you. So many memories left exposed to me. Ah, this one will do."
Julia could feel his glee as he found what he desired. Soon the mental image of a young Roman girl, from Julia's own perspective came to view. "She was your first childhood friend, yes?" He needed no confirmation. In an instant, the memory was stripped from her. "Tell me, what was her name? What did she look like? What color was her hair? Do you understand now? You hold your secrets well, but you do nothing to protect your truly precious memories. I will take each and every single one from you until there is nothing left, and at that point...well, there wont even be a Julia Quintus left to protect her secrets, will there?"
"You are wrong," she said quietly, closing her eyes to blink back tears. "Even if you strip every part of my identity from me, my resolve will remain." She hoped to the gods she was speaking accurately.
"Defiant until the end. That's the Julia I know. Good for you. I would be disappointed if gave in so easily." She could feel the perverse pleasure he was deriving from this. "Very well. Let us begin."
***
Julia was curled on the dirt floor of the camp's headquarters, eyes damp from tears she was scarcely aware she had even shed. Shaking, she had done her best to only think empty thoughts, focusing on irrelevant trifles as this twisted version of Atton erased her life. Keeping her own memories was a secondary objective now; all that mattered was keeping him away from items of importance. She groaned at the latest mental trinket he was stealing, memories of her childhood horse, riding along the beach at her family's holiday home. She almost wished the deletion process was more painful, rather than... nothingness. It was easier to withstand pain than a void.
Atton let out long sigh, wiping his brow as he looked down on her. She was stronger then he'd though, and this process taxed him greatly, but he wasn't close to finished...even if she was. He could feel the frailty of her mind. A few more memories, and it would all unravel into nothingness. He would take what memories he could in that collapse and make his report to Tor and no longer would she haunt his memories. "Excellent Julia. I have to admit, I honestly thought you'd submit before this point. At least...I wasn't wrong in finding you worthy of admiration back then."
She could again feel the pressure rise as another memory was being summoned, and she could barely acknowledge Atton's hand cradling her face. "Fear not. It will be over soon."
She did not even have the strength to slap his hand away, the next set of memories crashing over her unbidden. It was something silly; the cadet queen of tactical in a weekend away from the Academy in wine country with some of her female companions. She could feel the memory unraveling before it even fully formed in her mind, the cords slipping away from her and towards Atton, and her own consciousness plunged forward into darkness. If she blacked out, she was unaware of it; unaware of everything from that point. Julia lacked even the awareness to really regret her failure.
He could feel it all crashing down around him, in mere moments she'd be lost forever. The first memories came flooding over, but none of them were of the resistance. No tactical plans, hidden bases, sleeper agents in the fleet. What he saw, he was wholly unprepared for. Earth. Humans, and aliens in uniform. Acceptance, understanding. The United Federation of Planets. Starfleet. Commander Atton Jetrel. He seized all of the memories, extending his mind far passed anything he ever had before, his own consciousness threatening to unravel as he held her mind together. Linked this tightly, intimately, he was laid bare to her as she was to him. She could see all there was to see. She saw him grow from childhood in a facility with others like him, his vocal cords surgically removed so that he could not speak. Daily tests of mental prowess and ability. Image training to make him hate the enemies of the empire. Slaves brought in to formulate his interrogation abilities. Young, malnourished children at first that could offer no resistance, older and more capable subjects as the years went by. Pleasure inducing chemicals pumped into his body with every mind he crushed, until he felt those sensations without the drugs. Vicious beatings simply because he was different from the Khanite guards. They needed him as much as they feared and hated him, and finally completion of the program. His artificial voice box installed, the retraining that allowed him to speak for the first time in almost 15 years. Etiquette, manners to make him worthy of interaction with his Khanite superiors. A beast in every sense of the world held in check by fear of his masters and a few courses on how to be proper.
Julia pulled away suddenly, the brief bond enough to break his hold on her -- mostly. His memories shocked her, and she sat almost motionlessly on the floor, stunned.
"Atton," she finally started, though her mind was making her speech feel strange and garbled within her own thoughts. "I... I am sorry," she murmured, wiping at her eyes. She did not need his own emotions to send her into heart-wrenching pain on his behalf; Julia was horrified.
He pulled away, fearful of her. She seen things no one should see, no one was meant to see. Years of mental forging to keep this very thing from happening. He was disturbed to his very core, more so by this woman's memories of a man who wore his face. As soon as he was confident her mind could sustain itself, he completely severed the link. She was not the Julia Quintus he knew. She was no high leader of the resistance. Not the one who had betrayed him in his singular moment of weakness. "Who are you!?" He demanded, his tone fear mixed with anger. "What is this!?"
"I told you who I am," she said tiredly, raggedly. Her head felt like it was ready to explode, and she held back her anger; it was replaced by weariness. "You know I am not lying."
"How is this possible?" He stared down at her in disbelief. He felt nothing for her pain, he'd been trained too well not to care for his subjects. "The Khanite rule over all with an iron first. Their domain covers all of explored space. Every planet they discover is another prize to claim. There is no Starfleet! No Federation!"
"It is another reality. Another timeline," she said quietly. "None of this should exist. Nor can the Khanites recover it for conquest."
His hand covered his mouth as eyes darted around the room, horrible revelation sinking in. "The Khanite rose to power on Earth in their late 20th century after the First Khan crushed his human opposition. After that, they spread out into the stars, conquering all who challenged them. You're telling me that the last three and a half centuries shouldn't have played out as they have?"
"No," she answered. "You have seen how it should have occurred. I am... truly sorry that you have gone through what you have." Julia sighed. "How did it happen? How did the humans become so powerful?"
This was all too much for him. So many scattered and destroyed for the Khanites power. The emotions that coursed through him threatened to overwhelm him. "Ahh..." He trailed off, forcing himself to focus. "So much of history has been perverted by them. The Khanite teach all that my people were savage seditionists. That we could inspire aneurysms in victims hundreds of meters away. The official history of that time is simply that the First Khan led his fellow Augments, as they were called then, to glorious victory over the inferior humans that feared their superior abilities..."
As if he again became aware of where he was, he stalked over to the entrance to the tent, sealing it before returning it back to Julia. "There are other stories told however, and some of this I have gleamed from Khanite minds themselves. But...from what I know...before Earth's final war was waged, the various leaders of the planets nations had gathered to address the growing Augment threat at a city called New York. Some gathering called...the Unified Nations...or something, I'm not sure. As this summit was being held, a nuclear bomb was detonated in the city. In the ensuing chaos, Khan's armies rose and eventually crushed all opposition."
One other thing dawned on him, now more important then ever. "...Of what I know of the inner workings of their society, this is fierce debate among some as to whether Khan was indeed responsible for this event..."
Julia blinked. "That... should not have happened." She leaned against a nearby table, trying to focus on the conversation. Her mind was scattered, however, latching onto everything and nothing. Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, she debated how much to share with him. "My Federation is at war. It is thought that there was... chronological destruction by our enemies."
He inhaled deeply as he put the pieces together. "That's what that device is, beyond the ridge? A gateway through time?"
"I..." Julia hesitated, and finally lied, a little. "It is a weapon. One of the last hopes we have of attacking our enemy."
"Don't." He voiced sternly, looking her over. "You're a horrible liar, worse then the Julia I know. I've taken a great risk in not carrying out my duty. Tor expects you dead when I return to the Atlas. If you expect me to risk myself for your sake, do not lie to me."
She frowned, wondering how many lives she could be sacrificing by listening to the gut instinct that said to trust him. "It allows the person who passes through to journey into any point in the past. It is called the Guardian of Forever. Your counterpart went through, from my ship. Where he is, I do not know."
"When might be the better question. But...I saw him through your eyes. He's a...uh...Starfleet officer, just like you. Why would he do this?"
"To protect history, I presume. We were tracking our enemy and it jumped through the portal to some point in the past. Commander Jetrel followed. It was damaged before I could as well," she added, regretfully.
"What happened?" He asked, honestly. The ordeal of before had strained him greatly, but he could still feel her anguish.
"A fight," she said briefly. "I fired at the enemy, they went close to the portal, one went through, and so did the commander." She gave half a laugh, but it was humorless. "Left behind again, although this time it was unintentional." She seemed to shake herself a little. "By the time I could react, the gateway went offline."
"How did it go offline? First reports are saying there appears to be a damaged area near the base of the arch" He gave her a quizzical look.
"I hit it with crossfire. I was not aiming for it. If I had not hit it, then the timeline would likely still be intact."
He stared her down for a long while before finally shaking his head. "Well, that's just great Julia. Because according to you, it isn't and now there's nothing you can do about it."
"If your people could repair it, I could get back. My crew and I could end all of this.
"Even if they can repair it, you'll never get near it again" He reminded her, matter of factly.
Julia was silent for a second, not directly responding. "What did she do to you? The other Julia, I mean."
He scowled, shaking his head. "We're not discussing that."
"You hate me because of it. I at least get to know why."
"Different Julia, so it doesn't count." He pointed at her indignantly. "Besides, you're the prisoner here. Even if this is all true, you and the rest of your crew will all be executed after the Khanite get what they want. You sooner. Maybe. I haven't decided." He admitted.
She looked away, a tight knot in her throat. "If you simply want me dead, then do it now and be done with it. Tell them your fantastic tale of another timeline." Her tone softened. "However, I would rather you not kill me, and I would rather not be your enemy."
He shook his head. "Like I said, I don't kill, but they do. Your crew is going to be tortured until the Khanite fell they have everything useful from them, and then likely summarily executed. It doesn't matter if we're enemies or not. They have to survive long enough for this guardian to be repaired. If it's repaired. And they only way I can bring you back to the ship alive is if I convince Tor there is more information I can learn from you. Are you sure you don't want me to call a guard in to put you out of your misery?"
"Help me," she pleaded. "You are the only telepath -- the only one that could know. And help me save my crew. And as many of the others are still here on the planet alive from the other ships. Please, Atton."
He scowled deeply, sighing and throwing his head back. This was not the sort of situation he imagined himself in. He had to weigh his options. Taking Julia back to the ship was a great personal risk. The rest were expendable to him, he didn't have the means to free them all anyway. But if she was right, and he could get her back to this guardian somehow, everything could change. "...I make no promises. If you and any of your crew are still alive if the guardian is repaired, I'll decide then."
"Please," she repeated, slowly dragging herself to her feet. "I... this reality cannot continue. And Atton?"
"What?" He glanced back to her.
"I will not betray you. I am truly not her."
"We'll see. I'll try to get you held with your crew. Now..." He walked towards her. "I need you unconscious. I wouldn't leave you conscious in any other circumstance."
"I can fake," she offered, halfheartedly.
"Trust," He said, raising his hand up and towards her hand. "It's a two way street as the humans say."
She tentatively clasped her hand around his. She did not exactly like it, but she had little choice in the matter. "I will see you on the ship."
He gave her a non committed look as his other hand palmed near her temple, knocking her out with a quick thought. He let her drop to the ground, half to make it look as an act of his interrogation, and half because seeing any Julia Quintus a heap on the floor brightened his mood. Even now he considered telling Tor everything. They'd execute everyone immediately, and the affair would be over with, no risk to him. Could he trust her? He'd have to see how unlike Julia, this Julia proved to be.
Atton's eyes, this Atton's eyes, stared at Julia with a cold hatred. If Julia had ever recognized she was the subject of a gruesome murder fantasy, she did now. "Yes," He spoke. "No thanks to you." His voice had an artificial tone to it, and brief examination of his neck revealed a scar directly above where his vocal cords would be.
"You know this woman?" Tor addressed Atton, his curiosity renewed again.
Jetrel silently nodded.
"Well, she must not know you, or your work. You don't seem to frighten her."
"No..I never did. This time will be different." A thin smile formed on his lips as inspiration flowed through him.
"Good. Remember, your life depends on it. I expect a full report, on this...and your past affiliation with this woman. Now, I have much better things to do then degrade myself by sharing space with a Human and a Betazoid." Tor said no more, quickly stalking out of the tent, leaving Atton and Julia alone. After a few seconds the telepathic inhibitor on his left temple deactivated. Obviously Tor had no intentions of having his own thoughts read.
Any relief that Julia had felt at this Atton's appearance was quickly falling away. "I really do not know you," she said quietly. "But I take it that you think that you know me. I promise you -- you do not. At least not how you might think."
Atton grinned, breaking into laughter. "No? I do not? How you and your pathetic resistance managed to get all the way out here is beyond me, but I will know soon enough. But you are Julia Quintus. Same eyes, same hair..." He circled around her, inhaling deep. "Same scent."
Her expression flattened. "I highly doubt that you would have any familiarity with such things. But regardless, I know nothing of any resistance, and if you are a telepath as highly ranked as you say, you will see that I tell you no lies."
He gave her a confidant smile. "You always did like it when I spoke Latin in bed. That..." He looked her over, his smile curving towards sly. "...and when I'd push you up against the wall and fuck you like an Orion whore."
"Always so righteous, so duty bound. But you secretly loved to be on your knees before me. You'd always started off so strong, so in control but by the end, every time you'd be writhing underneath me begging me for one more thrust."
"You have the wrong woman," she snapped, cutting him off, but she was clearly flustered to a point where something -- or somethings -- he had said struck a nerve. "I would never... I never." She steeled herself, regaining her resolve and doing her best not to think too much at the moment. "Mister Jetrel. The simple fact exists that whatever woman you... involved yourself with, that is not me. Nor am I going to be pleased if you subject me to telepathic tortures. Nor will they be profitable."
"They won't?" He grinned, outstretching a hand towards her. Suddenly, Julia began to feel sick to her stomach. All too quickly images, emotions and a thought process that was very clearly foreign entered Julia's mind? "Your walls are weak Julia, much weaker then the last time we were together."
Half in anger, half in training coming back to her, her mind acted against the alien interference. "Atton," she started. "You... will not be able to succeed." She actively focused on mental defenses, slipping into a frame of mind designed for withstanding him. "I swear -- I will not fall."
"In the end, everyone falls." His voice resonated through her mind Julia could feel him pressing down on her. "You can not shield all of your memories from me. Tor is many things, but a liar he is not. I will take from you bit by bit until there is nothing left but what I want to see."
Her mental blocks were firmly in place, and she refused to let herself be distracted by his words. "You will not be able to overwhelm me," she said flatly. "You are neither my first telepath nor am I a weak-minded fool. I have trained for this. Though," she added, "I had rather hoped I would not have to use defenses against you."
The pressure in her mind continued to increase, before it suddenly tapered off. Then, from all sides it crashed down on her like a hurricane. Still her walls did not break, and the pressure subsided.
"Good...good." Atton's voice pierced through the silence. "I had hoped you were stronger then you first appeared. Where found this new strength, I will soon know, just like everything else. Perhaps I can not break your walls...but all walls need foundation, and that is very much exposed to me"
The mental anguish was growing stronger by the second, and Julia collapsed to her knees, refusing to let him get the better of her. "You are... wrong. You could not possibly conceive of what I know, and I will die before I expose secrets to you. Can you really do that? Kill me?"
"I do not kill." A chuckle translated through the link. "Though, you'll wish I did. Ponder yourself this: Who is Julia Quintus? What makes her the person she is today? All that has come before you. So many memories left exposed to me. Ah, this one will do."
Julia could feel his glee as he found what he desired. Soon the mental image of a young Roman girl, from Julia's own perspective came to view. "She was your first childhood friend, yes?" He needed no confirmation. In an instant, the memory was stripped from her. "Tell me, what was her name? What did she look like? What color was her hair? Do you understand now? You hold your secrets well, but you do nothing to protect your truly precious memories. I will take each and every single one from you until there is nothing left, and at that point...well, there wont even be a Julia Quintus left to protect her secrets, will there?"
"You are wrong," she said quietly, closing her eyes to blink back tears. "Even if you strip every part of my identity from me, my resolve will remain." She hoped to the gods she was speaking accurately.
"Defiant until the end. That's the Julia I know. Good for you. I would be disappointed if gave in so easily." She could feel the perverse pleasure he was deriving from this. "Very well. Let us begin."
***
Julia was curled on the dirt floor of the camp's headquarters, eyes damp from tears she was scarcely aware she had even shed. Shaking, she had done her best to only think empty thoughts, focusing on irrelevant trifles as this twisted version of Atton erased her life. Keeping her own memories was a secondary objective now; all that mattered was keeping him away from items of importance. She groaned at the latest mental trinket he was stealing, memories of her childhood horse, riding along the beach at her family's holiday home. She almost wished the deletion process was more painful, rather than... nothingness. It was easier to withstand pain than a void.
Atton let out long sigh, wiping his brow as he looked down on her. She was stronger then he'd though, and this process taxed him greatly, but he wasn't close to finished...even if she was. He could feel the frailty of her mind. A few more memories, and it would all unravel into nothingness. He would take what memories he could in that collapse and make his report to Tor and no longer would she haunt his memories. "Excellent Julia. I have to admit, I honestly thought you'd submit before this point. At least...I wasn't wrong in finding you worthy of admiration back then."
She could again feel the pressure rise as another memory was being summoned, and she could barely acknowledge Atton's hand cradling her face. "Fear not. It will be over soon."
She did not even have the strength to slap his hand away, the next set of memories crashing over her unbidden. It was something silly; the cadet queen of tactical in a weekend away from the Academy in wine country with some of her female companions. She could feel the memory unraveling before it even fully formed in her mind, the cords slipping away from her and towards Atton, and her own consciousness plunged forward into darkness. If she blacked out, she was unaware of it; unaware of everything from that point. Julia lacked even the awareness to really regret her failure.
He could feel it all crashing down around him, in mere moments she'd be lost forever. The first memories came flooding over, but none of them were of the resistance. No tactical plans, hidden bases, sleeper agents in the fleet. What he saw, he was wholly unprepared for. Earth. Humans, and aliens in uniform. Acceptance, understanding. The United Federation of Planets. Starfleet. Commander Atton Jetrel. He seized all of the memories, extending his mind far passed anything he ever had before, his own consciousness threatening to unravel as he held her mind together. Linked this tightly, intimately, he was laid bare to her as she was to him. She could see all there was to see. She saw him grow from childhood in a facility with others like him, his vocal cords surgically removed so that he could not speak. Daily tests of mental prowess and ability. Image training to make him hate the enemies of the empire. Slaves brought in to formulate his interrogation abilities. Young, malnourished children at first that could offer no resistance, older and more capable subjects as the years went by. Pleasure inducing chemicals pumped into his body with every mind he crushed, until he felt those sensations without the drugs. Vicious beatings simply because he was different from the Khanite guards. They needed him as much as they feared and hated him, and finally completion of the program. His artificial voice box installed, the retraining that allowed him to speak for the first time in almost 15 years. Etiquette, manners to make him worthy of interaction with his Khanite superiors. A beast in every sense of the world held in check by fear of his masters and a few courses on how to be proper.
Julia pulled away suddenly, the brief bond enough to break his hold on her -- mostly. His memories shocked her, and she sat almost motionlessly on the floor, stunned.
"Atton," she finally started, though her mind was making her speech feel strange and garbled within her own thoughts. "I... I am sorry," she murmured, wiping at her eyes. She did not need his own emotions to send her into heart-wrenching pain on his behalf; Julia was horrified.
He pulled away, fearful of her. She seen things no one should see, no one was meant to see. Years of mental forging to keep this very thing from happening. He was disturbed to his very core, more so by this woman's memories of a man who wore his face. As soon as he was confident her mind could sustain itself, he completely severed the link. She was not the Julia Quintus he knew. She was no high leader of the resistance. Not the one who had betrayed him in his singular moment of weakness. "Who are you!?" He demanded, his tone fear mixed with anger. "What is this!?"
"I told you who I am," she said tiredly, raggedly. Her head felt like it was ready to explode, and she held back her anger; it was replaced by weariness. "You know I am not lying."
"How is this possible?" He stared down at her in disbelief. He felt nothing for her pain, he'd been trained too well not to care for his subjects. "The Khanite rule over all with an iron first. Their domain covers all of explored space. Every planet they discover is another prize to claim. There is no Starfleet! No Federation!"
"It is another reality. Another timeline," she said quietly. "None of this should exist. Nor can the Khanites recover it for conquest."
His hand covered his mouth as eyes darted around the room, horrible revelation sinking in. "The Khanite rose to power on Earth in their late 20th century after the First Khan crushed his human opposition. After that, they spread out into the stars, conquering all who challenged them. You're telling me that the last three and a half centuries shouldn't have played out as they have?"
"No," she answered. "You have seen how it should have occurred. I am... truly sorry that you have gone through what you have." Julia sighed. "How did it happen? How did the humans become so powerful?"
This was all too much for him. So many scattered and destroyed for the Khanites power. The emotions that coursed through him threatened to overwhelm him. "Ahh..." He trailed off, forcing himself to focus. "So much of history has been perverted by them. The Khanite teach all that my people were savage seditionists. That we could inspire aneurysms in victims hundreds of meters away. The official history of that time is simply that the First Khan led his fellow Augments, as they were called then, to glorious victory over the inferior humans that feared their superior abilities..."
As if he again became aware of where he was, he stalked over to the entrance to the tent, sealing it before returning it back to Julia. "There are other stories told however, and some of this I have gleamed from Khanite minds themselves. But...from what I know...before Earth's final war was waged, the various leaders of the planets nations had gathered to address the growing Augment threat at a city called New York. Some gathering called...the Unified Nations...or something, I'm not sure. As this summit was being held, a nuclear bomb was detonated in the city. In the ensuing chaos, Khan's armies rose and eventually crushed all opposition."
One other thing dawned on him, now more important then ever. "...Of what I know of the inner workings of their society, this is fierce debate among some as to whether Khan was indeed responsible for this event..."
Julia blinked. "That... should not have happened." She leaned against a nearby table, trying to focus on the conversation. Her mind was scattered, however, latching onto everything and nothing. Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, she debated how much to share with him. "My Federation is at war. It is thought that there was... chronological destruction by our enemies."
He inhaled deeply as he put the pieces together. "That's what that device is, beyond the ridge? A gateway through time?"
"I..." Julia hesitated, and finally lied, a little. "It is a weapon. One of the last hopes we have of attacking our enemy."
"Don't." He voiced sternly, looking her over. "You're a horrible liar, worse then the Julia I know. I've taken a great risk in not carrying out my duty. Tor expects you dead when I return to the Atlas. If you expect me to risk myself for your sake, do not lie to me."
She frowned, wondering how many lives she could be sacrificing by listening to the gut instinct that said to trust him. "It allows the person who passes through to journey into any point in the past. It is called the Guardian of Forever. Your counterpart went through, from my ship. Where he is, I do not know."
"When might be the better question. But...I saw him through your eyes. He's a...uh...Starfleet officer, just like you. Why would he do this?"
"To protect history, I presume. We were tracking our enemy and it jumped through the portal to some point in the past. Commander Jetrel followed. It was damaged before I could as well," she added, regretfully.
"What happened?" He asked, honestly. The ordeal of before had strained him greatly, but he could still feel her anguish.
"A fight," she said briefly. "I fired at the enemy, they went close to the portal, one went through, and so did the commander." She gave half a laugh, but it was humorless. "Left behind again, although this time it was unintentional." She seemed to shake herself a little. "By the time I could react, the gateway went offline."
"How did it go offline? First reports are saying there appears to be a damaged area near the base of the arch" He gave her a quizzical look.
"I hit it with crossfire. I was not aiming for it. If I had not hit it, then the timeline would likely still be intact."
He stared her down for a long while before finally shaking his head. "Well, that's just great Julia. Because according to you, it isn't and now there's nothing you can do about it."
"If your people could repair it, I could get back. My crew and I could end all of this.
"Even if they can repair it, you'll never get near it again" He reminded her, matter of factly.
Julia was silent for a second, not directly responding. "What did she do to you? The other Julia, I mean."
He scowled, shaking his head. "We're not discussing that."
"You hate me because of it. I at least get to know why."
"Different Julia, so it doesn't count." He pointed at her indignantly. "Besides, you're the prisoner here. Even if this is all true, you and the rest of your crew will all be executed after the Khanite get what they want. You sooner. Maybe. I haven't decided." He admitted.
She looked away, a tight knot in her throat. "If you simply want me dead, then do it now and be done with it. Tell them your fantastic tale of another timeline." Her tone softened. "However, I would rather you not kill me, and I would rather not be your enemy."
He shook his head. "Like I said, I don't kill, but they do. Your crew is going to be tortured until the Khanite fell they have everything useful from them, and then likely summarily executed. It doesn't matter if we're enemies or not. They have to survive long enough for this guardian to be repaired. If it's repaired. And they only way I can bring you back to the ship alive is if I convince Tor there is more information I can learn from you. Are you sure you don't want me to call a guard in to put you out of your misery?"
"Help me," she pleaded. "You are the only telepath -- the only one that could know. And help me save my crew. And as many of the others are still here on the planet alive from the other ships. Please, Atton."
He scowled deeply, sighing and throwing his head back. This was not the sort of situation he imagined himself in. He had to weigh his options. Taking Julia back to the ship was a great personal risk. The rest were expendable to him, he didn't have the means to free them all anyway. But if she was right, and he could get her back to this guardian somehow, everything could change. "...I make no promises. If you and any of your crew are still alive if the guardian is repaired, I'll decide then."
"Please," she repeated, slowly dragging herself to her feet. "I... this reality cannot continue. And Atton?"
"What?" He glanced back to her.
"I will not betray you. I am truly not her."
"We'll see. I'll try to get you held with your crew. Now..." He walked towards her. "I need you unconscious. I wouldn't leave you conscious in any other circumstance."
"I can fake," she offered, halfheartedly.
"Trust," He said, raising his hand up and towards her hand. "It's a two way street as the humans say."
She tentatively clasped her hand around his. She did not exactly like it, but she had little choice in the matter. "I will see you on the ship."
He gave her a non committed look as his other hand palmed near her temple, knocking her out with a quick thought. He let her drop to the ground, half to make it look as an act of his interrogation, and half because seeing any Julia Quintus a heap on the floor brightened his mood. Even now he considered telling Tor everything. They'd execute everyone immediately, and the affair would be over with, no risk to him. Could he trust her? He'd have to see how unlike Julia, this Julia proved to be.