Star Trek: Metamorphosis
Westfall/Star Trek TNG Crossover Fanfiction #2
Scene 13
Beverly’s hand was cradling her forehead as she leaned her elbow against the table. “All right. Walk us through the process one more time.”
Giorgio Hayward’s despondent frown was tugging down on every wrinkle on his face. His blue hand shakily adjusted the round glasses on his nose before he huffed a sigh and turned back to the transformation machine still positioned on the side of the tub.
Across from him, and beside Beverly, stood Hudson, Data, and Alyssa. Each looked on in apprehension, confusion, and discomfort as Giorgio gestured to his case of vials.
“First, I choose the vial from this box to act as the source,” he said, picking one up. “In this case, I chose the sample of a young Andorian male. I, then, insert the vial into the machine and turn it on.” He plugged in the vial and turned the machine on. “At this time I would put my hand inside the water,” he hovered his hand over the water, ”and activate the machine. At that moment, every skin cell touching the water will be stimulated into shifting its appearance to match the source. When I deactivate the machine and remove my hand, it will be genetically identical to the Andorian male the sample is from.”
“And to change it back?” Beverly prompted.
“To change it back,” Giorgio repeated glumly, “I would set the machine to reverse the process,” he flipped a switch, “put my hand back inside the water, and activate the machine.” He gestured to the water. “And then, my hand will once again be genetically my hand.”
“But only for so long,” Beverly concluded, crossing her arms.
Alyssa Ogawa shook her head in thought. “The process is different for a new change, versus a reversal,” she mused aloud.
Hudson’s fingers scratched through the stubble on his chin. “It’s like... the reversal isn’t stickin’.”
Data jerkily turned his head to Hudson. “Stickin’?” He repeated the word identically.
“Well, the change only seems to stay the first time through,” he looked at Data. ”It kinda makes me think of what’s Mister Geordi’s been teachin’ me with the engineering simulator.”
“The... what?” Giorgio leaned forward.
“Well, every simulation starts with what he calls a ‘save state’,” the former tractor mechanic at once grew animated, using his hands to better explain his thoughts. “That way, I can do whatever I want to test diff’rent things, but if I mess it up or change a bunch of stuff, I can always tell the machine to go back to the save state.” He looked up at Doctor Haywyard. “Before you used the machine, your hand’s ’save state’ is your hand, just as it’s supposed to be.”
He nodded, watching the tall man’s eyes drift aside.
“Now, there was one time, I reset the save state by accident; and then, I couldn’t go back to it. I was able to set it all back up like nothin’ had happened–to where it looked like the save state–but when I told the machine to go back, it went back to the messed up one instead. ’Cause that was the new save state.”
Giorgio blinked a few times. “I... I’m not following.”
Hudson frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “As far as I can figure, the reversal i’n’t really changing your hand back for real, ’cause your hand’s ’save state’ is now the blue one.”
Data turned to Doctor Hayward. ”I believe Hudson is correct. Once you used the vial to change your hand to appear Andorian, your body now believes this is its new ‘normal’. Reversing the process is not able to fully override this setting, and your body changes back to Andorian. That is why the error only occurs in the reversal process, not the initial change.”
Beverly could see the wheels turning in the visiting doctor’s eyes. “Doctor, instead of reversing the change, why can’t you simply use a vial of your own DNA to change your hand back to your hand?”
A light, at last, went off in Giorgio’s head. “...Oh!” He exclaimed with a short jump. “Oh–oh my–why had I not–why did I not–”
His thoughts were never fully spoken as he ran back to his case and pulled out a different vial. He switched it with the Andorian sample, placed his hand within the water, and activated the machine. Once again, the hand removed from the water was his own.
“I suppose I’ll have to wait a few hours to ensure it... ‘sticks’,” Giorgio said with a half smile. “But... I do believe what you’ve said is correct,” he turned to Hudson as his hand dropped to his side. “I did not consider that a ‘fresh change’ may be required every time, not just a reversal.”
“So, when Lieutenant Inova is back... we’ll need her own DNA to return her to her true self,” Alyssa looked across the room to Beverly. “Do we have this?”
The Enterprise’s doctor smirked. “Thanks to Doctor Hayward’s fascination with all types of aliens, he did request, and retrieve, a DNA sample of our Aravasti lieutenant before she left.”
Hudson breathed a sigh of relief, slumping against Alyssa in the process. He very quickly shot back upright. “Gosh–I’m sorry ma’am!”
“Oh–please, don’t worry!” She tried to calm Hudson’s profuse stream of apologies.
“Yes, Mr. Rowlett,” Giorgio had again assumed a sort of hunched-over posture as he regained the mechanic’s attention. “If anyone should be apologizing here, it is me.” He wrung his pale-skinned hands together. “I almost changed the appearance of your bride-to-be for good, and I am very sorry for the worry and strain I have caused you.”
The petty officer found a somewhat sheepish smile. “Oh, I mean; I’m gonna marry Ms. Gemini no matter what. She’s beautiful because of who she is, not just what she looks like.”
Beverly and her assistant shared heartfelt looks between one another.
“Though, I’ll admit,” Hudson continued softly, “I do kinda prefer how she usually looks,” he bit his lip, “you know, with a... a smoother forehead.”
The room broke into a smattering of laughter, ushering in a more light-hearted mood–for all except Data. He stood stiffly among his human colleagues, blinking and glancing at each one.
“What about Spot?” he asked after a moment, his yellow eyes focusing on the calico cat curled up on a nearby table.
“Oh,” Giorgio muttered, wincing. “I... I did not take a sample of your cat.”
Lieutenant Ogawa held up a finger. “But I did: yesterday, when you brought him in for his annual checkup!”
Relief again washed over the group, and a much more satisfied Data turned to the table to lift Spot while Beverly and her assistant left to retrieve the vial from the feline’s bloodwork.
“See, Spot?” Data cradled the cat in his arms and carried him to the basin. “It is very good to ensure you are functioning normally each year. If not, you would be forced to live out your days as a genetic anomaly.” His head jerked back to Hudson. “Not that I could not accept Spot as he looks now; but, as you alluded to earlier, I prefer Spot to look like Spot.”
“Yep,” Hudson grinned. ”I prefer Gemini looks like Gemini, too.”
“And soon,” Giorgio Hayward smiled wide as he stood over his machine, “both will be returned to their own... ‘save states.’” He winked.
Scene Notes
- Sometimes the answers are much simpler than we think...