Star Trek: Metamorphosis
Westfall/Star Trek TNG Crossover Fanfiction #2
Scene 8
Gemini stood at the foot of a long metal basin of water. She was dressed in a simple sports top and shorts and appeared as if she were about to go for a swim. With the basin being long enough and deep enough for her to be submerged within it, this notion was not too far off.
Doctor Crusher and Doctor Hayward were finalizing the setup of the ‘shape-shifting’ device at the other end of the basin, including extending the sensor into the water.
Seeing the device and the tub gave her the first true pang of apprehension since accepting the mission. The second pang came when Hudson’s hands gently slid around her bare arm.
Gemini turned slowly toward her fiance. His face had softened some, but his stubbled chin and bushy sideburns were still tugged down in a frown.
“It’s going to be all right,” she tried to placate him by setting her hand on his cheek. “This isn’t that different from other missions I’ve been on.”
“I know,” he smoothed a strand of white hair from her forehead. “I guess I’m just more worried ‘cause you’re gonna have to change so much. An’ once you’re there, if anything goes wrong...”
“Then I have Worf and our combined years of combat training to help get us out.” She tried to smile. “Besides; it’s worth the risk if we can rescue someone.”
The mechanic sighed and finally broke through his somber mood. “I guess I was rescued once, too.”
“So was I,” she closed her eyes as he bent forward to kiss her forehead. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.
“Gemini?”
The two turned to see Beverly smiling at them, though the expectant look upon Giorgio’s face alerted them it was time to begin the process. She removed her glasses and handed them to Hudson. As he accepted them, she got to her toes and pecked a quick kiss on his cheek before stepping over to the doctors.
Gemini was taking her place within the basin when the door to the lab opened to reveal Deanna.
The relief of seeing the counselor arrive could be felt by the half-Betazoid from across the room. “It’s time, I see,” Deanna smiled and stepped in beside Hudson.
His own anxiety eased somewhat as she set a light hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for bein’ here,” he admitted softly.
“Of course,” he patted his back and gave Gemini a confident smile.
Giorgio Hayward inserted a vial into the machine. “Lieutenant, are you ready?” He asked.
“I am,” she said, taking one last look at her pale legs and feet.
“You may submerge,” he nodded succinctly.
Gemini took a deep breath, half to calm her nerves, and half to prepare for holding her breath. She pinched her nose closed and laid back into the water.
Giorgio activated the machine.
Hudson bit his lip, heart pounding with anticipation.
Deanna straightened to look over the ledge of the basin.
Doctor Hayward found it hard to breathe and even harder to speak. “Y–you m–m... come up!”
Gemini sat up, water running from her body as she emerged. She reached up to wipe her eyes clear, but she paused when she felt a much thicker brow ridge. She opened her green eyes wide.
Giorgio was shaking his head while Beverly, Hudson, and Deanna looked on in disbelief. “Oh...” his words escaped as a breath. “Oh, look at you...”
Gemini sloshed through the tub to get to her feet, squinting to look into the tall mirror across the room. Her vision was too blurred to make out the figure within it. Without breaking her gaze, she retrieved her glasses from Hudson’s hands. Water dripped from her body as she stepped out of the tub and returned her glasses to her nose. She could focus only on her reflection as she approached, lips parted in awe.
There, in the mirror, stood a Klingon woman in a simple sports top and shorts. Her skin was tanned and toughened, and long waves of dark brown hair hung in wet strands around her shoulders. Bushy eyebrows angled down to her nose and spread over the frames of her glasses.
Her lips parted as her fingers moved up and began to trace the ridges that spread across her forehead. “Woah,” she breathed before catching sight of Hudson in the mirror behind her.
“...Gosh, Gem.” He wavered between curiosity, excitement, worry, and shock.
The Klingon turned to him and offered a light smile. “Can you still tell it's me?”
“So far,” Hudson, too, managed one as well, bringing a hand to her face. “You... sound like you. And you’ve still got your eyes.”
“I still need my glasses to see, too,” she mentioned to Giorgio.
“It appears a full transformation does not affect the eyes or vocal cords,” the ship’s doctor glanced at the visiting doctor. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Doctor Hayward was still too awe-struck to move from his place beside the basin, and too bewildered to speak.
Beverly tried to wave him over. “Come on, Doctor; you’re acting like you’ve never seen your machine work before!”
“Oh, no, I... I know it does... it’s just... seeing this particular change...”
“Wait,” Gemini exclaimed suddenly, her hands at her chest. “My power mark is gone!” She thrust out her hands, bending her fingers–only to sigh with relief when the tips of them began to glow.
“You’ve still got your power,” Hudson also seemed relieved.
“Yeah–but my mark isn’t visible on my new skin,” she lightly touched the fading diamond-shaped glow above her heart.
“Your power is in your blood,” Giorgio finally managed to step forward. “That should not be affected.”
The door to sickbay opened to reveal a somewhat harried Worf. “Doctor, we are nearing Najhom, and the bridge is requesting an update on...”
The Klingon warrior’s words trailed off. His dark eyes, wide, gaped at the female Klingon standing across the room. He slowly, steadily, scanned her form, as if trying to determine if she truly was Gemini.
In response, Gemini straightened her posture, removed her glasses, and walked up to him with her chin held high. “NuqneH.” The word was breathy and spoken with an air of annoyance.
His eyes narrowed at her traditional Klingon greeting, and he took a step forward to square himself to her. The top of her head still aligned with his shoulders. “You are still small,” he noted under his breath.
Her lips flared as she bared her teeth. Her form arched and her neck extended. “I have been a Klingon less than two minutes and you already insult me?”
Her posture and the guttural tone to her voice drastically shifted Worf’s expression, and he wavered on his feet for a moment before baring his teeth back at her. “You should expect nothing less!”
“I would expect respect from someone like you!” She barked back.
“My word–it’s affected your personality!!” Giorgio staggered into Beverly in shock.
The two Klingon then broke into grins, with Gemini laughing as she playfully punched Worf’s arm. “Not bad, huh?”
“Yes,” the words hissed through his smile. “I am pleased to see how convincing you are.”
Beverly shook her head and glanced at Deanna and Hudson. Deanna was grinning from ear to ear as Hudson looked on in amusement. Giorgio was the last to react, blinking a few times before a forced laugh escaped his lips.
Worf cleared his throat. “I was sent to retrieve Gemini; we are approaching Najhom. We must report to the bridge conference room for our final briefing before the mission.”
“Understood,” she nodded. “I just need to get dressed, and do something with these,” she held up her glasses.
“I can fit you with more discrete vision correction,” Beverly reached forward to take the blue-framed lenses from her hand.
“You also need a name,” Worf bowed somewhat. “Gemini is not a suitable Klingon name.”
“Oh, that’s true, I didn’t think of that,” her eyes wandered along with her mind.
Worf bowed further. “I... have a name for you,” his words began to soften. “If you would accept it.”
A smile pulled Gemini’s lips. “Go ahead.”
“Qul’tuq,” he said, the word slipping through his pursed lips. “It is the name of many things in the empire, but I believe it to be fitting for you.” He straightened his posture. “The name means house–or bloodline–of fire.”
Hudson grinned as Deanna glanced at Beverly with a widening smile. Even Giorgio’s expression began to lighten.
Qul’tuq’s chin rose at the sound of her name. “I will gladly accept.”
Scene Notes
- Qul Tuq ("kool took") is the name of a famous Klingon opera and a planetary system (named after the opera). Definitely a fitting Klingon name for Gemini.