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What Makes Us Sentient?

Summary:

"Inside us lies every possibility that is available to a sentient being. Every darkness, every light. It is the choices we make that decide who or what we will be."
~ Charles de Lint

Notes:

So, I decided to take another stab at writing and attempt a crossover.

Captain Philippa Georgiou of the USS Shenzhou from Star Trek: Discovery is still the center character of my story and probably will be for all my stories because it is this character that inspired me to write in the first place. I am also obviously a huge fan of Michelle Yeoh.

Chapter 1: We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

Chapter Text

“We live in a world defined by its boundaries: You cannot travel faster than the speed of light. You must and will die. You cannot escape these boundaries. But the miracle and hope of human consciousness is that we can still conceive of boundlessness.”

~ Esther Earl ~

****

What is life? What is consciousness? What defines a sentient being?

There is no greater mystery than that of the origin of life. Many scientists believe that in order to understand the origin of life, mankind needed to first understand the beginning of the universe that led to the creation of Earth, an environment where human life form thrived. As mankind understanding of the universe continues to evolve, the answer to the origin of life remains elusive. A breakthrough in scientific discovery in the 20th century unified space and time into a single inseparable entity, spacetime which became the foundation of all theories in natural science. It changed the way mankind understood the fabric of reality. Space, time, life, can one exist without the other? What is beyond spacetime? Is space the final frontier? Or is space simply the starting point in unravelling the mystery of existence?

Early humans used to believe the Earth was flat before the idea of a spherical Earth appeared in ancient Greek philosophy. A spherical Earth gave rise to the belief that Earth was the center of the universe until Copernicus developed a heliocentric model that suggested the Sun to be the center of the universe. Until the early 20th century, it was believed that there were no galaxies other than the Milky Way and that the galactic core of the Milky Way was the center of the universe. After the Great Debate in 1920, the existence of other galaxies was proven and the center of the universe became impossible to determine as the theory of an expanding universe emerged.

Humans first landed on a celestial body beyond Earth before the end of the 20th century. By the 21st century, manned and unmanned exploration of space had advanced beyond the Sol System. Humanity undying quest to understand its origin and purpose led mankind to seek answer in the vastness of the universe. Space exploration led to another question, are Humans the only life forms in the universe? This question was quickly answered. Many contacts with aliens were allegedly reported before the 21st century but never made official. These encounters eventually became part of Earth mythology and tales of supernatural. One of the earliest known notable first contacts was with the Sky Spirits, a race of humanoid explorers with warp-capable starships from the Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Officially, the first contact between Humans and extraterrestrials took place in the 21st century. Doctor Zefram Cochrane, an eccentric Human scientist who invented the warp drive and the first recorded Human to travel faster than light was also the first Human to make contact with an alien race when he met the crew of a Vulcan survey ship, the T’Plana-Hath in Bozeman, central Montana on Earth. However, the existence of other alien life forms in the universe did not change the fundamental question as to the origin of life, be it Human or alien. The origin of all life forms were still connected to the origin of the universe.

Deep space exploration and the discovery of alien races put a halt to mankind original quest for the truth as resources and focus were diverted to the survival and preservation of the Human race and culture. By the mid-21st century, mankind was fighting interstellar wars against different alien races. In the early 22nd century, colonies outside the Sol system were established. Then, the Earth-Romulan War fought from 2156 to 2160 led to the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161 between Humans and its three wartime allies, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites.

Starfleet is the deep space exploration and defence organization of the United Federation of Planets. One of its main functions is the advancement of knowledge about the galaxy and its inhabitants. A mandate that brings its personnel into contact with civilizations and sentient species whose existences were previously unknown to the Federation and encounters with phenomena that defy existing scientific laws of the universe.

****

The USS Shenzhou was on an exploratory mission in the space region of Typhon Expanse near the Romulan Neutral Zone in the Beta Quadrant when it was caught in a sudden magnetic storm. The force swept the Shenzhou off course into a spatial anomaly and the starship re-emerged in an unknown region in space.

“Number One, report.” Captain Philippa Georgiou barks amid the turbulence.

“Captain, all systems are offline. We are drifting blind.” Commander Michael Burnham replies urgently.

As suddenly as the magnetic storm appeared, the turbulence the ship was caught in continues for another minute and disappears abruptly.

“Systems are rebooting now. We hit a magnetic storm that came out of nowhere. It completely disabled the ship for 3 minutes 24 seconds. Hull integrity uncompromised and all core systems are back online and fully functional. Engineering and maintenance are already running diagnostic on all systems.

Captain, the navigational array is picking up a lot of irregularities. The storm must have swept us into some kind of spatial anomaly. Our position relative to the galactic center puts us in the Delta Quadrant approximately 11,000 light years from the core. That is not all. The coordinates of known planetary systems do not match those of the star charts in our databases.” Commander Michael Burnham reports, obviously perplexed by the readings she is getting from the ship’s navigation console.

“Is it possible our navigational system is malfunctioning?”

“Negative, Captain. I have recalibrated our sensors and ran system diagnostic.”

“Captain, it seems we have jumped in both space and time. The computer indicates we are in the 27th century, 400 years into the future.” Lieutenant Commander Saru adds.

“What happened to the spatial anomaly we encountered?”

“I believe we encountered a quantum singularity and were pulled into it by its gravitational force when the ship went offline. It is a miracle the ship was not torn apart. It is impossible to conclude if the singularity was produced naturally or artificially because it only manifested for a brief period of time. There is no way we can return through the same spacetime rift. We cannot even be certain if the ship can survive going through another one.” Lieutenant Commander Saru posits.

“What do we know about the Delta Quadrant?” Captain Georgiou asks her first officer and chief science officer.

“Almost nothing, Captain. There is no record of any Federation starships to ever venture into the Delta Quadrant.” Lieutenant Commander Saru, the Shenzhou’s chief science officer replies.

“According to unverified Human accounts, a race of aliens from a distant planetary system visited Earth around 43,000 BC and their interaction with ancient Humans gave rise to the Native American tribes. It was believed that this alien race known as the Sky Spirit came from the Delta Quadrant.” Commander Michael Burnham answers. Commander Michael Burnham is the Shenzhou’s first officer and second-in-command, who joined the Shenzhou as a xenoanthropologist 7 years ago.

“Is there any record of where we can find this Sky Spirits’ homeworld?”

“I have the coordinates, Captain. It’s approximately 6 light-years from our current location. According to our long range sensors, the celestial patterns in that region of space appear to be similar to that of the Sol System.” Commander Michael Burnham offers.

“Very well, Number One. Let’s chart a course and see if we can verify an ancient Earth history.”

****

“Captain, long range sensors are picking up a space station approximately 1.3 light-years from us. It appears to be abandoned. There are floating space debris but no other starships in proximity.” Ensign Danby Connor reports.

“Lieutenant Detmer, take us closer. Ensign Connor, I want a visual of the space station on screen.” Captain Georgiou instructs.

“Captain, the fundamental construction principle of the space station would suggest it’s of Human origin or similar. Structural damages appear to be from external forces. There is a high radiation reading on the surface but most of the internal structures are intact and sealed. The atmosphere inside the space station is consistent with ours.” Lieutenant Commander Saru states.

“Captain, there is something else. The quantum signature of the space station is inconsistent with ours.” Commander Burnham reveals.

“That’s not possible. Nothing can change the quantum signature of any matter in the universe.” Lieutenant Commander Saru argues and walks over to Commander Burnham’s station to check the data himself. He gasps at the reading. “That’s…impossible.”

“Unless the quantum singularity we encountered was a spatial interphase and this is not our universe.” Commander Burnham infers.

“Number One, are you actually suggesting we jumped not only in space and time but in dimension as well?”

“That would appear so, Captain.” Commander Burnham stands by her assessment.

“I have to agree with Commander Burnham, Captain. The quantum variance readings are conclusive.” Lieutenant Commander Saru affirms Commander Burnham’s evaluation.

“What other surprises can there possibly be?” Captain Georgiou quips.

“Captain, the visual is coming up on screen now. The space station is completely abandoned except for a single bio-signature belonging to a…uh Human.” Ensign Connor notifies the captain.

“I guess we are not done with surprises. We need knowledge of whatever universe, space region and time we are in if we are to survive and find our way back home. Lieutenant Saru, the conn is yours. Number One, with me.” Captain Georgiou concludes.

****

Singularities, wormholes and the possibility of time travel had been recognized by Human scientists since the 20th century. While many types of singularities such as black holes have been encountered and identified, no naturally-occurring stable wormholes have been discovered in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants.

The idea that an infinite number of parallel universes exist dated back to ancient Greek. Multiple universes have been hypothesized in cosmology, philosophy, religion, literature and depicted in various forms of arts, not only in Earth history but throughout other alien civilizations in the galaxy. There were numerous accounts that support the existence of multiverses yet there was never any concrete scientific proof. The Federation is still debating whether experiments on interdimensional gateways to the multiverses should be allowed and legalized, as with time travel. No one can predict the consequences of opening the gateways between the multiple universes and how time travel can affect the fragile existence of life itself.

****

Captain Philippa Georgiou, Commander Michael Burnham, Commander Ellen Landry and Lieutenant Kamran Gant don their EV suits and are transported onto the space station. The away team has their phasers out and set to stun as they slowly make their way along the deserted corridors inside the space station.

“There are no dead bodies at all. The space station must have been evacuated right before it was attacked or they collected the dead before they abandoned the station. The lack of blood would suggest the former. All the signage we came across is in English so we can conclude that it’s of Human origin.” Commander Burnham shares her observation.

“The bio-signal is coming from a point 150 feet ahead of us. It has not moved at all.” Commander Landry leads the way with a heavy duty tricorder in hand. “The signal is coming from 20 feet right behind this door, Captain.”

“Number One, do you think you open the door?”

“Yes, Captain. The control panel is not dissimilar to that of our universe.”

The door hisses open and the team is shocked to find a naked dark hair female lying unconscious on the floor of what looks like an infirmary. Commander Landry scans the body and confirms that it is Human, alive and from this universe. Captain Georgiou grabs a sheet from a nearby shelf and covers the body. She gently turns the body over to reveal a beautiful woman probably in her early thirties.

“Number One, take Commander Landry with you and see if you can retrieve a usable data core from the station. Lieutenant Gant and I will stay with our mystery woman and go over the medical logs.”

Captain Georgiou instructs the Shenzhou to beam down a quarantine pod for their mystery guest as a safety measure. Together Lieutenant Gant and the captain lift the unconscious woman and place her inside the pod. Lieutenant Gant keeps watch while Captain Georgiou accesses the medical terminals trying to uncover any information as to why this woman was left in the infirmary of the abandoned space station. Thirty minutes later, Commander Burnham and Commander Landry return with the data core and the away team transports back to the Shenzhou with their mystery guest.

****

Back on the Shenzhou, the science team is tasked to study the data core and their mystery guest is left in the care of Dr Anton Nambue, the Shenzhou’s chief medical officer. The patient is placed in a private section of the sickbay behind a force field that acts as quarantine barrier. Michael and Saru are in the captain’s ready room giving Philippa an update on what they have learnt so far about this parallel universe and time.

“Most of the space regions are under the control of corporations run by Humans. There is a Council of Corporations which encompasses all of the major intergalactic corporations and also a faction known as The League of Autonomous Worlds. The Galactic Authority is the law-enforcement organization in charge of policing colonized space on behalf of the Council of Corporations but they do not interfere with affairs of independent territories or autonomous worlds.” Michael informs the captain.

“Are we likely to encounter peaceful allies or hostile enemies?” Philippa asks.

“There are plenty of ongoing conflicts in the region. One is between the major corporations, most notably between Ferrous Corp and Mikkei Combine. Another conflict is between two independent territories known as The Principality of Zairon and The Republic of Pyr. There is also a terrorist group called the Procyon Insurrection lead by a leader known only as The General who opposes the Galactic Authority.” Saru adds.

“So basically our options are between corporations or independent territories. I would prefer if we avoid the Galactic Authority until we know more. What is the closest inhabited planet to us?”

“I’ve updated our navigation database with the star charts from the space station data core and we are 3.3 light-years from Earth. It may not be a coincidence that the coordinates we charted for the alleged Sky Spirits’ homeworld from our universe is actually Earth in this universe. Most of the planetary systems from our universe exist here but their positions in relative to the galactic center are very different to ours. Similar to our universe, Earth is in the Sol System and homeworld to the Human species.” Michael explains.

“Did you find anything regarding the space station?”

“I did not, Captain. All the logs related to the space station have been intentionally deleted.” Saru replies.

“I didn’t find anything in the medical logs regarding our mystery guest either. I guess we just have to wait for her to wake up. In the meantime, maintain our course for Sol System but alter our destination to Jupiter instead of Earth.”

Philippa unconsciously rubs her temple and Michael has counted that this is the third time the captain has done so during their short briefing session. Michael waits until Saru has left the ready room before she approaches her mentor.

“Are you having a headache, Philippa?” Michael asks softly.

Philippa pinches the bridge of the nose, “It’s the singularities. They always give me headaches.”

“Is it a bad one?”

The captain closes her eyes and nods slowly.

“You haven’t slept since we crossed over. Do you need to go to sickbay or do you want to go back to your quarters?”

“Can you help me back to my quarters? I just need to sleep for now. If it doesn’t get any better, I will go see Dr Nambue.”

Michael informs Saru to take over the conn and that the captain is indisposed and will take the rest of the day off. She accompanies Philippa back to her quarters and stays with her until she is sure the captain has fallen asleep before returning to bridge.

Michael is one of the very few people Philippa openly shows her vulnerable side. Their relationship has not always been an easy one especially during Michael’s first year on the Shenzhou. It was Michael who constantly challenged Philippa but the captain never gave up, instead she rose to the occasion every time. Philippa showed Michael love and care without ever asking anything in return. Michael had been extremely skeptical in the beginning and stubbornly refused to accept Philippa’s gestures of kindness. But Philippa stayed true to herself and her gestures were effortless while Michael struggled internally to defy her mentor.

Philippa bared her vulnerability to Michael and trusted Michael with her flaws. She patiently nurtured Michael and slowly brought out the best of humanity in her. Over the years, Philippa broke through every defenses Michael had built to guard herself against hurt and rejection. Philippa helped Michael healed from her childhood trauma, encouraged her to pursue her passion without fear and opened Michael’s heart to embrace love and happiness again. She became so much more than just a captain and a mentor to Michael. Philippa is her rock, her confidant and a very dear friend.

****

The first thing the woman registers when she regains consciousness is that she is clothed and reclined on a bed. She does not sense any movements around her so she opens her eyes slowly and takes in her surroundings. She is alone in a small alcove behind a force field and there are monitors around the bed showing her vitals. She is wearing a medical gown and there is a metallic bracelet on her left wrist but she is not being restrained.

“Hello, I’m Dr Anton Nambue.” A man in white uniform appears outside the force field and greets her.

He seems friendly and harmless but she feels nervous nonetheless. It is not particular towards him but towards people in white medical uniforms. She does not know why except that she cannot trust them, and that she needs to stay away from medical and research facilities.

“Can you tell me your name?” Dr Nambue asks gently.

She tries to reply but then she recalls what happened three months ago. She wonders how she got here and if she has been captured. She remembers being naked and walking along the corridor of an empty space station.

“Do you remember your name? Do you understand what I am saying?” Dr Nambue tries again when the woman does not reply and seems confused.

“I don’t remember my name.” The woman replies, which is technically true or at least the half-truth.

An older woman in a blue uniform with gold stripes appears next to the doctor. She has long dark brown wavy hair tied in a simple low ponytail and a kind face that is full of wisdom and compassion. She thinks the woman looks utterly beautiful. What a strange thought. The woman has a presence that is both commanding and comforting.

“Hello, I am Captain Philippa Georgiou. You are on my ship. My crew and I found you unconscious and alone in an abandoned space station. Do you remember what happened to you?” The woman introduces herself and explains.

Philippa has a very distinctive accent, and her voice is rich and warm. Something about the captain makes her want to bare her soul to this stranger.

“I only remember glimpses of it. I was naked and I was walking along an empty corridor until I found an infirmary. I think I was drugged and I must have passed out. I don’t remember how I got there or why I was there. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.” The mystery guest offers and adds, “Am I your prisoner?”

“No, of course not. You are my guest. We placed you in quarantine inside this isolation ward for precautionary reasons.” Philippa explains and assures her guest.

“Our scans detected no anomalies or foreign agents on her. I believe it is safe to release her from quarantine.” Dr Nambue informs the captain.

Philippa disables the force field and enters with Dr Nambue. Her intuition tells her this nameless stranger means them no harm.

“Dr Nambue is my chief medical officer. Would you allow him to give you a physical examination?” Philippa asks politely.

The nameless woman nods, giving her consent.

“She is actually in excellent physical health and I mean literally in perfect condition.” Dr Nambue concludes with a mixture of amazement and skepticism. Perfect health is a very subjective matter and almost non-existent in Humans regardless of how far modern medicine has progressed. However, they are in a parallel universe so perhaps anything is possible.

“Thank you, Dr Nambue.” Philippa dismisses the doctor and gives her guest a set of casual civilian clothing to change into.

After she is discharged from the sickbay, Philippa leads the woman to one of the ship’s guest quarters. They are escorted by two armed security officers.

“My chief of security is very protective of me and my crew. These officers are here as part of our security protocol for your safety as well as my crew. You are not my prisoner and you are free to roam about the ship or leave anytime you wish. They are here to guide you to where you want to go and to assist you with anything you need.” Philippa explains tactfully.

“It’s okay. I understand, Captain Georgiou.” The woman acknowledges.

It is really odd that she doesn’t feel threatened by these people. What is even odder is that she believes everything the captain tells her. She knows for certain she is not someone who trusts people easily. She briefly wonders if she is under the influence of some kind of psychotropic drugs that is affecting her behaviour. But she feels completely lucid and in control of her body and thoughts.

The door hisses open and they enter the guest quarter. The quarter is spacious and partitioned into two sections. The inner section has a large bed and the outer section has a work area with a terminal and a small lounge next to a viewport.

“Why don’t you settle in and rest for a while. I will send my first officer to come get you later and give you a tour of my ship.” The captain offers.

“I’m not tired. Can you stay and talk, Captain?” The woman surprises them both by asking.

“Of course, and please call me Philippa.” The captain extends her courtesy of friendliness. They sit down by small lounge next to the viewport.

“Two.” The woman suddenly blurts out. “I mean my name is Two.”

“Are you starting to remember now?” Philippa asks kindly without a hint of distrust in her voice or expression.

“Yes and No. I don’t remember my real name or my past. I was called Two because I was the second person to wake up from stasis aboard a starship about three months ago.” Two explains.

“How many were there?” Philippa continues to ask.

“There were six of us. None of us remembered who we were or what we were doing on the ship so we called ourselves One to Six based on the order we woke up. There was also an Android with us. I remember lots of things like how to operate the Android and the ship, how to fight and use weapons, where places are, and how the corporations and authorities function but I just can’t remember people and events especially those related to my past.” Two offers. Then, she pauses and hesitates.

“It’s okay. Take your time.” Philippa encourages gently and patiently.

“The Android was able to recover some of the corrupted data from the ship. The starship we were on was called the Raza. It is an armed transport vessel equipped with various countermeasures. The crew manifest stated that my name is Portia Lin and I am on the Galactic Authority most wanted list along with four of the others. Our crimes include murder, assault, kidnapping, trafficking, smuggling, arson, piracy and theft. Five is just a kid and she wasn’t on the crew manifest so we still don’t know who she is.” Two tells Philippa the truth and apologizes, “I’m so sorry, Philippa. I swear I have no intention to harm you or your crew.”

This revelation will surely ends the hospitality the captain has unknowingly offered to a wanted fugitive. Two knows very well how the universe works. Genuine kindness is a rare commodity in a universe runs by greedy corporations and corrupt authorities. Trust is equally rare, it is something people like her cannot afford to give in a world where betrayal lurks in every corner. Hence, it is something that is never expected to be given in return.

“I appreciate your honesty. You would rather be called Two than acknowledge that you’re Portia Lin. I sense that it is because you are genuinely distressed by what you found out about yourself and not because you are trying to hide your real identity. Sometimes, the truth is not always what it seems.” Philippa offers with empathy and insightful wisdom.

The captain’s reaction is certainly unexpected but deeply appreciated. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her survival instinct is trying to raise an alarm. Her head wants to remind her that people are never as nice as they seem unless they have ulterior motives. Her heart however, refuses to listen and it yearns to embrace this rare gesture of kindness. It desires the trust of this charismatic captain sitting in front of her.

“We came across an independent mining colony and found out that we were hired by a corporation called Ferrous Corp to eradicate the miners. The team voted to help the miners instead so I betrayed Ferrous Corp and made a deal with their rival, Mikkei Combine. We managed to save the mining colony but put a huge target on our own back. Later, something or someone sabotaged our ship so we headed to the nearest space station, Shaofu-2 for repairs and supplies. We had no funds but we found weapons in our cargo so we decided find buyers for them at the space station. All hell broke loose after we docked and something triggered the station-wide security alarms. We had to flee and I got separated from my team. I don’t remember much of what happened after that.” Two continues to give Philippa an account of what happened aboard the Raza and what she remembers about the space station.

“I believe you, Two. There is something I need to tell you as well. This starship, it is the United Space Ship Shenzhou. We are part of Starfleet, a space exploration and defence organization of the United Federation of Planets from the 23rd century. My ship encountered a magnetic storm and was pulled into what was likely an interphasic rift during one of our mission and we re-emerged in an unknown region of space in an alternate universe in the 27th century.

We came across an abandoned space station and my team went in to gather information regarding this universe. That was when we found you in the infirmary. You were the only bio-signature we detected. There were no other life signs so we took you with us. We need help to navigate this universe and find a way back home. I think we can help each other.” Philippa tells a shocking revelation of her own.

“Okay, wow. I don’t know which one of us sounds more believable but I trust you if you are willing to trust me.”

“I want to trust you, Two. I think that’s enough revelation for now. I’ll let you rest.”

“Philippa, thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not leaving me on that space station and for believing me.”

“You are safe on my ship, Two. No one here will cause you any harm.” Philippa reassures her guest and gives Two a warm smile before leaving her to get settle in and process her current circumstances.

****

It is ironic that alone in the guest quarter on an unfamiliar starship from another universe with two armed security officers outside her door, Two finally feels truly safe and able to let her guard down completely for the first time since she woke up from stasis aboard the Raza. A lot had happened since that day. Two does not want to believe she can be that person on the Galactic Authority most wanted list but at the same time she cannot stop thinking what if it is true. Theft and piracy she can live with, perhaps even assault but arson and murder? Is she capable of such brutal crimes? Right now, she does not have a point reference because she has no memories of committing any of the crimes she was accused of. If she is indeed that person on the Galactic Authority most wanted list, what kind of danger has she exposes Philippa and her ship to by being here? Why is the captain taking such a huge risk by trusting her? Philippa has said she can leave anytime but does she want to leave? Her heart definitely does not but what is her head telling her, and what of her team and the Raza.

Technically, she is the defaulted captain of the Raza but she does not feel any obligation towards the team except maybe for Five. True be told, the only connection she has is with the Android. As for the rest of her crew, she isn’t entirely sure she can trust any of them. Nevertheless, she needs to find the Raza if she wants to find the truth about her past and who she really is. Whoever those people really are, they are connected to her past.

On top of her existing problems, she has supposedly been rescued by a starship from another universe. Her thoughts naturally gravitate towards the captain. Two was instantly captivated by Philippa the moment she saw her in sickbay. The most disturbing fact is that she trusts Philippa implicitly which is absurd considering she knows absolutely nothing about the enigmatic captain. Until she gets her memories back, that is if she gets her memories back, her best option is to rely on her instincts and intuitions. Even though her head and her heart are somewhat in conflict, her instincts tell her the Shenzhou is the safest place to be right now and helping these people is the right thing to do.

 ****

Back in the captain’s ready room, Philippa wonders about their mystery guest. Her mentor used to tell Philippa she is too trusting and too eager to hope for the best in people. Philippa enlisted in Starfleet Academy when she was 18 years of age and has a rewarding 32 years career in Starfleet after her graduation. She was promoted to captain 16 years ago and has been the captain of the USS Shenzhou for 8 years now. Hope can be a dangerous thing, it can drive a person insane but hope can also be humanity’s greatest strength, it can drive a person to achieve the impossible. Philippa has seen a life of loss but she still chooses hope and it has served her well in the past. Hopefully, it will be enough as well this time to keep her ship and crew safe, and to get them home.

If Two wanted to fabricate a lie, she did a very poor job at it. Still her stories are more believable than a starship from another universe and time. Philippa believes Two is telling the truth. The eyes speak a language of their own and they do not lie. Philippa looked into those expressive deep dark brown eyes and they are not the eyes of a murderer. They are the eyes of a natural leader, of a headstrong and determined woman who possesses tremendous strength and profound compassion. Her instincts tell her she can trust Two but Philippa is a Starfleet captain first and foremost, and she is responsible for the lives of over 200 personnel on board the Shenzhou so she needs to take every precaution. Her priority is to keep her ship and her crew safe, and find a way to get them back home to their universe and time. She cannot achieve this without the help of someone from this universe and Philippa hopes that person is Two.