Cascading Echoes

The Quiet Part

The sterile white walls of the Observation Lab blurred in Michael's vision, her mind teetering between clarity and confusion as the sedatives worked to keep her under control. She could hear the hum of the ship's systems in the background, the soft beep of the monitors tracking her vitals, and the quiet murmur of voices just outside the lab. The feeling of being caged overwhelmed her—isolated not just by the walls around her, but by the sudden and terrifying changes within herself.

Dr. Culber had sealed the lab. The doors, once an easy escape for her, were now her prison. She had been under his care since they discovered the changes in her brain—telepathic abilities, heightened senses, and a growing precognition that seemed to surface at random. Her mind was expanding, but it felt more like it was unraveling, pulling her along with it.

And then there was the Cascade Experiment. Michael was convinced it was responsible, that she had been altered by the same experiment that had erased Kuma Thompson, and others from existence. The crew had no memory of them, except for her. How had she been spared? What had really happened during that mission? And why did Ash —Commander Tyler—seem to know more than he was letting on?

Michael struggled to focus, the medication keeping her powers at bay, but also dulling her senses. Thoughts swirled around her like whispers just out of reach. Focusing on the few she could hear, she picked up fragmented conversations from the med lab staff. Dr. Culber's voice was distant, but she caught snippets: "danger to the crew... we need to monitor her... abilities still developing..."

She closed her eyes, trying to suppress the rising panic. I have to get out of here. I have to find answers. Ash is a threat to the crew. She repeated these thoughts to herself, hoping to stay grounded as the swirling mental noise grew louder.

The door to the lab slid open, and she could hear the footsteps of Captain Pike and Commander Tyler as they entered. Their presence was unmistakable, even through the haze of medication. Michael focused on their conversation, listening intently, even though her mind felt muffled.

"She's not safe here," Ash said, his voice steady and cold. "We need to transport her off Discovery and into Section 31 custody. This is beyond what Starfleet is equipped to handle. Her condition is a direct result of the Cascade Experiment, Captain. That allow is enough to place her in my custody, but I don't want this to be a thing of force. It's what's best for he, you must believe that."

Captain Pike's voice, a beacon of authority and skepticism, cut through the noise. "You want to take her into Section 31 custody? Why? Because she's a product of an experiment Starfleet didn't know would have these side effects? Or did Starfleet know from the beginning? Did the Council order the purging of the records to cover this up? What the hell happened to my missing crewmember, Commander Tyler? Ensign Kuma Thompson; what did you do?"

Ash's silence stretched too long, and Michael could sense the tension building. She struggled to focus, her heart pounding as she listened for his response. His mind, however, was a blank slate to her—eerily silent. Unlike everyone else around her, Ash's thoughts were completely inaccessible. A cold wall blocked her from reading him, and that unsettled her more than anything.

"So, she did speak to you," Ash's voice was calm, too calm. "I don't know anything about missing crewmembers, Captain. If people are missing, it's not something I'm responsible for. I'm aboard the Discovery just like the rest of you. It could be me lying in a bio-bed right now. Or, erased' like everyone else. But this... this situation with Michael is dangerous and classified under article 825.34 of UFP Hostile Acquistion."

"Commander Burnham is not merely a Federation asset," Pike said.

"That's where you're wrong Captain...we all are. Section 31will take her into custody as soon as Dr. Culber determines she's fit for transport. You have your orders, Captain Pike."