“Devil inside, the devil inside. Every single one of us, the devil inside…”

Micheal Hutchins

The ‘Samantha Hyland’ on the screen sat back in her command chair and raised a challenging eyebrow as she added poignantly.

“And I think we both know that I am a woman of my word – don’t we Samantha?”

Stunned silence abounded the bridge of the stricken USS Valley Forge, abounded only by the urgent warbling of the Red Alert Klaxon and the demands of several damage control indicators, all singing a strident song of damage and defeat.

Captain Sam Hyland sat gripping the arms of her command chair with urgent, tense knuckles – her mind reeling and struggling to overcome the impossibility of what her senses told her to be true.

There on the viewer, lounging indolently as she tore Sam’s ship apart, shot by shot – was the very facsimile of herself.

But where Samanthan Elise Hyland was the very epitome of a Starfleet officer and embodiment of the ideals of the United Federation of Planets towards freedom, exploration and peace through diplomacy – they doppelganger she faced seems a twisted simulacra of those ideals that reveled in fear, domination and the xenophobic subjugation of those not vicious enough to become part of the Terran Empire.

“Kill the audio.” Commander Talland ordered firmly, as all around the bridge the junior officers tried their level best to ignore the reality that they were being targeted and killed by a person that looked and sounded exactly like their own Commanding Officer. Sensing this, Daniel snapped at them all.

“Focus on your duties people. Work the damage and get me capability estimates!”

This admonishment seemed to have the desired effect across the bridge and the XO approached the stunned-looking Captain.

“Sam, what the hell is going on?” Talland was sure to keep his body language and facial movements neutral – well aware that this interloping version of Captain Hyland (and her immensely more powerful Inquiry – class vessel) was presiding over their very fate.

“Well apparently, deep down I’m actually a sociopath, it would seem?” Sam shook herself from her reverie and looked at the Commander. “It appears that you were right, and I was painfully wrong, on the subject of parallel universes Dan.”

“Well, the sociopath thing was frankly, plainly obvious to anyone that knows you.” Daniel joked weakly and nodded towards the viewscreen where their antagonist scowled from her own, darkened, bridge.

“And, for the record, I have never been so unhappy to have won an argument. However, none of this changes the fact that, this other version of you is intent on the one thing we don’t have that could save our lives.”

“Dr Gallian Makon.” Sam sighed with regret, her own face a careful mask. She was having cause to seriously rue the day that they had opted to save the life of the mercurial scientist. That the Dr Makon that they had ‘rescued’ had instigated this entire disastrous state of affairs was cold comfort, given that the ‘real’ Dr Makon was residing in the USS Valley Forge’s mortuary and whoever had kidnapped her crew was (logically) a denizen of this twisted reality, where seemingly the worse aspects of one’s psyche seemed to predominate.

“There’s only so long that we can stall her, before it becomes evident that we don’t have Dr Makon.” Commander Talland reasoned.

“And something tells me that letting my ‘other – half’ and whatever this Terran Empire is, get their hands on Hull-3185 and a way to gain access to our own Universe is a decidedly bad idea.” Samantha agreed gravely.

As if to punctuate that very – real concern, the bridge was shook by yet another salvo of punishing phaser – fire.

“I’m becoming bored Samantha.” The Mirror – Universe version of herself drawled, a study of vehement derision. “If you’re even half the woman I am, you’ll know what a dangerous proposition that is. Hand over Makon or be destroyed, Final Warning.”

“We need options, and we need them now.” Talland grimaced.

Sam was silent for a moment and then realization dawned on her, though she kept her revelation private – lest her foe sense some advantage.

“She is me.” Sam wondered to herself, suddenly lost in thought.

Command Talland sighed. “I thought we’d already established that Captain, we…””

But, as surreptitiously as she was able, Sam waved away his concern.

“No, I mean – aside from the fact that she is obviously salivatingly – unhinged, for better or for worse – she and I are the same person!”

Daniel frowned. “I fail to see how this helps.”

Samantha started to command keys on the console of her command chair.

“It helps Commander because, as sure as my twin there is in her victory, she’s overlooking the fact that I am just as ruthless and resourceful as she is!”

Talland raised an eyebrow and Sam smiled wanly and shrugged.

“And sure, we’re both arrogant…nobody’s perfect!”

The crewman manning the bridge Engineering station suddenly reported with understandable concern.

“Captain! We’re venting warp plasma from the Starboard Nacelle !!!”

“Belay that Engineering, that’s me – I want us to look like we have sustained more damage than we actually have.”

Sam kept her impassive mask as she turned to Lieutenant Dolan at the Science Station. She addressed the Assistant Chief Science Officer, as if she was asking a routine question of her.

Lieutenant Dolan. Speaking hypothetically, if we had the option to make a run for it – where would you suggest we go?”

Dolan blinked, taken aback by this unequivocally unexpected line of questioning, but she managed to regain her composure and after a short time she replied.

“Here Captain, the Antaari – Nebula.”

Samantha smiled.

Hundreds of light-years in diameter, a witch’s brew of gravtic – shear, attendant and competing radiations, ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and cosmic dust. The perfect place where they may stand a fighting chance to flee and evade their pursuer, if only they could slip the noose somehow.

“That’ll do nicely, Engineering.” Sam opened a channel to Main Engineering.

Assistant Chief Engineer Marcus Colby’s voice came over the channel. It sounded like the young Engineer has aged years in the last few minutes.

“Engineering here, go ahead Captain.” Colby responded tiredly.

“Chief, I know you have a lot on your plate,” Sam began in a triumph of understatement “, but I need you to do one thing for me and I need you to do it right now.”

“Go ahead.” Marcus’s voice showed evident stress and caution, in equal measure.

“Marcus – I need you to get the Warp Drive ready for an immediate initiation. Priority one.” Sam ordered calmly.

“But Captain! We’re venting Warp – plasma out into space and, besides, the impulse drives are offline – if we go to warp whilst the attacking vessel is within our warp – field enclosure – both vessels are likely to be ripped apart!!!”

“Noted – but I need you to make it happen Chief, no other option.”

“Yes Captain, but I do so under strenuous protest!” Colby interjected.

Sam couldn’t really blame him; it was a gambit as desperate as it was unadvisable – but she had run out of options.

“Noted – if we survive this – we can have it out later, just make it so Chief.”

“Aye, aye Captain. Engineering out.”

Daniel Talland stared at her incredulously, suddenly realizing the monstrous intent of her actions and orders.

“You mean to ignite the Warp – plasma.” He groaned.

“I mean to ignite the Warp – plasma.” Sam agreed with finality.

“But that’s utterly insane!”” The XO protested. “Not to mention impossible! Without active shields the blast would tear us apart! And what do you think you’d use to start that fire with? Foul language?! Because that’s about the only weapon left in our arsenal that is operational!!!”

“She’s insane – it only stands to reason that I get a little crazy too Commander.” Sam nodded, “Do you remember your history lessons from your Academy days, Dan?”

“My..what?”

Sam smiled as she worked, knowing time was running out.

“In the days of United Earth Starfleet, they didn’t have the advantage of shields, Graviton, Regenerative, Multiphasic or otherwise. Nossir, in those days they had to do it the old-fashioned way and make do with good old Polarized Hull – plating. So that’s exactly what we are going to do. TAC, do you reckon we have enough juice to be able to pull that off?”

Lieutenant Doucet thought about it for a second or two and then responded with an admirable aplomb and gallic shrug.

“Öui, Capitaine – I can make that so.”

“Which will also serve to ignite the plasma. You know, you’re really quite totally insane.” Daniel Talland breathed as the enormity of Sam’s gambit washed over him with cold reality.”

“Well, at least I’m being true to what is, patently, my ‘authentic – self’ in this reality.” Sam shrugged lightly.

“There’s no way of knowing if polarized hull plating alone will be able to protect us from a blast like that.” Talland protested weakly.

“Well, it’s a chance – which is a damned more than that bitch aboard the Albion is going to give us – I don’t trust her to keep her word – exactly because I would keep mine! Get ready!”

Sam keyed the comm channel open and addressed the screen.

“Commander of the ISS Albion. This is Captain Samantha Hyland of the USS Valley Forge. We cannot give you Dr Gallian Makon because she is not aboard our vessel.” Sam challenged her evil other.

Over on the bridge of the attacking Inquiry – class, Samantha’s doppelganger sighed theatrically and waved a slim hand in mocking dismissal.

“Oh! I already knew that! It’s a little disappointing that even a cheap copy of me can be so very crushingly naive. I was just enjoying taking your little ship apart, seam by seam! Space is so very dull, and I seldom get a chance to really enjoy myself!”

This arch rejoinder totally unrailed Sam, mid-sentence.

“We’ve tracked Makon’s dirty little warp – signature and know exactly where she is heading. Soon enough, I will have her and her ship and know everything that she knows. Then I will make that smug bitch suffer as no one has ever suffered before.” The Imperial Starfleet officer pouted mockingly, and her sneer took on an even nastier aspect.

“Which makes your ship and crew more than useless to me. Which is why I’m about to eradicate them both from existence!”

“No! You can’t! ‘Sam protested desperately – trying to buy time to save her people.

The mirror – Hyland threw her long blond locks back and laughed uproariously!

“Oh Samantha!” She crowed, “You really have NO idea of what I am capable of and what I can do! In fact, I can see that you obviously need an abject lesson in the stark realities of life and, do you know what? I’ve been meaning to give myself a stern – talking to for quite some time!”

“Spare my crew!” Samantha pleaded. “You can take me instead!!”

Her dark-self just smirked, as if tiring of the whole exchange.

“Way ahead of you there, sister! As always…”

With that, the CO of the ISS Albion flicked her black – gloved hand and the USS Valley Forge began to rock under salvo after salvo of withering, destructive phaser fire.

At the same time Captain Samantha Hyland, Assistant Chief Science Officer Dolan and three other members of the Bridge crew were suddenly ensnared in bright pinpricks of light as they were enveloped by the Transporter beams issuing forth from the ISS Albion and were instantly snatched away against their will.

Leaving their vessel to die.