The Pinicon Belt

Aurin runs tests and determines that it's identical to the model and vintage of phasars you carry and in fact, it exactly matches Cole Walker's signature frequencies. Exactly.

Cole quietly observed as the crew took the initiative, attempting to make contact with whomever was firing at them as Aurin ran the signature analysis on the phaser's that had fired at them frequency. His eyes narrowed slightly at the results, not unsurprised, and not particularly eager to meet his doppelganger but unwilling as a Starfleet officer to abandon someone in need.

"Luna. Continue to signal using the floodlight," he directed, "Lieutenant Ah. You and Ensign Zarah find me a comm frequency we can open a channel to this individual as I agree - the phaser shot seemed more a signal than threat.

"Doc. If he's been out there any length of time ..."

He left the obvious unsaid, confident Doctor M'Ress would be ready to tackle whatever conditions and issues the individual might have, "You too Counselor, if this person is anything like me his demeanor is bound to be a bit ... prickly."

Yes of course. Hopefully he hasn't been marooned for too long. Likely less than a week with not food, water, limited oxygen supply.
She rises and starts setting up a makeshift ER in the rear of thr shuttle with the medical supplies she thankfully insisted on bringing. She sets up an IV drip with fluids but doesn't puncture the bag. Better to be prepared

"Yes Commander." Drake scans available comm frequencies, looking for a channel that will allow a message to be sent, presuming there is someone alive to send the message to.

You strike luck, finding the others outside on a wartime covert Star Fleet frequency.

Cole's voice comes over the comms. "This is Captain Cole Walker of Star Fleet. Identify yourself or be destroyed."

Your instruments pick up a power signature, a nearby ship powering up to full, and shields coming online. It's hard to get a reading as it appears to be behind an asteroid and the quantum interference makes everything more uncertain.

Cole, his face pensive as he heard his own voice issuing orders as the Raven's instruments detected a nearby ship powering up. "Open channel," he barked, "This is Commander Cole Walker, also of Starfleet."

Meeting the other's gazes he shrugged, unsure of what more he could add, as they waited for his counterpart to reply.

The man on the comm screen is a spitting image of you, however, his uniform is slightly different, he wears captain's pips, and the his left eye is cybernetic, a faint scar line bisecting the orbital socket.

"Commander Walker, this is a strange coincidence, and one I don't trust. I'd expected you were borg spies but my science officer tells me you're from another quantum reality. I suggest we meet. We've got no reason to fight each other, but we'll not hesitate to defend ourselves."

Luna stops flashing the floodlight and looks in surprise and confusion from one Cole Walker to the other Cole Walker and back again.

Drake isn't altogether surprised. After all he had mentioned the possibility of a doppelganger when they first came across the other shuttle. Still, it was unnerving to see another Commander Walker on the screen, albeit with a few differences.

He waited enthusiastically for the other commander to engage, despite being a little apprehensive.

Find out if any of them need medical attention. she waves a tricorder. So I can stop setting up the med bay if it isnt necessary

Jayce--who had been helping Doctor M'Ress prepare the Raven, as Commander Walker ordered, to provide medical and psychological care to a stranded Starfleet officer from another quantum reality--now wonders which officer he will need to provide support, the scarred cyborg looking Walker from another reality or his own Walker.

Cole suppresses a small smile as a near spitting image of his self fills the screen albeit with a few alterations - the cybernetic eye leaving him wondering if all Cole Walkers were destined to be fighters instead of lovers. His eyes narrowed slightly in thought at the other Cole's explanation, finding it curious that the concern was over the Borg and not the Dominion.

"Agreed," he intoned and sharing his counterparts lack of trust, "In the meantime, my Medical Chief has inquired about anyone needing medical attention. She is here and available should you require it."

Captain Cole's comments and general cageyness gave Cole pause, leaving him unwanting and even perhaps unwilling to land the Raven on his alternate's ship, but doubtful the Captain would agree to meet aboard the Runabout. "What did you have in mind as a location for this meetup, Captain?" he queried, keeping his tone polite and professional.

While the sensors had proved unreliable so far, Aurin did his best to get readings. Both on the communications channel, to pinpoint the location of the alternate Cole, but also to see if he could discern anything about the ship that had appeared on the scope. With so much interference, he put his head close to the console, trying to read the inputs almost by intuition rather than computer analysis, a skill honed by many tense months along the neutral zone, trying to penetrate cloaking devices.

"What if we lowered the shields temporarily? They might be affecting the sensors with all the quantum interference. I know it's a risk but it would only be long enough to rerun our scans."

Not the safest plan Drake admitted to himself, and uncharacteristic of the ensign, however he felt the small risk was warranted in this case.

Aurin-Ah with Drake's assistance finds the runabout, coming out from behind an asteroid. Yet another Raven, although this one appears different, the profile slightly altered like it's rigged for war rather than exploration.

Captain Walker frowns grimly. "No medical attention is necessary. If you have the room, we'll come aboard. Helmsman, make for the Raven, bring us alongside within twenty meters."

The ship slides toward you, taking a slightly rounded trajectory to avoid a rotating boloid. It comes to relativistic rest beside you.

Luna helps align the real Raven with the other Raven for their parallel bearings.
"Sir, they are rigged for war" she whispers as she notices the subtle differences.

Devar says quietly to Commander Walker as not to be heard over the communication channel, "Lieutenant Vilchis makes no small point Sir. I agree we should be careful. The people on that runabout may share some of our characteristics, but their life experience is entirely different and has shaped them into different people. I advise we proceed with caution."

And if we're in their reality, who knows what danger lurks
Thought we were done with the Borg. Not looking forward to that again

Cole scratched at his well trimmed beard in thought, observing the proceedings with narrowed, pensive eyes and taking his colleagues cautions under advisement as he pondered whether or not to arm themselves, cognizant of his two medical experts' warnings and the potential danger of having their alternate selves on board if they were indeed on war footing with more aggressive ideals. With a deep, frustrated sigh he decided on practicing the - their - Federation's more peaceful stance, opting to forgo having them all armed.

"Doc, perhaps it would be best for you to stand out of the way --- in the event things go South.

"Ensign, I don't think there will be many objections if you go armed --- however I don't want to provoke any aggressive actions by having the rest of us so --- and you and Jayce stay close. Jayce, stay sharp and observant, let me know if they start projecting overly agitated emotions.

"Luna, perhaps you could keep a phaser within reach --- I don't think also there won't be too many objections if you remain at the helm.

"Aurin. Keep working on a way to get us back home."

His gaze swept over the Team, satisfied they were ready with a short nod, "I suppose then we should lower shields and invite them to beam aboard."

Luna had already moved her phaser to a easy-to-reach spot near the console before the commander told her to do so.
She agreed with the peaceful but prepared course of action the XO had chosen.