Walking across the empty cargo bay, Koby couldn't help but look down at his data pad once more to examine the lines of code dancing across the screen. Tapping out a quick sequence of commands, the lights in the room burst into full illumination, the holographic emitters in the ceiling bringing forth their designated images. Around the room the prior scientists from Temporal Research Station A53G72-4E began to take form, filling the bay with the illusion of life. Koby approached one of the images, the form turning towards him as he neared, bending down to get a better look at him. The scientist, a human male with wide rimmed glasses, pale skin and a shockingly bright red swatch of hair seemed to light up at his approach. "Well now, looks like you brought everyone out today, what's the occasion my little friend?"

Koby grinned, leaning in to let the hologram scratch behind his ear flaps. "Doing well Ed, the project is finally ready for a test run and I thought you would all like to get in on the occasion." He motioned to the room, pointing out various images as he explained where each of his breakthroughs came from, whose notes or research led to each development. Finally, after many minutes of listening the hologram shook his head. "Sorry little guy, but you lost me a long time ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad you figured out the project but my field was always particle physics and you know all that hardware techno-babble is over my head." 

Looking around the room again, Koby let his voice fade a bit from his previous elation into somber reflection, his whole body seeming to droop a little. "Yeah, too bad the others aren't really here to see this. They worked so hard and gave their whole lives and now that the work is done, they won't be able to see it. I only got your model working thanks to your help many years ago and not many of them left behind complete profiles to make simulations from. Yeah, their knowledge is there, but their spirits are lost. It just isn't the same, and I know I would have gone crazy if it wasn't for you keeping me company here sometimes." Koby turned back to his quiet friend, holding out a paw. "Here, I made you a mobile emitter, about time you were able to travel the halls again and I want you in the room when we fire this thing up, for everyone's sake."

The hologram reached out a hand, taking the small device and pinning it to his jacket. A small wave of distortion passed over his form as the device took effect, the faint shimmer of residual energy solidifying his form as opposed to the semi transparent nature of those around him. Ed stepped off the platform, looking around the room again. "Well now, this is a surprise. I had no idea you had been working on something as advanced as this. I thought you were working on a doorway, not a recreational toy."

Koby grinned at his old friend. "A toy huh, well just wait until you see what it can do then tell me if it is a toy or not." He took his friend's hand, leading him out of the room and into the hallway towards his lab. "You know, now that I have the bugs worked out of the emitters it will make it much safer to travel through the doorway, maybe even allow us to explore places that would otherwise be uninhabitable. The possibilities are endless and yet you call this thing a toy."

Holding up his other hand in defeat the hologram shook his head as he chuckled. "Alright, alright I give up. I bow to your wisdom, oh great scientist from parts unknown; though I do have to ask one thing. Now that you have the gate open, are you going to be leaving the station? You can go anywhere you want; the gate will take you to the place of your choosing. You are no longer a prisoner here and there is nobody left to stop you from leaving." 

Stopping just outside his workshop, Koby turned to look at the image of his old friend. "Just because you all brought me here as a research subject never made me a prisoner. I agreed to come along willingly after you rescued me and those on my planet before the supernova, and I have learned so much from my time here. I wouldn't trade this place for anything so if you are worried that I'm going to jump ship, leave the lights on or not shut down your program before running through the first doorway out that opens, take a good look behind me here."

Glancing over the head of the small dragon, Ed was able to finally get a look into the lab behind his friend, his eyes widening. Before him on a large metal pad, hooked up to an elaborate interface was the same dragon that was standing before him in the hallway, wires running off his body into a bundle that vanished into the plating of the deck as the monitors behind him displayed all sorts of vital statistics and sensor readings. "You really built all this? I mean, that's you in there, right? Were you injured?" A hint of worry slipped into his voice as the hologram looked back down at the form in front of him.

Turning to look into his workshop, Koby shook his head at the questions. "No, I'm still in perfect health but thanks for the concern. This construct was designed to allow me to pass through the gate without risk of getting trapped on the other side as well as protecting me from any environmental hazards that may arise. Never can tell what sort of virus awaits me on the other side and though my immune system was always far superior to those of the rest of the crew, there is always the possibility that something out there will affect me. Better safe than dead in my opinion."

The hologram nodded somberly. "That is definitely true, and I applaud the wisdom you have shown in creating such a unique failsafe to the system. So tell me, what did you plan on using the doorway for if not to escape?" Koby continued down the hall as he talked, Ed moving to follow after him. "Well, I had intended on using the doorway as an exploratory device just like in the original plans. Perhaps gather like minded scientists and get the place fully staffed again once we figure out the issue that caused the supply ship not to return." 

Both dragon and hologram stopped and stared off into space for a moment, each remembering that fateful day so long ago when the scheduled supply ship failed to arrive, contact with the world outside their small pocket of space suddenly cut off. Koby snapped himself out of his brooding, leading the way again into a room near the end of the hall. The room was empty aside from a single console standing before one wall, a large data screen mounted on the wall behind it and an archway on the opposite side of the room standing alone on a raised platform.

Tapping out a command on his data pad, Koby brought the screen on the wall to life, revealing the image of the cargo bay with all the holograms facing the screen. Ed walked over and rested a hand on Koby's shoulder. "You did good kid, they will know you succeeded, I'm sure of it and I'm right proud of you for sharing this with them."

The sudden sound of the door opening caused Ed to turn around, his eyes going wide as an aqua and white figure bounded into the room. Koby looked up from the console, his data pad now hooked directly into the control panel. "Hey Patch, guess you got my email. Glad you could make it!" Ed looked from Patch to Koby then back again, scratching his head as was his old habit. "You um, I thought there wasn't anyone else here on the station, where did this other dragon come from?"

Koby finished tapping out the sequence on the console, letting the program compile before turning to Ed. "Well, I actually found her in the computer. Somehow, and I'm not even sure how myself, my system connected to her digital world and when I was test running the interface for the emitters I stumbled across her. Now she stops by every now and then to keep me company." Ed shakes his head in awe, wiping off his glasses with a small cloth before taking another look in Patch's direction. "Well isn't that something then, so is she an AI? I mean, you did say she came out of the computer and all."

Patch sticks out her tongue at Ed, Koby laughing to himself at the reaction. "No, she lives in a digital world; she is no more an AI than I am. Just another form of life that until now we hadn't met before. I did some reading in the archive, and there were theories about such creatures existing long before this station was ever thought possible so don't go insulting her by calling her artificial." Ed puts up his hands in surrender. "Oh by all means no offense intended." He gives a wink at Patch. "Take care of our boy, ok little lady?" Patch gives Ed a strange look, then moves over beside Koby to take a look at the screen. "So, did I miss it? Have you opened up the door yet?" She leans in close and whispers into Koby's ear. "Who is that guy? I didn't know there was anyone else here either."

Koby points at the display on the console. "Nope, you made it just in time, the program is compiling right now. As for Ed, he was one of the scientists that got trapped here when the supply ships stopped coming to the station. He helped me build the AI you see here before his passing and I invited him along to witness the gate, just like all the others." He gestures to the screen, Patch going wide eyed as she realizes what she is seeing. "You mean everyone on that screen is a scientist that used to work here? That's a lot of different species, I'm not even sure I can identify all of them! You sure they all worked here together?"

A soft beep from the console drew the attention of everyone in the room. "I'll answer your questions when we are done here. As for right now, it is time to finally open this door and see where it goes." Koby presses a button on the console, the gateway humming with energy as the capacitors climb to full power. The edges of the middle of the arch begin to go fuzzy to the sight, and then seem to stretch towards the center as power flowed into the emitters. Suddenly with an audible pop the whole center of the arch began to shimmer with energy, the wall beyond the gate distorted by the flow of energy. 

Koby checked his displays, then looked back at the portal. "Huh, that was not as grand as I had hoped for, but it seems we now have a stable connection to a location outside the pocket here. I'm getting atmospheric readings, temperature, even weather information from the other side. Judging by these readings, it will be hot, dry, but with a breathable atmosphere and there are signs of water on the other side as well. Looks like we found a habitable planet! However, I am not reading any intelligent life signs, only plant life." He finishes his report, then steps around the console. 

Walking towards the archway, Koby checks that his virtual console is linked to the gate controls before stepping up onto the platform. "Wish me luck." he says, before stepping into the swirling vortex, his vision fading to black.