Unto The Breach

Posted on Tue Jul 18th, 2023 @ 9:12am by Captain Tristan Faust & Commander Lucy Heartfilia & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D. & Lieutenant T'kara & Lieutenant Azrel Vox & Lieutenant Shinobu Miyake & Lieutenant JG Marcel Knowles & Chief Petty Officer Meredith Corden

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 4: Through a Glass, Darkly
Location: Deck 1: Bridge
Timeline: M4 MD03 (2268.07.12) 0800

The long slender form of the Midway slowed from maximum warp to full impulse as the ship approached the region of the Interphase. Captain Faust sat in the command chair, gripping the polished walnut armrests. "Any signs of the Tholians, Commander?" he asked, shooting a glance towards Commander Heartfilia.

"No Tholians showing on sensors," Lucy reported as she gazed into the scanner scope. "And it doesn't look like they've been here for a while, I'm not picking up and residual warp trails on the area either." That was a relief, the last thing they needed was Tholians breathing down their necks.

"Nothing on any subspace frequency that is of Tholian origin, Captain." Aze called out, hoping to be helpful.

"Sounds awfully suspicious, if you ask me," Lieutenant Miyake commented. "For all the hassle that the Tholians gave us for infringing upon their territory, now they've suddenly packed up shop? This practically smells of a trap."

"I agree with you Lieutenant." Aze commented. "It's very quiet on the subspace channels. I am scanning for other signals that we might easily ignore as background noise in case they are using some kind of code. So far, quiet as a Tiberian Vole." Aze added.

"You could say a bit too quiet," Shinobu agreed. "Which is exactly what worries me..."

The Captain shook his head unconvinced, "Starfleet reports indicate the Tholians have abandoned this area due to the interphase," he said, "Our last few missions have given enough paranoia to go around... But don't go off chasing sensor ghosts..." He then turned to look at the comms officer, "Lieutenant, launch a Long-range Communications buoy. With luck it's something we may be able to lock onto to guide us back.

"Yes sir. Programming the buoy now sir. I have it also as a location beacon as well." She advised. She tapped a red button on her console. "Buoy launched." She announced.

"Hard not to be paranoid around something that scared the Tholians away," Meredith said, perhaps stating the obvious.

=A= Sickbay to Bridge ... =A= Kitchner's voice came through a com panel...

The Captain hit the button on the armrest, "Bridge," he responded.

=A= Tris, give me another hour and we'll have everybody inoculated. I have the last group going through now. =A=

"Sorry doctor you have..." The Captain started and then looked at the young Rigelian officer in front of him, "How long lieutenant?"

T’kara looked down at the ship’s chronometer at her left and then spoke over her shoulder to the Captain.

“Twenty-three minutes at current speed, Captain,” she answered simply, returning her attention to the controls and main viewer.

"Twenty-three minutes, Doctor," Tristan repeated over the comm.

=A= (muffled explatives) ... I'll do what I can. =A= Kitchner said closing the comm. Tony Jenkins looked at the old man with a concerned look. "Don't say it Tony. I know I was only buying us time to make sure there aren't any adverse reactions, but still." Marc said letting out a frustrated grunt. "That kid should know better." He said walking out of his office.

The Captain sighed as the comm channel closed and then returned to staring at the viewscreen.

---

The bridge was silent save for the normal chirping and beeping which was always present on the bridge of a Constitution class starship.

"We're approaching the interphase," Lucy reported. She was peering into the scanner as she spoke. "I'm running scans to determine if we can pass through, so far it seems to be stable. However I'm not sure for how long."

"Mr. Page, what are our power levels?" Tristan asked, glancing over at the engineering console.

The young man turned around, "Slight drain sir, just as the Enterprise reported," he said.

The Captain nodded, Here goes nothing... "Mr. Knowles, take us in, full impulse," he said to the helmsman.

New and exciting opportunities were always just around the corner of a Federation starship especially out on the starry frontier of the beyond. Into darkness to strange new worlds, and once in a while, the voyage home. Lieutenant Marcel Knowles had found himself as a bridge officer on environmental controls when he was stationed aboard the Midway, but when an opening at the forward chairs came to be, he seized that opportunity: Helmsman. It had a nice ring to it, and it brought him closer to the Captain, closer to the action and adventure.

"Affirmative," he called back over his shoulder. He had filled in as a relief Helmsman before on the Ragnarök. He would settle comfortably in time at the helm of the Midway. "Easing us in, Sir. Full impulse" he added.

He leaned to his side a bit, inching closer to the Navigator. "It is a pleasure to be working with you" he said. He knew how important it was for the helmsman and Navigator to work together, sometimes synchronously when there were navigational obstacles ahead.

T’kara looked down at the navigation controls, confirmed that they were set where they needed to be, and stole a sideways glance at the Helmsman with the boyish face.

“Thanks, Lieutenant. I’m just excited to be off Starbase 10. Never thought I’d get tired of flying shuttles…but I did,” she said, smiling.

Aze pulled her ear piece out. "Ouch." she exclaimed. The bridge crew looked in her direction. " A loud screeching sound as the ship crossed threshold of the interphase I guess." She advised. She picked up her earpiece and cautiously put it back in. "All good." she advised.

"Are we through?" Tristan asked. He was gripping the walnut armrests of the Command chair with his eyes half closed, bracing for impact or at least some sort of turbulence which never came.

"Nothing on sensors..." Lucy shrugged. "Wait a second..." she took her eyes from the scope and began to press buttons on her computer panel. "That can't be right..."

She ran the scans again. "Captain, I'm now picking up a warp trail directly in front of us. But it's not that of the USS Defiant," she explained. "The signature matches that of the NX Class Starship, Enterprise, NX-01."

The Captain blinked, "That's not possible," he said speaking the obvious. "Maintain yellow alert status," he said before turning to look at the conn. "Lt. T'Kara plot a course to follow that trail," he said, "Mr. Knowles full impulse."

“Aye, sir. Adjusting course now,” T’kara answered.

T’kara’s nimble fingers flew over the buttons and adjusted the Midway’s course to intercept the return.

“Course laid in, Captain,” she responded.

"Full impulse, Captain" added Marcel.

The Captain stood up and walked over to the Science console to confer with his science officer, "Are there any communication relay stations or anything to transfix where we are or when? Commander Spock hypothesized the interphase was an intersection of two parallel universes."

Lucy shook her head. "Not in range, however..." she began to run a deep space scan of the surrounding area. "Using astrometric imagery and charts I can correct our chronometer." The ship's chronometer above the main viewscreen began to rapidly tick down .

"I think we're not just in another universe, but also another time. A past we don't know." Lucy said.

The Captain examined the starchart that Lucy put up onto the display screen. He tapped a few buttons on the console which highlighted the discrepancies between 2268. "Computer, annotate discrepancies with the date of deviations from 2268 star chart," he said. The computer pinged as the dates appeared on the image. "Computer, based upon this data, would 2155 be an accurate estimate of the year?" he asked.

"Affirmative," the computer responded in its stern male voice.

Tristan looked up at Lucy, "Now we know when we are," he said, "Now we need to know where." He glanced over at the viewscreen which showed several unidentified plantoids in the area, including a debris field which was closely coming into view.

"Sir, sorry to interject here. I am switching our coms to include the slower bands used during this time period. Now, I can not be certain my modifications will work as I am basing my information on our 22nd century as I have nothing to go on with this one."

Aze advised as she configured the communications antenna.

The Captain looked over at the communications station and nodded before returning his gaze towards his science officer.

Lucy started scanning the debris field in front of them. She seemed to scowl as she peered through the scope.

"Good thing you're a student of history, sir," Meredith said softly, remembering their earlier conversation. Even by Starfleet standards, this was rather astounding. "Although this might be nothing like what we remember."

The Captain nodded, "I hope we have some frame of reference, otherwise this is going to be one confusing mission," he said to the yeoman. He gave her a smile and then said, "I see we're going to have many more reports to review. Whatever happens."

"Yes, sir," Meredith said, returning the smile. She hesitated a second and then added, "It can't be totally dissimilar if the NX Class developed the same."

The Captain nodded, "Anything from that debris field ahead?" He asked the Commander.

Lucy spoke again, not looking up from the scope. "Starship debris by the looks of it. From what I'm reading, it was... crushed?" She double checked the readings again. "It's about right for the size of an NX Class Starship... wait..."

She began to frantically toggle switches. "There's a large section still relatively intact. It still has breathable air inside and I'm reading a lifesign." She looked over at Faust. "It could be a survivor sir, but they won't last long."

The Captain walked over to his chair and hit the intercraft button, "Bridge to Transporter Room 1," he said.

"Transporter Room here," the voice came over the com.

"Can you get a look on the lifesigns on that piece of debris?" he asked. He could here the frantic clicks and taps.

"Barely sir, maybe if we were closer," he said.

The Captain nodded, "As soon as you can get a lock beam them over," he said. He hit the button and then looked at the Commander, "You have the bridge," he said as he walked towards the turbolift stopping at the security console, "Lieutenant you're with me."

Lieutenant Miyake nodded and proceeded to follow Tristan's lead.

"Lt. Vox, have a security team meet us in Transporter room 1," he said.

"Yes Sir" she replied swinging around to face her console. She tapped a few controls and put her hand on her ear piece.

"Security Team Transporter Room 1."

 

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