Wednesday, May 21, 2008

One More Frontier

Part 1

Space, it was supposed to be man’s final frontier, but there was never any talk about a frontier beyond space. Kirk leaned back in his chair, rubbed his chin, and glanced impatiently at his first officer. “Three months before final docking,” thought Kirk. “Three simple months of routine charting and patrol and now this”.

Spock stood up from his console, folded his hands behind his shirt and looked to the forward view screen. “Fascinating,” he said to anyone willing to hear him.

Kirk had heard it so many times he didn’t give it a second thought. “Yes, very fascinating Spock. Now, what is it and where did it come from?” He wanted answers and he wanted way more quickly than his Vulcan friend and first officer usually gave them.

Spock looked the engineers station. “How much longer do you think the engine can hold us from going into this opening Mr. Scott?”

“Maybe an hour, or slightly less. We’re holding at maximum impulse right now and it is still dragging us in. We can’t get a stable warp field and without it there is no way...”

“We won’t be able to develop a stable warp field until this phenomenon has dissipated,” cut in Spock. “I imagine that will be a good deal of time after your time frame of an hour.”

“Spock,” Kirk was now clearly annoyed.

“Captain, it is a vortex opening to another time period. For some reason it has appeared here at this precise moment, locked us in and most likely will not stop until we have entered into it.” Spock raised an eyebrow as he took a breath. “It is as if it were planted here for us.”

Kirk stood up from his center command seat, adjusted his yellow command shirt and moved toward Spock. “Are you telling me that someone or something wants us to enter this? When we first saw it, you stated it could tear the ship apart?”

“It still very well could Captain. However, I do not think that the goal of this vortex is to tear the ship apart. I believe it is to take us somewhere else. I believe it is actually being put here to guide us.”

“I,” Kirk paused and looked back at the screen. “Don’t take too well to be forced anywhere by anyone.” He looked back at Spock. “Tell me one reason I should take the Enterprise into it.”

“I can actually tell you several Captain. First, if we do not go, the ship will be forced within the hour time frame that Mr. Scott has referenced. Second, in the weakened state the ship would be at the time our engines give out, we would not have the power necessary to maintain shielding to face what might be taking us in.” Spock paused.

Four years and seven months had not left Kirk blind to Spock’s ideas or what was going on inside his first officer’s mind. “And the third reason would be, Mr. Spock?” Kirk was prompting.

“It has a Federation signal in origin Captain,” he looked directly at his Captain and his friend, Kirk. “Whoever set this up included a Federation sub signal at the core of the phenomenon.”

Kirk walked back to the screen and looked around the bridge. As usual all eyes were on him. Everyone was waiting for what James T. Kirk would say, and what he would order. He knew them. They’d follow him into the gates of hell if he ordered it and they’d go knowing their Captain had only their best interest at heart. He took a breath and returned to his command chair. “I want all non essential personal off the bridge. Scotty, close all view ports and lock them out throughout the ship. I want the only view screen working to be the one here on the bridge.”

Scott hurriedly followed the orders and the hull of the Enterprise went dark as lights were closed inside throughout the ship. He nodded back at Kirk as the last of the non essential personnel left the bridge.

Kirk surveyed the bridge. Scott, Sulu, Spock, Uhura were the only ones left, even navigation had been vacated. “I don’t need to tell you that dealing with possible time travel must remain classified. As you well know, the current Federation does not have the ability to make this sort of vortex opening in space. I must therefore assume this is from a future form of the Federation. Therefore, anything you see will remain classified. Am I clear?”

Everyone nodded as Sulu returned his attention to his controls. “I have routed the navigation controls through my console sir. Ready to enter the vortex on your order.”

Kirk leaned back in his chair. “Alright, take us in, but let’s go...” he paused for a moment looking for the right word. “Let’s go casually in Mr. Sulu.”

Sulu smiled, “Aye sir, going casually into the vortex sir.”

The Enterprise shook as it moved through the realms of time. Spock monitored his readouts despite the fact that he knew should the Enterprise survive, the records most likely would have to be purged from the computer. The ship shook violently and then settled into normal space again.

“Report” ordered Kirk.

“We are in normal space Captain. However, several star constellations have been altered by several hundred years.” He looked up from his monitor. “I would estimate that we are at least four hundred years into the future from our last known location.”

“Captain,” Sulu was pointing toward the screen, his jaw slightly open and his eyes wide. On the screen, a ripple effect started as a Federation styled ship came into view.

“Spock?” Kirk glanced from the screen to his first officer and then back at the screen.

“Fascinating,” Spock said, never looking at his monitor. “It appears to be Federation in design, but it also has a cloaking devise onboard. This raises many questions. He looked to the Captain. ”I do not believe scanning this vessel would revel much since our scans would be primitive and the hull is likely impervious to our best efforts. I would recommend waiting for contact since they could have easily dispatched us if they wanted to do so.“

”She is a mess,“ added Scott, who had incidentally conducted his own independent scans. ”It has several marks that appear to be some sort of energy weapons and the ship seems damaged.“ He spun in his chair, ”Although she could still, unfortunately, swat us like a fly.“

”Thank you Mr. Scott for that view. The question is what do we do now and what do they want with us? Surely they haven’t brought us all the way here just to study the....“

”Captain. I’m receiving a transmission from the ship sir.“ Uhura pulled the earpiece from her ear. ”They are asking for Mr. Scott, sir“

Everyone glanced at Scott. The engineer felt their eyes, felt their questions, and in fact felt like a fool with no answers. ”What would they want with me,“ his scottish accent appeared to become thicker with his nerves.

”On screen,“ ordered Kirk. The screen rippled a moment and then revealed the face of a pale man with green eyes. He blinked a view times as if he were amazed looking through the window of history. ”I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise. How can we help you?“

The man smiled, ”Fascinating,“ he said at last. ”My brother’s memories are very precise about you Mr. Scott and Mr. Spock, but I believe this is the first time I have encountered you Captain Kirk.“

Kirk glanced at both Scott and Spock. The looks on their faces telling him the answer he needed. ”I’m afraid you must be mistaken. We don’t know you.“

”True, you do not know me. However, Mr. Spock and Mr. Scott will know my brother, Lt. Commander Data. I am a continuation of him. I have all his memories, programs and skills. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Admiral Data of the Federation Resistance Force Omega. My full accepted name is Admiral B-for Data and this is the Omega One. We have gone to great lengths to bring you here.“ He looked around the bridge from the view screen. ”In particular, Mr. Scott, we need your assistance to ensure our success against a new invasion force.“

”If you want our assistance, you’re going to have to give me more than just a few names out of history and the pretense that you know some of my officers. Who is this new invasion force.“

Data returned his gaze back to Kirk. ”I was told by records that you might be difficult Captain. I do not wish to pull rank; however, I will require Mr. Scott for emergency actions onboard the Omega One. The enemy to which I refer, you have not met yet. We call them The Borg. And, believe me Captain, this time the Borg mean to destroy the Federation.“ The screen went black as the steady hum of the transporter could be heard.

Scott looked to the Captain, realizing that he was the one being transported, ”I dunno know if I want to go, Cap...“ he said as he vanished into the beam. Kirk reached for the red alert button and then stopped himself.

”Spock, how long could we....“

”One shot would easily disable us Captain, if not destroy us. We are no match for his ship,“ Spock cut in.

James T. Kirk leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his sore temples. ”You’re right about one thing Mr. Spock. This is fascinating.“

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Poor Scott. I can only imagine what he's thinking. "Well, this wasn't how I was plannin' on spendin' my day... d'ye mind sendin' me back? This kidnappin' thing's just a wee bit, well, wrong."

Nicely handled!