Across the Universe v1
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:12 pm
EDIT: this is the old version of this story. For the revised and (hopefully) improved version, see here.
So I decided to write something. See what you think.
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Captain’s Log Stardate 56804.5. The Enterprise is returning to Earth to celebrate the wedding of Captain Will Riker and Deanna Troi before their posting to the USS Triton. It is with mixed emotions that I contemplate the final voyage of this ship with her current senior staff, as Doctor Crusher will also be leaving to take up her new post as head of Starfleet Medical.
“I am afraid the statistics are quite clear Captain. The improved kill/loss ratio of the Lakota-subtype is quite inadequate to justify the considerable financial and material investment of the refit.”
“I know Data, I know, but look at the ship. She’s a marvel of engineering. You can’t reduce everything to just statistics.” Will Riker shook his head wirily. “Remind me, how did we get from talking about the Triton to the Excelsior-class?”
Data cocked his head, puzzlement on his face. “Of that I am unsure. However, it might be due to a phenomenon known as the T…”
“Captain.” The conversation cut off abruptly and heads swivelled towards Worf at the starboard tactical station “I am picking up an unusual energy reading. Bearing two-eight-nine mark five-six.”
“Confirmed” Data was all business. “It appears to be a disturbance in the space-time continuum. Range point four-seven light years.”
Picard glanced quickly to either side. Riker leaned forward, elbow on his display, and tugged slightly on his beard. He raised an eyebrow to his fiancé, sitting across from him in the third chair of the Enterprise’s command area. Deanna Troi shrugged slightly. “We’re a day ahead of schedule, why not take a look? We are meant to be explorers.”
The first officer’s eyes twinkled. “We are indeed.”
Picard smiled. “Says the commander of Starfleet’s newest Prometheus-class warship. Mr Branson, alter course to two eight nine mark five six and increase to warp eight.”
“Two eight nine mark five six, warp factor eight, aye sir. ETA one hour.”
The Enterprise angled to port and her engines flashed as she accelerated.
* * * * * * *
“Helm answering all stop sir, half a million kilometres.”
“Mr Data, full scan please.”
“Scanning.” The android’s hands danced across the panel, paused, and then continued. At the aft stations crewmembers in the blue of the ship’s science department focused on their own instruments. On the viewscreen, space was placid, empty save for the thousand pinpricks of the stars. From his view over Data’s shoulder Picard could see that the reality was far from placid. The ship’s sensors showed a boiling mass of energy, almost a perfect sphere of twisted and ruptured space time. The blue-hued display reminded the Captain of a false-colour image of Earth’s sun.
Standing and instinctively straightening his uniform jacket, Picard began to pace slowly around the bridge revelling in the familiar sensation of a starship exploring the unknown once again. Even four years after the War’s end, the idea of exploring the unknown, far beyond the Federation’s borders or deep within them as they were now, felt as fresh as the first time he’d taken the Enterprise-E out on a deep space probe four months after the surrender of the Dominion forces at Cardassia Prime. For the first four years of her life the great ship, the power of her weapons and shields making her a battlecruiser in all but name, had been assigned to diplomatic missions, border patrols, or direct combat. Thousands of souls had rotated through her without knowing the freedom of exploring the unknown. This was what a Federation starship was for – not the drudgery of turn and turn about along the Neutral Zone, or the silent chaos of an interstellar firefight, but to advance the boundaries of science, of knowledge.
He’d almost completed a circuit of the bridge when a quiet beeping from the ops station announced the completion of Data’s scan. Out of habit Riker rose as Picard moved unhurriedly to the centre of the forward stations. Data tapped again at his panel, examining the information that flooded across it a thousand faster than the human eye could follow.
“The anomaly does not appear to match any known previous phenomenon, although it does share similarities with several. Many of its characteristics appear to be in a state of flux, making it difficult to establish its precise volume, mass, or energy output. It is, however, emitting both chroniton and verteron particles.”
Picard frowned. “Chroniton and verteron particles? Are you saying that this could be some sort of temporal wormhole?”
“That is one possibility Captain, although we lack the data to draw any firm conclusions.” The android’s head canted. “Although I do not believe that any incarnation of myself would be able to do so.” Picard frowned, while Riker rapidly raised a hand to scratch his nose and hide a smile.
Data returned to his instrument. “Captain, I believe we might be able to gain further information about the anomaly if we approached closer.”
Picard’s frown deepened. “How much closer Data? Remember this is only a side trip, we don’t have time to conduct a complete survey ourselves.”
“I believe fifty thousand kilometres would suffice. The anomaly appears stable, and would not present any threat to the Enterprise.”
Picard eyed the display. The rolling mass of energy looked anything but stable. Still, he’d served with Data for fifteen years, trusted his life to the android’s knowledge time and again. He nodded. “Take us to fifty thousand kilometres Mr Branson, one quarter impulse.”
The view on the screen shifted slightly as the ship moved ahead, but Data’s readings barely moved. After a couple of minutes Branson tapped the helm and announced they were at the required distance from the anomaly. Data busied himself with his instruments.
“This is extremely odd Captain. I am detecting abnormalities in the interstellar medium around us.”
Riker spoke for the first time “What sort of abnormalities Data?”
“I am uncertain Captain. One moment.” The android squinted at his panel, then the corner of his mouth twisted upwards wirily. “Commander Worf, I do not believe you will enjoy what I am about to say. The dust and hydrogen atoms around us appear to possess different quantum signatures to our own.”
The Klingon’s eyes closed and his expression rapidly became that of one experiencing the first twinges of a headache. The faint sound of grinding teeth left no doubt what he thought of the new development.
Picard glanced down at Data. “So the anomaly could be a portal to another reality, such as those experienced by Mr Worf?”
“Not a single reality Captain, but a multitude – I have detected over ten thousand different quantum states since we approached to out present distance, and that number continues to rise.”
“Captain!” Worf had had enough. “Respectfully suggest that we withdraw to a greater distance.”
Picard looked to Data. “Commander, how long do you expect an initial examination of the anomaly to take?”
Data cocked his head to one side again and twitched. “I do not believe we could discover any more information than we already have without a full survey of the anomaly, which could take several days, or even weeks. Far longer than the twenty two point three seven four hours we are ahead of schedule.”
“Very well, Mr Data transmit our discovery and our records to date to Starfleet, with a recommendation that a survey vessel be dispatched to investigate further. Mr Branson resume course for Earth.” Picard smiled as he turned back towards his command chair. “We have a wed…”
“Captain!” Worf’s bark was urgent this time, not protesting. “The anomaly’s energy output has risen sharply!”
Data’s report blended over the security chief’s last word. “Confirmed. Verteron and Chroniton emissions have also risen by five hundred per cent in the last three point four seconds.”
Long paces took Picard to his chair and he swung himself into it, barking orders as he went. “Shields up! Branson get us away from that thing warp…” Incandescent light from the viewscreen cast the bridge into harsh relief, painting ink-black shadows on the aft bulkhead. Arms were thrown across faces to shield eyes, Data alone continuing to enter commands into his console as he did so. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light was gone.
Picard frowned at the viewscreen, indistinguishable from a few moments before. “All stations, report”
“Shields holding, no damage”
“Helm answering sir, impulse engines at standby”
“Main normal sir, warp drive undamaged”
“Life support normal, no casualty reports”
After a pause, Picard glanced across to one of the flank stations. “Communications, report status please.”
The young ensign manning the station shook his head in frustration. “I’m sorry sir, I can’t make sense of these readings. Communications might be disrupted.”
“I do not believe so.” Data swung his chair around to face the command centre. “Our current astrometric observations do not match those of fifty five point two seconds ago. We are no longer where we were.”
So I decided to write something. See what you think.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Captain’s Log Stardate 56804.5. The Enterprise is returning to Earth to celebrate the wedding of Captain Will Riker and Deanna Troi before their posting to the USS Triton. It is with mixed emotions that I contemplate the final voyage of this ship with her current senior staff, as Doctor Crusher will also be leaving to take up her new post as head of Starfleet Medical.
“I am afraid the statistics are quite clear Captain. The improved kill/loss ratio of the Lakota-subtype is quite inadequate to justify the considerable financial and material investment of the refit.”
“I know Data, I know, but look at the ship. She’s a marvel of engineering. You can’t reduce everything to just statistics.” Will Riker shook his head wirily. “Remind me, how did we get from talking about the Triton to the Excelsior-class?”
Data cocked his head, puzzlement on his face. “Of that I am unsure. However, it might be due to a phenomenon known as the T…”
“Captain.” The conversation cut off abruptly and heads swivelled towards Worf at the starboard tactical station “I am picking up an unusual energy reading. Bearing two-eight-nine mark five-six.”
“Confirmed” Data was all business. “It appears to be a disturbance in the space-time continuum. Range point four-seven light years.”
Picard glanced quickly to either side. Riker leaned forward, elbow on his display, and tugged slightly on his beard. He raised an eyebrow to his fiancé, sitting across from him in the third chair of the Enterprise’s command area. Deanna Troi shrugged slightly. “We’re a day ahead of schedule, why not take a look? We are meant to be explorers.”
The first officer’s eyes twinkled. “We are indeed.”
Picard smiled. “Says the commander of Starfleet’s newest Prometheus-class warship. Mr Branson, alter course to two eight nine mark five six and increase to warp eight.”
“Two eight nine mark five six, warp factor eight, aye sir. ETA one hour.”
The Enterprise angled to port and her engines flashed as she accelerated.
* * * * * * *
“Helm answering all stop sir, half a million kilometres.”
“Mr Data, full scan please.”
“Scanning.” The android’s hands danced across the panel, paused, and then continued. At the aft stations crewmembers in the blue of the ship’s science department focused on their own instruments. On the viewscreen, space was placid, empty save for the thousand pinpricks of the stars. From his view over Data’s shoulder Picard could see that the reality was far from placid. The ship’s sensors showed a boiling mass of energy, almost a perfect sphere of twisted and ruptured space time. The blue-hued display reminded the Captain of a false-colour image of Earth’s sun.
Standing and instinctively straightening his uniform jacket, Picard began to pace slowly around the bridge revelling in the familiar sensation of a starship exploring the unknown once again. Even four years after the War’s end, the idea of exploring the unknown, far beyond the Federation’s borders or deep within them as they were now, felt as fresh as the first time he’d taken the Enterprise-E out on a deep space probe four months after the surrender of the Dominion forces at Cardassia Prime. For the first four years of her life the great ship, the power of her weapons and shields making her a battlecruiser in all but name, had been assigned to diplomatic missions, border patrols, or direct combat. Thousands of souls had rotated through her without knowing the freedom of exploring the unknown. This was what a Federation starship was for – not the drudgery of turn and turn about along the Neutral Zone, or the silent chaos of an interstellar firefight, but to advance the boundaries of science, of knowledge.
He’d almost completed a circuit of the bridge when a quiet beeping from the ops station announced the completion of Data’s scan. Out of habit Riker rose as Picard moved unhurriedly to the centre of the forward stations. Data tapped again at his panel, examining the information that flooded across it a thousand faster than the human eye could follow.
“The anomaly does not appear to match any known previous phenomenon, although it does share similarities with several. Many of its characteristics appear to be in a state of flux, making it difficult to establish its precise volume, mass, or energy output. It is, however, emitting both chroniton and verteron particles.”
Picard frowned. “Chroniton and verteron particles? Are you saying that this could be some sort of temporal wormhole?”
“That is one possibility Captain, although we lack the data to draw any firm conclusions.” The android’s head canted. “Although I do not believe that any incarnation of myself would be able to do so.” Picard frowned, while Riker rapidly raised a hand to scratch his nose and hide a smile.
Data returned to his instrument. “Captain, I believe we might be able to gain further information about the anomaly if we approached closer.”
Picard’s frown deepened. “How much closer Data? Remember this is only a side trip, we don’t have time to conduct a complete survey ourselves.”
“I believe fifty thousand kilometres would suffice. The anomaly appears stable, and would not present any threat to the Enterprise.”
Picard eyed the display. The rolling mass of energy looked anything but stable. Still, he’d served with Data for fifteen years, trusted his life to the android’s knowledge time and again. He nodded. “Take us to fifty thousand kilometres Mr Branson, one quarter impulse.”
The view on the screen shifted slightly as the ship moved ahead, but Data’s readings barely moved. After a couple of minutes Branson tapped the helm and announced they were at the required distance from the anomaly. Data busied himself with his instruments.
“This is extremely odd Captain. I am detecting abnormalities in the interstellar medium around us.”
Riker spoke for the first time “What sort of abnormalities Data?”
“I am uncertain Captain. One moment.” The android squinted at his panel, then the corner of his mouth twisted upwards wirily. “Commander Worf, I do not believe you will enjoy what I am about to say. The dust and hydrogen atoms around us appear to possess different quantum signatures to our own.”
The Klingon’s eyes closed and his expression rapidly became that of one experiencing the first twinges of a headache. The faint sound of grinding teeth left no doubt what he thought of the new development.
Picard glanced down at Data. “So the anomaly could be a portal to another reality, such as those experienced by Mr Worf?”
“Not a single reality Captain, but a multitude – I have detected over ten thousand different quantum states since we approached to out present distance, and that number continues to rise.”
“Captain!” Worf had had enough. “Respectfully suggest that we withdraw to a greater distance.”
Picard looked to Data. “Commander, how long do you expect an initial examination of the anomaly to take?”
Data cocked his head to one side again and twitched. “I do not believe we could discover any more information than we already have without a full survey of the anomaly, which could take several days, or even weeks. Far longer than the twenty two point three seven four hours we are ahead of schedule.”
“Very well, Mr Data transmit our discovery and our records to date to Starfleet, with a recommendation that a survey vessel be dispatched to investigate further. Mr Branson resume course for Earth.” Picard smiled as he turned back towards his command chair. “We have a wed…”
“Captain!” Worf’s bark was urgent this time, not protesting. “The anomaly’s energy output has risen sharply!”
Data’s report blended over the security chief’s last word. “Confirmed. Verteron and Chroniton emissions have also risen by five hundred per cent in the last three point four seconds.”
Long paces took Picard to his chair and he swung himself into it, barking orders as he went. “Shields up! Branson get us away from that thing warp…” Incandescent light from the viewscreen cast the bridge into harsh relief, painting ink-black shadows on the aft bulkhead. Arms were thrown across faces to shield eyes, Data alone continuing to enter commands into his console as he did so. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light was gone.
Picard frowned at the viewscreen, indistinguishable from a few moments before. “All stations, report”
“Shields holding, no damage”
“Helm answering sir, impulse engines at standby”
“Main normal sir, warp drive undamaged”
“Life support normal, no casualty reports”
After a pause, Picard glanced across to one of the flank stations. “Communications, report status please.”
The young ensign manning the station shook his head in frustration. “I’m sorry sir, I can’t make sense of these readings. Communications might be disrupted.”
“I do not believe so.” Data swung his chair around to face the command centre. “Our current astrometric observations do not match those of fifty five point two seconds ago. We are no longer where we were.”