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'''''Act One''''' | '''''Act One''''' | ||
After the Thor delivers the new crew of Amity Outpost, Ambassador Rivi Vataix shares information about a sector called ‘The Graveyard’. So named for the thousands of ships in various degrees of destruction that haunt the area. Little is known about what had occurred and why so many vessels, and pieces of vessels, were abandoned. Located a mere dozen light years from the new outpost, the crew of the Thor are tasked with surveying the Graveyard and checking for scavengers, pirates, and other unsavouries to ‘flex’ Starfleet’s muscles and deter future incidents. | |||
Within the system itself the main point of interest is one of the largest and oldest derelicts in the sector, a ship nicknamed “Proud Mary”. Commodore Kells assigns Lieutenant Commander Ben Garcia, Lieutenant JG Dar Elandra, Lieutenant JG Kizanna Reid, and Ensign Kammus Corelli to launch with the Tigris, and beginning from the Proud Mary, survey the system. Watching the sensors, Corelli notes high magnetometric readouts coming from the star and recommends they keep their distance. After setting off, a strange signal is detected, and as more data comes in, Reid discovers what looks to be the remains of a Talaxian vessel with damage from Hirogen weapons. A moment later, they are struck from behind by debris, then the group catches sight of an actual Hirogen vessel - or rather part of one - and questions arise as to why the Talaxians might have come to the area in the first place. | |||
The crew finds scans difficult as interference from the star along with the sheer number of objects in the surrounding area interfere, but they continue to attempt to determine where the signal is originating. As the team considers what to do, including whether or not they should attempt to interface with one of the vessels, they are briefly contacted by Commander Brodie from the Thor who cautions them that there are strange things afoot. As Dar suggests they keep their distance from Proud Mary while still investigating the area, Corelli picks up the readings of the verteron particles, but they quickly dissipate. They decide to continue exploring, but, of course, with constant monitoring. | |||
As they move onward, Corelli registers another wave of particles, antichroniton along with an image of something huge, but it disappears, leaving nothing but questions in its wake. Then, sensors detect a ship’s signature, but interference makes it difficult to distinguish where. Garcia shifted the Tigris to a different angle in hopes of getting a better signal and Reid detects a ship and energy signature. The crew receives communication from Commander Rouiancet on the Thor, but the signal is degraded. While Corelli tries to improve the fidelity of it, a bright flash floods the shuttle with light which seemed to cause a short out of the communications panel. When questioned, Corelli indicates it was some sort of highly charged beacon that seemed to carry anti-tachyons and elevated antineutrino levels from the strange vessel. While the ship remains outside, Corelli attempts to establish another comm line with the Thor and manages to get a signal, albeit somewhat garbled, to Rouiancet who understands enough to initiate the suggestions Corelli makes. | |||
Reid indicates that the shuttle has somehow moved into the past and the ship is in the past as well. The shuttle attempts to contact the Thor once more and Corelli suggests they too initiate a scan though there is concern the other ship might consider it a hostile move. They find the ship is a Type II, a sear frigate class, as opposed to the Proud Mary which is a Type IV battleship. Without knowledge of how to get back into the present, Corelli wonders if they can use the anti chronitons present to go back while Garcia decides to order hailing frequencies open in the hopes of establishing a link. Another flash of white light appeared, more focused the second time, and held onto the Tigris before lurching it forward. Losing control of the helm. Garcia was unable to shape the shuttle free of its grip and the group was brought alongside the frigate at a terrible speed. They were then brought aboard the frigate itself and the shuttle crew found themselves in a compartment of the ship. Corelli spied a figure clad in some sort of armour as the faint sounds of Major Greaves crackled through the comms. As Reid watches it, the form flickers and she suspects it is merely a hologram of some sort and confirms that it is merely a projection after running a scan. Garcia decides the team should try to initiate contact even though it is merely an image. | |||
On the bridge, Commodore Kells is joined by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Brodie and Ensign Jaxon Fargo to monitor both teams as well as the vicinity immediately surrounding the vessel. The Thor, also beginning at the Proud Mary, is to survey the system in an opposite direction of the Tigris. Preliminary scans are taken, though limited in scope, and sent to both teams, when suddenly, an alarm sounds from one of the consoles. Ensign Fargo notes the approach of an abnormal amount of verterons as well as a high level of anti chroniton particles from the center of the anomaly. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the anomaly disappears. Kells orders probes to be sent out to investigate. At first, they transmit information without a problem, but suddenly, they stop and sensors pick up only debris in their locations, and their transmissions indicate a Stardate of 1191. | |||
Brodie contacts Garcia and his team. Reid reports that they have picked up a strange signal and Brodie encourages them to be cautious as there seem to be strange things happening in the area. The team commiserates for a moment, but decide to remain and continue investigating while keeping a safe distance from Proud Mary. Just after they end communications, power on the Thor flickers, the lights flicker on and off, and the entire power grid seems to ‘hiccup’. The brief event is followed by another hair raising round of alarms screaming through the bridge. Sensors seem to indicate something out there is alive - alive and even larger than the Thor. Fargo notes a diamond shape, and wonders if the entity is crystalline. The probes chronometers then register the time to be Stardate 1191, though somehow the Thor remains in 2398. | |||
Strangely enough, a new Ensign by the name of V’Len Kel is brought aboard about that time and he enters the bridge and reports to Kells. Jumping right in, he confirms that there are no giant life forms outside of the Thor, but rather there are somewhere between 100-250 smaller life forms outside of it and they could beam some aboard for analysis. Ensign Fargo suggested they send more probes and get more information. Commodore Kells approves both plans, though he orders the probes launched and information gathered first. Suddenly, alarms begin to sound and the Thor discovers an enormous entity, either a ship or a life form, one vastly larger than Proud Mary, has come into view. Fargo notes that it seems like it consumes wormhole particles and expels temporal ones, somehow bleeding through the dimensional veil and its body grew larger and larger at an alarming rate. Commodore Kells calls for a red alert, Fargo warns to brace for impact and hits his head in the subsequent collision just before the entire bridge goes dark.After receiving communication from the shuttle, Rouiancet had made the changes and was going to re-establish communication with the results just as the power failed. | |||
Meanwhile, Major Greaves plans an away team to explore the inside of Proud Mary along with Lieutenant JG Anton Richards, and Lieutenant JG Katsim Peri. Due to the projected lack of gravity as well as breathable air, the group anticipates the need for EV suits. A brief conversation about what little is known of the abandoned vessel is followed by preparations from a scientific, engineering, as well as defensive standpoint before beaming over. Upon arrival, the group finds themselves indeed without gravity and discover they are in a corridor with a door leading further into the ship. Moreso, a slight but unmistakable power source is detected deeper in the ship, a signal that the ancient ship shouldn’t be able to produce. Investigating, the team drives onward through the only open path to them. | |||
Once there, they find themselves in a giant room that looks like it could be the vessel’s version of Engineering. A moment later, Peri notes that the air is actually breathable. Suddenly, the scene around them changes and they are surrounded by strange aliens with the ship at full power. As the strange eyes turn toward them, the scene suddenly disappears and the team finds themselves in the dark and airless room once again. From readings on their tricorders, the teams determined that they experienced a wave of chronitons accompanied by veterans which was subsequently followed by a burst of anti chronitons. The sudden appearance of power and life was actually the team momentarily being transported back in time. It is not long before a second wave strikes and they find themselves thrust into the past once more. This time however the team is sent to an hour after their first arrival and faced with only three of the same aliens. The alien crew members had sketched rough images of the team, confirming that their time jump before had impacts. Rather than aggressive, the group now seems cowed by their sudden reappearance. Moments later, it all disappears as they find themselves back in their own time. | |||
Returning to the present, tricorder readings detect the strange energy signature again, faint, but present. Katsim hypothesizes that the chroniton bursts that send them back in time are only in small localized areas, similar to a time sinkhole. In an effort to prevent further time jumps and to continue exploration, Greaves and his team continue on, making their way out of the engineering section and into a corridor. As they do so, another wave hits them and they find themselves in the past again in a dim and deserted corridor. Katsim hears something that sounds like a child and enters a room that has a door slightly ajar to find a little boy on a bed, crying. Greaves follows and discovers they have jumped even further back into the past than before. He then approaches the child to question him. The child shares that his people are heading to take back their First Home as their Second Home is now dead and they have been preparing for this for ‘a long time’. Veloen also divulges that he is to begin his training the next day, but before he can explain further, the group find themselves once more in their actual present. They are not there for long when Greaves realises they have traveled back once again, only to have something collide with the ship, knocking him over. As the trio make it out into the hallway, they are overwhelmed by a throng of bodies as people rush to and fro, evidently in response to what seems like an attack. After a moment, it all disappears, and Greaves tries to contact the Thor but no connection can be established. Richards notes that every time they try to get out of the situation they’re in, they are thrust back in time and prevented from doing so - and that there may be something keeping them there. Almost as soon as he makes this statement, a bright light blinds the group briefly and a humanoid form glides through the corridor. It caresses Greaves and Katsim, flicks Richards’ nose, then disappears as Katsim calls out an exclamation to the prophets and Richards wonders whether or not he’s a chosen one - only to find himself without super powers. | |||
'''''Act Two''''' | '''''Act Two''''' | ||
On the Thor, emergency lights come on after the ship has lost power and Commodore Kells orders a full diagnostics. While the crew set about searching for answers, Kells makes a log, and should something happen to the Thor, anyone who listens should avoid the area of space called the Graveyard. Turning back to his crew, he inquires as to their whereabouts exactly and whether or not they can reestablish communications with the teams on the Tigris and Proud Mary. Brodie indicates the comms. array is offline and suggests a repair, but to take care before sending any transmissions that might seem hostile to unknowns. He also notes that the internal chronometer seems to try to calibrate only to fail, then begins to run a full operations and damage report. | |||
Fargo initiates a level five diagnostics sweep and finds that phasers and torpedoes are offline until main power can be restored. Kel checks on crewmembers who were injured and then notes that sensors can’t detect beyond the boundaries of the creature they seemed to be inside of. Rouiancet arrives on the Bridge and offers to help treat injuries. She informs Kel that she was in contact with the Tigris when the power suddenly cut off. She assists Kel in treating injuries and Kel indicates a crewman by the name of Heston has a concussion and needs to be taken to sickbay. The Thor gives a shudder and the crew find themselves with partial power, though only at twelve percent. The group find themselves not just inside any ship, but a ship that is *alive*, a cosmozoan life form. Fargo silently theorizes that, perhaps, the lifeform is feeding on temporal anomalies. Kel updates the status of the injured crewmembers then returns to his station. | |||
As the crew ponders what happened and how they’re not affected, Brodie theorizes that the wave that hit them was a projection ahead of the ship and might not have cause to project it internally and would thus put them in a null spot at the centre of that field. Kells calls everyone to action, to try and think of how they can get out, and whether or not any temporal anomalies can be detected. Fargo is able to confirm they are at a full stop but are still somehow still moving. Brodie has no luck with the chronometer and wonders if they are not only in a null spot but also in a null space. | |||
Kel notes that multicellular organisms tend to have tubes and that they may be on their way to a crop or stomach. He then remembers a historical account of Captain James Kirk, when his vessel was swallowed and a Vulcan crewmember mind melded with the creature to get it to change its course and spit them out. He suggests having Reid and Richards connect with the life form telepathically, but they are not aboard the Thor. He then suggests that they try to detect the creature’s nerve impulses via the sensor array, then use the bio neural circuitry to translate it into something they could understand, possibly employing the holodeck to achieve this. Fargo, who had been working diligently to find a way to communicate with the teams, voices a question asking if people might think the smaller life forms detected earlier were attempts to communicate with them, then realises his modulation wave that he employed is working and he establishes a call to the Tigris while Kel adjusts the sensors to look for ‘neurological’ activity and silently wonders if there was an endosymbiotic relationship, the giant space life from giving protection to a crystalline entity while the crystalline entity provide digestion services. | |||
Rouiancet leaves to take an injured crewman by the name of Heston, to sickbay for a head injury. There, she meets Ensign Toz. The Doctor assesses the patient and and hs Rouiancet gives him a stimulant to keep him awake due to a possible concussion. As they work, they receive the call in Engineering and Toz has another physician take over to go attend to the injuries there. | |||
Meanwhile, the Thor receives an indistinguishable message from the Tigris. Kells says to narrow the frequency and amplify in hopes of clearing it up. Kel manages to switch tactics and clear up the message by listening to it as a recording instead of trying to catch it on a real time frequency. Kel finds information about the crystalline entity that Captain Kirk engaged with along with one from a later Enterprise with another, that time bald, captain. The later record showed that that specific entity communicated via graviton pulses and the one they were inside of was also emitting low levels of the same emission. Kells asks if they can communicate. Kel indicates the Enterprise was never fully able to do so, but perhaps they could build on what the earlier ship had done. Kel contacts an ensign Daley and indicates he should join him in a holodeck. The ensign informs them the acting chief has just called to duty non essential engineering, but he would head to holosuite 2. Fargo calls out that they’ll need command override to reroute or access power for a holosuite. | |||
Brodie suggests they try low frequency emissions to be cautious and he will continue to work on ideas in regards to their digestive situation. He also shares a couple of instances where he engaged with similar entities, giving the crewmembers some hope. Kells asks Fargo about the comms, but the wave has failed and they can’t make contact. The bridge then receives the call from engineering about damage and that warp drive won’t be available for a while. Kells updates them on their predicament and assures them they won’t need warp for now. Fargo inserts terse requests for graviton pulses and power to holosuite 2. Kells more tactfully mentions they could use more power, but also they can make do if need be, but reserve power to communications would assist with trying to communicate with the creature. Then, amid everything else, Fargo points out concern about the away team and their air supply. Kells suggests they try to get out a message to them. The commodore then makes a trip down to Engineering to check on the situation there. | |||
Down in engineering, the main structural support for the secondary plasma conduit buckles under stress, shears in half, and causes the conduit to buckle, split, and raw warp plasma explodes into the room. Immediately and automatically, forcefields raise and the emergency doors close. As the EPS grid drains and the power goes out, everyone is thrown from a sudden impact. Many systems go down, but despite injuries, engineers hurry to keep life support going and sickbay running. Once things are more steady, Engineering officer Aiya calls for back up engineers and medical officers to assist the injured before collapsing. | |||
A moment later, Doctor Toz arrives and sets about caring for the injured. More officers from sickbay come to assist, and Lt. Nesre Salo, a counselor on the Thor with a medical background, also lends a hand. After working quickly to stabilize the injured, Toz finds herself weary. Salo, noticing, draws alongside the woman to assist in going through those who remain and the two come to Aiya who is finally waking up. Toz sets about to heal Aiya’s arm, which is broken in three places while Salo assists. Once she is more mended, she sets off to help with repairs and contacts the bridge. Commodore Kells appears and asks for status of the injured, and Toz gives him a list of injuries - fortunately, nothing that can’t be healed. The commanding officer then asks both officers to join him on the bridge and they head to a lift - only to find themselves stuck after another rattle of the ship. As the trio tries to figure how to get back to the bridge, they call engineering. A few minutes later, they’re moving again, make it to the bridge, and start looking over the data. | |||
Brodie is sent with Kel to the holosuite where they are met by Ensign Daley and Lt. JG Dime De Scheppes, a Diplomatic Contact Specialist, in the hopes of finding out a way to communicate with the being. She’s joined by Ensign Daley and Lt. Commander Brodie, the latter suggesting he could try and run the signals through some of the behaviour modelling analogues and even the facial action coding database to try and refine the representation when attempting communication with the giant entity. All around, people hope throat punches will not be needed. As they begin, the representation is of a doctor from a previous ship. The hologram starts to move forward and exclaims that it’s hungry and shifts through a variety of different forms before finally settling on an aquatic xindi. The entity asks to be let out and the officers try to determine what, exactly, it means. Kel manages to coax more information and it sounds as if the entity is somehow trapped. The hologram starts to flicker and Daley attempts to compensate. | |||
Knowing it is trapped, De Scheppes suggests they (being the Thor and the creature) could help each other. Kels speaks to the creature who had said it was alone, and indicates that it isn’t, he and his crew members are trapped inside it before sharing that they wished to free the creature. There is some hesitation, but the creature finally agrees and spits the Thor out. | |||
On the Proud Mary, Greaves attempts to jury rig a phaser to provide some power to an ancient alien computer panel in order to give them something of an advantage. After rewiring, they have some success, and Katsim uses her tricorder to translate the strange writing and help her navigate the controls. The scientist discovers there is a stash of stable trilithium resin aboard which could possibly be used as a power source. Greaves points out a particular section of the control area that could be a generator of some sort, which they could then use to power up the ship. Despite a bad mood brought on by the events, Richards moves over to assist Greaves . WIth no way to really get into the panel, Katsim looks for something useful, finds a long strip of metal and offers it as a possible way to pry open the section. With the effort of the two men, they are successful. Greaves realises the area is indeed a fission generator. He asks about splitting the Trilithium at an atomic level, but Katsim advises against attempting that. The next question is, how to get it as it is located two decks above them. | |||
Using schematics she found on the barely working console, Katsim notes they have access channels similar to Jeffries tubes. Once she saves the information to her tricorder, she points out an access panel, and the trio make their way inside. Katsim muses as they are traveling that a semi conductor could help them establish control over the flow of electrons in order to keep the energy from the resin from turning into an explosion. Greaves comments wrly about where they might find a grocery store. Wes continues to lead the party and, with a bit of direction from Katsim, he finds a hatch and opens it. The trio discover they’ve arrived at a cargo bay. Unfortunately, the container that has the resin is too large to fit into the channel. Richards sets about concocting a bomb and uses his phaser to make it explode. It is successful, but the group realizes they heard the explosion, and they find themselves once more in the past . A few moments later, they return to the future, an black marks signify that the bomb had, indeed, gone off. Peri sets about trying to open the hatch, discovers the way to do it by using the tricorder, and what comes out are small, torus shaped objects. She takes two of them. | |||
The trio make their way back to the engineering section of the ship and begin a search for something they can use as a semiconductor. Richards is successful and provides a long piece silicone material which Peri takes and cuts to the specifications so she can use it to link the trilithium resin to the fission generator. It is successful and they gain power, then Richards and Katsim work on getting containment fields and life support while Greaves tries to contact the Tigris. He gets an update from them, then returns to his crew who have managed to put up a containment field and get life support to the little area they occupy. Katsim gets some readings and mentions a giant life form which Greaves confirms that the Tigris has discovered the same. The three toss around theories as to why the lifeform is there and what could be causing the time shifts when Katsim mentions that the best way to find out is to be there and suggests possibly sending a probe. They contact the Tigris who sends one over. The question is then raised as to how to get it not only into the past but placed where it won’t be bothered. Katsim says she’ll take it back. Greaves pulls rank and without giving her a chance to protest, takes it back himself. A moment later, he returns, his suit charred, his helmet cracked, a wound upon his head, but otherwise, unharmed. In the past, the probe remains and continues to collect data and syncs up to transfer it to the Proud Mary. After making sure Greaves is all right, Katsim assists Richards in pulling up the information. The amount of data is massive, a treasure trove of data. | |||
On the Tigris, Corelli watches the hologram. As it opens its mouth, supposedly to speak, alarms suddenly ring out and then it all vanishes, and all they can see is the debris field. Corelli wonders if they move position whether or not the ship would move away, and if a static warp shell might prevent them from doing so. Reid tries to find the Thor, but without success and wonders if they, too, went back in time. Attempts to contact their mother ship and the away are unsuccessful, but they manage to make brief contact with Greaves and corroborate their time traveling. Garcia suggests they amplify the signal and gives them a scope in which to try again, hoping for a more positive outcome and asks for more information on the warp field. Corelli indicates they can shield themselves from jumping time by using an inverse tachyon pulse in conjunction with the static warp field. | |||
After setting everything up, Garcia asks for a scan to see if they can find the Thor, but with only a few seconds before the field collapses, Corelli initiates the static warp field, cutting off the chance. The inverse tachyon pulse blasted from the ship and the field circled the Tigris in a perfect sphere, lighting up their vision as verterons and chroniton particles reacted to the field. Reid notes that scanners indicate there was a living being out there, then suggests they leave the away team where they are and investigate further and theorize it had something to do with the Thor’s disappearance. Corelli indicates the Tachyon stream is ready and that she has 6.2 seconds to gather what data she can. Somehow, they manage to pick up another garbled communication’s signal, this one undistinguishable and Reid tries to connect with the Thor. | |||
Excited to find out more, Reid asks if they can do the tachyon pulse again. Dar warns against it for fear of overloading the shields, and Reid goes on to wonder if what they’re experiencing has to do with the time jumps. Dar suggests she diverts power from nonessential systems, but also warns that it will only give one try, and Reid agrees. As they work, they pick up a garbled communication, a field of anti chronitons ahead of them and an unknown energy signature. Corelli asks Garcia to make a decision and says he has to shut down the deflector emitters. Garcia tells them to hold position and get a bearing on a specific mark. Suddenly, two ships of alien origin come into view. | |||
As the shuttle crew members continue to work, a severely damaged ship suddenly bursts into view. There is uncertainty as to whether or not the Tigris has jumped to the past, or those ships have jumped to their present. Garcia tells them to open a hailing frequency and he addresses the ship, but receives only static. Reid speaks up as the Tigris picks up a second ship, the notes they could be two sides in a battle that caused the debris field - and they don’t want to get involved and Reid suggests they move and get above the two ships, able to watch, but out from between the two. Garcia considers the situation, then the comm chirps, giving him an idea. He tells the crew to pipe through static and some distortion to buy them some time. He then asks Corelli, if they could reverse engineer the technique he used to stabilise the Tigris against temporal flux to induce the ships back to their own time. Corelli indicates it might be possible and indicates they’d have to lower their shields. | |||
From the Thor, Rouiancet manages to connect to the shuttle and they find out the ship has been swallowed by the giant creature. Reid requests data from the Thor as they are inside the creature. Another call comes through from the Proud Mary as they ask the Tigris to send over a microprobe so they can gather data from the past. They send one over to the Proud Mary. | |||
Suddenly, a bright flash fills the shuttle and is followed by a thunderous rumble as one of the ships opens fire, followed by a second jolt, then a third, causing damage. Corelli suggests they initiate a tachyon pulse to allow the two new ships to see what they themselves saw, and after the third shot from one of the ships, he fires it. The energy lights up an enormous creature at least 2,000 meters in length with a mass of 15,000 metric tons. Corelli theorizes it must be hollow. As they watch, the pulse also lights up the system and smaller objects, life forms, and dust appear, uncertain as to what they are, and they dance in the magnetic field. This is followed by a shockwave of polarized anti-tachyons caused by the scanning beam that radiates out from the surface of the creature and hits the other ships. Corelli notes they should get out of the way while Reid, excited about what shows up with the pulse, indicates she needs a little time to get more information. As debris gets knocked toward the shuttle, Garcia orders them to take up a different position. | |||
Corelli then receives a transmission from the Thor and finds out they’ve been ‘eaten’ by the entity and the Thor is trying to communicate with the creature. Greaves’ transmission then comes in and they request a microprobe to send into one of the chroniton pockets in order to gain information from the past as to what happened. Corelli sends information if they wish to use a temporal field. After the call ends, he then puts the data they’ve collected about the large creature and realises it’s in a box and that it must be held there by some sort of mechanical force, or a passive subspace field generator. | |||
Back in the past, a war rages, and a battle ensues. Admiral Jorah of GSS Nuach, Flag Ship of the Eighth Fleet, finds that his ship is outmanned and soon will be destroyed. However, he does not plan to go down without a fight. Before a last strike can be made, however, the ship suddenly finds itself in a different place, the battle gone, and another, smaller ship hovering near by. Similarly, over on the HVX Shiximan, Captain Styvix commands the Huxarian frigate and plans to destroy the Nuach, only just before he can accomplish his goal, he, too, finds him and his ship are in a different place with a strange ship nearby. Styvix orders his first mate, Arxiv, to try and hail the ship, but they are met with static. He then seeks to get more information about their situation, and is told that a massive entity seems to be some sort of ship but is alive. | |||
Jorah receives the communication from the strange ship, but ignores it for the moment and asks for information about what tactical systems are still available in order to track the Huxarian ship. He then orders a test and to fire a torpedo at one of the Huxarian derelicts. Subcommander Kepach reads some oscillation and thinks it could be a ship in their blind spot, then notes that the alien vessel (the Tigris) is firing a beam, but not at them. The tachyon beam that the Tigris sends out results in a shockwave, a second shockwave then stops just short but hits the Huxarians. Jorah orders his crew to stand down and sends out a message on a broad band to discuss what’s happening. Garcia also orders weapons to be powered down and lets them know that time is broken and they are still trying to figure out what’s happening. After that link closes, Styvix calls for one to be opened to the Gamarian ship then offers a temporary truce. The two enemies agree that it’s more important to get back to their own time and are willing to work together and share information so they can do so. The Huxarians are eager to rejoin the fight in the past, but the Gamarians wonder if there is a way to stop the war and save their people. Styvix orders the ship to put some distance between their ship and the strange, giant creature. | |||
Meanwhile, on the Gamarian ship, Jorah wonders if there’s a way they could truly get the Huxarians to stand down completely. As he and Subcommander Kelpach toss around ideas, Corelli contacts them and asks if they have any information, or can get more information, about the creature and the artificial wall made of particles that is trapping it. Inquiring of his subcommander, Jorah asks if Kelpach has heard of nano particles creating such a thing - and while Kelpach indicates there was a thought to use nanoparticles to create a mesh for armour, he didn’t know much about it and would consult the library. Kelpach indicates there are several ships that have low level verteron emissions. He also discovers in their database that a professor had made a nanofiber net using chromium nanofibrils and that a lot of the ships contained chromium. Jorah informs Corelli that their more sensitive sensors are damaged and undergoing repair, and they will contact them when they can get more information. Kelpach theorizes that if they trapped the creature, their races might have survived, but there’s not a lot of research on verterons. Jorah says to continue gleaning what he can from the sensors while repairs are underway. Kelpach contacts another crew member by the name of Guttan, a specialist in astrophysics. | |||
As repairs were conducted, the sensors became more operational. Kelpach indicates there are at least six ships out there emitting a low level of power with a low level chromium signature between them. In that group are both Huxarian and Garmorian vessels and he also discovers there are high levels of chronitons and anti-chronitons in the vicinity of those ships. | |||
After speaking with the Tigris, Rouiancet connects with Engineering, getting the current status of the ship after another jolt. Johnson indicates it will be a good eight hours before they can get the systems to a point where warp and shields are possible and indicates she will keep Rouiancet informed. Seeking out Aiya, she suggests that they rearrange who’s working on what, leaving the more cramped work to those who might be able to traverse the tubes more quickly and easily - generally the younger and less injured officers. | |||
Back on the Tigris, Garcia and Reid can’t help but wonder if they want that creature to get freed, what it’s purpose is, and Garcia asks for a cost analysis of releasing the creature. Corelli runs another scan and finds out that a wall was created using verterons. They contact Jorah and ask the Admiral if he knows anything about the artificial walls. When given a negative, he asks if Jorah and his crew can attune to the walls. They indicate their sensors are damaged but will re-establish contact once they get more information. | |||
As Reid looks into the matter more fully, she detects similar technology to the ships in the field and wonders why the Huxarians and Gamarians aren’t sharing information if they have that tech. Garcia asks if adjustments can be made to the probe, and Reid affirms they can be done remotely. Unfortunately, by the time they try to contact the away team, the probe has been placed in the past. She then discovers large amounts of bioplasmic energy and indicates the USS Voyager came across a similar creature - and she is not certain that setting the creature free would be sensible, something Garcia agrees with. Corelli agrees and suggests they wait until they can get more information, including that from the probe. He would continue running scans, and privately wonders if Jorah truly knows more than he’s letting on. Reid then notes that data shows verterons present when the ships appeared, and theorizes a wormhole is connecting their times. | |||
Data collected successfully from the probe reveals that the spaceborne creature was present at the battle over 1000 years prior. It’s appearance caused significant damage to both Gamorian and Huxarian fleets. The creature demonstrated the ability to devour entire starships as well as emit damaging shockwaves from its skin. Utterly defeated by the creature, the Gamorians and Huxarians retreated and signed a ceasefire, agreeing to work together against the new common enemy. After 6 weeks, small fleets returned to the system and implemented new technology to cage the creature in the Sorach system. | |||
With more information at their disposal, and the Thor now free from the creature, Commodore Kells recalls both teams to the ship to strategize about what to do next . | |||
'''''Act Three''''' | |||
With all the crew now back on the ship, the officers of the USS Thor continue to work on the issues at hand. Kells keeps Greaves and Doctor Toz on the bridge to coordinate efforts of the other teams, grateful to have both strategic and medical perspectives available. Lieutenant Reid, Lieutenant Richards and Ensign Kel to continue to analyze and liaise with the creature in holosuits two as part of the Contact Team. Commander Garcia, Lieutenant Scheppes, and Counselor Brodie are put in charge of the communications with the time-displaced Gamorians and Huxarians. Commander Rouiancet, Lieutenant Corelli, and Lieutenant Katsim are to continue to work on the Thor’s repairs, Corelli from an engineering perspective, Katsim from a scientific one. | |||
Concerned with the situation, Commodore Kells asks Doctor Toz if there is any possible long term physical damage to the teams due to the temporal radiation and particles with which they have come into contact. Greaves wonders if the creature is malnourished for they are still uncertain as to what it feeds on, and they have found no bodies in the debris. Toz indicates she would need to test the away team members, but doesn’t feel there’s a concern. She also indicates the creature could possibly feed on the radiation and energy from the ships. Greaves assures her he’ll send all the officers to Sickbay for checkups after the mission is over. The bridge receives a call from the Contact team. Reid indicates they are monitoring the creature’s vital signs. Greaves asks Doctor Toz if they can get any surface level data on the creature. The first officer then informs the Commodore that the Captains of the two alien ships are on board and headed to the briefing room to meet with Garcia’s team and he suggests they take the opportunity to initiate some passive scans of them in order to gain some understanding of their physiology as Doctor Toz asks to be present with the team that is meeting with the alien captains. Commodore Kells gives her the go ahead to join. | |||
Commodore Kells notes the uniqueness of the situation and they should prepare for any contingencies while hoping for open dialogue with the two captains and the creature without violating the temporal prime directive. Commander Greaves takes up position at a tactical station manned by an ensign and asks about a worst case scenario. Looking over the data, he notes that he is reading exaggerated power levels from both ships, but they aren’t doing anything. Kells tells Greaves to keep an eye on them, then suggests they call up Ensign Isabelle Basilia for another strategic perspective on the situation. After her arrival, he greets the new officer, who enters rather nervously as she is unfamiliar with recent events. Greaves suggests a wide spread of low yield quantum torpedoes could disrupt the aliens’ sensors if they remain close together. | |||
After a quick briefing, she agrees with the assessment but advises caution and a contingency plan while avoiding any actions that might seem offensive in nature. Kells raises the concern about the creature not being as friendly as they hope, and they are eager to determine how the creature lashed out and if there’s any way to counter it. After encouraging Greaves and Basilia to look into it, Kells contacts Katsim down in Engineering to ask if she has an idea and she says she’ll get back to him. Greaves wonders what the energy the creature used was made from as well as whether it is part of how it moves. Basilia suggests if they are able to ascertain when the creature is about to release an energy wave, they can use a pulse from the deflector dish to reinforce the shields. The temporary boost should be enough to mitigate the wave. After Kells closes the line with Katsim, Greaves notes that not only have the alien commanding officers left, but the ships are moving off and something has scrambled short range sensors. That spurred Basilia to recommend they go ahead and reinforce the shields as they would no longer be able to predict any energy waves from the creature. Kells tells her to do it and calls Ensign Jack Kessler to the bridge. He asks Basilia to fill him in on what’s been happening and whether or not they can contact the alien vessels. | |||
Upon his arrival, Kessler suggests they use a Class II probe that can be attached to the outer layer of the creature’s body with a sensor packet designed to pick up the slightest energy increase. Greaves liked the idea and suggested they use the probe that the contact team has already put inside the creature and adjust the sensor parameters to do the same job. He then asks Kessler to confirm the source of the sensor disruption, and notes to Kells that he’s concerned it’s a prelude to an attack. | |||
Kel has remained in the holosuite, working to re-establish the connection that was severed after the creature spit them out. He is successful, then welcomes Reid who arrives to join him, then asks the creature if they can call him Bev. The creature gives a name, but it's unpronounceable to the humanoids’ ears, and the creature then consents to the nickname. Kel states he wants to monitor the creature’s vital signs or metabolism so they can safely remove it from the field it’s trapped in. Reid admits they couldn’t get readings from outside the creature but wonders if they can get it to swallow a modified probe that could transmit vital signs back to the ship, then asks Richards if he has any ideas. As Reid brings up data, there is a call from the bridge and she shares they are preparing a probe to monitor vital signs. | |||
The creature states that it can control its digestive system in a sense. Since the team wants to launch a probe, Reid asks the creature to make sure the device isn’t digested, and Kel also tells the creature they will have it emit energy using an extra power plant on the problem for the cosmozoan to ‘snack’ on. Reid suggests they have the probe rotate the types of particles emitted to offer more variety to the creature. Kel announces the probe is ready and the group informs the creature as to its purpose and warns it of the launch while they continue to work on how to free it. A concern comes to mind and Reid asks the creature what it will do once free, but Kel counters that it doesn’t matter, all life forms have the right to be free. Richards suggests it pick up sports instead of eating people, lightening the mood a bit. Reid indicates to the creature that as a scientist, she is generally curious and requests more information about the creature's species. Kel asks about others of the creature’s kind, then turns to look at incoming data from the probe as Reid indicates it’s coming in and it allows them a better look at the creature’s biological systems. The creature makes a sound which Richards imitates. Reid proceeds to write a message warning that the creature could pose a danger to the ship, Amity outpost, and others. Typing in order to keep the conversation private, Kel asks why she thinks that. Reid indicates it can feed on ships and gives video proof of what had occurred earlier. | |||
While Reid and Kel type messages back and forth, they also continue to speak with the creature. It indicates it was once among others of its kind, but is now alone. Richards suggests it not chew through space and time and it counters by asking if they eat. As Reid and Kel send messages back and forth, the creature senses their concern and mentions it. Keld replies they are simply trying to find somewhere the creature can eat after it’s free. Richards comments that his people don’t particularly like to be eaten, but the creature counters that they are the threat to it, not the other way around. Kel notes that a crystalline structure they saw earlier is actually part of the creature that scans incoming materials to determine how best to digest them. Duranium and tritanium seem to be the most nutritious for it, which is what the Thor is made of, but so are asteroids and some small planetoids. | |||
Reid realises the creature is empathic like her and opens up a little, but fear holds her back from going too far. Kel assures Bev they just need to understand things better. He goes on to explain that because their own ship could be consumed for food, he would understand why they have concern. Reid points out that the creature destroyed the captors' vessels and ate their people, then asks if they, as sentient beings, deserve to be eaten. The creature accuses them of polluting and wasting. Reid does assure the cosmozoan that leaving it locked up was wrong, but it needed to find other food sources that didn’t hurt people. | |||
In the briefing room, Garcia replicates coffee and tea for everyone and ponders over the situation as Brodie and De Scheppes enter. He passes them PADDS with Intelligence reports on the two ships, and their commanding officers, that had come forward in time, and those two leaders would arrive in five minutes. De Scheppes inquires as to their position in regards to the creature and Brodie responds that it’s unknown, but they’re both aware of it, and they have an advantage of more knowledge of the cosmozoan. He also suggests that because they are enemies, they might see sense but not wish to make concessions in front of one another. He then suggests they try to make the plan sound like their idea and that it’s a good one. | |||
The doors to the room open, but it is Doctor Toz who arrives to participate in the talks. Only a moment after, both commanding officers of the alien vessels join them. Neither Jorah nor Styvix are keen on the Starfleet Officers’ idea to release the creature, but the officers insist that something with sentience that requested aid would be given aid, and had rendered help to them. After going back and forth, the two commanding officers are in complete disagreement with the Starfleet officers, and they leave, nothing resolved. The group converse about the failed negotiations, and Brodie wonders if the creature can truly manipulate time and space and if so, could it help send the Huxarians and Gamarians back to their own time, an idea supported by de Scheppes who thinks the creature might come to their aid if they are indeed attacked. | |||
Down in Engineering, Katsim approaches Corelli, but the Engineer has to run and take care of a problem before he is able to give her an assignment. Commander Rouiancet joins her, and the two begin to run over some of the systems to see how being inside the creature has affected hull integrity as well as go over some calibrations. Rouiancet asks if Katsim has heard of anything like this, and while the science officer admits to knowing of documentation, she shares her theory of the particles involved, and how she suspects the verterons are acting like a conduit or door frame for the chronitons. | |||
Rouiancet asks if there is a way to do something and prevent the Thor from getting dragged back in time. The question sparks an idea, and Katsim theorizes that the particles can be used to create a repellent layer over the shields, then modifies that to using the particles with the gravitons of the shields and modify them directly to prevent unwanted time travel rather than a layer. Katsim then receives a call from the Commodore who asks if she has an idea how to protect the ship once the creature is free if it decides to turn on him. Without an immediate answer, she says she’ll get back to him and presents the problem to her team. | |||
Back on the Shiximan, Captain Styvix calls to his people to understand that they need to fight against the release of the creature, and the only way to do so is by joining forces with a common enemy of the strange aliens - the Gamarians. For once, the two warring species are now united. As soon as Admiral Jorah’s crew scrambles the Thor’s sensors, Styvix orders his own to fire upon the Starfleet vessel. | |||
In Engineering, Corelli tells his crew to keep the shields up as well as main power. He also prioritises getting sensors back up and asks if there’s a way to help the creature without sensors. Katsim suggests they get a visual, but then turns to the problem of how to actually release the creature. | |||
On the bridge, Kessler feels he’s found the source of the interference in the briefing room and attempts to erect a dampening field. Basilia notes a buildup of energy but because of the interference, can’t determine what’s causing it. Suddenly weapons fire hits the ship, causing it to rock. He finds Styvix’s ship heading forward the creature and now their long range sensors are out. The ships are hailed, but they do not answer. Kessler is able to determine that the Huxarians are headed toward the creature, and Kells tells them to move the ship between them and the cosmozoan. Basilia does her best to find out what’s happening as the ship is hit again and she states there was some sort of energy discharge from the creature. The Gamorians join in the fight and Greaves calls for them to target their antagonists’ weapons, cautioning to keep their fire to the port side, away from the creature lest it think they are attacking it as well. As they try to figure out how to see the cosmozoan better, Greaves realizes the Proud Mary is also moving on a collision course with the creature. | |||
In the holosuite with the creature, everyone feels the attack as well. Reid discovers the sensors are scrambled, but they are still receiving data from the probe. Reid contacts Engineering to tell them they need to prioritise power to the holodeck so they can remain in contact with the creature even as the images flashes, then the creature is disconnected from the hologram. Kel asks if Reid can reach out telepathically to the cosmozoan. | |||
In the briefing room, the group realizes they are being fired upon by the aliens. Garcia contacts the holosuite, indicating they need to get in touch with the creature ASAP, that they will free it, but need help. Toz suggests the contact team to ask the creature if it can sense what the Gamarians and Huxarians are up to. Kel indicates they’ve lost communication with it but they told it not to attack. Richards attempts to fix the connection. It is then that the creature manages to return to the holographic form and asks if the prey are hunting and Kel asks if the creature can tell what the other two crews are planning. DeScheppes, still communicating through the coms, wonders what the creature thinks of the two other peoples. Reid asks the creature to help them, but only by disabling the ships rather than destroying them. The briefing room receives the messages that there is a device causing the problem with the scanners present. DeScheppes takes a tricorder and finds the device and, asking for either a phaser or hammer, suggests they might be able to use the aliens’ tech against them. The device is destroyed and the sensors come back online. | |||
On the bridge, Kells tells the crew to put themselves between the aliens and the creature, asks the contact team to let the creature know they’re trying to protect it, then sends a warning message to the other ships that the Thor and its crew will disable their ships if they don’t cease hostilities. He then orders to tractor the Proud Mary and put it between the alien ships and the cosmozoan to act as a barrier. Admiral Jorah’s response is clear - they will not back down. | |||
And as everyone scrambles, they all realize that the Huxarians and Gamorians have disappeared - supposedly returned to their own time. | |||
| Line 63: | Line 221: | ||
*Security Officer, Lieutenant JG [[Anton Richards]] | *Security Officer, Lieutenant JG [[Anton Richards]] | ||
*Tactical Officer, Ensign [[Jaxon Fargo]] | *Tactical Officer, Ensign [[Jaxon Fargo]] | ||
*Tactical Officer, Ensign [[Jack Kessler]] | |||
*Acting Chief Engineer, Ensign [[Kammus Corelli]] | *Acting Chief Engineer, Ensign [[Kammus Corelli]] | ||
*Science Officer, Lieutenant JG [[Peri Katsim]] | *Science Officer, Lieutenant JG [[Peri Katsim]] | ||
*Science Officer, Lieutenant JG [[Kizanna Reid]] | *Science Officer, Lieutenant JG [[Kizanna Reid]] | ||
*Medical Officer, Ensign [[V'Len Kel]] | *Medical Officer, Ensign [[V'Len Kel]] | ||
*Medical Officer, Ensign [[Toz]] | |||
Latest revision as of 19:23, 30 January 2022
| USS Thor | ||
|---|---|---|
 INACTIVE STATUS | ||
| ||
Doing a favor for the new crew of Amity Outpost, the USS Thor gets underway to survey a massive debris field known only to the locals as The Graveyard.
Mission Summary
Act One
After the Thor delivers the new crew of Amity Outpost, Ambassador Rivi Vataix shares information about a sector called ‘The Graveyard’. So named for the thousands of ships in various degrees of destruction that haunt the area. Little is known about what had occurred and why so many vessels, and pieces of vessels, were abandoned. Located a mere dozen light years from the new outpost, the crew of the Thor are tasked with surveying the Graveyard and checking for scavengers, pirates, and other unsavouries to ‘flex’ Starfleet’s muscles and deter future incidents.
Within the system itself the main point of interest is one of the largest and oldest derelicts in the sector, a ship nicknamed “Proud Mary”. Commodore Kells assigns Lieutenant Commander Ben Garcia, Lieutenant JG Dar Elandra, Lieutenant JG Kizanna Reid, and Ensign Kammus Corelli to launch with the Tigris, and beginning from the Proud Mary, survey the system. Watching the sensors, Corelli notes high magnetometric readouts coming from the star and recommends they keep their distance. After setting off, a strange signal is detected, and as more data comes in, Reid discovers what looks to be the remains of a Talaxian vessel with damage from Hirogen weapons. A moment later, they are struck from behind by debris, then the group catches sight of an actual Hirogen vessel - or rather part of one - and questions arise as to why the Talaxians might have come to the area in the first place.
The crew finds scans difficult as interference from the star along with the sheer number of objects in the surrounding area interfere, but they continue to attempt to determine where the signal is originating. As the team considers what to do, including whether or not they should attempt to interface with one of the vessels, they are briefly contacted by Commander Brodie from the Thor who cautions them that there are strange things afoot. As Dar suggests they keep their distance from Proud Mary while still investigating the area, Corelli picks up the readings of the verteron particles, but they quickly dissipate. They decide to continue exploring, but, of course, with constant monitoring.
As they move onward, Corelli registers another wave of particles, antichroniton along with an image of something huge, but it disappears, leaving nothing but questions in its wake. Then, sensors detect a ship’s signature, but interference makes it difficult to distinguish where. Garcia shifted the Tigris to a different angle in hopes of getting a better signal and Reid detects a ship and energy signature. The crew receives communication from Commander Rouiancet on the Thor, but the signal is degraded. While Corelli tries to improve the fidelity of it, a bright flash floods the shuttle with light which seemed to cause a short out of the communications panel. When questioned, Corelli indicates it was some sort of highly charged beacon that seemed to carry anti-tachyons and elevated antineutrino levels from the strange vessel. While the ship remains outside, Corelli attempts to establish another comm line with the Thor and manages to get a signal, albeit somewhat garbled, to Rouiancet who understands enough to initiate the suggestions Corelli makes.
Reid indicates that the shuttle has somehow moved into the past and the ship is in the past as well. The shuttle attempts to contact the Thor once more and Corelli suggests they too initiate a scan though there is concern the other ship might consider it a hostile move. They find the ship is a Type II, a sear frigate class, as opposed to the Proud Mary which is a Type IV battleship. Without knowledge of how to get back into the present, Corelli wonders if they can use the anti chronitons present to go back while Garcia decides to order hailing frequencies open in the hopes of establishing a link. Another flash of white light appeared, more focused the second time, and held onto the Tigris before lurching it forward. Losing control of the helm. Garcia was unable to shape the shuttle free of its grip and the group was brought alongside the frigate at a terrible speed. They were then brought aboard the frigate itself and the shuttle crew found themselves in a compartment of the ship. Corelli spied a figure clad in some sort of armour as the faint sounds of Major Greaves crackled through the comms. As Reid watches it, the form flickers and she suspects it is merely a hologram of some sort and confirms that it is merely a projection after running a scan. Garcia decides the team should try to initiate contact even though it is merely an image.
On the bridge, Commodore Kells is joined by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Brodie and Ensign Jaxon Fargo to monitor both teams as well as the vicinity immediately surrounding the vessel. The Thor, also beginning at the Proud Mary, is to survey the system in an opposite direction of the Tigris. Preliminary scans are taken, though limited in scope, and sent to both teams, when suddenly, an alarm sounds from one of the consoles. Ensign Fargo notes the approach of an abnormal amount of verterons as well as a high level of anti chroniton particles from the center of the anomaly. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the anomaly disappears. Kells orders probes to be sent out to investigate. At first, they transmit information without a problem, but suddenly, they stop and sensors pick up only debris in their locations, and their transmissions indicate a Stardate of 1191.
Brodie contacts Garcia and his team. Reid reports that they have picked up a strange signal and Brodie encourages them to be cautious as there seem to be strange things happening in the area. The team commiserates for a moment, but decide to remain and continue investigating while keeping a safe distance from Proud Mary. Just after they end communications, power on the Thor flickers, the lights flicker on and off, and the entire power grid seems to ‘hiccup’. The brief event is followed by another hair raising round of alarms screaming through the bridge. Sensors seem to indicate something out there is alive - alive and even larger than the Thor. Fargo notes a diamond shape, and wonders if the entity is crystalline. The probes chronometers then register the time to be Stardate 1191, though somehow the Thor remains in 2398.
Strangely enough, a new Ensign by the name of V’Len Kel is brought aboard about that time and he enters the bridge and reports to Kells. Jumping right in, he confirms that there are no giant life forms outside of the Thor, but rather there are somewhere between 100-250 smaller life forms outside of it and they could beam some aboard for analysis. Ensign Fargo suggested they send more probes and get more information. Commodore Kells approves both plans, though he orders the probes launched and information gathered first. Suddenly, alarms begin to sound and the Thor discovers an enormous entity, either a ship or a life form, one vastly larger than Proud Mary, has come into view. Fargo notes that it seems like it consumes wormhole particles and expels temporal ones, somehow bleeding through the dimensional veil and its body grew larger and larger at an alarming rate. Commodore Kells calls for a red alert, Fargo warns to brace for impact and hits his head in the subsequent collision just before the entire bridge goes dark.After receiving communication from the shuttle, Rouiancet had made the changes and was going to re-establish communication with the results just as the power failed.
Meanwhile, Major Greaves plans an away team to explore the inside of Proud Mary along with Lieutenant JG Anton Richards, and Lieutenant JG Katsim Peri. Due to the projected lack of gravity as well as breathable air, the group anticipates the need for EV suits. A brief conversation about what little is known of the abandoned vessel is followed by preparations from a scientific, engineering, as well as defensive standpoint before beaming over. Upon arrival, the group finds themselves indeed without gravity and discover they are in a corridor with a door leading further into the ship. Moreso, a slight but unmistakable power source is detected deeper in the ship, a signal that the ancient ship shouldn’t be able to produce. Investigating, the team drives onward through the only open path to them.
Once there, they find themselves in a giant room that looks like it could be the vessel’s version of Engineering. A moment later, Peri notes that the air is actually breathable. Suddenly, the scene around them changes and they are surrounded by strange aliens with the ship at full power. As the strange eyes turn toward them, the scene suddenly disappears and the team finds themselves in the dark and airless room once again. From readings on their tricorders, the teams determined that they experienced a wave of chronitons accompanied by veterans which was subsequently followed by a burst of anti chronitons. The sudden appearance of power and life was actually the team momentarily being transported back in time. It is not long before a second wave strikes and they find themselves thrust into the past once more. This time however the team is sent to an hour after their first arrival and faced with only three of the same aliens. The alien crew members had sketched rough images of the team, confirming that their time jump before had impacts. Rather than aggressive, the group now seems cowed by their sudden reappearance. Moments later, it all disappears as they find themselves back in their own time.
Returning to the present, tricorder readings detect the strange energy signature again, faint, but present. Katsim hypothesizes that the chroniton bursts that send them back in time are only in small localized areas, similar to a time sinkhole. In an effort to prevent further time jumps and to continue exploration, Greaves and his team continue on, making their way out of the engineering section and into a corridor. As they do so, another wave hits them and they find themselves in the past again in a dim and deserted corridor. Katsim hears something that sounds like a child and enters a room that has a door slightly ajar to find a little boy on a bed, crying. Greaves follows and discovers they have jumped even further back into the past than before. He then approaches the child to question him. The child shares that his people are heading to take back their First Home as their Second Home is now dead and they have been preparing for this for ‘a long time’. Veloen also divulges that he is to begin his training the next day, but before he can explain further, the group find themselves once more in their actual present. They are not there for long when Greaves realises they have traveled back once again, only to have something collide with the ship, knocking him over. As the trio make it out into the hallway, they are overwhelmed by a throng of bodies as people rush to and fro, evidently in response to what seems like an attack. After a moment, it all disappears, and Greaves tries to contact the Thor but no connection can be established. Richards notes that every time they try to get out of the situation they’re in, they are thrust back in time and prevented from doing so - and that there may be something keeping them there. Almost as soon as he makes this statement, a bright light blinds the group briefly and a humanoid form glides through the corridor. It caresses Greaves and Katsim, flicks Richards’ nose, then disappears as Katsim calls out an exclamation to the prophets and Richards wonders whether or not he’s a chosen one - only to find himself without super powers.
Act Two
On the Thor, emergency lights come on after the ship has lost power and Commodore Kells orders a full diagnostics. While the crew set about searching for answers, Kells makes a log, and should something happen to the Thor, anyone who listens should avoid the area of space called the Graveyard. Turning back to his crew, he inquires as to their whereabouts exactly and whether or not they can reestablish communications with the teams on the Tigris and Proud Mary. Brodie indicates the comms. array is offline and suggests a repair, but to take care before sending any transmissions that might seem hostile to unknowns. He also notes that the internal chronometer seems to try to calibrate only to fail, then begins to run a full operations and damage report.
Fargo initiates a level five diagnostics sweep and finds that phasers and torpedoes are offline until main power can be restored. Kel checks on crewmembers who were injured and then notes that sensors can’t detect beyond the boundaries of the creature they seemed to be inside of. Rouiancet arrives on the Bridge and offers to help treat injuries. She informs Kel that she was in contact with the Tigris when the power suddenly cut off. She assists Kel in treating injuries and Kel indicates a crewman by the name of Heston has a concussion and needs to be taken to sickbay. The Thor gives a shudder and the crew find themselves with partial power, though only at twelve percent. The group find themselves not just inside any ship, but a ship that is *alive*, a cosmozoan life form. Fargo silently theorizes that, perhaps, the lifeform is feeding on temporal anomalies. Kel updates the status of the injured crewmembers then returns to his station.
As the crew ponders what happened and how they’re not affected, Brodie theorizes that the wave that hit them was a projection ahead of the ship and might not have cause to project it internally and would thus put them in a null spot at the centre of that field. Kells calls everyone to action, to try and think of how they can get out, and whether or not any temporal anomalies can be detected. Fargo is able to confirm they are at a full stop but are still somehow still moving. Brodie has no luck with the chronometer and wonders if they are not only in a null spot but also in a null space.
Kel notes that multicellular organisms tend to have tubes and that they may be on their way to a crop or stomach. He then remembers a historical account of Captain James Kirk, when his vessel was swallowed and a Vulcan crewmember mind melded with the creature to get it to change its course and spit them out. He suggests having Reid and Richards connect with the life form telepathically, but they are not aboard the Thor. He then suggests that they try to detect the creature’s nerve impulses via the sensor array, then use the bio neural circuitry to translate it into something they could understand, possibly employing the holodeck to achieve this. Fargo, who had been working diligently to find a way to communicate with the teams, voices a question asking if people might think the smaller life forms detected earlier were attempts to communicate with them, then realises his modulation wave that he employed is working and he establishes a call to the Tigris while Kel adjusts the sensors to look for ‘neurological’ activity and silently wonders if there was an endosymbiotic relationship, the giant space life from giving protection to a crystalline entity while the crystalline entity provide digestion services.
Rouiancet leaves to take an injured crewman by the name of Heston, to sickbay for a head injury. There, she meets Ensign Toz. The Doctor assesses the patient and and hs Rouiancet gives him a stimulant to keep him awake due to a possible concussion. As they work, they receive the call in Engineering and Toz has another physician take over to go attend to the injuries there.
Meanwhile, the Thor receives an indistinguishable message from the Tigris. Kells says to narrow the frequency and amplify in hopes of clearing it up. Kel manages to switch tactics and clear up the message by listening to it as a recording instead of trying to catch it on a real time frequency. Kel finds information about the crystalline entity that Captain Kirk engaged with along with one from a later Enterprise with another, that time bald, captain. The later record showed that that specific entity communicated via graviton pulses and the one they were inside of was also emitting low levels of the same emission. Kells asks if they can communicate. Kel indicates the Enterprise was never fully able to do so, but perhaps they could build on what the earlier ship had done. Kel contacts an ensign Daley and indicates he should join him in a holodeck. The ensign informs them the acting chief has just called to duty non essential engineering, but he would head to holosuite 2. Fargo calls out that they’ll need command override to reroute or access power for a holosuite.
Brodie suggests they try low frequency emissions to be cautious and he will continue to work on ideas in regards to their digestive situation. He also shares a couple of instances where he engaged with similar entities, giving the crewmembers some hope. Kells asks Fargo about the comms, but the wave has failed and they can’t make contact. The bridge then receives the call from engineering about damage and that warp drive won’t be available for a while. Kells updates them on their predicament and assures them they won’t need warp for now. Fargo inserts terse requests for graviton pulses and power to holosuite 2. Kells more tactfully mentions they could use more power, but also they can make do if need be, but reserve power to communications would assist with trying to communicate with the creature. Then, amid everything else, Fargo points out concern about the away team and their air supply. Kells suggests they try to get out a message to them. The commodore then makes a trip down to Engineering to check on the situation there.
Down in engineering, the main structural support for the secondary plasma conduit buckles under stress, shears in half, and causes the conduit to buckle, split, and raw warp plasma explodes into the room. Immediately and automatically, forcefields raise and the emergency doors close. As the EPS grid drains and the power goes out, everyone is thrown from a sudden impact. Many systems go down, but despite injuries, engineers hurry to keep life support going and sickbay running. Once things are more steady, Engineering officer Aiya calls for back up engineers and medical officers to assist the injured before collapsing.
A moment later, Doctor Toz arrives and sets about caring for the injured. More officers from sickbay come to assist, and Lt. Nesre Salo, a counselor on the Thor with a medical background, also lends a hand. After working quickly to stabilize the injured, Toz finds herself weary. Salo, noticing, draws alongside the woman to assist in going through those who remain and the two come to Aiya who is finally waking up. Toz sets about to heal Aiya’s arm, which is broken in three places while Salo assists. Once she is more mended, she sets off to help with repairs and contacts the bridge. Commodore Kells appears and asks for status of the injured, and Toz gives him a list of injuries - fortunately, nothing that can’t be healed. The commanding officer then asks both officers to join him on the bridge and they head to a lift - only to find themselves stuck after another rattle of the ship. As the trio tries to figure how to get back to the bridge, they call engineering. A few minutes later, they’re moving again, make it to the bridge, and start looking over the data.
Brodie is sent with Kel to the holosuite where they are met by Ensign Daley and Lt. JG Dime De Scheppes, a Diplomatic Contact Specialist, in the hopes of finding out a way to communicate with the being. She’s joined by Ensign Daley and Lt. Commander Brodie, the latter suggesting he could try and run the signals through some of the behaviour modelling analogues and even the facial action coding database to try and refine the representation when attempting communication with the giant entity. All around, people hope throat punches will not be needed. As they begin, the representation is of a doctor from a previous ship. The hologram starts to move forward and exclaims that it’s hungry and shifts through a variety of different forms before finally settling on an aquatic xindi. The entity asks to be let out and the officers try to determine what, exactly, it means. Kel manages to coax more information and it sounds as if the entity is somehow trapped. The hologram starts to flicker and Daley attempts to compensate.
Knowing it is trapped, De Scheppes suggests they (being the Thor and the creature) could help each other. Kels speaks to the creature who had said it was alone, and indicates that it isn’t, he and his crew members are trapped inside it before sharing that they wished to free the creature. There is some hesitation, but the creature finally agrees and spits the Thor out.
On the Proud Mary, Greaves attempts to jury rig a phaser to provide some power to an ancient alien computer panel in order to give them something of an advantage. After rewiring, they have some success, and Katsim uses her tricorder to translate the strange writing and help her navigate the controls. The scientist discovers there is a stash of stable trilithium resin aboard which could possibly be used as a power source. Greaves points out a particular section of the control area that could be a generator of some sort, which they could then use to power up the ship. Despite a bad mood brought on by the events, Richards moves over to assist Greaves . WIth no way to really get into the panel, Katsim looks for something useful, finds a long strip of metal and offers it as a possible way to pry open the section. With the effort of the two men, they are successful. Greaves realises the area is indeed a fission generator. He asks about splitting the Trilithium at an atomic level, but Katsim advises against attempting that. The next question is, how to get it as it is located two decks above them.
Using schematics she found on the barely working console, Katsim notes they have access channels similar to Jeffries tubes. Once she saves the information to her tricorder, she points out an access panel, and the trio make their way inside. Katsim muses as they are traveling that a semi conductor could help them establish control over the flow of electrons in order to keep the energy from the resin from turning into an explosion. Greaves comments wrly about where they might find a grocery store. Wes continues to lead the party and, with a bit of direction from Katsim, he finds a hatch and opens it. The trio discover they’ve arrived at a cargo bay. Unfortunately, the container that has the resin is too large to fit into the channel. Richards sets about concocting a bomb and uses his phaser to make it explode. It is successful, but the group realizes they heard the explosion, and they find themselves once more in the past . A few moments later, they return to the future, an black marks signify that the bomb had, indeed, gone off. Peri sets about trying to open the hatch, discovers the way to do it by using the tricorder, and what comes out are small, torus shaped objects. She takes two of them.
The trio make their way back to the engineering section of the ship and begin a search for something they can use as a semiconductor. Richards is successful and provides a long piece silicone material which Peri takes and cuts to the specifications so she can use it to link the trilithium resin to the fission generator. It is successful and they gain power, then Richards and Katsim work on getting containment fields and life support while Greaves tries to contact the Tigris. He gets an update from them, then returns to his crew who have managed to put up a containment field and get life support to the little area they occupy. Katsim gets some readings and mentions a giant life form which Greaves confirms that the Tigris has discovered the same. The three toss around theories as to why the lifeform is there and what could be causing the time shifts when Katsim mentions that the best way to find out is to be there and suggests possibly sending a probe. They contact the Tigris who sends one over. The question is then raised as to how to get it not only into the past but placed where it won’t be bothered. Katsim says she’ll take it back. Greaves pulls rank and without giving her a chance to protest, takes it back himself. A moment later, he returns, his suit charred, his helmet cracked, a wound upon his head, but otherwise, unharmed. In the past, the probe remains and continues to collect data and syncs up to transfer it to the Proud Mary. After making sure Greaves is all right, Katsim assists Richards in pulling up the information. The amount of data is massive, a treasure trove of data.
On the Tigris, Corelli watches the hologram. As it opens its mouth, supposedly to speak, alarms suddenly ring out and then it all vanishes, and all they can see is the debris field. Corelli wonders if they move position whether or not the ship would move away, and if a static warp shell might prevent them from doing so. Reid tries to find the Thor, but without success and wonders if they, too, went back in time. Attempts to contact their mother ship and the away are unsuccessful, but they manage to make brief contact with Greaves and corroborate their time traveling. Garcia suggests they amplify the signal and gives them a scope in which to try again, hoping for a more positive outcome and asks for more information on the warp field. Corelli indicates they can shield themselves from jumping time by using an inverse tachyon pulse in conjunction with the static warp field.
After setting everything up, Garcia asks for a scan to see if they can find the Thor, but with only a few seconds before the field collapses, Corelli initiates the static warp field, cutting off the chance. The inverse tachyon pulse blasted from the ship and the field circled the Tigris in a perfect sphere, lighting up their vision as verterons and chroniton particles reacted to the field. Reid notes that scanners indicate there was a living being out there, then suggests they leave the away team where they are and investigate further and theorize it had something to do with the Thor’s disappearance. Corelli indicates the Tachyon stream is ready and that she has 6.2 seconds to gather what data she can. Somehow, they manage to pick up another garbled communication’s signal, this one undistinguishable and Reid tries to connect with the Thor.
Excited to find out more, Reid asks if they can do the tachyon pulse again. Dar warns against it for fear of overloading the shields, and Reid goes on to wonder if what they’re experiencing has to do with the time jumps. Dar suggests she diverts power from nonessential systems, but also warns that it will only give one try, and Reid agrees. As they work, they pick up a garbled communication, a field of anti chronitons ahead of them and an unknown energy signature. Corelli asks Garcia to make a decision and says he has to shut down the deflector emitters. Garcia tells them to hold position and get a bearing on a specific mark. Suddenly, two ships of alien origin come into view.
As the shuttle crew members continue to work, a severely damaged ship suddenly bursts into view. There is uncertainty as to whether or not the Tigris has jumped to the past, or those ships have jumped to their present. Garcia tells them to open a hailing frequency and he addresses the ship, but receives only static. Reid speaks up as the Tigris picks up a second ship, the notes they could be two sides in a battle that caused the debris field - and they don’t want to get involved and Reid suggests they move and get above the two ships, able to watch, but out from between the two. Garcia considers the situation, then the comm chirps, giving him an idea. He tells the crew to pipe through static and some distortion to buy them some time. He then asks Corelli, if they could reverse engineer the technique he used to stabilise the Tigris against temporal flux to induce the ships back to their own time. Corelli indicates it might be possible and indicates they’d have to lower their shields.
From the Thor, Rouiancet manages to connect to the shuttle and they find out the ship has been swallowed by the giant creature. Reid requests data from the Thor as they are inside the creature. Another call comes through from the Proud Mary as they ask the Tigris to send over a microprobe so they can gather data from the past. They send one over to the Proud Mary.
Suddenly, a bright flash fills the shuttle and is followed by a thunderous rumble as one of the ships opens fire, followed by a second jolt, then a third, causing damage. Corelli suggests they initiate a tachyon pulse to allow the two new ships to see what they themselves saw, and after the third shot from one of the ships, he fires it. The energy lights up an enormous creature at least 2,000 meters in length with a mass of 15,000 metric tons. Corelli theorizes it must be hollow. As they watch, the pulse also lights up the system and smaller objects, life forms, and dust appear, uncertain as to what they are, and they dance in the magnetic field. This is followed by a shockwave of polarized anti-tachyons caused by the scanning beam that radiates out from the surface of the creature and hits the other ships. Corelli notes they should get out of the way while Reid, excited about what shows up with the pulse, indicates she needs a little time to get more information. As debris gets knocked toward the shuttle, Garcia orders them to take up a different position.
Corelli then receives a transmission from the Thor and finds out they’ve been ‘eaten’ by the entity and the Thor is trying to communicate with the creature. Greaves’ transmission then comes in and they request a microprobe to send into one of the chroniton pockets in order to gain information from the past as to what happened. Corelli sends information if they wish to use a temporal field. After the call ends, he then puts the data they’ve collected about the large creature and realises it’s in a box and that it must be held there by some sort of mechanical force, or a passive subspace field generator.
Back in the past, a war rages, and a battle ensues. Admiral Jorah of GSS Nuach, Flag Ship of the Eighth Fleet, finds that his ship is outmanned and soon will be destroyed. However, he does not plan to go down without a fight. Before a last strike can be made, however, the ship suddenly finds itself in a different place, the battle gone, and another, smaller ship hovering near by. Similarly, over on the HVX Shiximan, Captain Styvix commands the Huxarian frigate and plans to destroy the Nuach, only just before he can accomplish his goal, he, too, finds him and his ship are in a different place with a strange ship nearby. Styvix orders his first mate, Arxiv, to try and hail the ship, but they are met with static. He then seeks to get more information about their situation, and is told that a massive entity seems to be some sort of ship but is alive.
Jorah receives the communication from the strange ship, but ignores it for the moment and asks for information about what tactical systems are still available in order to track the Huxarian ship. He then orders a test and to fire a torpedo at one of the Huxarian derelicts. Subcommander Kepach reads some oscillation and thinks it could be a ship in their blind spot, then notes that the alien vessel (the Tigris) is firing a beam, but not at them. The tachyon beam that the Tigris sends out results in a shockwave, a second shockwave then stops just short but hits the Huxarians. Jorah orders his crew to stand down and sends out a message on a broad band to discuss what’s happening. Garcia also orders weapons to be powered down and lets them know that time is broken and they are still trying to figure out what’s happening. After that link closes, Styvix calls for one to be opened to the Gamarian ship then offers a temporary truce. The two enemies agree that it’s more important to get back to their own time and are willing to work together and share information so they can do so. The Huxarians are eager to rejoin the fight in the past, but the Gamarians wonder if there is a way to stop the war and save their people. Styvix orders the ship to put some distance between their ship and the strange, giant creature.
Meanwhile, on the Gamarian ship, Jorah wonders if there’s a way they could truly get the Huxarians to stand down completely. As he and Subcommander Kelpach toss around ideas, Corelli contacts them and asks if they have any information, or can get more information, about the creature and the artificial wall made of particles that is trapping it. Inquiring of his subcommander, Jorah asks if Kelpach has heard of nano particles creating such a thing - and while Kelpach indicates there was a thought to use nanoparticles to create a mesh for armour, he didn’t know much about it and would consult the library. Kelpach indicates there are several ships that have low level verteron emissions. He also discovers in their database that a professor had made a nanofiber net using chromium nanofibrils and that a lot of the ships contained chromium. Jorah informs Corelli that their more sensitive sensors are damaged and undergoing repair, and they will contact them when they can get more information. Kelpach theorizes that if they trapped the creature, their races might have survived, but there’s not a lot of research on verterons. Jorah says to continue gleaning what he can from the sensors while repairs are underway. Kelpach contacts another crew member by the name of Guttan, a specialist in astrophysics.
As repairs were conducted, the sensors became more operational. Kelpach indicates there are at least six ships out there emitting a low level of power with a low level chromium signature between them. In that group are both Huxarian and Garmorian vessels and he also discovers there are high levels of chronitons and anti-chronitons in the vicinity of those ships.
After speaking with the Tigris, Rouiancet connects with Engineering, getting the current status of the ship after another jolt. Johnson indicates it will be a good eight hours before they can get the systems to a point where warp and shields are possible and indicates she will keep Rouiancet informed. Seeking out Aiya, she suggests that they rearrange who’s working on what, leaving the more cramped work to those who might be able to traverse the tubes more quickly and easily - generally the younger and less injured officers.
Back on the Tigris, Garcia and Reid can’t help but wonder if they want that creature to get freed, what it’s purpose is, and Garcia asks for a cost analysis of releasing the creature. Corelli runs another scan and finds out that a wall was created using verterons. They contact Jorah and ask the Admiral if he knows anything about the artificial walls. When given a negative, he asks if Jorah and his crew can attune to the walls. They indicate their sensors are damaged but will re-establish contact once they get more information.
As Reid looks into the matter more fully, she detects similar technology to the ships in the field and wonders why the Huxarians and Gamarians aren’t sharing information if they have that tech. Garcia asks if adjustments can be made to the probe, and Reid affirms they can be done remotely. Unfortunately, by the time they try to contact the away team, the probe has been placed in the past. She then discovers large amounts of bioplasmic energy and indicates the USS Voyager came across a similar creature - and she is not certain that setting the creature free would be sensible, something Garcia agrees with. Corelli agrees and suggests they wait until they can get more information, including that from the probe. He would continue running scans, and privately wonders if Jorah truly knows more than he’s letting on. Reid then notes that data shows verterons present when the ships appeared, and theorizes a wormhole is connecting their times.
Data collected successfully from the probe reveals that the spaceborne creature was present at the battle over 1000 years prior. It’s appearance caused significant damage to both Gamorian and Huxarian fleets. The creature demonstrated the ability to devour entire starships as well as emit damaging shockwaves from its skin. Utterly defeated by the creature, the Gamorians and Huxarians retreated and signed a ceasefire, agreeing to work together against the new common enemy. After 6 weeks, small fleets returned to the system and implemented new technology to cage the creature in the Sorach system.
With more information at their disposal, and the Thor now free from the creature, Commodore Kells recalls both teams to the ship to strategize about what to do next .
Act Three
With all the crew now back on the ship, the officers of the USS Thor continue to work on the issues at hand. Kells keeps Greaves and Doctor Toz on the bridge to coordinate efforts of the other teams, grateful to have both strategic and medical perspectives available. Lieutenant Reid, Lieutenant Richards and Ensign Kel to continue to analyze and liaise with the creature in holosuits two as part of the Contact Team. Commander Garcia, Lieutenant Scheppes, and Counselor Brodie are put in charge of the communications with the time-displaced Gamorians and Huxarians. Commander Rouiancet, Lieutenant Corelli, and Lieutenant Katsim are to continue to work on the Thor’s repairs, Corelli from an engineering perspective, Katsim from a scientific one.
Concerned with the situation, Commodore Kells asks Doctor Toz if there is any possible long term physical damage to the teams due to the temporal radiation and particles with which they have come into contact. Greaves wonders if the creature is malnourished for they are still uncertain as to what it feeds on, and they have found no bodies in the debris. Toz indicates she would need to test the away team members, but doesn’t feel there’s a concern. She also indicates the creature could possibly feed on the radiation and energy from the ships. Greaves assures her he’ll send all the officers to Sickbay for checkups after the mission is over. The bridge receives a call from the Contact team. Reid indicates they are monitoring the creature’s vital signs. Greaves asks Doctor Toz if they can get any surface level data on the creature. The first officer then informs the Commodore that the Captains of the two alien ships are on board and headed to the briefing room to meet with Garcia’s team and he suggests they take the opportunity to initiate some passive scans of them in order to gain some understanding of their physiology as Doctor Toz asks to be present with the team that is meeting with the alien captains. Commodore Kells gives her the go ahead to join.
Commodore Kells notes the uniqueness of the situation and they should prepare for any contingencies while hoping for open dialogue with the two captains and the creature without violating the temporal prime directive. Commander Greaves takes up position at a tactical station manned by an ensign and asks about a worst case scenario. Looking over the data, he notes that he is reading exaggerated power levels from both ships, but they aren’t doing anything. Kells tells Greaves to keep an eye on them, then suggests they call up Ensign Isabelle Basilia for another strategic perspective on the situation. After her arrival, he greets the new officer, who enters rather nervously as she is unfamiliar with recent events. Greaves suggests a wide spread of low yield quantum torpedoes could disrupt the aliens’ sensors if they remain close together.
After a quick briefing, she agrees with the assessment but advises caution and a contingency plan while avoiding any actions that might seem offensive in nature. Kells raises the concern about the creature not being as friendly as they hope, and they are eager to determine how the creature lashed out and if there’s any way to counter it. After encouraging Greaves and Basilia to look into it, Kells contacts Katsim down in Engineering to ask if she has an idea and she says she’ll get back to him. Greaves wonders what the energy the creature used was made from as well as whether it is part of how it moves. Basilia suggests if they are able to ascertain when the creature is about to release an energy wave, they can use a pulse from the deflector dish to reinforce the shields. The temporary boost should be enough to mitigate the wave. After Kells closes the line with Katsim, Greaves notes that not only have the alien commanding officers left, but the ships are moving off and something has scrambled short range sensors. That spurred Basilia to recommend they go ahead and reinforce the shields as they would no longer be able to predict any energy waves from the creature. Kells tells her to do it and calls Ensign Jack Kessler to the bridge. He asks Basilia to fill him in on what’s been happening and whether or not they can contact the alien vessels.
Upon his arrival, Kessler suggests they use a Class II probe that can be attached to the outer layer of the creature’s body with a sensor packet designed to pick up the slightest energy increase. Greaves liked the idea and suggested they use the probe that the contact team has already put inside the creature and adjust the sensor parameters to do the same job. He then asks Kessler to confirm the source of the sensor disruption, and notes to Kells that he’s concerned it’s a prelude to an attack.
Kel has remained in the holosuite, working to re-establish the connection that was severed after the creature spit them out. He is successful, then welcomes Reid who arrives to join him, then asks the creature if they can call him Bev. The creature gives a name, but it's unpronounceable to the humanoids’ ears, and the creature then consents to the nickname. Kel states he wants to monitor the creature’s vital signs or metabolism so they can safely remove it from the field it’s trapped in. Reid admits they couldn’t get readings from outside the creature but wonders if they can get it to swallow a modified probe that could transmit vital signs back to the ship, then asks Richards if he has any ideas. As Reid brings up data, there is a call from the bridge and she shares they are preparing a probe to monitor vital signs.
The creature states that it can control its digestive system in a sense. Since the team wants to launch a probe, Reid asks the creature to make sure the device isn’t digested, and Kel also tells the creature they will have it emit energy using an extra power plant on the problem for the cosmozoan to ‘snack’ on. Reid suggests they have the probe rotate the types of particles emitted to offer more variety to the creature. Kel announces the probe is ready and the group informs the creature as to its purpose and warns it of the launch while they continue to work on how to free it. A concern comes to mind and Reid asks the creature what it will do once free, but Kel counters that it doesn’t matter, all life forms have the right to be free. Richards suggests it pick up sports instead of eating people, lightening the mood a bit. Reid indicates to the creature that as a scientist, she is generally curious and requests more information about the creature's species. Kel asks about others of the creature’s kind, then turns to look at incoming data from the probe as Reid indicates it’s coming in and it allows them a better look at the creature’s biological systems. The creature makes a sound which Richards imitates. Reid proceeds to write a message warning that the creature could pose a danger to the ship, Amity outpost, and others. Typing in order to keep the conversation private, Kel asks why she thinks that. Reid indicates it can feed on ships and gives video proof of what had occurred earlier.
While Reid and Kel type messages back and forth, they also continue to speak with the creature. It indicates it was once among others of its kind, but is now alone. Richards suggests it not chew through space and time and it counters by asking if they eat. As Reid and Kel send messages back and forth, the creature senses their concern and mentions it. Keld replies they are simply trying to find somewhere the creature can eat after it’s free. Richards comments that his people don’t particularly like to be eaten, but the creature counters that they are the threat to it, not the other way around. Kel notes that a crystalline structure they saw earlier is actually part of the creature that scans incoming materials to determine how best to digest them. Duranium and tritanium seem to be the most nutritious for it, which is what the Thor is made of, but so are asteroids and some small planetoids.
Reid realises the creature is empathic like her and opens up a little, but fear holds her back from going too far. Kel assures Bev they just need to understand things better. He goes on to explain that because their own ship could be consumed for food, he would understand why they have concern. Reid points out that the creature destroyed the captors' vessels and ate their people, then asks if they, as sentient beings, deserve to be eaten. The creature accuses them of polluting and wasting. Reid does assure the cosmozoan that leaving it locked up was wrong, but it needed to find other food sources that didn’t hurt people.
In the briefing room, Garcia replicates coffee and tea for everyone and ponders over the situation as Brodie and De Scheppes enter. He passes them PADDS with Intelligence reports on the two ships, and their commanding officers, that had come forward in time, and those two leaders would arrive in five minutes. De Scheppes inquires as to their position in regards to the creature and Brodie responds that it’s unknown, but they’re both aware of it, and they have an advantage of more knowledge of the cosmozoan. He also suggests that because they are enemies, they might see sense but not wish to make concessions in front of one another. He then suggests they try to make the plan sound like their idea and that it’s a good one.
The doors to the room open, but it is Doctor Toz who arrives to participate in the talks. Only a moment after, both commanding officers of the alien vessels join them. Neither Jorah nor Styvix are keen on the Starfleet Officers’ idea to release the creature, but the officers insist that something with sentience that requested aid would be given aid, and had rendered help to them. After going back and forth, the two commanding officers are in complete disagreement with the Starfleet officers, and they leave, nothing resolved. The group converse about the failed negotiations, and Brodie wonders if the creature can truly manipulate time and space and if so, could it help send the Huxarians and Gamarians back to their own time, an idea supported by de Scheppes who thinks the creature might come to their aid if they are indeed attacked.
Down in Engineering, Katsim approaches Corelli, but the Engineer has to run and take care of a problem before he is able to give her an assignment. Commander Rouiancet joins her, and the two begin to run over some of the systems to see how being inside the creature has affected hull integrity as well as go over some calibrations. Rouiancet asks if Katsim has heard of anything like this, and while the science officer admits to knowing of documentation, she shares her theory of the particles involved, and how she suspects the verterons are acting like a conduit or door frame for the chronitons.
Rouiancet asks if there is a way to do something and prevent the Thor from getting dragged back in time. The question sparks an idea, and Katsim theorizes that the particles can be used to create a repellent layer over the shields, then modifies that to using the particles with the gravitons of the shields and modify them directly to prevent unwanted time travel rather than a layer. Katsim then receives a call from the Commodore who asks if she has an idea how to protect the ship once the creature is free if it decides to turn on him. Without an immediate answer, she says she’ll get back to him and presents the problem to her team.
Back on the Shiximan, Captain Styvix calls to his people to understand that they need to fight against the release of the creature, and the only way to do so is by joining forces with a common enemy of the strange aliens - the Gamarians. For once, the two warring species are now united. As soon as Admiral Jorah’s crew scrambles the Thor’s sensors, Styvix orders his own to fire upon the Starfleet vessel.
In Engineering, Corelli tells his crew to keep the shields up as well as main power. He also prioritises getting sensors back up and asks if there’s a way to help the creature without sensors. Katsim suggests they get a visual, but then turns to the problem of how to actually release the creature.
On the bridge, Kessler feels he’s found the source of the interference in the briefing room and attempts to erect a dampening field. Basilia notes a buildup of energy but because of the interference, can’t determine what’s causing it. Suddenly weapons fire hits the ship, causing it to rock. He finds Styvix’s ship heading forward the creature and now their long range sensors are out. The ships are hailed, but they do not answer. Kessler is able to determine that the Huxarians are headed toward the creature, and Kells tells them to move the ship between them and the cosmozoan. Basilia does her best to find out what’s happening as the ship is hit again and she states there was some sort of energy discharge from the creature. The Gamorians join in the fight and Greaves calls for them to target their antagonists’ weapons, cautioning to keep their fire to the port side, away from the creature lest it think they are attacking it as well. As they try to figure out how to see the cosmozoan better, Greaves realizes the Proud Mary is also moving on a collision course with the creature.
In the holosuite with the creature, everyone feels the attack as well. Reid discovers the sensors are scrambled, but they are still receiving data from the probe. Reid contacts Engineering to tell them they need to prioritise power to the holodeck so they can remain in contact with the creature even as the images flashes, then the creature is disconnected from the hologram. Kel asks if Reid can reach out telepathically to the cosmozoan.
In the briefing room, the group realizes they are being fired upon by the aliens. Garcia contacts the holosuite, indicating they need to get in touch with the creature ASAP, that they will free it, but need help. Toz suggests the contact team to ask the creature if it can sense what the Gamarians and Huxarians are up to. Kel indicates they’ve lost communication with it but they told it not to attack. Richards attempts to fix the connection. It is then that the creature manages to return to the holographic form and asks if the prey are hunting and Kel asks if the creature can tell what the other two crews are planning. DeScheppes, still communicating through the coms, wonders what the creature thinks of the two other peoples. Reid asks the creature to help them, but only by disabling the ships rather than destroying them. The briefing room receives the messages that there is a device causing the problem with the scanners present. DeScheppes takes a tricorder and finds the device and, asking for either a phaser or hammer, suggests they might be able to use the aliens’ tech against them. The device is destroyed and the sensors come back online.
On the bridge, Kells tells the crew to put themselves between the aliens and the creature, asks the contact team to let the creature know they’re trying to protect it, then sends a warning message to the other ships that the Thor and its crew will disable their ships if they don’t cease hostilities. He then orders to tractor the Proud Mary and put it between the alien ships and the cosmozoan to act as a barrier. Admiral Jorah’s response is clear - they will not back down.
And as everyone scrambles, they all realize that the Huxarians and Gamorians have disappeared - supposedly returned to their own time.
Officers
- Commanding Officer, Commodore Aron Kells
- Acting Executive Officer, Major Wes Greaves
- Chief of Operations, Lt. Commander Ben Garcia
- Chief Counselor, Lt. Commander Alexander Brodie
- Security Officer, Lieutenant JG Dar Elandra
- Security Officer, Lieutenant JG Anton Richards
- Tactical Officer, Ensign Jaxon Fargo
- Tactical Officer, Ensign Jack Kessler
- Acting Chief Engineer, Ensign Kammus Corelli
- Science Officer, Lieutenant JG Peri Katsim
- Science Officer, Lieutenant JG Kizanna Reid
- Medical Officer, Ensign V'Len Kel
- Medical Officer, Ensign Toz