Starfleet Research platform

Callum wrestled with the straps helping to hold down the crates and other supplies, as the hard rain lashed against the platform. It was hard work, and the sheer strength of the storm was causing more than the dampeners could compensate for. Which meant the supplies the Anaheim had beamed down were in danger of being lost to the storm winds and rain. 

They had arrived hours before, the Anaheim on a supply run to restock the floating research platforms on the surface of the Class O planet. There were many aquatic species and flora, and Callum knew the platforms were researching everything from medicinal compounds, to new species and lifeforms. It had all seen quite beautiful and fascinating from his PADD, but the reality of a vast ocean surface became something quite different when the tidal forces became erratic and wild. 

Struggling, the crew and Callum were able to fasten the crates to the deck, strong cables keeping them from further damage. The other crew had been busy filling the small cargo hold on board the platform with the delicate instruments and research supply. Satisfied there was nothing else to be done for now, he moved into the observation deck and paused for a moment to shake off the worst of the water from his hair and uniform. He had been trying to help organize a shuttle run from the Anaheim to another platform, when the surge had hit and he had been forced to dash onto the deck. 

The stabilizers and hull of the research platform seemed to be handling the waves well, a testament to the engineering team on board, but the weather was still tasking the power system and making things more difficult. With the constant drain of power caused by the battering storm, there was little to do except ride out the intense and violent weather. 

Tapping his comm, he hailed the Moira Hewett, currently sitting the conn of the Anaheim. 

“Any word from the runabout Moira. Comms are a mess here with the power drain, and whatever else is stirring the tidal forces into a blender,” Callum asked, hoping the weather hadn’t taken something routine and made it a crisis. 

“Yes Captain. They have landed and were able to get stowed away before the hatches had to be sealed. The waves were risking flooding into the shuttle bay, so they are locked down. But our sensors indicate the aperture is quieting down. There is far less of the energy spiking from it now, it may even seal itself off given how low the energy readings are,” Moira responded over the comm, the signal less than clear due to interference. 

“Well that would be good news, hopefully the residual energy will expend itself within the currents and atmosphere. We were fortunate there are no coastal or aquatic settlements here. The platforms are at least self sufficient. If any orders from Starfleet arrive, or if the situation changes alert me please. For now, I am going to see what repairs and maintenance we can help with. Callum out”,” he said, as he tapped his comm ending the call. He figured there was no sense watching the rain and waves, when he could give the engineers a helpful hand. 

“Graviton emissions have declined, the tempest should subside soon sir. Our readings indicate the currents are becoming more stable, and returning to previously recorded levels. There was a lot of seismic activity though sir, the effects of which could easily remain unknown,” Moira’s voice over his comm was collected, his second catching Callum up on the developments of the last few hours. 

The tidal storms had grown exponentially after the observation platforms had been sealed. With the energies cascading the planet from the sudden and nearby aperture opening, the storms had exceeded the scientists most dire predictions. Luckily the news was good from the ship in orbit, its sensor array was able to get a much broader collection of data than the ones installed in the platform. They were tuned for high detail work, and detailed scanning, not for the torrential currents of planetary wide tsunamis and catastrophic storms. 

“Excellent news Moira. I will relay the message to the scientists in charge here. I estimate a couple more hours to aid in repairs, and then we will beam up. Please alert me to any changes in the phenomenon. Callum out.” he said, tapping his comm and wiping sweat from his brow. He was crammed into a Jefferies tube, trying to help recalibrate some of the sensors that ran the length of the column descending into the ocean. The schematic looked almost like a mushroom he had mused when the engineering team had showed him the worst of the damage. The platform had structurally survived, but the delicate sensors had been overloaded by the storm’s fury. It was like listening to bird calls, and then an explosion was how the one engineer had described it. So now he was replacing a few fused circuit boards, and recalibrating. 

The runabout hovered over the platform, low enough that it was a long step into it but nothing they hadn’t done before. The repairs had run over long, and the crew members climbing on board were exhausted. Callum had decided not to beam anyone to the Anaheim as the runabout had already been coming towards the research facility. The scientists had thanked the crew for the repairs, but Callum had seen how eager they were to check on previous specimens and to see the scope of the underwater damage. He could see sleek drones leaving the underside, and he did not envy them. He loved the stars, the nebula and other wonders of space travel, the idea of a vast ocean above him proved entirely different. 

Watching at the copilot chair, Callum could see the storms breaking up, smaller ones continuing to spiral as they expended their strength. A small chain of islands had been stripped bare, the naked minerals and rock of their surface strange to compare against the lush multihued vegetation from before. After that, they broke free of the planet, and the Anaheim beckoned. It looked sleek and silver against the star lit backdrop, though the eye was naturally drawn to the aperture. It seemed dangerously close to the planet, though they had not detected any apparent threat. It loomed like other wormholes he had seen, though the vibrant mix of swirling colors seemed different somehow. It was beautiful, the way only something of cosmic magnitude could be, and he smiled when the runabout pilot took a longer way to the shuttle bay as he too was locked in admiring it. 

Soon though, they were back onboard and Callum nodded to the pilot when he called out “Captain onboard”. He was tired, achy and grimy but heading for the turbolift, he called for the bridge.

“All signs appear to reconcile with other reports sir. The opening appears to be consistent with other Underspace tunnels, although no one seems to know why so many appeared and then collapsed. Many ships have entered, with all manners of encounters and reports. The situation is still very much chaotic, with everyone scrambling. One note though, updated Science logs speak of a species with great experience with Underspace, the Turei. Although even their knowledge does not seem to explain the nature of such a widespread expansion. If that is what it is,” Fylar commented at the end, always one to hedge her bets. Callum knew she hated to overly define something, especially if doing so could prejudice her research. It was why he valued her advice so highly. 

“We are at a crossroads then, on one hand there is no definitive answer as to if this will even stay open. Just because most of the ones that snapped shut did earlier, doesn’t mean this one will not later. And the planet could easily grow to be in danger, we have no way of knowing the effect of such a tunnel nearby,” Moira cautioned from her seat, the strong smell of her coffee filling the ready room. Callum craved one himself, but knew without eating something first it would just add to tired nerves.

“The truth is likely we can expect a little of everything to be true. Both you and Fylar are correct,” he said, letting only two of his more trusted companions onboard see his fatigue. Rubbing his eyes, he stared at the reports both of them had prepared, two sides of a coin that seemed to yet have more sides. “The truth is, this is obviously a rare opportunity by any measure. Fylar, the notes you prepared say Voyager, encountered the Turei and they had technological and other advantages from Underspace. There seems to be no real set of orders from Starfleet, and history has shown us many times, people are quick to take advantage of any major developments,” Callum reasoned, letting himself talk out the path ahead. 

He knew Moira would want to remain, if her worries were correct the platforms could face real disaster before another ship arrived in the system. He had met the scientists, shook their hands after sweating and toiling together. They were no longer faceless numbers and names on a report. The repairs had gone well, and the storms seemed to have dissolved, even as seismic activity continued. He watched the blue orb spinning beneath them, contemplating the choice as he weighed the moment.

“We will make ready to enter the aperture. Fylar, I would like you to run scans and see how best we can attune the sensors to the conditions we will face. Moira, please work with the critical departments and see who needs to be shifted. Engineering and medical should also be alerted. I am going to take a meal, and see if any orders have arrived from command. I will take the chair, shall we say in an hour and a half. Let us make ready,” he said, his decision made. He wouldn’t dash headlong in like a fool, but the way ahead was clear. 

Captain's Log

We have secured and aided the research platforms, which weathered the storm with courage and resilience admirable in any situation. I commend their staff, and have passed such along in my report. The Anaheim's scans have shown the aperture appears to be stabilizing, while there is evidence of damage to the planet from the initial bombardment of radiation and energy from the phenomenon. However the scientists feel confident in their ability to access the damage, and with reports from around the fleet pointing to an undetermined reason for the expansion of Underspace; I have determined this is too vital a resource to not attempt aiding in it's mapping.

For that reason, the Anaheim is preparing to enter the aperture, with the intent of trying to map the junctions, even possibly to determine another nearby terminus. 

Callum finished the log, and left his ready room to find the bridge staff waiting and prepared. He had explained his reasoning to all of them, noted the concerns raised and the ship was as prepared as he felt it could be. Taking the command chair, he took a moment then gave the command to pull ahead.

The Anaheim smoothly moved into impulse speed, and the display showed the swirling colors of the aperture loom closer and closer. “We are reading the expected surge of gravitons sir. The opening should transit us to the tunnels, now,” Fylar explained calmly, monitoring the readings from her console. 

“Acknowledge, keep it steady helm,” Callum said as the ship seemed to stretch for a moment then was thrust into Underspace.

Fylar watched her console eagerly. She could well imagine the graphic the others were seeing displayed on the visual screen; but for her the results streaming into her console painted a far more vivid picture. Serving on a utility cruiser such as the Anaheim was a standard stepping stone for many officers; it still only afforded more routine science opportunities.

Underspace was new, while there were log entries from Voyager there were still a lot of unknowns which made it exciting. Her fingers danced on the console as she watched the cascading readings, the beauty of chaos becoming order as the instruments fed data from a myriad of sources. The readings were showing elevating levels, and the edges of the tunnel pushed against the vessel. She was growing concerned about some of the readings, when the helmsman moved them more into the center and the vessel picked up speed. 

They passed a junction, the fork in the tunnel coming too fast for anything more than a cursory glance. The sensors were becoming harder to sort through, the chaos seeming to build the more she tried to define it. With so many things to look at, Fylar missed the warning signs until the very last moment. “Brace for impact!” she cried out, then felt her stomach lurch. 

Callum had been watching the helmsman maneuver, the speed they were traversing the tunnel constantly expanding against itself. The tunnel seemed to twist and curl in an unusual manner, and Callum could feel shudders in the hull as the dampeners tried to compensate. “The edges are scraping against us Captain, it is like riding a river and scraping against the shoreline,” Moira said as she moved up to the console, giving corrections to the helmsman and the Anaheim moved into the center. Callum could see the power warnings alert flare, the excess speed causing abnormal drain while the helm tried to keep a reasonable pace. The fork in the tunnel passed too quickly to take advantage of the slower current, and Callum turned to see what Fylar was picking up when he heard her warning. 

The bottom dropped out from under them. That was the only way he could think to describe the feeling of the graviton wave that struck the ship. Standing, Callum felt his knees buckle under the sudden increase of weight and he braced himself against the chair as the Anaheim lurched. Moira was tossed against the console, crying out as her abdomen struck hard, while the helmsmen alerted them all that the impulse engines had gone unresponsive. On the display, it was a swirl of color as the Anaheim suddenly rose, and then plummeted hard against the tunnel wall. 

With a surge of energy that sent several of the screens on the bridge to spray sparks, the ship lurched to a stop that had the terrified crew screaming. Callum was able to duck and grab his chair, missing the loose stool that flew past before the gravity generator could compensate. The hull shook and he felt intense shuddering as they seemed to be plowing there way back to normal space, like a boat kicked onto shore by a sudden rapid. 

Uncaring, the graviton wave continued past them, and the rip in space seemed to seal behind them, while the Anaheim spun and spun, tumbling as the crew held on. The comms lit up with reports from deck after deck, but all was lost as the bridge went dark. 

Moira bit back a curse as she slammed into the console. Sharp pain made it hard to draw breath for a moment, and her fingers flailed to grab onto the smooth sides. It was no use, the ship spun once more and she was thrown to the floor, instinct making her shield her head as she tumbled like a stone. 

It was chaos all around her, the sounds of other crew members screaming as the ship lurched and groaned with hideous noise. She had never felt the vessel tossed about, and it made her think of playing with models starships as a kid. Always throwing them into the air, and watching them tumble as they crashed. 

Suddenly the alarm bells and lights went dark, and everyone fell into a shocked silence. As the lurching feeling stopped, the Anaheim’s back up systems came online, the dim lighting showing a crew that seemed frozen in time. 

Moira waved off the offered help from Beron, the tactical officer who had come over to aid her. He needed to get back to his station, they all did. They couldn’t afford to sit here and do nothing, she thought with a groan as her side ached and throbbed. 

“Bridge to Engineering. Report.” Callum’s voice broke the silence, confident sounding amid the dim flickering lights. Knowing they would both need to show strength now, Moira straightened her back and hid the wince. Moving over to Fylar’s station, she saw the screens slowly coming back to life as the ships computer restored itself. 

“Engineering sir. The power grid took a wallop, not sure what that was but it messed with every system we had. Warp core is stable, but it looks like the engines are down. Thank the stars, but the warp core didn’t lose containment, we can get everything back, but its going to take awhile. And we will likely need repairs, we took a beating,” came the soft accent of Jenifer Thon, Anaheim’s Chief Engineer. Moira wasn’t surprised to hear the assessment; with the way the ship had lost power and been thrust through whatever made up an Underspace tunnel. 

Though what she saw next as Fylar’s console came back online was much worse than engine repairs. “Helm. Current position and heading,” she called to the ensign. 

Callum acknowledged the report from Engineering, and then began to oversee the deck by deck reports coming in. Luckily the hull integrity had not been breached, though the rampant energies surging through the ship after the bizarre graviton wave had wreaked havoc on the systems. With life support stable, and power slowly being restored Callum had been sending orders to the repair teams, when Moira’s voice brought his attention from the PADD.

Moving to the helm, he saw the results of the astrologation, and at first he couldn’t believe it. But when the chirp confirmed the results, he couldn’t hide his shock. “That is the Borias Cluster. We are inside Cardassian territory. The tunnels flung us a third of the way across the quadrant,” Callum stated, shock making his voice flat. The crew murmured, anxiety spreading as they all realized they were adrift within the Cardissan’s sphere of power. Callum took a moment to collect himself, then silenced the murmuring as he broadcast the news to the ship. “This is your Captain speaking. We find ourselves unexpectedly adrift in Cardassian space. We will not crumble to this news, and we will perform our duties with diligence and care. The ship is stable, as is life support. As soon as we have restored engines, we will begin to make our way to a station. Crews report to your assignments.”

As his address ended, he could see some of the nerves leave the crew on the bridge. While they hadn’t expected this result, there was a comfort in knowing the Captain had a plan. He had learned that on his own maiden voyages, when he had been freshly minted, and the crew while often younger on a Utility ship like Anaheim, knew its business.

“Moira. Go see the medbay. You’ve grabbed your side three times in the last four minutes. Get that taken care of, we will need you fit. Fylar, gather your readings and ready a report. We will want to submit our findings as soon as we are within range. Even if there is no chance of reentering where we were cast off, the data could prove useful,” Callum said as he made his way towards the turbolift for the engineering section. “Mr Faim. You have the conn”

Captain’s Log.

The Anaheim has found itself suddenly thrust into the vicinity of the Borias Cluster, inside the territory of the Cardassians. We have been adrift for several hours, although life support and critical systems remained stable. We have been unable to account for the graviton wave that expelled us forcibly from the tunnels of Underspace, though Fylar believes now that interference was likely. 

Our position has so far apparently gone unnoticed, sensors have not detected any vessels approaching although I do not believe we will go undetected for much longer. We have impulse engines, but the warp nacelles continue to remain unresponsive. With a moment of relative peace, I have ordered some of the crews to rest, as the engineering division continues its repairs. 

Moira Hewlett received injuries from the crash into normal space, although the medbay expects a full recovery with time and rest. Though for now that is in short supply. Fylar, my Science officer is ready to make her report, to myself and the senior command crew.

Callum stood against the window, looking out at the Borias Cluster, its colors and appearance beautiful. He had always loved cosmic phenomenon, nebulas and stars being born, the universe had a vast array of sights to behold. And it gave him something to look at, beside the lifeless dull nacelles. 

Hearing the doors open, he nodded a greeting to both Moira and Fylar. As they had been on the saucer section, they were the first to arrive. As the two women took their seats, Jenifer arrived and Callum hoped she brought good news. She looked weary, her hair disheveled and lank with sweat. He knew she had been working herself hard, and gestured to the tray of replicated food and drinks. 

“Let’s begin,” he said as he pulled himself from the window and sat at the short table. It wasn’t much compared to the large boardrooms aboard other ships, but he liked to meet here. It felt more collaborative than forcing everyone into his ready room. “Jenifer, your report first please.”

Jenifer nodded, finishing the mouth full of sandwich as she pushed the update onto their devices. She drank some water, then tucked her hair behind her ears before taking a look at the listings. “Repairs are progressing well. The power conduits surged and burned out in many decks, but we have temporary bypasses in place. We will have to close some of the decks due to the cabling and bypasses, but should be able to make up the space. Main power and systems are progressing, though the warp nacelles will be awhile yet. We may be able to get some power to them, but I don’t know when we will have full warp speed,” she said, and as they acknowledge her report, she gratefully dug into the supper. 

“We have been scanning the trajectory as best we can, trying to piece together what happened as we were traversing Underspace. The graviton wave is definitely what overwhelmed the system, but there is more Captain,” Fylar paused for a moment as she gave him a minute to review her findings. “As you can see from the scans, there was clearly something manipulating tetryon particles. I believe it was down the junction we overshot, but the long range scanners are still picking up building levels. The saturation speaks to something that is most likely not a natural occurence,” Fylar expanded on her report, pulling up the table display to show the area she was speaking of. The cluster would provide a thick density to help hide from sensors, but to investigate would mean risking going farther into Cardassian space.

“What would anyone gain by manipulating particles like that? Is it some sort of research station, it’s too far from any strategic system to be a weapon,” Moira mused aloud, weighing in with questions similar to the ones budding in Callum’s mind. Another worry to add to the tally. 

“Well, there have been reports of beacons, platforms being built with tetryon particle emitters. I don’t have enough data to know exactly the full effect that could have on the apertures or tunnels. But the scale of the sightings, and the readings we are getting speak to some kind of intent sir,” Fylar stated, with her usual disdain for uncertainty and unknowns. Callum knew what it meant for her to edge onto a limb as she did, and he appreciated the hard work all of them had put in. 

“The readings are intriguing, and the possibility of it being related to everything else that has been developing is strong. We are in no shape to provoke the Union though, even if we were at full strength it is not what the Anaheim was made to do. We will continue to make our way to the edge of their territory. Fylar, lets see if we can do something to boost the sensors, and get a better picture. Jenifer, can you spare her a crew to help with modifications?” Callum asked, trusting his chief to know best how to divide and conquer the tasks in front of her. When she nodded, he dismissed them to their duties and waited for the doors to close.

“We bit off more than we could chew Callum. We can’t kick the hornet’s nest, even if we know that is what’s happening by the cluster. Underspace is going to change everything, but it should be an Intrepid class or larger out here. I was eager to see it, and the possibilities are immense. Let’s get our people home,” Moira spoke freely once the two of them were alone. Callum had always liked that she spoke her mind, and they had grown to admire each other’s points of view. It helped that both of them wanted to do well, earn further commands and see Starfleet excel at it’s mission. 

“Agreed. We will make for the border zones, and hope our luck holds out. With everything so chaotic, one lone Federation vessel will hopefully be low on the list for the Cardassians,” Callum said, as he turned to look out the window a final moment, before making his way to the bridge.

Callum walked through the corridors of the Anaheim, and was glad to see some normalcy coming back to the ship. There were still signs of the disastrous attempt to chart the Underspace tunnels, but on the main saucer section, crews were working on the cosmetic damages now. 

It seemed odd that some of them should be worrying about flickering panels, and the odd scorch mark when their main warp nacelle was still down. But he had learned over his career that busy hands worried less, and he trusted Jenifer to keep her engineering teams organized. Nodding to the two young crew working on the panel, he moved past them and into the small meeting room. 

Fylar was there already, looking tired as she sipped something hot judging from the steam rising. He nodded to her, and saw Moira had also arrived ahead of him. She was no longer moving as gingerly, and he was glad that the medbay had been able to treat her injuries. 

“Go ahead Fylar. Jenifer won’t be leaving the jefferies tube, the repairs are too critical,” he said, taking his usual chair and looking at the display she lit up. 

Fylar was sipping raktajinos, having acquired a taste for it from her cadet years. And the way it kicked was helping her keep pace with the ever developing situation. She was tired, the rest of the science team was exhausted, but the results had required all hands to decipher and piece together. 

With Callum’s words she nodded, and put down her raktajinos, letting the warmth fade from her hands as she gestured to the display. “The readings we have been analyzing, along with other elements have led us to the following conclusion. The Cardassian’s are definitely building a large tetryon array, working on manipulating it’s flows and concentrating the particles in large quantities. When paired with the scans we were able to briefly gather from the forking path of the labyrinth, I believe they are working to manipulate Underspace.”

“Manipulate how? Are they siphoning the tetryon for some kind of weapon?” Moira asked, showing her usual concern and bias. Fylar respected Moira, but she tended to think in the terms of weapons and threats, perhaps a result of her previous service along the DMZ. 

“No, I don’t believe so. I think it is far more likely they are looking for other advantages. Conceivably with enough arrays, and the beacons they would be able to monitor the tunnels, have an early warning system. Maybe even prune tunnels, like you would take branches from a deciduous fruit tree. By cutting smaller branches, you could possibly shape and prune the remaining,” Fylar continued, letting her frustration and fatigue show as she stopped to take a drink. 

“There are just too many unknowns. There are too many pieces to the puzzle, including ones we cannot see. For now, I do not think the Cardassians are working towards something nefarious. It seems more likely they are looking to secure an advantage,” Fylar said, stopping herself to let what little certainty the readings could show. 

“Understood. It’s not easy when there is so much about the situation we don’t know. For now the best we can do is to monitor the situation. Get some rest Fylar, staring at the screens won’t change anything. And being sharp and rested, will improve our odds of figuring everything out later,” Callum said, doing his best to reassure her. Fylar nodded, and when she was dismissed, she made her way towards the turbolift. 

“Bet you anything she sleeps in the science lab,” Moira said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. 

“I would be a fool to take that bet. We both know she will. Especially with everything changing so fast. Still, any sleep is better than none, and really there isn’t much we can do until we have made repairs,” Callum replied, as he watched the closed doors thoughtfully. So many of the crew were eager to prove themselves, a trait he admired greatly but he also knew the risk of mistakes caused by fatigue. 

“What worries me the most, is if we get word this turns out to be some aggressive action by the Union. There isn’t a lot we are equipped to do, we aren’t a ship of the line and truthfully we are in their territory. But the idea of throwing weapons at apertures reeks of too many things that could go wrong,” Callum admitted to his second. With the privacy afforded of an empty room, they could both express doubts and concerns they wouldn’t allow to show anywhere else. 

Moira’s reply was cut off when his comm chirped. “Go ahead.”

“Sir, sensors have picked up a Cardassian vessel closing in our position. Its moving fast, but the readings do not show full warp speed. It will be here in minutes.”

“Understood, I will make my way to the bridge. Captain out,” Callum said, then standing as Moira herself rose from the table. “It was too much to assume we wouldn’t go unnoticed forever, let’s see what they want,” Callum finished as they shut down the display, and walked together for the bridge. 

“On Screen,” Callum said as the hailing frequency reported a hail from the Cardassian ship. It had dropped from warp speed only a few moments ago, and had taken a position between the Anaheim and any approach to the platform. 

“Starfleet vessel. You will cease all activity in this area at once. This is Union territory and you have no authority here!,” the stern voice of an older Cardassian filled the bridge as he came onto the view screen. The uniform he wore was older fashioned, and Callum noticed the scar on his face.

“This is Captain Forsythe, of the USS Anaheim. We mean no harm by our presence, we were inside a tunnel, similar to the one by the Borias Cluster. Our ship was flung from the tunnel, and we found ourselves here. Your navigational officer should be able to tell you we are on a course for the DMZ,” Callum said, measuring his voice to try and sound as reasonable as he could. The ship was still being repaired, there was no reason to risk further damage. 

“I am Gul Rekaon, we will scan your ship. Do not interfere,” came the curt reply, and a nod from Beron at the tactical station let Callum know the ship was doing just that. Callum waited for the invisible scan to wash over the Anaheim, standing on the bridge with forced disinterest on his face.

“The tunnels caused this damage? You were fortunate that you did not exit from one of the openings on the other end, the entrances are proving to be quite rough. And you appear to be telling the truth For skyth,” [/b] Rekaon said with no apparent softening, the Cardassian stumbling over his unfamiliar name. 

Moving forward towards the screen, Callum nodded, “We have no orders from Starfleet to be here, and from the moment we were thrust into your space we have been completing repairs. I ask that you provide us an escort out of the area, if that would please you Gul Rekaon. Our engines are almost fully operational, in a few hours we can be making full warp out of the Cardassian Union. Until then, we can maintain our current course and may I invite you aboard as my guest,” Callum ventured an invitation as a last moment hunch. Surely if he had something to hide, he wouldn’t be bringing them aboard.

“I must decline your offer. There are important.. maintenance of our own we must attend to. We have sent your engine signature to the other patrol vessels, and my helm is sending over a course. Do not deviate from it. I have no issue spilling Federation blood,” Rekaon ended his orders with a sneer, one that had a couple of his bridge officers muttering. Callum knew they were trying to get a reaction from him, enjoying the chance to play the bigger fish to his vessel. But pride would not help them, nor would a fire fight, alone and unsupported provide any positive outcome. 

Swallowing his own frustration, Callum kept his own face neutral and waited for confirmation of the course. When the helmsman nodded, he looked over at the console and noticed the course was not much different from their own already plotted. It would veer them farther away from a small asteroid belt, but he wasn’t surveying anyways. 

“We will proceed on the course as provided. And maybe another time you can enjoy the offered hospitality,” Callum stopped when the screen went black. Rekaon had closed the hail as soon as he’d agreed. 

“Maintain course, we will proceed as before. Beron, if the position of the ship changes, inform me immediately,” Callum ordered, as he made his way to the turbolift to see if Fylar or Jenifer had been successful yet. 

Callum entered the science lab, not at all surprised to see Kylar working hard. Multiple screens were running a variety of models, and after taking the measure of the room, he stood where he was least likely to get in the way of the crew members. 

Shortly after, the screens all seemed to pause and a groan went through several of the science officers. “I take it that is not good news then?” he asked, and waved off a couple of them stiffening to attention.

“No Captain. It’s even worse, its no news. There are too many variables, too many things that could happen. We just don’t know enough about Underspace,” Fylar said, her words clipped with anger. 

“I know you have all been working hard on this. But Fylar, we must remember there are other vessels doing the same. You do not have to single handedly solve this puzzle. Nebulas, quasars, they all can take multiple ships to study properly. We were not going to solve Underspace from a single ship,” Callum said, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her from turning to the consoles and beginning again. “Save your data, and we will continue to watch what the platform is doing. For now, you are all exhausted. Record, make scans, but you need to rest. All of you, it’s an order” Callum said, noticing some of the officers visibly wilt. 

Before Fylar could respond, alert tones began chiming from her console. He let go of her shoulder as she turned and began to mutter, her fingers dancing on the screen. “No, No, why are you doing this, don’t you know the cascade effect could be catastrophic,” she was cursing the screen, and from context Callum assumed the Cardassian platform was being put to use. 

“Captain to the bridge” came the call over the intercom, and Callum choked a sigh. 

“Keep me informed as soo as you can Kylar. Good work all of you,” Callum complimented the science lab as he departed once more.

“Captain, we have orders from command. The Cardassian Union is detonating streams of energy throughout Underspace. Tunnels all over the quadrants are collapsing, they are worred about trapped ships if anyone remains. Ships have been ordered to flee, and return to charted space,” Moira said as Callum walked onto the bridge. 

“Captain, the Cardassian vessel has raised it’s shields and is powering up weapons,” the report came from Beron at tactical, and Callum thanked him while he took the chair. 

“Hail the vessel,” lets see if we can’t at least solve that problem, he said, straightening his uniform quickly and standing tall.

The viewscreen remained blank, but the confirmation they were listening came through so he began. “This is Captain Forsythe of the USS Anaheim. Stand down your shield and weapons. We will have no choice but to defend ourselves if provoked, but I do not want to see this escalate. We are not deviating our course. I will say again stand down,” Callum paused when he heard Moira trying to get his attention. Turning to see her, he looked over at the PADD she presented. The readings were off the chart, the platform was clearly about to lance into the tunnel.

Callum nodded for the image to go on the screen, and he saw flashes of reactions coming from the area of the cluster. It looked like spectral fog, warring with tides of energy and then finally there was a flash as the aperture collapsed violently. “Sir, the ship is pulling away, they have closed the hailing frequency and are making full speed to the platform. There appears to be damage to the facility,” Beron stated from the tactical controls, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Captain’s Log 2401

The Anaheim will arrive in Federation space shortly, repairs have been completed and we are able to proceed at full warp. Reports continue to come in from other ships, collapsing tunnels and apertures being forced closed with the Cardassian technology.

The crew is frustrated and the mission can not help but feel like ideally we should have been able to do more. I remind them of the simple facts, there are task groups that could not prevent the calamity now ensuing. Why the Union decided to do as they did, is beyond me. Surely they should have seen the benefits a new frontier afforded us, but it appears fear won once more. 

We will report to the nearest station, and receive new orders. Being thrust across the quadrant has placed us far from our planned schedule, and I am sure we are not the only vessel to face that. For now, I keep the crew on a lighter schedule to make up for the strain they endured with hurried field repairs.