It had been just over two weeks since the Corax arrived in the Delta Quadrant when the Barzan Wormhole reopened. Her orders clear. With a fully stocked cargo bay of food, clothing, building supplies and electronics she was to make an urgent delivery to a refugee colony situated in the dangerous space between Chaotic Space and the Telepathic Pitcher Plant. As the stars streaked by the main viewer, Aris cast his mind back a few weeks to recall his mission briefing with his new crew.

Not sixteen days ago, he met his new crew for the duration of his mission in the Delta Quadrant. Ensign Emma Swain assigned as Flight Control Officer and T’Keterk, the engineering specialist for this assignment. As he entered the small conference room on the Corax, he noticed he was the last to arrive.

“Captain on deck.” Emma exclaimed getting to her feet, quickly followed by T’Keterk.

“At ease.” Aris smiled waving them down before taking his seat. “For the record, I am Lieutenant Commander Aris Suin, your commanding officer for this assignment.”

“You have both been hand selected for this assignment after a thorough review of your individual service records and I know as Starfleet officers, you will perform your duties to the fullest whilst upholding Starfleet and by extension Federation law.” Aris continued as he addressed the two officers before him.

“Yes sir.”

“Affirmative”

Taking a small breath Aris activated the centre console. “On the surface our mission appears to be relatively simple, a supply run to a refugee colony who have lost their homeworld due to expanded mining operations. However with anything related to the Delta Quadrant, we will remain cautious.”

Tapping some commands into the console, he bought up a map of the local star system and a supplemental map of the Gradin Belt. “The Barzan Wormhole is due to reopen any day now. However the termination point will place us very close to Borg and Malon territory.”

“Sir? If I may?” queried T’Keterk. Aris nodded to continue. “Not to be disrespectful, but why is Command sending a Raven Class ship to the Delta Quadrant?”

“While the Raven class may not be of formidable size, she more than makes up for it in maneuverability, rapid deployment and atmospheric flight.” Aris replied. “Couple that with being able to land on planet surface, I can think of no better class suited for this operation.”

Strengthening his resolve, Aris unsealed the classified orders from Command. “Starfleet Command has been made aware of subspace pulses originating from the Gradin Belt, which has led to the formation of what is currently known as Blood Dilithium crystrals due to the red hue they exude”

“I have uploaded the information we have available on the Blood Dilithium situation to your personal terminals to familiarise yourself with.” Aris continued. “A side effect of this phenomena ranges from a sense of foreboding to full blown hallucinations, extreme violence and in some respects even a loss of free will amongst telepaths.”

Giving his two officers a chance to absorb the information, he waited a few moments for any questions. “Our primary mission remains to get these critical supplies on the ground where they are needed, although the mission parameters are subject to change as the situation develops further.”

“If there are no more questions…”Aris looked around the room. “You are both dismissed while we make our final preparations to depart.”

Aris bought his thoughts back to the present and the mission at hand. “Report.”

Emma turned in her chair to face the Captain. “We are approaching the region of space known as Chaotic Space, due to the uncertainty of the region, I have plotted a route to circumnavigate this area, this will potentially add a day or two to our journey at our current speed.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Aris smiled. “T’Keterk?”

“All systems are nominal Captain.” the Vulcan engineer reported. “Shields are operating at full strength, structural integrity has remained unaffected since exiting the wormhole.”

“Very good Lieutenant.” Aris replied. “Lets take this time to run a few diagnostics. I don’t want to be on the back foot should anything happen.” he continued. 

“What is the status of our landing gear?” continued Aris. “I may appear to be over-cautious but if we need to make a hasty retreat we will want the option to fortify a position on a moon, planet or other celestial body.”

“Running diagnostics now Sir.” T’Keterk replied as he stood away from his station. “With your permission, I will make my way down to the maintenance section and analyse the landing struts.”

“Acknowledged” Aris replied as T’Keterk made his way to the turbolift. Once again facing the viewscreen, he directed another question towards Emma. “Ensign Swain, you are certified in manual flight control operations?”

“Yes Sir.” Emma replied. “It was a required condition from my instructors before my graduation could be processed.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Aris responded. “I have a feeling those skills will be called upon before too long.” he added as an afterthought. 

Aris had situated himself in the small conference room, converting it to a makeshift office, going over some briefings and updates on the evolving Blood Dilithium phenomena when his badge chirped.

“Bridge to Captain Suin”

“Go ahead Ensign.” Aris responded.

“We are picking up a fragmented signal on long range comms.” Emma reported. “The strange thing is, the signal is on a Federation carrier subspace signal”

“I’ll be right there.” Aris got to his feet and rushed back to the bridge. “Report.”

“I’ve been trying to clean up some of the noise.” Emma reported as she tapped the console on front of her. “It appears to be automated, but we are having difficulty identifying the point of origin.”

“Are we aware of any survey teams or outposts in the area?” Aris questioned as he joined Emma at the front console.

“Unsure.” Emma responded. “Although this region has been mapped and surveyed multiple times, there is always the chance something has gone under the radar.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Aris retook his seat. “Send a standard response on all federation frequencies and let me know if we get a bite.”

“Acknowledged Captain.” Emma replied as she tapped some additional commands into the comm system. “Response has been sent.”

“Keep me informed.” Aris nodded. “Bridge to Lieutenant T’Keterk.”

“Go ahead Captain.” 

“How are those inspections going? We are picking up a transmission of unknown origin and I need you back on the bridge as soon as possible.”

“Acknowledged.” T’Keterk replied. “I will arrive shortly and deliver my report in person.”

Keeping an eye on the flight path the Corax was taking as they negotiated the final arm of Chaotic Space. “Ensign Swain, any responses to our hails.”

“Negati….” Emma began as her console flared to life. “Sir….we are being hailed.”

Straightening up in his seat, Aris faced the viewscreen, not sure what would be on the other end of the feed.

“On screen.”

“On screen”

The viewscreen flickered into life as the distress signals source showed themselves. Interference from the subspace pulses still apparent as the screen froze and caught up before becoming awash with static. Out of the corner of his eye Aris noticed T’Keterk had retaken his console.

“Lieutenant, I need this signal cleaned up as best as possible.” Aris nodded toward his engineer. “I’ll receive your report as soon as we know what we are dealing with.”

“Yes, Captain.” T’Keterk acknowledged getting to work. “I’m boosting our own subspace relay and will attempt to isolate the incoming signal.”

Within moments the signal began to clear. “I think this is the best we are going to get, Captain.” Reported T’Keterk. “This close to Chaotic Space and the lingering pulse effects is making communication difficult.”

“Copy that T’Keterk.” Aris replied before diverting his gaze back to the viewscreen. “This is Lieutenant Commander Aris Suin, commanding Officer of the USS Corax.”

A tired drawn face finally materialized on the viewscreen. Whoever this was seemed to be running on fumes, signs of dehydration and exposure to the elements were apparent immediately. What Aris wasn’t expecting was the relieved smile on the person’s face

“Corax, this is Jacob Stockton, I’m the lead surveyor on orders from the Federation Council to determine if any of the surrounding planetoids are suitable for habitation. We have been trying to get a signal out for days but with no response.”

“Emma?” Aris questioned quietly. “Do we have any records or confirmation of any surveying teams in this region?”

Emma shook her head just barely enough not to be noticed.

“What’s the status of you and your team?” Aris asked. Suspicion rising by the second. Was this a trap, a mass hallucination. They were still flying too close the screwy physics of Chaotic Space coupled with the ever present threat of the hypnotic effects of the Telepathic Pitcher Plant.

“We have been experiencing numerous issues with our power generators. No matter the amount of repairs and maintenance we perform, we are experiencing daily losses of power.” Stockton continued. “Our preliminary scans on arrival revealed no indigenous species or other signs of habitation.”

“Do you have capacity to transmit the results of your scans?” replied Aris.

“Negative, already this transmission is draining our last reserves.” Stockton continued. “We really could use an assist.”

“Stand by.” Aris signalled to pause the transmission. “Are there any other vessels in range in a position to assist?”

“Negative, Captain.” T’Keterk replied. “Considering we can’t identify the source of the transmission, nor have any intel on what awaits us should we alter course, I don’t believe the Corax is appropriate to respond.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Aris replied. “Considering we are the only“ stressed Aris “Starfleet vessel in range, it is our duty to respond to the best of our abilities. We will ascertain the location of the transmission, make a detailed threat analysis and determine the best possible course of action.”

T’Keterk raised an eyebrow. “A logical course of action, Captain.”

“Reopen the channel Ensign Swain.” Aris swiveled to face the viewscreen.

“Channel open, Sir.”

“Mr Stockton, we are having trouble determining your location, due to the subspace interference present in this area. Please transmit coordinates and we will alter course.” Aris’s tone left no room for disagreement.

“Transmitting coordinates now.” Stockton responded. “Please resume communication on this channel upon your arrival.” As the comm channel was closed, the silence on the bridge was almost deafening.

“Ensign Swain, Lieutenant T’Keterk before we alter course, i’d welcome your input, if you could meet me in the conference room shortly.” With that Aris got to his feet, his thoughts going a mile a minute as he strode towards the rear compartment off the bridge. 

As the door separating the rear compartment from the main bridge slid closed. Emma turned to face her colleague. “T’Keterk, level with me. Are we out of our depth?”

“I am not certain, Ensign.” T’Keterk replied. “I can not fault the Captain’s logic in his proposed course of action. But he spoke the truth, we are Starfleet officers and by extension representatives of the Federation and ignoring a legitimate call for assistance would be seen as dereliction of our duty.”

“I trust the Captain will not put us in a position of hardship without due course.” T’Keterk finished as he finalised his report on the ships systems and landing struts.

Emma sighed as she got to her feet and approached the replicator bay at the rear of the bridge. Ordering a hot sweet tea, she turned to face T’Keterk again. “You are correct of course.”

“I almost always am, Ensign.” T’Keterk responded drily motioning toward the rear compartment. “It won’t do to keep the Captain waiting.”

“Well little one.” he muttered softly as the door slid closed behind him. “What have we got ourselves into?”

Taking his seat, he took a few minutes to review the latest sensor logs and analyse the abrupt change in demeanour of this Mr Stockton. “I don’t like this, something feels very, very off about the whole situation.”

With the volatility of the Gradin Belt and the exhaustive mapping and surveying already completed since the arrival of the fourth fleet in the quadrant, there should be some sort of record of this survey team in the vicinity, but all the records kept coming up blank. Nothing at the Academy could have prepared him for this situation, but nothing about this situation was normal.

As Emma and T’Keterk followed the captain, Emma couldn’t help but recall the discussion she had shared with T’Keterk after their initial briefing as they entered the Delta Quadrant. When she heard she had been assigned to the Corax to offer humanitarian aid, she had been both relieved and a little disappointed. 

Exiting the Conference Room, Emma and T’Keterk solemnly made there way to the crew lounge. Much like the rest of the ship, function over form was the order of the day. The lounge, although small and spartan, was a relatively comfortable spot to have some quiet time or a small drink or meal after the end of the shift. Taking a seat, she placed her chin in her hand and stared out the window. The low light on the ship distorting her reflection. Almost unrecognizable in her minds eye.

Growing up she had her eyes set on joining Starfleet and travelling the galaxy, meeting new species, protecting the territories of the federation and having a little fun on the way. Although a less pressure situation of assisting federation member worlds, patrols, and diplomatic functions was almost ideal while Emma completed her first tour of duty. It didn’t stop her feeling conflicted nonetheless.

“May I get you something, Ensign.” T’Keterk asked, focusing her attention back to the unfolding situation at hand.

“Hmmm? Oh?” Emma replied. “I think a coffee or raktajino if you’re offering”.

T’Keterk nodded and turned his attention to the sole replicator in the room. “Would you like some company, Ensign?”

“Please do.” Emma smiled motioning to the seat across the table from her as T’Keterk bought a steaming mug of Raktajino and a Vulcan Spice Tea. “And its Emma.” she continued. “We are amongst friends of course and we have some time before we depart.”

T’Keterk replied with a slight nod to the head. Taking a sip of the mug in front of him, he regarded his colleague in front of him. “Are you well, Emma?”

“Physically? Yes.” Emma mused. “But concerned with the orders from Command.”

“I may share some of those concerns as well.” T’Keterk replied. “I have yet to take a cursory look through the details as yet, but if you are agreeable, I thought we might review this together.”

Emma nodded as she savored the drink in front of her. 

The next few hours passed in companiable silence as they worked through the files the Captain had provided.

“I may have a new concern.” T’Keterk broke the silence. “The Captain was not exaggerating about the effects Blood Dilithium have on telepaths, and this Devore is also a troubling matter”

Emma knew Vulcan’s had telepathic abilities and to a lesser extent so did the Trill. “Will you be able to maintain control T’Keterk?”

“I am unsure.” T’Keterk replied. “We know next to nothing about the effects these crystals, and know nothing about any effective counters to the effects.”

“And the Captain?” Emma asked further. “As a Trill he will have some telepathic abilities.”

T’Keterk thought for a moment. “Although the symbiont does exhibit telepathic abilities, I believe these are utilized through electrical impulses opposed to affecting the mind, but the observation is appreciated”

That took a load off Emma’s mind, but she was still concerned for her new friend.

“However.” T’Keterk carried on. “We must be mindful for any negative effects, whether this be a degradation in the health of the symbiont, or the re-emergence of a previous host.” Emma nodded, nothing like a crash course in trill biology. “I do have a request of you in your official capacity, Ensign.” T’Keterk stressed.

“Go on?” Emma replied, not liking where this was going. “As a Starfleet Officer, I want your assurances that if I become a threat to the completion of this mission or the safety of anyone involved in this mission, that you remove the threat. ”T’Keterk continued.

“I don’t know how in control of my abilities or emotions I will be should we encounter any Blood Dilithium, and I am asking you for help, and if a phaser is needed, so be it.” T’Keterk finished, a hint of a challenge to his tone.

Mulling it over, Emma nodded. “I’ll keep my word, but the phaser is a last resort, Lieutenant. A Last Resort.”

“Thank you, Ensign. I will broach this topic with the captain in due course.” T’Keterk stated before focusing on the files spread in front of them.

Entering the conference room, Emma and T’Keterk noticed the Captain already waiting for them. Taking their seats to face Captain Suin, they waited for him to begin.

Glancing up as the door to the makeshift conference room opened, Aris got to his feet. “Thank you both, I will try and make this quick. Can I get you anything? He motioned toward the replicator.

“No thank you, Captain.” Emma replied taking her seat. Truth be told, her nerves were jumbled as it was as they stared into the abyss of the unknown, knowing the abyss was staring back.

“I am fine, Captain.” T’Keterk likewise responded in the negative.

Aris nodded before retaking his seat. A cup of coffee long since forgotten sitting at his elbow. “Before we begin, T’Keterk I believe you had an update for me?”

“Affirmative, Captain.” T’Keterk responded bringing up the results of his diagnostic scan earlier. “No major issues to report, Captain. Structural Integrity is within agreeable norms and shields are holding strong.”

“Good to hear, Lieutenant.” Aris nodded motioning for his engineer to continue. 

“Landing struts are in working order.” T’Keterk continued. “And barring a significant firefight or bombardment our current armaments should suffice.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Aris nodded. “I trust you have familiarized yourself with the information pertaining to the Blood Dilithium phenomenon?” 

Seeing the affirmative nods, Aris launched right into the briefing. “Here is what we know. As you both know the Corax has received a distress call to assist a survey team beset by power generation issues. Although concerning in itself, the legitimacy of this call is questionable.”

As his officers nodded in the affirmative, he carried on. “As Starfleet Officers we are duty bound to respond and abide by our Task Force mandate to offer humanitarian assistance to all who request, and I do not want to be put in a position to disobey orders.”

Taking a sip at the now cold coffee and grimacing, Aris turned his attention to his crew. “Ensign Swain.”

“Yes, Captain.” Emma replied.

“Based on our current heading and trajectory, what is your estimate before we are in range of the survey team?

Emma ran a few mental calculations. “I estimate approximately six hours before we will be in sensor range once we alter course, if current velocity is maintained of course.”

“Very good, Ensign.” Aris replied with a small smile.

“T’Keterk, I would like us to remain battle ready with regular sensor sweeps.” T’Keterk nodded taking notes on his padd. “I am authorizing you to make any adjustments to the sensor array and deflectors as you see fit in order to see us arrive safely. I do not want to be caught unaware.”

Taking another sip of the stone cold coffee in hopes that the taste had improved, Aris bought up the information on Blood Dilithium. “We will need to be prepared for the event Blood Dilithium is at our destination and how we can mitigate any issues arising from contact with the crystals.”

“Of course, Blood Dilithium may not form part of the equation if we are being led on a false chase.” Aris continued. “This could be a hostage situation or a lure to capture federation technology, but orders are orders, we respond to this distress call, assist if possible, and remove and contain any Blood Dilithium blooms. 

Aris took a longing glance at the mug again, deciding a fresh cup was in order before continuing. 

“Prior to our departure, the primary cargo bay was outfitted with containment units to prevent any interaction with the crew. I am making an official order effective immediately – the Cargo Bay will be off limits to all personnel if any Dilithium is onboarded, and any analysis will be completed remotely using onboard tools.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Of course.”

Emma and T’Keterk replied as Aris took a solemn breath. “Informally, I have a request for us all.”

“Sir?” Emma questioned, confusion lacing her tone.

“I want us to be mindful of each other and watch our backs. There are only three of us after all” Aris spoke to the room in general. “If either of you notices any changes in behaviour or demeanour, let someone else know. We are still unsure why Blood Dilithium affects telepaths. If you have any theories, please let me know.”

Aris made to switch off the display when T’Keterk spoke up. “Captain, may I have a private word at the conclusion of this briefing?”

“Very well.” Aris replied. “You are all dismissed. Emma, please make arrangements to alter course. We will be on the bridge shortly.”

“Aye sir.” Emma replied getting to her feet to make her preparations.

Once Aris and T’Keterk were alone, Aris turned to his engineer. “What can I do for you Lieutenant?”

“I find myself concerned about the consequences of any exposure to Blood Dilithium that may result in me losing control of my emotions or becoming a threat to the successful completion of our mission.” T’Keterk spoke evenly. “As Captain, you are ultimately responsible for both Emma and myself and if my presence on board becomes a threat, I want you to do what you must to ensure the successful completion of our assignment.”

Aris mulled this over as T’Keterk calmly looked toward the captain. “I don’t like what you are implying Lieutenant,” Aris narrowed his eyes briefly. “But to be on the safe side, I will make arrangements to convert some of the disused quarters into holding areas. I will not resort to violence and i’ll do my utmost to return us safely to the Alpha Quadrant.”

“Thank you Captain.” T’Keterk nodded. “You may have no choice, but your reluctance is a credit to you sir, but I trust you will do what is best for the crew and the successful completion of our mission.

While Aris and T’Keterk were finishing up in the Conference Room, Emma made her final preparations and noted any course corrections she may need to make. Avoiding Borg space and any Devore patrols was of the utmost importance. She was fairly confident she would be able to outfly any incursion by the Hirogen or raider squadrons, but she was hoping against all hope that the Corax would be disregarded as a threat.

Plotting the last waypoint into the helm console, she let the hum of the warp engines and the stars streaking by calm her nerves. Something about the transmission from this purported survey team set her on edge. In her minds eye, they were a tiny fish in a massive pond, listening for echoes in the dark. Feeling like a sitting duck was not a good position to be in.

Taking their stations upon their return to the bridge. Aris took his seat and contemplated the stars streaking past the viewscreen for a brief moment. “Emma, status update?”

Emma turned her chair to face the captain. “Course corrections have been laid in, Sir. We are still a couple of hours out from arriving at the source of the distress call.”

“Thank you, Ensign.” Aris nodded. “Drop us out of warp as soon as we enter the sector, I want us to make as low a profile as possible.”

“Aye Captain.” Emma replied as she turned to face the helm console. Making minor corrections to the ships heading and warp field.

The next few hours passed in relative peace compared to the evolving situation outside of the safety of the ship. 

“Captain, we are approaching the sector of space provided to us by Stockton.” Emma reported as she dropped the ship out of warp.

“T’Keterk, anything on sensors?” Aris questioned toward his Engineer.

“Negative, Captain.” T’Keterk replied. “Sensor readings are encountering interference due to the subspace disruptions, but nothing we need to be concerned with yet.”

Aris nodded as the ship accelerated to the small planetoid they believed was the source of the transmission. “Keep us out of sensor range for as long as possible, Emma.”

“You got it, Captain.” Emma replied as she fine tuned her chosen route.

“T’Keterk, be prepared to reroute any additional power to inertial dampeners and shields.” Aris continued.

“Sir?” T’Keterk questioned.

“Trust me on this, Lieutenant.” Aris solemnly replied.

Nodding, T’Keterk diverted his attention back to his console.

“Emma, tell me are you familiar with The Picard Maneuver?” 

“Of course, Sir.” Emma replied with confusion drawing on her face. “Wait….you’re not planning to…?”

“Correct Emma, once we are in range, on my mark, execute a short range warp on our approach directly into the upper atmosphere. I intend to leave a sensor echo behind to discourage any potential pursuers.” Aris replied as he got to his feet and made his way over to the helm console and placed a hand on Emma’s shoulder.

“I have the utmost faith in your skills and abilities to pull this off, even while correctly anticipating our next move, you’ve got this.” Aris murmured to the young Ensign. “I know this was not how you thought your first tour of duty would be, but I don’t trust anyone else to make this happen.”

Steeling her resolve, Emma nodded, determination now replacing the confusion and unease.

“T’Keterk, on my order, launch a subspace relay probe, this will help maintain communications and will appear as if we are in orbit, when we will already be in the planetoids atmosphere.”

Retaking his seat, Aris faced the viewscreen. “All hands strap yourselves in and adopt brace positions.”

“Captain.” T’Keterk voiced from the engineering console. “I would like it noted in the official logs I find this course of action reckless and impulsive.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Aris almost smiled. “Your concerns have been noted and are appreciated.”

“Sir.” Emma called out to Aris. “Ready to execute jump on your command.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Aris replied. “Red alert, Prepare for warp jump in 3…..2…..launch probe.……1……execute short range warp jump”

As the small raven class ship entered Warp, the inertial dampeners took away most of the shuddering as the ship accelerated through the resistance of the atmosphere. It was not the smoothest of rides however.

“Report.” Aris called out.

“Inertial dampeners are holding steady for now, but won’t last much longer under this sustained stress.” T’Keterk called over the noise and the alerting consoles on the bridge. “Microfractures are developing along the dorsal hull and shields are down to 83%.”

“Prepare for rapid deceleration.” Emma called as her only warning before she dropped the ship out of warp into the planetoids upper atmosphere. The whine of the inertial dampeners taking hold really did highlight the stresses he was putting the ship under.

Letting out a shaky breath as the ship slowed to thruster speed, Aris let a small laugh escape. “Let’s not attempt that again any time soon.”

“I’m with you on that, Captain.” Emma replied just as shakily. “Warp jump successfully executed.”

“Thank you Emma.” Aris replied. “Put the ship into blue alert and find us a serviceable place to touchdown. We don’t want to draw too much attention that we are here.”

The wailing red klaxon was replaced by the blue alert indicator. “Computer mute alert sounds.”

“Captain, mid range sensors have determined a suitable location to land a small distance from the vicinity of the distress call, but far enough away that we shouldn’t appear on sensors if the power supply issue is a ruse.” T’Keterk reported as the sounds on the bridge returned to a more manageable level.

“Position looks defensible if we encounter any unsavory characters or wildlife.” T’Keterk continued. “We will need to make some minor repairs on landing if we want to make it back to space.”

“Thank you T’Keterk.” Aris responded. “Transmit landing coordinates to the navigation computer and prepare for landing.”

As the Corax began her descent, Aris could not fault the location T’Keterk had determined.

“Extend landing struts.” Aris requested. “Let’s get us on the ground and pray to whichever deity is out there that we were not seen exiting warp.”

It had been a couple of hours since the Corax had touched down. Aris, Emma and T’Keterk were busying themselves making the needed repairs and ensuring they would be all systems go when they needed to make an exit. Aris was running several scenarios in his mind to determine how long they could maintain their position and deception that they were indeed planetside and not still in orbit.

“Lets hope we don’t get discovered, little one.” Aris whispered as he sealed some fractures on the outer hull. Aris was determined to ensure the ship was ready to go at a moments notice. The pressing need to file his report was quickly overshadowed by his need for a few hours sleep while the sun was still down. His report could wait until he had his wits about him.

He wished he could say his sleep was restful instead of being punctuated with nightmares and snatches of voices he could only hear when not focusing on them. With a groan, Aris sat up in his quarters deciding sleep was eluding him for the time being. Attributing the interrupted sleep to their mission in the Delta Quadrant and the unknown ahead of them. Of course had no reason to suspect anything else.

Deciding instead to nurse a hot drink and review some of the mission logs and reports. At least while he was awake he could catch up on some administrative work and ignore the nightmares that until now he hadn’t really experienced or remembered for that matter.

For the next couple of hours Aris filed his reports and updated the ships logs with their constant scan results. 

This was proving quite the puzzle, a puzzle he intended to see through to its conclusion. He had all the pieces but making them fit together was proving to be the challenge.

Thinking it was best to let the unfolding mystery unfold itself, Aris secured his jacket around his neck and straightened his pips and badge. Best to look professional when representing Starfleet, he opened a channel to Mr Stockton.

“Surveyor Stockton, this is Captain Suin, we have entered orbit and are ready to transport down on your command.”

“Roger that, Captain, transmitting coordinates for transport now.” Stockton’s voice crackled back. Curse the subspace disruptions affecting their carrier wave. As his terminal received the coordinates, he quickly cross checked them with the Corax’s own scans of the surroundings. A nice open clearing and some structures seemed to be present. No hostile on scan either. This mission was a go.

“Computer, prepare for immediate site to site transport on my mark.” 

The computer beeped once awaiting further commands.

“Lieutenant T’Keterk, Ensign Swain, if I do not return within the hour, initiate an emergency transport and prepare for immediate departure.”

In a matter of moments, his quarters disappeared as he rematerialized on the outskirts of the camp housing the survey team. Pulling his tricorder a quick scan revealed a number of lifespans indicating the members of the stranded team. Holstering his tricorder he let a hand rest near his phaser, just a precaution he told himself.

Making his way toward a small group of people, he noticed Stockton looking directly at him. It wasn’t until he was closer that he heard the unmistakable sound of drawn weapons.

“I am sorry, Captain.” Stockton said, his face completely neutral. “You have been deceived, fire phasers, full stun.”

T’Keterk sharply broke out of his meditations, something was very amiss. His vision appeared to be fracturing randomly between repairing microfractures that weren’t repairing and also still en-route to the origination point of the transmission they had picked up earlier.

It slowly dawned on him, it wasn’t Blood Dilithium they needed to be concerned with, it was the dammed Telepathic Pitcher Plant. They must have been close enough to start feeling it’s effects. Breaking into a run, he exited his quarters intent on reaching Sickbay. Surely there would be a stock of cortical inhibitors and stimulators on board. If they weren’t fast enough to counteract the influence of the neurogenic field, their mission would be a failure as they were consumed by the lifeform. It was highly likely the “planet” they were seeking would result in their destruction and digestion.

Thankful the Corax was such a small ship, T’Keterk made quick work of getting to the sickbay. Sitting at the nearest terminal he scanned through the list of available inventory. Thankfully the ship had some cortical inhibitors in stock. Working quickly to ensure he didnt again succumb to the neurogenic field, he pulled his tricorder and set some configuration changes before attaching it to the base of his neck.

“Computer, what is the location of Captain Suin and Ensign Swain?” T’Keterk demanded.

“Ensign Swain is currently on the Bridge and Captain Suin is on the maintenance level.” the slightly cool voice of the computer responded.

“What is he up to.” T’Keterk muttered to himself as he holstered a phaser from the sickbay weapon storage locker. Whatever illusion the Pitcher Plant was playing out could result in unforeseen consequences. 

Waiting for the turbolift arrival seemed to take an age. T’Keterk was on high alert in case he encountered Ensign Swain or even the Captain. The turbolift had barely opened when T’Keterk entered, already requesting his destination. “Maintenance Levels”

“Computer, location of Captain Suin.” T’Keterk requested as soon as he arrived on the maintenance levels. 

“Captain Suin is currently in Impulse Control.”

Entering Impulse Control, the first thing T’Keterk saw was the Captain hunched over a console.

“Captain? Are you well?” T’Keterk asked as he slowly approached Aris.

Hearing no response or noticing any indication Aris was aware of his presence, T’Keterk made his choice. Setting his phaser to heavy stun, he cautiously aimed his weapon at the Captain.

“Forgive me, Captain. We have been deceived.” T’Keterk breathed out before firing on his captain. Quickly rushing forward to cushion the Captain’s fall, he affixed a second cortical inhibitor to the captain before figuring out his next move.

T’Keterk couldn’t risk manhandling the Captain into Sickbay with the chance they could chance across Emma. Not knowing what hallucination she was working through presented more of a danger if they were stumbled on.

“Computer, initiate emergency site to transport to Sickbay.” T’Keterk spoke softly.

Within moments, T’Keterk and the Captain disappeared off the floor of Impulse Control and rematerialised in the ships infirmary.  He needed the Captain upright, mobile and with his faculties intact.

Keeping the Captain’s cortical inhibitor at the standard settings, he prepared a hypospray with sufficient stimulant to reawaken the Captain and laid Suin on the only biobed. Checking the restraints in case they were needed, he pressed the hypospray to the Aris’ upper arm and let the stimulant do its job.

Aris’ eyes snapped open, taking in his surroundings and checking for hostiles. The first thing he noticed was he was in the infirmary. The second was the ship was still moving. “What the hell is going on here?” Aris muttered under his breath. Not a moment ago he had been ambushed by the very people they were trying to help.

“Captain, we have a situation.” T’Keterk spoke from the captains left. “You may also be experiencing some headache symptoms.”

“You’ve got that right Lieutenant.” Aris groaned as the pain in his head made itself known. “Report.”

“Captain, I have reason to believe we have fallen under the influence of a neurogenic field employed by a space borne entity referred to as a Telepathic Pitcher Plant. “T’Keterk relayed to the captain. “I further believe the distress call we picked up didn’t exist and was likely used as bait to draw us in.”

Seeing the captain was about to interject, T’Keterk asked his last question. “What is the last thing you remember Captain?”

“We had landed on a small planetoid and began repairing a series of microfractures along the Corax’s hull.” Aris thought back. “I informed yourself and Ensign Swain I was going to scout out the survey teams location, then I was shot.”

“Captain, you never left the ship.” T’Keterk replied. “I found you in Impulse Control.”

Piecing the time frames together, Aris let out a soft gasp. “Lieutenant, did you fire on your Commanding Officer?”

“Affirmative, Captain.” T’Keterk replied. “You were unresponsive to all external stimuli and we couldn’t risk anything happening to our impulse engines.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Aris responded. “I want a full report on our situation to the best of the knowledge we have. Do we know the status of Ensign Swain?”

“Negative, Captain.” Came the response from T’Keterk. “Let me help you up and we can discuss a game plan to get ourselves out of this mess.”

T’Keterk gave Aris another stimulant boost before leading him to the small office off the main infirmary area.

Over the next hour T’Keterk filled in the Captain on what he had discovered and the abrupt interruption to his meditations. Flight controls were currently locked to the navigation console on the Bridge, no doubt under the watchful eye of the potentially compromised Ensign Swain.

“Time is of the essence here, Captain.” T’Keterk finished his briefing. “I have fitted us both with cortical inhibitors to try and combat the fields influence, but we will still have to work hard to differentiate between the creatures influence and what is really happening.”

Aris rested his head in his hands as the full realization of their predicament came to light. “How far off course have we navigated?”

“Unknown, Captain.” T’Keterk replied. “Until we can gain control of the navigation systems there is no way to know with certainty.”

As T’Keterk finished, Aris felt his vision splinter. For a moment he was back at the survey camp before the infirmary came back into full view. “Real?” he asked T’Keterk motioning to the ship around them.

“Real, Captain.” T’Keterk reassured his commanding Officer.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Aris nodded getting to his feet. “Lets get to the bridge and get our original mission back on track.”

Meanwhile on the Bridge, Emma was focusing on determining the best route to get off the planet. She had heard the captains order to transport him back in an hour if he didn’t return from his scouting expedition. 

Keeping an eye on the timer currently counting down she busied herself with plotting some new way points to try and avoid most of the dangers present in the Delta Quadrant. Especially a quick route back to the Barzan Wormhole in time for the small window when the wormhole was opened.

T’Keterk and Aris had been making their way back to the top levels of the ship, avoiding main corridors and minimising turbolift usage, they stuck to maintenance hatches and she ships network of jefferies tubes to remain as under the radar as possible. Based on their plotted route, they should emerge as near to the bridge as possible. 

“I will go first Captain.” T’Keterk informed Aris as soon as they were both in the corridors outside the bridge. “We do not know Ensign Swain’s current status, and the backup would be appreciated, Sir.”

“Affirmative, Lieutenant.” Aris replied. “Phasers on max stun until we can get an inhibitor fitted.”

“A sound decision, Captain.” T’Keterk replied with a slight nod. Taking positions on either side of the door to the main bridge, T’Keterk took a calming breath before entering the bridge.

“Lieutenant T’Keterk.” Emma nodded as T’Keterk made his way toward his station. “Have you heard from the Captain since his departure?”

“The Captain has left the ship?” T’Keterk queried. His own hallucination had the Captain filing reports and status updates. All to keep everyone occupied enough to not attempt to escape. or at least notice they were being influenced.

This was apparently the wrong thing to say as Emma got to her feet and slowly made her way to the engineering console. 

“He did, almost an hour ago with instructions to transport him back if he hadn’t returned within the hour.” Emma spoke softly yet firmly. She had a spilt second decision to make. Although they hadn’t detected any blood dilithium on the planet or within the vicinity of the ship, it was clear, something was affecting Lieutenant T’Keterk.

Pulling her phaser, she set the charge for maximum stun and aimed it toward T’Keterk. “Lieutenant T’Keterk, I have reason to believe you are currently under the effects of an external influence and thus now pose a threat to the successful completion of our mission.”

Not expecting this sudden turn of events, T’Keterk looked up from his console and stepped away with his hands raised. “Per our agreement at the commencement of the mission, I am eliminating the threat.”

From his position just outside the Bridge, Aris could hear all the goings on in the bridge. Hearing Emma pull her phaser on T’Keterk, jolted him into action. Readying his own weapon, Aris swept into the bridge.

“Ensign Swain, this is Captain Suin, lower your weapon.” Aris commanded as he squared up behind Emma. “Emma, please, lower your weapon.”

Emma was completely focussed on T’Keterk and hadn’t noticed Aris’ arrival on the bridge. It wasn’t until the captain’s voice filtered through breaking her focus that she became aware of the captain’s presence. “Captain, you’ve returned?”

Deciding in the best interests for their long term survival, Aris decided to play along. “Yes Ensign, I will need your help with determining the best locations to set up some defenses, but first do you care to explain why you have our engineer at phaser point?”

Emma’s voice shook slightly as she answered Aris’ question. “I have reason to believe Lieutenant T’Keterk is acting under an external influence and is putting the mission in undue risk.”

“What is the basis of your claim, Ensign?” Aris probed further.

“He is under the impression you have been onboard the ship since we landed and has no recollection of your order to transport you back.” Emma continued.

“Very well, Ensign.” Aris replied. “Arrangements have been made for such an eventuality and I will deal with this accordingly. Grabbing the weapon off Emma, Aris led her back to the navigation console. ”I have some scans I want you to look over.”

As Aris busied himself with keeping Emma occupied, he signalled T’Keterk with the tiniest of nods. T’Keterk had been keeping a close watch for the all clear from the captain, or to intervene if things went wrong. Seeing the signal, T’Keterk levelled his phaser at Emma and fired.

Aris tensed as he heard the phaser fire, ready to catch Emma as she went limp. “Lieutenant T’Keterk, get the cortical inhibitor fitted and assist me in getting Emma to the infirmary. I need her back on her feet as soon as is safe.”

“Computer, three to transport to infirmary.” 

As soon as Emma had been transferred to the biobed, T’Keterk configured the cortical inhibitor and prepared the stimulant. Aris gave one final look over the restraints before nodding to T’Keterk that he was ready. As he had done with the Captain, T’Keterk attached the cortical inhibitor to Emma before placing the hypospray to Emma’s upper arm and delivering an initial stimulant dose. 

Leaving the stimulant to do its job, T’Keterk and Aris kept a watchful glance on their flight control officer, silently hoping this would break her free from the creatures influence.

Blinking her eyes open, Emma shook her head slightly in an attempt to bring the world back in to focus. Noticing Aris and Suin a short distance away, she spoke up. “Captain, Lieutenant, why am I in the infirmary?”

Striding back over the biobed, Aris looked at Emma. “Ensign Swain, what is the last thing you can recall?”

Thinking back Emma, ran through the timeline in her head. “We picked up a distress call of unknown origin a few days ago, after receiving location details, we executed a pretty risky variant of the Picard Maneuver before landing and starting repairs.”

“Continue Ensign.” Aris requested motioning for Emma to carry on.

“You had left the ship to scout out the survey teams location and left orders to transport you back within the hour if you didn’t return under your own power.” Emma finished. 

T’Keterk dragged a chair over to the Captain so he could sit while he bought Emma back up to speed.

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Aris smiled as he took a seat and refocused on Emma. “We have reason to believe the distress signal was fake, designed to keep us busy and not notice anything.”

Holding his hand up to stem the oncoming flow of questions, Aris continued. “We have all fallen under the influence of a neurogenic field employed by a space borne entity known as a Telepathic Pitcher Plant, the field is designed to keep us busy and simulates what it thinks the victim’s best outcome will be.”

Emma nodded as she followed along, she wasn’t as familiar with the Telepathic Pitcher Plant as she would have liked to be. 

“If we remained unaware much longer it is highly likely the ship and ourselves would have been devoured.” Aris finished as realisation entered Emma’s eyes.

“I tried to shoot Lieutenant T’Keterk didn’t I?” Emma asked, although she was recalling drawing her phaser on the vulcan. 

Aris nodded solemnly. “It’s not all bad Ensign, we were all taken by surprise and for what its worth, you carried out T’Keterk’s request to the letter, but I need you back on your feet so we can get ourselves out of here.”

Emma nodded as she shakily got to her feet. “Allow me Ensign.” T’Keterk offered as he prepared another stimulant dose. “We have all been fitted with cortical inhibitors in an effort to counteract some of the creatures influence.”

“I have explained to the Captain, that we will need to remain vigilant to discern what is real and what is part of the creatures influence. I am not going to lie, the next few days are going to be uncomfortable as we adjust the inhibitors as we progress.” T’Keterk reported as they waited for the second stimulant dose to take effect .

“Are you well Ensign?” T’Keterk asked after a moments wait.

“As well as can be Lieutenant.” Emma offered with a small smile. “And thank you.”

T’Keterk waved off the acknowledgement. “Comes with the job description Ensign.”

Cutting into the conversation, Aris bought the attention of the crew back to himself. “As fantastic as it is to have us all back and fairly sane, we still have a job to do. All hands report to the bridge.”

Exiting the infirmary with T’Keterk and Emma following behind, Aris escorted his small crew back to Deck 1 and a way out this situation.

Back on the bridge, Aris took his center seat and waited for Emma and T’Keterk to retake their places at Helm and Engineering respectively.

“Emma, bring up the navigation logs from the time we picked up the distress signal to the time we ”landed” on the planetoid on the main screen please.” Aris requested. Thankful at this time that Emma maintained such meticulous logs and route calculations.

“On screen now Captain.” Emma replied reflecting the all business tone of the Captain. “As you can see, here is where the distress signal was first picked up.” Emma indicated on the charts. “Followed by some curious course alterations.” Emma continued as the navigation chart cycled to the next chunk of time. “Here is where contact was made with the survey team, closely followed by that damn maneuver you made me attempt.”

Getting to his feet to get a closer look at the viewscreen, he had a sudden thought. “Emma, without relying on current sensor data as we won’t be able to trust it, do you feel confident you can get us back to this point?” Aris indicated the location they picked up the signal.

Emma nodded, confident in her ability. “I can manually calculate a route back using old sensor data, the existing navigation logs and our bearing position, I may have to alter course at times but I believe I can get us back there.”

Aris nodded. “Start calculating Ensign.”

Retaking his seat, Aris turned to T’Keterk. “Run a full diagnostic on our primary systems, after what went on down in Impulse Control, I want to make sure we have full control of the ship.”

“Aye Captain.” T’Keterk replied as he set the diagnostics routines. “We should know more in a matter of hours.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Aris finished as he resumed facing the viewscreen.

The next few hours had the Corax weaving its way back to its original starting location as Emma made minor course corrections to compensate for the ever present influence of the neurogenic field. Based on the reports he had read prior to the mission, the further they got away from the creature, the less the influence should affect them as they collectively rejected the creatures machinations.

“Diagnostics have been completed, Captain.” T’Keterk reported breaking the peace on the bridge.

“Report.” Aris replied. “Is there anything requiring urgent attention?”

“Negative, Captain.” T’Keterk replied. “Weapons systems are operational, shield strength is nominal and hull integrity is green across the board. Propulsion has not been affected by the creature or your adventure.”

Nodding, Aris turned to face Emma. “Ensign Swain, your report?”

“Captain,” Emma whispered softly. “Requesting you increase the power on my cortical inhibitor please.”

Aris nodded to Emma as he relayed the request to T’Keterk. The engineer got his feet, tricorder in hand and increased the power to Emma’s inhibitor.

“Thank you both.” Emma breathed. “Is there anything we can do about the headaches?”

“Im sorry Emma, but no.” Aris replied. “You’re doing so well though and I am proud of you for getting through this with us.”

Emma’s face fell slightly before she returned her attention back to her report. “We are a few hours away from reaching our original starting location, even with the course corrections and alterations we are making good time.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Aris continued. “Alert me when we are close to the first waypoint, I will not leave those colonists without the supplies we have on board.”

“Roger that, Captain.” Emma responded before swiveling her chair back to face her console.

True to her word, Emma let Aris know as soon as they had reached the outer limit of the neurogenic field’s influence.

“Drop out of warp and maintain full impulse power.” Aris commanded. “Compare current sensor readings with the initial ones we took a few days ago.”

“Very little difference, Captain.” T’Keterk reported back. “We are not detecting any subspace signals or federation carrier waves.”

Feeling a sense of deja vu, Aris only nodded as they effectively reset themselves from the events of the last several days.

“Emma, bring the Corax down to thruster speed only and set course for the refugee colony.” Aris requested.

“Copy that, Captain.” Emma replied as she slowed the ship down. “Course has been laid in sir, ready on your mark.”

“Thank you Ensign. Maximum warp, and all subspace signals are to be ignored without an appropriate sensor reading and established communications, I will be dammed if I lose this ship and get caught up in the Pitcher Plant’s influence a second time.” Aris ordered with a fire to his voice.

He had disappointed himself. He should have realized something was wrong from the very outset. Could he have lived with himself if he had lost his crew and ship? Would a court-martial have been worth it if the distress call turned out to be legitimate? So many unanswered questions and even more answers he would most likely not want to think about.

As the Corax sped to its destination, the bridge was still relatively quiet as the crew decompressed and absorbed the events of the last few days. They were a tight-knit crew who thankfully didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with noise. Each quite content to soak in the calm and familial bond from each other.

“Captain.” Emma broke the silence. “We are approaching the refugee colony, although I am detecting traces of blood dilithium in the area.”

Sitting up straighter in his seat, Aris turned to face his engineer. “T’Keterk what is your status”?”

“I am well Captain.” T’Keterk replied. “I will continue to self-monitor but will request upon landing, that you confine me to quarters until we can ascertain the concentration and location of the blood dilithium.”

“Request approved Lieutenant.” Aris replied. “Emma, open a channel to the colony.”

“Channel open, Captain.” Emma quickly reported.

“This is Captain Aris Suin of the Starfleet vessel USS Corax, we are bringing emergency cargo supplies and food rations, requesting suitable coordinates to land and unload.”

“USS Corax, this is liaison Antonia Caudwell, we have been expecting you. I am transmitting landing coordinates and look forward to receiving your shipment.”

“Copy that Liaison Caudwell, Corax out.” Aris replied.

“Coordinates received Captain.” Emma supplied as she prepared the ship to land.

“Blue Alert.” Aris called as the bridge lighting was replaced with the blue glow of the alert status notifications. “T’Keterk are you ready?”

“Yes Captain, at your convenience.” T’Keterk replied.

“Computer, please transport to Lieutenant T’Keterk to Quarters Delta-2 and secure the door with a triple-layer sequence keyed to my authorisation code.”

“Please state authorisation code.” the computer responded.

“Suin, 7-2-2-6 Epsilon Sigma.” Aris stated.

“Request confirmed and voice print matched.” acknowledged the computer as T’Keterk was transported to the secured quarters.

“Ensign Swain, take us down.” Aris nodded to Emma as he settled in for atmospheric entry.

As the ship landed at the indicated coordinates, much more calmer than the simulated atmospheric entry, Aris breathed out a small sigh of relief. They had finally arrived at their intended destination and were well within agreeable time frames considering the time they had spent under the influence of the Pitcher Plant and the backtracking  they had to undergo to reset their intended path.

Aris was stood in the main cargo bay with Emma as they bulkhead door slid upwards and the ramp to access the cargo hold extended, Aris led Emma who was pulling the anti-gravity pallet behind her.

“Welcome Corax, I am Liasion Caudwell, we spoke over the comm channel earlier.” a voice called out from the small crowd gathered near the ship

“Captain Suin.” Aris returned the favour. “Quite the welcoming committee you have for us.”

“Can’t be too careful in the Delta Quadrant these days, and these supplies are sorely needed.” Caudwell continued.

Meeting the liaison officer face to face, Aris handed over a padd. “For the purposes of the ships log, please note the transfer two months food rations, portable shield generators, wet weather clothing, heating equipment and some pre-fab shelter units.”

Antonia reviewed the details on the padd in front of her and cast an eye over the crates before approving the cargo transfer. “Now I know you have to report to your Commanding Officer, but I would ask a request if possible?”

“Go on Liaison.” Aris prompted.

“During our evacuation, one of your federation scientists got caught up in the exodus from our world. As a show of faith between our two quadrants, I would like to request he accompany you back to federation space.”

“Of course, have him meet us at the ship as soon as he is ready to depart.” Aris smiled. He would be happy to return a federation citizen home for some rest and relaxation after the ordeals in the delta quadrant. 

“One last thing Captain, we have nothing to offer in exchange for the supplies, but we would like you to accept some small crates of dilithium we bought with us, being near it is causing some of the colony distress and if there is no dilithium here we should be able to stay safe.” Antonia stated. Aris knew this was not a negotiation or request. The blood dilithium had to return with them.

“Very well.” Aris nodded. “Emma, please arrange transportation of the dilithium crystals to the secured cargo hold and prepare for departure.”

“Yes, Sir.” Emma replied as she affixed isolinear tags to the crates to get them securely under lock & key before returning to the bridge via the turbolift in the cargo bay.

Watching the crates of dilithium disappear, Aris noticed the refugee liaison approaching with their passenger. “Liaison Caudwell.” Aris nodded as the pair stood before him.

“Captain Suin, this is Damien Andrews, his credentials tell us he affiliated with the federation sciences division, please return him to where he is meant to be.” Antonia began by way of introduction. “He has been struggling since we made landfall after the annexation.”

Aris offered his hand. “Permission to come aboard Damien. Let’s get you home.”

Instead of shaking the offered hand, Aris was momentarily stunned as his new passenger threw his arms around Aris’ shoulder and burrowed into his shoulder muttering “thank you.” over and over.

Guiding the passenger into the cargo bay, the ramp retracted behind them and the bulkhead door came down, sealing the ship once more.

“Computer unseal Delta-2, authorisation Suin, 7-2-2-6 Epsilon Sigma.”  Aris spoke as soon as they had exited the cargo bay. “Lieutenant T’Keterk, please meet me outside the primary cargo hold and escort our passenger to quarters. Emma, set course for the Barzan wormhole, i’ll be on the bridge shortly.

“Yes Sir.”

“Affirmative, Captain.”