“We’ve got one.”  Sadie Fowler reported from the science station The Douglas had spent the last few hours chasing readings and signatures across the system in cooperation with the Dragonfly.  Captain Leopold Halsey had returned to pacing the bridge while his new XO, Charlie Hargreaves, sat in the right-hand chair.

“Intercept course.”  Leo had worked with Jordan Reid in sickbay to get the critical and intensive care patients transferred.  The repair and damage control efforts continued across the ship, and Halsey was impressed with Deputy Chief Elizabeth McKee.  Thrust into the position by accident, she was holding her own.  Prentice at the helm announced they were arriving at the location.  Halsey stopped his pacing, “Report.”

Sadie ran down what she was reading, “It’s an aperture – sensors showing this one more stable and constant.  We’re not getting as much tachyon and gravimetric interference.”  She checked her screens again, “We’d need to do further investigation…but there is no detectable turbulence or possible electrical impacts.”  She kept staring at the screens, adjusting the sensors.  “It’s…I don’t know how…or why…but it’s stable.  The difference between our original interactions and this…it’s completely different.”

Leo could hear her frustration and awe in the same sentence.  “Launch a probe.  Update the Dragonfly.”  He turned to his newly placed XO, “Thoughts?”

Charlie’s face was puzzled, “If it’s stable and remains open – what’s to keep us from following the Dragonfly in?”

“Everything and nothing, commander.  Everything is the risk within the aperture – the connecting…space between here and there.  I wouldn’t dare risk the Dragonfly on exterior stability.  We’ll see what the probe tells us.”

Charlie asked the obvious, “And the nothing part?”

“The captains of old would have thrown themselves through the aperture once they found out it was stable.  Some of our contemporaries no doubt will do the same.”

“Probe reporting!”  Sadie’s announcement pulled the bridge crew’s attention to the screen as the stats were sent.  She narrated as she worked from the console and received additional reports from her team in the science labs below decks.  “Wormhole’s turbulence is nominal – registering a few bumpy areas initially – power levels remain at expected levels.”  The display on the screen adjusted as new information was added, and the graphs adjusted to the data stream.  “Exiting the aperture…now.”  A moment passed as the sensors adjusted.  She checked the results three times before saying out loud, “Probe has arrived within a day’s travel of the Bajoran Wormhole in the Gamma Quadrant.  Still getting telemetry data, Captain.”

The bridge crew let out a collective sigh of relief.  Leo smiled, “Lieutenant Fowler – do we think this aperture will remain open?”

She turned in her chair, examining the view screen probe results.  Turning back to her station, her brows were furrowed in contemplation.  He was doing his best not to push her for results.  If you rush a scientist, terrible things can happen.  “From all indicated readings, yes, sir.  We’ll need more time to investigate the why and how.”  She looked as if she wanted to shrug but was holding back.

There was hope after all, he thought. “Very well.  I need a full report within the next half hour on the positive and negative implications of sending the Dragonfly home through that thing.  Put someone with both eyes and ears on that thing – if something changes, we need to be made aware immediately.”

“Commander Thasaz confirms, Captain Halsey.  My congratulations to your science team – they’ve done an incredible amount of work in a short time.”  Captain Wren Walton was on the view screen, and exactly thirty minutes had passed.  Sadie beamed from her station.  “We’ll finalize our preparations for departure.”  Wren’s eyes remained focused on Halsey.  He wondered if she had more to say, but she cut the channel. He knew there would be more words once they were all home.

He turned back to the bridge crew, “Let’s get in place.”  The Douglas pulled back the area around the aperture as Halsey called for a yellow alert – just in case something happened.  The clock above the view screen clicked on as the officers from the bridge to engineering shifted to secure stations.  The bridge crew engaged their seat belts while the intermittent beeps from consoles filled the empty space, usually filled with side conversations.

William Prentice reported, “Dragonfly in place.  Engaging thrusters first.”  Every eye was on the screen.  Every moment was a cautious breath in and out.  What little they knew and how quickly they had worked to understand the little they could – it would all either come together or tear something apart.  The Obena class starship rumbled forward before Will updated, “Impule engines going to full impulse.”  The movement was faster now as the Excelsior-shaped starship grew closer and closer to the aperture until…it entered and vanished.  Will confirmed, “They are in the aperture.”

Halsey had returned to pacing.  He waited.  It felt like time slowed until Sadie interrupted his worries, “Probe on the other side reports Dragonfly has exited the aperture…sensors report she is in good shape.  Message from Captain Walton through the probe – they will report back to Alpha Quadrant to see what else they can find out.  Her message is to remain here, conduct repairs, and await further orders.”

He sat down in the center chair, the relief evident on his face, “We will do all those things.  Good work, everyone.  Let’s be ready for the possibility that we’ll go home sooner than we thought.”