“They didn’t look like our kind of ships because they don’t.” Lieutenant Elizabeth McKee stood on the deck of the main ship of Captain Parsons, “They’ve modified it so much with alloys and tech from this end of the Gamma Quadrant – it doesn’t resemble a Federation trade ship anymore.”  She gestured to the bridge, “It took us a while to find the main computer and even longer to get a dump of the records and reports.”  She handed over a PADD, “Thirty years worth of stories – I’ve spot-read a few.  They’ve been through hell, sir.  And not the kind we’re used to joking about.  Everything and everyone around them was trying to kill them.  I don’t doubt they did some killing themselves.”  She remained amazed at the technological know-how that had kept this crew alive.  “The other two are just food-producing ships.  I’ve logged it all in the report.  We will take some of it to study and see if we can adapt it or send it up the line for someone to look at.  Might be helpful for colony ships or long haulers.”

Commander Charlie Hargraves thanked her and turned to the work being done by the combined engineering, security, and operations team.  Captain Parsons had been transparent about what they would find.  He mused that thirty years in the fight for your life with no way home was an unbelievable reality.  With Voyager, there had been a way, a possibility.  Stuck with only warp one and The Wrath hunting you struck him as hopeless.  And yet, ten had survived.

“Commander.”  Lieutenant Calog Tir stood at attention.  He continued when the commander waved him on, “We’ve done a full inspection – there are fifteen or so caskets in cold storage.  I’ve asked Captain Parsons…, and he’s hesitant to bring them with us.  Old ghosts is what he said.  He’d rather have them committed to space when we scuttle his ships.”  Tir brought his PADD, “I asked him why he’d kept them.  He said he was worried about the ones they could recover being used by The Wrath for other purposes.”

Hargreaves frowned, “That’s fifteen they never found.  I can’t imagine.”  He really couldn’t.  Loss had been a part of his time in Starfleet, but this was a deeper and darker level of grief that these men and women had wrestled with – and were probably still wrestling with.

Tir agreed, “The shape of the bodies in the caskets – it wasn’t a clean death.”  He went silent as he considered how best to ask his next question.  He said, “Captain, I’ve…I’d like permission to ask him for us to use the bodies to see what the effect of The Wrath would practically be on us…and see what defenses we can have at the ready should they find us again.”

The Interim XO blinked.  He’d never had this kind of conversation, “You’re serious.” Tir nodded.  “I…do you think Parsons will be receptive?”

“I think he’ll want to keep his people safe, and this is part of that puzzle.”

Charlie wondered if he was going to regret this.  “Ask him.  Loop in Doctor Reid.”

“That’s not good.”  Ensign Jake Shaw leaned into the console of the science officer.  The readings on the sealed aperture had changed in the last half hour.  He repeated the scan.  It was…gone?  “Lieutenant Fowler?”  He called over the head of the science department and ran the results for her.  “I’m detecting nothing underneath the cover where there was…something before.”

Fowler’s eyes searched the screen for doubt or something the young science officer had missed.  She ran the report with her own hands.  The same result.  “When did this change?”  She watched as he worked, bringing a chill to her bones.  “That’s not a natural occurrence, Ensign Shaw.  Pull that reporting to a PADD and meet me on the bridge.”

He was shocked to watch her take off at a run, stabbing at her badge as she skittered out of the room.  Shaw did as she asked and quickly followed after her.  He caught up with her in the turbolift, “What the hell has got you spooked, chief?”

She shook her head, eyes worried.  “We thought the first aperture we came to was a false positive.  What if it wasn’t?  What if it had been artificially closed?  What if…this is a moving target?  What if the rumors and reports on what the Cardassians have planned are coming true?”

He asked, “You’re panicking.”  The realization finally dawned on him, “If they somehow manage to close the aperture to the Delta Quadrant…we’re not getting home.  If they’re closing apertures, we won’t be able to find ones that exist because they won’t exist.”

The door to the bridge opened, and she leaped through it, walking briskly to the door of the Captain’s Ready Room. There, she stabbed at the door chime. It slid open, and she stepped inside, “Captain Halsey.”

The CO looked from his reports, “Lieutenant Fowler and Ensign Shaw.  What can I…”

She forcefully stepped before his desk and handed him a PADD, “We’re running out of time.  I don’t know their resources in the Delta Quadrant, but the Devore and the Cardassians have similar interests and attitudes.”

Halsey stood up, alarmed as he read through the details.  “How much time do you think we have?”

“Getting back to the Delta through the aperture is key – theories are that they intended to collapse the new apertures or even all of them – nobody knows.  At last, reports from when we lost got them.  Who knows what has happened since?  Given what limited data we got on what they’re alleged to be doing…it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

Shaw added, “It’s either we try and make our way home over a four-year journey…or we go and try our luck with the Devore…sir.”

Halsey chuckled, “You’ve got a mouth on you, Ensign Shaw.  I appreciate the candor, but Captain Dread isn’t as patient and forgiving as I am.  Remember the facts with her, not the emotion.”  He turned his attention to the problem, “We need to make the best possible speed for that aperture.”  He stalked out of the ready room and onto the bridge, “Recall all officers from the transport ships.  Tactical – prepare to scuttle them immediately.  Prentice – plot a course to the aperture that brought us here.”  He turned to the bridge, “We’ll meet as senior staff in thirty minutes, but hear this – we need to get out of here and on the road home – even if it’s through the Delta. Start preparing for a rough ride.”