Captain’s log…

It’s hard to believe that it has been over two weeks since we returned to Federation space from what we now know as Underspace. The Calistoga is once again headed for Deep Space Seventeen as originally planned a few weeks ago. While I cannot speak entirely for my crew, I for one, am looking forward to settling down for a bit in our new home port before heading out on our next assigned mission. 

I’ve reflected a lot on our particular encounter with Underspace and the mystery and intrigue behind the non-corporeal life forms we encountered. The exact location of which we will never know at this point. We were quite unprepared to be thrust into Underspace through a new and formed aperture, in fact, we were lucky to have not been torn apart by the gravitation forces we encountered. Calistoga, at that point, was in no shape to be put in such a situation, and it is a credit to her crew for making it through that situation in one piece. 

We all were faced with our own mortality in those hours leading up to the help we received but despite that, I believe everyone acted with determination, professionalism and did their best to problem solve with the little resources we had at the time. Some impressive flying and coordination amongst various divisions saw us take safe haven in orbit of that rogue planet which was an unknown home to our saviours at that point. 

I’m not afraid to admit it was sheer luck that we encountered lifeforms with such power that did decide to take pity on us and our situation. They could have just as easily throw us into the void of that black hole. Their help did come at a cost though, as many of us have been struggling to process a missing week and a half of our lives. It comes up in conversation a lot these days and it’s almost as if we are all missing a piece of ourselves. It’s hard to describe beyond that. I’ve requested some extra counselling support for our arrival at Deep Space Seventeen for those who want to take advantage of it. I’ll be encouraging everyone to participate. 

The Klingons we encountered briefly in the Underspace did lead us to an aperture we were able to escape out of. We landed in Klingon territory near the Federation border, not too far from Providence Fleet Yards. We headed there with haste to further resupply and report in and thankfully did not encounter any hostility from the Klingons, who appeared distracted with their own intentions for Underspace.

Coming back to Federation space, it almost feels as if the entire alpha and beta quadrants have changed. Many other ships have had remarkable experiences and encounters in Underspace and I think we are on the edge of another golden age of exploration for Starfleet. For myself and the crew of the Calistoga, there is no evidence of our experiences other than what we can remember. This entire situation did bring us closer together as a crew though, as any near death experience would. We may not have contributed to science or advancements in discoveries like some of our colleagues out there but… We are alive and grateful to continue to be of service. 

I’m still left wondering though… What happened to us during that week and a half….