"Captain we are approaching
the Leviathan." Ensign McMillan announced from the helm position onboard
the Ronin.
With Heim still not fully recovered from the Ronin's recent encounter with the
Proletarians, she had remained at the helm, which she had taken over when Heim
'fell' ill. As a shuttle pilot, there were very few opportunities to pilot a
larger vessel.
The opportunities that usually did arise meant that she was working the night shifts. With the undermanned condition of the Ronin, this usually consisted of only four or five personnel, mainly from the junior ranks. But she enjoyed the quietness of the night shift and she enjoyed even more the opportunity to fly.
With the activities of the past few weeks, Heim had almost become a permanent fixture at the Helm controls. Nevertheless, the strain had shown and part of the reason for the Commander still being off-duty was the fact that the EMH had discovered signs of physical and metal exhaustion. Heim had been ordered to take it easy for at least another twenty-four hours and reluctantly had taken the holographic Doctor's advice.
"Take us to within two hundred metres off the Leviathan's starboard side Ensign. Match her speed and course." Captain Evans ordered "And open a channel to Captain Devore."
[Devore here, What's the current situation Captain?] Captain Devore said, sitting in his ready room. With him were Lt. Commander Barker and Ensign Murphy, who had just been briefing their Captain on the discoveries that they had uncovered from the Ronin's logs and sensor data.
"We're coming on station now Captain, I'd suggest that you transport over to the Ronin so that we can discuss our encounter with the Proletarian's here." Captain Ryan announced.
[Not a bad idea Captain, I've never been aboard a Defiant class vessel before. I'll be bringing along Lieutenant Commander Barker and young Ensign Murphy. They have been analysing the sensor readings from your encounter and it seems that they have made some interesting discoveries.]
"Sounds intriguing Captain. I think the grand tour will have to wait for another time though. However, as long as you don't mind the mess we'll expect you in an hour." Captain Evans replied. "Ronin out."
An hour later the three Leviathan officers materialised in transporter room one onboard the Ronin. There to greet them was Captain Evans and Lieutenant Benosk.
"Captain, Commander, Ensign. Welcome aboard the USS Ronin." Ryan said. "We'll have to use the mess hall for our briefing, my ready room is too small for all five of us and we don't possess the luxury of a briefing room."
As they walked along the narrow corridors, all around there were still 'scars' from the Ronin's encounter with the Bariens. It was hard for everyone to remember that it had been just over a month since that conflict had ended. And now they were preparing for another fight, this time with only two vessels and no back up.
The group passed several engineering teams who were still working on various systems and in places, there were obvious signs that the floor plating and walls had recently been replaced.
The officers walked into the mess hall and looked around. Most of the furniture was badly damaged, the debris piled into a corner. A few smaller tables, looking as if they had been 'patched up' were dotted around the room. In the centre was a single long table, with bench-like seating down each side and a single chair at the far end.
Captain Devore instinctively moved to occupy the chair at the head of the table. At the last moment he realised his actions were wrong and instead took a seat on the right hand side of the table. The two Leviathan officers took seats next to the Captain and Benosk took the seat opposite Captain Devore. Captain Ryan moved to take the seat at the head of the table, when Commander Heim came into the room.
"How are you feeling now?" Ryan enquired.
"Still a little dazed actually Captain." Heim replied "Captain Devore, Commander, Ensign. Good to see you all again." he continued, realising that the Leviathan officers were present. "But I'm very restless, I hate having to sit back and watch as the rest of you prepare. I'll be glad when the Doc gives me a clean bill of health and I can get back to work."
"Heim was probably affected most by our encounter with the Proletarians. They claimed that it was because of their telepathic powers and the fact that Heim was part Betazoid, but I wasn't totally convinced. Our EMH has been unable to discover why he fell into such a deep Betazoid coma. That coupled with his dedication to duty and as a result, exhaustion is the reason why Heim is not currently on active duty. However, as my first officer I requested the he should be present at this meeting." Captain Evans said.
The Commander walked over to sit with the rest of the officers and Lt. Benosk moved down the bench, so that Heim was sitting opposite Captain Devore.
"So who wants to go first?" Ensign Murphy asked jokingly, breaking the silence that had engulfed the room.
"I think we should hear from Captain Evans first." Lt. Commander Barker said, "He may be able to give us some additional information about the Proletarians and their system. Then we'll brief the Captain on our own findings."
"Agreed." Devore said turning towards the Captain of the Ronin. "Captain"
Ryan took a deep breath and started to explain their recent encounter.
"We returned to examine the anomaly AR-234 more closely, after spending several days with no positive results elsewhere in the sector. Upon launching a probe into the anomaly, we were 'pulled' into it as well and travelled through to the other side. There we discovered a 'pocket' of space with a single system, which included an M-class planet. When we reached the planets outer atmosphere, we were challenged by the inhabitants. The Ronin was allowed to land of the surface, myself along with Lieutenant Benosk and Ensign McMillan then transported outside to greet the Proletarians. We spoke briefly about our predicament and that we had been searching for them to see if they were willing to help us. They agreed and said that when the time was near, they would be there to fight at our side. We transported back to the Ronin and were allowed to leave. The planet showed signs of an advanced civilisation but no vessels of any kind. However, we were only able to scan the Western Hemisphere before landing." Captain Evans explained briefly. "Here's a more detailed report, but that's the basics." He said, passing a data PADD to Captain Devore.
"One other thing Captain, they had a great deal of knowledge about the Federation and claimed that 'we' had been here in this galaxy before. I know it sounds impossible, but there have been rumours going around that what the Proletarians said was true." Captain Evans said.
"I'm curious Captain, how long do you think you were present in this 'pocket ' of space." Chu enquired.
"I'd say no more than twelve hours, about five on the planet and the rest in travelling to and from the anomaly." Ryan replied "Why ?"
"I've got a shock for you Captain. From the sensor reading that were taken at the time, you were in fact in the system for over three times that long. You stopped for over three hours after entering the system and spend over twenty-four hours on the surface of the planet. You also stopped for about an hour before re-entering the vortex. It also took you around two hours each time to travel through the vortex." Chu replied, knowing that the statements he had just made would confuse the Captain and his two officers.
"That is impossible. What evidence do you have?" Ryan enquired.
"I freely admit that there is not a great deal of evidence. The tractor beam that pulled you into the vortex disabled most of the Ronin's sensors. However, the aft sensors were the least effected and along with the vessel telemetry, we can positively say that our timings are correct as the Commander stated. You were in the Proletarian system nearly two days.
Another discovery that we made was that the area of space you were in was over twenty five and a half thousand light years away and in an area devoid of any sub-space." Ensign Murphy continued.
"Tractor beam, vortex, twenty five thousand light years away, just what is going on. I tell you categorically, we were inside the anomaly for just over half a day, not two days, never." Ryan said.
Benosk rose from his seat and walked over to a panel on the wall. He brought up the ships' chronometer and took a deep breath. "Captain, I think the Commander is right. What day do you think it is Captain?" Benosk asked.
"Thursday." Ryan said confidently.
"Actually sir it's Saturday. The ships clock confirms this, somehow Captain we have lost over a day." Benosk replied a note of worry in his voice.
"Then why don't I remember, why don't any of us remember what happened?" Ryan asked out loud.
"Captain Evans, the answer to that question we don't have. At a guess somehow the memories of your experience inside the vortex have been altered or erased. Without doing some tests, we're not going to find out much more. I'd suggest that you have some of your officer's transport across to the Leviathan where Ensign Katts can perform a more extensive examination. Our sickbay is more advanced than the one you have here, maybe she can shed some light on your memory loss. I'd suggest that the Commander be her first patient. Being half-betazoid myself and having a sister is Starfleet medical, I know that the Betazoid brain and particularly the areas concerned with memory and the Betazoid metaconscious are complex. The 'illness' maybe a result of attempts to tamper with Mister Heim memories or maybe the reason he was put into the coma was because whoever erased your memories knew that they would be unable to erase his successfully." Chu stated.
"You could be right. I'll have all the senior staff contact Ensign Katts to arrange a visit, Heim I'd suggest that you go back with Captain Devore." Captain Evans said.
"There's also the problem of discovering if any permanent damage has been caused and whether the Proletarians will do the same thing again. Commander Heim is I believe the only Betazoid onboard." Captain Devore asked.
"That's correct, however Lieutenant Benosk is Romulan and we've got a couple of Vulcans onboard, both races also have telepathic abilities. It's obvious that they haven't suffered in the same way as Commander Heim." Ryan replied.
"Maybe they've not been affected because their telepathic abilities are more controlled or undeveloped, no offence Lieutenant." Murphy said "Or maybe because it was because the Proletarians already knew how to alter the memories of Vulcans. Captain Evans said that the Proletarians had encountered the Federation before, Vulcans have been a central part of the Federation for nearly three hundred years."
"Captain, the Leviathan has I believe twelve Betazoid officers, plus another five half Betazoid including myself. There are also over a hundred Vulcans and other telepathic races onboard, Ensign Katts is going to be busy if all of these fall under the same influence." Chu 'pitched' in.
"I've just had an awful thought." Murphy announced. "If your crews memories have been altered, then maybe your whole encounter with the Proletarians is false. What if it never really happened, but was just placed in your memories to let us think that you had met them. Their offer of help wouldn't have been made and we would be right back where we started, two undermanned and under- resourced Federation starships far from home."
"It's a chilling thought isn't it." Devore replied having had similar thoughts.
"I can't explain why, but deep down I do sense that our meeting on the planet surface did take place, exactly as I remember it." Captain Evans said. "I just hope this instinct is right".
"Commander, you said we travelled over twenty-five and a half thousand light years through the vortex. How?" Benosk asked changing the subject, having returned to his seat.
"Twenty eight thousand six hundred and twelve point three light years to be exact. The vortex you entered was similar to a wormhole, something called an 'Under-space' corridor. We aren't sure whether the corridor was a natural feature or had been created sometime in the past, but we did pick up a large ring-like structure at the Proletarian system end. Ensign Murphy and I believe that this space-borne device is being used to keep the corridor in its current position." Chu replied.
"That's quite a distance, these Proletarians must be a pretty advanced race." Benosk replied. "But you said that it took us two hours to travel through the 'corridor', the Bajorian wormhole is 70,000 light years and it takes only forty-five minutes to travel through."
"That's true, but the Ronin was travelling at less than one quarter impulse at the time. Travelling at full impulse, the journey would have taken only twenty minutes and at warp one, less than ten. That's the difference, you can travel through these corridors at warp speeds." Murphy explained "We're not entirely sure that the Proletarians actually constructed the 'ring' themselves From readings that we obtained from the rings hull surface, it's existed for over four and a half thousand years. Maybe the Proletarians 'inherited' the 'ring' from a long dead race" Murphy stated.
"Or took it by force." Heim replied.
"I think we've moved off the subject a little here people." Captain Devore said. "Captain Evans did the Proletarians give you any indications of when or how they intended to assist us ? Did they reveal any additional information about the Z'terul or how we can defend ourselves?" he asked.
"No. All they said was that when the time came they would be with us. They said nothing about the Z'terul that we already did not know." Ryan answered. "That's all I can remember."
[Leviathan to Captain Devore.]
"Devore here."
[Captain, Lieutenant Macleod here. Long range sensors detected what appeared to be a sub-space fluctuation close to where the Ronin reported the anomaly AR-234 about half an hour ago. We've also just detected a large vessel approaching at high speed on an intercept course from that location. At it's current speed, we estimate that It should be with us within six hours.]
"We'll be returning shortly Macleod have Ensign Katts make ready sickbay when we arrive. Commander Heim's will be returning with us and we need the Doctor to examine him as soon as possible. Devore out."
Devore looked around at the five
officers sat around the table. "I think we've covered just about everything,
I guess we'll just have to wait until the Proletarians arrive, if that is indeed
one of their vessels that we've just detected."
