Lost
The
Baffin went
to warp. But something happened at the same time, and the ship
shuddered and then dropped out of warp again. “Report!” Emerson
barked through the red alert klaxon.
“We were at warp for just over a second,” Andersen reported.
“We're still relatively close to the planet.”
“According to sensors, the anomaly did close in on us and the
shuttle just before warp was initiated,” Lu added.
“Do we still have the shuttle?” Emerson asked.
“Yes,” Lu answered.
“Full scan,” Emmerson reported.
On the Montreal, Hernandez recovered after that jolt. “Are
we still in the tractor beam?” she asked.
“We are,” Albert confirmed. “We'll be back aboard in 20
seconds.”
“That's good. That was a close call,” Hernandez said.
“It may be closer than you realise,” Lawson stated.
“You mean, we didn't escape the anomaly?” Hernandez asked.
“According to the sensors, the anomaly closed in just before the
ship went to warp,” Albert said.
“That probably wouldn't be good,” Hernandez murmured as she saw
the shuttle re-enter the shuttlebay.
After the shuttle landed, the away team went back to the bridge.
“Preliminary results from the scan are ready,” Lu said.
“Let's hear it,” Emmerson ordered.
“Divergent Quantuum Signature,” Lu confirmed.
“So, we're in another universe?” Hernandez asked as she entered
the Bridge.
“Yes,” Emmerson answered as Hernandez and the others took their
stations.
It took an hour for the scan to complete. During the time Emmerson
had informed the crew of the situation they were in.
“As soon as the scan is complete we're going to try to contact
Starfleet as it exists in this universe,” Emmerson said.
“That would be better than us trying to do it by ourselves.”
The scan data showed that the the planet in this universe had been as
affected by the phenomenon as the planet in their home universe had.
They had then tried to contact Starfleet. There was no response.
Eight hours after the transition, Emmerson made another decision. “We
have not received a return signal from Starfleet Command. Therefore
we need to go to Sector 001 ourselves.”
“If Starfleet is not there, we don't know what state we would find
Earth in,” Hernandez said.
“That's true,” Emmerson conceded, “but it would be more
foolhardy to go anywhere else. We'll send probes in the direction of
other Federation worlds as we approach.”
The Baffin made preparations to make the journey. But first
they sent a probe back to Tanarexa IV with information on what had
occurred. It soon disappeared into another anomaly, but scans on the
destination were inconclusive. They placed a warning beacon and then
went to warp.
“Personal Log, supplemental. The situation hasn't fully
hit me yet. The Baffin is lost more than what Voyager was.
The chances of finding our universe again is remote, astronomical
even, and it seems we're in a universe where the Federation
either doesn't exist, has yet to exist or has fallen.”
Hernandez paused. She wasn't sure where that line of thought was
leading. Some of her ruminations were confused. She changed tack. “We
have set course for Earth at Warp 8. We're not using
Slipstream as while Dilithium can be recrystalised, Benamite cannot.”
Warp
8 is also the speed at which the engines are most efficient. We won't
need to slow down. Without unforseen events we should arrive in
twelve days.
Six days later, Emmerson came onto the Bridge. There still had been
no response to the hails to Starfleet the previous evening. “We're
about to send the probes in the directions of Qo'noS and Romulus,
Commander,” Hernandez reported.
“Then send them,” he ordered as he sat in the Commander's Chair.
“Aye, Commander.”
The Baffin launched the probes, and continued on her way.
As they approached the region that otherwise would be the core of the
Federation they also launched probes in the directions of Andor,
Tellar and Vulcan.
Personal
log.
The
Baffin is approaching
the Solar System. The sensor data suggests were at a time late in the
20th Century. The planetary positions and radio
transmissions match to December, 20 1974.
We are going to drop out of warp and hide behind the Moon.
