Captain's Log, Stardate 41551.7:
We are approaching Ophiuchi XII after Deep Space 5 reported massive tachyonic and gravimetric signatures. My belief is that we will encounter nothing more than another space anomaly to study. Starfleet suspects, however, that the Kzinti Patriarchy has recently found a sympathetic contact that either; Gave them access to a new weapon system or is willing to work with them.
At the moment, Councilor Deanna Troy and Commander William T. Riker are returning from an emergency conference on Starbase one seven two. Engineering is performing preventive maintenance on our dilithium crystals, so we are presently traveling on impulse power. In three hours time we are scheduled to rendezvous with Shuttlecraft 8 before re-entering warp speed.
Liutenant Commander Data has informed me routine deep space probes detect no vessels or debris within a range of three light years, yet the strange anomaly continues to eject random pulses of energy.
I was barely aware of what was happening, as I laid on my desk at home a light blinded me, there was a rising increments of sharp pain, my body contorted itself in shapes I knew were not possible and unimaginable pain filled my body as I felt as if molten lead was poured inside of me, and as suddenly as it started, it went away, leaving nothing but the dull, hazy, red-rimmed awareness of excruciating aches all over fighting for their share of attention from my fading consciousness.
Time passed before I woke up again, whether it was seconds or years, I do not know. I could only feel myself, hunched over in a strange warm liquid. I dared not to open my eyes, yet I forced them open, I cracked open one eye, then the other. It was hardly worth it, the liquid did not hurt my eyes but everything else was completely black -and a part of my mind that had gone very cold and analytically was amazed not only by the fact that I was panicking, but by the smallest details such that I was almost unable to move, breath, or even see, yet it felt right.
The hazy aches started to fade, and I slowly started to wiggle, my body obeyed -albeit the liquid was too dense to really move- So I wasn't paralyzed. At least that's one concern out of the box. But I was desperate for sensation, for something else than this dark entombment, and as I started to prove and wiggle, I felt something indescribable, It was like pinhole leading out to an ocean, showering me with ray of light and teasing me to open it, to leave behind my mortal chains and become one with it.
I did.
The sensation of claustrophobia I felt in the [Pod] was left behind as my new senses literally flooded me, information I never knew was now mine to use, navigation, weaponry, mechanics, science, war. Years... no Centuries of information were assimilated by me, but that was nothing compared to my new... my new body.
Kilometers and kilometers of hallways and rooms were now open to my senses, to my direct control, armories and hangars, ships and blueprints, fighters and drones, clone bays and blueprints, everything was... me, but as sudden as the initial flood was, nothing compared to what was to come, every moment my senses, my intelligence became better, faster, stronger, clearer, all in an euphoric crescendo of data and information that opened my eyes to the world, to the Universe.
Gravimetric, Magnometric, Ladar, Radar, Electromagnetic, Thermal, Infrared, All type of cameras and sensors started to work with pre-loaded subroutines and system diagnostics, mapping every single detail about the system I was in, about the Universe, the surrounding galaxies, tracing star charts, possible fuel sources, gravimetric wells with resonances strong enough to be able to jump into, ending the maddening data input with a simple but anti-climatic end to the calculations and it's following silence.
This all happened in a few seconds, only making it clearer on my mind. I transcended the mortality of the flesh and became something more, I knew not how this fell into my lap, how I acquired such power without paying anything, my mind running every single analysis possible to my memories, the flash that transformed me and leaved me here. Yet it came with nothing, only wild speculations and guesses. This was simply madness, yet I would be lying If I said I would have not taken the chance if asked.
Ophiuchi XII, a simple system where a standard yellow star resides, planets; two, a barren ice planet and a gas giant, both of them surrounded by a veritable horde of moons and a thick asteroid belt separating them. Nothing more than another uninhabitable system. Normally the discovery of a strange astronomical event would be nothing of such magnitude as to call for the action of a Galaxy-Classship, much less the Enterprise. Yet, this had to be done, if nothing else than a show of force against the Kzinti Patriarchy; Which for the last few years has been surrounded by rumors of a growing dissent and covert mobilization in an effort to rise against the Federation.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard, contemplated this assignment, he despised the need to use his ship as a symbol of power, yet he knew it was necessary. For the last few hours the deep space probes and the Enterprise sensors had not detected anything that could give support to said rumors. The system was empty, and from what they could detect said anomaly appeared to be something akin a small unstable wormhole. The only facts that contradicted those claims were the spikes of energy and the lack of any subspace turbulence connected to said object. Quite a curiosity if nothing else.
The Captain drummed his fingers on the armrest on his chair and watched the stars drift by through the view port of his ready room. Only one and a half more hours to rendezvous with the shuttle, and they were going to go by just as slowly as the previous two had. That was fine, nothing was happening. It was true that the Enterprise saw more action than most ships in Starfleet. Most of the time it was like this, though. Dull. Monotonous. He enjoyed this moments of peace, and he hoped it were always like this.
"Captain Picard, please report to the bridge." the voice of Lieutenant Commander Data reverberated trough the ready room cutting the peaceful silence. Climbing to his feet, Picard tugged his uniform before stepping out to the bridge. The bridge crew were in a flurry of activity, but they didn't seem to be acting too urgently, nor they seem concerned. The only exception, seemed to be Data.
"Any new developments with our anomaly Data?" the Captain asked as he settled next to his station and internally sighed. He knew something was going to happen, the last few weeks had been to peaceful.
"In fact yes, the "wormhole" appears to have imploded upon itself. Our sensors detected a massive spike of energy, in fact, in approximately four years it should be visible from this distance with a magnitude of approximately -18.24." Data replied, "Said spike has jammed our sensors, It shall take me a few minutes to re-calibrate."
Now, that raised several eyebrows, a magnitude of -18.24 at a four light years of distance? That was a massive release of energy.
"Data, do we have anything similar on records? is there any record of any occurrence even remotely similar to this?" the Captain asked.
"Accessing... negative, sir. There is no record of any Federation vessel encountering anything remotely like this."
The Captain nodded as he walked towards his seat on the bridge, the present crew already running diagnostics, for it seemed that the Enterprise was going to boldly go to where no man has gone before. Again. And after seating himself he opened a communication line "Engineering, how fast can you finish the dilithium crystals maintenance?" The captain asked, and the reply from Main Engenieering was a simple and concise:
"Captain, we can be ready in 10 minutes if necessary." Thinking of his options, the man looked around for a second before starting giving orders.
"Do so, Indeed I believe It is the time to take a closer look. Worf, speed up to max impulse, scanning and recording as we go. Ensign, notify Shuttlecraft 8 of our change of plans. Data any progress re calibrating the sensors?" Picard said.
"Yes sir, Maximum Impulse, mark two-six-eight seven-eight-two. 13 minutes until Warp Speed." Worf stated after a few seconds.
"New orders sent, sir." the Ensign replied briskly.
"Affirmative Sir, give me a few seconds and it should be done." Data countered immediately.
The captain heard everything said, and finally asked; "What do our sensors indicate?"
Surprisingly, it was not Data that answered, but Lieutenant Natasha Yar. "Captain, Unknown vessel, heading Three-one-one. Exactly where the anomaly was placed before the explosion." After that she hesitated a mere second but continued "I suggest we enter Yellow alert, sir"
The Captain sighed, and after a few seconds of contemplation nodded "Lieutenant, we are officially on Yellow Alert." he said, "On Screen please, magnify."
"Yes, sir. We are on Yellow Alert." Natasha replied as the main view screen of the bridge changed.
The Bridge crew analyzed it for a second, before the voice of the Captain returned once more. "Keep the shields down, we don't want to appear provocative. Data, what can you tell me about that ship?"
A brief affirmative was heard from Tactical as Data started to state. "Sir, it's volume is several times bigger than any vessel I've ever seen, I approximate around fourteen point five cubic kilometers, for any more in-depth scans we need to get a few light-years closer."
The captain simply nodded. "Worf, enter warp when ready. Data, open hailing Frequencies, all languages, all channels" he said and after composing himself exclaimed "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S Enterprise representing the United Federation of Planets..."