ENTERPRISE
"Trapped"
By J. B. Tilton
Email: K
Disclaimer: "Star Trek", "Enterprise", and all related characters and events are the sole property of Paramount Pictures, Inc., except for those specifically created by me for this story. This is fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
The Enterprise inadvertently enters a void in space and makes two disturbing discoveries. The first is a ship that vanished more than twenty years ago and was presumed destroyed. The second is that there is apparently no way out of the void and they may well be trapped forever.
ONE
Jonathon Archer sat in his ready room finishing up a report for Star Fleet Command. He had finally been able to get his paperwork caught up. Their next assignment was a simple survey of an asteroid belt that had shown signs of possessing dilithium crystals. That mission would produce a simple report that he could file quickly and still be caught up on his paperwork.
Porthos lay on the floor with his head on his paws. For a change, he wasn't begging for some cheese. Archer decided that the last bout of indigestion he had after eating some cheese might have put him off it for a bit.
Just as Archer put the finishing touches on his report, the Enterprise suddenly lurched forward. Archer was able to keep from being thrown from his chair, but Porthos slid across the floor and into the opposing bulkhead. He appeared dazed but unhurt. Archer was reaching for his intercom button when T'Pol's voice came over the intercom.
"Captain to the bridge," said T'Pol.
"On my way," responded Archer.
He scratched Porthos behind the ears and made sure he was okay. His best friend looked up at him and Archer decided he wasn't hurt. He left his ready room and headed for the bridge.
As he entered the bridge, he glanced at the view screen. It was completely blank. He found that a bit odd since they were currently cruising at warp three.
"Travis," said Archer, "did you turn off the view screen for some reason?"
"No, sir," said Travis.
"It is why I called you to the bridge, sir," interjected T'Pol. "We were on course for the asteroid field when we suddenly dropped from warp."
"Was that the lurch I felt?" asked Archer.
"Yes, sir," said T'Pol. "At almost the same instant, the view screen went blank. I've run a diagnostic and it is performing at optimal efficiency."
"So what happened?" asked Archer.
"Unknown at this time," said T'Pol. "Mr. Reed is currently analyzing the sensor readings just prior to the incident. He should have an analysis momentarily."
Archer walked over to Malcolm's station. As he did, he glanced at the screen again. It was eerie. He wasn't used to not seeing the stars on the view screen.
"What do you have, Malcolm?" asked Archer.
"I'm not sure," said Malcolm. "We seemed to have crossed some kind of thresh hold, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what kind. Pardon my language, sir."
"Not a problem, Malcolm," said Archer smiling. "Any guesses what kind of thresh hold it might have been?"
"Well," said Malcolm, "It seems to be something like a wormhole, sir. Only there weren't any gravimetric readings, so it couldn't be a wormhole."
"Confirmed," said T'Pol. "If it is a wormhole, it is unlike any on record."
"Thank you, Sub-Commander," said Archer. "Malcolm, keep analyzing those readings. Travis, are we still moving? I can't tell from the view screen."
"Yes, sir," said Travis. "When we dropped from warp, I immediately went to impulse drive. We're currently moving at one-half impulse."
"All stop," ordered Archer. "I want a full sensor scan of the area. Let's see if we can find out where we are and what's out there."
"Long range sensors are inoperable," said T'Pol. "Short range sensors are functioning to a range of twenty thousand kilometers."
"Understood, Sub-Commander," said Archer. "Hoshi, what about the sub-space
radio?"
"The signals are just being reflected back into this void," said Hoshi.
"Okay," said Archer. "Keep trying anyway."
The Enterprise sat in the void scanning the area around it. Malcolm's analysis of the sensor scans hadn't revealed very much useful information. In addition, their sensor scans of the void had revealed even less information.
"Well," said Archer, finally, "we can't just sit here. Travis, steady as she goes. One quarter impulse."
"Aye sir," said Travis.
There wasn't any noticeable difference in the Enterprise. The blank screen didn't reflect any movement. Only Travis's instruments indicated they were moving. After several minutes, Archer ordered the ship to full stop.
"Okay," said Archer. "This isn't getting us anywhere. T'Pol, prepare a probe. We'll use it as a point of reference. Travis, once we drop the probe, continue on at full impulse for five minutes."
"Aye, sir," said Travis.
T'Pol announced that the probe had been launched. Travis engaged the engines and the Enterprise began to move away from the probe. The steady "ping, ping, ping" of the probe resounded over the bridge speakers. Less than three minutes later, T'Pol looked up from her console.
"Captain, we are approaching an object directly ahead," she said.
"Okay," said Archer. "Can you identify it?"
"No, sir," said T'Pol. "The readings are conflicting. It is emanating a specific frequency of radiation which I am unfamiliar with."
"Sir," said Malcolm, "whatever it is, it's gravimetric sheer is enormous. According to these readings, it's registering something on the order of over one hundred times that of our sun. But it's mass is only about the same as a shuttle pod. Whatever it is, it's extremely dense."
"All stop," ordered Archer. "Where is it? I don't see it."
"It's about ten thousand kilometers off our port bow," said T'Pol.
"Putting it on the view screen, sir," said Travis.
"Travis," said Archer, "am I getting that predictable?"
"To borrow a phrase from our science officer, sir," said Travis, smiling, "it just seemed logical."
T'Pol arched an eyebrow.
The scene on the view screen changed and the bridge crew saw a small asteroid sitting in the void. It looked unremarkable to everyone. As if it was any other piece of rock among the myriad millions that floated through interstellar space.
"What do sensors say," asked Archer.
"Inconclusive," said T'Pol. "Other than it's size, mass, and gravimetric radiation, we are unable to get any intelligent readings."
"That's odd," said Archer. "Well, our first priority is to find a way out of this void. Once we do that, we might be able to come back and study this thing. Travis, continue on our original heading."
"Aye, sir," said Travis.
Several seconds later, T'Pol announced that they were approaching another object.
"Another space rock?" asked Archer.
"Negative, sir," said T'Pol, looking up at Archer. "It is the probe, sir."
"Confirmed," said Travis. "It's the same probe we just dropped."
"Travis, did you alter course?" asked Archer.
"No, sir," said Travis. "We've been moving in a straight line. I can't explain it, sir. That probe shouldn't be in front of us. We were moving away from it."
"It would appear," said T'Pol, "that whatever this area is, it is circular in nature. I am unaware of any such phenomenon being reported by any known race."
"I see," said Archer. "Which means, we have no way of knowing how to get out of here."