Chapter 2 -- Lone Wolf
Deep within the unknown area of space a small shock wave erupted from a Quantum Fissure that tour into reality. The wave speed out losing moment as it spread outwards, until only faint ripples spread in an ever expanding circle. A moment after the Quantum fissure had appeared it had vanished depositing the USS Albion in its wake.
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Deep within the uncharted territories Pilot noticed a rather odd reading on one of his instruments that lay before him. Musing over what could of caused such a reading, he noticed a small shock wave almost undetectable to most but not to the Leviathan and her pilot.
"Interesting," mumbled Pilot.
"What the frell do you do that for?" an annoyed Crichton remarked as his arm started to come back to life after being punched by Aeryn.
"Simple really," she responded, half jovially, half seriously "I'm just showing you how a good time shot can disable your foe."
Crichton was about to say something when Pilot's face appeared on the view screen.
"What's up, Pilot?" quipped John who was still rubbing his arm.
"Commander, I have detected some very strange reading and I believe could that they could be similar to that of a worm whole. Although without closer inspection I could not be sure," pilot said as he trailed off.
Aeryn and John looked at each other, "John you might as well go and have a look. Even if we tried to stop you, you'd still find a way."
"A way to do what exactly?" D'Argo inquired as he entered the room.
"Pilot found erm...something; more than that he doesn't know. Pilot thinks it'ssome sort of wormhole, but he ain't sure."
D'Argo rolled his eyes, and then smiled in a half hearted way. He knew John and to him, any type of wormhole might as well be candy and as such it was irresistible to the Human. "And I suppose you'd like to go and have a look?"
"Do ya have to ask?" smirk John.
Moya made her way towards the location of the disturbance, which Pilot thought would take a good arn to reach at top speed. As John made his way to Pilot's chamber, DRD's sputtered around attending to their duties.
"Commander," Pilot said looking up for just a moment as John entered before going back to his tasks in hand.
"Pilot what we got?"
"Commander I'd like to say there is 'something' there but at this time, neither I nor Moya can be sure that there is anything there at all." He said in an apologetic manor.
"Hey, just let me known what turns up!" John said as he turned to leave Pilot's chamber.
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As sensors started to blink back on line, and life started to return to the Albion, Commander Shelby looked towards the Captain. He was in a bad way, as was the bridge. Conduit and wiring hung down from the ceiling and thick acrid some filled the air.
"Shelby to Sickbay" she called out as she tapped her com badge.
"Sickbay here," answered the welcome voice of Dr Norris.
As some semblance of order started to return to the bridge, Commander Shelby had taken over as commanding office until the Captain was fit to return to duty. The Captain had been beamed directly to sick bay, and Commander Shelby was awaiting a report of his condition.
"Commander," Ensign Roberts said as she studied her console. "I'm getting a reading of a ship of unknown configuration which is approaching our location."
Shelby looked at her consol which confirmed the same readings. "What's the status of our cloak?" the Commander asked as she looked towards the tactical station.
"Offline, however we have shields and weapons," the officer replied.
"Status of the approaching ships weapons, Ensign."
"The approaching ship has none," the Ensign replied. She continued relaying the readouts. "I am reading that the ship is a biologically-based vesselIt is by all readings similar in some respects to the Tin Man vessel discovered by the USS Enterpise D. However this vessel is sleek in design, and has three struts protruding from the rear. The three struts appear to be connected in some way to the propulsion of the vessel."
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Meanwhile, back on Moya:
"What do ya mean Pilot?"
"What I mean Commander is this is a warship of some kind, but the likes of which I have never seen before. Something that might interest you Commander, there seems to be writing upon the hull."
"Show me."
An image appeared upon the screen that John and Aeryn were watching, a moment later John's whole body posture chanced and his face betrayed his sense of surprise.
"That writing – it's in ENGLISH!"
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Onboard the USS Albion, Ensign Roberts had been scanning the ship; she'd discovered that the vessel had several life signs onboard. She'd reported this to Commander Shelby who had instructed her to hail the vessel. To make matters worse, if indeed they could get any worse, the Commander had received two sets of information, none of them good. The first was that the Captain had slipped into a coma, the doctor and her crew were doing all they could but as she'd put it, "It's all up to Captain Shepard now."
The second was something that she'd not expected, nor wanted to hear. Stellar cartography had sent an urgent report. It had informed her that there was a possibility that the Albion and her crew were now no longer in their own universe. This had for a moment or two knocked the wind out of her sails as she tried to fathom this out within her mind. First things first, she decided she had to make contact with this vessel and then deal with what ever happened next.
"This is the USS Albion to unidentified vessel please respond," Commander Shelby said awaiting a reply. For a moment nothing, then the view screen flicked to life showing two humans and three humanoid behind them.
"Yo, we hear ya Albion," was the rather unorthodox response for the human male.
"Are you really from Earth?" the male continued with a suspicious tone in his voice.
"And whom am I addressing, if you don't mind me asking?" Command Shelby replied.
"John Crichton, Commander of the IASA"
"Commander, we'd like to invite you over to the Albion, the situation is a little more complex then you may realise."
Both the female human and the tall worrier in red turned to face this John Crichton, both started to have hushed but heated discussions.
A moment or two later, they turned to the view screen and again Crichton spoke, "Thanks for the offer but we'd prefer it if you would consider coming over here. And we would like you to be our guests here on Moya"
"Moya?" enquired Commander Shelby. "Who's Moya?"
"Our ship."
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Lt Commander Worf had been transfer for the shakedown cruse from the Deep space nine; he'd been upon the bridge when the Albion started her attack run which had gone so disastrously wrong. He was now looking at the view screen and in particularly the large humanoid figure that stood behind Crichton.
"Commander if I may speak" Wolf said in a quite tone.
Signalling to cut the transmission for a moment Commander Shelby turned towards Worf.
"I would not be happy to let the commanding officer of this vessel beam over to an unknown vessel without a fully armed escort."
"Agreed Worf, that's why I intend to take you with me as well." Signalling for the transmission to be re-established she turned towards the view screen. "Very good Commander, I will of course be bringing an armed escort with me."
Crichton smiled. "I understand. See you when your shuttle docks in what an Arn, sorry hour."
"Very good see you in one hour, Shelby out."
"Commander, I wonder if I could talk to you in private," enquired Dr Norris.
"Of course," the Commander said as she walked towards her ready room with the tall human male following her. As the doctor walked into the ready room and the door closed behind him he looked at Commander Shelby and sighed.
"Is it news of the Captain?" she enquired with concern in her voice.
"Yes Commander I'm afraid it is. Just a little over ten minutes ago, Captain Shepard succumbed to his injuries and passed away."
The news hit Shelby hard; she looked at the Doctor and simply replies, "oh."
It had been a little over ten minuets since the doctor had left the ready room leaving Commander Shelby to absorb what had been said. It had been a long day indeed, and by all accounts now it was going to get even longer. Tapping her com badge Shelby spoke. "Lt Cmd Worf to the Captain's ready room please." She sat behind the Captains desk, which was now her's, thinking of what she was going to say.
A few moments later the door opened and Worf strode into the room. "Commander," he said simply.
"Worf, I've had some unpleasant news regarding the Captain. He passed away from injuries inflicted during the attack."
Worf like the rest of the crew had taken the death of Captain Shepard hard.
Although Worf had only served with Captain Shepard for the shortest of time, he felt he was an honourable man.
"The Albion has lost a good man, Commander."
"As of this point with the Captain dead, I here by am taking command of this vessel as per general order thirty-eight."
"As it should be, Captain."
"Mr Worf I need a good second in command, and with your experience with Deep Space nine. I'm offering you the position."
"It would be an honour to serve you Captain."
"I am also giving you a filed promotion to Commander," Captain Shelby continued, as she handed over a new pip for his uniform.
Worf looked towards his new Captain, nodded and replied, "It is a great honour to be assigned the rank of Commander, I will not fail you"
"My first order for you Commander is to assemble all of the Department Heads."
"Aye, Captain," Worf replied.
A stunned group of officers sat within the observation lounge. They had just been told that the Albion was no longer in its own universe. And to make matters worse, that Captain Shepard had died in their first attack run.
"…However, I can assure you that our first priority is to find a way back to our own universe."
Captain Shelby walked round to the monitor upon the wall, she typed a command into the console and the monitor came to life show a wormhole of sorts.
"As you can see this point is where we jumped to warp after the attack on the ship yards, and this point," she said as she pointed to an area on the monitor; "is where the rift opened and we were flung through it."
"As some of you maybe aware, I have asked Commander Worf to be the ship's number one. I trust that you'll show him the same respect that you've shown me."
As she went back to her seat, Worf stood up. "It is an honour to be chosen for this position." Worf continued. "We have detected an unarmed vessel and shortly we will be taken a shuttle over to her."
"This is a first contact situation and as such I will be leading the mission, with Lt T'trell Dr Norris and Lt Rantor."
The monitor on the wall displayed a shot of a human. "This is a Commander John Crichton, and he claims to be from Earth," stated Worf whose voice was ladenwith distrust.
"Is that why you're asking me to join you, Commander?" enquired the young female Betazoid.
"Indeed," Worf simply stated.
A short time later a type nine shuttle left the hanger deck of the Albion with Worf at the controls heading towards this Moya.
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Pilots face appeared upon the monitor. "A shuttle has departed from the Albion, and is on its way, should I open the docking bays?"
"Yes, pilot," D'argo said as he, Crichton, and Aeryn studied the three-dimensional hologram of the approaching shuttle.
"It's very sleek, and looks like a fighter," Aeryn said admiringly.
"It is indeed as is this Albion it hails from," D'argo replied.
Both of D'argo and Aeryn were on their guard, they'd had others visit Moya before. And this had mostly ended in trouble and so this time besides John excitement, they were taking no chances.
John watched as the Luxan and former peace keeper both stood in a defensive stance with gun and Qualta blade drawn. "C'mon guys, they're from Earth!" John sniped hopefully. Although nothing from the Earth he'd come from has ships that looked that dammed impressive.
"And their level of technology seems far beyond yours and that," Aeryn said as she motioned towards the Farscape Modula.
John shot Aeryn a hurt look, to which Aeryn rolled her eyes for a brief moment then focused on the job at hand.
"Stand behind me, John," Aeryn snapped, as the shuttle came into land as the shuttle glided in and gentle land upon its engines.
"Weapons to be set to stun, no one is to fire unless fired upon first."
"Lt T'rell, inform the Albion of the situation and ask for a transporter lock to be kept upon us at all times. You will wait within the shuttle until otherwise ordered."
"Yes sir" Replied the Vulcan officer.
As the shuttle powered down its engines Worf followed by Lt Rantor and Dr Norris emerged from the shuttle.
"Hold where you are," barked Aeryn.
Facing her was a man; he had ridges upon his forehead, his hair tide back and without a shadow of a doubt a worrier. He was wearing a black and red uniform, and at his hip was a weapon of some design however it not drawn.
Worf's eyes darted back and forth between Aeryn and D'argo. "I am Commander Worf, Commander of the Federation star ship USS Albion," announced Worf. From behind him came two other humanoids, one from what Aeryn saw could have been Sebaceans, she was dress as Worf in a red and black uniform. The other was dressed in blue and black. "This is Lieutenant Rantor and Dr Norris"
D'argo gave Crichton a quick sideways glance, as he stepped to one side allowing John to emerge from behind. "I'm John Crichton, and this is Ka D'argo and Aeryn Sun" John replied.
For a brief moment nothing was said as the two groups eyed one another suspiciously, until Worf spoke once more."We are part of the United Federation of Planets, a peaceful organization."
"Never heard of it," Aeryn replied with mistrust imprinted upon her voice.
"That's not surprising, for we believe we have traversed from our own universe to this universe." Worf continued.
Both D'argo and Aeryn look at each other at the last statement, and then back at Worf, D'argo spoke. "That is a likely story!"
"As you were the first vessel that we have uncounted, Captain Shelby thought it would be prudent to contact you," Worf stated firmly, "Is this a wise decision, or should we leave you?"
"Hold on, we could always talk, or trade for information?" Crichton interjected.
"Trade?" Worf asked frankly.
"Very well, a trade of information then?" Crichton replied.
Worf pretended to think it over. "Agreed."
"Well, let's talk then big guy" John quipped.
Worf simply glared at him for a moment then nodded.
John led Worf and his entourage to the command deck where Zahaan was at the controls monitoring the readings before her. Zhaan looked up momentarily as they entered the room. Both D'argo and Aeryn walked in behind their 'guests', never taking their eyes off them. True they thought this could be a great error in Crichton's judgement but then again, if this was an Earth-based ship then who better to guide them, for the time being at least?
USS Albion
"Captain I'm picking up a vessel entering our scanning range, its like nothing I have seen before" said the officer at tactical.
"Is it like this Moya?" enquired Captain Shelby.
"No its not, judging by the readings it's defiantly a warship."
"Yellow Alert, get me Commander Worf."
"Aye, Captain."
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