Captain's Log Stardate 71092.2
The Guenidier is currently in orbit above a planet completely covered in water. As far as we can tell, there are no continents anywhere on the planet. I have seen many planets, but this is the first I've ever seen with something like this. More beautiful than anything I've ever seen, it reminds me of another time.
"Kate, life signs?"
"Nothing humanoid, at least not that the sensors can detect." She shook her head. "Interference from the surface life forms are preventing me from getting a good scan of it."
"Interesting." Sean smiles as he watches the blue world below them rotate slowly in the viewscreen. The only evidence of the movement is of the wispy white clouds in the atmosphere. "What about the poles, are they frozen?"
"No." Kate replied, glancing down at her console as she did. "Sensors are reading that the water temperature even at the poles is still well above freezing."
"Erica, bring us into a low orbit. Let's see if we can get a better picture of the water composition."
Erica nods. "Aye sir."
The planet swells in the view screen, soon blocking out the sun and the stars, leaving only blue.
"How's the view now Kate?" Sean glances over his shoulder.
Kate shrugs. "It's better, but sensors are still having trouble isolating all the life-forms. The best analysis I can give you is that there's a lot of it, both on the surface and below."
"Hardly a scientific analysis." There is a twinkle in Klena's eyes, her comment, sarcastic in nature, delivered without a trace of a smile.
Erica looks back from her seat. "What about sending a shuttle down closer?"
Kate props her head up on the the console before her. "The only way to get a conclusive analysis would be to actually get below the surface of the water. I think a lot of the lifeforms I'm detecting are some kind of algae or plankton."
"We could probably modify a shuttle to do that." Erica says with a shrug.
Sean taps his commbadge. "Mark, do you think its possible to modify a shuttle for underwater use?"
"What?" Mark replies, confusion and shock evident over the comm system. "Why would you want to do that?"
"Can we make a submarine out of a shuttle without actually rebuilding it?"
There is a pause. "Maybe," another pause, "it wouldn't be able to go too deep though. Nothing more than a few kilometers."
Sean looks to Kate. "Kate?"
"If my assumption about the surface life is correct, then that'll work." She nods, bouncing up and down ever so slightly on her toes with excitement.
"How much time Mark?"
"An hour, maybe two?" Mark definitely shrugged on the other end.
"Alright, get started. Erica and Kate will be taking it down."
"Will do."
"Assemble what you need, and meet Mark in the shuttle bay in an hour."
XXX
"Well... you're lucky." Mark says. "I got it so it should withstand pressure up to around 6 or 7 kilometers deep."
The Mark 9 Shuttle, standard issue to all Intrepid starships, still bearing the USS Foxhound nameplate on the side of it looked unchanged from the outside. Kate was almost certain the inside was modified. The rear hatch was open, Mark had just come from it.
"So what'd you do?" Erica gestures to the shuttle.
Mark wiped some grime from his hands on a towel. "I took the weapons offline and rerouted the power to structural integrity and shields. At the same time, I also modified the shields to keep the water out. Normally they wouldn't." He patted the side of the ship. "Don't take it any lower than four kilometers for any length of time. She won't take it very well."
"That's never stopped you." Sean yelled from the catwalk on the side of the bay. He walks to the ladder and slides down it in one fluid motion. "Didn't want to trash the good shuttle?" He gestures to the shuttle with the corrected nameplates to the side, parked to the side of the bay.
"Something like that." Mark replies.
"How long can we stay down there?" Kate asks.
"No longer than two hours, and if you're close to a few thousand meters for more than thirty minutes you need to come up. I programmed it to warn you when the pressure becomes too much."
Kate turns to Sean. "Can we go?"
He gestures to the shuttle, not being able to suppress the smile forming on his face. "You have a go."
Erica climbs on board the shuttle, taking the pilot's seat on the left. Kate takes the second seat on the right. Surprisingly, the inside of the shuttle remains mostly unchanged. A few cables run from beneath Kate's seat to the rear and under the bench, but that is all.
The inner bulkhead doors in front of them slowly open, while a shimmering blue forcefield holds the atmosphere in the bay. Beyond the blue field is a long narrow corridor, wide enough for the shuttle and then the outer doors, which are now opening as well.
Kate glances out the window at Sean and Mark as they watch from the catwalk. They are talking, but she can't tell what they are saying. She faces forward once more as the shuttle lurches forward and out into space.
"Alright, let's see what we can do." Erica brings the shuttle into the atmosphere.
A subtle vibration passes through the shuttle and the edges of the front view port begin to glow.
"Nothing to worry about." Erica murmurs, bringing the ship lower and lower.
Kate shakes her head. "This is nothing compared to what it will be like underwater." She glances down at the sensors before her. "Hold position just before we go into the water."
"Right." Erica brings the shuttle to a halt. Before them stretches blue-green seas in all directions. The bright yellow sun's rays reflect off the water, illuminating it with a brilliant glare.
Kate takes her eyes off the console before her. "The sensors still can't penetrate the surface-level life forms. We're going to need to go under."
"Can we do that without killing them?" Erica points out the endless life. "If they're thick enough to block sensors, then I doubt a shuttle is going to go through."
"Just take it slow." Kate replies. "They should flow away with the displaced water."
Erica nods. "Okay, here goes."
Without so much as a splash, the shuttle descends below the waves. Slowly, the water creeps up the sides of the shuttle until it completely blocks out the light from above the water. Compared to the brilliant light from above, the region below is like staring into a black hole's event horizon.
"Wow... you were right about the surface critters." Erica activates the lights on the shuttle. Twin beams of light shoot forward into the blackness, dissipating in the distance.
Kate mouth drops open as she watches her sensor readings. "This is amazing!" She shakes her head and scoots her chair closer to the console, starring in awe at the various displays. "The water is composed of a mixture of hydrogen, oxygen, and another element I can't identify. There are millions of different life-forms being indexed by the sensors right now!"
"Millions?" Erica asks, looking over at the console.
"Yeah, and all within a 200 meter radius." Kate blinks for the first time in almost a minute as the computer continues to display the information it is gathering. "Bring us lower."
Erica nods.
As the ship slowly descends, the myriad of life passes before them. Small aquatic creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colorations pass before them on either side and in front, heedless of the intruder. Schools of fish race passed in swarms that block out the area in front of them.
"We're at three kilometers." Erica announces, just the hull creaks. She glances above and around her, frowning with uncertainty. "That wasn't supposed to happen." She glances at the consoles before her. "Structural integrity and shields are not showing any weakness, we should be fine."
Kate glanced at Erica, sharing a moment of panic. "That wasn't supposed to happen." She looks back at her console. Confusion suddenly lines her face. "But that's not possible..."
"What's not possible?" Erica glances over Kate's shoulder.
"I'm detecting a power signature, a warp power signature."
"Bearing?"
"310 mark 23. Sensors show its about 160 meters down."
"I'll bring us in above it."
The shuttle moves towards the power signature, which quickly becomes visible as a glowing white light in the distance. It pulses, sometimes fading entirely from view for a few seconds. However, it keeps growing bigger.
Kate swallows visibly. "Oh my..." She double checks her sensor readings. "I'm reading humanoid life ahead, inside a network of small domes clustered around the power core. There's also a very large gap in the indigenous life forms, which could be from the warp core, the light, even the vibrations caused by such a large power source."
Erica brings the ship to a stop. "I'll try hailing them." She opens a channel. "This is HMS Guenidier shuttle to inhabitants of the... object. Please respond."
The only response is silence.
"I'm not getting any indication of a subspace transceiver from them. Would an EM signal work?"
"No." Erica shakes her head. "The water prevents us from sending those kinds of transmissions."
"Sonar ping? We could bounce it off the nav deflector."
Erica nods. "It worth a try."
"Sending..." Kate doesn't have a chance to finish her thought. There is a sickening creak from the forward windshield. A crack forms, rapidly expanding to encompass the window.
Erica swears in Klingon and immediately hammers at the controls to bring the ship back out of the water. Slowly, the ship rises.
"This doesn't make sense." Kate glances up from her consoles. "The structural integrity fields are operational, why aren't they holding the window together?"
There is a break, and a torrent of water flows into the cabin. Kate shivers as the ice cold spray nearly knocks her out of her chair. The entire window shatters less than a second later. She flings her arms up to block the glass from impacting her face and feels several pieces lodge themselves in her arm.
She would've screamed, if she didn't know that if she opened her mouth water would pour into it. As it was, the back end of the shuttle was filling quickly with water and she could not see the surface.
She glanced at Erica, frantically struggling with the controls, a piece of transparent aluminum jammed in her shoulder. Erica looks back at her and shakes her head, an indication that the shuttle is no longer rising and that soon they will fall back into the ocean.
Kate reaches for her console and activates the distress beacon, hoping the signal will reach the Guenidier. She cannot breath, the water now encompasses her completely. Her body is numb from the ice cold water. She glances at Erica and gestures up above them.
Erica kicks off from her seat and flies up out of the shuttle, toward the surface. Kate follows but her limbs refuse to move quickly. After only a few strokes, she cannot move her arms anymore and the lack of oxygen burns in her lungs.
She gasps involuntarily and water surges into her lungs. Pain arcs out from her lungs as they are flooded with water. As darkness claims her, Kate feels a strangely warm sensation pass through her, like an embrace. Perhaps this is how it feels for her to die?
XXX
"Captain..." Klena's voice carries with it a note of alarm from the helm. "I'm detecting the shuttle's distress beacon, badly distorted."
Sean looks down at the planet. His stomach lurches upward into his throat as he understands what's happening, without any need for Klena to explain. He glances back at Laysi at Ops. "Laysi, I need you to lock onto Kate and Erica's signal and beam them aboard now!"
"Trying sir." Laysi says in a panic, fumbling with the console before her. "Captain... I can't get a lock!"
"Beam the whole damn shuttle in then!"
"Targeting scanners cannot lock onto the shuttle... there's too much interference!" Laysi frantically enters commands into her console. "I'm sorry sir!"
"Then we've gotta get below the surface of the water." Sean takes a deep breath, then taps his commbadge. "Mark, I need us set to go underwater in thirty seconds or Kate and Erica are dead!" He glances at Nathan. "Signal condition blue throughout the ship. Klena, begin our descent."
The Bridge is bathed in a sea of flashing blue light, accompanied by the wailing alarms. The planet before them swells, as the ship gracefully plunges into the atmosphere. The clouds whip passed the ship, breaking apart as they pass through them.
"I've rerouted everything I could spare to the shields and structural integrity," Mark yells over the comm, "but our chances of holding together underwater are slim to none!"
"Noted Mark, we only need a few seconds!"
"We are at one hundred meters above the surface of the water," Klena announces, not breaking her stare from the console before her.
"Bring us down, slowly."
The horizon becomes visible once more as the ship levels out and then slowly descends. A deep rumble runs through the bulkheads all around them. The lights and console flicker intermittently as the horizon disappears, and then the ship is submerged.
"Transporters... now!"
Laysi looks back down at her console, then another deep rumble passes through the ship. Suddenly, alarms begin to wail once more. His console lights up red, informing him that several decks are already taking on water.
"I can't get them!" Laysi yells, just as there is a crash from the conference room, the sound of shattering transparent aluminum.
Sean keeps his gaze transfixed on Laysi for a second more, hoping that she can work a miracle with the transporters.
She looks up, frustration and anger on her face. The console behind her sparks and flickers.
He makes his decision. "Klena, get us out of here!" Sean takes one last look at the water before them, it has just swallowed two of his crew. His stomach churns, first with guilt, and then with anger.
XXX
Kate feels warm, strangely warm. Yet she can't understand why. She remembers the water pouring in and the sensation of death, but nothing beyond that. Isn't she supposed to be dead, drowned in a shuttle underneath the water of a strange alien world.
She opens her eyes and its bombarded by a brilliant glow of green and white from all around her. Momentary blindness gives way to normal sight. She is in a small room, with walls of translucent amber that she can see through, but beyond them is nothing but water.
A fish passes by, with a long slim silver body with rows upon rows of bright red-orange fins along its back and tail. Barely visible are the tiny bubbles from its gills. The single black eye on the side of its head seems content to simply swim by, not taking any notice of her.
Taking her eyes off the fish swimming outside of the room, she rolls over. All around her she hears and feels the movement of water. A strange sensation fills her. She takes a breath, and finds that she isn't suffocating, in fact, she does not even feel the water moving through her lungs.
Hello! She opens her mouth to speak but no words come out, yet the thought echoes in her mind as if it was spoken aloud.
WHAT? Erica's voice booms into Kate's head, deafening in its intensity.
Kate's turns towards where the voice came from in her mind and sees Erica now sitting upright facing her from across the room. Her eyes are wide as she comes to the same realizations that Kate has just been through.
What is going on? Her voice echoes again.
Kate shakes her head. I don't know, but I imagined death being... different.
You sure?
No, this isn't my definition of life after death. She gestures to her uniform, which is soaked. And we're still in our uniforms, we're still on the water planet.
Then where are we?
I think we're in that structure that we found. Kate
So then how are we... Erica trails off as a membrane expands and molds to the shape of a humanoid. As it passes through, she sees that it looks vaguely like a human male, except his hands and feet are webbed. His head is bald, with pale skin exposed. He wears a living garment, that covers him completely. It also seems to be a liquid as it slowly moves with the water around him, almost as if it has a life of its own.
He spreads his arms wide and bows his head slightly. GREETINGS, I AM TELNOR!
His voice in her mind is deafening, overwhelming in its intensity. It feels alien to her, but she can understand it, almost as if her mind is translating. She instinctively cups her hands to her ears in a vain attempt to lessen the pounding in her head.
He jumps back, quickly doing the same motion. S-S-sorry about my voice. It has been a long time since I have spoken to new inhabitants of the Great Majesty.
His voice is softer this time. Kate looks at him. The Great Majesty?
It is the world you see around you. The creatures, the life, the warmth. Endless in majesty.
So we're not dead? Erica cautiously adds.
He nearly jumps up in the air. Far from it friends, you are more alive than you ever will be again!
Kate frowns, her mind failing to comprehend. Are you saying that we're alive. But we breath air, not water.
A toothy grin forms on his face. Neither could we, but the majesty is infinite in its wonders. It allows us to live in the warmth of the seas.
So you didn't originally come from here? Erica asks.
Regretfully no. But it is our home now, and a truly wonderful place it is. Telnor grinned again.
Kate didn't feel like smiling. She looked out through the translucent walls and felt her heart go with the current. She didn't want to live down here.
Can we leave? Erica stated strong enough for Telnor to undestand.
Of course you may leave, the compound is not a prison! You are our guests and we welcome you to all our hospitality. Please how may I help you?
Just give us some time. Erica glanced at Kate as the latter kept her gaze on the water.
Of course, of course. I will wait outside for you.
Kate? Erica pushed off the floor she had been laying on and floated over to her.
Kate turned her head so she could see Erica. This doesn't make any sense.
Erica took a seat next to her. Yeah, we're under at least four kilometers of water, breathing it, and communicating telepathically. Not exactly ordinary, but we're not dead either.
Kate nodded. Point, so how do you think we should go about getting out of here?
Well, first we need to find out if we can breathe air.
What about Telnor?
Erica glanced back at the membrane that served as a door in the wall, barely visible once again. Maybe he can help?
It can't hurt to ask. She slowly floated up to her feet. They'd know soon enough.
XXX
Amidst warning klaxons and alarm sirens, Sean entered engineering, dodging crewmen Mills and Wales as they ran out carrying tool boxes. Several of the consoles lining the walls flickered unceremoniously. Blue smokes hissed from underneath the console nearest the door.
Mark glanced over his shoulder as Sean approached. "Never again."
Sean stopped a safe distance from the engineer. "How bad is the damage?"
Mark didn't stop working. "Not as bad as it could have been."
"We had to try Mark." Sean closed his eyes against the guilt in his gut. "But Kate and Erica are dead now, so we have to move on. Can we repair the damage?"
Mark nodded slowly, then turned back to his work. "Most of the cracks in the outer hull have been sealed by the internal forcefields. I've got repair teams checking the inside for large breaches, and we'll have to set down on a planet for a day to fix them. Nothing too severe."
"Or that we haven't done before."
Mark looked up from his work one last time. "No more submarines out of spaceships."
"Fair enough." Sean glanced at the warp core. "They weren't down there that long, any idea as to why the shuttle broke up before you said it would?"
"Not anything beyond speculation." Mark glanced up from his work. "Even the basic structural integrity of the shuttle should've survived that long under water, never mind the reinforcements I made to it and the modifications to the shields. It shouldn't of happened."
"That rules out a mechanical failure, maybe that unknown element in the water had something to do with it."
"Right now that's the only explanation I see."
Sean turned to leave. "I'll run an analysis of my own, let me know if the ship starts falling apart."
"It certainly won't do that."
"Then I leave it in your capable hands." Sean exited engineering and headed for the unused science labs.
XXX
Kate pushed against the membrane of the room. The smooth surface warp and molded against her as she took a step forward. The sensation of being sucked through a small hole enveloped her, and before she knew it... she was on the other side.
The room she had entered was larger, with a high ceiling that stretched up farther than she could see. All around the room, aliens like Telnor swam from point to point, almost as if they were flying. They all looked similar, though their clothing was of multiple styles and colors. Some wore what looked similar to fabric, much like Kate's uniform, others wore living garments like Telnor.
Telnor himself was waiting ahead, floating near the wall. Greetings once again, how may I help you?
Kate swam closer to him. We need you to take us to the surface.
Why go there? It is a dangerous place.
How so? Erica swam to the opposite side of Telnor.
Many predators patrol the surface, hungry for the great food that is up there.
Is there any way to get there? Kate asked.
There is a way... but it has been a long time since anyone used it. Telnor's expression hardened. The smile was gone.
Please, can you help us?
Alright... let's go. What is one more adventure? Telnor pushed off the wall and swam upwards. Come on, we must swim to the top.
Docking bay? Erica's question hung in Kate's mind, but didn't slow her down as she kicked her legs like a whip to swim up.
As they climbed she noticed a number of Telnor's people had stopped and were starring at her. She could feel them communicating amongst each other, but she couldn't interpret their thoughts, almost as if they were whispering, or speaking amongst each other in a crowd.
She glanced above her, making sure they hadn't lost Telnor. He was only a few feet above them, near the ceiling. A large membrane door was in front of them. He pushed against it and it swallowed him.
Kate took a moment to center herself, before pushing through the membrane herself. She felt squeezed, sucked, and then spat back out as she passed through it. The entirely alien feeling of it terrified her each time.
On the other side was a room with another membrane, this one the largest by far, encompassing the entire ceiling. The room was dome shaped, and a single massive creature stood off to the side, sleeping. It had four long legs with webbed feet, and a ridge of spikes along its back and gradually growing. The head hand two large, black eyes, currently closed and barely visible, with a pointed nose and sharp teeth.
As Telnor approached it, the eyes sprang open and the creature stood up, turning to regard the visitors to its chamber. Telnor reached up and pat its nose with his webbed hand. Hello Kora, I have a favor to ask of you.
To utter amazement, the creature responded. What is it Telnor?
These two, need to go to the surface. They need to see for themselves that they cannot breath the air anymore.
The creature turned its attention to Kate and Erica, standing just outside the membrane leading to the main chamber. Kate took a cautious step forward. We need to go to the surface.
I can see there is no stopping you. The creature rolled onto its back, exposing a small pouch in it stomach, much like a kangaroo. I will swim much faster than you will be able to, allow me to carry you.
Telnor did not waste time climbing into the creature's stomach pouch. Come on, join me. He gestured for them to join him.
Kate glanced at Erica, momentarily unsure if this was the wisest course of action. Erica simply shrugged and walked towards it. Kate hesitated only a second longer before joining her.
As the creature launched itself up towards the surface of the vast ocean, Telnor spoke. Kora is a Lysa, a creature that is truly native to this world, they have been our friends since we first came here.
Kate could feel the rapid movement of the water as they passed through it, along with the gradually cooling of the water temperature, but it never felt icy. It never felt suffocating like it had before, but her gut refused to accept this. There was no ground below her, and the inhabitants of the water surrounded them.
What kind of predators are you expecting? Erica asked of Telnor.
The most dangerous is the Alki. They are the masters of the sea. Telnor squeezed himself down further in the animal's pouch. They are the fastest and the strongest. They feast on the Tyri and the Mygi that live on the surface, but they will eat anything that they can catch. We must not stay long.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Kate thought to herself. Though there was no turning back now.
XXX
As Sean entered the science lab adjacent to sickbay, the lights came on, but clearly there hadn't been much activity there since they'd started their journey. Though there hadn't really been time, or resources. He placed an empty container on the console.
"Computer, isolate a 1 cubic meter sample of the liquid material on the surface of the planet. Transport it to the container and filter out any identifiable lifeforms."
As the liquid was transported into the container, Lshan entered from sickbay. "Do you need any help Captain?"
"I'm running an analysis of the ocean on the planet, to try and understand why the shuttle broke up."
"Do we have any information to start on?" Lshan's antennae angled forward as she looked at the clear liquid in the container.
"There's an unknown element in the chemical makeup of the water, but its not in our database."
"Computer, run a detailed micro-structural scan on the atomic structure."
The results were displayed on the console before him. Lines of the atoms appeared across the screen, connected in a spiral and cross-linked with molecules on either side. Then, the whole structure shifted and transformed into ball of linked atoms.
"It appears as though the molecules are in a state of flux." She turned to look at the container. A single crack had formed along one side of the transparent aluminum. "Sir... the container."
"Computer, place a level one containment field around the container."
The field sprang up instantly, and at the same instant, the container gave way. The water splashed up against the forcefield.
"Wow." Sean murmured. "That's not natural. Computer, identify the cause of the container break."
"Container failure occurred due to a sudden increase in pressure within the container." The computer replied.
"Source?"
"The rise in pressure was caused by an unknown chemical reaction within the material. Scans are inconclusive."
Lshan's antennae narrowed as she frowned. "The only cause I can come up with is that the unknown element and it's state of flux, is what's causing the changes in pressure. That's what destroyed the shuttle; that's what broke the container."
"The computer said it was caused by a chemical reaction." Sean crossed his arms. "But what was it reacting to?"
"Perhaps the transparent aluminum in the container."
"I wonder..." Sean jogged over to the storage unit in the back. "... how it reacts to different chemicals. If we can determine that, then perhaps we can figure out what caused the shuttle to break apart."
XXX
Kate could see the rays of sunlight, barely penetrating the thick layer of Tyri and Mygi, as they neared the surface. She could only hope that her commbadge was still functioning enough to send a signal.
I will surface for only a short time. Kora stated. I cannot breath the air from above.
Hopefully we still can. Kate allowed herself a glimmer of hope. They were so close.
Kora surfaced in a dramatic fashion, sending wave of Tyri and Mygi in all directions around them, but they were above the oceans. Kate could see the sun, glowing bright as a thousand stars in the bright blue sky. It was beautiful.
Then Kate tried to breath, and immediately her hopes were destroyed. Her chest burned as it absorbed air, causing her to nearly fall out of the pouch. She couldn't even scream, she couldn't breath. She was suffocating from the air itself.
Kora submerged, and finally Kate could breath once more. At least, that's what it felt like. Her entire body shook from the experience. The gnawing feeling of despair crept up from the pit of her stomach and she felt as if she was crying. Thankfully, no one could see her cry, her tears left with the water.
What the hell was that? Erica had one hand clutching her chest.
It is as I told you. Telnor looked down. Once you come here, there is no returning.
Erica placed a hand on Kate's shoulder. Well... we can't just sit here. There's got to be another way to contact the Guenidier.
Kate took a moment before turning to look at her. We need to send a transmission, something.
Erica turned back to Telnor. Do you have anything that can be used to communicate non-telepathically?
Telnor shook his head. I am afraid that all of the devices that came with us have long since fallen into disrepair. They do not work anymore.
What about the ship we came in, was it destroyed completely? Kate asked, the thought occurring to her for the first time.
Telnor's expression faded to one of confusion. You came here in a ship?
Yeah, we were near your home when it started taking on water.
That would mean it would be along the great mountain range, the Skenor Peaks. It would not have fallen to the bottom.
Then there's a chance it's not gone! Erica's joy could be felt in her thoughts. If we could get it back up above the water...
Then we could send a transmission. Kate completed her thought. The doctor and Lshan would have a chance at curing this! Kate launched herself at Erica and sandwiched her in a joyful hug. She then turned and embraced Telnor.
Telnor looked positively shocked and confused. I do not understand.
Kate shook with laughter. Its just the first good news we've had. Our Doctor might be able to cure us, maybe even you. Your people wouldn't have to be marooned here.
Telnor looked confused. But this is our home... while I am overjoyed for you, I do not want to leave.
Can you take us to our ship?
Kora began swimming downward, quickly. ALKI! Hang on!
Kate caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a gigantic shark like creature racing for them as Kora turned away. She had to hold one tight as Kora raced ahead, faster than it had taken them before. Water rushed by them, and Kate had a feeling that the pouch they were sitting in was slowing Kora down.
Within a few short seconds they were racing through a great underwater mountain range. Kate glanced at Telnor. Are these the Skenor Peaks?
Yes. Telnor gestured to one of the tallest. That is Semnora, the tallest of them all.
Look! Erica pointed forward. That's the shuttle.
True to her word, nestled between the two largest peaks was the shuttle. It looked, for the most part, intact. Though they were soon going to race passed it.
Erica gestured for it. If we can get the phasers online we might be able to shoot that shark thing.
The Alki? Telnor asked.
The Alki will soon overtake me. Kora slowed down momentarily. I suggest you make for your shuttle, I will try and lead the Alki away.
Do nothing of the sort Kora. Erica ordered. Try and keep him on this side of the mountains, in front of the shuttle. If you can, we'll be able to kill it.
It is too dangerous! Telnor looked positively terrified.
Trust her, we do this all the time. Kate smiled, then climbed out of the pouch and swam towards the shuttle, dragging Telnor with her. Erica swam on ahead and reached the shuttle only a second before she did.
Erica climbed into her seat and glanced at the power readings. The ship was intact, the only damaged part being the transparent aluminum front viewscreen. The power system was still online, though in a low power standby mode.
The phasers were offline, still rerouted to structural integrity. It was unnecessary now, the pressure on the inside was equal to the pressure on the out. She rerouted the power to the phaser banks. The effective range of the weapons would be limited underwater, but if she narrowed the confinement beam, then she knew she could hit the Alki.
I'm locking the targeting system on the Alki. Kate glanced back and forth from in front of them and down at her console. Bring it in closer Kora.
Kora turned and raced towards the shuttle, the Alki right behind, almost latching on with it's massive teeth. As Kora pulled away, they could see the Alki in all its size. It was at least twenty feet long, with a shark like tail fin and a long mouth with teeth that were visible on the outside. Other fins complemented the look, conforming to what she'd expect from an earth born shark, except that it was so big.
Firing! Erica activated the phaser control system. The shuttle vibrated slightly and then twin beams of orange light shot out from emitters located on either warp nacelle. The beams struck home, stalling the creature's forward progress, but not completely deterring it.
Uh oh. Kate glanced at the consoles as warnings lit up. It was hard to make them out exactly due to the water obscuring her vision. However, from what she could tell, there had been a power fall-off in the phaser system.
That thing's coming back! Erica pointed forward. The Alki had completely switched targets after the phaser blast, heading directly for the shuttle. Its mouth was wide open, and given it's rapidly swelling size, this was going to end very badly if they didn't do something fast.
Kate frantically reset the EPS power relays in the shuttle, hoping that it would get the power flowing again. This time, not only did they get power to the phasers, but to the entire shuttle. You've got power... go!
Erica lifted the shuttle off the mountain peaks and fired the forward phasers. They arced out again, striking the creature deep in its wide mouth. It continued to barrel ahead, but ceased any other movement. In fact, as they rose in the water, the creature barreled head first into the mountain peak. The impact sent shockwaves through the sea in all directions, jarring the shuttle violently.
Telnor jumped in surprise, banging his head on the shuttle ceiling. You have killed it! You have saved us. He then tried to mimic Kate's hug from earlier.
Kate smiled and returned the gesture. We did it.
XXX
"Computer, what is the effect of the unknown element on the tissue sample?" Sean watched closely as the molecular chains began to change in the tissue. At first the changes were subtle, a single added strand along the edge, barely any identifiable change, but then it spread, slowly encompassing the entire sample.
"The unknown element has begun to restructure the genetic code of the tissue sample, primarily in the area of respiratory function."
"Computer, define the changes to the respiratory function of the tissue." Lshan asked.
"The tissue cellular structure has been modified to process liquid water and transform it into the base elements of hydrogen and oxygen."
"Its almost like gills." Sean murmured to himself. "I wonder..."
"Captain," Klena's voice shattered his concentration. "We've detected a signal from just beneath the water's surface, it is extremely weak, but it appears to have originated from Lieutenant Dulmane."
Was it too much to hope for, that somehow they had escaped death. He couldn't be sure, but even the chance was worth investigating. "I'm on my way." He turned and bolted for the door, not stopping long enough to even give Lshan any instructions about the sample.
It was an agonizing wait in the turbolift, before it finally arrived on the bridge. He stopped at the railing. "Can we confirm its them?"
"The signal is a text only message." Laysi said from operations.
Klena took a seat at the helm. "However, while they may be alive, Lieutenant Dulmane has expressed that they can no longer breath air, and that she is unsure how to proceed."
Sean walked slowly around the railing but didn't sit down. "Can we respond?"
"Yes sir." Laysi replied. "I'll encode everything for a text only response, assuming that they're underwater."
"Tell Erica to hold position, ask her if they can get us scans of their medical condition."
Laysi worked for a moment at her console. "She says she'll send the scans up in a minute, they have a tricorder in the shuttles emergency supplies."
"Send those to sickbay immediately and bring us into the atmosphere, just above them. I want a transporter lock on that shuttlecraft even if it's beneath the surface of the water." He headed back for the turbolift. "Klena, the bridge is yours."
XXX
Sean reentered the science lab adjacent to sickbay to find both Lshan and the EMH working on the sample. There was now a separate canister, also filled with liquid and the tissue sample. "Lieutenant Dulmane and Ensign Filander are alive, but they can't live outside the water of the planet. My guess is their bodies have been altered much like the tissue sample."
"I think we may have a theory on that." Lshan added. "When you left I activated the EMH and filled him in on the situation, he suggested that we see if the sample had the same properties in normal water."
"What did you discover?" Sean walked over to the display.
"When we immersed the substance in standard liquid water, it retained its ability to transform oxygen to water, but the changes to its molecular structure started to reverse themselves."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that it has slowly been reversing the changes made to it by the unknown element in the water on the planet."
"So assuming that this element has had the same effect on Kate and Erica, does that mean we can reverse it though the same process?"
"I believe so."
"Then you have a go, and the resources of this entire ship to perform it."
"Doctor?" Lshan looked to the EMH.
"I'll need to use the holodeck to create the tanks that we'll beam them in to. I will also need precisely 100 cubic meters of water, as the holo emitters will not have the required effect."
"Alright. Lshan, transfer him to holodeck 1 and get everything set up. I'll have the water delivered to you once we replicate it."
XXX
A message appeared on the console before her. Kate smiled. They've got a plan and we're going to be beamed up here in a minute.
I'll set the shuttle to return to the ship by itself once we're beamed up. Erica replied.
Kate glanced out the front of the shuttle, at Telnor and Kora, drifting in the current. We're going back to our ship, they have the facilities there to fix us, and I'm sure we could do the same for your people Telnor.
Telnor bowed his head. No, it is not for us. This is our home, it is where our friends are. He looked back up at them. I wish you luck in your travels, may you always remember us.
Kate kicked out of the shuttle and swam forward, embracing Telnor. Thank you for all your help. Without you... well... we'd probably be dead.
It is no problem. Telnor grinned. Perhaps one day you will visit.
Maybe, I don't know. I honestly don't want to go through the transformation process again.
Telnor nodded. It is understandable, while I have never had to undergo it myself, you speak of it as very painful.
We need to get going. Erica had stood up in the shuttle, waiting to be transported.
Kate swam back into the ship. Good bye Telnor, good bye Kora. She waved, and then felt the transporter beam envelop her.
XXX
Two days later, Kate sat in her quarters, going over her report on what had transpired. It was done, but she wanted to make sure it was perfect before submitting it, considering a lot of it sounded ridiculous. To anyone who hadn't been there, they wouldn't have believed it.
Her door chimed. She set down the PADD before opening it. "Captain, what brings you here?"
"I thought I'd bring you some hot chocolate." He said, hand off one of the cups in his hands to her.
"Thank you." Kate took a sip. "Please, come in."
Sean entered enough for the door to close, but leaned against the wall. "How are you?"
"I'm doing better, breathing still hurts a bit, but the doctor says it'll go away in a week. I was just finishing up my report." She handed the PADD to him and sat down on the wall mounted couch. "I wanted to make sure it was perfect before I handed it in... I can't imagine what its going to look like for someone who didn't experience it."
"Well, then its a good thing the only place these reports go to is me." He smiled. "Believe me though, I'm sure stranger things have crossed Starfleet captain's desks."
Kate laughed. "Its definitely the final frontier out here. Do you think the Klingons or the Romulans have ever explored this far into the Beta Quadrant?"
"They might've, but my guess is they passed right over this planet."
"Exploration really isn't their primary goal."
"No."
"What about us? I mean, what about this ship and its crew, what are we here for?"
Sean starred out towards the blue planet just outside the windows. "I thought I knew, we're going here to find allies and to hide; but the more time we spend here, the more it feels like we've fallen astray from our goals."
"What do you mean?" Kate took a sip from her hot chocolate.
"We've got the first one, that isn't hard. I don't believe that Starfleet, or even Starfleet Intelligence could find us this far out, but to find allies..." Sean took a sip of his drink. "I wanted to find allies to bring back in our fight against the Federation, against Starfleet, but I'm not sure that's what we can do here."
"People like Telnor?"
"They're great people, we made a friend on this watery planet, and we know that we can go there and live in the seas if it ever comes to it, but we can't bring them into our war."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"We can't go back, but I think instead of looking for people we can use... I think we need to form friendships with people we can help, so that they can help us."
"Isn't that what we intended to do?" Kate pulled her feet up onto the couch. "We couldn't force anyone to help us."
Sean took another sip. "That's right." He sighed. "I guess I need to do some thinking." He turned and headed for the door. "Thanks Kate, good night."
"Good night Captain."
