Star Trek: Six Days

by Ariston-1

In the year 2161, one of the earliest Federation Starships, the USS Apollo and her crew, discover themselves to be trapped in an endless six day long temporal loop.

Star Trek.

Six Days.

Captain's Log. April Fifth, 2164.

USS Apollo, NCC-324.

Patrols of the Neutral Zone almost complete for the old girl, we're about to head back to Earth for the decommissioning ceremony for the Apollo, although we're still six months away from Earth at our maximum warp? I foresee a pleasant cruise back home, at our new top speed of warp five, due to the recent upgrade. It's hard to believe that they're just going to scrap this old beauty. I know that she's older than the retired NX class ships, but she can still fight when needed. She's a proven ship, it would be a shame to just throw her on the scrap heap, like the rest of her class.

End Log Entry.

Federation Side, of the Neutral Zone.

One of the last remaining ships in her class, perhaps The last remaining vessel in her class, finally turned towards the direction of Earth after officially handing over the routine patrols of the neutral zone, to one of the new faster and much more advanced, warp seven starships fresh off the production line of the shipyards in the Sol System. Slipping into warp five, enroute back to Earth, the Captain finally relieved himself of command for the short walk back to his quarters, whilst nodding to each member of his crew as he greeted each of them by their names before stepping into his quarters with a deep sigh before throwing his uniform tunic onto the back of the nearest chair with a deep saddened sigh at the prospect of leaving the service, as it was not only the service of the ship which had been destined to end, but his own career. Showering and retiring to sleep for the night, the aging Captain whom had served onboard of the now USS Apollo since her launch in the earlier months of 2152 as one of several test vessels, for the new warp five engine which had resulted in a somewhat distinguished career for Starfleet during the recent conflict, the Captain could barely sleep as the thoughts of leaving the service he had fought and almost died for, several times over was swiftly approaching it's end at the speed of warp five, thanks in no small part to a recent and final upgrade of the propulsion systems.

'Captain Mayfield? I am sorry to disturb you at such a late hour Sir…'

"That's okay Lieutenant, I can't sleep anyway. What is it?" Replied the Captain, with a half yawn as he sat upright in his bed.

'We're picking up, what we think is a distress signal. But sir? It's coming from all around us. I've never seen anything like it. And Captain? It seems to be coming, from Us…?'

"Say again, Lieutenant?"

'The database confirms the voice print, as belonging to yourself Captain. I think you should get up here…'

"I'm on my way, Lieutenant. Captain, Out!"

A short walk towards the bridge in the earlier hours of the night, led the Captain from his private quarters, back up towards the bridge. The moment the grey haired, seasoned Captain stepped onto the bridge, his eyes opened wide at the sight of himself displayed and paused as he stood on the bridge of his own starship as the distress call played on the screen.

"What the hell am I looking at Lieutenant, report?"

"Sir, we've managed to pull in the message. It's definitely sent from this ship, and what is more… incredible? Six days from now, the metadata on the message, has been verified. You will send this message, in six days. John, play the message, once again. Sir, it's difficult to watch"

'… I repeat. I am Captain Charles Mayfield of the USS Apollo, to any ship in the region, please respond? We have been attacked by, five vessels of unknown design and origin. Much of the crew is dead, we're venting atmosphere. Engines and weapons are destroyed, hull armour is gone. Please, someone respond? If not, I am hoping that this message gets through to someone, I am sending whatever we have on those ships, and it isn't much. Oh my god, they're back… they're locking on weapons. Switching to external view…'

"Pause the image, what the hell are those ships?"

"Unknown Sir. From what I've seen, three times now? The Apollo is destroyed, and they simply move on without even checking for survivors. What the hell are we about to get into Captain?" Called out the nervous Lieutenant.

"Unknown, Lieutenant Harris. But now that we know? Maybe we can avoid it! I want this ship and her crew, ready for combat right away. Issue side-arms to all personnel. I want to be ready, for anything and I mean anything. Harris, study those ships, I want to know the instant you see anything that even remotely looks like one of those ships"

"I already am Sir! I have the computer running simulations on those designs, readings and capabilities as we speak. Sir, if I may? I have never seen anything like those ships, shouldn't we make contact with others in the fleet? Maybe someone has seen them"

"Harris, that could be exactly what sends them our way. For the moment, let's sit on this until we have more information. Tactical Alert across the ship, Lieutenant Harris"

"Aye Sir, but I would recommend Yellow Alert, until we know more?"

"Alright, Yellow Alert across the ship. Bucking for Lieutenant Commander now, Harris?"

"Just thinking of the crew, Captain. We've been through a lot lately and six days at Red Alert, will put everyone on edge. There is however, a slim possibility of avoiding this problem? We alter our course. We've never been through this sector of space. Maybe we're approaching someone's territories? But then again, altering course could be what sets that eventuality in motion. But, then again? Second guessing… I hate Temporal Mechanics"

Personal Log. April Eleven, 2164.

USS Apollo, NCC-324.
Lieutenant Chris Harris, Acting Chief Tactical Officer, Recording.

According to the message as sent by ourselves, today is the day when the ship is destroyed, and the crew lost with all hands. So far, we have seen nothing of those unknown ships, which supposedly will attack and destroy this ship. I will not rest, will not sleep… This is FUBAR! As my Dad used to say.

I was on the bridge, when those ships suddenly appeared out of warp and began to engage the Apollo, without warning. As with many of the crew, I had refused to leave my station all day before the ship was attacked. The last thing that I remember, before blackness, was looking down at my displays and seeing something which made no sense. I had never seen such readings before, in my life and I doubt that anyone ever had. Then, it was blackness, before I awoke in my bed, dazed and confused which passed quickly and once again, I resumed the day ahead of me, but with a certain, feeling which had continued throughout the day. I was not the only one, whom could get rid of the feeling that I had been through it all, once before, I just had no idea why and what the hell was happening.

Every reading on the bridge, when everyone had given their reports? It was more than familiar to not only myself, but everyone around me, including the Captain. Somehow, and that is the part that we had no idea of how and why? We had become stuck, lodged into a loop in time and under constant attack from those as of yet, unknown vessels whom had attacked and destroyed the USS Apollo, many times over. What the hell, was going on and how the hell was it even possible? We had no idea of how long we had been stuck in that loop before we had realised that something was most definitely wrong, we could have been trapped in that same six day loop for months and not even known about it.

As per request of the Captain, as many of the crew as possible had assembled on the bridge while the rest of the crew at their stations, monitored what was being said on their own screens as we began to try and piece together what had happened, if it was even possible. That's when our resident science officer, came up with a brilliant idea. Everything had pointed towards a Temporal Loop of some form, and since the computers of the ship would be reset back to their earlier settings, before the loop began? It was up to the crew ourselves to try and find a way out of the loop, if it was even possible. Between the entire forty-eight men and women of the USS Apollo? We had to memorise everything possible on the screens and what we had discovered, before the loop had reset. It was all that we had, our own memories from previous loops.

I had lost count of how many times the damned loop had reset, how many times we had been destroyed. The mission, was only supposed to be a six month patrol until another ship could be sent to relieve the aging Freedom class light cruiser and her crew from the patrol. But I had begun to make calculations throughout the previous loops, calculations of what I had learned since we had begun to realise what was happening to us. I had hated, what I had discovered, hated and feared the possible truth. Finally, after several calculations after what I had learned since the start of everything, what everyone had begun to learn? I found the Captain simply sat in the messhall enjoying a steak meal.

"Charles, Charles? What are you doing, you should be on…"

"I'm taking this loop off, Christina. In fact? I think that everyone should. There's an uninhabited planet, Class M about a light-year away. I've asked Phil, whom is now at the helm to alter our course towards that planet for a little shore leave. I think the crew needs it, god knows I do"

"That's actually what I am here to talk about. Do you even know, just how long we've been stuck in this week? Think about it, Phil was fresh out of the Academy when we came onboard, and posted to the Armoury. Now? He has shown just what an amazing pilot he is…"

"I know, I've also done the math, Christina" The Captain replied, with a deep sigh. "When I was his age? I had just dropped out of Medical School, and fell into Tactical myself. I've lost count of how many loops ago it was? But, when the Doctor was injured, I was there right away and helped him out…"

"Helped him out? You performed minor surgery on his knee. I know that you've been studying medicine during your spare time. Hell, I've even been studying Engineering and I've discovered that I'm actually good at it! Beyond the basics which I learned at the Academy. Do you realise, that we could've been stuck in this loop, for over years?"

"I do, my count is something close to twenty years" The Captain replied, with a deep audible grunt.

"Charles? By my estimation on what we've all learned? It's closer to forty, maybe more. I've learned engineering, I can now play the guitar, hell I can even sing when before I couldn't carry a note in a bucket. We have got to find a way out of this loop, or be trapped like this eternity. Before we came out here, this region wasn't exactly charted, but we all know this region so well by now? Every member of this crew can sketch out a map of this region, from memory. I know that we all need rest, but this is what I was thinking Charlie. Those ships which attack us? They have to come from somewhere, right?"

"Chris? We've looked, many more times that I can remember. This region? Is uninhabited and there are few worlds around here which can support life. The planet we're heading to? Is one of the few. I don't feel like the Captain anymore, I haven't for a very long time Chris… I'll make you a deal. The next loop around? We head out and try to find those ships, before they attack us again"

"Charlie, have you considered the fact that they are stuck in this loop, with us?" I asked, as I remained stood by his side.

"I have, I thought about that a long time ago. But, every time we get close to them? They blow us out of the stars. When we move away, and the time is up? Everything resets back to the first point in the loop anyway"

"Agreed. You do realise that the nearest planet that you're talking about, is two days away at maximum warp? Alright, you've got your deal… I'll inform the others"

For a further six loops, being reset back to the start, we continued with our fruitless search of the sector for those vessels which had attacked and destroyed us so many times, I doubt that we had even existed anymore. Although, taking those few days off, was fun more so as we just left the ship in orbit with the entire crew down on the surface. It didn't matter to us that no one was left onboard and the ship was basically a derelict vessel. In the next loop, we would return to the ship and what we had come to call, factory settings.

Eventually after what seemed like months of searching from our perspective, we finally found those ships whom had opened fire upon us, the moment we appeared in their weapons range and, eight more times after, without so much as a word of warning. The crew, was less than light-hearted about it all as it had continued, over and over again as we had begun to analyse their ships and abilities further to the point where we had begun to see a pattern forming in their attacks.

"I repeat, I am Christina Harris, of the USS Apollo. You can destroy us as many times as it takes, we know where to find you now and we have adapted to your tactics, as you have just seen. All that we want to do, is to just talk! Please?"

"Nothing yet Chris" Called out the Captain, from strangely enough? The communications station.

"Thanks Charles. Alright, let's do it their way. Lock torpedoes on the port ship, maximum yield and power up the phase cannons. Let's show them what adaptations we have made to our weapons"

"Torpedoes arms, Phase Cannons deployed and locked. At your command, Chris"

"Andy? fire all forward weapons on that ship, destroy her. Maybe then, they'll want to talk"

"Not exactly Starfleet of us? But I agree. Firing… Port ship, is destroyed…"

"Target the Starboard and fire at my command. Charlie, resend that message"

"Message sent, they're responding audio only. Translator, is on-line…"

'Apollo… What do you want?'

"So, you do speak. We all know what is happening, we're trapped in some form of temporal loop and I suspect that so are you. As such? You know that once this loop resets in fourteen hours? The crew of that ship we have just destroyed, will reset along with the loop. They will live once again…"

'That, is why you still draw breath. Why have you done this, to us?'

"It wasn't us, actually? I thought it was you…" I called out, as I stepped from the centre seat towards the helm as I continued. "… Now, I know that it's not. Can we call an end to this constant destruction of our ships and find a way out of this loop together? Because, we are willing to try"

'I would have to discuss this with my other commanders before I can agree and since you have destroyed one…?'

"Charles, send them the co-ordinates of that planet. Commander, Captain or whatever rank you are? I would suggest that you memorise them and in two loops time? Meet us there on the second day of that loop"

'Your terms are accepted, Christina Harris of the USS Apollo. But, only with the agreement of my commanders. This message ends, now'

"Are you certain that you don't want to be Captain, Chris? You handled that one, perfectly"

"This ship, is yours Charlie. Not mine, but I do enjoy the chair from time to time. Phil? Set course away from this area, slowly. Andy? keep aft weapons on those ships as long as possible"

"You bet your tight little ass, Captain Harris"

All meetings between the Apollo and those three still unknown vessels, had continued via subspace radio and over audio only, as we continued to meet at the planet to transmit what little findings that we had on the situation freely between the four ships. Although their data was basically the same as what we had, it became clear just how long we had all been stuck in that damned temporal loop.

"Eighty-Nine Years?… Are you serious Chris" Cried out Phil, now a fully qualified and highly experienced starship pilot.

"The data, is undeniable Phil. Our mysterious friends out there, became aware of the loop a long time before we did. We have got to break free of this, there is however another problem. If and when we break out? There is an eighty percent possibility that we'll just continue on from day six. And a twenty percent chance that we'll come out of the loop, almost ninety years into our future. I know how that sounds, everything has to be perfect. Right down to the last decimal point for us to exit this loop at the correct time"

"Chris, how can you certain of this?"

"Our friends had come to the same conclusion, a long time ago and they've been trying to break free for well? For decades actually. They have realised that for them to break free, we all must break free together, as one or not at all. I know this sounds strange? But, each of us has literally lifetimes of experience and knowledge now, hell Charlie should hold a Doctorate by now and you Phil? There is not a pilot in the fleet, with your experience and knowledge"

"Chris, if we break free. What about the knowledge that we have gained?"

"Sam, I don't know. But if we do this right? We should retain that knowledge and continue on from day Six with all of that knowledge intact. I mean, you Sam? You where once just a maintenance engineer. Now? I have little doubt that you could actually rebuild this ship from spare parts and pieces of wire. We have, the most amazing opportunity ahead of us. I for one, would like to continue to play the guitar, I find it soothing"

"How in the hell, are we going to break out of this loop, Chris?"

"My counterpart, on the lead ship has theorised that we're trapped in an area of space, which has folded backwards upon itself, somehow. Only by combining our warp fields in a specific way? Can we have enough strength and numbers, to break free. This is an all or nothing way, people. The Captain has asked me to tell each of you, that we all go or we all stay. I for one, would love to see my family again. Phil, you once told me that your sister was to be married, shortly after we where due to return to Earth. I would love nothing more, than to get you to that wedding…"

"When is this, break out to begin?" Called out the Doctor, from the rear of the assembled crew in the messhall.

"The next loop, will begin in fifty hours… mark. We will then have six days to modify the Apollo, and to take formation alongside of those ships, on the sixth day at almost the moment it resets, either we break free? Or we're destroyed and the loop restarts and so do we"

I hadn't worn my Starfleet uniform since, as long as I can remember, no one had. It felt strange to wear once again actually. I forgot how tight it was across my shoulders, since I had begun to wear civilian clothing, so long ago and once? Hell I even wore my underwear and a few loops later, nothing whilst on the ship, those had been strange days for me and everyone around me. We had all become the closest of friends and sometimes enemies on the ship, during those decades caught in that damned loop. For several months, I had even spent some personal times with many of the crew as lovers. A person has needs and decades trapped inside of a tiny ship, had obviously led to relationships. But, now we where all faced with returning to our ordinary lives after so long. I don't even remember what it was like to just, wake up and look forward to the unknown day ahead, no one of the crew does actually.

The first attempt to break free, the small fleet of ships, destroyed ourselves and several times afterwards. It took a further nine loops to finally get right what we had been trying to do, for almost a century. The final loop, went as smooth as silk as all four ships fell perfectly into formation around each other, remodulated our combined warp-fields to the correct frequency and gave it everything that we had, to break free. Although it was smooth sailing, so to speak? We had blown out several power conduits across the lower deck as before, lucky for us no one was on those decks during the final attempt. I awoke, sat in the command chair as I looked up towards the display on the view screen to see those same, unknown starships in perfect formation and the once countdown timer, now counting upwards from zero.

"Charlie, Phil… everyone? We're out!"

"We're, we're out?" Called out Charlie, as he sat upright from the engineering station after regaining conscious. "Oh my god! We're out. Chris? This one is yours… alert the crew!"

"No, you're the Captain now" I replied, with a large smile. "I'm just tactical"

"No, you're not. You Are the Captain of this ship. Alert the Crew, Captain Harris!"

"Thank you Sir. Attention All Hands. Since you're hearing my voice? I guess you'll understand that, we're, we're out and into open space. Congratulations everyone, we're finally going home. Charlie, one last order if I may?"

"I'm already working on it. Our Friends, are hailing us. On Screen?" The Captain replied, with a large smile.

'Christina Harris, of the USS Apollo. Our sensors have reported that we have finally broke free, of the Anomaly and it has closed…'

"As do ours. What now, Sir?"

'We are, we are in your debt, Apollo. Thank you. You have been a worthy adversary and a worthy friend. Although I can not speak for my people? The crews of my ships, thank you. You are free to leave, USS Apollo'

"Safe travels, to you and your crews from myself and… my people. Good bye, my friends. Helm? Resume our course, back to Earth. Maximum Warp!"

Neither of us, had ever imagined that we would see Earth once again, nor that we would retain the memories and knowledge that we had gathered on our almost century long journey back to Earth. Although our calculations where slightly off? We had arrived back home on Earth, just two weeks after our scheduled arrival. The moment I saw my family once again, for the first time in almost a century? I collapsed into my parent's arms and wept like a child. During our travels home, the entire crew had agreed that we would never speak of what had happened to us, during that temporal loop. Although we had all grown closer than we had ever imagined. I have done things that I am not proud of, I had slept with many of my own crew. I have retained knowledge that otherwise I would not have even contemplated learning as has the entire of the USS Apollo crew. I can speak eighteen alien languages fluently, I am an expert starship pilot, engineer and even hold the equivalent knowledge of a medical doctor. I have studied in depth, many forms of martial arts and I am expert in starship combat and command. Not bad, for a Lieutenant whom had only been in Starfleet service, outside of the temporal loop? For just four years.

What do I do next? I can not go back to being just a simple Lieutenant and Tactical officer, after commanding a Starship and crew for twenty years, when the Captain stepped down his command and gave it to myself, his then acting First Officer at the time when the loops began. I may just leave active service for a year, spend some time with my family, and maybe, just maybe? I'll request a posting with Starfleet Academy. God knows, I have more experience than every instructor. We all do.

The question now remains. Who the hell, was our 'Friends', out there onboard of the sleek, pale green ships? When we finally saw them, after almost a century? They looked familiar to everyone on the ship. We didn't realise until we returned to Earth, they almost looked like Vulcans, but with slight ridges over their eyebrows. One thing is certain, they must be a descendant of Vulcan, somewhere along the lines.

Christina Harris.

Starfleet Tactical Officer, amongst other things.

Signing Off.