On the bridge while still in warp travel Noire is sitting at the captain's chair with Boimler still at the helm. Suddenly the ship starts shaking like crazy and Noire and Saavok are loosing footing. Noire shouts to Boimler, "Boimler what's going on?" Boimler in a panicked tone responds, "I don't know, but for some reason our Warp field is collapsing. Primary systems are going offline. Brace yourselves, I'm sure what's awaits us but hang onto your whatever's." Then another violent shake causes Noire to fall on top of Saavok making them touch foreheads.
When the shaking stops Noire gets up and he and Saavok look each other straight in the eyes causing them to both bluss. Saavok gently pushes her off, Mariner, Ruterford, Tendi and Demi arrive on bridge with Demi being the first to ask, "What the frontorg happened?"
" what's the damage?" Noire asks, "I don't know. All diagnostics say there has been no substantial damage done to the ship, but all primary power systems are inoperative. Warp drive offline and shields at only minimum capacity. Fortunately no present danger of losing life support." Boimler responds, Tendi then asks, "Well why are the other systems offline."
"Unknown, though there seems to be some kind of external damping field that is preventing the primary energy conduits from properly channeling power. So, all we have are just low shields, food and all other replicators at 40 to 50 percent capacity, and all we've got for movement are impulse and chemical rockets." Boilmer says,
"Uh guys is something covering the viewers sensors." Tendi asks "No they are functioning normally." Savvok replies, "Then where did the stars go?" The Enterprise is a drift in a vast dark void of nothingness.
"Does anyone have a clue as to where we are? Noire asks sitting in the captain's chair, "Maybe reality stopped making sense and we are in nothing." Tendi replies, "Try to be to be productive." Mariner says, "Look as far as I am able to tell by the instruments, we are somewhere that seems to have a diameter of a least 1,000,000 kilometers, but other than that, nothing. Our distress beacon and all our other scans are just being bounced back to us. The only other thing I can tell you is that there is something in here with a mass of almost 4 billion standard planet masses. Somehow causing spacetime to just warp back in on itself." Saavok says. "Maybe this place is like a space time sink. A place where space curves back in so no single can get out. That objects can only drop in here by warp drive and the mass, of whatever is creating this damping field, that causes most power sources to go inert. Then nothing that falls into it can get back out." She continues, "Is there anything similar to this?" Noire asks, "Several records from legendary captains, but none with these circumstances and unless there is worm hole or some opening of some kind, I'm not sure what we can do other than gather as much data as we can and try to figure something out." Saavok answers.
"Wait I'm picking up something on the scanners of that immense gravitational mass you stated earlier. Straight ahead about 2000 kilometers." Boimler says "On screen." Noire says. There is still nothing until Tendi puts it through a gravitational lensing filter and they see a large spherical object similar to a meteor, "This is the source of the intense gravity and damping field?" Rutherford asks, "Not impressive I know, but even though its only the same size as our ship. It is still incredibly gravitationally massive. Almost like a black hole, but somehow solid." Saavok says, "This could probably be what is only theoretical. Solidified dark matter.",
"Guys I'm picking up something else. I think its another ship. To our left by about 400 kilometers." Demi said "Okay lets head there, maybe if there's anybody over there, they can help us, but be cautious." Noire says. When the scan results come in, they read, "Borg!" Saavok says "Shields up and prepare to engage." Noire orders. However, when they arrive and shine light on the Borg cube it has a full third of it blown off." Mariner asks Saavok, "What do the scans say?", "No power emissions. No propulsion. No shields, and its reading total vacuum inside." Saavok replies. Then they see all the Borg drones that are adrift in space, "Get us away from here." Noire orders, "Wait picking up another reading about 300 kilometers from this Borg ship. It's another ship, but of unknown origin." Demi says, "On screen." Noire orders.
They see a ship that looks like a giant seed pod, " Mariner you have the bridge" Noire says walking off the bridge. In the transporter room Noire, Demi and Saavok are on the teleporter pad. As Rutherford prepares to transport the away team Energizing." The away team finds themselves on the hull of the ship near an entrance port that is sealed. As they enter Saavok examines a cross section of haul with a tricorder telling the crew of the away team and the Enterprise, "Incredible this haul material it wasn't cast, rolled, or welded. It appears it was in a liquid state with no intense heat. Like it was made from individual nanosized units and then structured itself by laying down and weaving individual threads no more than a nanometer thick and were just laid down on top of one another. Assembling themselves with-out welding heat. Lets beam a sample back over to the Enterprise for analysis." Saavok puts a tracer on a fragment of loosened haul, and it is transported to science bay.
They explore further seeing the halls and entire structure of the ships interior made of hexagon shaped cells like honeycombs of beehives. They make their way to the core to see a large sphere similar in shape to the core on their ship but looking almost organic in origin. " Ok lets get back to the ship" Noire says.
As the away team arrives on the bridge " There's another ship. It's a federation ship." Demi says, "On screen." Noire orders, "The hull, magnify!" Saavok says. The name on the ship reads "The U.S.S. Balitmore."
"According to the Protostars database the Baltimore was lost nearly 33 years ago with all hands-on deck and was never recovered. The bridge crew includes the name of Monica Janeway as first officer. Promoted just one week before the ship was lost." Tendi replies, "Can we send a probe on board and try to access their systems and their database?" Noire asks, "We can." Saavok replies, "Do it then."
As the probe approaches an entrance airlock it sends its readings back to the Enterprise. "Sensor readings coming in." Everyone holds their breaths until Saavok says, "It's reading vacuum on the other side. No life support.", "Proceed in." Noire says. The probe cuts open the airlock door and as the probe enters in, they see the bodies of all the crew just lying frozen to the floor while others just float where they died. The probe makes it to the bridge and sees all the dead bridge crew floating in free space. Passing one by one until it sees a blonde-haired woman.
" She looks like Janeway." Boimler says, "Everybody, I'm getting strange sensor readings. From outside the ship this time." Then suddenly a woman of Latino origin and wearing the red uniform and four rank insignia around the collar fades in onto the bridge, "Hello, "I'm Noire D. Roger captain of the to the USS Enterprise." The woman responds, "I guess you will have to do. I am captain Maya Cortex. Captain of the USS Baltimore. Welcome to hell, or the next closets thing to it. I'd offer to shake your hands, but we now seem to exist in a different quantum state. It has proven to not be healthy with living tissue."
"What happened?" Saavok asks Captain Cortex, "We were pulled in while in warp. Warp drive offline. Scanners unable to analyze that blasted piece of rock. That alien ship out there tried to ram us after sending us junk data. We were able to stay out of range. We were trapped here for three years. Our antimatter ran out. Life support began to fail. We knew death for us was ineffable. Most of the crew took cyanide pills to be spared dying in agony. But for my officers and me we stayed to the bitter end. As I sat there gasping for one more breath. I kept silently telling myself 'At least it's finally over.' Knowing that we'll never see our loved ones again on Earth, but at least its finally over and we will not need to stare out into that endless darkness. With my last breath I said its finally over, but it wasn't for when I opened my eyes and saw the others about me, I instantly knew I and all of us were dead. That we would be denied even the peace of the grave."
"It's that dark matter thing out there. So gravitationally massive that it's permanently warped space back in on itself. Making it so nothing can get out. Not even the souls of those who die inside it. Wherever it is we're suppose to go after death. Heaven, Hell, or Oblivion it doesn't matter because now we will never see it. And neither will you." She fades out as she says, "I'm so sorry for you young ones."
A couple hours later Noire is on the bridge sitting in the captain's chair tapping her fingers and feet until Mariner and Saavok appear, "A penny for your thoughts or do you need to get something off your chest." Mariner asks, "I could use a distraction. How's everyone?" Noire asks, "Most are sleeping soundly. The rest are in the bar." Saavok replies, "So is this what awaits us. Spending all of eternity stuck with you guys.. What about you Saavok? What do you think?"
" I wouldn't want anyone to suffer forever." Saavok says, "Well on that maybe I think I may have a possible answer to help with that. See the data we recovered from the alien ship is still being analyzed and might take years to crack which we don't have the luxury of that. Then I had a look at the Baltimore's logs and worked out some simulations based on what they recorded." Noire puts on the hologram display showing the two ships as they interacted with the aliens going along side the Baltimore. Dahl, "See the logs say the ship was basically operating on auto pilot and was preprogramed to interact with another ship if one was ever encountered. When the Borg came, the ship used grappling tractor beams which the Borg then they tried to attack the aliens ship, so it opened fire and destroyed their cube ship. Then when it encountered the Baltimore it tried the same thing. Used tractor beams to pull the Endeavor closer. I might not be a strategist, but that's bad tactics that limits your own maneuvering abilities. Then what's even stranger the ship pulled alongside and then was parallel to the Baltimore. If your going to attack you fire phasers or ram them with your bow, but what if the Endeavor hadn't opened fire and pulled away instead stayed there. Both ships would have had their chemical rockets pointed straight at the meteor.",
"The ship wasn't trying to cease control of the Endeavor or attack it but was trying to dock with it." Marienr says, "Exactly! Maybe the aliens did have the means that we don't. Maybe they were able to analyze the dark matter. Found out what it was made of and had plan on how to destroy it, but they didn't have sufficient power and needed another ship in order for it to work." Noire says, "What are you proposing captain?" Saavok says " It beats sitting here doing nothing waiting for our lives to end and be trapped here forever. But if we can get these aliens to tell us what this dark matter meteor is made of. Then it could be the only chance we have to escape their fate. Boimler can get us out of range if we need to. And I don't know about all of you, but any chance no matter how slim is still better than no chance. Look I know this is crazy, but something in my bones is telling me, this can work.'nWe have to take it, or would you rather spend all of eternity hearing me rub it in how you should've listened when you were alive. Just to wait for the next bunch of saps to try and do the same thing." Noire says.
" You make a good point on this. Still, if this fails its on you." Mariner says. The Enterprise gets up along side the alien ship. "Getting those strange energy readings again. From outside the ship." Saavok says. Then the alien captain and what are assumed to be the first officer and science officer appear on the bridge, "Running simulations now." Mariner says, Noire points to the projection and the aliens look at the hologram projections as the various models of dark matter theory are presented. Until the alien science officer use one of its pincer tip tentacles to point at one and the others do the same in response, "High frequency super string particles. Wait, that actually makes sense. Their atomic mass is extremely heavy, and their density is immense, but when heat is applied their density and mas decrease." Saavok says, "Enough that maybe even this cosmic bubble may just pop out of existence?" They then run the simulation of what the aliens attempted to do with the Baltimore. They all point at it with approval. Mariner steps forward and makes some sign as a way to show respect. "Thank you. I know you can't understand what we are saying, but I promise you that we will do our best. And I hope you will all finally have your peace." The aliens fade away and then Noire says, "Lets get started on the necessary modifications and linking the Enterprise and Baltimore's computers for joint control. We've got our work cut out for us."
Later they get up alongside the Baltimore, "We have full remote control of the Baltimore, but the onboard computers are overloading. We may only get one chance and loose the Baltimore after this." Saavok says, "How long will we need." Mariner asks, "At best 30 seconds." Saavok says, "Then lets hope luck is on our side, engage chemical rockets full burn." Noire says. The two ships fire their rockets lighting up the meteor like a Christmas tree. Then as they look out the main viewer, they start to see lights and then the stars come back into full view again. "Lets leave a beacon bouey so the federation will be able to find these ships and make sure their bodies are properly laid to rest. As for us. We go onward. Set a course for Earth." Noire says, "You got it, Captain" Demi replies.
"Captains Log supplemental. Our experience in the void trap has really opened our eyes that there is life after death and that we must treasure life for as long we have got it. For life is precious because it's fragile and short. Don't waste the moments you get, or you could regret not using them as you should've when you had them. And life really is the ultimate adventure."