Star Trek: Falcon
Light in the tower
3. Tunnel
Will Riker took the mug that materialized in his replicator and eyed it suspiciously before taking a sip. He grimaced. "Sure you don't want any?" he asked his first officer while gesturing with the mug.
"Are you sure you do?" she asked, grinning.
"No," he answered truthfully, "but it felt like I needed some strong black coffee." He smiled back at her, and put the mug back in the replicator for it to be recycled. He sighed. "Let's get back to the bridge."
Shelby only nodded and got up.
"When do we reach the launch point, Ensign Chara?" she asked as they made their way across the bridge to their command chairs.
"We're there now, Commander," the young bolean answered as she brought the big ship to a stop by running her fingers over the control panel in front of her.
Riker sat down in his chair, and tapped his combadge. "Riker to engineering. What's the status of the slipstream drive?"
"Ensign Dell here, Captain" came the reply over the comlink. "The drive is ready."
"Thank you, ensign," Will replied. "Riker out." They were in place at the same coordinates where the Paris' had started their test run, and the slipstream drive was ready. All that was needed now was for him to give the helmswoman orders to engage the drive. With any luck they'd encounter the same obstacle that had pushed the Paris' off course. He just hoped it wouldn't kill them. Well, there's only one way of finding out, he thought and tapped his combadge again. "Captain Riker to all hands. Prepare for slipstream speed in one minute. Riker out."
"Janeway to Riker."
"Riker here," he answered. He wasn't too surprised to be paged by the Admiral. He was surprised that she hadn't asked to be on the bridge for the launch, though.
"Permission to come to the bridge, Captain?" came the Admiral's question over the comlink, then she lowered her voice slightly. "I'm going crazy sitting her in my quarters."
Riker smiled. "Of course, Admiral."
"Thank you, Captain. Janeway out."
Riker turned to look at Shelby, who nodded at him. She looked slightly nervous. Well, he thought, as he let his gaze travel around the faces of his bridge crew, they were all nervous. Except Peterson. What was it with him? For a moment, Riker felt uneasy. Why didn't Peterson seem the least bit worried when the rest of the present crew, captain included, were? The hiss of the turbo lift doors shook him from his musings, and he turned to see Admiral Janeway step out of the lift. He nodded at her, then straightened his back and directed his gaze at the helmswoman. It was time to go. "Ensign Chara?"
"Course laid in, sir," she replied. "We're ready for departure."
"Well then, Ensign. Let's go."
"Aye, sir," Chara replied and lifted her hand to press the button that would send them all head first into truly unfamiliar territory. She let her hand hover over the button for a second, then she pressed it.
There was a small jolt, but no worse than when engaging the warp drive. Well, inertial dampeners were holding, Riker thought. They were charging ahead at unimaginable speed through a blue tunnel that seemed to twist and turn around the ship, embracing it. A tin can full of tiny life forms in a great big â€" and deep â€" ocean, that's what we are, he thought. Suddenly, the Falcon seemed very small. The universe was a big place. But they were cruising seemingly smoothly through the tunnel. He slowly let out the breath he had been holding and turned to the lieutenant stationed at Ops, anticipating his status report.
"All systems report normal," the dark-skinned man replied.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Lee," Riker replied, then turned to Shelby. He was just about to speak when the slipstream tunnel seemed to explode in a flash of brilliant white light, and something pushed hard on the ship's port side. Someone's shaking the tin can, Riker thought, then mentally shook himself for that absurd thought. Time seemed to slow down as he watched some of the light rush through the walls of the bridge. Tiny spots of light, as if there was a miniature universe flying from one side of the room to the other. He watched mesmerized as some of the little specks of light collided with the starboard side of the room, then fell to the floor and dispersed, flickering out of existence.
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annika@ebox.tninet.se
www.twentysevenandfortyone.cjb.net
Light in the tower
3. Tunnel
Will Riker took the mug that materialized in his replicator and eyed it suspiciously before taking a sip. He grimaced. "Sure you don't want any?" he asked his first officer while gesturing with the mug.
"Are you sure you do?" she asked, grinning.
"No," he answered truthfully, "but it felt like I needed some strong black coffee." He smiled back at her, and put the mug back in the replicator for it to be recycled. He sighed. "Let's get back to the bridge."
Shelby only nodded and got up.
"When do we reach the launch point, Ensign Chara?" she asked as they made their way across the bridge to their command chairs.
"We're there now, Commander," the young bolean answered as she brought the big ship to a stop by running her fingers over the control panel in front of her.
Riker sat down in his chair, and tapped his combadge. "Riker to engineering. What's the status of the slipstream drive?"
"Ensign Dell here, Captain" came the reply over the comlink. "The drive is ready."
"Thank you, ensign," Will replied. "Riker out." They were in place at the same coordinates where the Paris' had started their test run, and the slipstream drive was ready. All that was needed now was for him to give the helmswoman orders to engage the drive. With any luck they'd encounter the same obstacle that had pushed the Paris' off course. He just hoped it wouldn't kill them. Well, there's only one way of finding out, he thought and tapped his combadge again. "Captain Riker to all hands. Prepare for slipstream speed in one minute. Riker out."
"Janeway to Riker."
"Riker here," he answered. He wasn't too surprised to be paged by the Admiral. He was surprised that she hadn't asked to be on the bridge for the launch, though.
"Permission to come to the bridge, Captain?" came the Admiral's question over the comlink, then she lowered her voice slightly. "I'm going crazy sitting her in my quarters."
Riker smiled. "Of course, Admiral."
"Thank you, Captain. Janeway out."
Riker turned to look at Shelby, who nodded at him. She looked slightly nervous. Well, he thought, as he let his gaze travel around the faces of his bridge crew, they were all nervous. Except Peterson. What was it with him? For a moment, Riker felt uneasy. Why didn't Peterson seem the least bit worried when the rest of the present crew, captain included, were? The hiss of the turbo lift doors shook him from his musings, and he turned to see Admiral Janeway step out of the lift. He nodded at her, then straightened his back and directed his gaze at the helmswoman. It was time to go. "Ensign Chara?"
"Course laid in, sir," she replied. "We're ready for departure."
"Well then, Ensign. Let's go."
"Aye, sir," Chara replied and lifted her hand to press the button that would send them all head first into truly unfamiliar territory. She let her hand hover over the button for a second, then she pressed it.
There was a small jolt, but no worse than when engaging the warp drive. Well, inertial dampeners were holding, Riker thought. They were charging ahead at unimaginable speed through a blue tunnel that seemed to twist and turn around the ship, embracing it. A tin can full of tiny life forms in a great big â€" and deep â€" ocean, that's what we are, he thought. Suddenly, the Falcon seemed very small. The universe was a big place. But they were cruising seemingly smoothly through the tunnel. He slowly let out the breath he had been holding and turned to the lieutenant stationed at Ops, anticipating his status report.
"All systems report normal," the dark-skinned man replied.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Lee," Riker replied, then turned to Shelby. He was just about to speak when the slipstream tunnel seemed to explode in a flash of brilliant white light, and something pushed hard on the ship's port side. Someone's shaking the tin can, Riker thought, then mentally shook himself for that absurd thought. Time seemed to slow down as he watched some of the light rush through the walls of the bridge. Tiny spots of light, as if there was a miniature universe flying from one side of the room to the other. He watched mesmerized as some of the little specks of light collided with the starboard side of the room, then fell to the floor and dispersed, flickering out of existence.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
annika@ebox.tninet.se
www.twentysevenandfortyone.cjb.net