Chapter 4
"Captain! We beamed down as soon as we lost your signal. Are there any problems?"
The away team quickly positioned themselves around the black creature with phasers extended. Finally it spoke: "I've never heard of a Federation, is it some new section of the Earth Alliance?" To which Picard replied: "I've never heard of a Earth Alliance. The United Federation of Planets is a government made up of multiple species. War, starvation, and disease have been eliminated among member worlds."
Galen pondered on this for a moment. Had these people been Earth Force security officers they would have opened fire the moment they saw him. He also guessed that since he was alone in the room for one moment, and suddenly thrown into another species of alien that he had never encountered before, that somehow he must have been transported somewhere else. He decided that the best course of action would be to gain the trust of the strangers here in order to find a way to make it back.
The junior security officers flinched as the creature suddenly changed forms from the black creature to a human like form; the senior officers remained steady. "My name is Galen, I am a part of an order called the Technomages. I was sent to this place....actually a place very similar to investigate something."
"Perhaps we could discuss this further on my ship" Suddenly Galen had a thought "my ship". He had forgotten about it in the rush of events that he just had. A Technomage's connection to his ship was a strange one that no Technomage fully understood. It was thought to be possible for a mage to be on the other end of the universe and still be connected to his ship, though the farther one is from his ship the more tenuous the connection. Galen still felt a connection to his ship, but it felt different. It was flat, two-dimensional, at least that's the only way he could describe the connection to himself. Without the familiar feeling of the connection to his ship he felt somewhat empty inside. He hoped it would pass in time if he couldn't find a way back soon.
"Where is you shuttle?" asked Galen as the group walked out of the building
"We didn't use a shuttle," replied Picard Picard tapped his com badge. "Picard to enterprise, eight to beam up"
Galen felt a tingle, and saw a flash of light as he disappeared.
Chapter 5
"So you're telling me that Data simply initiated a scan, and then went dead?" asked Geordi "That's correct," answered Worf "Captain, I don't know what to make of this. All attempts to recharge Data have failed. I may have to resort to building him a new power cell, but the one he had wasn't exactly Starfleet standard issue. It could take up to a week." "Make it so," replied Picard
Picard walked out of Engineering determined to get some answers from the visitor that he encountered on the planet. He walked up to the quarters supplied to the visitor and saw a curious flash of light through the crack in the door. The instant he chimed the lights went away.
"Enter"
Picard entered the dimmed quarters and took a seat across from Galen. "One of my crew members was incapacitated by that machine just moments before you came out of it. I was wondering if you could tell me why?"
Galen thought for a moment. "I can't tell you how your crew member became incapacitated, but I can tell you why your weapons died on you. The machine in that building was built by a race called the Shadows. What purpose it served and how they built it here I don't know, but I do know that it can be used to transport objects, or people over vast distances and possibly universes. When certain technology of theirs lacks a primary power source it has the ability to leech it off of other artificial power sources, sometimes completely draining them of energy."
"So that's what happened to Data," commented Picard Picard thought for a moment. "The machine in our part of space must have been mostly powered down. By initiating a scan Data must have activated it somehow, and since the power cell in Data carries a lot of energy he must have given the machine just enough to send you to this place. But how did you" Picard's com badge chirped. "What is it?" "Sir, there is a priority one message for you" "I'll take it in the ready room." Picard tapped his com badge off. "We'll continue this conversation another time"
Picard took a seat and activated the com screen. "Admiral Hawke, what is the problem?" "Picard, the Romulans are screaming bloody murder. They claim that the Federation attacked and destroyed their research post in the Aegonis system. They also claim that we broke treaty by using cloaking devices on new advanced warships." "Admiral, the Aegonis system houses one of their most important weapons research stations. The system is a veritable fortress, it would take a whole fleet of ships to take it." "I know Captain, but they claim it anyway. We need your ship at the boarder immediately. We can only conclude that the reason they haven't attacked us is that they think we are using some new advanced warships. Captain we need you to figure out the situation immediately. The Federation does not need a war right now." "Understood we will set course as soon as possible."
Picard slowly stood up and hit his com badge. "Number one, set course for the border of Romulan space nearest to the Aegonis system." "Captain, what about out guest?" "Bring him to the bridge"
Chapter 6
The doors of the turbo shaft opened. Galen and a security officer exited onto the bridge. Picard turned towards Galen. "We have urgent business to attend to and we have to leave." Galen knew that he needed to remain on the planet to look for a way to return to his universe. "Captain, would you allow me to remain on the planet in order to look for a way to return home?" The captain considered. "Granted, as long as couple of my crew join you. Ensign Crusher, you and one security officer will accompany him to the surface." Beverly stood up in protest but Picard shot her a stare knowing the danger that lay ahead. "You will take a shuttle to the surface with full reserves. I'm not sure when we will be back"
Galen and his party left the Enterprise in a shuttle while Picard explained the situation to those on the bridge. Beverly was only slightly more relieved to know that her son wouldn't be going on this mission, but the fact that he was almost alone on a planet with a stranger didn't reassure her too much.
The shuttle glided through the atmosphere towards the Shadow city. "I don't get it," explained Wesley "Why don't you just 'associate' with the machine in our universe like you did in yours?" "Because of the uncertainty involved. When I associated with the machine in my universe I was unable to disassociate. If your Data had never been by your machine, there is no telling what the lack of energy might have done. It is possible that I may have never reassembled in your universe. Without the assurance of a power source on my side it's too dangerous to take that way back." "Then why do you want to return to the planet?" "The Shadows had to have some way to get here to build the machine in your universe to begin with. If I can figure out how they came to this place then I may be able to take that way back." The shuttle made a flyby of the ancient city taking detailed scans of the entire area. It landed in an open area near the main building. They chose a smaller building to the side to set up camp. Wesley quickly took out his tricorder and began scanning the skin of the buildings while Galen and the security officer unloaded some equipment from the shuttle.
While the Enterprise was en route to the boarder a feeling of Détente had spread to the crew. They had all been informed of the danger now and an eerie silence spread through the ship, only interrupted by the hum of the warp engines. In just 8 short hours they would be in the most dangerous stretch of space in the quadrant.
"Captain! We beamed down as soon as we lost your signal. Are there any problems?"
The away team quickly positioned themselves around the black creature with phasers extended. Finally it spoke: "I've never heard of a Federation, is it some new section of the Earth Alliance?" To which Picard replied: "I've never heard of a Earth Alliance. The United Federation of Planets is a government made up of multiple species. War, starvation, and disease have been eliminated among member worlds."
Galen pondered on this for a moment. Had these people been Earth Force security officers they would have opened fire the moment they saw him. He also guessed that since he was alone in the room for one moment, and suddenly thrown into another species of alien that he had never encountered before, that somehow he must have been transported somewhere else. He decided that the best course of action would be to gain the trust of the strangers here in order to find a way to make it back.
The junior security officers flinched as the creature suddenly changed forms from the black creature to a human like form; the senior officers remained steady. "My name is Galen, I am a part of an order called the Technomages. I was sent to this place....actually a place very similar to investigate something."
"Perhaps we could discuss this further on my ship" Suddenly Galen had a thought "my ship". He had forgotten about it in the rush of events that he just had. A Technomage's connection to his ship was a strange one that no Technomage fully understood. It was thought to be possible for a mage to be on the other end of the universe and still be connected to his ship, though the farther one is from his ship the more tenuous the connection. Galen still felt a connection to his ship, but it felt different. It was flat, two-dimensional, at least that's the only way he could describe the connection to himself. Without the familiar feeling of the connection to his ship he felt somewhat empty inside. He hoped it would pass in time if he couldn't find a way back soon.
"Where is you shuttle?" asked Galen as the group walked out of the building
"We didn't use a shuttle," replied Picard Picard tapped his com badge. "Picard to enterprise, eight to beam up"
Galen felt a tingle, and saw a flash of light as he disappeared.
Chapter 5
"So you're telling me that Data simply initiated a scan, and then went dead?" asked Geordi "That's correct," answered Worf "Captain, I don't know what to make of this. All attempts to recharge Data have failed. I may have to resort to building him a new power cell, but the one he had wasn't exactly Starfleet standard issue. It could take up to a week." "Make it so," replied Picard
Picard walked out of Engineering determined to get some answers from the visitor that he encountered on the planet. He walked up to the quarters supplied to the visitor and saw a curious flash of light through the crack in the door. The instant he chimed the lights went away.
"Enter"
Picard entered the dimmed quarters and took a seat across from Galen. "One of my crew members was incapacitated by that machine just moments before you came out of it. I was wondering if you could tell me why?"
Galen thought for a moment. "I can't tell you how your crew member became incapacitated, but I can tell you why your weapons died on you. The machine in that building was built by a race called the Shadows. What purpose it served and how they built it here I don't know, but I do know that it can be used to transport objects, or people over vast distances and possibly universes. When certain technology of theirs lacks a primary power source it has the ability to leech it off of other artificial power sources, sometimes completely draining them of energy."
"So that's what happened to Data," commented Picard Picard thought for a moment. "The machine in our part of space must have been mostly powered down. By initiating a scan Data must have activated it somehow, and since the power cell in Data carries a lot of energy he must have given the machine just enough to send you to this place. But how did you" Picard's com badge chirped. "What is it?" "Sir, there is a priority one message for you" "I'll take it in the ready room." Picard tapped his com badge off. "We'll continue this conversation another time"
Picard took a seat and activated the com screen. "Admiral Hawke, what is the problem?" "Picard, the Romulans are screaming bloody murder. They claim that the Federation attacked and destroyed their research post in the Aegonis system. They also claim that we broke treaty by using cloaking devices on new advanced warships." "Admiral, the Aegonis system houses one of their most important weapons research stations. The system is a veritable fortress, it would take a whole fleet of ships to take it." "I know Captain, but they claim it anyway. We need your ship at the boarder immediately. We can only conclude that the reason they haven't attacked us is that they think we are using some new advanced warships. Captain we need you to figure out the situation immediately. The Federation does not need a war right now." "Understood we will set course as soon as possible."
Picard slowly stood up and hit his com badge. "Number one, set course for the border of Romulan space nearest to the Aegonis system." "Captain, what about out guest?" "Bring him to the bridge"
Chapter 6
The doors of the turbo shaft opened. Galen and a security officer exited onto the bridge. Picard turned towards Galen. "We have urgent business to attend to and we have to leave." Galen knew that he needed to remain on the planet to look for a way to return to his universe. "Captain, would you allow me to remain on the planet in order to look for a way to return home?" The captain considered. "Granted, as long as couple of my crew join you. Ensign Crusher, you and one security officer will accompany him to the surface." Beverly stood up in protest but Picard shot her a stare knowing the danger that lay ahead. "You will take a shuttle to the surface with full reserves. I'm not sure when we will be back"
Galen and his party left the Enterprise in a shuttle while Picard explained the situation to those on the bridge. Beverly was only slightly more relieved to know that her son wouldn't be going on this mission, but the fact that he was almost alone on a planet with a stranger didn't reassure her too much.
The shuttle glided through the atmosphere towards the Shadow city. "I don't get it," explained Wesley "Why don't you just 'associate' with the machine in our universe like you did in yours?" "Because of the uncertainty involved. When I associated with the machine in my universe I was unable to disassociate. If your Data had never been by your machine, there is no telling what the lack of energy might have done. It is possible that I may have never reassembled in your universe. Without the assurance of a power source on my side it's too dangerous to take that way back." "Then why do you want to return to the planet?" "The Shadows had to have some way to get here to build the machine in your universe to begin with. If I can figure out how they came to this place then I may be able to take that way back." The shuttle made a flyby of the ancient city taking detailed scans of the entire area. It landed in an open area near the main building. They chose a smaller building to the side to set up camp. Wesley quickly took out his tricorder and began scanning the skin of the buildings while Galen and the security officer unloaded some equipment from the shuttle.
While the Enterprise was en route to the boarder a feeling of Détente had spread to the crew. They had all been informed of the danger now and an eerie silence spread through the ship, only interrupted by the hum of the warp engines. In just 8 short hours they would be in the most dangerous stretch of space in the quadrant.