The Omega Reactor aboard the starship Tabernacle shined brightly as the lanky man in a lab coat wrote results on a padd. He was a scientist, Doctor Roger McKay, whose field of specialization was anything the Federation had banned. His wife, Helena McKay was his lab assistant, more or less, while his friend, Edmond Duke, watched over the ship. Helena was a woman with long light-brown hair and a lab coat. She was rather small, compared to Edmond. Edmond was a large fellow in civilian garb, and rendered any comparison to him massively unfair. But only Helena and Roger were in the Omega Reactor room.

"Helena, raise the intermix ratio by ten percent." Roger called, as he performed scans.

"Roger, raising the intermix ratio could render the Omega particles even more unstable." Helena warned.

"Do it." Roger ordered.

"Guys!" a deep voice, Edmond, came through the intercom, "Four people in environmental suits have beamed down on a ridge nearby. They're advancing on us."

"Edmond, do not shift power to phasers and under no circumstances lift off." Roger ordered, "Hold them off with hand phasers."

-O-

VonBach took point as the four advanced on the Tabernacle. He was the most comfortable with weapons, an efficient quality for a tactical and security chief and first officer. He carried a Phase Compression Rifle, although the PCRs weren't his style.

But when someone just inside the Tabernacle's open hatch started firing, he had little choice but to respond. And the others pulled hand phasers on the hatch.

"Who are you?" screamed the man in the hatch.

"Joseph VonBach," VonBach fired again, "First Officer of the USS Destiny." He shot yet again, "And you?"

"Get out of here, Starfleet! This planet isn't safe!" the man screamed.

"You pretend to care for our lives, yet you shoot us." The Bajoran doctor called.

"Just beam out!" The large man, now visable as being Edmond Duke in an environmental suit, existed the hatch.

"We're here to arrest Dr. Roger McKay." VonBach said factually.

"You can't, he's on the verge of a breakthrough!"

Then a great noise was heard within the Tabernacle, and Helena McKay ran from it in her Environmental Suit. "Get out of here!" she screamed, "The reactor containment is failing!"

Edmond looked as if he was sentenced to die.

VonBack hit a panel on his suit's sleeve, "VonBach to Destiny, lock on to the other five life signs here and beam them out. I'm getting McKay."

A reply came inside his helmet, "We are having a hard time locking on. There are massive radiation surges in your area. We won't be able to beam you out if you get any closer, Joseph." Starwind replied.

"I'll take that risk." VonBach broke into a run toward the Tabernacle.

-O-

Starwind watched the planet's surface from the bridge.

"Captain, we are reading some temporal distortions and higher energy readings." Talara informed Starwind.

"This is bad..." Starwind stared at the surface, "Are the two people from the Tabernacle aboard?"

"Yes, sir." A young ensign replied.

"Throw them in the brig." Starwind ordered, eyes still transfixed on the planet, "Try to get a lock on Von-"

From the site of the Tabernacle, and energy wave ripped through the planet's destroyed atmosphere, causing the planet to be consumed by a dark band of energy, which then collapsed and became an odd wormhole.

"Sir, the USS Normandy and the USS Stragger are dropping out of warp." Talara reported.

"Tell them to get out of here!" Starwind ordered, "Red Alert!"

Watson returned to the bridge and quickly took the science station, "Captain, I'm reading some off quantum readings."

"McKay succeeded. Arm quantum torpedoes." Starwind noticed the anomaly growing. "Helm, are we moving?"

"Systems read all stop, but our position is changing. It's pulling us in. And it appears the Normandy and the Stragger are stuck as well." Talara reported.

"Full reverse." Starwind ordered.

"No effect. We are twenty seconds from the event horizon." Talara reported.

"All hands!" Starwind screamed, "Brace for impact!"