Time Trek: The First Mission

"... And we're proud to see that the last researches about the Warp core and Hysolinears modules let us explore the infinite frontiers of the furthermost future or the final past! Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to explain what kind of... emotion, what kind of inexplicable feeling gives the very idea of being able of controlling the time! The Time... our present... our past... our future... the only reality we can always trust in... I assure you that, from this time forward, the Federation's men will travel in time using Warp 15!" the expression on professor Hobbs' face changed from enthusiastic to deluded. He looked back, to the Vulcan that was sitting near him, on a wooden chair. She rose her eyebrows, impassive. Hobbs was clearly deluded, deeply deluded by the reaction of the people that were listening to him. Someone laughed, someone looked at him believing him mad, or something very similar to. Anyway, the conference room was full of people. What a joy.
"I mean that!" Hobbs continued "Any question? I'll answer to anyone"
A man rose his hand. "Why all the spacecrafts of the Federation with a Warp-15 core exploded?" the man asked.
Hobbs shook his head and impatiently waved his notepad "They didn't have the mark-out technology! This consists in evaluating when the Warp core reaches Warp 15 and stop immediately any motor activity"
"But in this way..." a young lady stood up, "... In this way we can have only one little leap at warp 15, or not"
"Yes. But do not forget that the Warp core can give all the power we need for infinite - sorry, theorically infinite leaps." Hobbs explained, "I hope this topic has been interesting to you"
-
"Why don't they believe me? Or, worse, why do they believe me mad?" Steven Hobbs asked the young Vulcan, while they walked through the corridors of StarBase 92.
"I think it's a matter of faith, captain." the Vulcan officer Aira Kell answered.
"Faith." Hobbs reasoned about this word, "Faith. People have faith, normally, in science, I noticed. We're in the age of Space exploration from StarDate 2063. And now we are in stardate 5021.6. We're in contact with a huge number of alien races. And I can't even understand humans, Kell!" the captain stopped walking for a while.
"There's a thing I discovered about faith, sir." Kell explained, calmly, expressionless, "It's based mostly on knowing the person. When a human knows very well another human, he has faith on the other"
"Very logical deduction, Kell." Hobbs exclaimed, only half joking.
"Thank you, sir." she said.
"But humans aren't logical, Number One." the captain remarked.
-
Argo: a mythologic and prophetic name. The Argo was an Avenger class SpaceCraft, the only one in this class of ships. His mission was to explore the outer Space, going more in the deepest regions then any other SpaceCraft. In fact, his structure was slim and little, but with the most powerful Warp core in the Fleet. Only ten members in the crew.
When the captain, Hobbs, entered the helm, followed by his first officer, Kell, the second officer, the android Nex, gived him the report about all sections.
"There is a spoil in the core, Sir. We cannot use auxiliar energy." the android explained.
"A spoil?" Hobbs seemed very surprised by this event, "What kind of spoil, Nex"
"Very strange and... unexpected, sir. The tube connection between the core and the auxiliary energy is broken." Nex answered.
"Without auxiliar energy, we cannot have full power from the Warp core. Only warp eight. I want all the officers in main briefing room... in two minutes"
Nex nodded, "Aye, sir"
-
There were all the officers: chief medical, chief engineering, first and second officer, and languages expert. Five officers, the captain, and four assistants were the only members of the Argo's crew.
"Captain, I don't understand why you called us all in briefing room. I think the spoil in the core has been repaired properly" said Tomak, a young Romulan ensign, but already chief of engineering. He smiled, observing the captain's concern: as a Romulan, he didn't approach, or even went nearly cold-bloodlyness.
"Ensign, I'd like to talk you about another project, that concerns engineering, but the other officers, too." Hobbs stood up and switched on the Briefing screen, "Tomak, I want you to modify the Warp core with the mark-out technology, which I worked on, and transform it in a Warp-15 core"
The smile evanished by Tomak's face. He looked at the first officer, then at doctor Jono Lamar, a Betazoid, searching for an answer. The captain knew what he was saying? Modifying a warp core without asking for a confirm by the Federation would have been... logical?
"Sir, I... i think we must ask... to the Federation, and... Maybe they have more qualified engineers to do that, Sir, I..." Tomak looked again to the other officers, but they seemed really frozen.
Only Nex talked, "I think ensign Tomak is right, sir. Captain, why do you want him to do this before asking to the Federation"
Tomak had the maximum respect for the captain's theories. He examinated them many times, and, personally, he thought they were perfect.
"I asked the Federation. They didn't authorize me." Hobbs answered, sitting down again, and looking at the smooth surface of the table.
"What?" Tomak said, calmly. But even the android Nex guessed that he was forcing himself to stay calm, "Captain, you know, I think that your theories are the only hope for Time Travelling without any risk"
"Anyway, Sir, we cannot violate a direct order." doctor Lamar said. Aira Kell nodded.
"Then, ensign? I want you to decide." Hobbs exclaimed.
"I worked here ten years. As your chief of engineering, sir. I will modify the core." Tomak responded.
"Tomak! Think about what you're doing!" doctor Lamar remarked.
"I think he's right, indeed." for the first time in this briefing the languages expert gived her opinion. Sarah Bennett was the gratest expert of alien languages in all the Federation, a human. "We have to support the captain's project. The chief of engineering worked on it, and he said it's all right"
"Yes, but, suppose that something goes wrong the first time we use this fantastic core. The Federation will know that we're doing that kind of experiments. They won't let us repeat it. If we're lucky, we will be alive, and captain Hobbs will be considered mad. We will be subjected to a trial, and I don't think we will win. If we're not lucky, we will be all dead, and the Argo will be destroyed!" doctor Lamar now was yelling. He looked at Tomak first, then at the captain.
"I want to go through this experiment. I don't need help. I'll find another ship. Jono... don't think that I don't agree with your opinion, but I'm a scientist, and as a scientist I think I must verify my theories." captain Hobbs was now professor Hobbs, firm in his creed and in his opinions, "Ensign Tomak... I think doctor Lamar is right. I can't ask for your help and use you, as I might do with a device"
Tomak interrupted him, standing up, "You're using noone!..." he sat again and calmed himself "... sir. I think you're only doing of your best"
"I don't think so. I will resign by the Federation in one, or, at least, two days." he turned to commander Kell, and he shook her hand, "I think you'll be the next captain on this ship. My congratulations"
"May I talk clearly, sir?" ensign Tomak asked.
"All right. Proceed." Hobbs answered.
Lamar intervened talking directly to Hobbs, and infinitely surprising Tomak, "You have no reason to leave, captain. I understand your reasons, and... I understand that my opinion should be considered logical, but... my words are the words of a computer. I am your friend. I will support you. And I hope that Aira Kell will accept to do the same, confiding in the fact that you will stop in time, if the experiment gets risky"
Hobbs looked to Aira Kell. She seemed... perplexed. "According to my precedent reasoning, I must say that I have faith on you"
-
Ten days later, a violent explosion shook the entire spacecraft. When Hobbs entered the engineering room, it was full of fog, provoked by a loss of material by the Warp core. That fog could damage any organic life form. The captain called medical section, when he saw that Tomak and the two assistents were closed in the internal section of warp core, when the explosion occurred.
"Tomak! Do you hear me?" the captain called the engineer with the communicator. He tried again, but, clearly, the Romulan couldn't answer.
Lamar arrived only one minute later.
"Have you tried expelling the fog by the primary unload module, sir?" the doctor suggested quickly.
"The module doesn't work, Jono. The energy is feeble." the captain answered, "We must try to use the external door 1, I'm afraid"
"I think it's too much dangerous, sir." the first officer was arrived in the engineering section.
"Take your overalls. Opening in two minutes." Hobbs ordered.
"On my mark." Hobbs looked at Aira Kell, and she returned his glance. "Magnetic lock... activated. Three.. two.. one.. mark!" The door opened, and the officers resisted to the force of the air that was unloaded in space. In the room there was only space vacuum. Hobbs closed the door and first walked towards the door of the internal core section.
"It's still locked." he said, "Kell, is there any possibility that Tomak and the assistents are still alive"
Aira Kell's voice answered from the commlink, "Yes, sir. There is 51.34 percent of possibility that they are still alive, sir"
"Well..." Hobbs said, "Computer, reactivate life support"
"Reactivating life support in 10 minutes." answered Computer's feminine voice.
"Ten minutes?" exclaimed Hobbs, "Tomak and the other two maybe don't have 10 minutes! Why so long time"
"The energy that warp core generator gives is the 40 of the normal energy." Computer explained.
"How is it possible?" asked doctor Lamar, when Hobbs entered the med bay, "I cannot even make my instruments work"
"I want you ready in engineering in two minutes, Lamar"
-
"Now I've made it." captain Hobbs unlocked the door of the internal section of the core, that was badly damaged by the fog. "Nex... help me plase. Draw on my three." he said, as he grabbed the extremity of the door, that was open only for a little.
"Aye, sir"
"One, two, three. Draw!". With Nex's help, Hobbs opened the door for a half.
"Ensign! Where are you?" the captain asked, as he entered the section. The core was here, pulsing at the lowest speed. One of the two assistants, two Bynars, called friendly by the crew "Qad" and "Daq", was laying on the floor, at a small distance from the core. Doctor Lamar bended down near him, and rose his Tricorder.
"The connection with the other Bynar has been broken, but... he seems still alive." he explained.
"Tomak!" Hobbs called. A small door, the door of the System additional memories' module, opened, and the face of the young Romulan appeared in the slot.
"Daq's down there. In the module, sir. I heard someone talking and I thought you were there, Sir." he said, as Hobbs helped him to stand up. The captain smiled.
"Why Qad wasn not with you?" Nex asked.
"For staying here there wasn't any risk, Sir. I and Daq were repairing another spoil, but I think this hasn't been a real spoil. We've been intentionally damaged by someone." Tomak answered.
"Why you say this?" Lamar asked.
"I understand this can seem strange, doctor, but in the internal section there was another spoil. We have three spoils. For the first, the probability that a tube connection breaks is of the 0.245 percent. For the second spoil, the probability that the core loses fluid is of the... 1.89 percent. For the third spoil... well the probability that a spoil occurs into the internal core section is... less than 0.01 percent, Sir"
Lamar nodded, "Well, we've made a nice record!". Tomak smiled abandoning for a while the Vulcan-like behaviour.
The Bynar Daq came out from the module and approached the chief of engineering. Doctor Lamar examinated him.
"I don't understand why he is still conscious, and Qad is not." he said, "Anyway, Tomak, follow me in med center"
Tomak nodded.
-
"Someone sabotaged us." Hobbs said to Nex and Aira Kell, in Main Briefing Room, some minutes later, "And in an evident way"
"I can't understand why, Sir." Kell remarked, "Even the Federation, knowing our projects, wouldn't arrive to this"
"I think that the Federation would stop us in a lawful way, Sir." Nex said.
"Yes, I think so. But, Nex, who could take an advantage by damaging us?" Hobbs asked.
-
Tomak sat on the medical bed one.
"You're all right, ensign." Doctor Lamar began examinating Qad, the Bynar that was still unconscious. "I don't understand why he's still in this status!" the Betazoid exclaimed.
"Is the communicating module intact, doctor?" Tomak asked, approaching the doctor. The little device installed on the Bynar's head seemed intact. "Well, let me see..." the Romulan murmured, opening the device and uncovering the circuits, "Have you got a screwdriver?" he asked, lost in thoughts.
Jono Lamar sighed, "I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!" he exclaimed.
Tomak 'woke up', "Oh, sorry, doctor." he said, smiling, "I was... absent"
The other Bynar gave Tomak a screwdriver, very worried for his colleague's status.
-
Jono Lamar entered the Main Briefing Room.
"How's Qad?" captain Hobbs asked.
"Tomak is repairing his communicating module. He said that, if that module is intact, the Bynar will be conscious. Without communicating to his native planet, and to the other Bynars, Qad's brain cannot work." Lamar explained.
"Well." Hobbs said, "Jono... I understand that the warp-15 modified core is nearly complete, but I think it's better stop the project and go back to StarBase 92. What do you think about"
"As a Betazoid, I sense only concern by you, captain, miss Bennett and Tomak. I don't deny I'm still sceptical about this project, but I think that, if we go back to Starbase 92, the Federation will know about our project and stop us. This is our last occasion." Lamar said, sitting near Nex.
"I think that we must first alalyse the structrural integrity of the ship... three spoils occurred, and we don't know how many will occurr." Aira Kell explained.
"Right. But let's hear the chief engineer's opinion." the captain ordered.
-
Captain Hobbs entered the sickbay, followed by doctor Lamar and commander Kell. Tomak was absorbed in his work, Daq was helping him.
"Ensign, how is going your work?" Hobbs asked.
Tomak was perplexed, and deluded, "I didn't find any anomaly in this communicating module, I'm afraid, sir"
"Why?" Kell asked.
"The explaination can be only one: the brain connection with the module is damaged." Tomak explained.
Lamar seemed resigned. He went out of the room, and came back with a strange instrument.
"What is the brain connection, doctor?" Hobbs asked.
Lamar opened the instrument, and extracted a little diode. "This is the brain connection. We have to sostitute Qad's." he said.
"How do you have it?" Aira Kell asked, eyeing the doctor suspiciously.
Jono, a little embarassed, closed the instrument's slot, "I, Tomak, and the two Bynars, made some experiments about communication brain-to-brain"
"And it worked!..." Hobbs asked, half smiling.
"Well, yes, we tested this once, but... we cannot guarantee." Lamar answered.
"I need my assistants. And, well, captain, they are friends." Tomak said. Lamar gived him that instrument.
"Hey, what are you going to do?" captain Hobbs asked, seizing Tomak's arm.
"I have to do something, sir. And Lamar will support me." Tomak exclaimed. Lamar, surprised, looked to Tomak, lightly nodding. "Yes, ensign." he said, finally.
Hobbs passed a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes for a while. He nodded, too, "Proceed"
Doctor Lamar switched on the life functions monitor for Qad, "Computer, vocal alert when critical"
"We have 35 seconds, more or less, from the moment we disconnect the brain connection from Qad." Tomak said, looking seriously to Lamar, that was looking like one that knows that he is going against logic.
"Why, someone has done this before?" the doctor asked.
"I was talking theorically." Tomak answered.
Under the communicating module, that was connected to Qad's head on a temple, there was a little cylinder, directly connected to the Bynar's brain. Tomak, very delicately, pulled out the cylinder. When he extraced it completely, Computer beeped and its feminine voice said: "Critical life functions: 10 percent of normal"
Tomak looked at the cylinder, sighing, "I need the separator phaser on minimum power. Daq, move! Quickly"
The Bynar ran away. "Tomak! Time is short!" Lamar warned.
25 seconds.
Daq came back, and Tomak separated the two halves of the module, and replaced the module.
15 seconds.
Tomak began welding the cylinder, but he had to do very slowly, or he would risk to damage it.
"Ensign!" Lamar shouted.
"Doctor! You must support the organic part. I think to mechanic and electronic." Tomak exclaimed.
5 seconds.
"Ok. Hypersleep capsule. Freeze... now." Lamar ordered.
The medical bed 1 was now covered by a screen: the Bynar was in hypersleep.
"Thanks, Jono." Tomak murmured, "I've not made it. We lost him"
"I think we didn't lose him, Tomak. Continue welding." Lamar said, smiling. Tomak obeyed.
"We have less than 5 seconds, ensign. When I put hypersleep off, you have to insert the module immediately, ok?" the doctor said. Tomak nodded.
"Now!" Jono shouted.
Tomak inserted the cylinder, and connected the communicating module. He made two steps back from the med bed.
The young Romulan looked desperately to Lamar.
"Computer, med bed 1 status." the doctor ordered.
"Life functions stable. 100 percent of normal." Computer answered.
Qad opened his eyes and stood up. He walked to Tomak.
"How are you?" Tomak asked, smiling.
"Only a bit of headache, chief..." the Bynar answered, forcing an eye-wink.
Tomak laughed, "You learned humour! I can't believe it"
"Now we have aboard a Bynar... who can use humour!" Lamar said, smiling to Tomak, "Fascinating"
The captain shook Qad's hand, "Welcome back. We missed you"
Qad was already communicating in high-speed with Daq.
-
"I agree with commander Kell's opinion, sir. We've to analyse the structural integrity of the ship." Tomak said, in Main Briefing room.
"Good. Computer, structural integrity analysis." Hobbs ordered.
"Analysis in 25 minutes." Computer's voice responded.
"Why?" Tomak murmured, "Why so long time"
"Computer is working in multi-tasking. Twenty-five processes." Computer answered.
"Tell me the processes from the one that takes more energy to the one that takes less energy." Kell said.
"First process: analysing main disk surface for possible errors. Second process: initialising DE process. Third process: calculating course for Gamma Eridani, our destination..." Computer was interrupted by Tomak.
"Stop. Commander, it's terrible." the young Romulan said.
"What?" Kell asked.
"DE process.. Dial and Exchange process... someone is transfering our database from our Computer!" Tomak explained.
"Computer, stop DE process." captain Hobbs ordered.
"Cannot stop. You have no permission to stop a primary process." Computer's voice said.
-
"Captain, what do we have to do?" Kell asked, while the captain, she and Tomak were walking through the section 3.
"Computer, how many time do we have before the transfer arrives to the secured section of Computer?" Hobbs asked.
"Nine minutes fourty-four seconds." Computer answered.
"Good." Steven Hobbs said.
"Sir." Tomak stopped walking.
"Number One, follow me in Advanced Programming Room. We're going to activate autodestruction sequence. We cannot leave those projects to... anyone who's scanning us." Hobbs decided, "Ensign, tell the crew this"
"Aye aye, sir." Tomak exclaimed.
A loud whistle introduced Tomak's communication to the crew.
"This is ensign Tomak speaking for the captain. Abandon ship, all personnel. This is not a drill. All personnel, abandon ship. This is not a drill. I say again: abandon ship, all personnel. This is not a drill"
-
"Recognized Hobbs, Steven, captain. Recognized Kell, Aira, commander." said Computer's voice, when Hobbs and Kell put their hands on the panel, in Advanced Programming Room.
"Set autodestruct sequence." Hobbs said, with resolute voice.
"Does the first officer concurd?" Computer asked.
"Yes." Kell confirmed, "Set autodestruct sequence. Now"
"Autodestruct will detonate in four minutes fifty-nine seconds." Computer said, with a bleep.
-
Red Alert was given by the captain. All the crew - ten persons - was evacuated in two shuttles, and all the projects were saved in a data unit.
But the captain seemed not wanting to go away.
"I must stay here and discover what happened. Who's hacking our system." he explained to Aira Kell.
"Sir, may I speak clearly?" she asked, with unexpressive voice. The captain nodded.
But her voice wasn't so unexpressive, when she said: "Sir, I think that your project will die with you"
Hobbs stared at her, "Do not worry. I won't die." He began walking towards the engineering section. Kell followed him.
"Go away, Aira!" Hobbs said. She continued following him.
"Who's the gratest codes expert in this crew?" Kell asked, rethorically.
When Hobbs and Kell entered the section, Tomak and miss Bennett were there, at terminal one.
"What are you doing here?" Hobbs shouted to them.
Sarah Bennett turned, "Sir! Come here! They're Romulans"
"What?" Hobbs asked, "It's impossible! Romulans are allies"
"Did you introduce in their system?" Kell asked.
"Nearly." Tomak said, "But I can't bypass this subroutine to free our computer"
"Have you tried with a normal data routine with free permission?" Aira Kell sat at the terminal, "I need a more fast access..." she murmured.
-
"I have a positronic brain, madam." Nex appeared between the doors. He entered, and doctor Lamar was following him.
Hobbs sighed. Tomak connected Nex's brain to the main Computer.
"I need more power." Nex said. Captain Hobbs made the little power generated by the core converge to Nex.
"Accessing!" Kell said. As she began introducing codes, Nex began trembling. Lamar examinated him.
"He cannot support this speed any more!" the doctor exclaimed.
"I try to reduce power frequency..." Hobbs said, "Better this way"
"Yeah... but his positronic patterns are melting... " doctor Lamar said.
As Computer said: "All processes terminated. Power at 100 percent.", Nex fell on the floor.
-
"Computer, deactivate autodestruct sequence." Hobbs ordered.
"Does the first officer concurd?" Computer asked.
"Yes. Deactivate autodestruct sequence." Kell answered, firmly.
"How is Nex?" Kell asked to Tomak, as he turned to her.
"He's OK. He's rebooting right now. I connected his brain to secondary patterns." Tomak answered. Nex stood up.
He looked absently to captain Hobbs, then to commander Kell, "Did you make it, madam"
"Yes, Nex. How do you feel?" Kell said.
"Not too bad, commander. I have to restore some of my patterns and some of my memory units, but I can say that my life parameters are... good." Nex answered.
"Sir! Come here, on tactical!" miss Bennett shouted. On the screen, a giant Romulan Warbird was deactivating his cloaking device.
"We cannot win against a bird of that power, sir!" Bennett continued. The romulan spacecraft fired to the Argo.
"Shields at 50 percent. They won't hold." Kell said.
-
"Ensign Tomak, The warp-15 core is ready?" Hobbs asked, while the Argo stopped rolling.
"Yes, but... what do you want to do, Sir?" Tomak said, worried.
"Engage warp 15!" the captain ordered.
"Sir! We've not..." Kell began, but Tomak activated Warp-15.
The time seemed to be frozen. Miss Bennett, that was standing on her feet, fell and hit her head. Captain Hobbs looked out of the window on his right. Stars were dancing in front of him, in colourful strips, and forming shining big heaps. "It's wonderful!" Hobbs exclaimed, but noone of his crew seemed to be hearing him.
An eternity. Hobbs lived through an eternity. Infinite times he tried to stood up, and help miss Bennett, or walk towards the window. And infinite times he asked to himself: am I still alive? Professor Hobbs was making experience of his own unexperimented invention.
The room swirled around Hobbs, and he felt that two pairs of hands were helping him to stand up.
"Sir? Are you OK?" the worried voice of Tomak asked. Hobbs turned towards the Romulan.
"Yes. I'm all right." Hobbs answered, smiling to Tomak and doctor Lamar, "A fascinating experience"
"Without any offence, sir, I think I have more precise data then you. I can put them on screen." Nex said. Miss Bennett walked towards him and connected the android to the main monitor.
"No offence, Nex. Proceed." Hobbs said.
"It seems that the warp-15 core took us in a place... which is only one light year away from the place we were!" Tomak exclaimed, when many data appeared on screen, "Incredible"
"Computer, what day is it today?" Hobbs asked.
"Today is the 20th of September 2063." the feminine voice answered.
"What?..." Hobbs gasped. Aira Kell rose her eyebrows.
"We are in the day when Zefram Cochrane did the first warp-speed space flight." Lamar said, solemnly.
-
"Ensign Tomak, do we have enough power to do another leap?" the captain asked.
"No, sir. The Romulans' shot dameged us very much." Tomak answered.
"We must find some materials to repair the ship, sir." Aira Kell gived a pad to Hobbs.
"Hysolinears modules... subnet patterns... who can have here those things?" the captain shook his head.
"Zefram Cochrane!" miss Bennett answered, smiling.
-
"When we will transport on the surface, we have to ask help to Cochrane. We have only an hour to do this: after this time, Cochrane will begin warp-speed flight." Hobbs said.
"And where's the risk?" Lamar asked.
Hobbs eyed him with a mad expression on his face, "Where-is-the-risk? We could only make the whole Universe collapse, with a Space-Time Paradox"
"How we could have a space-time paradox?" Tomak asked.
Aira Kell changed the view on screen, and displayed an outline of all the possibilities.
"Consider that all this is merely theorical." she said, "Anyway, we can generally have a space-time paradox when we meet ourselves in the past or future, or when we explain with many details who we are in a time different from ours, or when we cause a serious variation in the continuum"
Nex intervened, "So we cannot give explainations, and for this reason we cannot meet the Vulcans that will arrive after the flight"
"Great! And how we can convince Cochrane to give us the materials that we need without any explaination?" doctor Lamar asked.
"We'll find a way." assured captain Hobbs.
-
"Daq, begin transporting sequence. Kell, take the helm, and I trust in your logic to take us aboard on my order, or interrupt the mission when you think it's right." Hobbs said, almost sadly.
Aira Kell made a solemn nod with her head.
Daq transported captain Hobbs, miss Bennett and Nex on the early Earth's surface.
"There, captain, there is Cochrane's base." Nex indicated a place over the hills. The three members of the Argo moved towards it, and explored the zone.
"Here we are, sir." miss Bennett entered the base, enthusiastic, "This is the Phoenix, the first warp-speed spacecraft"
A loud hiss interrupted her, and a violent explosion shook the Earth. The ceiling crumbled, and Nex pulled away the captain.
"Thanks, Nex! We've to go away!" the captain tapped his commlink, "Kell, beam us up"
They now were in Transporter Room 1.
"What... what were those explosions, sir?" miss Bennett asked, fearful.
"An air raid. The bloody after-war on Earth, Sarah. But we're safe, now." Hobbs explained, reassuring her.
Sarah Bennett nodded and went away from the room, while Aira Kell was entering.
"Sir, we have no more time. We have only an hour..." the Vulcan said.
-
Ensign Tomak stood at attention when Steven Hobbs entered the Main Engineering Room.
"Why did they attack us?" Hobbs murmured, "How did they know that we were doing those experiments? You must admit it's strange, Tomak. You were the only Romulan on this ship... and the chief of engineering"
Tomak closed his eyes for a while, "As a logical person, sir, I must admit that an accusation against me is well-based. As a Romulan that is fond of his honour, I have to tell you, sir, respectfully, that you should know how I am, sir. And you should know that I would never disgrace the name of my family betraying the Federation!... sir"
Professor Hobbs smiled and went closer to the young ensign, "I didn't truly want to accuse you. I just wanted to see your reaction, and... I'd like to see if you know something about a possible civil war, or disorder, on Romulus"
"No civil war, captain." Tomak answered, "But there is a group of Romulans that abandoned the capital planet from more then a month. They agree with the Klingon moral, and they want to fight again for their territory"
"Do you think that they could have attacked our ship, to have a more advanced - the most advanced technology in the whole Universe?" the captain nodded, perplexed, "Maybe yes, Tomak"
-
"Qad, Daq... how much time do we have before the captain goes on the surface again?" Tomak asked to the two Bynars.
"Only ten minutes, sir." Qad said.
"Ok. Let's hurry! Give me those two data units... the ones for the transporter, yes..." the Romulan said.
Aira Kell entered the engineering room.
"What are you doing, ensign?" she asked.
"I'm trying to program Computer. In this way we could replicate the materials that we need, madam." Tomak explained, opening a slot and putting into it his Tricorder.
"Interesting." Kell commented.
"Madam, if you help me, I'll finish in half the time!" Tomak said.
"Right." the Vulcan said, sitting to the consolle and beginning to programme the units.
-
"Sir, we cannot go on in this way! We have too few energy! The instruments in the med bay are unstable... and we cannot use the transporter!" doctor Lamar sat in the captain's office.
"Jono, I'm going on the surface of the Earth, now. Don't worry, we'll find a way." Hobbs said, going to the door.
"But if you arrive there during another air raid? Or, how will you explain your uniform?" the doctor asked again.
"We already discussed about that, Jono." captain Hobbs tuned to him, "You don't trust on me, do you"
Jono Lamar stood up and went closer to Hobbs, "Steve, you have to understand... you're a scientist, not a captain"
Professor Hobbs suddenly smiled, and his face brightened. He grabbed the doctor's shoulders, shaking him, "And you're the best counselor I've ever met"
The captain turned to his desk, then opened the doors and went away from his office, leaving Lamar really astounded, in the middle of the room.
-
Professor Hobbs entered the engineering section, and his crew stood at attention.
"I heard about your idea, and it seems better then mine. Let's work!" he said.
"You are saying that you are not going to the planet Earth?" Nex asked.
"Yes, that's right, liutenent. Kell, work on him. Try to connect the positronic patterns using secondary channels. Tomak, I want you to modify the core for using the auxiliar and the bio systems' generator." Hobbs ordered, sitting at a consolle and extracting a memory from it.
Aira Kell and Tomak nodded. The captain called miss Bennett.
"Liutenent, I want you to traduce all the informations that we have about the Romulans' system. Maybe it can help"
-
One hour later, the captain was absorbed in modifying the warp core. Tomak was at the consolle, Hobbs was connecting the last wires.
"Tomak, activate main core!" the captain ordered, standing up and making some steps back. Tomak activated the core: its 'pulses' seemed stable, but, fifteen seconds later, they accelerated to an incredible speed.
"Sir, structural integrity 86 percent." Kell notified. A violent pulse shook the ship.
"Captain, the Vulcan ship is coming." Nex said.
Hobbs went up to miss Bennett, "What did you discover"
Miss Bennett smiled, turning to the captain, "The program for the cloaking device"
-
"Kell, prepare two cells from the Holodeck and link them double-wired, crossed. Tomak, reverse the power of the polar inductor, in the core." Hobbs ordered. Doctor Lamar entered the room.
"Jono, please, prepare a shuttle, with all the non-essential personnel of the spacecraft. I'm doing a dangerous experiment, here." Hobbs said, absent, absorbed in what he was doing.
Lamar shook his head, smiling, "There is no non-essential personnel in this ship, sir"
Qad and Daq helped Tomak to reprogramme the inductor. "We need your help, sir. The explosion damaged the left section of the core." the Romulan said. Hobbs went closer to Qad, and helped him.
"Sir, the Vulcan ship is here!" miss Bennett shouted.
"Kell, activate cloaking device!" Hobbs ordered. Commander Kell completed the linking sequence. The Argo evanished from the Vulcans' radar.
-
Hobbs entered his office and set at his desk. The door chimed: "Come." the captain said.
Aira Kell walked to the captain, "I came for report, as you ordered, sir"
"Core status, commander Kell." Hobbs ordered. The Vulcan rose her eyebrows, and switched on the captain's monitor.
"The situation is relatively stable. We know that the core will remain stable to warp 11, but ensign Tomak said that we can't do a warp-15 leap." Kell explained, pointing to a technical outline on the screen, "The core will accellerate... to destruction"
"What about restoring the mark-out technology?" the captain asked.
"It may take too much time. And we haven't so much time. In a few hours, the Vulcan ship of ambassador T'Pau will arrive here, on Earth, to meet the Earthlings leaders. And the cloaking device, with a so powerful Vulcan ship, will be no use from us. We've not enough power." the first officer seemed deluded.
Hobbs sighed and stood up, walking to the Vulcan, "Aira, I think we have no chance. We'll do a warp-11 leap, we won't go beyond time barrier, but we'll go as far as we can from here"
"I think it's a matter of faith again, sir." Aira said, nodding, very expressively for a Vulcan.
"Faith in who, Kell? We can only trust on ourselves!" Hobbs said, angrily.
"Exactly, captain." Kell turned to the door, and went out from the office.
-
Jono Lamar entered engineering section. Tomak was bent on the floor, restoring all the core links, and the doctor thought it was a very hard work: the Romulan was linking some optical wires, of a thickness of not more then 2 mm.
"Need help?" the doctor asked, bending near the chief.
Tomak turned to him, lightly nodding, "Maybe I need the eye of a good surgeon, sir." he said, smiling.
Doctor Lamar took the welding phaser and begun uniting the optical wires. "When will we do the next brain-to-brain communication experiment, doctor?" Tomak asked, nearly rethorically.
"As soon as we can, Tomak. How is your telepathy practice?" Lamar asked.
"Oh, well, I'm only a beginner. But commander Kell is a good master." Tomak answered, smiling, "Finished"
"Me too." Lamar said.
"Thank you for your help, doctor. Now, we can... hope in a good result." Tomak said, as Aira Kell entered the room.
"Very good." the Vulcan said, "Now we have the 37.2 percent of probability that we can do a warp-15 leap"
"It's a good probability, or not?" Lamar asked.
"It's less then 50 percent." Kell noticed.
The android Nex went up to the first officer, "Madam, I finished programming the leap subroutines"
-
As the captain entered the helm, commander Kell turned to him.
"Ready for warp 15, sir." Kell said.
"Yes." Hobbs said. He pressed the communication-to-crew button, and a loud whistle sounded in the ship's corridors.
"This is the captain speaking to the crew. Now we will do a warp-15 leap. Just stay in a protected section, as the engineering or the sickbay, and do not walk in the corridors. Good luck"
Aira Kell closed the communication and took the helm. Nex setted the route.
"Well, Nex, taxi to runaway at your choice and hold short!" captain Hobbs said.
The android turned to the captain, perplexed, "What, sir"
"Engage!" the captain ordered, smiling.
The light sense of vacuum around was back. The captain fell on his chair, and certainly the other members of the crew had the same feeling. On the screen, the stars were dancing, drawing in the sky colourful pictures. Suddenly, the ship stopped moving, and the unexpected movement 'woke' the crew. Hobbs stood up, and went closer to the screen.
"Where are we, Kell?" the captain asked.
"Stardate 5021.18. The same day we left, sir." Kell answered.
A great sense of relief took captain Steven Hobbs. Doctor Lamar entered the helm, and the Betazoid's face expressed the biggest happyness ever.
"We're home." Jono Lamar said.