February 1, 2387

USS Yeager

"I have it on long-range scans, Captain," Lt. Hirae called from her post at the conn. On the Yeager, Ops was combined with navigation and manned by the conn officer. The bridge was smaller than on any other starship Tom had ever served on, with only a small tactical station and a combined engineering station linked to main engineering as well as all the shuttle bays.

On the main viewer, as the image enlarged, they could see the leading edge of what had been described as the spatial anomaly. The crew only had very vague, general information. The official orders were clear. They were in this sector to test all ten craft they carried with them. They were moving through various sectors of space and conducting a laundry list of tests for each craft, in succession. The testing period in each sector was scheduled for about three months. Any modifications and on-the-fly adjustments were scheduled, implemented, and then tested again.

This morning, the crew selected for the secret mission on the Owen Paris had been briefed. Tom had chosen his crew for that carefully. Hirae, the Bajoran helm officer who had just spoken, was the best pilot on the ship, and potentially one of the best pilots he had ever seen in action. The running joke of the crew was that she somehow had acquired Medusan DNA, a race of beings not part of the Federation, who were known for their innate abilities to navigate. She had a sixth sense it seemed, feeling the helm instead of just manipulating it. The secondary pilot was Hirae's best friend on the ship, a joined Trill named Jalon Gim. She was also just as skilled, though she was first to claim all of that talent was bestowed upon her by her symbiont, Gim, who had lived three other lifetimes, all of whom were pilots in one fashion or another. Jalon Hebber, the person she had been before being joined, was a scientist, with five degrees in astrophysics and quantum mechanics. Tom had joked it was as if she had been made to serve on his ship, the perfect balance of what was required for this unique mission.

To round out the crew, he had also enlisted two engineers. Lieutenant Ralana D'jak, one of his finest engineers who had worked on the Alpha team on Starbase 47, who had requested posting to his first command the moment she was made aware the posting existed, had been selected. Along with Ralana, another crew member from Starbase 47, Ensign Tara Palmetto was also assigned. The only difference with Palmetto was that Tom had requested her for his ship, the young woman not yet confident in her skills and abilities to believe she was worthy of the posting. He had had to explain to Palmetto, with some difficulty, that both B'Elanna and Aaron had believed she was one of the best engineers they'd had on Starbase 47, her frequent posting to Ops just one example of that faith in action.

Working with people who had served on the station with him had its ups and downs. Familiarity was always preferred, especially after the spirit of camaraderie that had developed between them over the years. He also knew their strengths and their weaknesses, what they were capable of and how extraordinary they were when the chips were down. However, it also brought with it complications as well. Palmetto and D'jak had been direct witnesses to the tragedies that had been the upstream cause for his very presence here, his promotion and his mission. It was both a comfort and a curse. They understood, better than anyone other than Harry, what he carried around inside himself. They had known his daughter and his wife on a personal level. They had worked under Aaron for eight years, and they knew Dr. T'Lassa just as long.

The other part of his choice had been simply because they already understood at least part of the spatial anomaly they were investigating. The full briefing had been eye-opening, he knew, as he'd seen the shock on their faces as he had explained. They were professionals, however, and had digested the information quickly and then rolled with the tasks they knew were upcoming as a result. Aside from the four of them, plus Tom and Harry, the only other person on board who knew the whole truth was the second officer, Lieutenant Commander Pablo Baytard, late of the starship Voyager and more recently, Starbase 47.

"All stop, Lieutenant," Tom ordered casually. He was sure Hirae knew exactly what they were headed towards, but she gave no outward sign, playing her role well. "Let's get some detailed scans, shall we?" he added.

"Aye, Sir," she replied, her hands flying over the console in a complicated dance. After a time, she started to report the readings out loud. "It's approximately one light year across." Tom heard the thinly veiled amazement in her tone, not an act, for this was the first time they were making direct observations of the phenomenon. It was large, larger than Starfleet had believed it would be by the time they arrived. The rate of change was increasing faster than anyone knew. "Gravimetric readings are…abnormal," she said, slowing her speech as she scanned the readings. "High levels of both delta and gamma radiation. We're at a safe distance now, Sir, but we should stay at least a million kilometers away, just to be safe."

"Sounds like a plan, Ensign," Tom replied, keeping his voice neutral though her initial scans were troubling.

"Impulse engines only, Ensign," Harry told her, seated beside Tom on the bridge. "We drop anchor at those coordinates."

"Sir?" Hirae asked, her nose ridges wrinkling as she made a questioning face.

With a half-smile, Tom replied to her. "Commander Kim is making a historical reference. Like an old Earth aircraft carrier, Ensign."

Tom saw Hirae smile briefly over her shoulder. "We're trying to keep up with those, Sir. You know a lot more than the rest of us."

Harry snickered. "I've known him for 15 years, Ensign, and I still can't always keep up. Don't worry, you're doing fine."

The feeling on the bridge was comfortable, and Tom gave an internal sigh of gratitude for it. How he had served on Voyager had always been that way, and though the circumstances were different, his goal was to recreate that feeling of camaraderie and teamwork that he had always known and relied on. His crew was still learning how to be with him…and each other, for that matter. Even this little bit of casual conversation was telling him things were going in the right direction.

"At impulse, we'll be at the coordinates in approximately one hour, Sirs," Hirae added.

"Thank you, Ensign," Tom replied, as he thumbed the panel on his armrest and scanned the data she had already collected, as it continued to stream in.

}LS{

"I only asked for two weeks at a time, Commander. You did the whole three months?" Tom kidded. Harry had presented him with a detailed duty roster that mapped out all of the testing they needed to do in the next three months, complete with specific assignments.

"You know me, Tom, Ensign Eager. Or…I guess it's Commander Eager now," Harry replied. Tom and Harry were casually conversing as they moved down the corridor.

"You know, I know you were offered your own ship, Harry. And that you turned it down…to be my XO," Tom admitted.

Harry blushed, keeping his eyes on the deck as they moved. "She was…a tiny research vessel. Nothing compared to the Yeager."

"Yeah…but she would have been yours. That's been your ultimate dream since I knew you…your singular goal since we got back to the Alpha Quadrant. Two years in the captain's chair and you could have your pick of commands after that," Tom told him.

"Some of the happiest times I ever had on Voyager were when I was working with you…when we were building the Delta Flyer. I wanted to feel like that again. Maybe not everything I do has to be what's best for my career. Maybe something can be what's best for me," Harry replied wistfully.

"I gave you the right of refusal for the XO on Starbase 47…and you turned it down to go star hopping with Chakotay. Which was fine, because I got Aaron out of it." Tom paused, just the slightest cloud passing over his eyes at the thought of his lost friend. "But if that was really what you wanted…you would have taken it then."

"I was in a hurry to get back out there, I'll admit it," Harry told him. "But, like I said, maybe that's not what's best for me anymore."

"Or maybe what's best for me," Tom interjected. Harry merely flushed again in reply.

The moment was poignant, hanging between the two men as they absorbed it. Harry lightened the mood, afraid too much emotion here would ruin things. With a smirk, Harry added, "Someone's got to make sure you stay out of trouble out here, right?"

Tom laughed in return, warm on the inside at his friend's words, as well as his genuine concern. It was nice to know that no matter what, Harry was, and always would be, his best friend.

}LS{

Just like clockwork, the crew was working along with Harry's plan. With ten craft scheduled to be tested, there was little room for deviation from the plan. Harry had left room for design adjustments, recalibrations, and repeat tests. However, all of the routine work needed to stay on schedule to allow those other blocks of time to be used most effectively. It also allowed the clandestine side mission to work without anyone knowing. Harry had arranged the schedule precisely enough that the shuttle bay was empty and all the crew involved were elsewhere while the ship was due to leave. None of the controls for this portion of the shuttle bay were accessible from the bridge. Everything worked directly on site, including redocking the ship. The bay was angled so that the main viewscreen on the bridge had no access, provided the trajectory was maintained correctly.

Tom was running down his pre-flight checklist with his crew, all coordinating at their own stations inside the ship. D'jak and Palmetto were chatting amicably with the same aire of camaraderie that he had seen all along up to this point. This mission hadn't rattled them. Gim was curious. Hirae was anxious. Tom was heartened to see that Gim was constantly working to put Hirae at ease, despite the fact that no one knew exactly what to expect once the ship breached the leading edge of the spatial distortions emanating from the area.

"That's an all clear, repeat, all clear. We are prepared for launch," Tom replied over the comm.

"Roger, Owen Paris, that's a go. Opening bay doors. Have a safe flight," Harry's voice over the comm said, filling the inside of the craft.

Tom engaged the engines and the ship gracefully lifted from the deck of the shuttle bay. The air crackled gently as the ship passed through the forcefield, then swiftly sailed out into open space. The trajectory took them on a vector exactly opposite from the Yeager's orientation. The Owen Paris' shields had a feature that made her undetectable to the Yeager's sensors, a cross between a cloaking device and sonar-proofing on an old Earth submarine. His tiny ship had the most advanced shielding of any ship currently in service in the entire Federation, the final version of a mock-up first contrived on Starbase 47, by a team lead by Lieutenant Commander Michaels.

In the simplest of ways, Aaron was still with them, Tom thought sadly. The investigation into his death on Starbase 47 was still ongoing, or so he was told, but much of the investigation was classified beyond his security clearance. It was irksome, considering he was out here, running this mission, to stop the same beings Tom was certain were responsible for Aaron's death. He could let the details go, however, considering, deep down, it didn't matter…the details were relatively unimportant. In the end, it couldn't bring Aaron back. The best thing Tom could do was to succeed here–find the sphere builders and determine what they were doing, what advantage they were trying to secure here in 2387 that would eventually turn the tables in 2567.

"Captain, delta radiation levels outside the ship are rising. Shields are holding," Gim said.

"The radiation extends farther than the distortions. We should be picking up gamma radiation pretty soon, Ensign," Tom replied.

"Confirmed, Captain," she answered him. "Gamma radiation is still within acceptable limits, however, both are increasing in intensity as we speak, Sir."

"Just keep a close eye on the shield integrity, Ensign. Number one priority. We dip below 50% and we're toast. Literally," Tom replied.

"Aye, Sir," she replied with a smirk, reminded of her captain's penchant for comical quips as a standard way to ease tension.

Tom let them do their jobs, and just basked in the joy he felt at last being behind the helm of a ship, one of his first loves since he had been a young boy. Didn't ever think when I stole your shuttle all those years ago that I'd been flying a ship named after you, Dad…but I couldn't be prouder, he said inside his head. It was a comfort of his sometimes, to just talk to him, even if Tom wasn't sure it was ever heard. He didn't know what he believed really, when it came to that…only that if there was such a place where his father could be, and his father could hear him, that he did.

The blackness of space was replaced by what looked like glowing pink on the sensors…a roiling mass that looked vaguely bubble-like, nebulous but with a definite barrier. He eased up on the thrusters and moved the craft closer to the edge.

"Radiation levels, both delta and gamma, off the chart, Sir. Shields holding," Gim repeated.

"Steady as she goes," Tom said, nodding to Hirae, his co-pilot, who was on stand-by for any drastic course corrections needed once they were free moving inside the anomaly. The ship crossed the barrier.

Tom felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, unable to shake the feeling that they were encased inside a giant ball of jelly, something viscous like liquid and not the empty vacuum of space. It almost felt like it was dragging on the ship, weighing it down. Was it just an optical illusion? His imagination? The shields were working fine, protecting them from the radiation as well as any graviton disturbances.

"This is so weird," Hirae said, gazing out the viewscreen, as if she were searching for something beyond the swirling pink cloud.

"It's like running underwater," Tom answered, keeping the conversational tone. After a few moments, Tom spoke again. "Ralana, start scanning," Tom called to the engineer. "We are looking for any type of craft or cylinder…similar to what you saw during the original briefing. That is priority one. Secondarily, we are looking to see if there is any evidence of where this originated. Possibly any evidence of a cloaking barrier, although those were only known to exist outside of areas such as these in the past."

"Aye, Sir," Ralana replied, followed by Ensign Palmetto, quieter and slightly delayed as Ralana gave her access on the console to assist.

There was no time restriction for the sensitivity of the shields, but in order to keep the semblance of normalcy, and to keep the presence of the ship a secret, they were due back to rendezvous with the Yeager in three hours. It was a long time to be moving so slowly through a vista that was monotonous and ominous at the same time. Chit chat was the best way to ease the tension…and Tom could do that with his eyes closed. Time passed slowly as they investigated.

"Detecting increasingly high levels of ammonium sulfide," Gim announced. "According to the logs we have from the Enterprise, conditions outside are identical to what they encountered in 2153."

"The spatial anomaly's conditions are also identical to the one described by the Enterprise where they discovered the pod and the alien as well. They had determined the disturbances were being caused where the spheres intersected," D'jak reminded everyone.

"Which points to the fact that we are looking for evidence of a new sphere…or whatever type of construct the sphere builders have after 200 years. Evidence of an advanced type of cloaking field as well…they're hidden. They would have to be," Tom said aloud, adding another reminder, ensuring the team knew exactly what they were looking for.

"Based on the Enterprise's logs, the spheres were outside of the spatial disturbances. T'Pol calculated the trajectory and interactions they observed…even to the point she extrapolated to suggest more spheres…that were later confirmed by the Xindi. I'm utilizing her algorithms to estimate the potential locations of anything that may be converging on this location and creating the effect," Gim instructed them.

Exactly what Tom wanted to hear. His faith in his crew was such a comfort. Even under the most complex situations, they never let him down. "Exactly what I wanted to hear, Lieutenant," Tom offered. Everyone was highly focused on their tasks, silence filled the cabin, and time crept along at a slower feeling pace.

Their allotted mission time was close to running out when a loud, trilling alarm pierced the stillness. Tom didn't visibly flinch, but his suddenly rapid breath tightened his voice as he ordered, "Report."

"Proximity detector, Captain," Gim said crisply. Her hands were a blur on the control panel. Tom could both see and hear the questions, even as she made the brief report.

"What the hell set it off? There's nothing on the main sensors," he replied, observing the readings in front of him.

Gim didn't respond right away, her brow furrowed as she studied the curious readings. Ralana spoke aloud, disrupting Gim's concentration. "Captain, it's the same thing that happened on Starbase 47…before they detected the anomaly. Aberrant proximity alarms with no apparent cause."

It had been nagging at the back of his mind, and she had just confirmed it. It couldn't be a coincidence, he thought. It just couldn't be. His mind started racing, but before he could even open his mouth to issue another order, he felt the entire craft rumble as everything around them shook. He felt the inertial jarring of a collision in his teeth and his bones. "What the hell…?" It slipped out, his unofficial phrasing of "report."

"I'm detecting tachyons, Captain. I think we just collided with a cloaked…whatever that is, Sir," Hirae interjected.

Instinctively, Tom activated the thrusters and moved the craft away. "Keep scanning, Ensign," he ordered. "Use the modifications we used on the station. I have a strange feeling that it will match the tachyon radiation we detected back then." That radiation had left residue on the station components, as well as inside Aaron's fatal wounds and B'Elanna's brain.

It only took a few seconds. Gim was the one to shout it out to him. "Check the scanner, Captain. That image is what is left when I trace the tachyons to the source."

Tom felt a chill run down his spine as his heart started racing. Gim had transferred the image to the main viewer on the scanning equipment. It left a sensor ghost, a hole in the surrounding nebulous pink material surrounding them. Which just happened to be the outline with the exact specifications they were expecting…while looking for another pod.

When he could speak again, Tom said slowly, "So in 200 years…they not only learned how to rebuild the spheres, but they cloaked their test subject pods. Archer found the first one too easily…and we know he used the readings back then to convince the Xindi that he was telling the truth. They were trying to keep this hidden."

"Do they know we just found it? I mean, are they monitoring us?" Palmetto asked.

"Let's not wait around to find out. Our three hours are almost up anyway. We have enough data for you to try and locate any cloaked spheres. We can come back for our friend next time…" Tom concluded, as he powered up the thrusters and engaged the engine.

All excellent leads, he thought. They needed to find a way to disrupt the cloaking technology surrounding the pod. Thank god Harry was here, Tom thought. If anyone could figure that out, it was Harry.