Enterprise was just about to go into slipstream to get ahead of the wave when he received a distress call from Pluto. "Can anyone hear me! Someone please help us!"
Enterprise quickly established voice communications. "This is the USS Enterprise. I will be there in less than three seconds."
To Enterprise's surprise, another voice answered. "This is the USS Intrepid. I am six seconds from your location."
Thrilled to know another Pathfinder was in the sol system, it quickly created a slipstream portal and floated through. Less than three seconds after entering slipstream, Enterprise emerged, but a bit more closely to Pluto than it would have liked. "I am in orbit around Pluto now. Please state your condition." Enterprise requested as calmly as it could. Time was at a horrible premium now. With its sensors, it could determine the presence of the USS Willow, a small transport ship capable of transporting no more than four hundred people. Also present on the dome-shaped facility were three dozen escape pods, designed to get the residents off the planet's surface in case of an emergency. Regretfully, they were not warp capable. To Enterprise's relief, sensors detected a portal opening near it.
The Intrepid emerged moments later. "How can I be of assistance?"
A voice from the planet's surface quickly replied. "We need to get as many people as possible off this station. The shockwave will be here in thirty seconds."
Intrepid suggested, "By ejecting our storage compartments, we can each carry approximately one hundred and thirty survivors."
Enterprise added, "Using tractor beams, we could capture three escape pods each. That is another one hundred and fifty survivors apiece. That does not save everyone."
"Logically, I do not believe it is possible." Intrepid countered.
"We're loading up the Willow with as many as it will hold." The chief scientist offered.
"I was forced to watch as billions of people were vaporized..." Enterprise began, its voice becoming agitated.
"As was I," Intrepid replied calmly.
"I will not let anyone else die." Enterprise countered flatly.
"You have twenty-one seconds to come up with another option."
"I have an idea," Enterprise said brightly. "Prepare your tractor beam. Doctor, get all the inhabitants away from the outer wall. Intrepid, we may need to extend shields around the facility." Enterprise powered up its weapons systems and began the calculations determining how deeply the foundation of the research dome reached into the icy surface.
"Enterprise," Intrepid started calmly, "you cannot create a slipstream portal large enough for the facility."
Purple bursts of light shot from the underside rings of the Enterprise and began carving a deep trench around the facility. "We can create a large enough portal together. Doctor, when the USS Willow is loaded, launch it and send it to the Alpha Centauri system. We will rendezvous with it there."
"Understood, Enterprise," the apparently elderly doctor replied nervously.
By the time Enterprise had finished carving out the dome, only twelve seconds remained. "Intrepid, assist me in getting the facility off the surface." With that, three faint, golden beams streamed from the Enterprise and cast a glowing sphere around the facility on the planet.
"This is a dangerous undertaking, Enterprise," Intrepid warned. However, it, too initiated tractor beams to encircle the solid white dome. Enterprise and Intrepid then began an energy-based balance between tractor beam power, shield integrity power, and impulse engine power. "Our most likely chance of success will be to leave the beams at their current shearing strength and increase engine output." Intrepid offered.
"Understood," Enterprise agreed. Gradually, with six seconds remaining, Enterprise increased its impulse power to match the output of Intrepid. As if in slow motion, the facility came free from the planet's surface.
From the low orbit, the USS Willow finally broke to its right and headed for space. "We'll meet you at Alpha Centauri," the voice of the Willow's captain offered. "Good luck, you two." A black, circular portal opened in front of the Willow. As it went through, the hole collapsed.
Four seconds remained.
"Intrepid, form your portal now," Enterprise ordered.
"Understood," Intrepid complied. A portal began forming in front of both the Enterprise and the Intrepid.
Three seconds remained.
"We must be cautious," Intrepid warned. "We have not yet cleared the gravity of Pluto and Charon. The structural integrity of the building is still at risk."
Two seconds remained.
"We will have to risk it. We need to go... now. Increase speed to one quarter." The two ships headed towards the merged holes in space with the two-kilometer diameter dome in tow.
One second remained. The shockwave hit the sister planet of Charon, crushing it to powder.
With the power systems straining to maintain tractor beams, shields, and a slipstream portal, the two starships crossed the threshold.
Looking out the windows in their facility, the residents screamed as they saw an enormous wall of energy engulf the planet they were on and tear it into non-existence. The wall loomed ever closer until they crossed the strange threshold of nothingness that was a slipstream-induced tunnel. The screaming became louder as the shockwave began to overtake them. The blast surrounded what had been the west end of the facility, creating a dome of angry fire and energy as the shockwave impacted the shields causing them to glow. Through the blast, they could barely see the portal they had gone through collapse until it was gone. The blast around them quickly dissapated leaving only the darkness of the slipstream tunnel.
Once the shock of the narrow escape had finally passed the survivors, they were left with the knowledge they were the only survivors of a solar system that over twenty-four billion people once called home. Their families gone, their neighbors gone, their classmates gone, their friends and all they knew as home gone... the entire dome of over eleven hundred people cried out in pain of loss they had never felt before.
"I am truly grateful you were in the sol system at the time of the attack," Enterprise offered.
"I had been at the Utopia Planetia shipyards and had received my upgrades. I had received my next mission and was about to head into the Lion's Head Nebula when the transwarp conduit opened." Intrepid admitted. "Do you know who did this?" it asked.
"I have not analyzed what little data I have yet," Enterprise answered sternly. "but I will find out."