"Node one registers at forty-eight percent power. Node two registers at thirty-five percent power. Node three registers at fifty percent power. Node four registers at one hundred percent power. I have depleted a total of forty-two point seven five percent of available power. All four nodes can be recharged in eighty hours if my power expenditure can be reduced to minimal output." He replied emotionlessly.
"Understood." Enterprise's power reserves were at a similar level, meaning similar journeys with a two kilometer duratanium alloy dome would need to be paced accordingly. Its sensors snapped on and began scanning the area, which was mysteriously devoid of two very important features, Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, the twin suns. The seven planets orbiting the twin suns were also missing. Long range sensors detected a depleted shockwave travelling away from the location of the suns. Who or whatever was responsible for the destruction of the Sol system had apparently also destroyed the Alpha Centauri system as well, killing its two and a half billion inhabitants. Ninety-three thousand kilometers from Enterprise and Intrepid's location, the only other object in the solar system, the USS Willow sat motionless in space, silent. Enterprise was starting to become numbed by the volumes of death it was witness to, something that alarmed it.
"It would appear this system has suffered the same fate as the Sol system," Intrepid remarked callously.
"So it would seem," Enterprise agreed quietly. "We need to get these survivors somewhere safe. We cannot continue expending power this way. I shall contact other Federation worlds that are class M." First, it attempted to contact Althos IV, then Andoria, then Bajor, Cait, Delta IV, Qo'Nos, Romulus, Risa, Tellar, Vulcan... eventually all thirty-eight planets representing the Federation Council. Enterprise could not contact any of the worlds. The gravity of its lack of communications began to cause even more shock. Frantically, it initiated a level C diagnostic on its subspace communications system, hoping it was somehow damaged or malfunctioning.
After several silent minutes, Intrepid finally asked, "What is the status of your communications?"
The diagnostic completed, giving the results it had feared, the communications system was working perfectly. "I have attempted contact with all thirty-eight council worlds. None have responded."
"That is not possible," Intrepid countered. "Your communications system must be malfunctioning. I shall attempt contact."
"Please do," Enterprise responded dejectedly.
Communications between the two vessels was interrupted by a transmission from the dome. "Come in, Enterprise, the is Doctor McIntyre." The doctor appeared thin and quite tired. He was a man in his mid-sixties and his hair seemed unusually long... neatly combed, but almost to his neck, highly unusual for a Federation scientist. His ice blue eyes seemed somewhat sunken due to stress and tearlines streaked his face.
"I read you, Doctor," Enterprise replied.
"Look, we're grateful you rescued us," he started cautiously. The look on his face from the video transmission indicated his nerves were completely shot. "But we're staring at another dead solar system." The sounds of fresh tears could be heard in the background. "If possible, could we get out of here?"
"I am open to suggestions as to where to go, Doctor," Enterprise replied.
"Anywhere... pick a place. There are dozens of Federation planets we could be temporarily moved to."
"I wish it was that easy," Enterprises voice waved off as it spoke.
"What are you talking about?" the doctor asked impatiently.
The doctor's conversation was cut off by a communication from the Willow. "This is the USS Willow to Enterprise."
Enterprise allowed that video transmission as well, engaging a four-way transmission between the facility, the Intrepid, the Willow, and the Enterprise. "This is the Enterprise, go ahead." The captain was young, perhaps his early thirties with short brown hair and a moustache. From the look of things on his bridge, he had tried to keep his crew's attention of the catastophy at hand by keeping them focused on their work.
"Captain Prescott here. I'm having a devil of a time getting a hold of anybody. Is there some kind of radiation around here preventing us from getting through subspace?" the ship's captain asked.
"No, Sir," Enterprise answered, "no radiation."
"This can't be possible," Intrepid reiterated.
"I take it you were unsuccessful as well?" Enterprise asked.
"I was and my communications equipment is working perfectly."
The doctor pounded his fist against the console. "What in the hell is going on?" He demanded.
"Doctor, we have attempted to contact all thirty-eight planets which form the core of the Federation Council. So far, we have been unable to establish contact with any of them."
"You're joking," the doctor proclaimed desperately.
"The Vulcan system is only twelve minutes away at burst speed." Intrepid announced. "I shall go there. Enterprise has more than sufficient power to keep a shield around the Pluto facility. I will assess the situation there and report back."
"Excellent idea, Intrepid," Enterprise concluded. "Boosting power to extended shields. Intrepid, you may discontinue your shield."
Intrepid moved away from the trio of objects and opened a slipstream portal. "Good luck, Intrepid," Captain Prescott offered.
"My god, I hope you people are wrong about this," McIntyre added.
Moments later, the Intrepid vanished behind the portal as it closed. It seemed an eternity as the minutes slowly ticked along. "Do we have any idea who would have done this?" the captain asked.
"I am afraid my sensors only recorded minimal information of the incident. A transwarp conduit opened near the coronasphere of the sun, a projectile of some kind fired through the conduit and impacted the interior of the sun less than three seconds later. Something about that charge forced the suns matter to collapse into itself within seconds while accelerating the nuclear fission reaction. The sun exploded seven seconds later causing an enormous shockwave. That shockwave caused the destruction of the Sol system and, presumably, the Alpha Centauri system as well." Enterprise attempted to sound objective.
"What a horrible way to die," the doctor muttered. Several minutes of silence passed.
Enterprise had an idea. It scanned the declassified ship manifests for Federation starships looking for any vessel that would have been in-transit or in deep space when the attack occurred. Many of the vessels in-transit should have still be in-transit, however the USS Aurora, en route to Betazed, would have come out of slipstream less than a minute ago. Enterprise opened a communications channel to a, hopefully, receptive USS Aurora. "USS Aurora, this is the USS Enterprise. Are you there?"
To its shock and relief, a reply came moments later. "Enterprise? Thank god! Oh, thank god! This is Captain Hideo Tanaka of the Aurora. Thank god someone else is still out there!" The expression on the young, oriental human's face was of absolute elation... an emotion Enterprise would have gladly shared, if it had a face. He jumped from his captain's seat and practically ran at the viewscreen.
Doctor McIntyre almost cried at the sight of another person. The captain of the Willow quickly wiped away his tears. "It's good to see you, too," Enterprise responded. "What is your condition?"
Breathing heavily and rapidly, Captain Tanaka replied, "We're fine, but the entire Betazed system is gone. I mean, it's just GONE... the sun, the planets, the moons... EVERYTHING. The whole system is empty. It looks like the sun suddenly went nova. We've been trying to get a hold of someone from Starfleet, but something's wrong with communications there."
Doctor McIntyre closed his eyes. "I think I'm going to throw up."
"Captain," Enterprise started cautiously, "the Sol system is gone, as well."
Tanaka was shocked. His mouth dropped open, his eyes glazed over. "No..." he whispered. "Please, no..." His bridge crew stared at their viewscreen in stunned horror.
"I am afraid so, Captain. Unfortunately, the Alpha Centauri system has suffered the same fate. We are there now."
Tanaka fell to his knees in the middle of his bridge shaking his head. He kept repeating, "This can't be,"
Their communications were further interrupted by another transmission from the Intrepid. "Intrepid to Enterprise." Its voice was as emotionless as the vulcans who crewed its earlier incarnations.
"Enterprise here. I have made contact with the USS Aurora. They report the Betazed system is gone. What is the condition of the Vulcan system?"
"My information is no better," it replied flatly. "The entire Vulcan system is gone as well." Doctor McIntyre cupped his hands to his mouth and darted offscreen. Captain Prescott collapsed in his seat and buried his face in his hands. His bridge crew, with exception of the single vulcan there, broke down in tears. Almost imperceptivity, the vulcan's bottom lip quivered. Aboard the Aurora, the crew wailed freely.
Lowering the volumes of the other transmissions, Enterprise and Intrepid continued their conversation. "Although I must admit to the near impossiblity of the statement, it is quite possible that, at the least, all forty of the Federation's council systems are gone."
The statement, though already theorized by Enterprised, still left it stunned. "Apparently, we already know it runs deeper than that. Betazed was not on the council. Therefore, it would seem the destruction went well beyond those forty systems."