Chapter Title: Trials of Atlas
Chapter Synapses: As a new first officer, former Red Squad member Dorian Collins, deals with the loss of her father, Hyperion investigates legends of a Dyson Sphere.
Written by: Seraph Koji
"Captain's Log. We have traveled to Sector 441, the 'Briar Patch', to investigate rumors of a Dyson Sphere. Because of comm. interference and the Son'a-Baku conflict Enterprise-E engaged in a while back, Starfleet presence in Sector 441 is limited. As such, no Starfleet ship has ever seen this Dyson Sphere for themselves. Nevertheless, it's possible existence is worth looking into. To date, only two Dyson Spheres have been found, one by the Enterprise-D, and another in the Gamma Quadrant. We hope to find population on the inside of this sphere."
Starwind watched the streaking stars on the viewer drop to a stillness, clouds obscuring them. "Talara, time to the Sphere coordinates."
"Not long, sir." Talara reported.
Winter's console had an audible reaction to something, "Captain, large spherical object dead ahead. Metal, about one Astronomical Unit."
Through the clouds, a large spherical object became visible.
"It's giant." Talara stared.
Collins couldn't withhold excitement. "It's a real Dyson Sphere! It should be giant, they have a star at the center of that thing and the opposite side of the external surface has an environment capable of supporting life. In theory, a working Dyson Sphere would solve energy problems of races that consume enough to have such problems. A self-sustaining solar system in a big metal ball."
"Our readings are confirming everything you're saying, Commander Collins, and what's more, although there is a lot of gravimetric interference, I think I detect life." Winters called.
"Talara, enter orbit. Search for a way in." Starwind ordered
As Hyperion searched, Collins sat in her quarters. There were paintings on her wall, a number of them. One of a Defiant class ship, the Valiant. One of a lunar landscape at daybreak. There were a good dozen others, all beautiful, almost picture-perfect. Her door chimed. "Come in."
Starwind entered, looking at the paintings, "An artist, eh?"
Collins, who was looking at the Valiant's painting at the time, turned to Starwind. "It's a hobby I've picked up. Actually, I started to learn to paint shortly after the Valiant. This was my first."
"How are you, Dorian?" Starwind asked, "Over the past week, I've barely seen you off-duty. Apparently, you aren't interacting a whole lot."
Collins sighed, "Have you ever seen a lunar sunrise?"
"Born by Lake Armstrong, grew up in New Berlin." Starwind nodded.
"Tekka City." Collins smiled, "My dad and I would go, every month, across the surface of the moon, we'd be in environmental suits, and we'd just sit near this big pile of rocks, and watch the sunrise. It was like going from the darkest night imaginable to the brightest day. It was like…"
"… like meeting God every morning." Starwind finished her sentence,
"I got word my father died." Collins sat down.
Starwind sat next to her. "My father was a Starfleet officer, a Captain. My mother was an engineer. It was my grandfather who raised me and my brother in New Berlin. The Battle of Wolf 359 came 'round, and my old man's ship was there. The Borg boarded the ship, and my mom and dad were assimilated. It was horrible. Like they were dead, but still alive. By then I was a cadet, my grandfather long dead. All I had left was my brother, who refused to talk to me. I felt alone, but found that there was always someone to turn to, someone who would care, as long as I wanted them to. As long as I was ready to let go of the past." Starwind paused, "Dorian, you've lost so much. The Valiant, your father… but there's always someone to turn to."
Starwind's comm. badge blipped. "Bridge to Captain Starwind, we found an entrance into the Sphere."
"On my way." Starwind stood up, "Grieve Dorian, but don't give up. People care about you here, and we don't want to see you go through this." He turned, and left her quarters.
Starwind entered the bridge, "Analysis, Miss Winters."
"A large airlock, Captain. Apparently designed to allow ships in and out of the Dyson Sphere. Reading an M-class atmosphere on the other side, Populated, but no way to tell level of technological advancement. Entry may violate the Prime Directive." Winters reported.
"Talara, we can fit through this airlock, right?" Starwind asked.
"With plenty of room to spare."
"Options?" Starwind asked.
"Hail the sphere. There is a communications relay not far from here." Winters suggested.
VonBach smiled, "One firing of the Multiphasic Plasma Cannon would blow clean through the outer airlock."
"How about move in closer. There is a sensor mounted right above the airlock. I think it's a sort of door-opener." Talara suggested.
"Winters, hail the sphere, Talara be prepared to move in. VonBach, give the trigger finger a rest, this is a mission of peace." Starwind issued orders.
"No response."
"Take us in." Starwind ordered.
On the viewer, the large airlock doors began to open, "Airlock doors opening." Winters reported.
"Slow and steady, Talara." Starwind walked to the back of the Andorian's chair.
"Passing the airlock threshold." Talara reported.
A moment or two passed as the image of the inside of the airlock appeared. A red light glistened brightly inside of it near the inner door. "Prepare atmospheric controls." Starwind ordered. The Hyperion came to a stop inside the massive airlock, the giant metal doors closing behind it. Then a countdown from thirty beghan below the red light.
"Atmosphere is being pumped into the airlock at amazing speeds." Winters reported, Necessary shield and engine recalibrations are underway."
The counter reached zero, the light turned green, and the inner doors opened.
"Atmospheric thrusters engaged, taking us in." Talara reported.
Winters looked up from her console, "Reading two settlements nearby, one has a strong dampening field ad appears to be technologically advanced. The other is less advanced."
"Winters, VonBach, you are with me. Bridge to Collins and West, meet us in transporter room two. Talara, you have the Conn." Starwind ordered.
Five figures materialized in the square of what appeared to be a village. It appeared rather agricultural in nature, and seemed rather simplistic. However, a large metal structure was visible, in mid-air a short distance away. A man, human by appearance, walked up to them
"I am the Third Cleric of Dyson. May I help you travelers? Are you from the Other Side?" the man asked.
"The 'Other Side'?" Starwind asked.
"The land beyond the Star of Dyson. This is where our Elders were said to come from." The cleric paused, "Or are you from the Great Ship? The vessel that came from the Seal of the Gods? "
"We are from the ship. It is called Hyperion." West nodded, "We were wondering who lived in that great metal structure up there and how we get to it."
"The Village of the Elders." The priestly man nodded, "The only way is from our shrine, there is a device which allows the Elders to come to us much like you did. I will take you there."
After some time analyzing a pedestal at the old shrine, Winters reported, "It's a pretty simplistic transporter, Captain. I can activate it. It seems the dampening field doesn't affect this transporter pad."
Starwind nodded and in seconds the five stood in a room. There was a confrence table with a number of people around it. The room was rather dark, and the people were hard to see.
"The visitors." A woman said.
"Look at those uniforms, Federation." A man sighed.
"They are interfering with our people on the surface." Another man growled.
"Hi." Starwind stepped up to the table. "I am Captain Victor Starwind of the Federation starship Hyperion. We come to you in peace. As explorers fascinated by a working Dyson Sphere. And with you, these Elders, obviously more technologically advanced than the people on the surface, it's so interesting."
"Do you operate this Dyson Sphere?" Collins asked, curiously.
"We want no business with the Federation." The woman said, "Our ancestors settled here to escape the Federation. Specifically the Federation-Klinjgon war. We were more advanced than the natives, who we educated about the Dyson Sphere."
"They could never understand what it was they lived in. They preferred to believe Dyson was their God, their Creator. They ignored the reality of the matter." One of the men followed up her remark.
"The Federation is not at war right now. The Klingon war ended long ago. We even have a few Klingons in Starfleet." Talara explained, "Pinkskins aren't all bad. And even if the were, Humans don't monopolize the Federation."
"The words of an Andorian in a Terran uniform." One of the people responded.
"Starfleet defends all of the Federation. Even this sphere." VonBach growled.
One of the men scoffed, "And what of your Prime Directive? How dare you intervene with the natural development of the surface-dwellers."
"Correct me if I'm wrong." Winters quickly responded, "But your arrival to this sphere means that intervention had already happened. Because you are a warp-capable group within Federation jurisdiction, your presence here means our presence is allowed."
VonBach smiled at Winters, "You really know Federation rules and policy, don't you, Winters?"
"Yes, sir. I did graduate from Starfleet Academy in four months with a full commission." Winters replied.
"Elders of Sector 441 Dyson Sphere, You must come totally clean with your people. They think you're demigods and that some guy who has been dead for centuries is a God for dreaming up the idea of a Dyson Sphere." Starwind said calmly. "That is an order. As a solder of the Uninted Federation of Planets, I am abe to enforce laws, and the Prime Directive is one of them. You interfeared, and you need to clean up your mess."
"Or else what?"
"VonBach?" Starwind turned to his longtime friend.
"There is a race called the Son'a. They are a violent off-shoot of the peaceful Baku, and they would love a chance to live so close to home." VonBach smiled, "Either that, or I go back to Hyperion a very trigger-happy man."
"How dare you interfere like this!"
"How dare you?" Collins countered.
Starwind turned his back to the Elders, "I'm done here. We're going back to Hyperion."
"I cannot let you leave. Not an make good on your threats!"
"Let my ask you old farts something," Starqwind turned, "Can you raise a force field over your airlock?"
"It's possible." The woman replied, "Why?"
"Get to work on it. Winters, can you beam us to the bridge?" Starwind turned to Winters.
"Yes, sir."
"Energize."
The five appeared on the bridge. "Talara, set cours for the airlock. VonBack, lock all standard weapons and the Multiphasic Cannon on the airlock. Winters, moniter shields, I bet they'll try to stop us. Collins, you can return to your quarters if you wish." Starwind sat in the central chair.
"No, Captain, I'm good here." Collins sat in the chair to his right.
"Captain, detecting several photon launchers. They've locked on us." Winters reported.
"Fire at will." Starwind ordered.
"My three favorite words." VonBach's display showed a list of all weapons Hyperion had, all of them except Fusion Catalyst were highlighted. VonBach hit a 'Fire All in Selection' command on his display.
"Photon launchers firing. Multiple torpedoes." Collins reported.
"Hit as many as you can, Joseph." Starwind ordered
"The Multiphasic Burst has made contact with the airlock." Winters reported, the bridge shaking slightly.
"Blast out the other one." Starwind ordered, "Talara, as soon as you get an opening, jump to warp. Get us in communications range with Starfleet."
The bridge crew watched as a storm of torpedoes and phaser fire weakened the outer airlock, while a giant ball of blue slowly drifted toward it. The ball consisted of high-energy plasma being emanated from a special torpedo. The ball crashed into the outer airlock.
"Warp speed!" Starwind ordered.
"Aye, sir." Talara nodded.
Two more torpedoes flew at Hyperion, as the ship blurred away into the vast speeds of warp.
The door of Starwind's quarters chimed. "Come in." Starwind called, sitting at a table.
Collins entered, "Victor… what you said earlier…" she sat at the table across from him. "You talked to me about my loss, then those xenophobes of that Sphere were so dishonest and misleading and the whole reason they were there is they didn't want to face reality…" she paused, "You talked to me, and gave me the courage to face reality. I hid in my quarters like they hide in that Sphere. I just wanted to say…"
"You don't need to say anything, Dorian." Starwind interrupted her.
"But I want to. I want to say thanks for telling me that you care. That I'm not alone. Thanks for just being there. As long as you command Hyperion, I vow I will be your first officer to repay you. Moreover, I will always be your dear friend." Collins smiled.
"Dorian Collins personal log. My father is dead. But here, aboard Hyperion, there are people who care about me. I am not alone. And with the help of Captain Starwind and the others, I can go on. I was very close to my father. He was a great man. But his death is something I need to deal with. I think Victor gives me the courage to do so… what am I saying? Computer, strike the last thing I said!"
