Chapter 112.
Blink of an Eye.
(Leah POV)
We had one hell of a wave front of a Neurotronic Class 9. We used in inversed Warp field and dropped anchor, Which got us through the Turbulence and the Doc inoculated the crew. And we batten down the hatches and rode it out. It was 3 days before we were clear of it. Tom made a holodeck program. Fair Haven. But Tom needing to make a seacoast. Which was done after a day. Tom finally did that. As I took 7 with me there as we spent the day together as Clara and Chloe came with us.
But we came up to something so weird.
"That's one planet that never showed up on the multiple choice exam," Tom said.
"It's gravimetric readings are similar to that of a collapsed dwarf star," Tuvok said. "It also resembles a quasar in that it has a high rate of rotation, Approximately 58 revolutions per minute,"
"Shall we take a closer look?" I said.
"That's what we're here for," Chakotay said.
"Tom put us in a high orbit," I said.
"Aye," Tom said.
"Our warp drive is offline," Tuvok said.
"Why?" Chakotay said.
"Unknown," Tuvok said.
"Back us off," I said.
"Our impulse engines aren't responding," Tom said.
"Use auxiliary thrusters," I said.
"We're in some kind of gravimetric gradient, It's pulling us toward the planet," Harry said.
As we got pulled hard. As we went to Red Alert. Then we stopped.
"Report," I said.
"We're in synchronous orbit, 57,000 kilometers above the planet's equator," Tuvok said.
"Good work, Tom, Now let's see," Chakotay said.
"You're patting the wrong guy on the back," Tom said.
"What," I said.
"Our thrusters went offline halfway through our descent, and then we just stopped like we were caught in something," Tom said.
"I'm picking yo a strong tachyon field along the hull, It could be what's holding us," Tuvok said.
"7 to the Bridge," 7 said.
"Go ahead, 7," I said.
"Please report to Astrometrics, there's something you must see," 7 said.
"On my way, Chakotay," I said.
After we got there.
"This planet has a tachyon core, It's produced a subspace particle field which runs between the poles, Voyager's arrival disrupted that field," 7 said.
"It looks like the ship's been caught in an eddy of some kind," Chakotay said.
"Worse, Voyager seems to have become the Planet's 3rd pole," I said.
"The Imbalance is affecting the outer crust, I've picked up indication of high frequency seismic activity," 7 said.
"Earthquakes, Caused by our presence," I said.
"Possibly," 7 said.
"Does anybody live down there?" I said.
"The Atmosphere is having a scattering effect on our sensors," 7 said.
"Is that vegetation?" Chakotay said.
"According the sensors, Yes," 7 said.
"Oh not again," I said.
"Captain," Chakotay said.
"The tachyon has created a space time differential between the planet and the surrounding space, We're watching the seasons change in a matter of seconds," I said. "At least we don't have anyone stuck there this time,"
"For each second that passes on Voyager, Nearly a day goes by on the planet," 7 said.
"Scan for inhabitants," I said.
"I can't isolate individual lifeforms," 7 said. "It'll take time to correct for the space time differential,"
"A couple of hundred years, maybe," Chakotay said. "If our orbit starts to decay, Voyager will begin to feel the effects of the differential and we'll begin aging hundreds of times faster, Then we would in normal space,"
"Unless we want to live our lives in the Blink of an eye, we need to find a way out of here," I said. As Chakotay left. "You sleeping alright,"
"Yes, It is still a bit strange," 7 said.
"It is strange but it is great having you there with me," I said. As I pulled her a bit against me.
XXX
"Good friends in the sky ship, I call you that, hoping at least you're not enemies, There's nothing on our world that resembles your technology, so we assume you came here from a nearby planet or a distant star, Our ancient mythology describes your arrival centuries ago coinciding with the tremors that continually shake our planet and destroy so many of our accomplishments, I hope that was never your intention, but the result is the same, respond if you can, or If you wish come down from your sky ship and visit us," He said.
"Well we've got to let them know we're not doing it on purpose," Tom said.
"Inadvisable, the Prime Directive still applies," Tuvok said. "This transmission was made with primitive radio technology, they are not a warp capable civilization,"
"To hell with the Prime directive, That man deserves an answer," Tom said.
"Don't forgot the temporal differential," B'Elanna said. "That man has been dead for a long time,"
"Nearly a century by now," Doc said.
"Okay, so we send a message to his great grandchildren," Tom said. "I'll gladly do the honours,"
"Ancient mythology, That means we've already insinuated ourselves into their culture, why not take the next step," Chakotay said.
"First contact with the pre warp society," I said.
"We've already made first contact, They know we're up here," Tom said.
"They've known for hundreds of years, Which means out presence has been tempered by time, We've gradually become part of their mythos, Meeting us could throw that belief system into chaos," I said.
"But we're destroying their planet, you heard him," Tom said.
"A first contact, Face to face, might give us information we could use to leave orbit," Chakotay said. "That would stop the damage, It's worth the risk,"
"We don't even know if an away team could survive the transition to their time frame, This isn't the first time Starfleet made contact with a Pre-warp civilisation. Doc Correct me if I'm wrong, but the physiological stress could be fatal," I said.
"For one of you, perhaps, but not for me, my holo matrix would be unaffected," Doc said.
"You'd be going only as an observer, You're not to make contact," I said.
As we were in the transporter room.
"I'm giving you access to your facial and epidermal parameters, you should be able to mimic the appearance of whoever is down there in a matter of seconds," B'Elanna said.
"What if they're big purple blobs of protoplasm?" Doc said.
"Then you'll be the best looking blob on the planet," I said. "I'm keeping you down there for 3 seconds, Doc, That'll be almost 2 days in their time frame, Gather whatever data you can, Seismic charts meteorological records, Anything that might give us a clue about how to break orbit,"
"Understood," Doc said.
"This will speed up the scanning rate of your program, Allow you to make the transition," B'Elanna said.
"See you soon," Doc said as we beamed him down.
"1, 2, 3," I said as we tried to beam him up. "The confinement beam is destabilizing,"
"It's the temporal field we'll have to recalibrate," B'Elanna said.
"Every second he's down there, he's in danger of being discovered," I said.
"Locking on again," B'Elanna said.
As we tried again.
"We've lost him," I said.
"Got him, B'Elanna stand by for the coordinates," Harry said.
"Acknowledged," B'Elanna said. "I've reinitialized the confinement beam It's holding,"
"Locking on, Energizing," I said. "Got him,"
As the Doc beamed back.
"Captain," Doc said. "Lt! I thought I'd never see you again,"
"Are you all right," I said.
"Oh I've had a few close calls over the years. but all in all," Doc said.
"Years," B'Elanna said.
"It's been over 3, But at least I knew you hadn't left me behind, All I had to do was look up and there you were, the brightest star in the sky," Doc said.
"Well what do they know about us?" I said.
"Only that we arrived here centuries ago, The blame us for the seismic tremors, but everything else is pure speculation, And let me tell you, They like nothing better than to speculate about Voyager, Doric would go on and on," Doc said.
"Doric," B'Elanna said.
"The owner of the building I lived in," Doc said. "Until the war started,"
"There was a war?" I said.
"Oh, the neighbouring state decided to lab a few cannon shells at us, Our tactical air command responded, And a new treaty was signed in a matter of weeks, but not before my apartment was in ruins," Doc said.
"So they have aviation technology?" I said.
"They're hardly savages, Captain, In fact they're making great strides technologically, thanks, in part to Voyager," Doc said.
"What do you mean?" B'Elanna said.
"From the moment our ship arrived in the sky, they've been trying to make contact, Our presence has encouraged invention, religion, science, art, Even Children's toys, They're all variations on a single there, Voyager," Doc said. "Mariza even composed an aria based on the sky ship, I sang the lyric,"
"Mariza, Who is that, your girlfriend?" I said.
"She was my room mate," Doc said.
"Your wife more like," I said.
"3 years is a long time, Captain, one needs companionship," Doc said.
"You'll get no argument from me, But did you learn anything that might help us break orbit," I said.
"It's all in here," Doc said.
"Meteorological records for the last 300 years I've committed them all to memory, Some are inaccurate almanacs, but the more recent ones include detailed seismic analyses," Doc said.
"Get that information to Astrometrics," I said. "See if you can find any pattern to the quakes, Might help us figure a way out of here,"
"See you in Sickbay, I'll download the data from your program, and we'll do a little cosmetic surgery too," B'Elanna said.
"Lt," Doc said.
"Unless you prefer looking like that," B'Elanna said.
"Of course, I completely forgot, I must tell you, if some of the people on the planet had their ways, those weapons would be pointed at Voyager," Doc said. "Luckily the ship is still out of range for now,"
"I guess I can't blame them," I said.
"There's something of a space race going on between the various states, Who can get to the starship first with a rocket," Doc said.
"As in a capsule with someone in it or a bomb," I said.
"I can't answer that But at their present rate of development, we won't have to wait very long to find out," Doc said.
"McCall to Bridge," I said.
"Go ahead," Chakotay said.
"Get the shields up. I'll fill you in," I said.
XXX
"All hands, this is the captain, Secure your station and prepare to break orbit," I said.
"7 to the bridge Our attempt to leave orbit is increasing the seismic activity," 7 said. "We must abort,"
"Agreed, Tom," I said.
"Cancelling engines," Tom said.
XXX
I was on the bridge. Then the next thing I had 2 astronauts on the floor.
"Bridge to Sickbay. Medical emergency," I said.
As we beamed them to Sickbay.
"Captain, I'm picking up a ship at docking Port 1," Harry said. "It just appeared there,"
Then I got to Sickbay.
"What can you tell me?" I said.
"The transition to our time frame was a little rough for them, I'm afraid his colleague didn't make it," Doc said.
"How is he?" I said.
"Recovering," Doc said. "Lucky for him, I'm as good as his family Doctor, After 3 years of poring over their medical journals, I know as much as their Physiology as I do yours, easy,"
"Where's Terina?" He said.
"She didn't survive the transition," I said. "I'm sorry,"
"Transition?" He said. "To your time frame,"
"You understand what's happened to you," I said.
"I'm beginning to," he said.
"Voyager Exists in the space Space time as the rest of the galaxy, Your planet is different," I said.
"So you really haven't been watching us for centuries," he said.
"Actually, we just got here And we're hoping you can help us find a way to leave," I said.
XXX
"So if what you're saying is true, Everyone I know. Knew is gone," Retz said.
"Afraid so," I said.
"Captain, I'm an accomplished pilot, that's why they choose me for this mission, I don't have the courage of the others, they made a mistake choosing me," Retz said.
"I have to disagree, for someone whose life has just been turned upside down I think you're doing fine," I said.
"When I was a young child, the toys handing about my crib depicted the sky ship, It's the first thing I ever remember seeing, Even before my mother's face, And now I'm the only one that knows its name, Voyager," Retz said. "I suppose it'll be the last thing I see as well,"
"Well, that's up to you, I have no intention of keeping you here against your will, The Doc spent some time on your planet Collecting data that we hoped would help us find a way to leave orbit, We need you to assist us in interpreting that information," I said. "However the longer you stay on board, the more difficult it will be for you to go home, Your culture is changing every second you're here, By the time you go back, You might find it more alien than ours,"
"Star of the night, Star of the day, Come to take my tears away Make my life always bright. It's a child's prayer," Retz said.
"To Voyager," I said.
"Yes," Retz said.
"I hope you're not disappointed," I said.
"How often does your very first dream come true?" Retz said. "Of course I'll help you,"
XXX
We just got rumbled.
"What was that?" Tom said.
"Unknown but our shields are down to 82%," Tuvok said.
As we got rumbled again.
"64%," Tuvok said.
"I don't know what's causing it, there's nothing on sensors," Harry said.
"McCall to 7," I said.
"Go ahead, captain," 7 said.
"Are you picking up anything in Astrometrics," I said.
"The inhabitants appear to have developed antimatter Torpedo Technology, I believer we're under attack," 7 said.
As we started to get hit.
"Red Alert," I said. As the klaxons went Red.
"Another direct hit. Shields at 49%," Tuvok said.
"Captain, I apologize for this attack, they have no right," Retz said.
"Unfortunately They've got every right," I said.
"Let me talk to them," Retz said.
"We've already tried to hail them It doesn't look like they're able to receive our transmission," Chakotay said.
"They still don't know about the time differential," Retz said.
"A logical assumption," Tuvok said.
As we go hit again.
"Shields down to 34%," Tuvok said.
"The torpedoes are being fired at 3 day intervals," Harry said. "They're making refinements each time, Increasing the detonation yield,"
"ZPM 1 To shields," I said.
"Shields at 98%," Tuvok said.
"Captain, Isn't it time we returned fire," Tom said.
"We've done enough damage to these people over the last thousand years," Chakotay said.
As we got hit again.
"Shields are holding," Tuvok said.
"You've got to got back down, It's the only way," I said. "Make them understand who we are, You have the specifications of this ship, Your scientists might be able to use them to help free us, At the very least, Get them to hold their fire,"
"Captain, the Transporters are offline," Harry said.
"Is his vessel still intact," I said.
"The Docking bay hasn't been hit yet," Harry said.
"Good luck, The Doc can give you some to for the temporal differential. So what happened before won't happen when you get back," I said.
XXX
"Retz ship just undocked," Harry said. "It's on a descent trajectory, So far so good. Captain, I just lock sensor lock,"
As we got hit.
"Shields down to 76%," Tuvok said. "68% 59%, 29%,"
"What was that last one," Tom said.
"A tricobalt device," Harry said.
"What'll they think of Next," Tom said.
"Damage report, Coming in. Imminent hull breaches On Deck 8, 9 and 10," Tuvok said. "Life support is failing,"
"Retz should have made it by now," I said. "Evacuate those Decks,"
"Based on his descent velocity he lands about 10 minutes ago," Harry said.
"That's a year and a half," Chakotay said.
"Then he must have failed," I said.
"I'm picking up another launch 2 massive energy signatures," Tuvok said.
"Tricobalt Devices," Chakotay said.
"Unknown," Tuvok said.
"Brace yourselves," I said. "ZPM 2 to Shields,"
"We're in some kind of tractor beam," Tuvok said.
"Captain, If I alternate thrusters, I might be able to break us free," Tom said.
"No, They could be pulling us away," I said.
"They're pulling us away from the planet," Harry said.
"We're broken orbit," Tuvok said.
"Try hailing them," I said.
As a transporter came through. It was Retz.
"It's good to see you all again," Retz said.
"Looks like somebody down there listened to you," Chakotay said.
"I'm sorry it took so long," Retz said.
"And now we can make first contact the proper way," I said.
"Unfortunately, that won't be possible, A temporal compensator, It allows me to exist in your time frame without actually leaving my own, but only for a few minutes," Retz said. "I'm afraid. It'll be a while before my people actually join the rest of the galaxy,"
"Captain, we'll be able to bring the Warp drive back online in approximately 2 hours," Tuvok said.
"Good," I said. "Thank you,"
"I feel like I'm saying goodbye to an old friend," Retz said before he beamed back.
After an hour and a half.
"Warp drive is back online," Tom said.
"Then Set a course for home, Maximum warp," I said. "Engage,"
That's all for this chapter.
More to follow.
Stay tuned and safe.
Love Y'all
PEACE!