Enterprise
Bridge
'Red alert! Red alert!'
The alert sounded; the red lights began flashing, everyone in position with extra crew hurrying in from the turbo lifts to man the remainder of the console positions. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Jar-Jar and Padme remained off to the side, making sure to remain out of the way of the crew.
"Standard light, Engineer. Full mag on viewer!" Kirk ordered.
Sulu hit a control and the viewer zoomed ahead and in the distance they saw a point of light which grows into luminescent cloud. The same that had been seen by the Klingons and Starfleet's Epsilon Nine station.
Mysterious, beautiful, and menacing.
Jar-Jar shivered when he saw the image with Obi-Wan standing close by to keep him out of trouble. Qui-Gon stared at the image, sensing a powerful presence unlike anything he had ever felt before. Not attuned with the light or the dark sides of the Force but a force of pure power and cold logic. Padme was quiet but she seemed to step back when she saw the cloud.
Kirk glanced at Uhura. "Linguacode?"
"Continuing friendship messages on all frequencies, sir." Uhura answered.
"All decks and divisions confirm status red." Chekov reported.
"Captain, we are being scanned." Spock said impassively.
Kirk held up a hand. "Do not return scan, Mr. Spock! It may be misinterpreted as hostility!"
"Intruder scans emanate from the exact cloud center. Energy of a type, never before encountered." Spock continued.
After a moment Uhura reported. "No response to friendship messages, Captain."
"Should I go to battle stations, sir?" Chekov asked.
"Negative. We'll take no provocative action." Kirk replied.
Decker has reacted sharply, disapprovingly, to this. "Recommend defensive posture, Captain: Screens and shields."
"No, Mr. Decker." Kirk paused. "That could also be misinterpreted as hostile, Mr. Decker." Kirk looked to Spock. "Cloud composition, Mr. Spock?"
"Twelve power energy field-"
"Twelve power?!" Sulu exclaimed in disbelief.
"Captain, we've seen what their weapons can do. Shouldn't we take every possible precaution?" Decker urged.
"Mr. Decker..."
Spock spoke up. "Captain, I suspect there's an object at the heart of that cloud."
Kirk took a second to cool down before addressing his Executive officer. "Mr. Decker, I will not provoke an attack. If that order isn't clear to you..."
Decker interrupted in mid sentence. "Captain, as your Exec, it's my duty to point out alternatives."
As Kirk contemplated that Ilia spoke up. "Five minutes to Cloud boundary!"
Kirk looked back at Decker. "I stand corrected Mr. Decker." He turned toward Ilia. "Navigator, lay in a conic section flight path into the cloud center; bring us parallel to whatever we find in there. Mr. Sulu, tactical plot on viewer."
The image of the 'power field Cloud' changed to a tactical plot of Enterprise's conic flight path approach. It showed a large schematic of the Cloud itself as well as a series of faintly blinking schematics of various recent positions and directional attitudes of the Enterprise during its approach. These blinking Enterprise schematics show that the starship had gone from a head-on approach to the Cloud into a skidding movement around the Cloud, with the last Enterprise positions now showing it approaching the Cloud from a quartering rear approach.
Decker's annoyance with Kirk suddenly seemed to dissipate as his total attention is diverted to the cloud. "That measures twelve power? Ten thousands of starships couldn't generate that much..."
Decker trailed his words, realizing that Spock wasn't hearing a word. Spock's attention on the main viewer, totally absorbed by something he was feeling. He slowly rose from his seat, stepping forward.
"Spock?" Decker asked.
"Master, do you sense it?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I do indeed, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon glanced at Spock. "It is…"
"Puzzlement. We have been contacted." Spock said. "Why have we not replied?"
"Contacted?" Kirk glanced between Spock and the Jedi. "How?"
"I am not sure how but they have been communicating with us." Qui-Gon answered.
Spock shook his head... then reacted as if sensing or theorizing something further. He turned, moving quickly to his console, beginning there as if searching for something.
If anyone was going to say anything they were interrupted by another alarm klaxon.
"Signal medical alert, Mister Chekov!" Decker ordered.
'Incoming fire. Ahead. Zero, ... mark, zero. Incoming fire. Ahead. Zero, mark, zero.'
The main viewer showed a whiplash energy bolt streaking from the cloud.
"Standard on viewer. Force fields up full! Deflectors up now!" Kirk ordered.
"Commencing evasive maneuvers...!"
The Bridge began to tilt while Obi-Wan was keeping a hand on Jar-Jar as the Gungan started to panic.
"Force fields and deflectors up full, Captain." Chekov reported.
The whiplash energy bolt sped toward the Enterprise, which veered sharply away now but the energy bolt followed.
"Analysis, Mr. Spock." Kirk called out.
"Alien weapon is a form of plasma energy, Captain. Exact composition, unknown. Guidance system, unknown." Spock reported.
With the energy bolt on the main viewer, getting closer and closer, heading straight on for the starship a cacophony of voices and sounds rang across the bridge, but were all organized and disciplined with the bright lighting dimming and then as though traveling the last short distance vanished in the wink of an eye the energy bolt struck
"All decks brace for impact." Kirk spoke through the ship's intercom.
The bridge lights went out and in the sudden darkness, the main viewer was all at once a frantic, furious, pattern of green white flaring energy, accompanied by an explosive shrilling sound. It seemed to cling to the shields, the incredible energy of the force field barriers.
"Registering power loss on force fields." Decker reported.
Kirk pressed the intercom. "Engineering, what's happening to our force fields?"
"Systems overloading, Captain!"
A sheet of green whiplash of energy burst from Chekov's console, a lash of flame engulfing Chekov's arm. Automatic fire control nozzles spurt foam over him as he fell twisting and groaning in pain. Ilia reacted first, crossing quickly to assist Chekov with Decker, Padme and Qui-Gon joining her and Decker quickly taking over Chekov's console. The sheet of writhing green energy enveloped the entire vessel, outlining it starkly and outlining, the force field screens and deflectors, battering at them, seeking some gap through which to penetrate.
The bridge still darkened, and on the viewer the energy bolt splattering the entire viewing screen with green energy, forcing all to shield their eyes against the impossible glare. Finally, first on the viewer, the energy bolt effect clung for another moment then began fading.
And then it was gone.
The bridge lights turned on again. Elevator doors opened, allowing Doctor Chapel and Medical Corpsmen arrive and cross immediately to where Ilia and Padme tended to the injured Chekov.
Sulu lowered his hand, smiling in relief. "The new screens held...!"
"Engineering to bridge; we cannot hold full power on force fields; deflector power is down seventy percent!" Scotty reported over the intercom.
"Divert auxiliary systems power to deflectors!" Kirk replied.
Meanwhile, Chapel and Corpsmen gave medical treatment to Chekov who is in agony.
Chapel was about to give an injection.
"No, I can stop his pain." Ilia said, taking Chekov's upper arm in both her hands, kneading her fingers deep into nerve centers.
Qui-Gon noticed Ilia seemingly reaching out through the Force, cutting off the ability to feel pain where Chekov was badly hurt. Chekov's pain began to quickly recede and he is almost startled by the sudden relief. Doctor Chapel, now spraying plasti-skin on the burned hand and wrist, gave Ilia a surprised, approving look. The energy brilliance gone now, they could see the cloud now very close, the closest they have seen it yet, and the aurora effect is spectacular; a vast, dense blanket of sparkling, flaring color.
Spock whirled abruptly in his chair, addressing Kirk. "Captain, the Intruder has been attempting to communicate…Frequency more than one million megahertz, and at such high speed their entire message lasts only a millisecond."
Chapel and Corpsman were now assisting Chekov from the bridge while Ilia returned to her station and a relief crew woman took over from Decker at Chekov's console.
"Our messages previous transmission mode was too primitive to be received. I am now programming our computer to send linguacode at their frequency and their rate of speed."
Decker hurried in to assist the science console. Spock indicated a console area and Decker worked there. The cloud ever closer to the Enterprise now, which was a mere dot in space compared to the immensity of the energy-seething, continuous color-exploding cloud. And then suddenly from the Cloud came another energy bolt bearing down upon the Enterprise.
"Here it comes...!" Sulu stated.
"Incoming fire. Ahead, zero, mark, zero, point two. Incoming fire. Ahead, zero, zero, mark, zero..."
Kirk tapped the intercom. "Engineering, status report!"
There was much frenetic activity in Engineering, previous damage being repaired, the main shaft glowing bright, and engines throbbing at full power as a harassed Scotty spoke. "Our shields cannot handle another attack!"
The bolt was streaking toward the ship as Kirk turned to the science station. "Mr. Spock?"
"Impact in twenty seconds..." Ilia reported.
Spock, with Decker assisting worked frantically. Spock was clearly dissatisfied, shaking his head tightly. Jar-Jar was panicking as Padme worked to keep him calm while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked on. Even R2 was starting to become a little frantic.
"Fifteen seconds!"
"Spock, transmit now!" Kirk said desperately.
"Ten seconds..."
Spock hit the 'transmit' button and Decker called out. "Transmitting...!"
"... five seconds."
Jar-Jar let out a scream as the view screen, showing the bolt was right upon them…
Then the energy bolt abruptly vanished in the blink of an eye. Everyone was silent, taking a chance to be relieved that they were still alive.
Kirk slowly faced Spock. "It would seem that our friendship messages have been received and understood, Mister Spock."
"I would say that was a logical assumption, Captain." Spock agreed.
"One minute, thirty seconds to Cloud boundary." Ilia reported.
"Holding position."
All reacted to this; watching as Kirk exchanged a look with Spock who nodded firmly. Then Kirk sees that both Decker and Sulu are throwing him a questioning look while McCoy and Chapel exited the bridge with Chekov.
"Captain, we are obviously confronted by a highly advanced mentality...yet they cannot understand who we are, or what we want."
"But they understood our messages; they broke off the attack." Kirk reasoned.
"They may have attacked only as a warning to us, Captain. To keep away." Decker suggested.
"That would presuppose a feeling, Commander... compassion. I sensed no emotion, only..." Spock spoke, actually sounding reverent. "... pure logic."
Kirk peered at Spock hoping for some assistance on the decision; but Spock merely peered back at him expressionlessly: the decision was Kirk's. Kirk faced Spock one last beat, then turned and started back toward his chair, looking at Qui-Gon. "And you, Master Qui-Gon?"
"My feelings are the same as Mr. Spock's, Captain. I sense no compassion or malevolence from whatever is in the cloud." Qui-Gon answered. "It is…much different from anything I have sensed before."
Deciding that was enough Kirk turned to Sulu. "Hold present position."
"Holding present position, sir."
"Tactical plot on viewer."
"Course projection on tactical, sir."
The screen showed the ship's direct position and distance to the interior of the Cloud.
"Thirty seconds to Cloud boundary..." Illia reported.
Kirk looked back to Spock. "Opinion, Mister. Spock?"
"Recommend we proceed, Captain." Spock answered.
"Mr. Decker...?"
"I advise caution, Captain; we can't withstand another attack." Decker stated.
"That thing is twenty hours from Earth. We know nothing about it yet." Kirk replied.
Decker glanced around, moving close to Kirk so only Spock is able to overhear. "That's precisely the point, Captain. We don't know it will do. Moving into the cloud at this time is an unwarranted gamble."
Kirk looked incredulous. "How do you define unwarranted, mister?!"
"You asked my opinion, sir." Decker said simply.
Kirk looked at him, then at Spock, who once more is peering in momentary concentration at the viewer, feeling Kirk's gaze and turned to him, again expressionlessly.
He looked back at the Jedi. "And your opinion?"
"I can offer nothing that you have not already heard. Our fate is in your hands, Captain." Qui-Gon said honestly.
"Fifteen seconds to Cloud Boundary." Ilia reported.
So it was up to him. "Viewer, standard ahead."
All peered in grim fascination at the cloud another moment.
Kirk sat contemplating his next move. "Mr. Sulu, steady as she goes."
"Aye, sir."
The Enterprise slowly entered deeper toward the Cloud before finally entering it. The view screen showed a vast array of spiraling images, changing in size, shape, color. Its walls were spinning and turning, looping and twisting, as the Enterprise headed further Into the Cloud. Amazed bridge crew members could do nothing but awe at the sight before their eyes. Even Spock had turned to view the sight now illuminating the view screen.
Kirk sat pondering, amazed, thinking. 'What comes next?'
Even Jar-Jar had been silenced while R2 beeped nervously. Padme simply stood next to the Jedi, equally awestruck by the images on the screen. Everyone gaze at the viewer, almost mesmerized by the shifting violet power field displays.
"No vessel could generate a power field of this magnitude..." Kirk whispered in part awe and frustration.
Spock stood up and slowly approached the captain's chair. "Instruments fluctuating, Captain. Patterns unrecognizable."
"Captain...!" Sulu peering toward main viewer, his eyes wide with incredulity.
The rest of the crew peered at the main viewer with expressions of near disbelief. The cloud started to thin in the 'eye of the hurricane'. At the center of the Cloud was the object which has stunned the entire bridge crew. Rapidly growing in size when it was already frighteningly huge, totally alien in look.
Its enormous bulk was iridescent, faintly glowing, suggesting that it is made up of exotic combinations of matter, and energy far beyond the scientific knowledge or ability of Earth's 23rd century technology. Menacing and yet strangely beautiful, both at the same time. The Object continued to grow rapidly in size as the Enterprise continued moving toward it. Everyone was awed; even Spock, though it was more of involuntary, impressed reaction.
Decker was with Spock at the science console. "Incredible dimensions, Sir! ... I make it as seventy-eight kilometers in length..."
"Not even the Old Republic ever built a vessel close to that size." Obi-Wan whispered to Qui-Gon who nodded in agreement.
As they spoke the turbolift opened to admit McCoy and Chekov, whose face and hands were taut with plastiskin applications. They stopped upon seeing the object on the viewer, Chekov's eyes open with wide astonishment. He crossed quickly the defense station, his eyes on the viewer. McCoy, eyes also fixed on the sight, moved to Kirk's side.
"It could hold a crew of tens of thousands...!" Uhura said awestruck.
"Or a crew of a thousand, ten miles tall." McCoy replied.
"Dis a berry, berry big." Jar-Jar whispered.
"Evaluation, Mister Spock?" Kirk asked.
This was the first time anyone seen Spock displaying a definite reaction, almost an emotion. So engrossed was Spock in the main viewer image that he appeared not to have heard Kirk, whose speaks sharply again. "Mr. Spock...!"
Spock looked absently at Kirk in an instant. "That vessel is generating a force field greater than the radiation of Earth's sun."
Kirk turned to Uhura. "Transmit image of the Alien to Starfleet; advise we are attempting further communication."
"Unable to make contact with Starfleet. Any attempt to transmit out of the cloud is being reflected back." Uhura interrupted.
"Distance to object now seventy-thousand kilometres..." Ilia reported.
"We're closing in on it rapidly, Captain." Sulu said in concern.
Concern reflected on the faces of others too as Kirk considered his next move. Although it already seemed to be an impossibly large vessel compared to the Enterprise, in reality they were still tens of thousands of kilometres apart; the incredible size of the Alien is nowhere near being realized yet. Tension ran high as the Alien now appeared so close that its image more than filled the viewer. This was leading to considerable tension on the bridge, crew members, throwing nervous looks from viewer to Kirk.
How much closer?!
Kirk slowly approached. "Reduce magnification. Factor 4, Mr. Sulu."
"We're already two settings below that, sir." Sulu said uneasy.
Kirk looked back at the screen, deciding his next course of action. "Mr. Sulu, bring us into a parallel course over the alien at five hundred meters."
"Five hundred meters?" Sulu questioned the idea of being so close to the object.
Very nervous looks now directed toward Kirk. Even Spock gives him a glance, a raised eyebrow.
"Then take us out to one hundred kilometres adjust parallel course." Kirk finished.
Sulu considered the orders before complying. "Aye sir."
Decker shared a nervous glance with McCoy who decided there was nothing he could do and simply headed to the turbolift.
The Enterprise was now quartering in toward the Intruder, coming closer and closer. The Alien vessel was still growing in size, more and more, its exterior appears to be made of substances never before seen by a human eye, substances considered possible only in the wildest flights of scientific theory: plasma-matter, energy fields diamond hard in their power, solid sheets of subatomic particles, crystalline lace patterns which seem capable of shifting their nature and rearranging themselves.
"Viewer astern." Kirk suddenly said.
"Reverse angle on the viewer, Captain." Sulu complied, showing imagery behind the ship.
It was as awe inspiring as what was ahead of the ship.
Sulu looked at his instruments as he reported their distance above the alien. "Five hundred meters. Viewer ahead, sir."
The Enterprise traveled on, its course taking it angling nearer and nearer the gigantic Alien Intruder, the starship dwindling in size, growing smaller, smaller, smaller... until it was a tiny dot compared to the enormity of the Alien vessel. The journey to the far end of the massive ship lasted perhaps almost half an hour but no one was paying attention to the time.
"Hold relative position here..." Kirk said once they were clear but his voice is blotted out by alarm klaxons.
"Intruder alert...! Intruder alert!"
The computer's voice was then blotted out by a shrill deafening sound, accompanied by a multi-hued point of light which exploded into blinding intensity, obscuring everything for an instant. The blinding light faded and in its place was a strange 'entity' shocking the crew with its frightening appearance and its ugly-sounding throbbing hum of power. It was about seven feet tall and resembles a 'blob' of raw energy in shifting patterns and colors of deep, ugly hues of upper spectrum violet.
Yet, it looked strangely alive. At the end of the 'tendril' was an 'eye', shaped like a small multi-colored device. The bridge crew reacted hard, shocked and shaken, the throbbing sound of the Alien thing intensified as it began to move across the bridge. Acting on instinct Obi-Wan raised and activated his lightsaber, holding it in front of him as a form of defense. Jar-Jar was trembling as hid behind Padme who covered her ears and closed her eyes, unable to look at the light.
"Obi-Wan, turn it off!" Qui-Gon exclaimed.
The alien started sending out snake-like tendrils to the various consoles on the bridge. These tendrils lashed out in a cobra-strike movement, the tendril-head seeming to enter into the console affected at which time all monitors and instrument lights there came on as if the entity was 'reading' each console function. The crew carefully stayed clear of the tendrils. One tendril lashed out and touched the blade of Obi-Wan's lightsaber, causing the young Jedi to drop it onto the floor.
The lightsaber was deactivated as the entity 'scanned' one more time and moved on. Spock had risen; moving to Kirk's side as he slowly brought his tricorder up, very carefully extracting its tiny sensor and aiming it at the probe.
"Mr. Spock, can that be one of their crew?" Chekov called out over the shrilling.
Spoke spoke as calmly and quietly as ever. "A probe from their vessel, Captain. A plasma-energy combination..."
Meanwhile, the probe was now hovering near Chekov who sat frozen, fists clenched, jaw tight.
"Don't interfere with it...!" Decker called out.
"Absolutely, I will not interfere!" Chekov replied.
As the 'probe' withdrew an energy-tendril from one bridge station it 'insert' into another console.
"No one interfere...! It doesn't seem interested in us, only the ship...!" Kirk's words were never completed as suddenly all the energy tendrils withdraw from all consoles and a larger, more powerful-looking tendril lashes out, snaking into the science console complex where, also immediately, all the console and computer lights are suddenly flashing wildly and rapidly.
There was an incredibly fast exchange of high pitched beeps from the computer obviously in unauthorized communication with the probe.
"Computer off!" Kirk ordered.
Decker slipped in and tried to shut it down. "It's taken control of the computer...!"
"It's running our records! Earth defenses, Starfleet strength…"Kirk stated.
As Decker moved to the main power control, Spock stepped in, his Vulcan strength easily brushing Kirk and Decker aside. Spock clasped his fists above his head, bringing it down in a shattering blow on the console, splitting it open. As the bridge lights dimmed even more, the science console short itself out and off. A flash of light immediately sent Spock spinning under the rail and to the floor near Ilia.
The probe's energy-tendril had withdrawn from the darkened science console, hovering high over the dazed Spock as if angrily seeking the reason for the break in its computer contact. R2 let out a rather loud beep and the probe stopped for a second, before lashing out with a tendril at the droid who let out another loud beep and started trembling as the probe start to analyze it.
"It's scanning R2 now." Obi-Wan stood up with the help of his mentor.
The probe's tendril traveled up and down R2, scanning through his entire frame and his records. The Probe seemed to have an unusual interest in the astromech droid, continuing to scan the droid with its energy tendrils. The probe then stopped, hovering over R2 who had been rendered paralyzed before it lashed out with another energy tendril, this one engulfing R2 who let out one final wail before vanishing. Its job with R2 down the probe moved on, back towards Spock as Ilia stood up from the navigator station to help him.
The Probe hovered over her, its whole mass seemingly about to envelope her with a single tendril extended toward her, somehow freezing her into immobility.
"Ilia!" Decker cried out.
Spock tried to grab Ilia and pull her back but another tendril from the probe forced him back. Through all the action Qui-Qon sensed a deep, possible interest in the navigator for some reason and felt a pull, sensing the entity was attempting to capture her for some strange reason. His connection with the Force telling him to intervene Qui-Qon stepped forward, stepping into the probe itself.
"Master!" Obi-Wan cried out as Qui-Qon stepped directly into the probe…
Almost instantly the probe dissolved into a blinding flash of white light and when it faded, the Jedi Master Qui-Qon Jinn was gone, his lightsaber falling to the deck. Obi-Wan fell to his knees, staring at where his master had been while Jar-Jar let out a mournful sound.
There were a few moments of silence before Decker spoke up, sounding saddened and relieved. "This is how I define unwarranted."
And almost at the same moment there was another alarm and the view screen showed from the giant alien vessel growing even larger as proximity grew closer.
Kirk vaulted to the command chair, lunging for controls, as Decker raced to the weapons-defense console. "The ship is under attack...! Man all defensive stations...!"
"Force fields, full remaining strength...! Total reserve!" Kirk ordered.
The bridge crew watched the view screen, showing the Enterprise was being pulled along the length of the big ship, toward its 'prow.'
"Captain, we have been seized by a tractor beam." Spock reported.
"Engineering... full emergency power!" Kirk spoke into the intercom.
Engineering was in a state of controlled chaos, all personnel at their stations, the Warp Core glowing while Scott was working his controls and speaking into the intercom. "Going to full emergency...But Captain, if we don't break free in fifteen seconds, she'll burn up..."
Spock seemed to concur from studying his readings. "We cannot break free, Captain. We do not have a fraction of the power necessary."
"Delay that order, Scotty...! Disengage all main drive systems!" Kirk replied. "Lieutenant Ilia, disengage engine navigation relays now."
"Aye sir." Ilia replied.
"Force field circuits E 10 through 14 show ready for activation. Confirm please."
Spock peered in deep concentration at the Main Viewer, trying to sense some clue. Kirk glanced at him another moment, then turns to the Main Viewer himself, watching in frustrated helplessness as the ship was being pulled toward the giant as though on a taut cable. McCoy also arrived on the bridge to inspect the crew for injuries, taking in the chaotic scene, spotting the mourning Obi-Wan as Padme helped him onto his feet while Jar-Jar was trembling next to her, then watching the viewer grimly. At the forward end of the giant, an odd-shaped 'iris' began opening menacingly.
And it is frighteningly obvious that the tractor beam was pulling the Enterprise to the opening. Through the 'iris' the crew could see the Intruder's interior: a dark void relieved only by strange flickering glows of distant energy field patterns.
Decker quickly approached Uhura's station. "Commander?"
"Ready to launch remote communications drone with complete ship records, including our present situation, sir." Uhura reported.
"Delay launching as long as possible. Our drone can't escape as long as we're held in that tractor." Decker advised.
"Aye."
The crew reacted with understandable awe, apprehension, curiosity, as Decker approached Kirk. "Captain, suggest a maximum phaser strike directly at the beam might weaken it just enough for us to break free."
Spock replied for Kirk: quickly, as though to make his point convincingly. "Break free to where, Commander...? Any show of resistance would be futile, Captain..."
"We don't know that, Mr. Spock. Why are you opposed to trying?" Decker asked suspiciously.
Kirk threw a look at Decker but said nothing, staring back at the viewer with the 'iris' now fully open so that the exterior of the Intruder was no longer visible and all he could see was the monstrous void dead ahead, which was looming faster and larger before the crew's eyes. With the Enterprise now being pulled past the opening into the ship proper they could now see that the dark void was actually a vast chamber, dimly and intermittently lit by power fields appearing and vanishing along the vessel's inner walls, which were miles away in the distance. And here and there in the chamber gigantic energy displays erupted briefly with a certain symmetry that suggests they must be part of the alien's power or control systems. Kirk was peering awed at the viewer, the incredible sight of the chamber before as Spock stood beside him.
Decker nearby, turned to Spock. "Why bring us inside? Not to destroy us; they could have done that outside."
"They still can." Kirk replied.
"Curiosity, Mr. Decker. Insatiable curiosity." Spock surmised.
Uhura suddenly reacted to a console reading. "Captain, photic-sonar readings indicate the aperture is closing; we're trapped, sir...!"
"Reverse angle on the viewer, Captain." Sulu said, the viewer image changing from the huge dark chamber to a rear angle shot, showing the 'iris' closing.
On the viewer the final glimmer from exterior space was seen just as the 'iris' closed completely.
All eyes were on the viewer, the reality of the situation etched into each face.
Then Spock turned from a reading. "The tractor beam has released us, Captain."
"Confirmed: Vessel is floating free. No forward momentum." Ilia reported.
"Viewer ahead." Kirk ordered.
"Viewer ahead, sir." Sulu replied.
Ahead, the cavernous interior of the alien vessel with Kirk eyeing the main viewer and Decker watching Kirk. "Maneuvering thrusters, Mr. Sulu; ahead one third."
"Thrusters ahead one third."
He then turned to Spock. "Let's take a look. Full sensor scan, Mr. Spock; they can't expect us not to look them over now."
"Now that we're looking down their throat." Decker said.
"Right. Now that we've got them just where they want us." Kirk replied as he and Decker shared a small smile.
The Enterprise started moving slowly forward in this vastness, its running lights merely specks of light, candles in the darkness. However in the distance ahead, there seemed to be an opening to another chamber.
At least until Sulu noticed something about it. "It's closing up...!
Sulu was indicating what appears to be a lace-bulwark of power field patterns closing off the 'chamber' in the distance ahead.
"Hold station." Kirk called.
"Thrusters at station keeping..." Sulu said, manipulating the controls.
"Captain..." Spock brought a monitor image on again, indicating a pattern showing a line hitting something and then reversing direction. "All scans are being reflected back, Captain. Our sensors are useless."
"Damn." Kirk reacted with disappointment, and then indicated the main viewer. "Have you been able to analyze any of this...?"
"I believe the closed orifice leads to another chamber. Undoubtedly part of the vessel's inner mechanism. I suspect it may be necessary…" Spock strangely trailed off.
The orifice strangely began to open up, seemingly allowing the Enterprise to move forward. That was not the only surprise. Spock and Obi-Wan glanced up at the screen, feeling something strange.
"Master…" Obi-Wan whispered.
Kirk glanced between the young Jedi and his science officer. "Spock?"
"We are…being contacted…" Spock said, slowly standing up.
Before Kirk could ask what he meant a voice spoke, echoing across the bridge. 'Can you hear me?'
"Master Qui-Gon?" Padme asked, shocked when she realized whose voice it was.
'Yes…It is me…The door has opened…Follow me inside the entity.' Qui-Gon's voice echoed across the bridge.
Kirk shared a look with Spock who nodded in agreement. "Mr. Sulu…Full ahead."
"Full ahead." Sulu complied.
The Enterprise entered the opening, coming into the next chamber that was vastly greater in size.
In fact it seemed like they were now in orbit of a planet.
"Curious…." Spock stated. "I believe it's a dimensional image of the entity's home planet."
'You are correct, Mr. Spock…The entity calls itself V'ger.' Qui-Gon's voice spoke again as an image of Earth appeared on the screen. 'The entity travels to your planet in search of its creator.'
"Creator?" Kirk asked.
'Yes. It was made on your planet but it found life on another planet. An ancient civilization.' The planet from before planet appeared in the Earth's place. 'A race of sentient machines. They found it and gave it life and now it comes home to fulfill its function.'
"What is its function?" Kirk asked.
'To learn all that is learnable and return that knowledge to creator.' Qui-Gon answered. 'When I stepped into the probe, it scanned my entire being and attempted to store me in the mass of information you all see before you. My connection to the Force allowed me to retain my identity and thus it brought me to its core.'
"What about the machine with you? Your droid?" Kirk asked.
'That was for a different reason. It sensed a kindred spirit on the ship in R2 and became curious. Like the machines that made it what it is now it discovered R2's programming which is to collect and store navigational data, maintenance and repair. It decided to bring R2 into its core and provide him with the ability to fulfill his function much greater than anyone would have considered possible.'
"Fascinating…" Spock said. "A machine planet, sending one to the Earth to find its Creator."
The Enterprise then came upon a connecting tunnel. Fortunately the energy passed around the ship, leaving it unharmed as it continued moving.
"A plasma energy conduit. Possibly a field coil for gigantic imaging systems." Spock surmised as the Enterprise journeyed through the tunnel and out the other side.
Once outside the ship appeared to be in open space, surrounded by endless planetoids and stars.
"Planets, moons, stars…entire galaxies stored here." Spock stated. "They must be a representation of the entity, V'ger's entire journey."
It wasn't just planets that were stored here. Images of Klingons, the same Klingon ships that attacked the Cloud and the Epsilon 9 stationed and….
"Master!" Obi-Wan gasped, seeing a gigantic image of Qui-Gon Jinn sitting cross legged in the middle of open space.
'Peace Obi-Wan. I am all right.' Qui-Gon's voice spoke again. 'What you see is my representation as part of V'ger's most recent addition to its collection.'
"Collection?" Kirk asked.
'The energy bolts that nearly destroyed us were not intended as weapons and the ships before you were not destroyed, at least not to our understanding. They were dematerialized and stored here, reduced to data patterns.' Qui-Gon explained. 'The same happened to me but my Jedi training has allowed me to retain conscious thought and communicate with you all. I have even been able to use my training as a way of influencing V'ger to bring you all here so it can monitor and study us.'
"If these are memory archives where is the crew? Or is the ship automated?"
'It is not that simple, Captain. All of what you see before you is V'ger. We are inside what can only be described as a living machine.' Qui-Qon answered.
"A…living machine…" Obi-Wan repeated slowly.
'Yes, Obi-Wan. A machine that has amassed so much knowledge that it has become a living being. One which might be our best hope of returning to our universe.'
"Returning?" Padme asked, feeling hopeful for a chance to get back to their home universe and save her planet.
'When I was taken, V'ger saw my entire life, learning what I knew of our galaxy and has shown me a way back.'
"How?"
'It is through the very same accident that brought us here. The wormhole created by the Enterprise, only this time it will be stable and allow us to pass through unharmed.' Qui-Gon answered.
Just then the science console stared blinking and beeping. Spock turned to it and read over the new data appearing on the screens.
"What's happening?" Kirk asked.
Decker leaned over Spock's shoulders to get a better look. "We're receiving a formula for…wormhole creation and traveling through to almost…anywhere"
"Wormhole?" Kirk questioned.
"A form of creating and opening a subspace tunnel, or as your people once named it: an Einstein-Rosen bridge, back to the universe they came from along with showing us how to arrive at the exact moment and place they left." Spock explained thoroughly as he looked over the new formula, calculations and coordinates, becoming almost awestruck by the complexity of these equations. "There is also information on creating and projecting shields designed for proper protection from any possible radiation fallout. Compensation for power drain and for recrystallizing our dilithium crystals through exposure to high energy photons to ensure we still have power to reach our destination and return."
"Fantastic…" Decker whispered in awe. "Can you imagine what this would mean? The ability to travel to just about anywhere in our universe or maybe even travel to other universes. Our ability to explore over vast distances would be…unlimited."
"So we'll be able to get home?" Padme questioned hopefully.
'There is one last matter to attend to, the matter of V'ger itself.' Qui-Gon cut in. 'V'ger has knowledge that spans this entire universe but its function was to collect all of this information and return its knowledge to its creator however V'ger has questions that it believes can only be answered by joining with its creator.'
"And it is convinced its creator is on Earth." Kirk replied. "Can we make contact with this V'ger?"
'Not possible, I am afraid. V'ger considers carbon based life forms as infestation, not living things or true life forms. It believes the Enterprise is a machine entity like itself that is infested.' Qui-Gon explained. 'If V'ger believes the creator is on Earth it will stop at nothing to find them.'
Kirk glanced sharply at Spock who nodded. "If V'ger believes the population on Earth to be an infestation like all living beings it will destroy all life."
"How do we stop it then?" Kirk looked back to the view screen.
'I am…unsure.' Qui-Gon admitted. 'I can only make sense what V'ger has shown me. Perhaps it would easier if you were brought directly to me.'
"Directly to you?" Obi-Wan asked.
'What you see before you is merely representation of myself as part of V'ger's collection. I am located in what could be V'ger's core. Unfortunately I cannot persuade V'ger to allow you to enter.'
"What do you suggest then?" Kirk asked.
'I am not sure…' Qui-Won admitted. 'This is not something I believe can be solved by simply understanding what this entity is looking for.'
No one noticed Spock slip away, entering the turbo lift.