Chapter 9: Bashir's explanation.
In a meeting room, Sisko, Dax, and O'Brien sat around a table, while Bashir stood and addressed them.
"As I have already explained to Commander Sisko, I'm certainly no expert on Vuldt's Equation; but I have had the pleasure of discussing some of the more intriguing aspects of Vuldt's Equation with a person who understands the equation very well. So, where to start? I prefer not to start with the equation itself; the equation is very, very difficult to understand and almost as difficult to explain in lay terms."
"Now, that's an understatement," remarked O'Brien, without any hint of mirth.
"And I ought to stress," continued Bashir, "that the equation is not yet universally accepted as valid within the scientific community. And the main reason that it is not universally accepted as valid is this: Vuldt's Equation, if valid, suggests a number of physical phenomena that are, to put it mildly, rather strange. Even absurd."
Dax interrupted with a question. "The computer directed me to an article in which a physicist was quoted as saying that Vuldt's Equation had been extensively put to the test and was deemed to be in harmony with what was observed in the physical cosmos. Was the article right about that?"
Bashir nodded. "Yes, there is truth in that. The equation has stood the test of time so far, in that it has not been shown to be incorrect or significantly inaccurate when predicting physical effects. I hasten to point out, however, that the tests and instruments used to date have been incapable of controlling all variables or precisely measuring various parameters."
"Meaning what?" Sisko wondered.
"Meaning that the right experiments might further support Vuldt's Equation, or those same experiments might invalidate it in whole or in part." Bashir looked Sisko in the eye. "I suspect that the reason that Professor Nguyen wants to perform his experiments at the wormhole is that the wormhole represents a natural laboratory that he has not been able to find elsewhere. Certain variables can be controlled or measured at the wormhole, which could not be controlled or measured anywhere else."
"And you think, Doctor," drawled Sisko, "that I ought to give serious consideration to preventing him from using that natural laboratory."
"Depending on what his experiments are, there may be some serious safety issues, sir."
"Such as?"
Bashir took his time before answering. "As you recall, I said that Vuldt's Equation suggests or predicts several physical phenomena that are strange or even absurd. Let me give you one example: Vuldt's Equation predicts that it may be possible to travel anywhere in the universe in virtually no time at all, without energy-matter transportation. That is, it is possible for a material object to achieve near-infinite speed. Furthermore, the equation predicts that the energy cost of such speed is below what we now use to achieve warp five."
"Impossible!" scoffed O'Brien.
"Vuldt's Equation suggests it is possible," Bashir countered. "It only seems to be impossible because of the enormous practical difficulties associated with doing it. We would have to control energy and warp fields far more precisely than we do, and we would have to 'isolate our proper frame' within the meaning of the equation. Never mind what that means; just suffice it to say that we do not have the technology to do it."
Bashir saw Sisko about to ask a question, but Bashir decided to answer before it was asked. "I do not think that near-infinite speed is what Professor Nguyen would be likely to test, however. More likely, he'd want to test how stable the wormhole actually is."
"What would Vuldt's Equation predict about the wormhole's stability, if anything?" Sisko asked. "My understanding was that the wormhole was already shown to be stable, and that it would continue to exist indefinitely unless disturbed by outside forces."
"This is difficult to describe," Bashir responded slowly. "Vuldt's Equation may quantify the stability of the wormhole in response to specified impulse disturbances. The disturbances produce a response, which if Vuldt's Equation is valid, yield data that pertain to wormhole stability. That data, once yielded, can be independently validated, and if validated, Vuldt's Equation has passed another major test."
"And if not validated, then what?" Sisko wondered. "Vuldt's Equation is wrong?"
"Possibly wrong, perhaps just incomplete. But if the data get validated, the potential consequences could be staggering. Professor Nguyen could, in theory, acquire data from this wormhole that would allow him to build another wormhole, anywhere he chose, bridging any two places in the universe."
"That would be very valuable data to have," Dax observed with a note of awe.
"Yes. And our wormhole would seem to be the only place in the galaxy where such measurements could be made, and such data could be acquired, as far as we know. Getting that data can be problematic, however. Our current model of the wormhole takes into account high concentrations of verteron particles, organized in verteron nodes, which in theory make the wormhole stable. Now, measuring various phenomena at the Gamma Quadrant entrance and at the Alpha Quadrant entrance can be readily accomplished because the verteron concentrations in our wormhole allow those measurements to be coordinated. That's good news, but there is a down side. The verteron nodes will also skew the measurements."
"You're saying that the verterons make the measurements possible, but that they also make the measurements inaccurate?" Dax asked.
"Yes; but the inaccuracies can be compensated for. In particular, the effects of the verterons can normalized."
Bashir paused. He could see that his audience was on the verge of being lost.
Presently he continued. "Vuldt's Equation predicts a way to normalize verterons arrayed in a wormhole. This method of normalizing involves orthogonal reflection, which would cancel out the particles' effects on the collected measurements."
Sisko spoke. "I am not following this very well. Nevertheless, I think I see what you're driving at, Doctor. If Professor Nguyen tries to counteract the effects of the verterons, he might end up damaging the mechanism that makes the wormhole stable. He might collapse the wormhole; maybe even destroy it."
"I'm afraid, sir, that it may be even worse than that. Vuldt's Equation predicts that normalization in this fashion would create a condition, localized to the wormhole, called 'null time.' When a null time region is created, within that region, there is no time." Bashir paused for effect. "That means, sir, that inside the wormhole there is no present, no past, and no future."
Sisko shuddered when he realized the import of what Bashir had just said.
"The Prophets!" Sisko exclaimed. "His experiments would destroy the Prophets!"