Chapter One

Where No (Wo)man Has Gone Before

Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.244

Something very strange has happened. We're receiving a recorded distress signal from directly ahead. The call letters of a ship that has been missing for two centuries. It seems that another Terran ship may have probed out of the galaxy. I have to wonder what happened to it. Is this a warning they've left behind? We are going to investigate.


"Object is nov vithin tractor beam range, Keptain," Chekov reported as Rose stood up.

"No visual contact, Mister Chekov?" She asked.

"No, ma'am. It eez too small to be a wessel. It only reads about one metre in diameter."

"Not large enough even for a lifeboat," Spock pointed out, Rose nodding with a small frown.

"Small enough to bring it aboard," Chekov added. "If you vant to risk it ma'am."

Rose hesitated for a moment, the new pressures of command weighing on her shoulders for a moment before nodding. "Lock onto it, Mister Chekov."

As soon as Chekov confirmed the orders she turned and began to hurry out with Spock at her side.

In the transporter room, Scotty was waiting at the controls. "Materialiser ready, ma'am," he reported.

"Bring it aboard." She studied the object that appeared with a frown. "Old-style ship recorder that could be ejected when something threatened the ship."

"More like destroyed the ship in this case," Spock observed. "Look at it. Burnt, pitted."

Kirk sighed. "Let's hope its tapes are intact. We'll feed it through Mr. Spock's computer."
Scotty nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's begun transmitting, ma'am."

Rose scowled. "Flash the Bridge," she ordered. "Put all decks on the alert." She and Spock then made their way to turbolift, Rose lost in thought.

"Hold it!" Gary Mitchell called as they entered. She smiled at him as he entered. Gary had been a good friend since the Academy. Not as good as Bones, but still good. They'd been lovers on and off as well, although Rose had put a ban on that after becoming his CO. She wouldn't allow herself to sleep with someone of lower rank, it just didn't feel right. Too much problems with consent and such. No, no on-ship romance or sex for Captain Kirk.

"Getting into shape?" She teased the mildly out of breath lieutenant and he mock scowled at her.

"Yeah, well. I figured you weren't on the bridge. Chekov sounded nervous."

"It should be harmless," Rose murmured and Gary smirked.

"Keyword being should," he pointed out. She nodded in concession.

The door opened to reveal the bridge and they each made their way to their places. Gary relieved Sulu and Spock took his place at the science station.

"Screen on," she ordered and Chekov quickly acknowledged her, turning on the viewscreen to reveal the edge of the galaxy and warning that they were approaching the edge of the galaxy.

Rose was careful to hide the nervousness welling up inside her. 'Panic is not allowed on the bridge' Admiral Kirk insisted mentally. 'You're the Captain, you have to keep collected or everyone will fall apart.'

Not for the first time in the past three months since the Enterprise had set sail, Rose thanked God for her counterpart's advice. Admiral Kirk, or Rosalie Jones as she was going by, had been a lifesaver. Literally.

She turned her attention back to her surroundings. "Neutralise warp, Mr. Mitchell," she instructed, the man acknowledging her as he obeyed.

Rose hit the shipwide comm. "This is the Captain speaking," she began. "The object we encountered is a ship's disaster recorder, apparently ejected from the S.S. Valiant two centuries ago. We hope to learn what happened to the ship from the tapes. We'll move out into our probe as soon as we have those answers. All decks, stand by."

"The department heads, Captain." Spock said to Rose as she cancelled the comm. "As you requested. The science department is ready, of course."

"Engineering division is ready, ma'am," Scotty added. "As always."

"Communications are ready," Uhura chimed in. Rose pursed her lips in frustration at the feelings of reluctance and disrespect from her Comm Officer but didn't mention it. She didn't have either the time or patience for another useless fight.

"Medical's ready, ma'am," Bones announced briskly. As always Rose felt a surge of appreciation for Bones being so good about her request that he treat her as his superior instead of friend when they were on duty.

"Decoding memory banks," Spock reported as he scanned his screen. "I'll attempt to interpret the data. The Valiant encountered a magnetic space storm and was being swept in this direction."

"The old impulse engines weren't strong enough," Rose guessed and Spock nodded in agreement.

"They were swept past this point, about a half light year out of the galaxy. They were then thrown clear, turned, and headed back to our galaxy here. I'm not getting it all. The tapes are very damaged. It appears that the ship encountered some unknown force. There were several urgent requests for anything related to ESP in human beings from the ship library."

Rose raised her eyebrows in surprise at the strange request, turning to look questioningly at her CMO. McCoy frowned deeper as he considered the report.

"Well it's a fact that some people have psychic abilities," he conceded. "But in humans it's always very limited, reading the backs of playing cards and stuff."

"I'm interpreting the rest of the message Captain," Spock reported. "Severe damage. Seven crewmen dead. No, make that six. One crewman seemed to have recovered. That's when they became interested in extrasensory perception. More than interested, almost frantic about it. No, this must be garbled. I get something about destruct. I must have read it wrong. It sounded like the captain giving an order to destroy his own ship. "

Kirk frowned. "Lt. Uhura, get those logs scrubbed clean," she finally ordered. Uhura huffed but obeyed and Rose continued. "Helm, continue forward."

"Captain, I advise against this," Spock pulled her aside as the ship started forward. "We may encounter the same force that caused the Valiant's destruction."

"We have standing orders," Rose sighed heavily. "We need to take the risk. Return to your station." Spock nodded curtly and stalked off.

"Approaching the edge of the galaxy, Ma'am," Gary reported tensely. Rose stared in mild shock at the strange shimmering green, for lack of another word, wall, in front of them."

"Spock what is that?" she demanded sharply.

"Uncertain Captain," he answered. "It appears to be a forcefield of some type."

"Shields up!" Rose ordered as the ship suddenly lurched. "Yellow alert! Someone get me a status report! Now!"

"Rose help!" Gary suddenly yelled, collapsing and Rose rushed to grab the helm.

"Make that red alert! All decks on fire alert, we're turning back!"


"Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.244.The trip outside our galaxy was a disaster. Four crewmembers were lost, Ensign Chloe Michaels, Ensign Rod'ika, Lt. Camilla Checka and Lt. Andrea Dobbs. Lt. Mitchell also collapsed but seems to have recovered. Except for Rod'ika, an Andorian, they were all human. These are the first crewmembers that I have lost since the launch three months ago. I am, incredibly distressed to say the least. I plan to personally contact each of their families to inform them. In addition, we still don't know what happened to the Valiant to cause them to self-destruct.

A knock sounded at the door and McCoy and Spock entered.

"Hey," Rose greeted them tiredly. "How's Gary?"

Bones shook his head. "It's the darnest thing I ever saw Rose. He's in perfect health. Hell, he's better than he was just yesterday when he had his physical. He keeps asking for more."

"More what?"

"Just more, more books, more information. I had to give him a book of poetry to keep him quiet."

Rose ran a hand tiredly over her low twisted bun. "I see," she said slowly, turning to her First. "Mr. Spock, do have any ideas about this? I lost men and I want answers."

Spock nodded. "I have been looking for commonalities in their health files," he told her. "To learn why they were the only ones affected. I discovered that each of the crewmembers had an unusually high ESP rating."

"ESP," Rose said slowly, dread creeping up her spine. "The Valiant was researching ESP before being setting the self-destruct."

"Indeed," Spock agreed. "I must also inform you, Captain, that Lt. Mitchell had the highest ESP rating of them all."

"So that forcefield caused his abilities to manifest, explaining why he's so eager for information," Rose murmured. She had the brief thought that if she kept frowning so much, she was going to look forty before she turned twenty-six. Then another thought occurred to her and she scrambled to her feet. "Are you two telling me I've got an alien-influenced psychic obsessed with gaining information and access to the systems on board?"

The mens' eyes widened in alarm at her words and McCoy cursed as they rushed out toward the medbay.

"Well at least Gary seems to be mostly...okay," Rose's voice trailed off as they hurried into the bay and saw Gary making various objects float around him while several nurses cowered away.

"Rose!" Gary said brightly. His eyes were an unnatural silver and his tone was almost manic. "You came to visit me! Isn't that sweet? So, listen, I was thinking, I know you turned me down in the Academy 'cause you wanted to focus on your studies but how 'bout that date?"

Spock glanced briefly at her while Rose smiled tightly at Gary, feeling a bit like she was trapped in a cage with a hungry tiger. "I'm sorry Gary, but I promised myself I wouldn't get involved with anyone serving on the ship. Favouritism and stuff, you know? Uh, how are you doing that?"

Gary grinned at her. "Isn't it awesome? I just think and then it happens."

"There's nothing out of the ordinary with him Rose," McCoy frowned as he put down the tricorder he'd been using. Rose gave him a disbelieving look, gesturing at the flying objects.

"What's this then?" She hissed at him and he shrugged helplessly at her.

"Oh, by the way Rose," Gary inserted causally. "There's something wrong with the impulse engines, if you aren't careful, they'll blow and take us all with them. I'm sure Mr. Scott'll be able to tell you everything."

Anxiousness welling up inside, Rose raised her comm to her lips and called Scotty. He confirmed Gary's warning. After ordering that Gary be kept under close watch, Rose walked out with Spock at her heels.

She hurried to her ready room, once inside, Spock stood patiently while she paced tensely. "I don't like this," she told him. "He's acting out of character and gaining abilities with dangerous potential, I really don't like this."

"I attempted to mind-meld with him earlier. There was nothing there, no consciousness or personality. Whatever that is, it is not Gary Mitchell, Captain," Spock told her flatly. "Logically, we have two options. Either we must kill him or maroon him."

She stopped pacing and to look at her First. It was ironic that she was discussing marooning one of her officers with him given their history. "I won't kill him without trying to save him."

Spock nodded. "Very well, ma'am. If I may suggest, Delta Vega II is only an hour away at warp three. It also has a lithium station we can use to repair the ship."

Rose raised a sardonic eyebrow at the familiar name and nodded. "See to it for me, please." Spock nodded respectfully before leaving and Rose sat down to bury her head in her hands.


She woke on Delta Vega to find herself lying on hard rock. Her memories rushed back to her, arriving at Delta Vega, splitting up from Spock and the two security officers, Gary attacking her.

"How're ya feeling, Rosie?" Gary asked cheerily a he pushed herself up. Rose eyed him warily, she'd met a fair amount of crazies in her years and Gary definitely looked insane.

"Gary," she said slowly. "What did you do?"

He tossed her an apple that he'd been tossing up and down casually. "Apple? I know there your favourite. Stay with me and you can have as many as you like, whenever you like."

"Gary," she reached discreetly for her phaser. "I'm really sorry about this, I really am." She quickly fired three shots at him in quick succession only to gasp in surprise when they stopped in mid-air.

"Oh Rose," Gary laughed coldly. "Don't you understand? You can't kill a god! And I'm a god now, you see." his monologue was abruptly cut by two sharp zings. Spock hurried up, lowering his sidearm.

"Captain, I apologize for my lateness. Are you harmed?" Rose thought she saw a dark look flash across his face as she shook her head and rose shakily to her feet.

"No, I'm fine. Gary-"

"Rose," the wounded man groaned from his place on the ground. When Rose looked, she saw his eyes were back to normal. "Please," he begged. "Before it, takes over, again."

She tightened her mouth and raised her weapon. "I really am sorry Gary." He nodded in acceptance and she pulled the trigger.

"Captain?"

She nodded. "Let's go home Spock."