(*Authors note* I really only made this to blow off steam, though it does tie-in later in the book.)
Tim Snuffle was accustomed to mysteries and even a surprise or two, but when circumstances put both his ship and his crew at risk, he was never amused. Just a moment ago, they were orbiting the planet Antara IV, on a routine survey when everyone felt a sudden sense of nausea or vertigo and the planet had disappeared and now they seemed to be floating in deep space. A quick check of the charts indicated that they were only a few light years away from the neutral zone and that could never be a good thing. He leaned forward slightly in his command seat.
"Mr. Chi, any indication of what happened?"
"There's just nothing showing up on the helm displays, sir. The warp drive definitely did not engage and the impulse engines are on standby. Whatever happened, we didn't move." Chi answered.
"Tyson?"
"Captain, readings from the navigational systems indicate a definite change in position relative to where we were just a minute ago. This corresponds with a change in star position."
"Considering we were orbiting a planet only a second ago, I would say that we have indeed moved, Ensign." Snuffle's replied wanly. Tyson blushed in spite of himself. Chi smiled to himself.
"Captain, the highly volatile state of quantum particles in the immediate vicinity as well as a cascade of theta radiation would seem to indicate some sort of wormhole or spatial anomaly." Spook reported as he looked up form his sensor hood.
"How did it happen and we didn't have any warning at all?" Snuffle's asked curiously.
"Unknown. Most phenomena of this nature don't have such a short duration and usually announce themselves in some way that our sensors can detect."
"Do you think it was somehow artificially created?" Snuffle's pressed.
Spook shrugged.
"If this were possible the power and technological requirements are beyond our science."
"Wouldn't be the first time we've run across something beyond our science." Snuffle's replied with a smile.
Spook merely nodded.
"Indeed Captain."
Snuffle's shook his head and was about to say something else when the turbo lift doors snapped open and Dr. DeDum stepped out, face twisted with worry.
"Tim, I've got a sickbay full of disoriented crewmen." He griped and stepped down to stand by Snuffle's chair.
"Doctor, I have a ship that has jumped several hundred light years in less than a second. In case you were wondering, we're hovering within spitting distance of the neutral zone and we have no idea what happened to us." Tim replied dryly.
"You mean to tell me that our science officer over there hasn't conjured up the reason yet. Why Spook, I'm disappointed in you." DeDum said with a grin.
Spook raised an eyebrow.
"Captain." Tim and DeDum faced Sarah. She was holding one hand to her ear and with the other she was expertly working her console. "I am picking numerous Starfleet transmissions. But they are encrypted in a manner I've never encountered."
Snuffle's bow furrowed.
"I've tried making contact with the local relay station but it won't allow me access. It keeps telling me that our codes are out of date."
"Good heavens, Tim, were we kicked out – again?!" DeDum exclaimed.
Snuffle's exchanged a questioning glance with Spook.
"Fascinating." Spook replied.
"Is that all you have to say?!" DeDum grimaced.
An alarm beeped on Spook's board and he quickly activated his scanning hood. Tim turned and waited impatiently.
"Captain, I am picking up an incoming starship. Odd. It's design materials and warp signature are inconsistent with Starfleet design, and the power consumption curves are several times greater than any starship we have on record."
Tim rubbed his chin for a moment, staring out at the view screen.
"Let's play along. Sarah, send the ship a hail. Mr. Chi, keep the phasers on standby." He flicked a combutton on his chair's armrest. "Heri, I may need emergency warp power at a second's notice."
There was a brief sigh on the other end.
"Aye, sir. You will have it."
Snuffle's smiled softly and turned his attention back to the screen.
"Mr. Chi, give me maximum mag on viewer. Show me our mystery ship." "Aye, sir." Chi replied and adjusted the main viewer. It shimmered for a second and suddenly the ship sprang up to fill a quarter of the screen. Tim stared dumbfounded.
There was no resemblance to any Starfleet ship that he had ever seen, this seemed so much…sleeker…elegant than the utilitarian designs he was accustomed to. The entire ship was like a giant skyscraper, and far larger then any ship he had seen before. The secondary and primary hulls were blended together. He also did not miss the armament.
He whirled around to Spook.
"Spook, are those all guns on that ship?"
"It would seem so, Captain. I am reading a power level unlike any other ship we have seen before."
"Spook, as far as I know, the only ship that is near that magnitude would be a Borg cube, and even that pales in comparison to this." Tim noted.
"Is it a new species?" DeDum mused.
"I think we're going to have to be careful."
"Captain, I am receiving a hail from that ship." Sarah felt strange about saying that.
"On screen."
A man in a black jump suit glared at Tim.
"Those uniforms look like glorified workout suits." DeDum whispered to Snuffle's. Tim flashed him an annoyed glance then spoke.
"This is Captain Tim Snuffle of the starship Irish, please state your intentions." Tim said.
"I am Captain Chewa of the ZC Corrupter. Power down your weapons and engines and prepare to be boarded."
"Captain, you must be mad."
Chewa glared at him. "You WILL stand down or be destroyed."
Tim glanced back at his crew. They stood there and returned his gaze. He then turned back to the viewscreen.
"I only have one word to say to you. Nuts."
Chewa stared into Tim's eyes. "So be it then."
Tim quickly cut the transmission. "Chi, open fire on that vessel, Heri, prepare to warp out of here!"
Sarah gave a scream as the entire ship shook from the impact of the Corrupter's heavy turbolasers.
"Heri, get us out of here!" Tim shouted.
"Shields have failed sir!" Chi informed Tim.
Just as Tim turned to look at the enemy ship, the entire bridge disintegrated around him as the escape pod closed around him then there was only blackness...