USS Elementia Chapter 1
Chapter One
“Number One?” Picard stepped onto the bridge, tugging down the top of his uniform, thinking about his cup of Earl Gray going cold in his ready room.
“Long range sensors have picked up two ships near the anomaly, sir.”'
The reports he had been reading and the cup of tea in which he had been indulging quickly dropped in priority.
“Can you identify them, Mr. Data?”
“I am trying, sir. One of the ships is not recognized by our sensors.”
“And the other?”
“It appears to be a Romulan warbird, sir.”
Appears to be. They would need better sensor data before the Lieutenant Commander would allow himself a more definite response.
“Romulan?”
Picard kept his face from mirroring his first officer's surprise.
“Data, how far is that anomaly from the Neutral Zone?”
“It is approximately three hundred and fifty-two point four light years from the Neutral Zone, and well within Federation space.”
How many decimals had he shaved off in order to justify saying 'approximately'?
“Well, it would seem they're out here studying the same anomaly we are.” Picard grimaced, not believing that was all they were doing for a second. “I for one would like to know how they got here so quickly. Helmsman, increase speed to warp seven. Engage.”
Picard remained standing, and Will looked toward him, raising an eyebrow.
“You have the bridge Number One.”
“Aye, sir.”
Romulans. Why were they risking coming all the way out here? What did they know that the Federation didn't about this region of space? A Betazed space station had discovered the anomaly only two days ago. How had a ship been able to make it from the Neutral Zone before the Enterprise? Were there cloaked ships posted throughout the region? Did they need to worry about invasion?
And who was behind that other ship?
Starfleet Command wasn’t going to like hearing this.
-
Will jolted to the side, and he could see Deanna and Beverly repositioning their feet in an attempt not to jostle so much in their chairs. Everyone always seemed to have a knack for congregating on the bridge when something bad happened. A small knot formed in his stomach.
“Report!”
“Shields are holding at eighty percent.”
“It certainly doesn't feel like it, Mr. Worf.”
“The weapons discharge is creating a shock wave that is interfering with our inertial dampeners.” Data was practically bouncing in his seat, though it didn't slow the movement of his hands across his controls. “It is not an effect we have encountered with Romulan weapons technology before.”
They hadn't exactly encountered a Romulan ship like this one before. The normally angular lines of the warbird were curved, and arrayed with more firepower than Will had seen on such a vessel before. Were they out here testing a new warship in Federation space? Did that mean this wasn't a prototype? How had their intelligence heard nothing of this?
“Lock phasers on their weapons array.”
Though the ship had given them a few passing volleys, its main focus was the considerably smaller, still unidentified vessel. It had the blunted nose of a shuttle craft, with a fin affixed to her top, belly, port and starboard sides. The design was eerily reminiscent of the harpoons he had seen in museums back in Alaska. Its aft was a concave pit, where several nested rings spun, generating a blue light he associated with a warp drive. Whatever their technology, it gave them remarkable maneuverability. The Romulan ship had only managed a grazing shot since the Enterprise's arrival. It had to be the only reason the ship was still intact.
“Phasers locked.”
“Fire.”
Picard's order boomed out across the bridge. Since his return from his ready room, he’d had a sour frown affixed to his face. The change in his mood must have been what had brought Deanna to the bridge. Beverly had probably been with her when she had sensed the change in the captain.
There was a logical reason for them being there. The senior staff congregating on the bridge did not have to herald disaster. Plenty of it had happened without all of them present.
The knot tightened in his stomach.
“Direct hit. Minimal damage to their shields.”
“Prepare a torpedo spread, pattern delta six.”
The small ship looped over the top of the warbird before moving toward the Enterprise. How many people were on board? A hundred? No, the fins might give the illusion of a greater size, but she was too small for such a crew compliment. Maybe seventy? What the hell had she done to irritate the Romulans so badly?
“Sir, the unidentified ship has laid in a collision course with the Enterprise.”
“Divert power to the forward shields!” Damn it, didn't they realize the Enterprise was trying to help? Or was the smaller vessel Romulan too? Had they stumbled across some bizarre training exercise?
Any hails they had tried upon reaching that region of space had been ignored, because knowing what was going on and who was involved would have made things too easy.
“The photon torpedoes, Mr. Worf?”
“Armed and ready sir.”
The Romulan ship had turned its full attention to the Enterprise as the smaller vessel careened towards them.
“All hands, brace for impact!”
As the ship swallowed the focus of the main viewer, the bridge crew were able to do something that their ship's sensors could not. Read its hull.
USS Elementia. RX- 7431.
It was as if the air was pulled from his lungs as the ship hit their shields. A Federation ship? How?
After a quick flash of static, it passed right through the shield and continued on its course.
Will hadn't even felt his seat vibrate.
“Mr. Data, report!”
“I am unsure how sir, but the ship has penetrated our shields.”
“I'm aware of that. Where is it now?”
“It is difficult to get a sensor lock with it so close to our hull, but it appears to be matching our speed and course, holding just above the saucer section.”
“It's decided to hitch a ride with us.” Will couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of admiration for the ship.
“It has maintained its own propulsion, though it does appear to be using our shields to its advantage.”
“And our fire power too, I'd wager. Mr. Worf, fire the torpedoes.” The tense lines in Picard's shoulders didn't ease, even as he tried to stretch his fingers along the arm of his chair.
He didn't like a still (mostly) unidentified ship being so close to the Enterprise. And if the ship could pass through their shields, what did it say about their weapons capabilities? Surely if they had an impressive arsenal, they would have been able to take on the warbird?
“Firing.”
The torpedoes arched out across the viewer, and the warbird continued its pursuit. It seemed to have little interest in trying to stop the attack. When the torpedoes burst along its shield, not deterring it in the slightest, the knot in Will's stomach turned to lead. They wouldn't be much use to the ship covering itself with their shields if they couldn't handle the warbird either.
“Sensors indicate minimal damage to their shields.”
They had little time to think of a new plan of attack, when Data spoke up.
“Sir, sensors are picking up a disruption in the spacial anomaly.”
“Cause?”
“Undetermined, Captain.”
“Well, it seems to have caught their attention.” Will clung to his anxiety, not wanting to feel relief prematurely.
Without bothering to give a parting shot, the warbird altered course, turning away from the Enterprise.
“Sir, the ship is heading for the anomaly.”
“On screen.”
The view of the warbird vanished, replaced by the dark expanse of stars.
“Mr. Data?”
“The anomaly is not producing light within the spectrum that most humans can detect. I will apply a sensor filter.”
The light of the stars dimmed, and a rough blue haze appeared at the center of their monitor. The warbird, more alien now with its normal color distorted, fast approached the event horizon.
“I am receiving highly unusual energy readings from the anomaly, Captain.”
“Are we safe, Mr. Data?”
“I cannot confirm that, though given our current distance-”
An arch of prismatic light burst out from the blue center, striking the warbird. Their shields shuddered and faltered, and in another instant, the ship flew into pieces. The screen flared with the sudden brightness, and Will brought up a hand to shield his eyes. He almost poked himself in the eye as debris from the ship struck their shields, jolting him in his seat. When he lowered his hand, he saw the others slowly blinking in an attempt to clear their vision.
“Report.”
“Shields are holding. No damage to the ship.”
Worf sounded a little too relieved for Will's liking.
“The energy readings from the anomaly are stabilizing.”
“Just the same, I'd feel better if we had a little more distance between us.”
Will nodded at Picard's pointed look. “Helmsman, back us away a few hundred kilometers.”
“Aye sir.”
“Mr. Data, is that other ship still within our shields?”
“Sensors indicate-” He stopped, head cocking to the side as he reexamined his read out. “The ship is now leaving our shields.”
“On viewer.”
The filter was removed and the normal tone of space returned, providing a backdrop to the small ship as it moved away from the Enterprise.
“Sir, they are hailing us.”
“On screen, Mr. Worf.”
The bridge that appeared was dark, light coming from what looked like emergency systems. There was a figure at the helm, and one in the captain's chair, but the rest of the stations were empty. No wonder they hadn't fought back. It didn't look like they had the manpower. The helmsman shifted, wiping blood from her lips with the back of her hand, and Will's throat constricted.
The uniform was wrong, not just the red color (she wore blue), but something about the design. Her riotous mass of curls was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving her somewhat exhausted face free of obstruction. There was no way he was mistaken. Deanna Troi was at the helm of that ship.
“I was going to ask what the Enterprise was doing out here, but I suppose we're the ones who are a little lost.”
Caught off guard by the counselor appearing in such a strange space, Will had completely missed the other familiar face.
Her hair was pulled back as well, but small wisps had escaped, sticking to her forehead and the side of her face. There was a sharpness in her cheekbones, a thinness he wasn't used to, but aside from the uniform, it was her. Beverly Crusher was in the captain's chair.
Will tore his eyes away from the view screen, looking toward the women on the bridge with him. They were still there. Unwarranted relief flooded his system.
Picard managed to contain his shock to just a few seconds of silence before making a reply.
“Captain.. I believe we might be a little lost as well.”
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