Saorrento

Prologue
There is nothing quite like looking out into the expanse of space; to think that of the millions of stars sparkling away represent suns to various other systems not too much unlike our own Solar System. Jack has had a fortunate life, the best of both worlds as it were – born in the year 1983, during the time of Pop and Rock n’ Roll. An era which in the early 2000’s was shook in fear over the depletion of fossil fuels and the ever impending terrorist threats rising from the middle east; the fragile economy that plummeted in 2008, and the more dyer global economic depression of 2012 to the sparkling clean future of 2378, a time where diseases such as HIV didn’t exist, and people didn’t die of the common cold. A time (for the most part) of galactic peace – let alone world peace – which was a significant change in itself.

So how did this 80’s child end up in twenty-three seventy-eight? Well I guess you could put it down to perfect timing. As a matter of fact, a great many of the successes in his life could be put down to good timing, for instance starting his own web development company from the spare room at his parents’ house and two years later picking up the Telstra Small Business Award for the most innovative business, whilst undertaking a degree at University.

Then there was landing his first IT job in the realm of Software Engineering straight out of Uni. All it took was one email to a senior work colleague asking ‘what to specialize in to get a programming job’, the next email back was a job offer. His uni mates on the other hand flaffed about doing medial tech support (the trenches of the IT world) or gave up on a finding a career in IT altogether and went back to University to study something else.

2009 saw him visit eight different countries and fifteen different cities on a combined work and holiday adventure. It was his thirst for adventure and pushing boundaries that entangled him with Starfleet and the events of the 24th century. How that happened is a story in itself, a story for another time. Jack would say he was just in the right place at the right time.

* * *

YEAR 2378
USS TEMPEST Deep Space Exploration Vessel charted by the Federation
Commanded by Jack Carter

Looking out into the expanse of space from the observation deck, Jack observed that space had never seemed so full. The Tempest was one of four vessels in the area, along with a giant ring shaped platform. Looking straight ahead at the Enterprise; a smaller vessel he studied the size comparison between the ring and the seven hundred meter long starship. The ring dwarfed all of the vessels; but that was the idea, the starships had to fit through it.

His ears twitched at the familiar sound of the observation room doors sliding open. Other than the captain, Jack himself, the room was still and void of life. The lights were off, the only light coming from a binary sun in the distance. It was serenity for Jack, what better way to be along with your thoughts than in a dark empty room with the view of the cosmos before you.

The doors slid shut, and the sounds of steps started nearing from behind the Captain.

Without shifting his gaze from the window Jack questioned “So, this ring thing is supposed to fold space and transport us from one side of the galaxy to the other is it?”

“That’s what it says on the box” replied Daniel with a smirk, picking up his pace to take a closer look at the space gate for himself. Daniel and Jack had been best mates since the Academy, Jack trusted him with his life, and when it came to choosing a first officer, well, the choice was simple.

Daniel looked out the window, as he did another starship, an Intrepid Class vessel the USS Voyager dropped out of warp.

“Another spectator!”, retorted Daniel, “what are we doing here? Starfleet didn’t need our audience participation”

Jack smiled, “you know as well as I do, it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time… I can’t help but think what may of happened if we hadn’t stopped for additional supplies at star base 23; we would of left this region a day earlier long before we could be recalled to provide passage for these ‘quantum physicist observers’ on their little field trip…

“What do the observers do anyway?”

Looking at Daniel hysterically, as if he’d know what they were up to he responded logically, “They are observers…. They… observe!”

The speaker system in the room chimed, alerting of an incoming transmission. A feminine voice then filled the room, “This is Quantum Gate Ops to all starships, we are going to align the gate, please hold your positions and standby”.

Jack rubbed his hands in eager anticipation; anticipation of this all being over with so he could get back to more relevant matters. “Oh goody, the fireworks are about to start!”

“Care to explain these fireworks?” Behind the witty banter tone Jack detected a level of sincerity in the question Tom asked. He turned around signaling Tom to follow and left the observation lounge for the bridge.

“You really are too slack to read briefs aren’t you? This gate, this Quantum Gate as I understand it in theory is capable of synthesizing a worm hole at any pre-designated coordinates. This could revolutionize space travel, good by warp drive, good by Transwarp… with the gate you can essentially fold space between where you are and where you want to be, and by passing through the event horizon you will arrive at point b instantly.”

“Interesting, and how do you get back?”

“heh, well, let’s just say they haven’t figured that bit out yet”

The panels surrounding the quantum gate started to power up, slowly at first, but building up speed the circumference of the gate was being lit up by the intensity of the blue panels. As the last of the panels on the outer circumference powered up colourful special distortions filled the inside of the ring; the wormhole began to form.

Now on the bridge, Jack sat back down in the command chair, his eyes still poised on the view screen, at the giant space ring in front of him. Tilting his head down to one side, directing his voice to the console below ordered ‘Computer: Coffee, White, Hot’. The flat white console then glowed as if coming to life with a electrical hum following as a cup of coffee began to materialize. He reached down to pick up his cup, eyes still poised, immediately realizing that what he had clasped was not cylindrical in shape he looked down; the cup’s structure had distorted, it was more oval shape than anything, with the circumference of the cup stretching outward towards the view screen, towards the ring.

“Oh that can’t be good” he muttered under his breath, immediately standing and turning over his right shoulder to the tactical station. “Lieutenant, are you detecting any anomalous readings from the space-gate, anything that might explain gravimetric distortions? “

“we are detecting random gravimetric fluxuations, but they are well within tolerance”

Before Jack could even retort the claim of the idea of fluxuations being in tolerance by showing his distorted cup a large gravimetric wave shook the ship hard.

Power dimmed on the bridge as the shockwave shuddered throughout the starship tripping the ‘Red Alert’ status on all decks. The bridge was now illuminated with flashing red panels on the wall.

“Report!”

“A chevron panel on the gate is destabilizing, if it fails, the Quantum Gate will lose containment and pull everything around it in”

Jack turned back to the view screen, the chevron panel which was once illuminated bright blue was now flickering, the worm hole starting to destabilize as a result.

“Okay.. enough fireworks..Helm get us outta here, all engines full reverse”

No sooner had the order been said the helmsman immediately set the engines to reverse. The strain on the engines was felt throughout the whole ship with a constant deep vibration.

“Captain! We appear to be caught in some kind of gravitational pull, Engineering reports Impulse drive is at maximum, yet the distance between us and the Gate remain unchanged.”

“How long can we keep this up?”

“Not long enough, although the distance between us is increasing gradually, it wont be enough before the Impulse Engines overheat and shut down.”

Without prior warning the ship shook with a familiar twanging sound, the USS Voyager had locked on her tractor beam to the Tempest.

The bridge was then filled with a familiar female voice.

“This is Katherine of the Voyager, we have you Tempest, hold on”

She walked forward from her command chair, putting a leg up onto the base footing of the helm controls, her arm resting on the helmsman’s chair, “Okay, nice and steady tom, ease us back.”

The Impulse reactors of Voyager glowed with life as they came to full power. Both vessels shuddered as the tractor beam pulled up the slack.

“Engineering to Bridge” the voice of a female engineer came over the com system, “Captain, that is as much power as I can give you, the impulse drive is running hot”

“Understood Belana. Mister Tuvok, Status!”

“Gravimetric stresses are increasing, however our assistance has offset the Tempest from being pulled any deeper into the singularity, however, the situation has not improved. If we are not careful we too may be pulled into the gravimetric wake.”

“We need more pulling power… Janeway to any able vessels nearby, converge on our coordinates and assist us in tractor-tow”

“The defiant is enroot from Utopia Planetia, arrival in 1 minute”

“Can you get a transporter lock?”

“I believe so, relaying bridge personnel co-ordinates to transporter room”

Meanwhile, back on the Tempest.

“Sir the fracture is growing – a singularity is starting to form”

“On Screen!”

Right before their very eyes, Jack and his crew saw the Space gate become consumed by the singularity that was starting to form. The gravimetric pull increased, smaller vessels and shuttle crafts which were caught up in the wake and barely holding their position were accelerated towards the event horizon of the newly formed singularity. The Tempest herself also began to groan and strain as it too slow started being drawn towards the singularity.

“Sir we are being pulled in!”

No sooner had the ensign alerted the commander of this now obvious fact, another tractor lock established itself on the Tempest’s outer hull.

“What’s going on?” ordered Jack

“The Defiant has also locked onto us with a tractor beam. We are once again at full stop – however, the hull integrity is being severely compromised by the strain of the singularity pulling us forward and the starships pulling us back.

Daniel turned to Jack “We’re being pulled at both ends like a bon-bon on Christmas Day…”

[On the Voyager]

“Captain, the hull integrity on the Tempest is reaching critical, we cannot salvage her”

“Very well, Thank you Mister Tuvok. Transporter room, begin transporter evacuation – Energize when ready.”

[On the Tempest]

Jack was sitting back in his chair, although the situation seemed helpless he was convinced to beat this. This was after all initially a space portal, who is to say the ship won’t survive the gravimetric stresses and make it through the singularity?

Contingency measures started running through his head, preparing himself for that possibility. His concentration was broken by a flashing of blue light out of the corner of his eye. Three crew members were in a state of dematerialization. Jack looked down at his distorted coffee mug, suddenly aware of their fate.

Jumping to his feet, “The transporters won’t work, the pull is too stro – “ before he could even finish that sentence he watched helplessly as the glowing blue particles broke their alignment and were pulled out toward the singularity”.

“Voyager, abort your transport – the gravimetric forces are overwhelming, the pattern will destabilize”

A huge explosion suddenly shook the ship and the Tempest jerked forwards. Consoles on the bridge started surging and blowing out, bulkheads began to distort and groan and smoke at high pressure hissed through various vents.

“Captain, we have lost both tractor beams, and a component of hull plating off the aft”

Jack turned back to Daniel, “I guess we lost the bon-bon tug Dan!”

The Tempest continued to surge forwards now completely caught up in the currents of the singularity.

Jack sat back in his chair, bracing himself against the arms.. when he agreed to take this assignment he didn’t expect it to end like this.

“All hands brace for impact”
The Tempest hurtled towards the gaping dark void of the singularity. The gravity well pulling the ship closer, through the debris of less fortunate ships that were earlier consumed by the event horizon.

Jack drew focus away from his life flashing before his eyes, his one concern right now was staying alive, keeping his crew and his ship in one piece. He was determined he would get home.