02 Dec. 2004 - 04 Feb. 2005
Sector twenty-one, just beyond the outer arm, is being studied by the
USS Archimedes. This is a routine mission until their Chief Science
Officer, Lt Myers (npc), witnesses a cataclysmic event. A whole class F
star system along with its host of 31 attendant planets, has suddenly
been snuffed out like a candle.
After a strenuous mission that cost the lives of several crewmembers,
the USS Dark Matter is enjoying a shore leave on the Mars Colony when
her C. O., Commander Lars Persson, receives his new orders : to assist
the Archimedes. He reluctantly calls back his crew and set a course to
Pluto where the last of his crew complement is awaiting.
En route, the first senior staff meeting casts serious doubts about
what they will actually find when they reach their destination, and how
they can manage to travel so far and so quickly without exhausting
their engines. The primary hypothesis of Science is that a black hole
is responsible for the eradication of the star system. But after
studying the holo-data received by the Archimedes, Ensign MacDuff
realizes that they are more likely to be confronted by a biological
entity. Although whether it's sentient, or not, this remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, on lower decks, the crew get the opportunity to socialize in
the main lounge.
The Bar Manager, June Craig is delighted to meet with Lt Gol'Khar, a
Klingon whom she had encountered years ago on a transport ship. Having
failed to get anywhere with him back then, she resolves to seduce him,
knowing full well that he already shares a close relationship with Lt
Vahl, their Chief Science Officer.
It is however, a plan that she has to postpone when she realizes that
two members of her staff took advantage of their stop at Pluto to
resign. This leaves her with only one bartender : Trok (npc), a bold
young Ferengi with whom she keeps clashing with. The only solution to
resolve her staff problem would be to activate the lounge's holo
waiter, Abe (npc), but she can't make up her mind to do it.
On day three of their journey, the Bridge crew is startled when the
Dark Matter is thrown headlong into a large spatial rift that never
registered on their sensors until it was too late to avoid it. Matter
suddenly appears to stretch out in long thin streamers, and time itself
stood still. After what felt like an eternity to the whole crew,
normality quickly returned to the ship, showing on the navigation
controls that they had travelled so fast that they were now but twelve
days away from the Archimedes.
Tension continues to rise onboard the USS Dark Matter when all attempts
at understanding and communicating with the giant organism fails. Even
the brief respite of an evening diner with the crew of the USS
Archimedes is marred by the unwanted presence of several Klingon and
Cardassian ships. Thankfully, after some smooth talking from Persson
and Gol'Khar, the Cardassians leave them alone, while the Klingons
accept to help them in their difficult task.
While the ships are preparing to go and meet with the giant organism,
the idea of using anti matter to stop the creature is discarded in
favour of a less dangerous option : the creation of a quantum
singularity that could lure the star eater away.
After another difficult day with her bartender, June Craig snoops into
Cartography and manages to get the latest developments on the mission
from an irate Gol'Khar.
Meanwhile, in order to get some relief from the ever present stressful
situation, Vahl brings some corrections to the hesitant behaviour of
their EMH (npc), as requested by the C.O.
Commander Persson, on his side, continues to make his rounds in the
various departments. This time it leads him to the office of the Chief
Tactical Officer, who has concerns about the way the giant organism
will react to their close encounter. Despite the colossal difference in
size, would it be able to detect their presence, if at all?
On the USS Archimedes where he has been sent, Ensign MacDuff finds it
difficult to work with Ensign Temna (npc), a full Vulcan and expert in
quantum singularities. However, he gets some respite when a fire
inadvertently spreads in their lab, sending them both to sick-bay for
the rest of the day. Quick to remain up to date on everything, Craig
pays him a visit. Unfortunately, she is so out-spoken that the event
turns out to be a little embarrassing for him.
During the night, Persson is awoken with unpleasant news : the Klingon
escort of three ships that was to accompany them, has gone off on an
errand of their own, each with their cloaking device on. The next
morning, while Gol'Khar is fairly annoyed that the crew seems to
believe he knows everything about the Klingons' project, he makes a
disturbing discovery : the giant organism has changed its course and is
now heading straight towards them, reducing their own contact point
with it to just seven days.
Persson sends out a general distress signal to alert any ship in the
vicinity. He also grants Captain Miles' (USS Archimedes) request to
have a type 11 shuttlecraft so that his scientists can carry on with
the final tests concerning the Quantum Singularity project.
At the end of her shift, Craig has another serious confrontation with
her bartender Trok (npc) who has taken the liberty to pluck a few
ill-gotten gains for himself from the bar.
Four days before the encounter with the giant organism, the crewmembers
with empathic abilities start to perceive the disturbing thoughts of
the creature, forcing the EMH to place a neurotransmitter inhibitor on
each victim.
Later that day, the Cardassian ships encountered earlier on in the
mission, make a come-back, insisting that the USS Dark Matter leaves
the sector at once. They fired on the DM in an attempt to impose their
demands, but their arrogant behaviour is cut short thanks to the timely
return of the Klingon ships.
After a much heated discussion between all those concerned, the
Cardassians finally turn to reason and accept to help the DM in its
dangerous mission, this at the condition that one of its crewmembers is
allowed to stay on the DM.
Science and Engineering take advantage of this unexpected delay to transfer the shuttlecraft requested by the USS Archimedes.
In the evening, after making sure that she does her best to upset
Gol'Khar and Vahl's meal in the lounge, June Craig is forced to meet
with their Cardassian guest...
While back in the Sol system Ensign Jeanne-Lee Marrin is getting
prepared for her next assignment onboard the USS Dark Matter, Commander
Persson is in the thick of another heated discussion with the
Cardassians. He has to convince them to follow his plan which sees all
the ships, baring the USS Archimedes, acting as a decoy to facilitate
the launching of the quantum singularity.
Fearing that as they approach the interception point the entity might
detect them, Lt Vahl removes her neuro inhibitor to enable a quick
connection with the creature, but as before she cannot feel anything
more than the entity's maddening hunger.
In the early hours of the 18th day, 45 minutes before the crucial
moment, the Dark Matter picks up some disturbing messages coming from
the Cardassian's ships, who seems to be having another of their
arguments. At 04.36, the shuttlecraft holding the quantum singularity
is launched, and detonates on time according to plans. Unfortunately,
when the entity spread out its sensor filaments, the Cardassian ships
panic and direct all their fire power at the creature. The huge blast
provoked by the quantum singularity increase their confusion, and two
of their ships collide, damaging the Dark Matter in the process.
The little fleet jumps to warp to evade the explosions. It's only when
the DM is in safer grounds that the Bridge realizes that the entity has
indeed been engulfed inside the quantum singularity, along with
unfortunately, two of the Cardassian ships.
Commander Persson gives a warm thank you to all those who contributed,
but he knows in the back of his mind that they only achieved a small
victory. Singularities do re-open, and it's impossible to rule out
another emergence of the giant organism. The only thing the Federation
and its allies can do, is to be sure that they are better prepared if
such a scenario occurs again. In the meantime, there is nothing else to
do for the DM but to mend its injuries and make its way to Deep Space
Outpost 316 where she will receive new crew and supplies.
June Craig who had volunteered to assist sick-bay, gets another chance
to have a verbal fight with Gol'Khar when she discovers him on deck
four with a broken leg.
- Mission End -
Summary written by :
Lt Claryx Vahl
Chief Science Officer
USS Dark Matter
Posts Selection :
-
Collision Course by Ensign MacDuff
- Doing the Right Thing by Lt Vahl
- Collision by Cdr Persson
