Science Officer's Log: the Ronin's inertial dampeners have suffered a major mechanical failure upon passing in close proximity to the neutron star at the heart of the nebula. We are unable to go to warp safely and impulse drives are insufficiently powerful enough to break our orbit. We can only maintain our orbit, 23 kilometers above the surface of the dead sun. Our shields can only protect us from the neutron star's radiation for 72 hours before we are all killed.
With the Captain's permission, I am conducting an experiment that should at least throw us clear of the neutron star. Using the basic principles of quantum mechanics, I hope to treat the Ronin as an electron in a stable energy level above the nucleus that is the neutron star. After all, a neutron star is little more than a gigantic atomic nucleus. The three-dimensional hydrogen equation postulated in the early 20th century by Schrodinger takes care of all the mathematics needed for this exercise; the rest is just a matter of hardware.
"Is this what you were looking for?" Ensign Rawsthorne asked as he handed Ming a PADD.
"Perfect! The hull polarization system from the old NX-class starships should do exactly what I need! How long will it take to set up?" Ming asked.
"Hull construction has changed a lot in the past 150 years," Rawsthorne commented. "We'll have to make some modifications, but if we use the deflector emitter as one pole and the auxiliary communication array as another, we can have the job done in about three hours.
"Excellent. I should have the transporter modifications done by then."
"Transporters, sir?"
"Yes. We're going to turn the ship into a giant electron, then use the transporters to excite us to a higher energy level about the neutron star."
"Ah!" Rawsthorne said. "You're going to change our quantum state as a back door around the thrust problem!"
"That's the hope. And it's all we've got right now. If it works, we'll move instantaneously to a higher orbit around the neutron star"
Ming, Benson and Schwartz worked furiously over the next three hours making adjustments to the cargo transporter. Ming's idea was to use the transporter not so much to transport anything as to act as a tremendous energy conduit. After the deflector array, the transporters were the only other system on the Ronin capable of handling the level of energy needed.
Ming watched as Schwarz and Benson pulled circuit cards and made the necessary modifications. Only a few months ago Benson was incapable of reading. Now not only could he read and write English fluently, Benson was learning French and had become a very competent laboratory technician.
"Very good!" Judit said, patting Benson on the back as he soldered a new transtator component in the appropriate place on the board. "You have learned much!"
"Thank you, ma'am," Benson said as he placed the laser soldering tool back in the appropriate place in its case. "I try to do my best."
"You do quite well, Rob," Ming agreed as Benson slid the card back into position. "That should be the last one."
"I'm running ze test now," Judit said. "Ze circuits look like they'll do the job!" she reported as she read off the display of her tricorder.
Ming verified it with his tricorder. "Excellent. Now let's see if we can turn the Ronin into a lepton without turning us into elementary particles as well!"
Ming looked at his two assistants. "If this doesn't work, I want you to know that it's been a pleasure to work and serve with you." Ciara, I wish I could be with you right now, but the ship needs me, he thought, hoping she'd hear.
~I know. Good luck, Ming! Whatever happens, we know you've done your best!~
~Without a doubt!~ another telepathic voice echoed. ~You've come a long way, Ming! Thanks for everything!~ yet another one joined.
Ming smiled as he felt the thoughts of Ciara, Shara, and Karissa enter his minds.
And with that, he pressed the control...
"What happened?" Ensign Holmes asked. "One minute we were still in the nebula, the next we're...here..."
"Where is here?" Captain McConaughy demanded.
"Hmmm...this doesn't make sense. The planet below us is Class-M, and...these coordinates and the standard time signal is consistent with orbit about Risa!"
"Send a hail; that'll answer the question."
"Sir, they're hailing us!" Chief Talsman reported from the communications station.
"On screen."
A Bajoran ensign at a control panel appeared. [USS Ronin, this is Risa Control. How in the name of the Prophets did you manage that???]
"McConaughy to Lieutenant Wang--it looks like your experiment worked a little better than we had hoped!"
It didn't take long for the press to find out about Ronin's reappearance in the explored Alpha Quadrant--in the heart of the Federation, no less! Reconciliation of the Ronin's logs with Starfleet Command verified that this was no alternate universe, but in fact the same one they'd started in. The entire crew of the Ronin, from Captain McConaughy down to Private Benson, was feted by the media of the Federation and several other political entities.
It also didn't take long for Starfleet Command to figure out what to do with the Ronin. Only twelve hours after the ship's arrival at Risa, Captain Waters received authorization for a complete refit of the ship, followed by deployment to the Briar Patch Sector and the Mulluran demarcation line. Tensions in the sector had escalated significantly since the last time the Ronin was in the area, and Starfleet was more than happy to have an extra ship to send there.
As far as Ming could figure, the scale-up from the atomic scale also scaled up the relative sizes of the atomic orbitals. The antimatter reactors of the Ronin had supplied enough energy to excite the Ronin not just one but several energy levels--revealing a hidden side to the centuries-old Schrodinger Hydrogen Equation that scientists on dozens of worlds had never even hypothesized. Ming was busy writing his paper on the quantum transport mechanism when Ciara knocked on the door of his office. "Aren't you going down to Risa? Starfleet has authorized 5 days' shore leave for the entire crew while the ship is refit!"
"I want to get my paper to the major journals first," Ming said. "The Journal of the Vulcan Science Academy has offered me first publication. They're saying it could mean a Z-Magnees nomination at the least!" Ming showed Ciara the PADD containing the message from the Academy.
"Hey, I'm impressed! How long do you think you'll be?"
"Oh, two, three days at most."
Ciara sighed. "Still a workaholic! Look, the Vulcan Science Academy has already given you first publication. What's the rush? Take a couple of days off. It's Risa, after all!"
Ming grinned as he shut down his terminal. "Let me stop at my quarters and get some clothes."
"Who said anything about clothes?" Ciara grinned back.