Commodore Wallace sat in his quarters. The information about his new CMO had arrived just after the Hornet had left Spacedock. He started to read the data PADD....
USS Enterprise-E -- Bridge (2375)....
"Commander, we are picking up a faint distress signal," Ensign Perim announced from the helm. "It appears to be Federation in origin, but not a currently used Starfleet signal."
"The signal appears to be coming from a vessel at least fifty years old. Since that time every Federation vessel had been assigned its own unique transponder code to facilitate both recognition and avoid false distress calls 'luring' other Federation vessels into an ambush," Commander Data reported, turning away from the ops station beside Perim to look directly at Commander Riker.
"So you think this is maybe some kind of hoax?" Riker inquired.
"It is highly unlikely that anyone would try and use an out of date distress signal," Data replied. "Especially one this old."
"Can we get a fix on the signal?" Riker asked.
"The signal is very weak and the only reason we are picking it up is because Geordi has been attempting to increase the range of the sub-space transceivers," Data replied. "We only have a general direction, but as we get closer we should be able to get a more accurate fix on the signal."
"Helm, set a course," Riker ordered.
An hour later the Enterprise-E finally reached the location of the distress signal.
On the viewscreen the image of a shuttlecraft, boxy in design, could clearly be seen, adrift in the tidal forces of the Briar Patch.
"It would appear to be a Galileo II class shuttle, designed for long range away missions. That class of vessel was one of the first shuttle classes to be made warp capable, but the design hasn't been used in nearly seventy years," Data reported. "The vessel appears to have suffered heavy damage, but is still intact and the warp core appears to still be operating at minimum power levels. Sensors are not picking up any life-signs aboard, although life support is still operating."
"Can you identify the shuttle?" Riker asked.
"Negative. This class of shuttle was never fitted with a transponder and there are no markings left on the outer hull. We will have to wait until we salvage the vessel before we can identify it positively," Data announced.
"Okay, let's get that shuttle onboard as soon as possible. Mister Data, I want you to beam across to the shuttle and bring it back to the Enterprise," Riker ordered. "Bridge to Captain Picard, we have discovered a small vessel adrift in the Briar Patch and are attempting to bring it into the shuttle bay."
[Understood, Number One. I'll meet you at the shuttle bay in fifteen minutes. Picard out.]
Data left his position at the Ops station and headed for transporter room one. Five minutes later, he re-appeared in the cockpit area of the shuttle.
"Data to the Enterprise," Data announced.
[Enterprise here. What have you found Data?] Riker inquired.
"The atmosphere in the vessel is both cold and very low in oxygen, another few years and there would be no oxygen left. I have found four bodies, three wearing Starfleet uniforms and a fourth unidentified alien. They are in excellent condition due to the low oxygen levels and the lack of heat," Data reported. "From the uniforms, I would estimate that they died some fifty to ninety years ago."
[Can you get the shuttle operational?] Riker asked.
"I am attempting to access the propulsion systems now. The warp nacelles appear to have taken heavy damage and are unusable. The shuttle has very little fuel left, I am unsure if there is enough remaining to allow me to make a successful approach and landing in the shuttlebay. I would suggest that you maneuver the Enterprise as close as possible before I make any attempt," Data suggested.
[We'll move to within one hundred meters,] Riker replied.
"That should be sufficient, Commander," Data replied. "Data out."
Slowly the Enterprise-E loomed ever closer to the small shuttlecraft, until eventually it was facing away from the shuttle, with the bay doors open, spilling light out into the void.
"Data to Enterprise. I am making my approach now, I'm going to try and gain as much momentum as possible using the remaining fuel. Hopefully, that should be enough to break free of the eddy," Data announced over the Comm link.
[Riker to Data. Understood, we'll keep this channel open, any problems and we'll beam you straight out of there.]
Data started to line up the shuttle, using the RCS thrusters as little as possible, allowing gravity and the inertia of the shuttle to keep it moving. Suddenly, Data fired the main thrusters and the small vessel 'shot' forward. Five seconds later they cut out, all the remaining fuel gone.
"Data to Enterprise," Data announced. "All the shuttle's fuel is now spent, I will be unable to stop the shuttle's momentum once I enter the shuttle bay."
[We're already on it Mister Data,] the calm and reassuring voice of Captain Picard announced. [We've already deployed the safety netting and a fire team is on hand.]
The shuttle continued to head towards the ever-larger shuttlebay, until Data could make out the safety webbing, ready to catch the shuttle. The shuttle hit the floor of the shuttlebay hard, bouncing the nose of the shuttle back up into the air, before it came down again and was caught by the webbing, landing on the floor of the bay with a loud clang of metal on metal.
"Quite a landing," Commander Riker announced as Data appeared from the rear of the shuttle.
"Commander, any landing from which you can walk away from is a good landing," Data replied.
Riker just smiled.
"Number One, Data, come and take a look at this," Captain Picard said.
The Captain was stood by the side of the shuttle and was using a sonic resonator to remove the years of space dust from the hull. The Captain had managed to uncover part of the lettering on the side of the shuttle and by the time the others had reached him, he'd revealed the remaining numbers.
"NCC-17342," Data remarked. "That registry was assigned to a vessel, the USS Columbus, Constellation class, a deep space exploration vessel. All contact with the vessel was lost some ninety years ago, during a survey mission in this sector of the galaxy. The Federation had just recently extended its borders to include this region and wanted to know what was out here. They found thirteen inhabited class M planets, none spacefaring. The only warp capable society they encountered were the Son'a, and they quickly agreed to maintain the Federation borders. Back then they must have been so new to the area and poorly equipped, not like the Son'a we encounter now. That was about the time the Son'a attempted to take over the Ba'ku homeworld, but instead were banished."
"Data you never cease to amaze me," Riker commented. "How did you know all that?"
"When I was assigned to the survey mission on the Ba'ku homeworld, I studied all the relevant information on this region of space. That obviously included the disappearance of the USS Columbus. Although a search was made of the nebula that we now know as the Briar Patch, no trace was ever found. Then the Son'a became more aggressive and most of the Federation efforts were diverted from continuing to explore this region of space to defending it. The Son'a never violated Federation space and we had a good relationship with them. But we also knew of their aggressive nature and their invasions of Tarlac and Ellora space. The prime directive obviously stopped us from interfering," Data replied. "Captain, I made a preliminary scan of the three human bodies on the shuttle and I estimate that they died no more than eighty years ago, the Doctor should be able to give you a more accurate time of death."
"Which leaves us with a gap of nearly ten years between the disappearance of the USS Columbus and the death of this shuttle's crew," Riker remarked.
"Indeed," Data replied.
"Commander Riker, have the bodies taken to sickbay," the Captain ordered. "Data, I want you to see if you can reactivate the ship's onboard computers -- see if they can tell us anything about what happened to this shuttle and the crew of the Columbus."
"Of course Captain, although I must warn you that we are unlikely to be able to access most of the data. The period of time since the logs were made and now will have degraded them substantially -- we may only get partial logs and information."
"Do what you can Data," the Captain asked. "Picard to Doctor Crusher."
[Sickbay here Captain,] Beverly Crusher announced.
"Beverly, Commander Riker will be bringing four bodies taken from a shuttle we have just recovered drifting in the Briar Patch. Three are human, the fourth is an alien of unknown origin. I'd like a full autopsy done and I need you to give me an as accurate time of death as possible," the Captain requested.
[Exactly what state are the bodies in?] Beverly inquired.
"The bodies are in excellent condition, considering their situation. The low oxygen levels and the extreme cold aboard the shuttle appear to have prevented the bodies decaying quickly," Data announced.
[Just how long have these bodies been in space?] Beverly asked.
"We estimate around eighty years Doctor," Data replied. "Your autopsy should be able to narrow it down to a more precise date range."
[Okay, send them up. Sickbay out,] Doctor Crusher replied.
The four bodies were carefully removed from the shuttle and taken to sickbay.
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