The Virgo had remained in the twenty-first century for the last few months, in an orbit too high for the ship to be spotted from the ground, and shielded against radar. Their purpose for lingering was two-fold: first, to offer clandestine aid in the recovery effort from the world's brush with World War III. And second, to make sure Earth was ready for its inevitable confrontation with the Eriarti.
The players of the Burgosian Innovations role playing group had been trained and integrated into various secret government programs as part of the new planetary defense initiative, although it would probably be another decade before their ships and bases were ready. Hopefully, it would be in time. (see episodes 540-542)
But now, three months after their arrival in this dimension, it was time to leave. All their goodbyes had been said, their stocks replenished, and the alien interdimensional technology tested and readied to the best of their abilities. Finally, the very minute had arrived.
Captain Maruu sat in his command chair. All his officers were at their stations around the bridge: Commander Lataro sat at Maruu's side as always, while his wife K'Lara manned the helm. The inscrutable Benton stood by at Tactical, Jennifer Antilles was at the engineering console at the rear of the bridge, Jenara Chee was busy at the science station, while Colonel Chee stood by offering moral support and strength to anyone who needed it. Francesca sat at the auxiliary science station behind Benton because she simply couldn't bear not being in the thick of the action.
This was a momentous occasion. If it worked, the Virgo's crew would be returned to their own dimension. If it didn't, their atoms would be smeared from one end of the multiverse to the other. No pressure, thought Maruu with a bit of trepidation. But the crew had rehearsed this moment continuously for the last three weeks. Nothing would go wrong, he reassured himself.
Everyone was ready. With a brief sideways glance at Lataro, Maruu simply said, "Engage."
"Temporal transconnector activated," said Benton. Down in the science labs, the alien quantum mirror device activated, it's normally silver face rippling in rapid succession through a myriad alternate realities. Meanwhile, back on the bridge, Benton said, "Deflector charging." Outside the ship, the huge main deflector dish began to glow with an eerie, electric blue light which slowly began spreading around the entire vessel. On the bridge, reports began coming in. Jenara said, "Temporal drift at 2.47, sir." Then, from her station at the back of the bridge, Antilles announced, "Deflector is at maximum ion saturation, sir." K'Lara reported now, "Temporal rift opening ahead. We're being pulled in."
So far so good, thought Maruu, but the next step was the key. "Activate deflector!"
Benton stabbed a control, and a brilliant blue beam of negatively charged ions blasted out from the Virgo's deflector dish. It's purpose was to simulate the ion storm that had sent them to this dimension in the first place, and indeed it appeared to be having an immediate effect. (see episode 519)
The temporal rift ahead of the Virgo was beginning to sputter and flash fitfully, and the first shockwave jolted through the ship. Everyone reflexively grabbed onto the nearest immovable object. Francesca grabbed Benton.
Benton tried to free his arms from Francesca's frantic scrabbling while at the same time staying upright himself and trying to get a sensor report from his console. Somehow he succeeded in all three endeavors. "Captain!" He had to raise his voice to be heard above the escalating rumble. "The ionic disturbance from the deflector has modified the dimensional rift!"
"Is that good news or bad news, Mr. Benton?" shouted the captain in return. He was having to grip the arms of his chair tightly to keep from being thrown to the floor, the shaking was becoming that violent.
"It's hard to tell sir, but we're about to find out. Contact with the rift in three seconds... Two... One!"
Then the universe seemed to explode.