Array : The Briefing

Every member of the senior staff was waiting in the briefing room. All except the Devore's. Sierra was the first to arrive, followed shortly by the Captain five minutes later. With him was Opinger Mual, the Nuan Ambassador who although officially not part of the Leviathan's crew was allowed as a courtesy to attend most staff briefings.

"OK people, let's see where we are, I believe Mister Barker and our new Slipstream specialist have something to report." Devore said, taking his seat at the head of the table.

Chu stood up from his seat, whilst Tyra also rose and headed for the viewscreen control panel at the far side of the room.

"Captain, everyone. We have for the past few days been examining the logs and personal records of the late Lieutenant Commander Shaka. In these records we have found evidence to confirm that Starfleet or at least some part of the Federation has been in this galaxy before. As you are no doubt aware, we have in our records, starcharts and planetary records for over one hundred systems. These records could only have been developed from detailed scans of this galaxy at 'close quarters', they could never have been made using sensor data from any of the quadrants in our own galaxy." Chu explained.

"If all this is true, then why ?. For what purpose could Starfleet use such information ?. Until a couple of years ago, this galaxy was nearly two hundred years journey away. Admittedly with Slipstream technology, it's now only five years away, but it's still a long journey with no back-up." Lieutenant Commander T'kul asked.

"That's true, unless you have access to an advanced technology like transwarp drive. We know that Starfleet has been working on such a system for over a century, the two Vulcan's and the human that the Ronin discovered on the Proletarian battle cruiser were there because of a transwarp test accident. They reached Moira in a little over three months, what's to say that someone else couldn't do the same thing." Chu replied "There is of course another possibility, a wormhole between our two galaxies."

"Aren't we getting off the point Commander." Tyra said from the far side of the room.

"I'm sorry Tyra you're right. Captain, as I said before we have detailed records of a vast area of space in this galaxy and looking through Shaka's personal files we found this." Chu explained, nodding at Tyra.

On the view screen appeared the decoded schematic that Chu and Tyra had found.

"It looks like some kind of array, from the configuration an early twenty-fourth century deep space communications relay, circa 2320." Chief Shale announced.

"Actually, it was constructed and launched April 3, 2349." Tyra replied.

"So we have a mid twenty-fourth century deep space communications relay, so what ?" Rick said.

"It's not the relay itself that is interesting, but it's central communications system. It's based on Slipstream technology. That's why Shaka had it in her database, it appears that she was a fanatical collector of all information about Slipstream technology. It's a valuable library of information and I'm sure that it is going to a great help to our new Slipstream specialist." Chu described.

"The array as pointed out by the Chief is a standard early twenty-fourth century design. The relay is equipped with standard sub-space communications systems and can accept over two thousand simultaneous message streams and re-transmit them over a single wide-band carrier signal. What's different about the carrier signal is how it is formed. Instead of using a high-powered subspace carrier signal, a quantum slipstream is created between the sending and receiving relays. Whilst the two relay stations are generating a carrier signal, there is an open link between them." Tyra explained as she brought up a couple of graphics to illustrate her point.

"So somewhere in the Alpha quadrant there's a second relay station, identical to this ?" Counsellor Devore remarked.

"Yes Commander, right here." Tyra replied bringing up a graphic of the two galaxies and the location of the Alpha quadrant array. "Here, on the very edge of the Alpha quadrant. It was launched just over six months after the first and we know that it was successfully deployed two years later. We've found records of test signals in the records but nothing after 2352."

"Do we know where the first relay was deployed." Captain Devore asked.

"Not exactly. Because of the great distances involved it was not possible for the launch crew to predict an exact location. All we have is its general location." Chu said looking at Tyra. An area of the screen changed to blue.

"The array is somewhere in this area." Chu said.

"That looks like a mighty big area." Dakul remarked.

"Over two thousand square light years." Tyra replied.

"Wait a minute, even if the array was in that area it would still be on the wrong side of the galaxy. The signal would have to pass through the centre of both galaxies." Chief Shale remarked.

"Actually, you're right but these charts are present day, look what happens when we progress the charts back to 2350." Tyra said.

The two galaxies started to turn in opposite rotations until they reached the end of their trip back in time. "In 2350, the two arrays were aligned almost perfectly." Tyra announced.

"But wouldn't any message sent now have to pass through the centres anyway." Dakul asked.

"Not if the slipstream link between the two arrays were still active, the link would have just stretched. On a quantum level, the link would still be a straight line." Chu explained.

"And do you think this is possible ?" Commander Rashad asked.

"From the schematics, these arrays were designed to be active for over two hundred years. As well as generating the Slipstream beam, the central array was more than capable of powering the station for that long." Tyra explained.

"I still don't see why this is important. We have a relay station that's probably non-functional, in an area that's two thousand square light years." Chief Shale remarked.

"Because of this." Chu remarked, seeming a little angry with the Chief for all his remarks during the briefing.

Tyra brought up another schematic, this time of a familiar vessel. Small and compact, it was definitely recognisable.

"It's the Defiant or at least a Defiant class vessel." Lucas Taline remarked, with surprise in his voice.

"Actually what you are looking at was designed in 2345 and it's the original prototype for the Defiant. The schematics actually call it the Dragon class and it was specially built around this." Chu explained.

On the view screen the schematic started to 'strip down' the layers of the vessel until all that was left was the engine core. "Do you recognise that Taline ?" Chu asked.

"It's a transwarp drive from a Borg sphere." Lucas announced, again surprise in his voice.

"Correct. From what information we have been able to uncover, the Dragon was purpose built around this drive. It's purpose was to act as the delivery platform for the Slipstream array, it's mission to deploy the relay station and a dozen long-range probes, then return to the Alpha quadrant." Chu explained.

"So, what happened to it." Counsellor Devore asked. "Did it return to the Alpha quadrant ?"

"We know that the relay station was deployed, because we've found the test signals. However, we can find no other records of the Dragon returning to the Alpha quadrant. The second array was launched using an unmanned launcher." Chu replied. "We can probably assume that the probes were also launched and these are the source of the data that we have about this galaxy. Also don't forget the scout vessel that Ensign McMillan found on Moria, that was of a design that fits with the date of the construction of the Dragon."

"So let's see now." Chief Shale said "We now have a top-secret communications array, somewhere in this galaxy, a top-secret Starfleet vessel equipped with a transwarp drive from a Borg sphere, built fifteen years before the Enterprise-D encountered any Borg. This is all 'cloak and dagger' stuff and I don't like it."

"OK. Let's assume all this data is accurate. Can we find the array ?" Captain Devore asked.

"Not directly. The array was designed to run silent until contacted with a secure signal. That means we need to find one of the probes or the Dragon." Tyra announced.

"OK, can we find one of the probes." Devore asked. "I'm assuming that finding the Dragon is going to be hard."

"That's where we've had some luck. Long range sensors have picked up a subspace signal of Federation origin. We think it's one of the probes, when we get closer we'll know more." Chu said.

Tyra brought up a starmap of a planetary system.

"This is a system some one hundred light years from our location. At maximum warp it will take us two months to reach. It's a system with a type G sun and eight planets, the forth of which is class M. The probe is trapped in a low orbit around the seventh planet which is type D, a gas giant about three times the size of Jupiter. That's all we know I'm afraid Captain." Tyra said.

"Two months that's quite a journey, searching for something, which may lead to an array which in all likelihood is no longer working. Plus we'd be heading further into the galaxy, we should be heading back towards our own galaxy." Shale remarked "Captain, this is a wild goose chase, if we had Slipstream then maybe we'd get there faster, but we don't."

A smile grew across Tyra's face. "Who said we didn't have Slipstream." She said. "All I said was that it would take two months at maximum warp."

"Tyra, is there something you'd like to share with the group ?" Counsellor Devore asked.

"We've managed to get the Slipstream drive back online, but we're still having problems creating a stable slipstream conduit." Tyra announced. "Shaka thought that it had something to do with the deflector dish alignment. We've not checked everything out yet, but that's our next task."

"How long until we have full Slipstream ability ?" Captain Devore asked.

"It could take weeks to calibrate the Slipstream drive properly, but we could get partial power to the drive in maybe four days, maybe T-Warp 11. I wouldn't risk going any higher until everything is calibrated. That would cut our journey time to the system to around twenty days." Tyra explained.

"Get on it. Commander Taline, give Tyra any assistance she requires." Captain Devore requested. "Mister Dakul, how is everything with Security ?."

"Fine Captain. We're still keeping an eye on our guests the Coreans, but they're no real trouble, most of them are just scared. What do we know about the forth planet of the system where the probe is, maybe it would be a possible new home for them." Dakul stated.

*Maybe I was wrong about the Captain's indifference towards me.* Dakul thought.

"The data that we have from the probe shows that the planet was not populated, but that data is now twenty odd years out of date. It's possible that the planet has since been colonised by a nearby civilisation. The starcharts do show at least two planetary systems with pre-warp civilisations, at least one with inter-planetary travel." Chu said. "It could if still uninhabited make a suitable home."

"There are also the murders that have been occurring since we arrived in this galaxy. We still have no leads, but we've also not had any more incidents since the Ronin left. I'm not saying that the murderer was from the Ronin and we are still performing regular patrols of the crew decks." Dakul continued.

"Excellent, keep up the good work and keep those patrols going. Commander Taline, what's the status of the repairs ?" Devore requested.

"We've still got some secondary systems off-line and under repair. All primary systems are back online, including the auxiliary warp drive. We still have one phaser bank non-operational and we're having trouble with the refractive shielding." Lucas replied.

"I'll take a look at the shielding systems later." Lieutenant Commander Barker announced.

"OK. Any problems at Tactical Mister Grafton ?" Devore asked.

"No Captain." Jake replied. "We've detected no Proletarian or Zeratul brood activity since we managed to escape. The two forces seem to have been more interested in fighting each other than in attacking us. We've also detected no other activity in the immediate area."

"Then I think that's everything. Tyra, start working on the Slipstream drive and getting that back up ASAP. In the mean time, let's set a heading towards this probe and use the auxiliary warp drive. Pass the details onto Helm and we'll get running." Devore said, finalising the meeting.

Everyone rose from the table and started to leave.

"Commander T'Kul please remain a moment there's something I'd like to discuss with you" Captain Devore requested.

Once all the other officers had left Devore and Rashad sat down again.

"OK Rashad spill the beans, I know that there's more to this than what we've heard today. I can smell Section 31 all over this slipstream relay station." Devore said sternly.

"Captain, you know that I can neither confirm or deny any information I may possess about Section 31 and it's activities in this or any other galaxy." Rashad replied.

"Is there anything you can tell me ?. At least let me know if we're likely to encounter any danger. I know that you were aware of the existence of the brood on Moria and the danger that it posed to this vessel. We lost over a hundred Marines and Starfleet officers, not to mention my first officer and Slipstream specialist because of it. I don't want anything like that to happen again, if you don't at least level with me, I'll ask our Doctor if she can develop some method of extracting the information from that Romulan\Bajoran brain of yours." Devore demanded.

Rashad took a moment to think and consider her response.

"As far as I'm aware, there are no dangers in that area of space. That is all I'm willing to tell you." She said.

"Fine, Dismissed Commander." Devore said.

Lieutenant Commander T'kul rose from her chair and walked towards the door, pausing before opening the door.

"Captain, Toran was a fine officer, but remember he's not dead. He made the supreme sacrifice to save the rest of us and I for one am grateful. As for Shaka, she died doing her job." Rashad said.

"Typical Romulan response." Devore replied.

"It's the way I was brought up and trained. Captain, I have seen people die nearly all my adult life, I've learnt that to care too much can prove fatal, look after number one that's my motto for life." Rashad said back, opening the door and leaving.

*There are time when I wonder why I allowed her to remain onboard.* Devore thought.

Devore sat back and looked at the starchart on the viewscreen, his mind starting to drift until he fell asleep. Over the past few weeks, sleep had been hard to come to by.

A couple of hours later, Counsellor Devore came into the briefing room, looking for the Captain. A smile came across her face as she saw the Captain, half-slumped in his seat, snoring away. She left the room, lowering the lights before she left and locked the door.

"Counsellor Devore to Lieutenant Dakul."

[What can I do for you Counsellor ?]

"Could you please place a security guard outside the briefing room. I don't want anyone to enter until eight tomorrow morning."

[May I ask why you are making this request Counsellor ?]

"The Captain is working in the briefing room and doesn't want to be disturbed until eight tomorrow." Sierra told Dakul.

[If you insist Counsellor, I'll have someone report there immediately.]

"Thank you Lieutenant, I'm sure the Captain would appreciate it. Devore out."