A Whole New World

The group had been heading deeper into the planet's surface for over four hours. As they had travelled through the network of caves and tunnels, they had started to notice a pattern emerging. Every few kilometres they had emerged from a tunnel into another cave. From the scans that Rhee could get, they all appeared to be artificially constructed and were spaced out at regular intervals within the planet.

Lieutenant Hart had suggested that these caves might be staging areas, build from the surface down into the planet. The idea was sound and both J'Ross and Rhee had agreed that the purpose of the caves was significant.

J'Ross had found another use for the caves now. Once they had come across the third cave six kilometres down, she had contacted the Leviathan and gave them the co-ordinates of the three caves. She'd ordered teams to be transported into each cave with pattern enhancers. Her idea was to link the caves using the enhancers so that if needed, the Leviathan could transport them away, even when they deep under the surface. Since then, she had reported into the Leviathan at each cave, where the group had waited for the next team to arrive.

"We must be getting pretty close." Rhee stated. "The reading are starting to rise significantly."

"How far ?" J'Ross enquired.

"About another kilometre or so." Rhee replied.

The group continued going deeper into the planet's surface until they came to a blockage in the tunnel. The rocks that had blocked the way were soon moved and the group finally entered a large cavern. About twice the size of the Leviathan's main engineering, the cavern was huge. Along the walls there were huge machines which appeared to burrow into the cavern floor and rise up into the ceiling. The room was dimly lit and at first they couldn't see too far into it. But as their eyes grew accustomed to the gloomy light, they moved in further. Rhee confirmed that like the other caves they had encountered on the way down, this cavern was also artificial.

Scattered across the floor were the remains of some dead humanoid creatures. Goran'Agar confirmed that most of them were Jem'Hadar, but there were other bones fragments as well. Rhee couldn't however identify the species and she confirmed that DNA that may have survived was long destroyed over the years.

"That's what's attracting all the tachyons." Rhee remarked, pointing to the far end of the cavern. "Whatever it is, it appears to be absorbing all the tachyon particles. I'm guessing the Jem'Hadar that were scanning the surface were aware of this."

The group moved closer to the device at the far end of the room and started to examine it. The device was about three metres high and a perfect circular ring, placed on a plinth that stood about a metre off the floor. There were steps leading up to the 'ring' and as they got closer, they noticed strange carvings on the outside.

"Any idea what this could be ?" Lieutenant Colonel Phanan asked.

"No." Rhee replied. "But I can tell you this is not what I was expecting. From Goran'Agar's description, I was expecting an Iconian gateway. But this technology is definitely not Iconian, nor are the carvings on the ring."

"Hart, let's check out the devices on the wall." J'Ross suggested. "Rhee see if you can get anything more on what that device is and why it's attracting tachyons."

The group spent about an hour checking out the room, when suddenly Rhee looked across at the Lieutenant Commander and signalled that she'd discovered something.

"Commander, come and take a look at this." She stated.

The Commander and Hart both stepped across the floor towards the Trill Science officer.

"These markings are Preserver." Rhee announced. "But I don't think the rest of this technology is."

"Can you tell what the markings say ?" J'Ross asked.

"They appear to be a warning." Rhee suggested. "These marking are about six thousand years old, but the technology is about twice that old."

"Twelve thousand years !" Rayna commented. "That's a long time."

"Have you found anymore Preserver markings ?" J'Ross asked.

"No. These are the only one's." Rhee said, the sound of disappointment in her voice.

"Any idea why that device is attracting tachyons ?" J'Ross continued.

"I think the device is either powered by tachyons or it uses them in its function." Rhee suggested. "I've picked up a small increase in the amounts of tachyon particles within the material that it is made of. But I can't tell you what the material is."

"Could we be in danger ?" J'Ross enquired.

"Unlikely." Rhee suggested. "The device is absorbing the tachyons and holding them within it's structure. There's only a small amount of tachyons within this room."

"I think it's time we headed back to the surface." J'Ross stated, tapping her comm badge. But she got no signal from the small device, which remained silent. Rhee and Hart both tapped their own badges, but still no response came from them.

"The cavern must be shielding the carrier signal." Rhee suggested. "If we leave here and head back out, we should be able to contact the ship."

"Good idea." Hart replied, turning around and heading for the exit. However as she turned her wrist-beacon on, she found that its power cell had become drained.

"My beacon's dead." She remarked. "But I'm sure it had plenty of charge before I turned it off."

Rhee and J'Ross checked their own beacons and found to their horror that they too had no light.

"Something in here must have drained them." J'Ross suggested. "Check your weapons."

Everyone checked their phasers and found that they too were drained of all power.

"I'll volunteer to head back to the surface and get some help." Phanan suggested.

"I will accompany you Colonel if I may." Goran'Agar stated. "My eyesight is much better than yours in the dark."

"Agreed." J'Ross stated. "We'll see if we can't track down the source of the power drain."

Colonel Phanan and Goran'Agar headed back out of the cavern and towards the surface.

Half an hour later, the cavern was filled with sound as the machines on the wall came to life.

"What did you do ?" J'Ross asked, heading over towards where Rayna and Rhee were working at what appeared to be a power conduit. They had traced the power drain to this area and had been investigating it.

The sounds in the cavern dropped as the machines appeared to switch into a more stable state, quietly humming away.

"Looks like we've found the 'on' switch." Hart joked.

"Look." Rhee announced pointing at the ring as another noise started to fill the cavern.

The ring was starting to turn counter-clockwise very slowly at first, then building up speed. The sound of the inner section of ring grinding against the outer ring filled the room. Then as quickly as it had started, the ring stopped.

There was a brief moment of silence, then a 'jet' of silver 'liquid' shot out from the centre of the ring and was almost immediately pulled back in. Rhee picked up her tricorder and attempted to scan the silvery liquid that was now filling the central area of the ring. At first the tricorder did nothing, like the rest of the equipment, it had been drained of all power, but as she drew closer to the ring, the tricorder sprang back to life.

"It appears to be some kind of tachyon field." She commented, looking at her readings. "Plus it appears to be producing an energy field which is what's powering the tricorder."

"Any ideas what we're looking at ?" J'Ross asked.

"It could be some kind of transporter." Rayna suggested.

"The readings I'm getting are off the scale." Rhee commented. "Commander, could I have your tricorder."

J'Ross took out her own tricorder and stepped up onto the plinth with Rhee, passing her the device.

"I'm going to link your tricorder into mine." Rhee stated. "Then I'm going to test my theory."

Rhee fiddled with the two tricorders for about a minute, then stepping forward towards the circle of silver liquid and threw the tricorder into it.

"Amazing." Rhee remarked. "This is definitely a transporter of some kind, I'm picking up an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, a single sun and large areas of vegetation."

"So what next ?" J'Ross asked.

"We go through it of course." Rhee stated confidently.

"But what if this only works one way." J'Ross suggested. "We'd be unable to return, we'd be stuck who knows where, lost and without support."

"I'm sorry Commander." Rhee apologised. "My enthusiasm got the better of me."

"I'll volunteer." Lieutenant Gibs announced suddenly. "After all it's my job as a Marine to protect you 'Fleeters'"

"I'll go as well." Rayna stated. "These Marines don't know the first thing about engineering. At least with me along, we may have a chance of returning someday."

J'Ross was very quiet, thinking and weighting up the odds. They could wait for the Colonel to return and then they could get a probe to go through, but that could be hours away. Finally she made a decision, but it rested heavily on her shoulders.

"OK, Gibs, Hart you can go." J'Ross stated. "You go through, take a quick look around, get my tricorder back and come home understood."

"Yes Commander." They both confirmed.

Gibs was the first to step through the ring and disappeared into it. Rayna followed thirty seconds later. The next five minutes were the longest the rest of the team had ever spent. Then suddenly the centre of the ring shimmered and Gibs, closely followed by Hart came back through the ring.

"Sorry we took so long, but we had some trouble finding this." Gibs announced. He pulled out the tricorder and handed it back to the Commander.

"So what's the other side like ?" Rhee asked. "Did you have any problems ?"

"No." Rayna replied. "From the scans we've taken it would appear to be a class-M planet, with a vast variety of vegetation. There's a large device about a kilometre from the other ring, which I'm assuming is the Dominion device Goran'Agar was speaking of. There's no life-signs at all, only plants. The light was starting to fade, so I'm guessing it will be nightfall soon."

"Commander I'd like to go through and take a look for myself." Rhee requested.

"Let's see if we can't get you some help." J'Ross suggested, tapping her comm badge.

"J'Ross to Leviathan." She announced.

[Leviathan here Commander, we can barely make out your signal.] The voice on the other end announced. [We were beginning to get a little worried when you didn't report in.]

"We've had a little communications trouble, but it appears to be OK now." J'Ross stated. "Has Colonel Phanan reported in yet ?"

[About five minutes ago.] The voice replied. [He managed to reach the last transporter team and get us a message. Are you OK Commander ?]

"We're fine." J'Ross confirmed. "I'd like a full planetary exploration team down here as soon as possible. Have Lieutenant Amy Lloyd join them and tell her to bring along a micro satellite launcher and a class three micro-probe."

[That could be a problem Commander.] The voice replied. [We're just about receiving your comm signal, but I doubt we'd be able to transport anyone to your location.]

"Then transport them to the lowest cave and have them come down on foot." J'Ross ordered.

[I'll have a team ready in five minutes, they should be with you within half an hour.] The voice replied. [Leviathan out.]

"Let's see what we can learn about all this equipment whilst we wait." J'Ross suggested.