Floppyshop 2

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Text File | 1995-09-09 | 18KB | 314 lines

"Broken Circle" The viewscreen on the bridge was showing stars, streaking through Warp Space. It was almost quiet enough to hear the engines humming, many decks below. Captain Robert Bant walked out of the turbolift and broke the silence by giving new orders to Helm. "Ensign Sopak, set course to Ethuria, Warp 5," he said. Lt. Santir looked suprised at the mention of her home planet. "Captain, may I ask why we are going there?" "We are to attend the coronation of Prince Kant'ap. We'll also be having some minor personal transfers, and shore leave time to those who request it." "Request Permission to take shore leave when we arrive. I have family I wish to see." "Granted," the Captain said. He had almost expected her to ask. Ethurians were as devoted to family as they were to duty. "Captain, we have reached Ethuria. Shall I put us in a standard orbit?" "Yes, and inform the planet of our arrival." A face appeared on the viewscreen. "Prince Kant'ap. We're here to attend your coronation. It will occur as planned tomorrow?" He nodded. "Yes, but if you'll excuse me, we are very busy preparing for it. Kant'ap out." Commander Lantasa walked onto the bridge at that moment. "Sorry for being late. I was researching the coronation ceremony, to be better prepared." "Very well." Ensign Sopak looked up, his Vulcan nature barely concealing his distress. "Sir, we are being pulled out of orbit by some force!" "A tractor beam?" "I believe not sir, it appears natural. We are moving away at Warp 1....Warp 2....Warp 3...Warp 4." "Reverse Engines, full power." "It is having no effect....We are now at Warp 7..Warp 8...Warp 9.. We are approaching Warp 10!" "There is no Warp 10!" "I realize that sir, but whatever is pulling us doesn't... Our velocity is off the scale." Outside, an invisible hole in space sucked the Eagle inside. "We are traveling back towards the planet. Warp 9...Warp 8..Warp 7..." "Sir, Just before we started moving back, sensors picked up another ship for less than a second," Lt. Santir noticed. "What was it?" "Unknown sir, but it seemed Federation." "Very Well, take us back to Ethuria...Bant to Coypin...Do you have any idea what that was?" "I don't know for sure, but I think it was a warp slingshot. They appear rarely, but do very little damage usually. There have been some reports of them acting as a wormhole, but that seems unlikely since we are still in the Ethuria system." "Thank you...Bant out. Lt. Santir, when we get in orbit, hail Ethuria." After a short pause, Lt. Santir said, "They are not answering our hails...and our sensors indicate they have no way of recieving subspace messages. There are explosions on the planet's surface...They have almost no high tech systems.. They appear to be in a state of war...but this is impossible sir...There has not been a war on Ethuria for almost 400 years." "What the...?" Commander Lantasa asked. Lt. Santir looked up in alarm, "According to our readings, we have travelled 377 years back in time...before the Federation was established." Commander Lantasa spoke up. "Request Permission to beam down to the planet, to see if we can get information on how to get back. Also, according to my history, this war destroyed most of the records before it. It could be important." "Permission Denied. I'm sorry Commander, but you couldn't pass for Ethurian if your life depended on it.. and if you beam down, it just might. Lt. Santir, get a few people you think can pass for Ethurian, get clothes suitable for the time period, and beam down to an uninhabited area. Also keep a hidden communicator in your ear, so we may keep in contact." "Aye sir," With that, she walked out into the turbolift. ----------------- * * * ----------------- Five people, only two true Ethurians, appeared in a field nearby a large Ethurian city. They were dressed in tight cotton suits, colored in bright colors. "We should make our way to the city," Lt. Santir ordered. "Agreed Lt." another officer said. "None of this Lt. stuff. First names only while we are here. We are not to appear military. Understood?" Seeing everyone nod, she continued. "The humans names are strange for this time though. Ensign Tharsis, you're name will be Thantar Pinar. Lt. Dimitriadis, you'll be Dimatran Pentro. And Ensign Delarn, you will be Deliasa Tentris. Memorize all of these identities. I am Laanulta Santir, and you will call him," pointing to the other Ethurian "Tranistan Mulliat. Got it?" "Yes Laanulta." The Lt. Dimitriadis, or Dimatran Pentro said. Tranistan spoke up, "I suggest we start at the library.. The one closest to us will be destroyed in almost a year in an attempt to destroy each others knowledge." Laanulta nodded. "Good Idea.. Take our tricorders along, we may need to record some of this information." The library was nothing anyone in the group expected it to be.. In the 24th century, they were small buildings, one or two floors only, of information. But in the 20th Century.... The library was the second tallest building there, second only to the military outpost. It's grey walls had the look of stone, but the feel of metal. Intricate designs were on the outside. "Start Recording with this. It might be of interest to future historians." They walked inside.. Every book was seperated into its own section. There were some computer terminals there, for some of the newer books, but mostly it was filled with elegant books. "Tranistan, you go over to the Astronomy Section, look for some information.. I'll take the computer terminals for newer books. Deliasa, look up history, and record what you find. The rest of you, look around for anything else of possible interest." Everyone went to their respective jobs, and Laanulta went to the small grayish computer terminal. She tapped into the newest releases section, then again in the Science section. There was something in there about time travel theories, and she called up the file. The file had many theories collaborated on by various scientists. Some seemed extremely stupid, such as traveling into the heart of a star, using a highly volatile chemical in a reaction that could generate the high amount of energy needed to propel something called an automobile through time. A few seemed interesting, only because Federation people have just recently thought of them, like acceleration of many times the speed of light, whipping around a star. The only problem with that solution was that the ship would break if even held at warp 9.995 for more than 20 seconds. The file went on to say that they have discovered anomalys in time, and have put a transmitting beacon through, it was pulled fast into the whole. They theorize that when a whole like that exists, it lasts for more than a few days, and it is still open so whatever it is can go back if they need to. This was thought because when they sent the beacon in the first time, if instantly reappeared, but seemed handled slightly, by human hands. A few years later, another beacon appeared, scientists examined it thurougly, then put it back through the portal. She was just about to communicate her findings, when a blast went off. She was thrown to the side, flying out the window. Tranistan too was thrown down, but not outside. He silently cursed the fact that the ships chronometers were wrong. He looked up for a second. He could plainly see the sky, and most of the books were burnt. He cried a silent tear when he saw the dead, mangled body of Deliasa in front of him. He pressed something in his ear, and told those above to beam him and anyone else they could get a lock on up. He, Thantar, and Deliasa's body vanished from the ruins of the library. Out in the street, Ethurian hands grabbed Lt. Santir, and dragged her into a doorway. "Damn.. Why do they have to do this...killing innocent people. I hope I can save this one," a voice muttered. A bloodstained hand rubbed Dimatran's head, and he recognized it as his own. He knew nothing of his life, and he felt something in his ear. He pulled out a tiny pellet, and threw it on the ground, not knowing that he was throwing away the only way anyone he used to know could save him. He looked in his pocket, and saw a wallet, which he pulled out. He saw writing, of which he could not completley understand, and a name he thought he could remember; Dimatran Pentro. He set out to find out anything of his former life, a quest which was totally hopeless, for as far as history was concerned, he never existed. ----------------- * * * ----------------- "What happened down there?" Captain Bant asked as the returning members of the away team arrived on the bridge. "Our time estimates were wrong, off by about a year. We thought the library we entered would be destroyed in a year. We were wrong, and terrorist attacks destroyed the library. Ensign Delarn was killed, and both Lt. Santir, and Lt. Dimitriadis are missing, and presumed dead." Captain Bant answered, "Do you think you can assemble a search team?" Lt. Mulliat nodded. "Do it," ----------------- * * * ----------------- "Where am I?" A weak voice asked, instinctivly in Ethurian. Laanulta Santir couldn't see very much through her squinted eyes. A strangly familiar presence was nearby. "You're in a hospital. After that bomb went off in the library I brought you in. My name is Doctor Santir. We've all been wondering who you are..." "Well, my name is Laanulta..Laanulta.." she paused, "Santir." "Santir? We must be related in some way." "Probably distantly. I was orphaned at an early age, all I knew was my last name, Santir. I was given my first name." She didn't like lying to someone who was probably her ancestor. Suddenly, her body twisted in a bout of pain. "Here. Drink this. It tastes awful, I'm told, but it works." After tasting it, Laanulta managed a weak smile, and said, "Your right....it tastes awful." She paused for a second, "Did you find anything near or on my body, maybe an earpiece, or a small unfolding box with glowing lights on it?" "We found a small earpiece, it was broken in two. We found no box however." "Oh well. When can I leave.. I don't really like hospitals.. not even Sickbay." She stopped, instantly realizing she made a mistake. "What is Sickbay?" "Oh, it's just the name of a clinic where I give part time help." "Well, you won't be getting out for a few days. The damage you suffered wasn't severe, but we think you should stay here until the end of the week." "No offense, but I'll be happy when I get out of here." "None taken, that's the general feeling of most of my patients. I hope it's not just me." Dimatran walked out of yet another building. For some reason, he couldn't speak the language of anyone, and they couldn't speak his. He inferred that he must be a tourist. He looked in his pocket, and found a strange box, which when unfolded, started glowing with flashing lights. Strangly, he could read most of the words. He pressed the ERMG button, figuring it was enough of an emergancy. All data he had collected in his tricorder went up to the ship. To him, it seemed nothing had happened, but to the ship, many miles above, it was a small sign of hope. ----------------- * * * ----------------- Back on the USS Eagle, Lt. Mulliat, occupying Lt. Santir's position, looked at the console. "Captain, we are receiving a tricorder upload. It contains information about the structure of the Library, as well as information on other Arcitechture, as well as on cultural beliefs. As I remember, that was information that Lt. Dimitriadis accumulated." "Put it into the computer files. Bant to Lt. Deta, can you get a lock on where that tricorder upload came from?" "Yes Captain, I believe I can." "Beam the user up, and hold it in the pattern buffer until I get down there." He walked to the turbolift, accompanied by Commander Lantasa, and took it to the transporter room. Lt. Deta, seeing the Captain enter, fully energized the beam. Lt. Dimitriadis' face came into view. "Where am I?" "You're on the Eagle. You remember the Eagle don't you?" "Lady, I don't remember anything since I got flung on the street. But at least you speak my language, unlike everyone else I've spoken to." "You must have had an injury.. We'll take you to Sickbay." "Sickbay? What's that?" "It's a medical facility. We'll probably be able to restore your memory." "Oh.. it's good then." They walked out of the transporter room, and down a hallway towards sickbay. In about a half hour, almost all of the Lt.'s memory had returned. "Do you remember seeing Lt. Santir anywhere down there?" "I remember going into a hospital.. I think. I heard the name Santir, but until now it meant nothing to me." "Very well, we'll start there. Do you remember where it is?" "About a block or so from the library...I think." The captain nodded, then tapped his communicator, "Bant to Mulliat. Lead a small away team to the hospital near the library. We have reason to believe Lt. Santir is down there." As the captain and his first officer left, Dr. Clampet told his patient, "You still better get some rest," and put a hypo into his shoulder. ----------------- * * * ----------------- For the second time that week, a small group of people materialized near the small city. It took them about an hour to get to the hospital. They walked into the hospital, and Tranistan said to an orderly, "We've come to see Laanulta Santir." "I'm sorry, but she's not having any visitors, by order of her doctor." "Then may I speak to her doctor." "I guess that will be acceptable." She pressed a small button, and in a few moments a doctor with a striking resemblance to Laanulta stepped out. "Hello, I'm Doctor Santir." "Doctor..Santir? Well, we've come about your patient, Laanulta Santir. First, could you tell me how severe her injuries were?" "She suffered multiple bone fractures, and small burns. I told her she'd be out by the end of the week, just so she wouldn't worry." "We need to take her with us.. It's important." "I'm sorry, she's in no condition to be moved." "Look, can we please at least see her? We're some of her best friends." "I'll allow a brief visit. No more than a few minutes." "That will be fine.." "Laanulta...it's me, Tranistan." Laanulta's weary eyes opened to the sight of one of her best friends. "Where am I? Am I in Sick.." Tranistan cut her off, "No, your still in the hospital right now. You'll be out of here in no time, don't worry.." He turned to the doctor, "Can we have a moment of privacy?" The doctor nodded, and left them. "Mulliat to Eagle, four to beam directly to sickbay." Just before their molocules seperated, Doctor Santirs hand touched the soilder of a security officer of the away team, and was dragged along in the stream of molocules. ----------------- * * * ----------------- "I must be dead.. That bomb must of hit sooner than we expected.." Doctor Santir said. "What bomb?" asked Laanulta. They were all standing in the Sickbay, except Laanulta, who was on a bed. "I was just coming in to warn you that the hospital was about to be bombed." The Sickbay officer looked at his panel, "Affirmative. The place around your beam up point was indeed destroyed. No survivors." "Well, I guess that that leaves some explaining to do. My name is Laanulta Santir, and I'm a decendant of your family, almost 400 years down the line. You are onboard the USS Eagle, a starship accidentaly trapped from the future." Doctor Santir gaped in suprise. "I guess that would explain this then." He pulled out a box from his pocket, and it unfolded to be a tricorder. "I found it yesterday. Here, it's yours anyway. By the way.. what will happen to me now that I'm...supposed to be dead?" "Well, if and when we get back to the future, you'll probably be put into a research lab, to be disected by scientists and historians." Doctor Santir's mouth opened in astonishment.. seeing his look, Lt. Commander Santir burst out laughing. "Tranistan was just joking.. he has kind of a weird sense of humor. You'll probably just be reintegrated into society. We cannot return you to your home." She handed an officer the tricorder. "Give this to the Captain, it'll tell us how to get back out." The USS Eagle went back to the precise point they left, passing another USS Eagle in the process.