Beyond Time

[Chirakis 1]

Beyond Time
Nebula 231

USS Rodman’s Commander Julian Trajan wandered among the crew while they gathered and assessed information, then passed it on for analysis.

 “There’s nothing better than floating through nebular mist in an uncharted nebula,” he whispered as he passed specialist Lt Jim Graves.

“Copy that, sir,” Graves retorted, smiling as he continued to work.  "Couldn't get better than this."

Trajan stopped next to him, crossed his arms and leaned against the console.  “Ohhh… you weren’t supposed to hear that, Lieutenant,” he smirked. “Guess I’ll have to dock your pay.”

Graves continued working, trying not to return the smirk.  “Guess so, sir.  That’ll add up to... how many?  Somewhere in the hundreds?”

“Someth’in like that.  I lost count a few years ago," he said casually, looking up at the ceiling. 

Close by, Ens Tory's jaw dropped and she tossed a questioning glance at Graves.

“Guess I’ll just have to go hungry, then, sir.”  Graves shrugged and continued to work.

“Yeah, well….”  Trajan pushed off from the console to give Graves a firm pat on the back.  “I have a few apples that need dealing with.  That should do you for… well… at least a little while.” 

Trajan moved on.  Graves resumed working.  Ens Tory stared for a minute before leaning toward him to whisper, “Is he serious about that, sir?  I mean… not letting you eat?”

Graves paused in his work and quirked a brow, trying not to laugh. “We do have replicators, Ensign.”

Her confusion ended in, “Oh. I…uh… of course sir.” 

Smart girl.  Definitely fresh from the academy.

Trajan relaxed at his console before hailing Chi Song, and Agincourt for their daily briefing.  It seemed strange that the nebular mist would continue its pace with the same colors, denoted by the ship's personnel as “soft, wispy hues of pale pink intertwined with beige, cream, aquamarine, deep yellow, vividly glittering gold and light blue sweeping around the ships, fading, then reappearing on the other side”. 

Why didn’t the mist just fade away after a day or two, as usual.  He’d explored nebular mist several times before.  Why didn't this one dissipate then reappear in a different form?  After scouting the nebula for almost twenty days, and the same mist is still here?

He elbowed an armrest and leaned back to think while stroking his chin.  

“Problem, Commander?” Graves asked, turning to face him.

“Uh… no, Lieutenant,” he responded, straightening up and pointing to the chrono.  “Take over and keep watching that section of the nebula, Jim.  I got… well, you know.”

“Aye, sir.  Report to Starfleet Command.”

“You got it,” he replied, stepping into his ready room, then grabbing hold of the door to lean out.  “Do me a favor, Jim.  Check out Sarah’s dark nebula close to the rift. She’ll fill you in.”

He heard only half the ‘eye sir’ before the door closed and Trajan logged on.  

“You’re late, Julian,” Captain Tzau muttered pensively as he flicked through his PADD.  “So is Mirida, so I’m assuming that both of you are wondering about this nebula the same way that I am.”

“The nebular mist, Captain?”

“Um….” He nodded with pressed lips, then leaned into the screen as Captain Lopez appeared, obviously worn and looking like she hadn’t slept for days.  “Marida?  Is something wrong?”

She sighed, nodding to both. "Yeah.  We'll never get out."

After a long pause and exchanged looks, Ling leaned back. "What do you mean ‘we’ll never get out’?”

“A few days ago,” she began slowly, “we finished exploration on our side of the mist, slipped our information to Starfleet Command and moved out to explore other areas of the nebula.  The mist followed us.  No matter where we went... it followed.”  She paused for a deep breath.  “It’s… it’s like a wall, Ling. It literally flipped us over when we tried to punch through.  It did some damage to the ship.  Sent a mayday to command.  No response.”

“No response,” mused Trajan. “Come to think of it, I haven’t received anything from command.  Have you, Ling?”

“No, I haven’t.  Apparently something is blocking communication. And we sure as hell need to figure out what’s going on with that mist.”