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Sub Space 9206_C05
USS Eagle 2 by Peter Dimitriadis
"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.
-----------------
* * *
-----------------
"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."
"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.
