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Description
USS Yellowstone. (NCC-78009)

Janice Everton looked at the incoming sensor readings from Science Station Four—comparing it to readings taken only three days prior.

“Hmm...that's very odd.” She murmured mostly to herself. “What are these Class III radiation spikes doing embedded in the Cobnium matrix?” Turning from her station, she consulted with her captain, Darlene Newton.

“Captain? I have something new to report.”

“Go ahead. Today's the day for it. The bad news I mean.”

“Bad news?”

“Usually you're about to drop one of your famous problems into my lap and it'll take me the entire week to problem shoot it into oblivion.”

“It can't be all that bad. You've had some good luck so far in that department.”

“Luck, yes. But not what I call a reliable track record. Starfleet usually frowns on stuff like that.”

“True. But Starfleet isn't here to advise us on our newest problem child to come down the pike—are they?”

Darlene rubbed the bridge of her nose in quiet frustration. “Please tell me you didn't find something that will give me a migraine for the next month?”

“Well, I wouldn't be a very good First Officer if I didn't have things like this to keep me on my toes for most of the morning—would I?” She said—handing her a tablet for her to look at.

The other woman sighed—taking what was being given to her and studied it at length.

“Radiation spikes in the matrix? This soon?” The woman echoed with confusion. “But you said that it would be stable for most of the time anyways. Why the adverse reactions?”

“Don't know yet.” Janice submitted freely. “Cobnium by itself shouldn't be reacting at all. It's what Starfleet Research calls an 'inert' element on the updated periodic table.”

“So where do you suppose these radiation spikes are coming from? Location? Source?”

“Not sure—with all these particle spikes flying about and making a mess of things,” the other woman said with equal frustration. “It might have something to do with the delta-v radiation being given off the leftover dilithium stores still located in the core areas of Praxis.”

“Is there a way to shield it until we can complete the experiment?” Darlene wanted to know off hand.

“Tyler's done all he can on his end. The rest is unfortunately up to science.”

“And as we know...science tends to be an unforgiving mistress at times.”

“True on that.” Janice said with some personal relief—before the science station beeped for her undivided attention.

“Now what?” Going back to her post, the woman stared at a couple monitor screens—her eyes widening in response to the change in readings.

“Radiation spikes now in the millicochrane range. 1.6 and rising!”

Darlene privately noted their problems just became a huge obstacle for today's itinerary.

“Helm...back us off. Half-impulse until we clear the phenomenon.”

Jack Salinger shook his head as he hen-pecked at his control station. “Nothing's working, Captain. I am getting no response from either helm or navigation.”

“Hell's bells. Red Alert. Raise shields.”

The alert sounded throughout the ship—just as the sensor readings continued to get even worse as time went on.

Janice held on for dear life as the ship itself started to shake and quake like a gong.

“Now reading something in the temporal flux category, Captain! Sensors are going crazy!”

“Contact the El Paso! Tell them of our situation!” The woman yelled over the chaotic din. The view screen in front of them was blitzing in and out of focus. Images coming and going. Nothing was making a lick of sense. Nothing.

“Communications is down, Captain! I have no contact at all!” Levinson reported from his station.

The Yellowstone continued to buck and heave—as the universe around them howled without mercy—dragging both starships into the mess.

“We're losing main power!”

Darlene held on for dear life—willing things to calm down. But she wasn't going to get her wish this time. Not this time.

“Three years on the job and it comes down to this...?” She breathed out loud for the final time. Then their world. Their existence.

Everything blinked out. Went white. Went black. Went straight to hell.

And there would be no coming back.

***

Artwork by Jetfreak-7.

Description
USS Yellowstone. (NCC-78009)

Janice Everton looked at the incoming sensor readings from Science Station Four—comparing it to readings taken only three days prior.

“Hmm...that's very odd.” She murmured mostly to herself. “What are these Class III radiation spikes doing embedded in the Cobnium matrix?” Turning from her station, she consulted with her captain, Darlene Newton.

“Captain? I have something new to report.”

“Go ahead. Today's the day for it. The bad news I mean.”

“Bad news?”

“Usually you're about to drop one of your famous problems into my lap and it'll take me the entire week to problem shoot it into oblivion.”

“It can't be all that bad. You've had some good luck so far in that department.”

“Luck, yes. But not what I call a reliable track record. Starfleet usually frowns on stuff like that.”

“True. But Starfleet isn't here to advise us on our newest problem child to come down the pike—are they?”

Darlene rubbed the bridge of her nose in quiet frustration. “Please tell me you didn't find something that will give me a migraine for the next month?”

“Well, I wouldn't be a very good First Officer if I didn't have things like this to keep me on my toes for most of the morning—would I?” She said—handing her a tablet for her to look at.

The other woman sighed—taking what was being given to her and studied it at length.

“Radiation spikes in the matrix? This soon?” The woman echoed with confusion. “But you said that it would be stable for most of the time anyways. Why the adverse reactions?”

“Don't know yet.” Janice submitted freely. “Cobnium by itself shouldn't be reacting at all. It's what Starfleet Research calls an 'inert' element on the updated periodic table.”

“So where do you suppose these radiation spikes are coming from? Location? Source?”

“Not sure—with all these particle spikes flying about and making a mess of things,” the other woman said with equal frustration. “It might have something to do with the delta-v radiation being given off the leftover dilithium stores still located in the core areas of Praxis.”

“Is there a way to shield it until we can complete the experiment?” Darlene wanted to know off hand.

“Tyler's done all he can on his end. The rest is unfortunately up to science.”

“And as we know...science tends to be an unforgiving mistress at times.”

“True on that.” Janice said with some personal relief—before the science station beeped for her undivided attention.

“Now what?” Going back to her post, the woman stared at a couple monitor screens—her eyes widening in response to the change in readings.

“Radiation spikes now in the millicochrane range. 1.6 and rising!”

Darlene privately noted their problems just became a huge obstacle for today's itinerary.

“Helm...back us off. Half-impulse until we clear the phenomenon.”

Jack Salinger shook his head as he hen-pecked at his control station. “Nothing's working, Captain. I am getting no response from either helm or navigation.”

“Hell's bells. Red Alert. Raise shields.”

The alert sounded throughout the ship—just as the sensor readings continued to get even worse as time went on.

Janice held on for dear life as the ship itself started to shake and quake like a gong.

“Now reading something in the temporal flux category, Captain! Sensors are going crazy!”

“Contact the El Paso! Tell them of our situation!” The woman yelled over the chaotic din. The view screen in front of them was blitzing in and out of focus. Images coming and going. Nothing was making a lick of sense. Nothing.

“Communications is down, Captain! I have no contact at all!” Levinson reported from his station.

The Yellowstone continued to buck and heave—as the universe around them howled without mercy—dragging both starships into the mess.

“We're losing main power!”

Darlene held on for dear life—willing things to calm down. But she wasn't going to get her wish this time. Not this time.

“Three years on the job and it comes down to this...?” She breathed out loud for the final time. Then their world. Their existence.

Everything blinked out. Went white. Went black. Went straight to hell.

And there would be no coming back.

***

Artwork by Jetfreak-7.