“Yesterday’s
Swiftsure”
Captain's Log, Stardate... unknown
The
Swiftsure responded to a distress call from
a
Freighter. Upon arriving at the Freighter's coordinates we
found
the ship trapped in some sort of energy field. It's hull
was
already beginning to break up, but in apparent slow motion.
Without
much warning their warp core breeched causing the energy
field
to expand rapidly and envelope this vessel.
The resulting
shockwave
knocked out every system on the ship, including most
of
the crew. Upon awakening we found
ourselves in pitch darkness
and
more than a little banged up.
Repairs
were effected and we have been unable to locate any
Federation
time beacons or get an fix on our position
from
Astrometrics. The ship began to suffer from a series of time
distortions
and the crew was forced to abandon all upper decks.
About
this time our sensors detected a rapidly approaching ship.
It's
warp signature was similar to a Federation vessel but it's
design
was unfamiliar.
The
vessel claimed to be USS Wayfairer under the command of a
Captain
Bateman. He informed us that we had been
missing for
sixteen
years. This information was further
compounded by the
appearance
of my old Exec, now a Vice Admiral. At
present
we
are following the Wayfairer out of what they called the
Vanderian
Neutral Zone. Apparently, and only if I
am to
believe
this time jump, there have been a lot of changes.
The
time distortions grew worse as we followed the Wayfairer
at
warp and Mr. Spencer, Mr. Lynch, and Engineering
worked
to solve the problem. By modifying our
warp field they
have
been successful in 'drawing' off the 'time bubble' that
has
been inhabiting our upper decks. In a
few minutes we will
be
receiving Vice Admiral Jat and his 'party'.
I am looking
forward
to hearing his explaination of how we arrived in
this
time frame, and about everything that's happened since our
disappearance.
Captain’s Log, Supplemental, Stardate 72657.12.
Our
journey into the future has been wrought
with problems.
Almost
a quarter of my crew is currently in Sickbay, suffering from
all
forms of mental illness. Dr. Paulsen is
studying the
possibility
that the mental problems are due to our leap
through
time. I believe that a mutiny led by
Lieutenant
Commander
Spencer and Lieutenant Brown was the result of
this
illness that plagues my crew. Several other incidents have
occured
that show this crew is not acting quite like itself.
It
might only be a matter of time before all of us are affected,
if
we are not already.
In
light of these suspicions I have decided that we will
attempt
to return to our proper time. Mr. Lynch
and my
former
Chief Engineer, Maggie Hayes, are working on
simulations
for the attempt. If they fail this ship and
her
crew may become trapped in this time and suffer more severely
from
the affects of this mental illness.
During
the mutiny this vessel fired upon our escort ship,
the
Wayfairer. It sustained moderate damage
and only
through
the grace of Captain Bateman are they still aiding
us. Our two vessels are currently at rest, just
over the
Federation
side of the Vanderian Neutral Zone. For
now my
crew
is busy repairing damage and restoring ship functions.
Special
mention must go to Mr. Moss and Mr. Nelson for the
actions
of their departments in putting down the mutiny.
Captain’s Log, Supplemental
The
Swiftsure is currently on the Federation side of the Vanderian
Neutral
Zone in proximity to the Gornoc System.
The past eight hours
have
been a blur of activity aboard this vessel.
Dr. Paulsen and Dr.
the
crew and are in the process of starting round two. The treatment
is
not a cure for our alternate universe induced illness, and each successive
treatment
will be less effective than the previous, however it is all we have
to
combat the dysfunction causing the mental illness. We are on borrowed
time
and every second counts.
Mr.
Lynch and Ms. Hayes have completed construction of a containment
unit
for the Gallimide ore that we need to return to our own time and
universe. Ms. Hayes has modified the runabout
signature
so that it will appear as a merchant vessel when it crosses
into
the neutral zone. This should fool the
Vanderian listening posts
and
Gornoc system sensors long enough to allow a team of Marines
under
Major Moss to raid the research station on Gornoc Four and return
safely
to the ship with the ore.
The
lead mutineers, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Brown, have been pardoned
temporarily
due to our medical findings and the stark possibility that they
had
no control over the madness that led to their decisions. I have ordered
them
to work on decoys to fool the Vanderians when we re-cross the neutral
zone,
hoping to buy time while we make good our plans.
On
a more personal note I have discovered that I have a daughter in the
alternate
universe. Apparently the Matthew Wayne
from this universe,
who
is still missing, never knew either. I
have spent what little free time
getting
to know Maggie’s daughter, a very bright and intelligent fifteen year
old
by the name of Stacey. We will be
parting ways soon and I am not looking
forward
to it.
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