Chapter One: Time Rift

Captain's Log, Stardate 5723.2

The Enterprise has been patrolling the far regions of Federation territory for the past week. We have witnessed some stellar phenomena unlike anything I have ever seen and I look forward to contacting Starfleet about it.

***

"The latest report from stellar cartography, Captain," Spock said upon entering the bridge. He handed Kirk the report and Kirk sat down in the captain's chair to look it over.

"Amazing," he said.

"So you say," Dr. McCoy said, from his position behind Kirk's chair.

"Not interested in stellar phenomena, Bones?"

"I'm a doctor, not a stargazer," McCoy replied. "I need some action, some place where my work is worth something."

"We're explorers, Bones," Kirk said. "Go back to sickbay. Ensign Porter may have another headache."

For a moment, McCoy thought the captain was serious, that he was annoyed with him, but then he saw the sides of Kirk's mouth turn up in a grin. McCoy grunted. Even though it was only a joke, he decided to go to sickbay anyway. Maybe Porter really did have another headache.

McCoy had no sooner left the bridge than Uhura picked something up on sensors. "It looks like a wormhole!" she said.

Spock joined her at the communications console. After looking for a moment, he said, "I've never seen anything like it."

"Put it on-screen," Kirk ordered.

"Aye, sir," Uhura complied.

"Sulu, bring us closer."

"Aye, sir." The ship began to move closer to the anomaly.

"That doesn't look like a wormhole to me," Kirk said. Suddenly, he felt a tug on the ship and they began to move toward the anomaly, which filled the entire screen as they moved closer. "Sulu - full reverse!"

"The helm's not responding!" His eyes were wide and he and the rest of the bridge crew held their breath as they were pulled through to the other side.

***

Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 55689.3

Anticipations keep rising as we draw closer to home. Even for me. I have a feeling that it'll be like midnight on New Year's Eve when we cross the border into Federation territory. We had expected it to be 75 years before we saw Earth again, but it's only been less than 10 - thanks to help from different civilizations that has advanced our propulsion systems. And once we get home, I hope I never get sent on a mission into the Badlands again.

***

"Captain, long range scans are picking up an anomaly," Harry Kim reported from his station.

"All stop. Let's see it," Kathryn Janeway said, rising from her chair. As she looked at the anomaly, it resembled a wormhole. But gut instinct told her it wasn't. "Mr. Kim, is there any way around it?"

"Captain?" Tom Paris said from the helm. "That could be our way home."

"That's no wormhole, Tom," Janeway said. "Reverse thrusters. Back us off."

Even though they had stopped, they were still moving, pulled by gravimetric forces. Tom hastened to comply with Janeway's order, but was met with resistance from the helm controls. "Captain, it's pulling us in."

"Red alert. Shields up," Janeway ordered. She turned to Tuvok at tactical. "Reverse the shield polarity. We might be able to break free then."

"No effect," the Vulcan said, looking at her. Janeway sat down in the captain's chair, at a loss. She could only watch, as the anomaly filled the viewport, and hope for the best.

***

Maybe that was a wormhole, Kirk thought. The viewport was filled with starsm just as it had been moments before they saw the anomaly. "Report."

"Everything appears to be normal, Captain," Spock replied. "There's just one thing - it is virtually identical to the other side."

"This is space, Spock. There're stars everywhere."

"No. There are the same anomalies as there were on the other side. The same exact anomalies," Spock explained.

"He's right," Uhura confirmed.

"What are you saying?"

"That we are in the same exact place as we were before...but in a different time," Spock said.

"What in blazes is going on up here?" Scotty said, coming onto the bridge. Nurse Chapel and Dr. McCoy were right behind him.

"Well, Mr. Scott," Kirk said, "it seems we may have traveled to another time period."