Chapter 24

Ship Time: 11 December 2264 AD – Mission Day 412

Local Time: 2 December 10191AG

USS Marco Polo Astrometry Lab

Lieutenant Sotar sat at his computer terminal correlating the readings from the subspace sensors after the Polo’s sweep through what corresponded to the core worlds of the Federation, first on it way to Earth and then to Caladan. It was no surprise to Sotar that the inhabited worlds of these systems were different from the corresponding systems of the Federation. If he were human he would have felt some loss that his home world did not exist in this universe, but he was a Vulcan. Instead he was finishing an analysis of the composition of the interstellar medium.

Twenty thousand years ago in this universe dozens of fusion ramjet ships had departed from Earth’s solar system to colonize the nearby systems. The evidence of these voyages was in the form of tunnels through space where Hydrogen was at a lower density and Helium was at a higher density. His analysis showed that all the tunnels led from Earth’s solar system to one of the neighboring systems, except one. The anomalous tunnel had bypassed a nearby system, in this case Epsilon Eridani, and headed off into deep space. Sotar composed a report of his findings and logged it into the Astrometry computer and forwarded a copy to his superior officer, Commander Giacconi.

USS Marco Polo Shuttle Maintenance Deck

Commander Schwartz whistled softly to himself as he added the final component to a new set of hardware that took up most of the free space of the shuttle Vittori. There was still room in the shuttle to access the rear engineering and storage compartment, but all the passenger seats have been removed. Schwartz then ran a diagnostic test to ensure that the unit was receiving power through all its circuits and components.

Schwartz was still bitter with the results of his court-martial and with his confinement to his quarters. At the same time he recognized that Captain Garibaldi had tried to be fair with his duties and allowed him to participate in landing parties and other extra duties. Yet, his love life had taken a major hit and his horns were showing. His mood had greatly improved when he was given the task of leading the development of devices generating the three Holtzman forces, especially as this would allow him more time away from his quarters and provide him with more opportunities to interact with the female members of the crew.

So far he had produced devices that produced the first two of the Holtzman forces, the Suspensor and Shield. He had designed and built the devices based on the Holtzman equations provided by Thufir Hawat, sensor readings on the operations of Guild ships, and tricorder readings on the operations of suspensors and personal shields.

Starfleet had already developed similar technology, Antigravs and Life Support Belts. The life support belts were only a limited success, a set of experimental life support belts had been used on the Enterprise, but the limitations of the belts kept them from common use by the Fleet. Holtzman’s processes, Schwartz and Giacconi had learned, involved tachyon and graviton field manipulation not subspace field manipulation. In the case of the Suspensors and Shields, primarily graviton field manipulation.

Schwartz got up off his knees and closed the cover to the Holtzman generator. Then he sat in the pilot’s seat and activated the shuttle’s communicator. “Schwartz to bridge,” he called.

“Bridge here,” Lieutenant Palmer replied with an inward groan. Her opinion of Schwartz hit a minimum after his court-martial.

“Please inform the captain that shuttle Vittori is ready for the Holtzman test flight.”

USS Marco Polo Main Bridge

“Captain’s Log: Stardate unknown. We are now 412 days into our mission and are on course for the Canopus system. We have halted in interstellar space to conduct a test of a Holtzman Fold drive which has been installed into the Shuttle Vittori. If this test is successful we’ll install the drive into the Polo, which coupled into the Navigation Computer and the subspace sensors, should make the Polo completely independent on the production of antimatter for propulsion. Our fusion power plants would be more than sufficient to power all ship functions and operate the Fold drive. There is also the hope that the Fold drive could help return us to Federation Space without waiting for the wormhole to reopen.”

Garibaldi turned off his log recorder and spun the Center Seat to face Schwartz at the Engineering station. “This is your show, Commander,” he said.

“Thank you, Sir,” Schwartz replied. “Launch shuttle,” he ordered. Hansen at the Helm pressed a switch. Below in the Hanger Deck, the clamshell doors to the already depressurized shuttle bay then opened. The shuttle bay tractor beam then latched onto the Vittori and launched it safely into space. Hansen enslaved the shuttle’s controls to his panel and piloted the Vittori several kilometers away from the Polo.

“Set jump coordinates to ten thousand kilometers ahead on our flight path,” Schwartz ordered.

“Coordinates set,” Hansen reported after programming the shuttles flight computer.

“Activate Fold drive,” Schwartz then commanded.

“Fold drive engaged,” Hansen said, “Beginning power buildup.”

A moment later the Vittori jumped and arrived at the targeted location.

“Fold successful,” Schwartz reported happily after checking his scanner. “I’m downloading the telemetry.”

“Very well,” Garibaldi replied. “Recover the Vittori and analyze the telemetry. If there are no anomalies with the Fold drive I want it installed in Main Engineering ASAP.”