Star Trek: Odyssey: Episode 7: Advent

Lieutenant Commander Dustin Zofchak ran his tricorder over the open EPS conduit on deck seven. He and his engineering crews had been going over the ship from top to bottom, making sure everything worked. This current conduit was slightly malfunctioning and needed to be repaired.

"The job of a chief engineer is a never ending task." He said.

Lieutenant Commander Alex Merriell stood next to him, helping. He smiled as he handed the chief engineer the power coupler. Even though Merriell was the Operations officer and co-science officer along with Hoshi Sato, the ship's contact specialist, he still helped out the Engineering staff, if needed.

After a few moments of working the EPS conduit, Dustin shut his tricorder and closed the panel. He stood up and slightly stretched his legs.

"That oughta do it." He said.

Then to his surprise, Dustin felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Hoshi Sato's beaming smile. Dustin felt himself melt away along with an awkward joy as she greeted the two of them.

"Hey guys."

"Hey, Hoshi." The two said in unison.

They then looked at each other when they realized they spoke at the same time. Hoshi slightly giggled.

"How's the work coming?"

"We're finished on this deck, but we still have half the ship to go over yet." Dustin replied.

Hoshi nodded. "Well let me know if I can be of any help." She said before walking away.

"Sure thing, Commander."

Hoshi disappeared behind the two sliding doors of the turbolift.

"You two are something else." Alex said.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me, Commander. You both obviously like each other so why don't you both just go out."

"What are you talking about? She doesn't like me that way. She looks at me as a fellow officer."

"Yeah, sure. And that hand on your shoulder and big smile of hers was meant in a very professional, fellow officer manner."

Dustin didn't have a response. The two of them stood there silent for a few moments; Dustin trying to figure out a response and Alex waiting for it. Dustin had to think of something quickly to change the subject. Maybe not the subject itself but the people involved.

"Well what about you and Lieutenant Tryssa Kadohata from hydroponics?"

"What about her?"

"For one, she's a Trill. You seem to have a thing for Trills. You went on a few dates with Ensign Stull but nothing ever came of that and now you're talking to Lieutenant Kadohata."

"What can I say? I like their spots."

Dustin and Alex smiled at each other as they entered the turbolift on their way to Deck 8.

Hoshi Sato stood quietly in the turbolift as the doors parted, revealing the Alexandria's main bridge. She stepped out and walked to her station that was to her left coming out of the one of the aft turbolifts. She eased herself into her chair and began her work.

Commander Sparhawk sat in the Captain's chair while the captain was in his ready room. Counselor Nycz sat in her chair. Lieutenant Kit Moran sat at Navigation and Ensign Michelle Stull sat at Ops. Lieutenant Fulks stood at Tactical. Moments later, Captain Allensworth came onto the bridge from his ready room. He still held his easy going, friendly manner as he walked to his seat. Sparhawk stood up and relieved his seat to the captain.

"Helm, set a course for Starbase eleven, maximum warp."

"Aye, sir." Moran said.

"Hit it."

The Alexandria jumped into warp speed.

A few days later, the Alexandria arrived at Starbase 11. The starbase wasn't a typical orbital base. It was stationed on the moon of a gas giant. Captain Allensworth beamed down to the planet to meet with Admiral Nicholena Tracy, who was one of the younger Admirals. The young captain walked into the office of Admiral Tracy. It looked like a typical admiral's office; a plant in the corner by the door, desk in front of the wall sized window. A few pads littered the young admiral's desk. The admiral herself still had all the color in her dark hair and she had dark eyes to go with it. Those same dark eyes watched Captain Allensworth as he approached the desk.

"Ah, Captain Allensworth, thank you for coming." Admiral Tracy said while standing up to shake his hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Admiral."

The admiral extended her hand to offer Allensworth a seat.

"I'll get straight to the point, Captain." She said as Allensworth sat down. "As you know, we are the closest starbase to the Talos Star System."

Allensworth was intrigued now. No one was ever allowed to approach the Talos system by General Order 7, more specifically, Talos IV. This order was put into place after the events that took place that involved Captain Christopher Pike and his crew in 2254. Later in 2267, Spock took the Enterprise to Talos IV to take a crippled Captain Pike there so he could live a normal life due to the inhabitants and their mental capabilities.

"Long range sensors picked up a growing field of unknown radiation. We've never encountered this type of radiation before."

"And you think the Talosians have something to do with it?"

"It's hard to tell. They've been quiet all this time and it might not have anything to do with them. I've already talked to Starfleet Command and General Order Seven has been lifted for you to investigate. I want you to take the Alexandria and try to figure out what is going on. Dismissed."

Allensworth stood up and left.

By the time Allensworth reached the bridge, his alpha shift bridge crew was at their stations. Allensworth walked straight to his chair.

"Set a course for Talos Four. Maximum warp." Allensworth said.

Kit Moran hesitated for a second knowing full well about the history of Talos. "Aye,sir."

"Talos Four?" Sparhawk inquired.

"Something is going on there and we've been sent to find out."

"Course laid in, sir." Moran reported.

"Hit it."

Captain's Log: Stardate: 57645.8. We're on our way to the Talos Star System to investigate an unusual growth of radiation. General Order Seven has been lifted allowing us to enter the system and if necessary, beam down to Talos Four to find the source of this radiation.

"Now entering the Talos System, sir." Moran reported.

"Slow to impulse."

Suddenly, the ops control panel began beeping. Alex Merriell looked down to see what his control panel was picking up.

"Sir, I'm picking up a massive inter-spatial anomaly. The radiation that we've been sent here to investigate is emanating from the anomaly."

"On screen." Allensworth said.

The bulkhead shimmered out of existence to reveal what the sensors were picking up.

"Is there some secondary force at work here that is causing the anomaly or the radiation?"

"Inconclusive. My guess would be its part of some catalytic reaction with something in this part of space."

"Move us in closer, Lieutenant. Nice and slow. I'd like to get a better look at this thing."

Lieutenant Moran entered the commands into her console and moved the ship closer.

More beeping came from Merriell's console. "Sir, I'm picking up a warp signature coming from the event horizon."

"What kind of warp signature?"

"It's similar to a Federation starship but it's slightly different."

"That really doesn't make any sense." Allensworth said.

Dustin stood up and stared at the screen. There was a feeling in his stomach that he couldn't shake that whatever ship it was, it wasn't going to be pleasant. Both Commander Sato and Counselor Nycz looked at Dustin as he stood there staring at the screen. You didn't need to be a Betazoid to figure that something was bothering him.

"Can you make out what ship it is?" Dustin asked.

Merriell pressed a few buttons to identify the mystery ship. "It's a Sovereign class starship. NCC-two five four seven." Everyone stopped and stared at the ship on the screen. "I.S.S. Alexandria."