Episode 19 - Narada
Stardate: 41263.6
Earth Standard Date: April 6, 2364.
Abrams-Verse Standard Date: February 11, 2258
Location: USS Enterprise NCC-1701 orbiting Vulcan, 40 Eridani A System, Alpha Quadrant
"I am pumped to kick some Romulan ass!" Engineer Olson exclaimed, his voice brimming with misplaced enthusiasm. "No joke. BRING IT ON!"
Kirk shot him a sidelong glance. He shook his head slightly, his expression mixing disbelief and resignation when he considered that this was the guy carrying the explosions. Turning his attention to Sulu, he asked, "So, what kinda combat training do you have?"
Sulu straightened in his seat. "Fencing," he replied with a proud smile, as if it were the most natural answer in the world.
Kirk blinked, his face a mask of incredulity. "...fencing," he repeated, the word hanging in the air like a deflated balloon.
Shifting his gaze to Tyson, Kirk raised an eyebrow. "What about you?"
Tyson, who'd been watching Kirk's growing exasperation, seized the moment to mess with him. He replied evenly, "Shii-Cho."
Kirk perked up. "What's that?" he asked, hoping the unknown training would actually help with their mission.
"A form of combat usable with either bladed or energy weapons," Tyson explained vaguely.
Kirk tilted his head back, tapping his helmet against the shuttle's interior. He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering how he'd ended up with this motley crew for such a crucial mission.
In the cockpit, Pike's fingers tapped at the controls. The shuttle's engine whined to life, and the craft lurched forward. They soared out of the Enterprise's bay, the red orb of Vulcan looming below them.
As they descended, the true scale of their mission became apparent. The Narada hung in space like a monstrous spider, its tentacle-like appendages stretched outward. A single cable extended toward Vulcan's outer atmosphere. At the end of these cables, the plasma pulsed, its beam boring into the planet's surface.
A klaxon sounded, signaling the cargo lock's imminent depressurization. The team scrambled to their feet, snatching at handrails and readying their equipment.
Pike's voice crackled over their headsets, steady and authoritative. "Pre-jump on one."
Suddenly, gravity shifted, and Kirk, Sulu, Tyson, and Olson were slammed hard into the cargo hold wall.
"Good luck," Pike's voice came again, a hint of concern coloring his words.
"Three, two, one."
Pike hit another control. The shuttle's bomb bay doors yawned open, and the vacuum of space hungrily pulled at them.
Kirk felt his stomach lurch as the depressurization of the shuttle's open bay sucked them into the endless black of space.
The thin air howled past Kirk's helmet like a hurricane. He clawed desperately at the controls on his suit, fighting to stabilize himself as the ground rushed up to meet them.
Sulu's voice cut through, surprisingly calm. "Stabilizers engaged!"
Kirk watched as Sulu's form straightened, his descent becoming more controlled. Following suit, Kirk activated his stabilizers, feeling the sudden jerk as his fall became more controlled. Olson's whoops of excitement crackled over the comm system, a stark contrast to his teammates' focused silence. Vulcan loomed before them, a swirling vortex of burnt orange and crimson, growing larger by the second as they plunged through the planet's outer atmosphere.
Tyson adjusted his position to match the others. The flight stabilizers and parachutes were welcome additions to his Grey Goo Suit. Although they didn't provide enough lift for flight, they would allow him to maneuver while in freefall in the future.
As they fell, the enormity of the Narada came into sharp focus before being quickly left behind. Its massive dark form was a looming presence. Their destination, the plasma drill pulsing beneath them, growing clearer with each passing second.
Tyson's eyes darted between his teammates and their target. His HUD displayed their rate of fall, distance to target, and other calculations while his mind considered their approach and possible contingencies.
"WHOOOAAAHYYYEAAAAH!" Olson's exhilarated shout came through the comms.
The team plummeted face down, their bodies streamlined against the rushing wind. Alongside them, the massive cable tethering the drill to the Narada seemed to stretch endlessly, giving a dizzying sense of scale and speed. The sheer enormity of their surroundings made them feel like insects hurtling through a world of giants.
Massive metal links whizzed past at breakneck speed. The team angled their descent, desperately seeking to control the freefall.
Sulu was the first to pull his chute. The fabric snapped open with a crack, jerking him upward with bone-rattling force. Kirk followed suit moments later. As their descent slowed, Olson and Tyson blew past them, still in freefall. The red-shirted engineer whooped with delight, seemingly oblivious to the danger.
Sulu's alarmed voice crackled through the comm. "You're coming in too fast! Pull up!"
Kirk's eyes widened as he watched the two figures plummet toward the drill platform. "Tyson, OLSON, PULL NOW! NOW!!!" he bellowed into his mic, fear gripping his chest.
Kirk glanced at his heads-up display, watching in horror as the altitude numbers ticked down at an alarming rate. The drill platform was rushing up to meet them with terrifying speed.
Tyson's voice came through calmly. "Olson, adjust your angle of approach. We need to hit the platform at the optimal speed."
Olson's reply was manic laughter. "Optimal speed? The faster, the better! Let's show these Romulans what we're made of!"
Tyson pulled his chute, the fabric unfurling above him like a lifeline. His voice was urgent, and he called out to Olson once more: "Five seconds, and you won't be able to recover."
Olson spoke over him, his voice filled with misplaced confidence. "Almost there!"
Tyson finished, "Two. One…"
The team watched in horror as Olson finally deployed his chute... Two seconds after Tyson recommended.
Fifty feet. Forty. Thirty. The fabric billowed out and opened far too late to be effective. Olson slammed into the edge of the circular drill with bone-crushing force, his body bouncing off the hard steel like a rag doll.
Time seemed to slow as Olson tumbled over the edge of the platform. His chute caught on the drill's structure, leaving him dangling precariously. His body swung below the drill, inching closer to the center where the swirling plasma vortex fired relentlessly into the planet below.
Tyson had hoped his warning would have prevented this disaster, but he was prepared for this contingency. He closed his eyes, focusing intently as he called upon the Force. The air around him seemed to crackle with unseen energy as he gathered every ounce of concentration he could muster.
With a burst of telekinetic power, Tyson slammed Olson's swinging form and the drill. The push launched Olson away from the deadly plasma stream, knocking his parachute loose from where it had snagged on the structure. The massive drill only swayed slightly under his assault, but his push had served its purpose. Olson was clear of immediate danger. The engineer floated toward the planet's surface, his intact chute billowing above him.
Kirk and Sulu watched in disbelief as Olson drifted away, growing smaller against the burnt orange backdrop of Vulcan. He was safe but now completely out of reach of the drill platform and their mission.
Tyson gracefully landed on the platform, rolling smoothly to disperse the momentum. Ivy, the VI in his Gray Goo Suit, timed the parachute's retraction perfectly, leaving no chance of it catching as Olson's had.
The metallic surface of the platform vibrated beneath his feet, pulsing with the raw energy of the plasma drill. A hatch on the platform suddenly hissed open, the sound barely audible over the roar of the drill. A Romulan began to rise from the opening, his eyes widening as he registered the unexpected presence on the platform. Tyson's hand moved in a blur, his phaser materializing as if conjured from thin air. Without hesitation, he squeezed the trigger. A bolt of energy lanced out, striking the Romulan squarely in the chest. The alien's body jerked backward, falling into the hatch from which he'd emerged.
Tyson smiled at the weapon. He mused that he'd probably keep it. It was shaped like a gun, which was far nicer than the phasers on the Enterprise-D. Plus, it had a stun setting, something that was woefully missing on his blaster weapons.
Kirk's approach was far less graceful. He came in hard, his body slamming against the drill's edge. For a heart-stopping moment, it seemed he might bounce off entirely. But Kirk's survival instincts kicked in, and his hands scrabbled for purchase on the smooth metal surface. His parachute flailed behind him, the drag threatening to pull him off.
Breathing heavily, Kirk hit a button on his chute pack. Slits appeared in the fabric of his parachute, suddenly eliminating the drag. The chute retracted into his pack with a soft whir.
Sulu, however, wasn't as fortunate. About 20 yards from landing on the drill, his chute became ensnared in the thick cables leading from the platform to the Narada. The sudden jerk nearly tore him from the sky, and his body swung wildly toward the drill's edge. For a moment, it seemed that Sulu was destined to follow Olson's path, sailing over the edge into the abyss below.
But Tyson was there in an instant, his hand shooting out to grasp Sulu's arm. The helmsman's eyes widened in shock. His momentum would drag Tyson over the edge with him.
Yet, miraculously, Tyson held firm. His feet slid only a few feet across the platform's surface, leaving twin grooves in the metal as he arrested Sulu's momentum.
Without missing a beat, Tyson produced his Lightsaber seemingly from nowhere. The weapon hummed to life, and with a single precise slash of the glowing blade, he sliced through Sulu's parachute cords, freeing the helmsman from the tangle that threatened to pull him to his doom.
Sulu's feet touched the platform, and his legs wobbled slightly as he regained his balance. He opened his mouth to thank Tyson, but the words died in his throat as he saw movement behind his rescuer.
"Behind you!" Sulu shouted.
Another Romulan had emerged from a hatch, weapon raised and ready to fire. But Tyson, without so much as glancing back, threw his arm out. The Lightsaber sailed through the air straight as a pin and with impossible precision. It impaled the Romulan squarely in the chest, the alien's eyes widening in shock before he crumpled to the ground.
Sulu struggled to process what he'd just witnessed. Tyson, however, remained calm and collected. He reached his hand toward the fallen Romulan, and the weapon seemed to leap back into his hand as if drawn by an unseen force.
Two more hatches burst open. A pair of Romulans emerged, their faces contorted with rage and determination. They raised their disruptor rifles, energy bolts lancing out toward the Federation intruders.
But Tyson was ready. With inhuman speed and precision, he swung the weapon, intercepting the phaser bolts. The energy blasts ricocheted off the lightsaber's blade; their trajectories reversed.
The Romulans, caught completely off guard by this impossible feat, had no time to react. Their own shots struck them squarely in the chest. They collapsed to the platform, smoke rising from their scorched armor.
Kirk and Sulu stood rooted to the spot, their eyes wide with disbelief. They stared at Tyson, then at the fallen Romulans, then back at Tyson.
Kirk's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally found his voice. "What... what the hell was that?" he managed to croak out, his eyes fixed on the glowing blade in Tyson's hand.
Sulu could only shake his head in amazement. "I've never seen anything like it," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the background noise of the drill.
Tyson deactivated his lightsaber. He returned it to its place at his lower back, hidden within his Gray Goo Suit. His movements were casual as if he hadn't just performed feats that should have been impossible. "Shii-Cho," he said calmly. "We already talked about this."
The two officers just stared at him, dumbstruck. "We need to disable this drill. Can you guys handle it?" Tyson asked, picking up the Romulan disruptors from the dead enemies and tossing them to the two officers. Before striding to the platform's edge. Without waiting for Kirk or Sulu's reply, he waved his hand and tore open a portal in the air. Without hesitation, he leapt into the portal and vanished from sight.
Kirk and Sulu exchanged bewildered looks since they couldn't see the portal from their position on the platform. "Where's he going?" Sulu finally managed, confusion etched on his face.
"Maybe to grab Olson?" Kirk guessed. He turned his attention to the thick cables anchoring the massive drill to the Romulan ship. Taking aim with the disruptor rifle, he unleashed a barrage of sizzling energy bolts. They splashed across the cord's surface, scorching the metal. Sulu joined him in the assault.
— Star Jumper —
Tyson tumbled through the portal, flipping like a gymnast to land smoothly back inside the shuttlecraft. A quick glance at his surroundings revealed it had already docked within the Narada. Captain Pike was nowhere in sight.
Wasting no time, Tyson activated his Scaling Cloak. The bubble enveloped him in a field of invisibility, rendering him undetectable to both visual observation and sensor scans.
The shuttle door hissed open. Tyson stepped out into the Narada's cavernous hold, and his cloak ensured his footsteps went silent on the deck. The Romulan vessel's architecture was unlike anything he'd encountered before: Organic curves melded with sharp, angular structures.
"Ivy, can we get a layout, a direction to the command center or the bridge?"
"Sure thing, Tyson. Analyzing now." The integrated tricorder within the Gray Goo Suit began scanning the unfamiliar environment. A three-dimensional map blossomed in Tyson's field of vision, a glowing path highlighting the route to what appeared to be the Narada's bridge. Tyson set off, his enhanced senses on high alert as he navigated the massive vessel. The ship's interior of passageways and chambers seemed to defy conventional starship design. Tyson moved quickly, avoiding Romulan crewmembers who rushed past, oblivious to his cloaked presence.
As he neared his destination, a Romulan helmsman burst from a nearby corridor, sprinting towards the command center. Tyson quickened his pace, easily keeping up with the crew member. They reached the bridge together, and the Romulan's voice rose in alarm as he addressed his Captain.
"The drill's been sabotaged, Sir!" the helmsman shouted.
Tyson smiled in satisfaction. Kirk and Sulu succeeded. Things were going to plan. His gaze locked onto Nero as the Romulan Captain's face contorted with rage and frustration. Nero's eyes darted between his crew and the main viewscreen. Tyson could almost see the gears turning in the Romulan's head as he prepared to give his next order.
Just as Nero opened his mouth to speak, a brilliant bolt of energy seared through the air. The phaser shot struck Nero squarely in the chest, sending him staggering backward.
The Romulan officers whirled around, searching for the source of the attack. Their eyes widened in shock as they beheld an armored figure standing confidently at the entrance to the command center. Tyson had deactivated his cloak, revealing himself in all his glory.
Tyson's Gray Goo Suit had shifted into a set of sleek yet imposing Mandalorian-style armor. The angular beskar plates fit smoothly over the nanite fabric. Across his broad chest plate sat a prominent Starfleet insignia in operations division red. The bold crimson symbol marked him unmistakably as a representative of the Federation, yet the Mandalorian armor signaled he was not to be trifled with.
His helmet featured the iconic T-shaped visor of the Old Republic Mandalorian warriors. The helmet's angular shape and thin visor slits gave Tyson an intimidating appearance.
The Romulans froze in stunned disbelief at the figure before them. Tyson stood his ground, letting the weight of his unexpected presence sink in. Even Captain Pike, strapped to a nearby table, turned his head to witness the spectacle. His eyes widened in disbelief, a mixture of hope and confusion etched across his face.
After a taut moment, Nero fell to the ground, unmoving.
With a soft hiss, a pair of blades extended from Tyson's hands. The left blade glowed a vibrant blue, while the right crackled with emerald energy. His voice rang out, amplified by his suit's systems. "I suggest you all stand down. Now."
The Romulans hesitated, torn between their loyalty to Nero and the fear inspired by this mysterious warrior. They turned to their leader, but Nero still lay on the ground, unmoving, dead, and with a smoking wound in his chest. His crew snapped into action, drawing their disruptors and taking aim at Tyson.
In a blur of motion, Tyson leapt into the fray. His energy blades hummed and crackled as they deflected disruptor bolts with impossible precision. He moved with inhuman speed, a whirlwind of blue and green light cutting through the Romulan ranks. His martial prowess was a sight to behold. One moment, he was cutting through a burly Romulan guard. The next, he was using a Force push to send a cluster of enemies flying across the bridge into an open chasm.
As the battle raged, Pike struggled against his restraints. He watched in awe as Tyson single-handedly took on the entire bridge crew. The Captain tried to make sense of the situation and find a way to assist his unexpected savior.
The Romulan second in command, his face contorted with desperation as he realized that they wouldn't be able to stop this foe. He lunged for the nearest console, quickly inputting a command, he shouted, "Launching the red matter!"
Tyson spun, deflecting a disruptor bolt with his Laser Blade. The redirected shot seared through the air, striking the Romulan squarely in the back. The officer crumpled to the ground, but his final act was complete. The console beeped its affirmation.
Sealing Vulcan's fate.
Wasting no time, Tyson dashed to the table where Pike lay strapped down. His helmet retracted as he approached, revealing his face to Pike. With a display of strength that defied human limits, he tore through the restraints.
"What the hell is red matter?" Pike demanded.
Tyson's reply was terse. His focus split between the conversation and the remaining threats. "A substance that, when disturbed, creates a singularity."
As the words left Tyson's mouth, Pike pieced together the horrifying implications. His train of thought was interrupted as Tyson deflected another disruptor blast, the energy ricocheting off his blade and striking down the last of the Romulan crew in the area.
"They were drilling a hole into the center of the planet… They're going to create a black hole within the center of Vulcan," Pike realized aloud, his voice thick with horror. "The planet is going to be destroyed."
With a gesture, the air before them shimmered and tore, revealing a portal. Through the impossible opening, Pike could see a clear blue sky. He grabbed Pike's arm and pulled him through the portal. The Captain's world spun as he stepped from the dim interior of the Narada onto the sun-drenched platform of the drill. The abrupt transition left Pike disoriented. Kirk and Sulu, still on the platform, reacted with a mixture of shock and relief at their sudden appearance. They quickly moved to support Pike, questions burning in their eyes.
But Tyson paid them no mind, his gaze fixed on the sky above. His helmet reformed over his head. "Ivy, zoom in," he commanded.
The heads-up display within his helmet responded instantly, magnifying his view of the upper atmosphere. There, a tiny speck had separated from the Narada, plummeting towards the planet's surface. Tyson could just make out the details of the probe.
"Can you see it?" Pike asked, following Tyson's gaze but unable to see what had captured his attention.
Kirk, still not knowing what was going on, asked, "See what?"
"The end of Vulcan," Tyson replied grimly. "Unless we can stop it."
Pike, leaning heavily on Sulu, spoke up. "How? We're stuck on this platform, and that thing must already be entering the atmosphere."
Tyson's mind raced, considering and discarding options at lightning speed…
…Open a portal and try to catch the probe in freefal. But then what? Even if he could reach the probe in time, how would he neutralize the red matter?
"You need to get back to the Enterprise," Tyson decided.
Kirk agreed. "Kirk to Enterprise, Four to beam up."
Tyson countered, "Correction. Three to beam up." Then activated his Scaling Cloak, disappearing from sight and sensors.
The Starfleet officers dematerialized in a transporter beam and were pulled back to the Enterprise. But Tyson, now invisible to the sensors, was left standing on the drilling platform. He pulled up his HUD, looked through his System options, and tried to find something he could purchase to save Vulcan. Luckily, he didn't need to browse the entire library of choices. He already had something in mind.
Tyson purchased the Portal Aperture upgrade three times. The system confirmed his selection.
[100 RP] Portal Aperture (Personal Reality)
You can now shrink your portals down to Planck scale or open them up to 8,000 square meters and increase the rate of expansion/contraction by a factor of 10. Additional Purchases will increase the maximum portal size to 80,000, then to 800,000, then to 8 million square meters. The expansion/contraction rate increases by a factor of 10 each time.
Reality Points: 100
"Ivy, calculate the trajectory of the red matter probe," Tyson commanded, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation.
"Calculating now," Ivy responded, "Trajectory plotted. The probe will pass your current position in approximately 47 seconds."
"Opening portal now," he announced. The portal needed to be opened within 100 meters of his current position. So Tyson projected it as far away from his current position on the drilling platform as he could.
The portal started small, a pinprick of darkness against the Vulcan sky. But it rapidly expanded, growing at a rate far faster than what would have been possible prior to his purchase. As the portal widened, he felt the first stirrings of a powerful suction. The atmosphere around him began to rush towards the opening, creating a vortex of swirling air. Loose debris from the drilling platform was pulled into the void, disappearing into the inky blackness of space on the other side.
The portal continued to grow, and so did its pull. He was forced to grab onto the drilling platform. He watched as the opening expanded to truly massive proportions.
"Portal size approaching 100,000 square meters," Ivy reported.
Tyson's eyes locked onto the tiny speck plummeting through the Vulcan sky. The red matter probe, a harbinger of destruction, was falling rapidly towards its target.
As the probe streaked past his position on the drilling platform, Tyson held his breath. For a heart-stopping moment, it seemed as though the portal might not be large enough. That his calculations might have been off by the slightest margin.
But then, in the blink of an eye, the probe disappeared. One moment, it was there, a deadly projectile aimed at the heart of Vulcan, and the next, it was gone, swallowed by the portal and ejected back into the void of space on the other side of the portal.
"Probe successfully diverted," Ivy confirmed.
With another gesture, Tyson began to shrink the massive opening. The edges of the portal contracted rapidly, the swirling vortex of air diminishing as the hole grew smaller and smaller. In mere seconds, the sky above Vulcan was whole once more, as if the impossible feat had never occurred.
Tyson let out a long, shaky breath, the adrenaline of the moment finally catching up with him. He had done it.
But there was no time to celebrate. The Narada was still in orbit. Tyson opened another portal, stepping back into the Romulan vessel.
— Star Jumper —
Captain Pike, recently returned to the bridge, leaned forward in his chair, his eyes fixed on the viewscreen.
"Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at?" Pike asked.
Spock looked up from his console to the screen. "It seems to be a micro-wormhole leading to Vulcan's atmosphere. Sensors place the opening near the drill platform."
As if on cue, a small pod emerged from the swirling vortex. The wormhole collapsed suddenly, leaving the pod drifting in space. Without any visible propulsion system, it continued its trajectory, carried by its momentum.
The bridge crew watched in tense silence as the pod sailed through the debris field. Suddenly, it collided with a piece of twisted metal, a remnant from a Starfleet vessel destroyed in the earlier battle. Upon impact, the pod began to implode. It started slowly at first, the metal skin of the device crumpling inward like a crushed soda can. Then, with frightening speed, it collapsed in on itself. The implosion created a blinding flash of light that forced the bridge crew to shield their eyes.
When they looked back, a small, dark sphere hung in space where the pod had been. From their vantage point, it was no larger than a marble, but the sensors told a different story. The newly formed black hole's gravitational pull was already affecting the debris around it, drawing in fragments of metal and rock.
Chekov called out, his accent thickening with his urgency, "Keptin, gravitational sensors are off the scale. If my calculations are correct, that's a singularity."
Spock's face remained impassive, but those who knew him well could detect the slightest tightening around his eyes. It was the only outward sign of his tumultuous emotions. "They've created a black hole," Spock stated, his voice unnaturally calm. "That was aimed at the center of Vulcan?" He paused, piecing together the implications. "It would have destroyed the planet."
The weight of his words settled over the bridge like a shroud. The crew exchanged glances, the gravity of their narrow escape sinking in.
Chekov's voice cut through the silence. "Sir, it still might."
Pike turned sharply towards the young Ensign. "Explain."
Chekov swallowed hard, his eyes darting between his Captain and the viewscreen. "We've never seen a singularity this close to a planet. Though it's small, it can have a significant impact on the system."
"Mr. Sulu, back us off," Pike ordered. "Maintain a safe distance."
"Aye, sir. Reversing course."
Pike turned to Spock. "What are we dealing with here, Commander? What kind of threat does this pose to Vulcan?"
Spock's eyes were fixed on the viewscreen, watching as the black hole slowly grew, consuming the debris around it. "The singularity's proximity to Vulcan is unprecedented. While its current size may not pose an immediate threat to the planet's integrity, its gravitational influence could have severe consequences for Vulcan's climate and tectonic stability."
"Not to mention the effect on Vulcan's orbit," Chekov added, his voice barely above a whisper. "Projections weport the singularity is slowly expanding."
Pike nodded grimly. "Options?"
The bridge fell silent as the crew grappled with the enormity of the problem.
"What about using the ship's deflector dish?" Sulu proposed. "We might be able to generate a tachyon field to contain the singularity."
Chekov shook his head. "The power wequirements would be enormous. We'd risk burning out our systems before we could stabilize the field." But his eyes widened as an idea struck him. He spun in his chair. "Keptin, what if we detonate the warp core?"
The bridge fell silent, all eyes turning to the young Ensign.
Pike leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Explain, Mr. Chekov."
Chekov's fingers flew across his console as he pulled up calculations. "The singularity is still wrelatively small. If we detonate our warp core at precisely the right moment, the explosion could disrupt the black hole's event horizon. It might be enough to destabilize it completely."
Spock stepped closer, peering over Chekov's shoulder at the rapidly scrolling equations. "The theory is sound," he agreed.
"We'd be dead in the water," Sulu pointed out, his hands hovering over the helm controls.
Pike nodded grimly. "And potentially creating an even bigger problem if we miscalculate."
"Not to mention the radiation," Dr. McCoy's voice came over the comm system. He'd been listening in from Sickbay. "Even if we succeed, we'd be bathing Vulcan in a hell of a lot of harmful particles."
Pike nodded, taking in all the information. He turned to Spock. "Commander, what's your assessment of Vulcan's chances if we don't act?"
Spock's face remained impassive, but there was a tightness around his eyes that betrayed his concern. "The singularity's growth is exponential. At its current rate, Vulcan has approximately 47.3 hours before the gravitational stresses begin to tear the planet apart. Even before that point, the climatic and tectonic disruptions will make the surface uninhabitable."
A heavy silence fell over the bridge as the weight of Spock's words sank in.
"So we're talking about the destruction of an entire planet," Pike said quietly. "Billions of lives." He stood, pacing the small area behind the Captain's chair. He turned to face his crew. "Alright, let's break this down. Mr. Chekov, I want you to refine these calculations. We need to know exactly how much time we have and precisely when we'd need to detonate to have the best chance of success."
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"Aye, Keptin," Chekov nodded, already turning back to his console.
"Mr. Spock, coordinate with the Vulcan High Council. We need to know if they have any resources that could help us. And start preparing evacuation plans for the planet's surface, just in case."
Spock nodded, moving to his station to open a channel to Vulcan.
"Dr. McCoy," Pike continued, addressing the comm system, "I need you to assess the potential health risks to the Vulcan population if we go through with this. Work with Mr. Spock to determine if there are any ways to mitigate the radiation exposure."
"I'm on it," McCoy's gruff voice replied.
"Lieutenant Uhura, contact Starfleet Command. Inform them of our situation and request any assistance they can spare. We might need more ships for evacuation or to assist with the detonation."
"Yes, sir," Uhura responded.
"Mr. Sulu, maintain our position but be ready to move at a moment's notice. If that singularity shows any signs of sudden growth, I want us out of here."
"Understood, Captain," Sulu nodded, his hands poised over the controls.
Pike looked to the other officers on the bridge. "Anyone who's not doing something vital right now… Contact the outpost on Delta Vega. I want to talk to this Mongomery Scott about his transwarp beaming equation. And I need someone to find Mr. Tyson. I want to know how he managed to open the micro-wormholes."
— Star Jumper —
Tyson moved silently through the cavernous interior of the Narada, his Scaling Cloak rendering him invisible to the Romulan crew. The ship's dark, industrial design contrasted sharply with the Federation vessels he was accustomed to. Exposed pipes and conduits lined the walls, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of plasma and ozone.
As he navigated the ship, his mind turned to the red matter. The substance's potential for destruction was staggering, and he needed to secure it before the Romulans could use it again. Finally, he reached the hangar where the Jellyfish ship was docked. A lone Romulan guard stood watch, his disruptor rifle held at the ready.
Tyson paused, assessing the situation. The guard's eyes swept back and forth across the hangar, alert for any sign of intruders.
Before the guard could even register the sudden appearance of an enemy, Tyson launched several precise punches. The Romulan crumpled to the ground, unconscious. He dragged the guard's body behind a stack of cargo containers out of sight. He then turned his attention to the ship.
As he approached, the vessel seemed to sense his presence. Panels along its hull began to glow with a soft, blue light. The ship's entrance irised open as Tyson drew near. He stepped inside, and the interior illuminated automatically. The cockpit was a marvel of ergonomic design, with flowing lines and intuitive controls. At the center was a single command chair. He settled into the seat, which adjusted to his body shape. A holographic display sprang to life before him, hovering in the air. Text scrolled across the screen.
Enter command codes.
Within his Gray Goo Suit, he manifested the Jumper's Master Key. The nanotech device took shape in his hand, a shimmering, metallic object that seemed to shift and flow like quicksilver.
He held the Key up to the console. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, tendrils of nanites streamed from the Key, flowing into the ship's systems like liquid metal. The holographic display flickered, then changed. Not even the ship from the future's security could resist his system-backed item.
"Access granted," the screen now read. "Welcome, Ensign Tyson."
Tyson accessed the controls, familiarizing himself with the ship's systems. As he explored the ship's capabilities, his attention was drawn to a pulsing red icon on the display. He tapped it, and a schematic of the ship appeared, highlighting a spherical chamber at its core.
"Red matter containment unit," the display informed him. "Current status: Stable. 98.3% of the original quantity remaining."
The destructive potential contained within that small sphere was almost beyond comprehension. He knew he couldn't leave it in renegade Romulan hands. He weighed his options. Leaving the ship with the Romulans wasn't an option. The Jellyfish was designed for a single pilot, it wouldn't be hard to fly it out of the Narada. The ship was small enough that he could fly it right into his Warehouse if he needed to. But did he really want red matter sitting in his Personal Reality?
Tyson's deliberations were interrupted by a sudden commotion outside the ship. Shouts in Romulan echoed through the hangar, followed by the sound of running feet. His time was up.
He quickly imported the ship into his system and decommissioned it.
[Free] Import (Spaceships)
Instead of choosing a Ship Type and Size for purchase, import one space-worthy vessel you already own. Its default Section Size and Rating are that of a ship of the corresponding size. At your choice, ship parts you buy can either replace pre-existing parts of the original ship or exist in addition to them.
Jellyfish (Spaceships)
A ship commissioned in 2387 and piloted by Ambassador Spock during an attempt to prevent the destruction caused by the Romulan supernova. It has an artificial intelligence and is made to be crewed by an individual. It is armed with photonic weapons and metaphasic shields and is powered by a warp drive.
Decommission (Spaceship)
Destroy this vessel. Decommissioned vessels do not self-destruct. They are absorbed by the system. In return, you are granted half of its value in Ship Points. Any living creatures on a vessel, when decommissioned, will be sent to your Personal Reality along with any CP-backed items. Non-CP-backed items will be destroyed.
[0 SP] Ship Size Rating: I
[100 SP] Artificial Gravity
[200 SP] Alcubierre Drive
[300 SP] Antimatter Reactor
[50 SP] Navigation Suite
[100 SP] A.I. Core
[100 SP] Deflector Shields
[400 SP] Conflagration (Metaphasic) Shields
[100 SP] Missiles
[400 SP] Gravitic Manipulator (Red Matter)
Total Adjusted Decommission Value: 875 SP
Ship Points: 2575
Upon decommissioning the ship, since he was still inside, he was instantly sent back into his Personal Reality. The moment of disorientation faded quickly. With a thought, Tyson focused his mind on the Narada. He visualized the corridor before the ship's bridge. Opening a portal, he could see it had once again become a hive of activity as Romulan crew members had replaced the officers he'd killed earlier. They rushed to respond to the loss of their captured vessel and the Starfleet Captain, and the unexpected appearance of an intruder.
Activating his Scaling Cloak, Tyson's suit shield shifted, bending light around him and rendering him invisible to the naked eye. The portal closed behind him, leaving no trace of his entry. He stood still for a moment, allowing his senses to attune to his surroundings. The air was thick with tension, and the crew's agitation was palpable. He could hear raised voices speaking in rapid Romulan.
"...intruders on board..."
"...the Jellyfish is gone..."
"...Captain Nero is dead..."
Tyson paused at the bridge's threshold, taking in the scene before him. The massive viewscreen dominated the far wall, currently displaying a tactical readout of the space around Vulcan. Romulan officers hurried between stations, their movements frantic and uncoordinated. At the center of it all stood a Romulan with intricate facial tattoos. He barked orders in a deep, commanding voice. Tyson realized this must be Nero's replacement.
He needed to take control of the ship quickly and decisively. The Narada's crew was already off-balance; he just needed to push them over the edge. Making his way to an unoccupied console near the edge of the bridge, he placed his hand on the surface, allowing the nanites of his Gray Goo Suit to interface with the ship's systems. The Narada's computer defenses were formidable, but the Jumper's Master Key was like a cheat code. His nanites wormed their way through firewalls and security protocols, burrowing deep into the ship's core systems.
As Tyson worked, he kept one eye on the bridge crew. The Romulans were too preoccupied with their crisis to notice the subtle flickers of their consoles as he infiltrated their systems. Within moments, he had access to everything, including weapons, shields, propulsion, and life support.
Now came the tricky part. Tyson pulled out his phaser and sighted the nearest Romulans. He opened fire, dropping every Romulan in the command area within 2 heartbeats. Bodies hit the floor with dull thuds as Tyson's precise shots found their marks. The acrid smell of ozone filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.
Tyson's Scaling Cloak flickered and failed as he unleashed his assault, revealing his position. A few Romulans had been spared, diving for cover behind consoles when the first shots rang out.
"Intruder!" a voice bellowed in Romulan. He drew his weapon, aiming it squarely at Tyson.
Tyson rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a barrage of disruptor fire that scorched the bulkhead behind him. As he came up from his roll, he squeezed off two more shots. The first caught a Romulan who'd popped up further back, attempting to sneak in a shot, sending him sprawling. The second struck the one who shouted, but not in the body. It hit the man's weapon, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks.
The Romulan howled in pain, clutching his mangled hand. His eyes locked onto Tyson, filled with hatred. "Who are you?" he snarled.
Tyson didn't answer. Instead, he vaulted over a nearby console, using it as cover as he continued to fire. His phaser hummed with each shot, its energy cells depleting rapidly.
A disruptor bolt headed directly for him. He didn't have his lightsaber out to deflect it. Instead, it grazed Tyson's shield. He closed the distance to the nearest Romulan. The alien raised his weapon, but Tyson was faster. He knocked the disruptor aside with one hand while delivering a powerful strike to the Romulan's solar plexus with the other. The Romulan doubled over, gasping for air.
Spinning on his heel, Tyson faced the Romulan with the mangled hand, who seemed to be their newest leader. His eyes blazing with defiance. "You may have bested my crew," he growled, "but you will not take this ship."
Tyson raised his phaser, aiming it squarely at the Romulan's chest. "I already have," he replied coolly.
The Romulan's eyes widened as he realized the truth of Tyson's words. He glanced around the bridge, taking in the fallen bodies of his crew. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
"What do you want?" the Romulan asked, his voice heavy with resignation.
"First, you're going to order your remaining crew to stand down. Then, we're going to leave this timeline."
The Romulan's eyes narrowed. "Why would I help you do that?"
"Because," Tyson said, his voice hard, "the alternative is ending up like your Captain. Or the rest of them. Your choice."
— Star Jumper —
Tyson stood amid the eerie silence of the Narada's bridge, the lifeless bodies of Romulan crew members scattered around him.
"Computer, status report," he commanded.
The ship responded in a monotone Romulan, but his universal translator converted the morbid message, "Life support systems offline in all sectors except the bridge. Crew casualties: One hundred percent."
Tyson closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly. He hadn't wanted it to come to this, but the Romulans had left him no choice. They'd fought with a fervor born of desperation and hatred, refusing to yield even when faced with certain defeat.
"At least Vulcan is safe," he muttered, seeking solace in the knowledge that billions of lives had been spared.
He walked over to the main control console.
[Free] Import (Spaceships)
Instead of choosing a Ship Type and Size for purchase, import one space-worthy vessel you already own. Its default Section Size and Rating are that of a ship of the corresponding size. At your choice, ship parts you buy can either replace pre-existing parts of the original ship or exist in addition to them.
Narada (Spaceships)
A ship retrofitted with salvaged and reverse-engineered Borg technology. Subsequently, this ship can repair itself and has advanced sensors and a transwarp drive. The primary weapons are missiles. It is powered by an antimatter reactor and possesses a secondary warp drive.
Decommission (Spaceship)
Destroy this vessel. Decommissioned vessels do not self-destruct. They are absorbed by the system. In return, you are granted half of its value in Ship Points. Any living creatures on a vessel, when decommissioned, will be sent to your Personal Reality along with any CP-backed items. Non-CP-backed items will be destroyed.
[300 SP] Ship Size Rating: IV
[100 SP] Artificial Gravity
[200 SP] Alcubierre Drive
[200 SP] Auto-Repair System
[100 SP] Exotic Materials (Nanomaterials)
[100 SP] Cargo Bay
[100 SP] Hangar
[300 SP] Hyperdrive (Transwarp)
[300 SP] Antimatter Reactor
[50 SP] Navigation Suite
[100 SP] Analytic Suite
[100 SP] Deflector Shields
[100 SP] Missiles
[100 SP] Cyber Warfare Suite (Mining Drill)
Total Adjusted Decommission Value: 1075 SP
"Computer, display full technical schematics," he commanded.
The viewscreen flickered to life, filling with intricate diagrams and scrolling data. The more he delved into the ship's specifications, the more impressed he became.
"No phasers, no transporters, but what it does have..."
He trailed off, lost in thought. The Narada's Rating IV classification put it above the Enterprise-D. This was a ship retrofitted with salvaged and reverse-engineered Borg technology. Its structure was composed largely of nanomachines, giving it an unprecedented ability to repair and reconfigure itself. The Romulans hadn't directed this facet properly, leaving it with a strange urchin-like appearance.
"Ivy," he called out, summoning his AI companion. "I need your analysis of this ship's systems. Could you interface with it?"
Ivy's avatar flickered into view within his HUD as she processed the request. "Vicky could interface with the Narada's systems, but full integration would require an AI Core upgrade. That would cost 100 Ship Points."
"And if we had that, could she reconfigure the ship's layout?"
"Affirmative. The nanomachine structure allows for extensive reconfiguration."
He continued his pacing, ideas forming rapidly. "The size is an issue. It's too conspicuous. We'd need to reduce it significantly. The Space Hulk upgrade could address that. It would cost 200 or 300 SP, depending on the choice." Tyson paused, considering. "And we'd need phasers at the very least. Basic phaser arrays would cost 50 SP."
"Transporters?"
"That would be the most significant investment. A full transporter system would run 400 SP."
It was a steep price, but as he looked around the bridge of this extraordinary vessel, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was worth every point. He'd need to get to a starbase to upgrade it.
— Star Jumper —
Tyson opened a portal that revealed the inside of the Delta Vega outpost. "Spock," he called out through the portal. "It's time to go."
The Vulcan's eyebrow arched as he stepped into view. "What of Nero?" he inquired.
"Vulcan has been saved," Tyson responded, "Nero was killed, as were all the Romulans. I've taken control of the Narada." Spock's eyes widening was the only outward sign of his surprise. Tyson continued, "The Jellyfish ship and the red matter are gone. I've done everything I could to minimize your and Nero's impact on this timeline." He paused, allowing the information to sink in. "All that's left is to leave."
Spock stood silent for a moment. Finally, he nodded. "Agreed," he said, stepping forward towards the portal.
As Spock crossed the threshold onto the Narada's bridge, he turned back to face the outpost. Montgomery Scott and Keenser stood there, their expressions a mix of awe and confusion at the sight before them.
"Live long and prosper," Spock intoned, raising his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute.
Scott raised his hand awkwardly to mimic the salute while Keenser simply blinked his large eyes and waved. The portal shimmered and closed, leaving the two Starfleet officers to ponder the strange events they had just witnessed.
On the bridge of the Narada, Tyson and Spock turned their attention to the main viewscreen. The vast expanse of space stretched before them, the red planet Vulcan dominating the view. In the distance, they could see the Enterprise beyond the wreckage of the battle that was slowly being pulled into the black hole.
"They're about to eject their warp core," Tyson explained, analyzing the data from the Narada's advanced sensors as he brought up a tactical display. "They're going to detonate it to close the singularity."
Spock's eyes fixed on the screen. "A logical solution," he murmured, a hint of pride and nostalgia in his voice for his counterparts' thinking.
They watched silently as a small, bright object separated from the Enterprise, hurtling towards the swirling vortex of the black hole that threatened Vulcan. Seconds ticked by.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light erupted on the screen. The detonation of the warp core sent out a massive shockwave rippling through space. As the light faded, they could see the singularity had closed in on itself, ending the threat to Vulcan.
"It worked," Tyson breathed.
Spock's expression remained neutral, but his eyes showed a glimmer of satisfaction. "Indeed," he replied. "The Enterprise crew has performed admirably."
Tyson turned to the Narada's console as the last vestiges of the singularity disappeared. "It's Time for us to make our exit," he said, his fingers hovering over the transwarp drive controls. Are you ready?"
Spock took one last look at the viewscreen, at the Vulcan that had nearly been lost. "I am prepared," he said softly.
Tyson engaged the transwarp drive. The stars on the viewscreen began to stretch into long, brilliant streaks of light as the Narada left the Vulcan system far behind.
As they hurtled through transwarp, Tyson turned to Spock. "Vulcan is safe. Your younger self and the crew of the Enterprise will continue on their path after some repairs and a new warp core."
Spock was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the streaking stars. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," he said, "Or the one. My place is not in this timeline. The logical course of action is to return to my reality. If that is impossible, I will go into exile, allowing events here to progress without my interference."
"I'm afraid I can't bring you back to your reality," Tyson began gently. "I come from a similar timeline, but from 2364. But you don't have to go into exile. I have access to a pocket dimension you can remain within if you're concerned about contaminating the timeline." Spock's eyebrow arched slightly. Tyson continued, "It'll be a long time, but once we catch up to the moment you left, you can return. It'll be like you hadn't left, completing the time loop."
When Spock spoke, his voice carried the weight of his years. "I appreciate your consideration, but I doubt I'll live to see that day. I don't think I have twenty years." He paused, his gaze drifting to the viewscreen. "I shall be content to live out the rest of my days, knowing I did what I could to prevent the disaster and that we successfully saved Vulcan from destruction in the timeline my presence altered."
Tyson frowned. There had to be an option to help Spock. He couldn't bear the thought of this legendary figure spending his final years in isolation.
He pulled up his system menu. There was an area with Ship Sections. These were primarily options that could be added to ships, but they could also optionally be added to the Personal Reality. One would solve his issues.
[200 SP] Cryo-Chambers (Spaceships)
Countless chambers allow you to place everyone on the ship in suspended animation that prevents the affected from aging, allowing them to reach faraway systems even at sub-light speeds.
Ship Points: 2375
Tyson confirmed the purchase of the Cryo-Chambers, relieved that it cost Ship Points instead of Reality Points, allowing him to afford the upgrade. A soft chime signaled the completion of the transaction, and he felt a subtle shift in the fabric of his Personal Reality as the new addition materialized.
"Spock," Tyson said, turning to the elder Vulcan, "I believe I have a solution that might interest you."
Spock raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Indeed?"
"Follow me," he said as he gestured.
They made their way through a portal into Tyson's Personal Reality. As they walked, Tyson explained the concept of the Cryo-Chambers to Spock. They rounded a corner, and before them, a door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a large, circular room. The walls were lined with dozens of cylindrical pods, each glowing with a soft, blue light. In the center of the room stood a control console, its displays flickering with readouts.
Spock stepped into the room and approached one of the pods. Tyson walked to the center console and brought up the specifications on the main display. "These Cryo-Pods are designed to keep you in suspended animation," he explained. You won't age while you're inside. We can set it to wake you when we reach the point in time where you left your original timeline."
Spock turned to face Tyson with a thoughtful expression. "And you believe this will allow me to complete the time loop without further altering the timeline?"
"That's the idea. You'll be able to rest, knowing that Vulcan is safe in the alternate timeline, and when you wake, you can continue with on with no discernible absence."
The elder Vulcan was silent for a long moment, his gaze moving from the pods to Tyson and back again. "Your solution is both logical and considerate, Tyson. I find myself grateful for your efforts on my behalf."
Tyson smiled warmly. "It's the least I could do, Spock. You are somewhat of a legend where I come from."
"Then I accept your offer. I shall enter the Cryo-Pod and await the completion of our journey."
Tyson led Spock to one of the pods, explaining the process as they walked. "The pod will induce a suspended animation almost instantly," he said. "You won't feel the passage of time. The pod will bring you out of stasis when it's time to wake you."
They reached an open pod, its interior bathed in a soft, welcoming light. Spock turned to face Tyson, raising his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper Tyson," he said, his voice filled with genuine warmth. "I look forward to seeing what the future holds when I awaken."
Tyson returned the salute, his fingers forming the familiar V shape. "Peace and long life, Spock," he replied. "Rest well, and know that your actions have made a difference."
Spock nodded, then turned and stepped into the pod. He lay back, his body relaxing as the pod's systems began to engage. The transparent cover slid closed with a soft hiss, and Tyson watched as a faint mist filled the interior.
Spock's eyes met Tyson's one last time. Then, slowly, they closed as the Cryo-Pod's stasis field took effect.
Tyson stood there for a long moment, watching Spock's vital signs stabilize on the pod's display. The elder Vulcan's face looked peaceful, the lines of worry and age seeming to soften in the pod's gentle light.
He walked to the central console, double-checking the settings and ensuring everything was functioning perfectly. Satisfied, he looked around the room, his gaze lingering on Spock's pod.
"Computer," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet room, "wake Ambassador Spock when we reach the year 2387 in the base timeline."
The computer chimed in acknowledgment. "Ambassador Spock will be awoken in 2387."
Tyson felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. He had done right by Spock, giving the legendary Vulcan a chance to rest and to see the future he had helped shape.
The door slid shut behind him as he left, leaving Spock to his well-earned rest.
As Tyson exited the Cryo-Chambers, a soft golden glow caught his eye. He turned to a door in the Personal Reality's antechamber that hadn't been there before. The door's frame seemed to shimmer like sunlight on water. He approached, his hand reaching out to grasp the ornate handle. With a gentle push, the door swung open. Tyson stepped into a bar, the air thick with the scent of alcohol and the sound of lively conversation…
The bar where a young James T. Kirk had first met Captain Pike in the alternate timeline.
Tyson's eyes swept across the room, taking in the diverse crowd. Starfleet cadets in their red uniforms mingled with civilians, their laughter and chatter creating a lively backdrop. In one corner, a group of aliens huddled around a table, engrossed in what appeared to be an intense game of three-dimensional chess. The bar itself was a long, curved structure. Behind it were rows of bottles containing liquors from various worlds. Human and alien bartenders moved, mixing drinks and bantering with customers. As he approached the bar, he was drawn to a figure that matched the ambiance but was easily recognizable.
Sitting at the bar, looking as nonchalant as ever, was Q. The omnipotent being, dressed in this era's Starfleet captain's uniform, swirled a glass of vibrant blue alcohol. The bottle labeled it as Romulan ale, ironic given the enemies Tyson had just defeated.
Q's eyes met Tyson's, and he raised his glass in a mock salute. "Ah, the man of the hour," Q called out, his voice carrying over the din of the bar. "Come, sit. I believe we have much to discuss."
Tyson made his way to the empty stool next to Q. As he sat down, a bartender placed a glass in front of him without a word.
"Saurian Brandy meant to be sipped. Enjoy it. It's illegal in this timeline, after all," Q remarked, sipping his ale. "I see you've been busy. You chose a new Origin, yet somehow played the Space Pirate role anyway. And, hosting a legendary Vulcan. You've certainly been making the most of your gifts."
Tyson picked up his glass, studying the amber liquid within. "I'm just trying to do what's right," he replied, "Making a difference where I can."
Q leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But tell me, have you considered the consequences of your actions? The ripples that spread out from each choice you make?"
Tyson frowned, turning to face Q fully. The bar around them seemed to fade into the background, the noise dimming as if they were in their private bubble. "What do you mean?" he asked, a note of concern creeping into his voice.
"Every action has a reaction, my dear boy. No matter how small, every change you make can have far-reaching consequences. You've saved Vulcan. But have you considered what that means for the development of this universe? The challenges that shaped this Kirk and this Spock have never come to pass here. You rescued Pike before being critically injured, so he'll remain Captain of the Enterprise. The trauma of losing his family and home planet didn't drive Spock and Uhura together."
Tyson hadn't considered that. In his rush to prevent a tragedy, had he inadvertently altered the course of history in ways he couldn't foresee?
Q continued, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "And what of the Narada? A ship from the future, bristling with technology centuries ahead of this time and decades ahead of Picard's. What do you plan to do with it?"
Tyson opened his mouth to respond, but Q held up a hand, silencing him. "Wait, wait, don't tell me. I enjoy the mystery," Q said, his tone softening slightly.
Tyson took a long drink from his glass, letting the brandy burn down his throat. "What would you have me do, Q? Stand by and watch as billions die? Let tragedies unfold when I have the power to prevent them?"
Q's lips curled into a smile. "Oh, I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do. That's the beauty of free will, after all. I'm merely... advising caution. The universe is a delicate tapestry. Pull on one thread, and you might unravel more than you intended." Tyson nodded slowly. He looked around the bar at the carefree patrons going about their evening, blissfully unaware of the weighty conversation in their midst. Q raised his glass. "To responsibility," he said solemnly and yet somehow slightly mocking. "May you bear it well."
Tyson hesitated for a moment, then clinked his glass against Q's. As he did, a message flashed across his HUD.
Episode: Abrams Star Trek Complete!
+1000 RP
Reality Points: 1100
Tyson's eyes widened. "Holy shit," he muttered.
"That's quite the reaction," Q said, his voice tinged with amusement. "Care to share with the class?"
Tyson blinked, still processing the enormity of the reward. "It's... so much," he stammered, struggling to find the words. "Why? I mean, it's more than I got for saving Taris."
Q leaned back on his barstool, swirling the Romulan ale in his glass. "Movies are worth more," he said.
A laugh bubbled up from Tyson's chest at the absurdity of it all. Saving planets, altering timelines, and being rewarded based on cinematic value.
"You wrapped everything up rather nicely," he continued, gesturing with his glass. "You decommissioned the red matter ship, claimed the Narada, and removed everyone not native to the timeline." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Limited as your powers are, I deem it a flawless run, my boy. Good job."
The praise from Q felt significant. He opened his mouth to respond, but Q held up a hand and cut him off.
"But," Q continued, his tone sharpening slightly, "you did have many advantages and foreknowledge on your side. So don't get cocky. It was a fun romp, but I think I'll add more Drawbacks next time to make it more interesting."
"You're right," Tyson said, acknowledging the truth in Q's words. "I had a lot working in my favor this time. Movies are so much easier to remember than filler episodes."
"Tell me, what do you plan to do with your newfound wealth? A thousand Reality Points is no small sum."
"I'm not sure yet," he admitted, meeting Q's gaze. "The biggest hurdle I need to address is the Narada. It's still too big for my portals or my Personal Reality. I will have to spend most of my windfall on accommodating it. But I want to use the points wisely to prepare for whatever comes next."
Q nodded approvingly. "A prudent approach," he said, raising his glass in a mock toast. "But don't let caution paralyze you. The universe rarely waits for those who hesitate."
Tyson nodded, taking another sip of his Saurian brandy. The liquid burned as it went down, grounding him in the moment. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "But I have to ask. Why are you doing this, Q? What's your stake in this?"
"My dear boy, who says I have a stake at all? Perhaps I enjoy watching the show." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Or perhaps I'm playing a longer game than you can imagine."
Q leaned back, his demeanor shifting once again to casual nonchalance. "But enough about me," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let's talk about you. You've had quite the adventure in this timeline. What did you think of young Kirk and Spock? Quite the dynamic duo, aren't they?"
"I didn't spend enough time with them to get a good read on them," his mind wandered to the elder Spock, now resting in cryostasis within his Personal Reality. "But it's humbling," he admitted. To see where they start, knowing where they'll end up, makes you wonder about your path." He finished the last of his brandy. The warmth of the alcohol spread through him, a pleasant counterpoint to the weighty conversation. "Thank you, Q. For the reward and the advice."
Q waved a hand dismissively, but his eyes showed a hint of genuine warmth. "Oh, don't thank me yet," he said. "Your journey is far from over. I'd say it's only just beginning. We're still only in Season 2."
Tyson mentally cataloged what he remembered about TNG's first season. He responded, "What are you talking about? I'm pretty sure we're still in Season 1. Haven't seen the Ferengi yet, and doesn't the season end with the Romulans?"
"Romulans, Ferengi." Q snorted. "Maybe next season." He raised his glass one last time, his form beginning to blur at the edges. "Until next time, Tyson," he said, his voice echoing strangely in the dissolving space. "Remember, with great power comes great... entertainment value."
As if on cue, the bar around them began to shimmer and fade, the sounds of conversation and clinking glasses growing distant. Tyson felt the sensation of reality shifting around him as he was ejected from the Benefactor's Lounge.
— Star Jumper —
Tyson brought the Narada out of transwarp into an empty system. He had to make purchases to allow the ship to leave this reality. Q had already rewarded him for cleaning up the timeline nicely, now he needed to follow through by removing the ship. The problem was its size. The Narada was somewhere in the ballpark of 9 kilometers long. One more purchase of Portal Aperture would allow him to make portals large enough to move the ship. The problem was that his Personal Reality wasn't large enough for the ship. He had two options for storing the vessel, both totaling 500 RP. The first was the Garage of the Gods Upgrade with the Big Garage expansion. The second was the Personal Mini-Reality.
[200 SP] Garage of the Gods (Personal Reality)
A garage for you to place your vehicles into, automatically adjusting to meet their requirements. Any sort of land, air, or space-based personal vehicles (up to 12 meters long, 6 meters wide, and 4 meters tall). The Garage has berths for up to 40 such vehicles, with every purchase of Additional Space also increasing the number of berths by a factor of 5. The Garage comes with its own Vehicular Entry Hall (VEH) free of charge and a set of six adaptors that can turn garage doors (even non-automatic ones) into Personal Reality Portals.
[300 SP] Big Garage (Personal Reality)
Have some vehicles that don't exactly fit in the Garage? The Big Garage can handle it. You start with four dry docks, each large enough to house, well, anything. Each Additional Space purchase doubles the number of dry docks.
[500 SP] Personal Mini-Reality (Personal Reality)
You gain a copy of your home solar system (out to the Oort Cloud). It does not come with any intelligent life or "man-made" structures.
Tyson stood on the bridge of the Narada, his gaze fixed on the vast emptiness of space beyond the viewscreen. The massive Romulan vessel hung motionless in the void, its tentacle-like appendages stretching out into the darkness. He paced the length of the bridge, thinking. 500 Reality Points was a significant investment, no matter which way he chose to spend it.
"Garage of the Gods or Personal Mini-Reality," he muttered to himself, weighing the pros and cons of each option.
The Garage of the Gods, with its Big Garage expansion, offered a straightforward solution. Four massive dry docks, each capable of housing a ship of any size. The idea of having a dedicated space for his growing fleet was tempting. But, there were only four spaces, and increasing the dry docks required more purchases.
Tyson paused in his pacing, leaning against a console as he considered the advantages. The Garage came with a Vehicular Entry Hall and adaptors that could turn ordinary doors into Personal Reality Portals. It was a neat, contained solution that would keep his ships separate and easily accessible.
But then there was the Personal Mini-Reality. An entire solar system would be at his disposal. The sheer scale of it was almost overwhelming. With that much space, he could house the Narada and entire fleets if he wanted to. The Garage would be more organized and structured, and each ship would be neatly arranged and maintained in its dock. However, Mini-Reality offered freedom and the chance to create a base of operations hidden within a replica of his home solar system.
"The Garage does have some advantages," Tyson mused aloud, circling the holograms. "It's more focused, more specialized for vehicle storage."
"With the Mini-Reality, there would be enough space to leave ships anywhere," Tyson said, "I could build bases on the planets, set up shipyards in orbit, create an entire infrastructure."
He pulled up the details for the Garage again. Like some of the Personal Reality facilities, it had improvement options. The Fueling Station Upgrade caught his attention. Regardless of the source, it provided fuel to any vehicle. Deuterium, Dilithium, antimatter, whatever. And at only 50 Reality Points, it seemed like a bargain.
"But is it worth the trade-off?" Tyson asked himself.
However, the Mini-Reality offered so much more than just storage. It was an entire solar system to shape as he saw fit. He thought about the Narada, the Automated Repair Facility, and other ships he might acquire in the future. In the Mini-Reality, he could house any number of them.
The more Tyson considered it, the more the Mini-Reality seemed like the right choice. It wasn't just about storage; it was about potential.
He purchased the Personal Mini-Reality and one more upgrade to Portal Aperature, increasing its maximum area to 8 million square meters.
Reality Points: 500
He'd spent over half the points he earned from the episode in one swoop, but it was worth it. Now, he had an entire solar system at his disposal, and he could bring the Naradra inside.
----------------------------------------
Tyson
Origins: Human, Humanoid, Drop-In, Space Pirate, Bad Guy, Officer
Race: Augment Human-Betazoid (Hybrid)
Character Points: 1200, [250 KOTOR (Vicky)]
Reality Points: 500
Ship Points: 2375
Credits: 116,450
Status Effects: (none)
Drawbacks:
Gauntlet (Locked)
Ensign Marty Stu
A Simple Re'Q'uest
Hybrid (Betazoid)
Amok Time/Blood Fever
Outlawed
Mary Sue
Perks:
Cosmic Awareness
Out of Nowhere
Going Native
Live and Let Live
This is (Not?) Rocket Science
Kinda Bland
Determinator
Painted On
Snakeskin
Adaptable
Duelist
Master with your Hands
Best of the Best
Everything Is A Weapon
Augment
Force Specialization: Intelligence
Tactical Info
Sever Force
Specialty: Operations; Sub-Specialties (Communications, Engineering, Piloting)
Items:
Laser Blade
Spacesuit
Agony Booth
Cloaking Minefield
Lightsaber
Gray Goo Suit
Transwarp Beam Equation
Companions:
(Vicky) V-KO IV Nursedroid: Access Key, Artificial Intelligence Upgrade, Gray Goo Upgrade, Master With Your Hands, Light Weapon, Jumper's Master Key, Scaling Cloak, Origin:Jedi, Force Specialization: Intelligence, Enhanced Mind, Lightsaber, Armored Robes, Battle Meditation
T'Pol: Access Key
Personal Reality:
Access Key (Additional Keys, Key Link)
Security System
High-Security Inter-Reality Connecting Door (Star Trek Enterprise, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic)
Medical Bay (The Nano-Medical Lab, The Bio-Synthesis Lab, Microbiome Replacement Lab)
Housing Complex (Basic Nutrition, Choice Apartments, Who's Got the Powa, Pipes Pipes Pipes)
Playing With Portals (Portal Link, Portal Control Rod, Free Portal, Portal Aperature x4)
The Mystical Menagerie
Ship Sections (Cryo-Chambers)
Personal Mini-Reality
Spaceships:
Tramp Freighter (Destroyed - Respawn on 02/28/2365)
Sith Interceptor (Bridge Upgrade)
Automated Repair Station (Ship Size Rating: IV, Station, Bridge, Space Hulk, Artificial Gravity, Cryo-Chambers, Auto-Repair System, Synapses, Distributed, Automated Ship, Analytic Suite, Docking Port, Transporter Room, Matter Printer, Negentropy Reactor, Deflector Shields, Clarketech Module, Production Lines, Hangar, Cargo Bay, Living Quarters)
Narada (Ship Size Rating: IV, Artificial Gravity, Alcubierre Drive, Auto-Repair System, Exotic Materials (Nanomaterials), Cargo Bay, Hangar, Hyperdrive (Transwarp), Antimatter Reactor, Navigation Suite, Analytic Suite, Deflector Shields, Missiles, Cyber Warfare Suite (Mining Drill)