Seelowe

Seelowe walked onto the bridge of the Carolina. The sentient vessel had tracked temporal readings to this location and it was determined that the anomaly off the Intrepid class vessels bow was exactly what Hladson Kappler and the science officers had speculated. This was a “chroniton rift”, a wormhole capable of readjusting the phasic signatures of a single organism and transporting it back to its point of origin.

The only issue was, the anomalies opening was a mere 12 meters in diameter. There was no way the Carolina could ever get through the event horizon.

And though there had been much discussion, the Captain had been insistent that his crew take this opportunity to go home.

Kelly and Etta had been the hard cases and required the most convincing. In the end the opportunity for Commander Heron to be back on her beloved planet, with the opportunity to be able to prevent its destruction, was too important a prospect for her to ignore.

As for Etta, Seelowe explained how important it would be for her to teach all that had happened here. Prepare their world for the possible appearance of the “temporal beast”. Perhaps save planets destroyed by it.

And then finally…order her to go.

And now Seelowe, Hlad and Joe were the only ones remaining on the ship. The remainder of the crew having been safely transported into the rift. And home.

“I still believe I should remain with you Captain.” Said Kappler as he worked some panels. “You may need me.

Seelowe sat and watched the anomaly on the screen as it glowed blue. “We talked about this Commander. The Carolina will be fine.” He looked at him and smiled. “It is the Captains prerogative if not duty to remain with his ship. Not yours. You have your orders.”

At that moment the turbo lift opened and out walked Joe.

“Ready to go home Joe?” asked Seelowe not turning.

“Not going.” Said the anachronism dressed in his 21st century uniform. Seelowe stood up and looked at the man who was lighting a cigar. The Carolina promptly put it out with her fire suppression beam.

“And FIRST thing I am doing is disabling THAT thing.” He growled as he stuck the un-scorched cigar back in his pocket.

“What do you mean you aren’t going?” said Seelowe looking at the man.

“Well Captain as I understand it…me going back could really muck up the swamp…you know? If I have learned anything on this boat its that everything we do affect this …time…thing. “ he said stiffening his back. “Besides I figure you could use the company.”

Hladson came around. “Same here Captain. Frankly some of us may not WANT to go back to what is beyond that hole in space. I come from an exiled race. For all I know I could end up in some concentration camp.”

Seelowe looked at the two men and smiled. “Fair enough.”

He took his seat. “Carolina…move us away from the wormhole and set a heading for 156 mark 47.”

The engines engaged, but the Carolina did not move.

Kappler ran to his station and swung into his seat. “We are being held in place by the wormhole” said the Carolina’s Chief engineer. “Not only that, but we are being pulled toward it.”

“This is bad right?” said Joe sardonically.

“Yes…an Intrepid class ship being pulled into a hole the size of a cargo door would be bad.” said Seelowe moving across the deck and taking a seat at helm.

He set engines to full reverse, slowing the Carolina’s slide to the opening.

“Joe…I need you on tactical. Hlad…prepare a spread of torpedoes. Lets see if we can collapse this thing.”

Joe took a seat at tactical and looked at the panel. “I've been watching that cyborg dude and the others. I THINK I know what to do here.”

He tapped a panel and phasers shot.

Hlad and Seelowe looked at him as the phaser shot out from the ship into the darkness and dissipated. Joe looked back. “I didn’t know the safety was off.”

No harm done the two men went back to their work. “On my command Joe, not before. Hlad will light up the button to press when the time comes.”

“I am targeting the outer rim of the anomaly.” Said Hlad. “Whether or not this works, there will be one hell of a shock wave.”

Seelowe nodded. “On my mark.”

He looked up.

“Mark.”

The proper button lit up on the tactical display and Joe hit it. Torpedoes sprang out of the belly of the ship glowing blue in one clump, then shot out in six directions and detonated in the edges of the wormhole. The anomaly seemed to shimmer slightly and pulse.”

“Report Hlad.” Said the Captain.

“No effect.” Said Kappler. “Incoming shock wave.”

“SHIELDS UP!” said Seelowe, gripping the helm. “BRACE FOR IMPACT!”

Within moments the ship was rocked by a massive shock wave. The science station detonated first…then the helm…sending Seelowe reeling to the deck. He heard an explosion to the rear of the bridge and a loud “SON OF A......." ::BOOOOOOOOOOM:: as tactical went.

The Carolina’s nose rose as the ship rode the wave being pushed backwards without moving. The stress of the tug of war between the push and pull of the two violent forces putting incalculable stress on the massive vessel.

Seelowe heard the engineer shouting out status reports as static charges and crackling blasts detonated all around the bridge. Fires started.

“FIRE SUPPRESSION OFF LINE. Life support OFF LINE. Engines OFF LINE. Hull bree…….” He continued then his voice stopped.

As the wave passed Seelowe stood up and looked through the smoke…and he couldn’t see Kappler. He moved to the rear of the bridge and pulled Joe to his feet. “We need to get to engineering.” He shouted over the crackle and boom of the burning bridge.

The men moved to the turbo lift….it was off line.

“Carolina vent bridge.” yelled Seelowe, and he was grateful to see the smoke clear. “We need to get off the ship Joe…life support is gone.”

“Off the ship?” protested the 21st century soldier. “And how the hell do you propose doing that?”

They moved to the transporter room and Seelowe set co-ordinates. “The wormhole is still open…if…not damaged a bit. I suspect it will drop you within…40 years of your phasic home point.”

“40 YEARS!?” said the man, as another station blew. He looked back at the door they came through remembering the burning bridge, and stepped up onto the transporter.

He saluted.

“Been an honor to serve you Captain. God’s speed.”

Seelowe nodded. “Honor was mine.” He engaged the transporter.

Joe disappeared, and Seelowe watched a moment as the beam faded into nothing. He smiled, and walked through the transporter room to the doors and onto the bridge. “Carolina.” He ordered. “Re-engage fire suppression.”

Beams shot out from all around the ceiling creating vacuums around all fires and extinguishing them immediately.

“Begin repairs.” He said calmly.

The man’s image shifted and shimmered a bit as the blue tunic of 29th century Seelowe appeared. He went over to the engineering station and looked for Hlad.

“Lose something?” came a voice from behind him. Seelowe turned to see the shimmering form of the essence of Hladson Kappler. Seelowe smiled.

“I suspected a temporal shock wave would kill you, not simply make you lose physical form.” Said the blue tuniced clone.

“You won’t get away with this.” Said the glowing Kappler.

Seelowe laughed. “My dear Mr. Kappler I already have.”

“So you…created that anomaly.” He said.

“Yes.” he said as he sat and started pressing panels assisting the Carolina in her self-healing. “In a way it is an extension of me. Tech you simply would not understand.”

Hladson moved in a stream of light to the lower part of the deck.

“Try me.” Said Kappler.

Seelowe shook his head. “You people amaze me. You talk to me like we are equals.” He stood up and faced the being glowing in front of him. “I represent…500 YEARS of STAR FLEET advancement. 500 YEARS.”

He turned and tapped the panel again, then continued.

“Think…Isaac Newton meets Steven Hawkins, Henry Ford meets Cochrane.”

“And how did you trick the Carolina into thinking you were the Captain?” asked the glowing form.

“I AM your Captain. Except for a LITTLE TINY essence of …ME…that also lives inside him. Granted it took us time to figure out how to do it after the LAST time I was so RUDELY dismissed by this beast. But the fact we did…and for all intent and purposes your precious Carolina believes I AM her master.”

“What will you do with her?” asked Hlad.

“DO?” asked Seelowe. “You mean besides taking her away from YOU…and your merry band of misfits?”

He watched as systems came back on line all the doings of the Carolina…alone.

“Amazing…simply amazing.” He said as he continued. “You see Hlad…even in my day sentient vessels are only coming into existence as we speak…and nothing…NOTHING like this.”

“So we intend to dissect this ship and analyze every biopack…every circuit…every isolinear chip to see HOW this has occurred. And then…we will build a FLEET of Carolina’s.”

Seelowe simply did not see it coming. He was hit by the full force of the Carolina’s engineer and wrapped in a shimmering light at the same time, driven into…and through the navigation console.

Driven into, and through the viewscreen…and emerging into space.

“KAPPPPPPLERRRRRR.” He yelled not expecting the force by which he was hit, nor the ability of Hlad to phase them through the Carolina’s hull.

“One thing you got right.” Said Kappler as they moved through space caught up in the wormholes pull. “We…are not equals.”

They flew through space picking up speed and entering the dark hole.

The anomaly collapsing behind them.