On the other side of the well

Posted on Mon Sep 3rd, 2018 @ 12:28am by Commander Jazin Ijaan & Colonel Ellis Ijaan & Captain James Culbertson
Edited on on Tue Dec 10th, 2019 @ 7:43pm

1,656 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: USS Ottawa (2385)
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD001 1630 hrs

9 years before the current date. The USS Ottawa, steamrunner class starship was on its way back to Gateway station. They were on reconnaissance mission, but hadn't found anything far out in the region that was out of the ordinary. On the bridge it was all calm.



Ellie was seated next her captain, Captain James Culbertson. She was reading through department reports as they came in.



"Anything exciting? Anything at all? Anyone?" Captain Culbertson said. More than slightly bored.



Ellie shook her head. "No, sir, I do recommend we go to Meshkenet station. We're a bit far out and it's a long way to Gateway station. I thought we could make a little stop over. I hear they have a fabulous Klingon doctor on the station. Not that our doctor isn't good." She grinned and then continued, "I also think it's high time for a little shore leave, wouldn't you agree, sir?"



"Excellent suggestion, Major." Culbertson said. "What say you, Commander. Little quiet over there." he said, looking towards tactical. Just in time to see Jazin almost zonk out. "I guess that answers..it." The CO said.



He shook his head. "Lieutenant. Warp 6, Mesh station. Punch it when ready."



Ellie chuckled. "Alright. Send out a message ahead to Meshkenet we are on our way."



"Sending, colonel" the Bolian at comms said.



"Ok let me know if they respond." Ellie said. She turned over to Captain Culbertson. "So how is Lily doing? Is she already used to life on the ship?" Ellie asked trying to strike up a conversation.



"She's great." Culbertson replied. "Ready for company, as she keeps reminding me." He chuckled.



"So, any word on where we're going next?" Ellie asked with a grin on her face. She was happy to hear her new friend was doing well.



"Up to me. At least that's what the Admirals say. After a period to stretch out legs on Mesh, we'll hit the last quadrant in our area."



-------

A few moments.



Ellie rushed to her fallen captain. He was doing fine first and the next he fell to the floor. She checked his pulse and then tapped her badge. "Sickbay, this is the bridge, medical emergency..." She paused a moment. "It's the captain."



"On our way," came the quick response.



Ellie turned to Jazin. "Commander, contact Meshkenet station, now. Tell them we have a medical emergency." She turned to the helm. "Helm, maximum warp."



"Aye, colonel," helm responded. "Maximum warp engaged.



"Meskenet Station, this is USS Ottawa. Medical Emergency. Repeat Medical Emergency. Captain Culbertson is down. En route to you at Max warp." the trill at tactical said



At that moment a medical team of two medical officers ran in. They keeled down next them. The doctor started to scan the captain. The doctor then tapped his badge. "Sickbay, ready for emergency transport. Energized!" The captain and the doctor dematerialized from the bridge.



Ellie watched concerned as they disappeared. She then tapped her badge. "Lilly, this is Ellie, you better go to sickbay, it's your husband, I don't know what happened, but he just collapsed." Before Lilly could respond helm said, "Colonel, I have strange phenomena on scanners. It's interrupting our warp field. I am having difficulties to maintaining my course and speed."



Ellie still standing next to the command chair turned to Jazin.



"Raising shields. Better to be prepared, Colonel." he said. "That phenomena may be what got to the Captain."



Then the officer at ops said, "Colonel, this is strange, it looks like...it looks like a singularity is forming, I am also getting neutrino emissions. I have never seen anything like it."



"What is it?" Ellie asked.



"It looks like a wormhole inside a black hole. It's unlike anything we have ever seen." She was frantically going over her console. "We're being pulled in."



"Warp field collapsed, dropping to impulse," called helm.



"Hold on," called ops.



The ship began to shudder and shake. Ellie dropped in to the command chair. "All hence, hold on," she shouted over the com." She held onto the chair as everyone on the Ottawa got a good shake up as the Ottawa was pulled into the wormhole. Lights all over the system turned off as the ship did a hard restart. As the lights came back on Ellie looked around. The ship had stopped shaking. They had come out unscaved so it seemed. "Report!" She called.



She looked to Jazin as the reports came in. She then turned to Helm.



"Were banged up a little, but in one piece." Jazin said. "Shields and weapons need attention."



"It looks like we're still at the same location. Systems seem to function normally, shall I resume cours, colonel?" He asked.



Ellie looked to ops. She shook her head. "Nothing on scanners, colonel, the singularity and the wormhole are both gone. As if they were never there."



Ellie looked around the bridge. "Right, Ensign," she said to Ops, "You examine the scans we made of this phenomena and make a full report." She then continued, "Helm, resume course, maximum warp." They both responded in confirmation.



She took a deep breath. Luckily they got out unharmed, but the captain was still unconscious according to sickbay. As acting captain she had to go down there and check on the captain. Finally she got up from the chair. "Commander Ijaan, you have the bridge. I'll be in sickbay. Please call me back as soon as we are in communication range of the station. I have to talk to the general." She then made her way to the turbolift.



"Aye, I have the bridge." he said. "You'll be the first to know.



-------------------

2 hours later (Alternate Universe)



Ellie walked on to the bridge. "Please contact General Stryker now." She looked to the screen as the general appeared. "General, Lieutenant Colonel Ellis Sheppard, Acting captain of the USS Ottawa. We have a situation."



"Its Acting Skipper not Captain. Marines will never refer to themselves as Captain's of a ship unless they bare that rank." She started off. She wondered when Captain Culbertson promoted his first officer. "We have tracked your ship on sensors, we understand you have situation, what can we do to assist you Colonel?" She asked. Wondering when Culbertson was planning notifying starfleet or Task Force 17 of recent crew promotions?



"Yes, General, acting skipper. Of course!" She replied. "We have a medical emergency, Captain Culbertson collapsed on the bridge. We did send a message ahead to notify the base. Didn't you get it? We were coming back from border patrol. Nothing to report there, so no explanation as to why the captain suddenly collapsed, sir."



Amile was very confused, the USS Ottawa was not on a border patrol in this area. What was the Colonel talking about? Something was not making sense to her. "Colonel proceed to the station, maximum warp. We will have medical staff standing by." She said. What she was not telling Ellie, was the fact that she was going to confiscate her crew and ship and find out what is going on.



Amile motioned for the communications officer to mute the call, then she looked over to Commander John Stevens, her station first officer. "Commander, prepare a bordering party, once we secure the Ottawa and bring me this Colonel Sheppard. First though we will have the USS Hydra, USS Apache and USS Triton intercept the Ottawa, but not before they enter range of the station. Something does not feel right here." Amile said, trusting her gut. was this a divine alliance trap?



"Yes General." Simply said John, as he waited for Ellie to say something. He was a little surprised too that the USS Ottawa was in this area of space. There suppose to be near Beta Antares Fleetyards, last he heard.



"Yes, General, we will be there in a few hours. Ottawa out." Ellie disconnected the com link and then looked to Jazin. "Commander, will you join me in the captain's ready room a moment."



"Right behind you." the Trill replied



Ellie walked to the ready room. She refused to call it the skipper's ready room. It wasn't hers yet, she was just an acting skipper. She waited for Jazin to walk in. She spoke immediately when he was inside. "Commander, something is wrong, I have a very bad feeling something isn't right. The General seemed surprised when I introduced myself as Lieutenant Colonel and also did she mute the call?"



"That did seem weird." Jazin replied. "Now that you mention it." he nodded. "Im no betazoid, thank providence. But the General did look antsy. Never trust antsy brass."



"I noticed she was taking to her first officer." She leaned against Culbertson's desk. "Commander, scan the area near the station for starfleet vessels. Please notify me if there is anything out of the ordinary going on. I have a very bad feeling. If there are starfleet vessels coming to get us, let them, we will fully comply. I don't want to come over as a threat to the General. I want to find out what is going on. Understood?"



"Right away." he said, heading back to tactical. He begun his scans, and so far was coming up empty.

 

 

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