The Enterprise in Babylon
A Star Trek/B5 Crossover Story
concept by
with The Editor: UK Atheist & Science E-Zine, Ben Slythe & Paul Hollings
Chapter 01: Spider In The Night
by
"Space is big. I mean you may think it's a long way down the road to the ..."1 ... Space may be big but time is bigger.
Just over 200 years ago on a near Earth sized planet circling a G3 class star (very similar to our own local star, Sol 3) in the Lesser Megallanic Cloud there was a war. Two races, fairly humanoid in appearance (though of avian stock) fought, for control of their planet. One side, it doesn't really matter who but for arguments sake let's call them the "Z'Srek", was winning and the other and more technically advanced (the T'cleth) weren't.
The T'cleth had been beaten back to the small island upon which they first arose and the Z'Srek controlled the rest ... not that there was much worth controlling since it was mostly fused and burned, radioactive slag. Their wings were against the ground as they would say, they had nothing left to lose. In desperation they resorted to a device they had invented many centuries earlier but had never dared to even experiment with let alone use.
The device was a time bomb, not the sort of time bomb you and I would understand but a bomb that explodes time (actually time & space but why be pedantic?). The device was launched on a missile that was a little like one of our ICBM's (faster and more accurate, but similar I guess!). The Z'Srek made a token effort to shoot it down but it wasn't aimed at anything important so they didn't try too hard and it got through.
What the Z'Srek didn't fully appreciate was that the device's ground zero had been very carefully computed by the T'Cleth. It was the precise point where, a million or so years earlier the Z'Srek had first become the dominant species of the area (although both races were of avian ancestry, each races ancestors were quite different).
The device worked perfectly.
Where once the were scarred, slagged landscapes there now lay beautiful landscape & glistening city's with tall, graceful spires. Few of the T'Cleth even knew of the Z'Srek, a failed evolutionary branch that had died out long ago. The people were happy, they had colonised several nearby star-systems and the local area of space was at peace.
But the funny thing about time, something the T'Cleth were blissfully ignorant of, was that they had caused a great change in the fabric of time and with cause there are always effects, checks & balances, yin & yang.
From this explosion in time there spread ripples like those upon the surface of a pond. Unlike the ripples on a pond these did not necessarily weaken as they moved away from their source ... they changed. Whilst some died others grew stronger and their effects varied wildly. A particularly interesting one was that upon the planet Terkan, still in the Lesser Megallanic Cloud and some 140 light years from the centre of the explosion, which from an inhospitable and almost uninhabited character suddenly became host to a highly successful and staggeringly violent race of warrior creatures. But that's another story, though one the T'Cleth came to regret, a thousand or so years later ... well, for a short while anyway.
The ripples, travelling at many, many times the speed of light hit our galaxy and, nearly 150 thousand Earth years later washed over our home planet. Some 200 years later a series of smaller ripples, covering a period of several hundred years, washed over the western spiral arm of our galaxy. Their effects were scarcely noticeable.
Captains Personal Log, Stardate: 51005.33 2
"Following our victory over the Borg in the 21st century and our successful return to our own time, the Enterprise NCC 1701-E has been refitted. We again have our full complement of staff, lifepods, quantum torpedoes etc. and most Borg modifications have been replaced. Some of them proved too difficult to replace and remain part of the ship. I am not happy about this but Starfleet Command felt that the additional cost incurred in hunting out and replacing every single piece of Borg modified equipment would be unjustifiable. I have assigned two senior engineers to continue the program under Geordie LaForge's command with some success but I suspect that we will never find it all.
"The Enterprise's mission ... to continue exploration of the Vasseni sector near the Romulan Neutral Zone. 12 hours out of dock, nothing unusual to report. The newer members of the crew are, with a few exceptions, integrating well.
In three weeks time we are due at the Federation Space Station DS9. Mr. Worf, following an extended period of leave on the Earth & the Klingon homeworld, has been seconded to the crew as Snr. Weapons Officer. He will disembark at DS9 upon our arrival there.
"My New Year Resolution? To keep my ship & my crew out of trouble!"
"... one Major G. F Stoneham .... did wilfully & maliciously cause damage to ship's equipment ....
Stoneham stood to attention as the charges were read out against him. "Blah, blah, blah .... " he thought, "Do they ever stop to consider my record? Do they ever consider the number of times I have saved this ship from disaster? How long have I been a Captain, well Major, on this ship? OK, So I'm a small cog in very big wheel but I'm an important one ... that LaForge ... that LaForge isn't as clever as they think he is, dammit!!! Half the ideas he ever has are mine! It so ... it's so ... insulting .... "
".... will you accept my punishment?"
"Sir! Yes Sir!"
"Very well! Major Stoneham you are hereby docked 2 weeks salary and demoted to Lieutenant"
"Sir! Yes Sir! Thank You Sir!"
"Bastard!" Stoneham thought!
Captains Personal Log, Stardate: 51041.5
"At 0616 hours this morning the Enterprise moved to investigate a weak but significant energy signal some 4 light years away.
"We have been standing off one AU from an anomaly which our sensors indicate is an energy field of unknown type some 15,000 kilometres diameter & growing. We have launched two probes so far: the first moved to within 10,000 kilometres and returned successfully, the second moved to 500 kilometres before losing power and being lost within it. There appears to be a energy/gravitational boundary at some 900 kilometres ... outside of this it seems we are safe enough.
"The Enterprise is currently moving to 20,000 kilometres and shuttle Einstein (commanded by Lieutenant G. F. Stoneham) is being readied launch. They have been briefed and understand they are to go no closer than 2,000 kilometres".
"Shuttle Einstein approaching anomaly Sir" said Data, "... 3,000 kilometres ... 2750 ... 2500 .... 2250 .... 2000. Shuttle Einstein holding steady at 2,000 kilometres"
"Begin analysis" ordered Picard
"Aye Sir"
Tense silence reigned over the bridge as the shuttle crew began their work. The next hour or so was fairly uneventful.
Lieutenant Commander Data turned from his console and addressed Captain Picard. "Lieutenant Stoneham is requesting permission to proceed with transporter sampling"
"Make it so" responds Picard
"Sir" said Data his outward clam belying the gravity of the situation, "Einstein is being buffeted by a series of gravitronic waves. She is unable to pull away from the anomaly .... her shields are collapsing ... "
Picard's eyes flickered with alarm, "Explain"
"Insufficient data Sir! The shuttle is losing position ... it is now 1810 kilometres from the anomaly"
"Life support?"
"Unknown Sir! 1710 kilometres"
Picard turned to Riker & Worf "Suggestions?"
"Other than pursue Sir, none!" came from Riker,
"No Sir" said Worf.
"1450 kilometres"
Picard turned back to Data "Set a course to intercept"
"Laid in Sir! 1290 kilometres"
"Proceed ... full impulse"
The Enterprise accelerated rapidly towards the shuttle.
"Transporter room ... lock onto shuttle Einstein's crew and beam them out on my mark ....." ordered Picard
"910 kilometres, 650 kilometres apart" said Data. "690 kilometres, 550 kilometres apart .... 450 kilometres, 450 kilometres apart .... "
"Mark!"
Suddenly the lights on the Bridge flicker and Picard got a distinct sense of being ripped painlessly apart ... it passed a few seconds later.
"Sir we are experiencing difficulty in pulling away ... our shields are failing" said Data.
"Warp Engines?" queried Picard.
"Negative Sir, the Warp Engines are offline"
Without warning all systems failed and the red emergency lighting is activated. Picard grabbed at his chair as he felt himself drifting away from it, he looked to his left to see Deanna Troi struggling a few centimetres off the bridge floor.
He turned to Data who, by judicious use of a leg wrapped around the base of his chair, sat at his console rapidly accessing ship's systems in the hope of restoring power. "Mr. Data?"
"All ship's systems with the exception of emergency power seem to have died Sir".
"Your estimate"
"At present Sir, I do not believe we can reactivate the ship's system's before we enter the anomaly"
"Keep trying Mr. Data." Said Picard in a resigned voice.
Shuttle Einstein, followed closely by the Enterprise tumbled helplessly towards and into the anomaly.
Captains Personal Log, Stardate: 51041.75
"Following a failed rescue attempt on shuttle Einstein the Enterprise has, by means of an anomaly, entered into an alternate region of space that is hard to describe. For lack of a better name we've termed it Red-Space ... obviously it is red, but of various shades, changing rapidly with almost liquid characteristics. Although things seem relatively normal within the ship this region of space does not seem to be, well, normal. This place is not normal space but we have yet to ascertain exactly what and where this "place" is.
"All ship's systems, including warp engines, recovered as soon as we entered this space and and, after some initial difficulties, communication has been established with shuttle Einstein. Their crew is shaken up but reasonably OK. Although the warp engines are functioning, warp drive is not and cautious experimentation has demonstrated that the slightest application of impulse drive moves us at hyper-light velocities. We are advancing towards the shuttle on very low, very short bursts from docking thrusters.
"We have no explanation, as yet, for what happened at the anomaly. In both ships it seemed to be linked to our use of transporters but in what way we have yet to work out."
"Sir?" said Data, "I am picking up a high energy source ahead of the shuttle"
"Main Viewer" said Picard.
The main view screen came to life revealing shuttle Einstein against a red mottled background. Suddenly ahead of her a high intensity blue light began to build.
"Einstein" shouted Picard as he leapt up, "Full reverse ...." but it is too late ... Einstein has disappeared.
Picard fell back into his chair, "Data? What happened?"
"Analysing sir ... "
Moments later ....
"Sir," said Data "I have been replaying the event at an increased sampling frequency .. "
"You slowed it down," said Picard, a sardonic smile played on his lips.
"Of course Sir," responded Data seriously.
"And?"
"Careful analysis reveals the light & energy source to be some form of doorway initiated by the machine" Data indicated a strange device constructed of three struts within the light.
Picard was curious now, "To where would this doorway lead?"
"Back to normal space Sir!" stated Data.
"And can we ...?"
"Duplicate it? The struts appear to be constructed of a rare isotope known as Quantium-40 but with fine tuning of some of the replicators, yes Sir, I believe we can!"
"Please proceed Mr. Data. Work with Lt Commander La Forge."
Captains Personal Log, Stardate: 51041.75
"Lieutenant Commander's Data and LaForge have worked through the night to construct a "controller"/"initiator" device for this hypothetical "doorway". The mechanism was constructed using the ship's replicators. For several hours there was significant strain on ship's power resources whilst constructing the huge amounts of quantium 40 required. They have linked the device to the ships computer and the deflector dish through which the required waveforms will be emitted.
Following a series of simulated tests the DQ40 device was activated and the now familiar intense blue light appeared enabling the Enterprise to return to normal space. Warp drive came online as soon as we re-entered normal space. We still do not know where we are (our databanks have no information about this area of space) and we're beaming out standard Federation requests for assistance. As yet have received no response.
Data has scanned the area and located the shuttle. It seems communications are out on the shuttle and the Enterprise is headed toward it at a quarter impulse due to the large number of asteroids in the area.
All indications are that there was once a planet here which, sometime within the past year or so, suffered total destruction. The asteroids are the remains of this disaster. Lt. Commander Data has also detected the remains of huge creatures drifting within the asteroid field. There are three or four major forms, the largest being nearly 2 kilometres across, and all, without exception, look like huge deadly spiders. There is a smaller "crab-like" form ... Borg excepted, they look like something out of my worst nightmares. All appear to be dead.
"Sir", said Data, "We are approaching the shuttle but there are no life-signs aboard. Further, our readings indicate that one of the larger creatures, about 1000 metres, has attached itself to the ship."
The Enterprise slowed to a stop as it pulled alongside shuttle Einstein. Two of the creatures' tentacles were wrapped around the shuttle as if it were trying to strangle the life out of it. Picard authorised use of tractor beams to wrest the shuttle from the creatures' grasp but the creature was simply pulled along with it. Even the use of pressors in conjunction with tractors was unsuccessful.
"A suggestion Sir? We'll want to analyse the creature anyway," said Riker, "So why don't we pull the shuttle in to the aft shuttlebay, the creature along with it, and we'll examine both in the bay?"
For a moment Picard looked horrified but then replied, "But the creature is far to big to fit in the launch bay."
"True, but we can anchor the two tentacles attached to Einstein there and set up an atmosphere impermeable field across the launch bay airlock so that people can work"
Picard considered this for a moment, "Very well, but everyone must wear exterior suits when working near it. Make it so Number 1"
Captains Personal Log, Stardate: 51041.87
"Shuttle Einstein has been recovered undamaged but of its crew, only Lieutenant Stoneham has survived. He was transferred to sickbay where he has since recovered consciousness. An hour ago, at Dr. Crusher's request, I visited sickbay to see the three dead crew. The look of terror on the pale, bloodless, faces defies description. Stoneham has returned to light duty and I have agreed to his request that he be involved in the analysis of the creature.
"The creature, if that is what it is, is now secured by two of its 'tentacles' to the Enterprises and analysis continues during most of the ship's waking hours. As reported earlier the ship is black and spider-like but the blackness varies in tone. The creatures' dimensions are incredible ... its larger tentacles are 350 metres long ... and the creature has a total span of 900 metres, maybe more! The creature's tentacles are longer than the aft shuttlebay but, possibly because it is dead or unconscious, the tentacles proved to be remarkably flexible.
Closer examination has revealed vague lifesign's in the creature and a stronger, humanoid, one towards its centre. At one point the humanoid lifesign appeared to be fading and Dr. Crusher had it beamed straight to sickbay. Following this the creatures own lifesign's decreased significantly.
"Dr. Crusher has reported that the humanoid is 100% genetically human and is presumed to be of terrestrial origin. She is female with good physical structure, though slightly wasted, and has a bio-organic implant on either side of her face. This has fuelled speculation that the creature is a form of organic ship with a highly integrated, living, pilot.
Stoneham had had a restless night. Nightmares again, but through them, he'd heard a voice calling. Dimly, he was aware that the voice was of the ship trapped in the shuttlebay.
He wasn't sure how but, within minutes, he'd found himself at the doors of the aft shuttlebay. The guards had challenged him but he had mumbled an excuse which, it seemed was good enough ... he was a member of the analysis team so the guards had let him through anyway. One guard escorted, the other remained on the inside of the doorway.
It was ship night so no one else was around. He looked around ... the creature seemed to be everywhere, its tentacles wrapped around the edges of the bay. Followed by the guard he'd wandered over to the ship. He reached out to it ... it was warm, soft. He could feel it as the living pulse quickened within it, the voice in his mind had whispered soft encouraging words. The ship talked to him almost lovingly as he'd walked further out into the launch bay and closer to the ships' bodymass. In the background, he could hear the guards' voice, with a note of rising alarm, as it called distantly to him. He had almost reached the ships' centre, the body mass huge ahead of him just outside the containment field ... a door had opened ahead of him, black, warm and inviting.
He had stepped in and, as the ship flooded into his mind, the guards collapsed in agony behind him.
Pain.
More pain than he could ever have imagined possible.
He screams. The universe opens up around him. He can feel that he is trapped ... it hurts. He jerks his leg away in an attempt to free himself. The pain increases and he screams again.
Riker was working quietly on the Bridge, collating some reports. Without warning Troi screamed and collapsed ... seconds later the Enterprise shuddered as if it had been kicked.
Riker, halfway towards Troi, looked up in alarm, "What the hell was that Mr. Data?"
"Sir, the alien ship is trying to break free. Tractor power is down 18%"
"Increase power to the tractors, red alert" Riker turned to the nearest communicator, "Red Alert. Captain Picard/Dr. Crusher to the bridge please!"
Riker bends over Troi and noted, almost dispassionately, the blood that seeped around the edges of her eyes. Red Alert sounded and the Enterprises shields began to build to full strength.
He can't free himself and the pain is getting worse. He looks down and can see two of his legs trapped by a small object shaped like an elongated disc with three attached cylindrical sections. He senses life aboard it and dimly recognises that it is a ship ... a ship he knows.
Again he jerks his legs away. The pain is unbearable and still he is trapped. He slashes down with his hands at the ship and is burnt as his hands are forced away again. He pulls out his phaser and, in desperation, slashes down at his trapped legs. He is free.
He screams and springs away.
"Status Mr. Riker?" said Picard resuming the command chair as Beverly Crusher supervises two medical orderly's removing Deanna Troi's limp form from the Bridge.
"The alien ship tried to break free, couldn't and cut itself free from the legs we had pinned in the aft shuttlebay. It is moving away extremely fast ... we estimate at around half impulse! We are pursuing!"
"Are we matching its speed?" asked Picard.
"No Sir, currently we are moving at around a third impulse". Riker stops for a moment then muses, "But for the asteroids we could easily outpace her but the alien ship seems to have incredibly tight control over its flight path ... it's moving like an animal"
"Do we know why it reactivated so suddenly?" queried Picard
"As yet, no Sir! Two security guards were found dead in Shuttle Launch Bay 2 and the computer reports that Lieutenant Stoneham is no longer on board"
"We're leaving the asteroid field Sir," says Data.
"Mr. Data, plot a course to intercept, increase speed to three quarter impulse"
"Course computed and laid in Sir." Responds Data.
"Engage"
"Aye Sir!"
Free now he begins to take notice of his surroundings. He knows he serves his masters but also that he has had no instructions from them for a long time. The pain comes in waves, always there, but washing over him in huge waves. No matter ... the masters will heal his pain if he carries out his mission as instructed.
His mission he muses ... fade in, destroy, fade out, go elsewhere but far away from where he was, fade in .... Why he did not know but he knew the masters did ... if only they would stop the pain!
He turns, looks over his shoulder and notices the strange ship moving towards him, he jumps away again but it continues after him closing all the time.
He is surprised ... this ship is smaller than he is, how can it possibly harm him? It keeps on coming ... very well ... he must fight! He jumps again but this time towards the other ship. .
The Klaxon's sounded all over the ship as the alien ship closed rapidly.
"Shields at Full power Captain. Phasers armed and ready."
"Open up a channel Mr. Data" Picard waits a second then says "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. We are engaged on a mission of peace we mean you no .... "
The Enterprise gave a huge shudder as a bright violet beam of light streaked from the enemy ship to claw at the Enterprises shields. Picard grabbed at a console as Data reported, "Shields at 87% Captain ... 84% ... "
Picard resumed his command chair "Fire at will Mr. Data. Load aft torpedo tubes, fire on my mark!"
As the alien ship shot across the starboard side of the Enterprise, violet beams still clawing at her port shields, the Enterprise's forward phaser strip activated and several bright white beams leapt from the ship. Despite the alien ship's speed and manoeuvrability each phaser beam scored a direct hit on the alien ship's central body mass ... it swerved away behind the Enterprise.
"Port shield is showing signs of strain Sir, another hit like that and it could collapse" said Data.
"30 degrees starboard Mr. Data ... protect that shield," said Picard, "Ready aft tubes, 2 quantum's ... mark!"
2 projectiles, glowing like miniature stars launched from the rear of the ship and accelerated after the wildly veering alien. Both impacted the ship simultaneously, exploded in a white light momentarily brighter than the sun. The alien, remarkably still in one piece, tumbled away from the explosion, regained control & disappeared.
For what seems like the millionth time he screams in pain ... unbearable pain was bad enough but this was worse! The masters had told him that nothing could hurt him, wasn't he a first line ship of their fleet? Yet here was a ship, admittedly like no other he had ever seen that had hurt him ... bad!
Dimly, in another part of his vast consciousness, he seems to recall that the ship was not an aggressor. He pushes the nagging thought away ... the masters did not allow their fleets to think this way!
He knows he is hurt ... his stomach has been ripped open and his guts are bulging, almost bubbling, outwards into space. His muscles are aching, he cannot move as fast as he would like ... it hurts too much!
He feels for the walls of this space, aligns himself with them and slides through into mottled redness. Instinctively he knows he should fight but he is hurt, scared and alone ... he runs.
"Direct hit to creature, both torpedoes. It is retreating... sorry Sir, it's gone!"
Picard glances round sharply, "Gone Mr. Data? Explain!"
"It appeared to shimmer then phased out!" said Data with no emotion.
"Where Mr. Data?"
"Into Red-Space, I believe Sir!"
"Can we pursue?" queries Picard.
"Yes Sir! The DQ40 device creates a 'doorway' into and out of that space no matter which space we are in"
"Make it so Mr. Data"
In front of the Enterprise a light sprung into being ... Picard was momentarily surprised, he had expected blue but this one was yellow. It rapidly expanded into a doorway beyond which the red murkiness of the other-space could be seen. The ship moved forward into Red-Space and the doorway collapsed behind her.
"Full sensor sweep Mr. Data. Find that ship"
"Acquired, 40,000 kilometres distant, moving at 0.5c and accelerating, bearing mark 270 Sir."
"Lay in intercept course and engage Mr. Data, maximum impulse"
"Aye Sir"
At nearly 0.25c the Enterprise flashed up to the black, mottled alien ship.
He looks behind him just in time to see the strange ship closing.
Briefly he considers not running, then he screams once again and slashes at it. The ship slashes back. He notes dispassionately that two more of his legs have been slashed away and are drifting into red distance.
Again the ship strikes out. More pain. Five beams lick out from the ship and slash across him. He has time for one final scream of agony, rage and frustration before death envelops him.
Picard stared morosely at the main view screen as pieces of the alien ship drift slowly away.
"Cancel Red Alert Number One."
"Aye Sir."
Captains Personal Log, Stardate: 51044
"... following which I ordered the wreckage searched for survivors. One corpse was discovered (Lieutenant Stoneham) quite how he got there we don't know. Dr. Crusher could discover no signs of implants but was able to detect damage to his head in similar areas ... she has suggested that the implants facilitate ship to pilot communication but are not essential. No other evidence of damage was found on the body but, as before (perhaps even more so), the look of pain and terror on the face were indescribable.
"Deanna Troi has recovered with no apparent ill effects, following recent experiences she has been ordered to R&R for a minimum of 24 hours.
"Warp drive has again ceased to function leaving us with a top speed of around .25c. However when we dropped back to normal space we found that it was again working. Although we believe Red-Space travel to be slower when we dropped back we appeared to have gone a great deal further than we expected, several thousand times as far in fact. Red-Space seems to be a method of travel close to, if not the equivalent of, Warp drive. The two forms of high-speed drive seem to be incompatible and, as a matter of personal preference, we are proceeding in Warp rather than Red-Space.
"Our destination is, as near as we can ascertain, Earth.
Stardate 51052.51 (some 84 hours later) ...
"Sir?" said Data.
"Yes Mr. Data?"
"I am picking up energy readings equivalent to a 'doorway'"
"Alter course to investigate"
"Done Sir, readings are fading Captain."
"Continue on present heading, slow to warp 2"
"Sir, scanners are picking up another three strutted device similar to that which apparently activated the 'doorway' three days ago. There appears to be a planet nearby and a number of ships in the vicinity. It is impossible to tell what kind of ships we are scanning."
"Options Number One?"
"Continue on to Earth or switch back to normal space and investigate, Sir" said Riker.
"The first is appealing but we remain unsure that this course will really take us to Earth. On the other hand I do not want to provoke an incident like the last time!" mused Picard.
"No sir!"
Picard considered the options for a few moments then ...
"Mr. Data. Drop us down to a quarter impulse"
"Aye Sir!"
In the local area of space the Enterprise seemed to appear from nowhere. Small vessels scurried to move away from her.
Ahead of them there lay an Earth-sized planet. Several ten's of thousand's of kilometres above it, in the planets shadow, was a huge, cylindrical vessel with 6 squarish tail fins sticking high & low towards one end. Lit in vari-coloured lights from one end to the other, it couldn't be described as beautiful, but it did have a certain ... impressive presence! The vessel was over 8 kilometres in length and several, much, smaller ships seemed to be waiting to dock with it. Along side it were two fish-like ships, each over twice the size of the Enterprise.
As Picard turned to Riker to speak the communicator burst into life. "This is Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5, Susan Ivanova commanding, to unknown vessel ... please identify yourself"
1 "Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Part 1" – Douglas Adams
2 Stardates calculated using Bob Zormeir Stardate Calculator
"Chapter 2: Another Time, Another Place"
"Enterprise in Babylon: Rules, Guidelines & Submissions"
"The Enterprise In Babylon"