The Science Lab At The End Of The World

Posted on Fri May 27th, 2016 @ 8:31pm by Lieutenant Riley Sukotav & Ensign Kai Sarkozi & Lieutenant Tess Rutheridge & Ensign Reva Madhava & Ensign Ian Bren

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Future SB900 - 2390

* Galileo Science Center - 2390 *

... Lab Four

He only had a few minutes, of that he was sure. Everything around him, and including him, was frozen. It was a mixed blessing that his mind was still racing away, analyzing the situation. Time had broken down completely within these walls when the sphere had destabilized, that much Riley understood. He also understood that once he and the lab were gone, the effect would spread and the station would go, followed by Archadia. It would create a pocket where travel would be impossible, where anything would be impossible for a very long time to come.

He could see the center of the room had faded away now, as time ceased to exist there. He knew that the circular shock wave was expanding. It had been almost undetectably slow at first but as it spread outwards, it was picking up speed. The sphere sat in the center of the room, a faint blue glow encircling it. It was still active and would continue its destruction unless somehow the forcefields that had surrounded it could be re-initialized and the room sealed. As he examined the problem mentally, he ran over the calculations and the minute details as he was held suspended several inches above the floor. It would have to be done remotely and in a series of very specific steps. One wrong move and it was all over for the rest, as surely as it was already for him. He reached out mentally, searching for anyone near. It was some time, and that thought was certainly ironic, before he sensed others approaching, one in particular.

Reva.

He reached out, pushing at her, finally slipping into her thoughts. It was the work of an instant to pass along the steps they needed to take to stop the sphere before it did any more damage. It was too late for him but if they did exactly as he said, they might survive.

The wave was upon him and he could tell he was dissipating into oblivion.

I love you….

The wave crept through Riley and he was gone.

* Outside The Lab *

“No, nononono!” Reva cried. She stopped what she’d been doing and panted as grief raged through her. “Riley...,” tears welled in her eyes before she blinked them away and worked to get her emotions under control. She’d never had decent control over them before; now was no exception. She muttered, “Just a little longer... set the trap... stabilize the sphere... and Ian will make this right.” She set to work, incorporating Riley’s steps in with what she was already doing; re-routing the Station’s power to the Science Labs.

Kai rested her hands on Reva’s shoulders a moment, knowing there was nothing she could do but wanting to offer some comfort.

“Will someone have to go in?” she asked.

“Give me a minute; Riley gave me something to do.” Reva swiped at her eyes and kept working at the wiring and conduits. “He told me how to stop the sphere’s expansion. Plus, I can have this power routed in just another minute.”

Ian was working on a padd, making various calculations. He glanced at Reva and Kai and said, “Okay. When you’re ready, let me know. Tess, check over my calculations here?”

“Let’s see.” Tess said taking the padd from his hands. A simple gesture they’d done countless times in the past over some experiment. It would have normally come along with a joke or some witty remark about the news of the day in easier times. But, definitely, this wasn’t to be one of those days. “Everything seems right to me. As soon as Reva is over with providing power we start. We’ll have very little time and only one try…” He turned to Kai then, “Will you stand watch as we get the thing done, Kai?”

“Will do,” Kai answered. “This lab should be sealed off when we’re done.” Her arm band beeped and she glanced at it. “Sam. He said that a group of watchers is on its way.”

“I’ll seal it once you’re inside, Kai. Ian will need you to work the consoles. I’ll occupy the watchers,” Reva said. “Another few ...connections ...here and we’ll be good.”

Ian looked between Reva and Kai, realizing the sacrifice they were making. “Thanks, all of you. I’ll make sure this future doesn’t come about.”

“That’s why I’m doing this,” Reva reminded him. “And done...,” she glanced at the door of the lab as it opened. Inside, a blue glow briefly intensified then dimmed. “The sphere should be contained now,” she said. “Go on, you guys.” She turned away from the panel to look at them. She fluffed her hair slightly and pulled the zipper of her top lower, preparing for her encounter with the Krenim watchers.

“Bryce is one deck up.” Kai removed her pack and passed it to Reva. “Call him if you need him.” She looked to Tess and nodded. “Ready?”

“I am.” Tess replied making sure his tricorder was prepped up.

“No time like the present,” Ian pushed the door open and entered the lab. “All yours, Reva,” he said and smiled slightly at her.

Reva closed the door and sealed it then hurried away down the corridor to intercept the watchers.
“If she can’t stop them, we’ll have no more than ten minutes,” Kai informed the two men. She looked at the sphere, the blue glow around it entrancing. She could see the shock wave barely held in check by the containment field and the blank area of the lab. “That’s just crazy,” she murmured. “Such power…”

“Scary power,” Ian agreed. “And something we need to see about harnessing. That, added to what Reva has routed here. She sent it so that we can trigger the power surge when we’re ready.”

Tess plugged the tricorder in one of the remaining available stations and typed some commands on the terminal. “If we manage to channel the power from the starbase in pulses that should do the trick. We have to be very careful though… Too weak a pulse and we’ll lose control of the sphere with predictable consequences. Too much… And we’re history.”

“Eight minutes,” Kai informed them. She moved back by the sealed doors, her disruptor primed and ready in case the doors were breached.

“They’ll be enough, they have to be.” Tess responded checking the readings on the tricorder while his free hand hovered on the LCARS issuing the needed settings. “Reva’s done a hell of a good job. Energy levels are already close to critical values for the conduits, a real flood ongoing. I’m about to open the ‘valve’ Ian, ready to handle the first pulse?”

“Yes,” he nodded. In truth, he wasn’t quite sure of all this, but he, and the others here, didn’t have many other options. By his count, they didn’t have any other options. He nodded again. “Let’s go.” He watched as Tess opened the system, flooding the science lab with energy. “And here we go,” he whispered.

In a matter of seconds a score of indicators flashed their yellow warning from all stations and consoles as the energy level got several notches closer to critical condition and kept coming.

“Galileo’s surfeit.” Tess muttered to himself then addressed Ian. “Before I release the second pulse I’m gonna link the sphere to the projector. That same projector I’m aiming at you.” The whirr distracted Ian for a second as the heavy machinery attached to the ceiling rotated pointing its sparkly end to him. “I know what you’re thinking Ian... You could have stepped under it at the right time but I need you to work till last second before we send you back. I can’t handle all of this alone.” A slight grin appeared on Tess’ mouth. “Call me a slavedriver if that makes you feel better.”

“I'll wait till I'm back where I should be for that,” Ian grinned even as he rerouted parts of the power and made another last minute calculation. He glanced behind him at the projector and felt he was definitely under the gun. “Ready for the second pulse!”, he called.

“Two minutes!” Kai called out from her plate at one of the output monitors. “Gentlemen, we’re about to hit overload. Good luck Ian.”

Tess’ hands became even more frantic into delivering the needed inputs as the second pulse flooded conduits and circuitry. Now all the indicator had turned red flashing angrily their warning the reddish light reflecting on Tess’ ashen features.

“I’m readying the third pulse, Ian!” Tess cried out to overcome the noise of the alarms. “Already registering the quantum forming around the sphere. When I release the third pulse you’re good to go! I’ll activate the projector. Cross your fingers!”

At the same time an angry voice spoke from the intercom, the Krenim accent leaving no doubt on who was speaking.

=^= Perpetrators! Stop your activity and unseal the door of the labs. Surrender before we are forced to take heavier measures =^=

“Thanks!”, Ian shouted, ignoring the Krenim warning. “Let’s go, Tess!”, he added as Tess completed the final connection and opened the projector’s power. Ian screamed, more out of fear than pain, as a blinding light filled his senses. He went silent and was gone.

Outside the lab doors, Reva, who’d delayed the guards as long as possible, instinctively hit the deck as a blast ripped open the science lab’s doors in the beginning of a series of explosions that left the Station’s spot in space filled with debris.

*************
Lt. Riley Sukotav
Ensign Reva Madhava
Lt. Tess Rutheridge
Ensign Ian Bren
Ensign Kai Sarkozi