STAR TREK
STRANGE NEW WORLD

Based on 'Star Trek' 
created by Gene Roddenberry

STARRING

Evangeline Lilly as COMMANDER MYRA SHAW

Jai Courtney as LT. COMMANDER CARL KELHAM

Jack Harrer as LT. FINLEY McKENCHIE

Marc Ruffalo as LT. PERRY ALLEN (R.N.)

Temuera Morrison as COMMANDER ALDRED 

WITH 

Cobie Smulders as COMMANDER T'MUR

SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY

Anthony Montgomery as CAPTAIN TRAVIS MAYWEATHER

“Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan fiction is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made piece of fiction intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.”

Copyright (c) 2020

Produced by Sojournerverse Productions

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2x04 - "When We Rise" [Part 1]

Written By Alex Matthews

Camp Ascendant is slowly picking up the pieces after the attack by time-displaced Tholian forces that they were only barely able to hold off. Mostly due to luck, more then anything else. 
Commander Myra Shaw has ordered Lieutenant McKenchie and Commander T'Mur to organize reconnaissance missions using the few remaining flight-worthy shuttles in order to keep an eye out for possible Tholian incursions. 
Nurse Perry Allen tends to the wounded from the battle, his meagre medical staff comprised of only a few other nurses and medical technicians, supplemented by science staff doing what they can to keep the dozens hurt comfortable. 
Commander Carl Kelham does what he can to repair things, but it is a loosing battle. The hydroponics garden that was put together and finally baring fruit is now a lost cause - meaning they'll be stuck on emergency rations for longer then they hoped. Shaw has already put together plans to organize scouting groups to look for sources of food, which Kelham quips should just be called 'hunting parties'. 
But despite everything, life at Camp Ascendant goes on...

*             *             *

Commander Aldred continues working on the Tholian data-core extracted from the ship that was at the heart of a meteor that crashed to the planet surface. He has also organized his science teams to double-down on their own investigation into the unusual quantum/temporal energy field that surrounds the planet, having them accompany the recon flights. 
His work is going slowly, and hits another dead end when, during another attempt to cross-connect the Tholian core with Federation tech, he briefly overloads the interface port of the escape-pod computer he is using. 
The overload causes a power surge across the whole of the entire hodge-podge power network they've set up in what survived of the camp set-up. It also sparks as a small fire in the medical area, which is quickly snuffed out with a minimum of damage to personnel and equipment. Alred, however, is left embarrassed and annoyed at his continued failure to deliver any usable information from the data-core. 

*             *             *

Kelham, sporting a couple of severe first-degree burns, pays a visit to the communication beacon that was set up, running a standard diagnostic, having received a report there were some issues after the power surge. 
Since his patient wont come to him, Perry instead tracks him down at the beacon site. The acting CMO is more then a little annoyed that he is having to chase after Kelham to render aid. Everyone is a little frazzled and stretched thin after what happened. The engineer apologizes but he felt like his own injuries were insignificant to everyone elses, an attitude Perry doesn't take kindly too, especially given how there are quite a few people pulling the same attitude.
Kelham checks the comm logs, before performing a routine purge of the data buffer, clearing it of random background EM signals. But the simple task is quickly halted when Kelham realizes one of the signals isn't random - it's a reply!

*             *             *

Aldred is more then a little surprised to confirm Kelham's discovery, while everyone else wants to celebrate, but both T'Mur and Shaw quickly remind everyone that they're not home free yet. 
Aldred discovers that the signal was  buried deep within the lower subspace bands, hence whey it didn't register as a reply straight away. He managed to clean up some of the garbled signal, but not much - it's badly degraded. All they can get clearly is the name 'Horizon'. T'Mur recognizes the name as another Sovereign-class vessel, but is perturbed. The Horizon is supposed to be on a deep-space mission of their own, but on the far side of the Federation. 
Aldred and Kelham study it further, confirming it is a Federation carrier wave, but the frequency is somewhat outdated and basic. This could be due to the quantum field interfering with the signal, so the Horizon crew tried to modulate the signal in order for it to pierce the interference. However, they cannot seem to establish a solid connection, even by matching the frequency, as the barrier is still interfering just enough to prevent them opening two-way live communication.
Either way, it gives hope to the crew someone has heard them, and maybe be on their way to render aid and rescue. 

*             *             *

While going over some rebuilding plans in the Cornwell alone, Shaw is surprised by Kelham, taking her in an embrace. She enjoys it for a brief moment, but pulls back from going too far much to his surprise. She tries to wave it off as having to be solid and in control while she is in charge, at least until if or when they do get rescued. However, he sees right through her excuses and calls her bluff.
Shaw finally admits she got scared at the idea of loosing him, first when he almost died fixing the shield, then again when he rushed head-long into the fire in the medical area. With everything going on, she's afraid of loosing focus by becoming too emotionally attached to him and feels it would be best if they just slowed things down again. 
Kelham is hurt and confused. He doesn't agree with her reasons at all. In fact, he believes the exact opposite - that they have no idea what could happen next, and shouldn't waste a single moment. However, he does not want to push her if she's not ready, simply leaving her be willing to let her to work it out on her own time. With a parting, sweet and chaste kiss, he exits the Cornwell, leaving a very confused Shaw alone once again...

*             *             *

With everything under control in the medical ward, and having been convinced he needs to take a break by his staff, Allen joins Lieutenant Finley McKenchie on the Shuttlecraft Bridger to partake in one of the recon flights. The couple, having not had the opportunity to spend much time together with everything going on, enjoy the 'alone time' this affords them, away from the hustle and bustle of Camp Ascendant. 
A brief romantic moment the two share is ruined, however, when the sensors of the Bridger pick up some strange readings in upper orbit. They change course to take a closer look, with McKenchie increasing speed so they get there as quickly as possible.

*             *             *

Shaw, T'Mur, Kelham and Aldred listen anxiously as the Bridger reports in, having discovered the formation of a quantum aperture within the field - just like the Tholian forces used previously to penetrate the barrier. 
However, their scans are inconclusive as to whether anything is coming or has already come through. Shaw orders them to get as close as possible, while several more shuttles are prepped for launch to form a defensive line. T'Mur gently reminds her that they only have made minimal repairs to the Borg weapons systems on the shuttles, which Shaw acknowledges, but feels it is better for morale to be doing something then simply waiting. 
Kelham points out that it could be help coming through, though neither Shaw or T'Mur are particularly hopeful to the idea...

*             *             *

The Bridger bucks hard from the sheer amount of radiation and raw energy coming of the aperture in waves. The radiation levels are almost too high for the shuttle's shields to hold back, without some creative power redistribution by McKenchie. They are joined by Shaw and Kelham on the Morrow, where they coordinate a more detailed scan of the aperture and surrounding area. 
Allen, reading the sensors, realizes he's picking up some kind of mass within the quantum field several hundred kilometers away from the aperture. However, he can't get a clear enough read, just that it's big, but clouded by some kind of energy aura. While the Morrow stays on station, McKenchie does the Bridger through a series of manuevers to try and allow Allen to get better readings--
--only for McKenchie to have to pull off some very fancy flying as the proximity alarms start blaring, as they very nearly collide with some kind of spacecraft that bursts free of the energy aura at tremendous velocity! 

*             *             *

After making sure her people are in one piece, Shaw orders them all on a pursuit course, worried this could be some kind of attack. 
However, as the Bridger and Morrow chase after the craft, as the aura around it fades away, Shaw is stunned to receive scans that suggest that the out-of-control craft has active bio-signs within it.
Humanoid bio-signs...

*             *             *

Working together, the Bridger and Morrow combine their tractor beams to slow and finally halt the spacecraft's crash-descent trajectory. It's too close a call, with both shuttles' systems pushed to their breaking points, too much for Kelham's liking. 
As the shuttles slowly readjust their positions, Shaw notes that the tractor beams have had the unintended action of clearing away the visible spectrum of the energy aura around the craft. Both she and Kelham are stunned to recognize the craft as a late 22nd century model of Starfleet shuttlepod!
Allen, concerned with the status of the life-signs within the shuttlepod, asks for permission to render aid. With the energy aura preventing transporter usage, Shaw has McKenchie plot a course for a nearby area to deposit the shuttlepod before they render aid on the ground. As the Bridger heads off with the shuttle pod in tow, Shaw sets a course back to the mass from which the shuttlepod originated, determined to get some answers...

*             *             *

Shaw and Kelham perform intensive scans on the mass within the quantum field, which appears to be a starship, albeit a small one. It is swimming in energetic particles pulled through from the aperture, meaning neither of them can clearly make it out due to anti-tachyons that envelop it.
Trying to read through the interference as best he can, Kelham is mystified when the computer confirms the hull is made of Federation ship-building materials, and has a warp signature, although heavily distorted and ionized, that is recognizably Federation-style. 
There are some unusual discrepancies, that Kelham reasons could be a result of passing through the aperture, but Shaw is confused. Given the general size and mass readings she is able to gather, this is most definitely not be the Sovereign-class USS Horizon, as it is far too small.
On a hunch, Kelham begins to reconfigure his console, masking the interference on the Morrow's visual sensors by using an attenuated wide-field tractor beam as a kind of filter. He is pleased when it works, but both he and Shaw are startled when they realize the ship within the mass is a Daedalus-class starship! 

*             *             *

Having landed both the shuttlepod and the Bridger, McKenchie can't help but appreciate the simple beauty of the craft. Despite the design, it appears almost brand-new, with his tricorder scans confirming it. Allen waits impatiently as McKenchie figures out how to open the exterior hatch. According to his medical scans, while the aura around the craft has no harmful properties, he isn't liking the readings he's getting from the life-signs inside.
Finally, McKenchie gets the hatch to grudginly open, finding the iuterior even more cramped and dark then he expected. All three occupants are wearing bulky and outdated environmental suits, but lacking the helmets. The suits have on them an older version of both the Federation symbol and Starfleet insignia. 
All three, two human men and a Vulcan woman, are unconscious and unresponsive, but as Allen checks for physical injuries, both he and McKenchie can't help but feel that there is something passingly familiar about the Vulcan. However, their curiosity is pushed to the side as they carefully extricate their patients from the small craft to better treat them once Allen confirms it is safe to do so..

*             *             *

Getting over their shock, Kelham's scans show that the ship has taken quite a beating from traversing the aperture, with one of the nacelle's leaking warp plasma. The readings also suggest a reason as to why the ship has become 'stuck' within the lowest level of the quantum field. A closer scan indicates that the ship is using shield technology that seems to be of an antiquated Andorian design; the shield bubble has become suffused with antitachyons. Essentially, trapping them in place, like a mosquito in amber. 
Shaw manages to lock onto the ship's ident beacon, and cross-checks with the computer. The ship is indeed the U.S.S. Horizon, NCC-176. This may not be the rescue they hoped for. 
This is a ship out of time...

*             *             *

Allen does what he can to figure out what is wrong with his patients. All three have been exposed to heavy doses of chroniton radiation, and seem to be experiencing a kind of neural distress that has rendered them comatose.   
Meanwhile, McKenchie is growing more and more frustrated with why the woman looks so familiar to him. He runs a facial recognition scan on all three, and is stunned silent by the results.
According to the results, two of them are former crewmembers of the original Enterprise, the Earth Starfleet NX-class prototype! 
Not just any crew at that, he explains to a stunned Allen, as he points them out. One of the men is Travis Mayweather, the first human to pilot a Earth ship at Warp 5, while the Vulcan woman is T'Pol, the first Vulcan to join the Federation Starfleet!
But what the hell are they doing in the 24th century?!

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To Be Continued...

in

2x05: "When We Rise" [Part 2]