Chapter 7

        “Sir, incoming transmission from Danosm.”
        Johnson turned to look at the tactical station, expecting to see Bogarde standing there. The expectation was dispelled for a moment when he saw the wild-maned Barzan lieutenant standing behind the curved console.
        Lieutenant Hatari said, “It’s the away team, sir.” He looked back down at the tactical station.
        Johnson was already up and walking to his ready room. “I’ll take it in my ready room,” he said.
        He sat down at his desk and activated the monitor. He saw Fonda looking back at him. “Right on time,” he said. “What do you have to report?”
        “Mild progress,” she said. “It’s fairly difficult for them to teach us the entire mechanics of Omega reactor control. Their university students understand things better than we do. Doctor Joh seems to be grasping it better than I do. She said she has done similar work in the past.”
        “On the Omega molecule?”
        “Something similar. She didn’t really want to say more. Said she wanted to focus on the matter at hand.” Fonda shrugged.
        “Hm. Are you doing any good being there?”
        “I suppose so, in terms of being a fresh set of eyes. We’re looking at things a little differently. The Danosm seem dogmatic in their work. They’re slowly working their way backwards, where I’d probably start over at square one. I suppose we’re doing that for them. Oh! By the way, the doctor wants your permission to let the Danosm have a non-limited computer connection with the computer lab here at Arzamas.”
        “Why?”
        “She wants to download her program that’s currently running in Science Lab One,” Fonda explained. “The Danosm won’t allow us to take any information back up onto the ship- all work has to be done here.”
        “That’s right, Ironsides briefed me on that. If you think it’s safe enough to connect our computer to theirs, I’ll permit it.”
        “It should be fine. The Danosm are more worried about our computers affecting their computers’ performance. Apparently they don’t think too much of our computing technology. And rightly so, if you’ve seen what I’ve seen here.”
        Johnson rubbed his bristly hair, scratching at his scalp. “That reminds me, I’ll have to ask the ambassador to see about some sort of technology trade.”
        “I already mentioned it to Ambassador Favor. He’s already broached the subject, but I don’t think we have anything they want in exchange. Maybe the quantum slipstream technology.”
        Johnson heaved a sigh. “Eh, I don’t know...”
        Fonda nodded. “My reaction as well. I don’t know how Starfleet Brass will go for that. But if you asked me, that’s what they most likely would ask for. We don’t have much currency to barter with, compared to them.”
        “I’ll take it in consideration. Thank you for your thoughts. I’ll inform security to allow the Danosm to link to our computers. Report back in another hour.”
        “Yes, sir. Fonda out.”

        Fonda turned to look at Joh. “You should be able to access the science lab in a moment or two.”
        Joh, who was sitting at one of the tan computer stations that dotted the reactor monitor lab, nodded.
        Fonda walked over to her. “The captain asked me if I thought we were doing any good here. I said yes, but I’m not too entirely sure that we aren’t just spinning our wheels here. What do you think?”
        “I am not sure either,” Joh shrugged. “From a scientific viewpoint, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Omega mechanics. Whether or not we can provide any useful insights to this current problem remains to be seen. Ah, the computer has already begun downloading information from the Courageous.”
        “Allright.” Fonda leaned to look at the curved monitors on the computer. “Did you get anywhere?”
        “A moment please...” Joh tapped on the keypad console. The computer was configured so that she could operate the computer without possessing even the most basic of Danosm cybernetic enhancements; implants that every Danosm received as a child. “The download is complete.”
        Joh frowned as she stared at the monitors’ readouts. “I don’t... how can...” she murmured softly.
        “What is it?”
        “I’m afraid this was a waste of time,” Joh said. “The results that my program produced seem contrary to what we should be getting, from what I understand of the Danosm’s theories.”
        “What’s ‘wrong?’ What’s different?”
        “For one thing, the cycle Enfilar spoke to us of, is not evident in the equations. The computer calculated an entirely different set. But... not too dissimilar...”
        “Show me,” Fonda leaned on the edge of the computer console, peering at the monitors.
        Joh tapped a few keystrokes, and the crystalline ring from the initial demonstration appeared. It continued spinning, but it seemed slightly different. The previously empty gaps between segments of the ring were now filled in.
        “What’s different from last time?”
        “The data extrapolated by our computer isn’t paralleling the data that the Danosm are using. Here, let me show you.”
        A few keystrokes later, the graphic changed perspective. It rotated upwards on its Z-axis, now showing multiple layers of rings. The ring was not a ring, but a spiral instead.
        “The golden spiral,” Fonda murmured.
        “What did you say?”
        Fonda looked at the Bajoran scientist. “An element from Ancient Greek Mathematics on Earth. Given a certain set of numbers and equations, it produces a spiral, with the numbers increasing into infinity. I’m not saying that’s what we’re seeing here, but it does make sense. The Omega reactor is producing more and more energy, which is necessitating more energy shunting.”
        “Hm. It would appear that somewhere along the line, the cycle turned into a spiral,” Joh said. “We must share this with Enfilar now.”
        “I agree,” Fonda nodded. She stood up and called out, “Enfilar!”
        Enfilar stopped a discussion with another Danosm and walked to Fonda. “What is it, Commander Fonda?”
        “We want your opinion on this,” Fonda said.
        Enfilar looked at the computer. He laid his hand on an unused keypad console. The screen started flickering as numbers and strings moved across the monitors.
        “Hm. Unusual. These numbers are incorrect. You must have made an error. Understandable, however.”
        “Humor me,” said Fonda. “Instead of thinking we made the error, how about considering this as accurate, viable information?”
        “I’m sorry, but I must return to my work.”
        Joh looked up at Enfilar. “At least find the error in my work.”
        “I do not have the time to study your entire set of calculations.”
        Fonda shook her head. “Wait, you don’t have to. You’re linked to every other Danosm on this planet. Why don’t you divide the work up between the lot of you?”
        Enfilar made an annoyed gesture with his hands. “Out of deference to Chief Technologist Ristoul, I will honor your request. Please step away from the computer.”
        Joh stood up from the stool, and Enfilar sat down, laying both cybernetic implanted hands on the computer keypads. Fonda stood by, with her arms crossed, gazing at Enfilar.
        Several minutes passed before Enfilar moved. “Disconcerting. I have learned from several of my colleagues that they cannot find an error. I have a dozen more looking at your work.”
        Joh and Fonda exchanged glances.
        Finally, Enfilar spoke again. “I am at a loss. How did you come by this information?”
        “From scans during each Omega event we experienced,” Joh said.
        “That cannot be. That would indicate a different reaction occurring other than the one maintained in this reactor.”
        “Oh for...” Fonda rolled her eyes. “For a people that frequently share thoughts over a cynet link, you sure are close-minded! Maybe we’re looking at this too simplistically for you, but we’ve got to start somewhere, don’t we?”
        “What are you saying?” asked Enfilar.
        “Our data shows an increase in energy production. That would mean the reactor is producing more Omega energy. The only way that could be is by producing more Omega molecules. How many Omega molecules are in the heart of the reactor now?”
        “Why, four, of course,” answered Enfilar.
        Joh shook her head, picking up some of the irritation coming off Fonda. “The commander did not ask you how many should be contained in there. She asked how many are presently in the reactor, right now.”
        “Exactly!” Fonda gestured with her arm.
        Enfilar bowed his head, closing his eyes. He opened them and looked at the women. “I have sent a request for an analysis of the reactor’s containment center.” He moved his hands then looked at the computer monitors. One screen changed to show several multilayered Danosm graphics. Fonda and Joh recognized some atomic representations.
        “What does it say?” Fonda asked.
        “You are terribly correct,” Enfilar said at length. “The analysis shows there are currently six Omega molecules.”
        “Six?!?”
        “No...” Enfilar looked at the monitor. “Now seven! Another one has spontaneously formed!”
        Almost immediately, a deep rumbling vibrated throughout the laboratory.
        “What’s happening?” Joh asked, grabbing the computer station for support.
        “The seventh Omega molecule has released an enormous amount of energy, destabilizing two molecules! The computers that control the safety energy shunts are working to shunt the excess energy now,” Enfilar said. “Power batteries are now full! The computers are activating the spatial generators now?”
        A blinding light filled the reactor monitoring room. Fonda closed her eyes, then felt the familiar sickening sensation of a spatial wave passing through her. Through her eyelids, Fonda could tell the light faded. She opened her eyes, only to see everything vibrating tremendously.
        “Another earthquake!”
        Joh looked at Fonda. “The spatial waves must have caused the continental plates to shift even more.”
        Fonda tapped her combadge. “Courageous, emergency beam up!”
        Static answered her. Then it cleared up, “-ay Team, negative transporter lock. You’re too close to the reactor. Acknowledge.”
        “Acknowledged,” Fonda said. “We’re going to the surface.”
        “You better hurry,” the static tinged voice said. “The planetary survey team says every plate is shifting on that planet. You’re in extreme danger. We’re beginning evacuation procedures now. Bridge out.”
        Fonda looked at Enfilar. “Our ship is beginning evacuation procedures. We need to get everyone out of here, now!”
        “Wait,” Joh said. “If we leave the reactor, it’ll go into a meltdown. The result will be a massive tear in space-time.”
        “That’s right,” Fonda nodded. “Enfilar, you must have some kind of emergency procedure that will dissolve the atomic bonds of the Omega particles.”
        “Y-yes, but we’ve never...”
        “Well you’re going to, now!”
        The rumbling continued and now the floor beneath Fonda’s feet started rocking. Cracks began appearing in the floor and ceiling. “And hurry!” she said.
        Enfilar wobbled on the stool in front of the computer. “I must access...” His voice trailed off as he apparently was too deep in the computer system, working.
        Fonda looked at Joh, who was still leaning on the computer. “Let’s start helping the others evacuate this lab.”
        “I am stuck,” Joh said.
        “What?”
        “My hand apparently is bonded to the computer’s surface.”
        Fonda knelt down to look at Joh’s palm. She could see Joh’s skin stuck on the surface, as if her skin had melted then dried on top of the console.
        “Looks like your epidermis is bonded to the computer. Doesn’t look deep. Can you move your fingers?”
        “Yes. Apparently my nerves and muscles are fine.”
        “I’ll go and see if I can get a first aid kit...”
        “No,” Joh said. “There’s no time. Help me pull my hand off.”
        “But...”
        “I will be fine. Please, I do not want to die here.”
        Fonda heaved a shaky sigh, and grabbed Joh’s wrist with both hands. “On three,” she looked at Joh.
        The Bajoran nodded.
        “One... two... three!” Fonda yanked hard.
        “Ah!” Joh cut off shout in midstream.
        Fonda looked at Joh’s hand. Her palm was an dark red, like a deep sunburn. Blood seeped on top of her raw skin. “Can you make it?”
        “I’ve experienced worse,” Joh said through clenched teeth. “Let’s go.”
        Fonda turned to look at Enfilar. “Are you done yet?”
        “Yes, I believe so,” Enfilar said. “The process should take place in a few moments, if the technology hasn’t been damaged in the earthquakes. We must go.”
        “Yeah,” Fonda nodded. Joh leaned onto Fonda’s arm, cradling her bleeding hand at her side. A red stain began growing on her dress.
        The shaking got more violent and dust began falling from the ceiling. Loud cracking echoed throughout the chamber. Now pieces of the ceiling began crashing down onto the floor. It became harder to see because of the high amount of dust filling the reactor monitor room.
        “Run!” Fonda shouted in the dusty fog.
        Then the ceiling fell down.

        Hartman fell down off his bed, shocking himself awake. He rolled over onto his back and sat up, blinking at his boots. He stumbled to his feet, moving slowly, groaning. “Oh God, my head.”
        He leaned onto the bed then sat down, moaning some more. He brushed his matted hair back and scratched his head. Suddenly a light washed over the room as a spatial wave rushed through his quarters.
        Hartman fell backwards on his bed, losing his balance. An alarm began blaring over the shipwide comm system. The ship was now under red alert.
        “Sickbay to Hartman, you’re needed.”
        Hartman reached instinctively to tap his combadge on his chest, but found it wasn’t there. His overtunic wasn’t on. “I’m on my way. What’s going on?”
        “Evacuation procedures. The planet is having another massive earthquake.”
        “Thanks. Hartman out.” He stood up, looking around for the rest of his uniform. He spied the black overtunic crumpled up on the floor near the corner of his bed. He walked over, wincing as he bent down to pick it up. After standing up, he wobbled, trying to keep his balance.
        He opened up the uniform and felt it crinkle in his hands. “What the?” he muttered as he peered at the front of his uniform. A thin layer of crusty material lined the front of the overtunic. He held it close to his face and sniffed.
        “Gah!” His nose wrinkled at the smell. “Vomit. Why do I have vomit on my uniform? What did I do?” Those thoughts ran through his head. He peeled off his combadge from the uniform, with dried flakes of bile falling to the deck.
        Hartman went into the bathroom and ran water over the combadge, washing it in the sink, scraping off the crusting. He wiped it off on a nearby towel hanging on a rack, then affixed it to his blue undertunic. He turned to walk out of the bathroom, hitting a empty glass bottle. He looked down at the bottle as it skittered across the deck, hitting a wall.
        “Ed...” he growled at himself, “what are you... stop it. Stop it!” He gritted his teeth as he clenched his hands into tight fists. “You can’t do... God! What are you doing? What am I doing?”
        “Sickbay to Hartman. We’re bringing in casualties now. We need you,” the comm system announced.
        Hartman sighed heavily and tapped his combadge. “I’m on my way. Give me a status report.” He rubbed his temple as he left his quarters.

        “Another away team has been beamed aboard. Two directly to Sickbay,” Ironsides announced as he stood in his post at OPS.
        “Have we been able to contact Fonda or Joh?” asked Johnson.
        “Negative,” Ironsides replied. “Transporter room still can’t get a lock on them.”
        Johnson slammed his fist on the armrest of his seat. He looked at the viewscreen. The surface of the planet seemed to be alive. He could make out the fault lines that marked the edges of the continental plates.
        “Planetary Survey to Bridge,” the comm said.
        “Johnson here,” the captain thumbed at his armrest console. “Go ahead, Lieutenant Kianmoos.”
        “Based on the projections we’re making here in the lab, the Danosm planet is going through a couple million years’ worth of plate shifts,” Kianmoos’s voice said.
        “Looks like it to me,” Johnson said. “Opinion?”
        “We’ve never seen anything like this before, Captain. The only thing I can compare it to is what happened to the Genesis Planet in the 2300’s. That planet’s going to become uninhabitable in a matter of hours.”
        “Thank you, Lieutenant. Continue your monitorings of the situation. Bridge out.”
        Johnson turned to Ironsides. “Open a channel to Mal Osasol, to Ristoul.”
        “Channel open, audio only.”
        Johnson cleared his throat then glanced at the viewscreen. “Technologist Ristoul, my people have informed me that your planet is undergoing a massive upheaval, and it’ll become uninhabitable. I strongly urge you to evacuate your cities. I’m willing to assist in your evacuations.”
        Ristoul’s quaver voice filtered through the comm system. “My technologists have told me similar news. I have already put the word out. With the loss of our power reactor, it is difficult.”
        “If you can organize your people to go to broad flat spaces, away from buildings or mineral deposits, I can transport them up to my ship. We’ll also send shuttles down to the planet as well. Do you have any allies we can contact to bring more transportation, on your behalf?”
        “Unfortunately, we have little or no contact with the other beings in this sector of space, except for cargo traders. I have already put out messages to them. It remains to be seen whether they will come. We have several traders who are presently on the planet, as well as our own cargo ships. In the mean time, I will order the assembly of my people for ease of transport.”
        Johnson looked at Ironsides. “Put all transporter rooms on alert. Route extra power to transporters, bring all the cargo transporters online.”
        “Already done, sir. And all shuttlebays are prepping.”
        Johnson looked at his armrest. “Is there any more we can do?”
        “No. I have reviewed your evacuation protocols,” Ristoul said. “I am aware of what needs to be done.”
        Johnson snapped his head around to look at Ironsides.
        “They accessed our database again,” the major said. “Emergency protocols, everything.”
        Johnson turned and slumped in his seat, closing his eyes. “Good luck, Ristoul.”
        “Good-bye, Captain.” Static hissed as the connection ended. Johnson frowned, covering his face with his hand.
        “Captain, you know that we’re only able to hold up to 19,000 evacuees,” Ironsides said.
        “I know.”
        “And there’s two billion Danosm. And there’s no time-”
        “I know,” Johnson interrupted Ironsides. “I know. And Ristoul knows. Just focus on what we can do, Major.”

Chapter 8

        “Go! Go! Go!” Lieutenant Dawson shouted as he ran across the gleaming deck of Shuttlebay One, towards a waiting Runabout. He and two of his fellow Marines rushed inside the Fuji. Dawson slid into the pilot’s seat and ran his fingers across the helm with drill-honed skill. The Everest-class Runabout was already lifting off the ground before the portdoor was closed.
        “Fuji, you are clear to depart,” the voice of the Shuttlebay controller said, over the comm. Dawson took the Runabout out of the shuttlebay, falling in formation with several other shuttles that were leaving from the two other shuttlebays.
        He turned to the Marines behind him. “Clear out as much room in the back for the Danosm. Start transporting as soon as you get coordinates from the Bridge. And I want all doors open before we touch down.” Dawson turned back to look out the cockpit windows. He saw several cargo ships coming up out of the atmosphere. He glanced at the sensors.
        Several more Runabouts followed behind the Fuji. Then another wave of smaller craft- shuttles and shuttle pods started flying out of the shuttlebays.

        The transporter platform brightened then darkened as six orange-hued Danosm materialized into view. Several crewmen stepped up to the platform. “This way, please. Move along, please. Anyone need medical attention?”
        Within moments, the transporter room was clear, ready to transport another group of Danosm. A moment later, a fresh group of Danosm appeared aboard the Courageous.

        The Fuji, already holding four Danosm, rushed over the desert surface to a large sandy plain, near another of the Danosm’s cities. Hundreds of Danosm milled around. Family units huddled together, adults and children alike.
        In the distance, Dawson could see several toppled buildings in the city’s skyline. Buildings continued to sway as the planetwide earthquake continued unabated. Dawson glanced at the helm controls.
        “It’s going to be a rough landing,” he called out. The Runabout landed on the shaking ground. Dawson bounced around in his seat as the Runabout, for the lack of a better word, dropped down onto the ground. Since the ground was still quaking, Dawson continued bouncing around on his seat. He reached down below the seat to pull out a lap restraint belt, buckling himself into his seat.
        Hot desert air blew into the Runabout as the two Marines struggled to bring the waiting evacuees onboard. Dawson saw the same process being repeated across the plain as other Runabouts touched down. Small groups of Danosm disappeared in blue transporter beams as well.
        The lieutenant looked at the city. He blinked in surprise as he saw a tall building keel over, smashing into two smaller buildings. A section of the city appeared to rise up, growing taller. Dawson realized he was watching the beginnings of a mountain growing.
        A Danosm sat down in the seat next to Dawson. Then a Marine walked up to the cockpit, making his way through several Danosm. “Looey, we’re set to go.”
        “Are we fully loaded?” asked Dawson.
        “We’re packed. Life support’s going to be working overtime to keep the air recycled. And I am not going to clean out the waste removal system after we’re done.”
        Dawson gave a lopsided grin, but grew serious again. “Okay. Prep for liftoff, and go and check if anyone needs first aid.”
        “Yes, sir.” The Marine paused, looking out the cockpit windows. “Why are they just standing there?”
        Dawson looked out at what the Marine was seeing. A small group of Danosm stood a short distance away from the evacuation area. They seemed to be holding their hands up at the evacuees and the departing Runabouts.
        “I’d imagine they’re the ones who aren’t going along for a ride,” Dawson said.
        “Oh,” the Marine said as the implications sunk in.
        “Go on, now. I’m taking off.”
        The Runabout Fuji lifted off the ground and glided across the sand, angling up sharply. Soon it joined the other shuttles on its way up in space, as another city continued falling apart.

        The loud hum of weapons fire reverberated outwards. The dark grey doors glowed red briefly before they disintegrated. A cloud of dust flew out through the newly made opening. Fonda and Joh emerged from the swirling dust. Several more Danosm followed the women out. Another Danosm limped out, leaning on two companions.
        Fonda looked up at the sky, noticing some shuttlecraft in the distance. She tapped her combadge. “Fonda to Courageous.”
        “Fonda!” Johnson’s voice shouted. “Are you allright?”
        “I’m fine, but Joh and some of the Danosm need medical aid.”
        “Allright. Life-threatening?”
        Fonda turned to look at the others behind her. More Danosm stumbled out of the entrance. “Not as far as I can tell.”
        “Very well. I’ll have a shuttlecraft sent to your location. Move the injured to a clearing so they can be transported aboard the Courageous.”
        “Acknowledged. Fonda out.” She turned to look at Joh. “We need to get away from this location so they can beam the injured up.”
        Enfilar walked up to Fonda. “Some of the injured wish to stay here.”
        “Why?” Fonda asked.
        “Since coming to the surface, we are now back in contact with the cynet. Chief Technologist Ristoul has outlined the evacuation lists. We will abide with the order of the list.”
        “But-”
        “We know only a limited number of us will be able to leave. A consensus has been reached already. We have all agreed.”
        “You weren’t part of that,” Fonda said. “You were disconnected for almost an hour!”
        “Nevertheless, we agree with the general consensus. We will help you and the evacuees walk clear of Arzamas. The injured will remain here.”
        “I-I... I don’t like it.”
        Enfilar looked at Fonda placidly, with his yellow eyes.
        Fonda closed her eyes. “Allright. Let’s get going.”

        Favor stepped off the transporter platform and quickly rushed out of the transporter room. He waded through the crowd of Danosm lining the corridors of the Courageous. His height allowed him to see over most of the Danosm’s heads. “On, screw this,” he muttered. He stopped and looked at the Danosm nearest him. “Hi. My name is Nathan Faver, and I’m the Federation Ambassador. Can you tell me if Technologist Galnt is aboard this ship?”
        The young Danosm double-blinked, and stared at the taller human for a moment. “No, he is still at Mal Osasol,” he replied.
        “Can you ask him when he’ll be on the Courageous?”
        “He is about to board one of your shuttlecraft.”
        Favor sighed. “Good. Is his family with him?”
        “No.”
        “Where are they?” asked Favor.
        “The child is dead. The mother is not chosen.”
        “What? What happened?”
        “To whom?”
        “The child!”
        “The child was killed in a structural collapse.”
        “What about Galnt’s genetomate? Not chosen?”
        “She is not chosen to be an evacuee. Are you not aware that only 19,141 Danosm are able to be evacuated?”
        “No! No... I didn’t... I had forgotten that,” Favor’s voice trailed off. “I understand. Thank you. Please send my condolences to Galnt.”
        “He accepts them.”
        “Thank you.” Favor turned and waded his way through the lines of Danosm, to a turbolift.

        Deep crevasses started growing in the ground, splitting the land. Sulfurous air rose out of the crevasses, along with superheated air. “Magma,” Joh remarked, as they scrambled away from a freshly created gorge.
        “I think we’re far enough from the Arzamas Installation,” Fonda said, squinting at the buildings in the distance. She looked up in the sky, hoping to spy some shuttlecraft.
        “Look,” Joh said. She pointed with her good hand to the horizon. Fonda turned around. A shimmery vision of Mal Osasol, a magnified mirage, floated just above the horizon. The skyline was a jagged mess. There were no longer any upright buildings.
        Another upheaval in the ground beneath Fonda’s feet made her stumble and fall. She stood up again, brushing off her trousers. Holes in her knees and red scrapes on her hand showed that she had fallen several times already. She winced as sand rubbed in her abrasions. Her combadge chimed.
        “Fonda here.”
        “We’ve got a transporter lock. How many to beam up?”
        Fonda looked at Enfilar. “Two. Three, including the doctor.”
        Fonda nodded. “Three to beam up, two Danosm and Doctor Joh.”
        “Acknowledged. Standby for transport.”
        A minute later, Fonda was alone with Enfilar and another ablebodied but elderly Danosm. Fonda sank down to the sand, tired of trying to maintain her balance in the perpetual earthquake. Enfilar sat down, imitating Fonda’s crosslegged style.
        Fonda watched as Enfilar interlaced his fingers together, sitting calmly.
        “Say, can you tell if the dissolution procedures worked in Arzamas, with your personal sensors?”
        Enfilar looked at his hands. “I will try.” He reached out with his hands, palms outwards, at the installation. “I am not sure. My personal sensors are not strong enough to penetrate underground. It is hopeful though. An catastrophic meltdown would have already occurred by now. Or at least, if one were to happen, I would surely be able to sense the tremendous energies building up.”
        “Good enough,” Fonda sighed. She squinted at Arzamas. “I guess we’ll never know why all this started.”
        “I find that very disappointing,” Enfilar said. “I had several theories that I wished to ascertain. Did the primary reaction start flawed? Or was it the spontaneous nature of the Omega molecule formation? Where did the particles come from to create the new Omega molecules? Was it something unique to my planet? You did say Omega particles were very rare. You either find it existing in nature, or synthesize it from certain ores.”
        Fonda turned to Enfilar. “Your planet is falling apart as we speak, and you’re disappointed?”
        “We know what is happening to our planet. We know there is nothing to be done about it. However, we do not know what happened with our reactor. We thought we knew all there was to know about our reactor. No longer. Now there are new unanswered questions that we must answer, that we need to answer. So then we can know.”
        “Even at the cost of people who are dying?”
        “Of course. Knowledge is precious. The cost of something is measured against what you gain from it. We gained so much from the creation and use of our Omega reactor. Strides ahead in Omega mechanics. Spatial technology. And death as well. From that, can you say our knowledge is anything but precious? Valuable?”
        Fonda heaved a sigh and bent her head.
        “I see from your body language that you don’t entirely agree,” Enfilar said. “Perhaps if I mention something Galnt reported to the Main Assembly of Technologists, regarding you. The Federation.”
        Fonda looked up at Enfilar. “Hmm?”
        “He said that you value knowledge as much as we do. Your drive for it is as strong as ours is. Your war, the one you currently are waging, is simply all because you wanted to know what was on the other side of a wormhole. You were not content to find a wormhole and not enter it. Just the same, I am not content to leave my questions unanswered. What is on the other side of my question? What is in the next solar system beyond the one your ship is in? The mission you are on now, searching the Borderlands, is simply another manifestation of our common desire for knowledge. Do you see?”
        Fonda stared at the sand vibrating beneath her boots. “That is true...”
        “Now you know,” Enfilar said. He turned to stare at the abandoned buildings of Arzamas.
        Suddenly, the ground started giving away underneath Fonda and Enfilar. She jumped to her feet, scrambling to find some purchase in the sand. She felt a rocky outcropping underneath the flowing sand, and held on.
        She turned and looked down, seeing Enfilar holding onto the newly formed rocky outcropping, just below her. The other Danosm was nowhere to be seen. “Hold on!” she called out to Enfilar.
        Enfilar looked up at her. “Thank you for the work you have done,” he said. Then he let go of his handhold and fell down the dark ravine.
        “No!” Fonda nearly let go of her precarious grip, to grab for Enfilar. She had the presence of mind to cling to the outcropping. The familiar whine of a Runabout reached her ears. She swiveled her head around, looking for the craft. She blinked several times before she realized the Runabout was in the air right before her.
        The side door opened and a Starfleet security officer held his arm out. Fonda reached out with an arm, and lost her balance. She fell over, but the security officer grabbed her wrist.
        “Aioooowww!” she shouted as her arm nearly popped out of her socket. The security officer, aided by another crewman, pulled her into the Runabout.

        Johnson could only stare on as the viewscreen showed the continued deterioration of Danosm. Dust clouds thrown up by overlapping plates and smoke from newly released magma obscured parts of the planet.
        “Planetary Survey lab to Bridge.” It was Kianmoos’s voice again.
        “Go.”
        “I’d recommend we take a healthy position away from the planet. Its internal stresses are building up. It’s going to shatter any moment now.”
        Johnson turned to Ironsides. “Recall all auxiliary craft and have them move away from the planet, maximum impulse.” Ironsides nodded and bent to type on the OPS console.
        Johnson turned to Ruiz. “Lieutenant, take us away, half impulse.”
        “Sir,” Ironsides looked up, “Commander Fonda is aboard the ship now. She’s being taken to triage in Shuttlebay Two,” Ironsides said.
        “How many are aboard now?” the captain glanced at Ironsides.
        “2,019 Danosm. There are an additional 81 on the auxiliary craft,” Ironsides said, reading from the OPS console.
        “And on those cargo ships?”
        “Sensors show 257 Danosm lifesigns scattered on the cargo ships.”
        Johnson’s expression slackened and he turned back to the viewscreen, watching the planet’s death throes.
        The planet shrunk as the distance grew between it and the Courageous. It seemed to disintegrate before Johnson’s own eyes, melting into a loosely held conglomeration of rock and minerals. The atmosphere started spreading out, creating an halo of ice crystals around the mass that used to be Danosm. This was the way the Danosm’s world ended; not with a bang, but a whimper.
        Johnson turned to Ironsides. “Any uhm... radiation?”
        “Not a single particle,” Ironsides said, consulting the sensors.
        Johnson leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on his lap, a frown etched on his face.
        “Sir,” Lieutenant Hatari called out. “The Fuji is requesting a course heading.”
        Johnson sat up and opened his mouth, when someone else spoke first.
        “I believe I can advise you on that,” Galnt said, as he exited the turbolift with Favor.
        “Do you have a destination in mind?”
        Galnt nodded. “We have made arrangements to stop at another planet, Recej, with whom we sometimes trade with, for raw materials.”
        “Allright. give us the coordinates and we’ll take you there.”

        The Courageous, flanked by a dozen smaller craft, leapt into warp, followed by several large blocky cargo ships.

        “Ambassador’s Personal Log, supplemental. The last of the Danosm have been transferred to temporary colonies on Recej. The captain ordered that several prefabricated bases from the Marine Supply Depot were to be traded with the Danosm. They plan to buy some generational ships and set out traveling to distant parts of space, living alone as before.
        “In a trade that seems somewhat meager, the Danosm have given us some of their cartographic databases. Information they’ve gleaned from their satellites observing this sector of space. Secondhand information from traders. Rumors about what might be just around the corner. All in exchange for... what? Saving some three thousand out of nearly two billion?
        “That’s what I said to Galnt earlier today, as we said our good-byes. I apologized for not being able to do more. He said the apology was unnecessary. Then I apologized about his losses. His daughter, Teidi. His mate, Hadii.
        “He shook his head at me. ‘They are not gone,’ he said. He tapped his temple. ‘They are within us all, all their memories, all their knowledge. They live on in us all. We may have lost things but not knowledge.’ After hearing that, I felt somewhat better. Still, it’s a shock to witness the changes of fortunes... seeing a technologically advanced civilization reduced to living as nomads.
        “I had asked them if it were possible for Starfleet to barter for the technological knowledge for building an Omega reactor. Galnt said that considering what happened, it would be wiser not to distribute that knowledge. I must confess that a small part of myself is relieved that the terribly powerful knowledge of Omega energy did not fall in our hands. It’s probably better off this way. End log entry.”

        Ironsides entered his darkened quarters. He tapped the keypad next to the door, and it beeped. The major turned and retreated further into his quarters, heading to his bedroom. Even though the lights were nearly off, Ironsides did not bump into any of the furniture, so meticulous was he in his memorization of its layout.
        He stepped up to the closet and tapped a series of commands on a keypad next to the closet door. It obediently slid open for him. He reached up to a shelf and pulled down a tricorder. “Lights, low,” he said.
        The dim light brightened in his bedroom. He sat down on his bed, and flipped open his tricorder. It beeped, powered on. He turned it onto its side, and pressed an invisible catch. The tricorder split in half, lengthwise. He parted the tricorder like an oyster shell, revealing a sleek, thin black device that filled up the middle of the false tricorder shell. He gently pulled the rectangular device out and flipped open a panel. A small control panel, akin to a tricorder’s, blinked into activation. Ironsides read the message on the screen.
        “Good,” he said to himself. “It worked.”

SECTION ONE | SECTION TWO | SECTION THREE | SECTION FOUR

 MISSIONS | PERSONNEL | SHIP SPECS | COMMENTS | CREDITS | MAIN