1.8.98

Episode 13A

Star Trek: Phoenix-X
The Bermuda Triangle Effect

(A spread of blue lightning bolts, spanning a few lightyears in diameter travels its natural course through the Beta Quadrant...)

(On the Phoenix-X, Bridge)
Lieutenant Commander Armond[human]: The Ion Storm is approximately 16 lightyears in diameter.
Commander Night Gotens[trill]: An Ion Storm of that magnitude could disintegrate our ship within nano seconds; which will definitely over cook the blood pieta's we're having for lunch today.
Ensign Dan[bajoran]: Wohoo! Go for it.
Captain Daniel[changeling]: Ensign, you are relieved.
Ensign Dan: You bet I am, this deodorant is really effective.
Lieutenant Elly[orion](walks onto the Bridge form the Turbolift): Ensign Dan! The computer reports that you were in my quarters at 07:00 using my Deodorant for Orion Women!
Ensign Dan: Uh oh….gotta transwarp!
(Ensign Dan runs into the turbolift, Elly chases after him)
Daniel: Well I guess we can't go through the Ion Storm. Didn't Starfleet notify us about this?
Gotens: We're a secret ship, not much of Starfleet knows about the Phoenix-X. In other words, no one tells us anything.
(Suddenly red alert goes on)
Armond: Captain, we're under attack from the Carthaginians again.
(The ship shakes)
Daniel: Not again, I thought we settled our conflict with them.
Gotens: We could easily destroy them you know--
Daniel: No! I have direct orders from Starfleet to not harm them! Besides, these battle scenes are so repetitive.
Armond: They're hailing.
Daniel: Ignore. Red, engage Transwarp 6, now.
Red: But--
Daniel: Just do it!
Red: Okay, okay.

(A small Carthaginian ship fires at the Phoenix-X. The Phoenix-X accelerates into Transwarp)

(On the Phoenix-X, Bridge)
Daniel(sits): Only if you hadn't flirted with their Captain!
Gotens: Sorry.
Red: Captain, something's wrong. We're losing velocity.

(The Phoenix-X, still inside the Transwarp Conduit, suddenly stops)

(On the Phoenix-X, Bridge)
Gotens What happened?
Armond: I don't understand--we just stopped.
Daniel: In a Transwarp Conduit? That's not possible…is it?
Armond: Well it shouldn't be--but it is.

(The Phoenix-X hovers within the orange wormhole-like Conduit)

(On the Phoenix-X, Bridge)
Armond: I'm checking sensors...
(Kugo enters the Bridge)
Daniel: What do they say?
Armond: They just say we're in the conduit.
Gotens: I don't get it...we're in Transwarp, and we're not going anywhere! I need some blood pieta.
Kugo: The engines are still holding the Transwarp Conduit.
Armond(looks at the control panel): Hmm...
Daniel: What?
Armond: Well, when we go into a Transwarp Conduit, we don't use impulse to travel through it, that'd just be too slow, we travel along Transwarp Waves that just carry us through the tunnel until we exit it.
Daniel: Yeah, so what?
Armond: Well, sensors indicate that where we are, there are no Transwarp Waves.
Daniel: Then the question is...why are there no Transwarp Waves?
Gotens: Who cares? Let's just turn off the Transwarp and try it again, or go through the Conduit wall and start another Conduit.
Kayl: I think I know why there are no waves. When Red engaged the Transwarp Conduit, he made it go through the Ion Storm ahead of us.
Kugo: Yeah! The Ion Storm must be neutralizing the Transwarp Waves.
Kayl: Exactly.
Daniel: Wait, then that means there are no Waves for at max, 16 Lightyears. Tong, how long is the Conduit?
Tong: 21 Lightyears, sir.
Gotens: Well, why don't we just get out of this Conduit?
Kugo: We can't, we're inside the Ion Storm. The ship would be torn apart. We can't even initiate a detour Conduit.
Daniel: We can't?
Kugo: Well theoretically speaking.
Daniel: Okay, there are waves behind us and there are waves ahead of us. Why are they so far away?
Red: I suspect the ships' momentum brought us out this far.
Daniel: If we used Impulse Engines, how long would it take to reach the nearest waves?
Armond: The nearest waves are ahead of us, and it would take approximately...one year and two months to reach them on impulse. To reach the waves behind us, it would take a year and five months. But after we reached the waves, they'd just carry us outta the conduit.
Daniel: Only if we had a faster way of propulsion.
Walace: So we can't fly through the wall of the conduit, the Ion Storm would destroy us...but we can try to reach the end of it.
Red: I initiated a predestination jump, which means there's an opening at the other end to the Conduit.
Armond(taps on the control panel): I've created a diagram of our situation to help us further solve the problem, on screen.
(The diagram goes on screen)
Gotens: Nice diagram.
Armond: Thanks.
Gotens: The font is good too.
Armond: I thought so.
Daniel: Waitaminute... does this mean the Conduit is still open at both ends?
Armond: Yeah, why?

(Suddenly the Carthaginian Ship, the S.S. Hannibal, flies through the Conduit and stops beside the Phoenix-X. The Hannibal opens fire on the Phoenix-X)

(On the Phoenix-X, Bridge)
Walace: Cap--
(The ship shakes)
Walace: I recommend we refrain from open fire within the conduit.
(The ship shakes again)
Daniel: But--
Kugo: He's right, these outbursts of torpedoes could distort and maybe destroy the conduit, which in turn would destroy us both.
(The ship shakes)
Walace: Shields to 87%.
Armond: Captain! Another ship has fallen into our distressing trap.
Daniel: Do you have to be so dramatic?
Armond: It's a Klingon Bird of Prey, the Hou-Ling. They're opening fire on the Hannibal.
Kugo: We can't have them firing either!
Gotens(glances at the Captain): Looks like it's time to be diplomatic.
Daniel(grumbles): Okay. Armond, hail them.

(The Carthaginian has just destroyed the Klingon Bird of Prey. It was not so hard because the bird of prey wasn't built to withstand the conduit.)

(On the Carthaginian)
Captain Tweed: Yes?!?
*Daniel: I am Captain Daniel of the starship Pheonix-X of the Federation. If you do not cease your attack, it will be the end of us all.
Tweed: Hah! This is your fault. You were going to violate our home.
*Daniel: That is not true. We are no where near your home.
Tweed: This is our home!
*Daniel: "This" What does that mean? The storm is your home?
Tweed: This is no storm. I guess to you it might be. So you are saying you don't know where our home is.
*Daniel: Yes.
Tweed: We need to talk.
*Daniel: Yes we do. Kayl, are transporters operational?
*Kayl: Yes.

(Captain Tweed is transported to the Pheonix-X with an engineering officer of his.)(In the conference room, where the senior officers and Carthaginians talk.)
Dummy(He points to the computer screen): As you can see this so called "storm" is a shielding protecting our home. Our home is located here. (He points to his home on the diagram.)
Ensign Dan: So let me get this straight. Your name is "Dummy"? Hahahahahahahaha!!!!
Daniel: ENSIGN! Get a hold of yourself. You are relieved.
Dummy: What is so funny? (He walks to a chair and trips on his way)
(Ensign is about to get out of the door but sees him trip.)
Ensign Dan: Hahahahahahahahaha! (He laughs as he exits.)
Gotens: Now that is funny.
Dummy: That wasn't funny. Humph!
Tweed: Anyways, as Dummy was saying, this storm is our shield. We saw you heading this way and thought you were going to attack our home. So we tried to stop you. But can you explain what are we in?
Red: We are in a transwarp conduit. We didn't want to engage you because you could've been destroyed like that.
Tweed: Thanks a lot.
Red: Anyways, it happens that our conduit ran through your shielding. We penetrated it because of our vast speed but because your shielding is so great in distance, that was enough time for it to neutralize the waves in the conduit that make it necessary for us to go so fast.
Tweed: If you are suggesting that we shut down the shield, you are wrong. Our home would be left open to attack at anytime. We can't have that.
Daniel: Well, then there is only one way for us to get out alive, we have to exit the way we came in or exit at the end of the conduit.
Tweed: My ship was damaged when we entered this thing.
Dummy: I say that our ship will be torn apart in one hour.
Daniel: You guys heard the dummy. We have one hour.
Dummy: I got it. Our ship is way beyond repair in time. How about if we change the shields on this ship.
Gotens: He's not a dummy after all.
Dummy: Hey.
Daniel: All right. Dummy, work with my chief engineerer Kugo and BOB to get those shieldings done. I want results. Captain Tweed, you have 45 minutes to transport all your crew to our ship. You can take any cargo bay. Dismissed.

(50 minutes have elapsed. 99.6% of the Carthaginian crew have been transported. Captain Tweed still remains on the Carthaginian.)
*Daniel: Captain, return to the ship. Everyone has been transported.
Tweed: The ships breaking apart. My poor baby. Just have to get something.
*Daniel: All right. Make it fast.
Tweed: Got it. Ready for transport.
(The Captain was transported.)
Daniel: Engineering, are all modifications done?
*Kugo: Yes. Ready down here.
(Tweed walks into the bridge with a jar in his hand.)
Daniel: Nice of you to join us. All right. Raise modified shields.
(Lightning wraps around the ship. The shield's characteristics are that electricity bands spark up around the ship randomly.)
Armond: This is cool.
Gotens: Helm, deactivate the conduit.
(The conduit dissapates. They are in the storm shield. Their shields are holding.)
Gotens: Okay, take us out of here.
(The Pheonix-X jumps to warp.)

(Meanwhile, on the bridge.)
Captain Tweed: Captain, I have something for you.
(Tweed gives Daniel the jar.)
Daniel: What is that?
Tweed: It's a changeling. We sealed it in this jar.
Daniel: Uh! Where did you get it and why did you seal it.
Tweed: When we destroyed that Klingon vessel, we beamed over who ever was on it. It turns out that it was a Changeling. I thought this would mean more to you than it to me.
Daniel: Uhhh...thanks. (Daniel takes the jar.)