"Lost Aquarius: The Bermuda Triangle Effect"
(A spread of blue lightning bolts, spanning a few lightyears in diameter travels its natural course through space. On the Phoenix-X, Bridge)
Armond: The ion storm is approximately sixteen lightyears in diameter.
Gotens: An ion storm of that magnitude could disintegrate our ship within nanoseconds. Which will definitely overcook the blood pietas we're having for lunch today.
Ensign Dan: Wohoo! Go for it.
Daniel: Ensign, you are relieved.
Ensign Dan: You bet I am. This deodorant is really effective.
Elly (enters): 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!
(He runs for the turbolift as 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 an off-the-grid ship. Not much of Starfleet thinks of 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: Ugh. I thought we settled our conflict with them?
Gotens: We could easily destroy their ship, you know—
Daniel: No! I have direct orders from Starfleet to not harm others. Besides, these battle scenes are so repetitive.
Armond: They're hailing.
Daniel: Ignore. Red, engage transwarp, 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)
Daniel (sits): Only if you hadn't flirted with their first officer!
Gotens: But that's the primary order of business between first officers.
Red: Captain, something's wrong. We're losing velocity.
(The Phoenix-X, still inside the transwarp conduit, suddenly stops)
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 wormhole-like conduit)
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 (checks): 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 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, sixteen lightyears. Tong, how long is the conduit?
Tong: Twenty-one 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 out of the conduit.
Daniel: Only if we had a faster way of propulsion.
Wallace: 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 controls): I've created a diagram of our situation to help us further solve the problem. On screen.
(The diagram displays)
Gotens: Nice diagram.
Armond: Thanks.
Gotens: The font is good too.
Armond: I thought so.
Daniel: Wait a minute. Does this mean the conduit is still open at both ends?
Armond: Yeah, why?
(Suddenly, the Carthaginian starship Hannibal flies through the conduit and stops beside the Phoenix-X. The Hannibal opens fire on the Phoenix-X)
Wallace: 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 even more)
Wallace: 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: Looks like it's time to be diplomatic.
Daniel (grumbles): Okay. Armond, hail them.
(The Hou-Ling begins to buckle under the pressures of transwarp. The Hannibal uses the Klingons' structural weakness to their advantage and fires photon torpedoes, destroying the Hou-Ling)
(On the Hannibal, they are hailed)
Tweed: Yes?!?
>Daniel: I am Captain Daniel of the Starship Phoenix-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.
(Tweed is transported to the Phoenix-X with an engineering officer of his. Everyone meets in the Conference room)
Dummy (points to screen): As you can see this so called storm is a shielding, protecting our home. Our home is located here.
Ensign Dan: So let me get this straight. Your name is Dummy? Hahahaha!
Daniel: Ensign, get a hold of yourself. You are relieved!
Dummy: What is so funny?
Armond: Captain, we're under attack from the Carthaginians again!
(The ship shakes)
Daniel: Ugh. I thought we settled our conflict with them?
Gotens: We could easily destroy their ship, you know—
Daniel: No! I have direct orders from Starfleet to not harm others. Besides, these battle scenes are so repetitive.
Armond: They're hailing.
Daniel: Ignore. Red, engage transwarp, 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)
Daniel (sits): Only if you hadn't flirted with their first officer!
Gotens: But that's the primary order of business between first officers.
Red: Captain, something's wrong. We're losing velocity.
(The Phoenix-X, still inside the transwarp conduit, suddenly stops)
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 wormhole-like conduit)
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 (checks): 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 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, sixteen lightyears. Tong, how long is the conduit?
Tong: Twenty-one 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 out of the conduit.
Daniel: Only if we had a faster way of propulsion.
Wallace: 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 controls): I've created a diagram of our situation to help us further solve the problem. On screen.
(The diagram displays)
Gotens: Nice diagram.
Armond: Thanks.
Gotens: The font is good too.
Armond: I thought so.
Daniel: Wait a minute. Does this mean the conduit is still open at both ends?
Armond: Yeah, why?
(Suddenly, the Carthaginian starship Hannibal flies through the conduit and stops beside the Phoenix-X. The Hannibal opens fire on the Phoenix-X)
Wallace: 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 even more)
Wallace: 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: Looks like it's time to be diplomatic.
Daniel (grumbles): Okay. Armond, hail them.
(The Hou-Ling begins to buckle under the pressures of transwarp. The Hannibal uses the Klingons' structural weakness to their advantage and fires photon torpedoes, destroying the Hou-Ling)
(On the Hannibal, they are hailed)
Tweed: Yes?!?
>Daniel: I am Captain Daniel of the Starship Phoenix-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.
(Tweed is transported to the Phoenix-X with an engineering officer of his. Everyone meets in the Conference room)
Dummy (points to screen): As you can see this so called storm is a shielding, protecting our home. Our home is located here.
Ensign Dan: So let me get this straight. Your name is Dummy? Hahahaha!
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 Dan is about to get out of the door but sees him trip)
Ensign Dan (exits): Hahahaha!
Gotens: Now, that is funny.
Dummy: That wasn't funny to me? The one undergoing the actual experience?
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. All your past interactions and flirting with my first officer, notwithstanding. 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: That's my geneology you're denying!
Daniel: All right. Dummy, work with my chief engineer Kugo and vagrant attache 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.
(Fifty minutes have elapsed. 99.6% of the Carthaginian crew have been transported. Captain Tweed still remains on the Hannibal)
Daniel: Captain, return to the ship. Everyone has been transported.
>Tweed: The ship's breaking apart. My poor baby. Just have to get something.
Daniel: All right. Make it fast.
>Tweed: Got it. Ready for transport.
(He is then dematerialized)
Daniel: Engineering, are all modifications done?
#Kugo: Yes. Ready down here.
Ensign Dan (exits): Hahahaha!
Gotens: Now, that is funny.
Dummy: That wasn't funny to me? The one undergoing the actual experience?
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. All your past interactions and flirting with my first officer, notwithstanding. 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: That's my geneology you're denying!
Daniel: All right. Dummy, work with my chief engineer Kugo and vagrant attache 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.
(Fifty minutes have elapsed. 99.6% of the Carthaginian crew have been transported. Captain Tweed still remains on the Hannibal)
Daniel: Captain, return to the ship. Everyone has been transported.
>Tweed: The ship's breaking apart. My poor baby. Just have to get something.
Daniel: All right. Make it fast.
>Tweed: Got it. Ready for transport.
(He is then dematerialized)
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 Phoenix-X jumps to warp)
Tweed: Captain, I have something for you.
(He 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: Before 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: Thanks.
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 Phoenix-X jumps to warp)
Tweed: Captain, I have something for you.
(He 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: Before 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: Thanks.
