Captains Log:  We’ve spent several days right on the edge of the gaseous anomaly known as Harpers Rift having discovered the man who’s name this mysterious and colourful cloud cares, wasn’t as mad as everyone believed after all.   This ships former Commanding Officer is living proof of that.  Although Commander Salan has been cleared for active service, despite the best endeavors of the entity Helgeshran to control his mind; he has expressed his wish that I should remain Captain of the USS Jaxartes, and he will act in an advisory capacity during our ongoing mission.

After analysing data retrieved for the vessel the Commander used in his escape, we have been able to identify an until now undetected signal originating from a point within the cloud. We have received clearance to enter and assess what is creating this clearly artificial signal.

<End Log.> 

Jason Devron placed the Padd down on the desk and leaned back in his chair, hearing it creak in protest, having been forced back just a little further than the designers and manufactures had ever intending the back of the seat to move.  He had thought about getting it altered or replaced for a more co-operative chair, but over the last few months there had been a lot more important things to deal with than an extra bit of comfort in his quarters. 

One key detail he’d omitted from the Log; was the way in which the Commander had been cured, for want of a better word.  Doctor Andrianakis hadn’t spoken to him since the incident and he’d revealed to her how much he really knew.  Telling the doctor that her father was in fact a member of the ‘Q’ Continuum hadn’t been received very well by the young woman. The slap round the face had been hard, but not totally unexpected.  He wasn’t sure how he could make things right between the two of them, and just when he things seemed to be developing between them.

Devron stood up, adjusted his uniform jacket and headed for the bridge.  The center seat was occupied by the Vulcan Commander; who upon hearing the door and approaching footsteps, rose from the chair, before even turning to see who it was.  The two officers stood for a moment on either side of the captain’s chair. “You know you could still resume command if you wanted to, Sir.” Devron said softly.

“It would be illogical and detrimental to the efficacy of the ship and crew to do so.” Was the very Vulcan like reply; a sign he was feeling a lot more like his old self again.  “However my knowledge and skills will be completely at your disposal.”

Devron sat down.  “Thank you Sir.” He looked around him at the rest of the bridge crew. “Ok, statue report.” 

Each officer in turn gave him a report on their respective responsibilities and the readiness of the ship.  His half Orion First Officer from her favoured position at the helm, confirmed all navigational systems were working normally and that Engineering was on standby.  From Tactical, the Cardassian declared all weapons and shields fully operational.  His Caitian Science Officer gave a brief summary of the current conditions within the rift, and finally his Communications Officer verified that she was still receiving the signal and had passed on the co-ordinates to helm.

“Shields up, Yellow Alert.” Devron announced.  Ensign Tholakath got to work and the ship wide alert sounded as lights around the bridge and throughout the corvette blinked yellow.

“Ok number one, take us in nice and slow.” The Captain requested. “One quarter impulse.”

“Aye Sir, ahead one quarter.” Stuart confirmed, running her fingers lightly across the control surface.  Then after a couple more minutes had past. “Now entering the rift.”

The swirling cloud enveloped the ship entirely; visibility was down to around a thousand meters at best, sometimes it was more like half that; sensors to could only penetrate  roughly three kilometers into the mysterious void.  They’d deployed a probe; the only one the Jaxartes carried the previous day, just to establish if it would stay where it was required and not drift off or be adversely effected by the rift.  It was sending a signal, much like the one they were heading inside to track down, but the probes role was to guide them back out again. 

Progress was slow, it was tempting to go faster, but there would be almost no warming of any impending danger.  As it was there still might be only seconds to react, but that could make all the difference. 

Eventually their target appeared on the scanners as the distance between them closed.  Just before they came into visual range Ensign Cho reported she was now picking up a second signal. 

“On the same heading?” Devron ask her, turning his head towards the young Korean.

“Negative Captain.” She answered.  “Second signal is 30% port. Faint, but I can confirm it matches the frequency of the first.”

As the creator of the first signal finally came into view on the main screen; Devron ordered full stop and instructed the crew to run complete scans and establish if any data could be retrieved.  It was a small object, no bigger than a standard fridge freezer, and roughly the same diameters.  Nothing more than a simple beacon to guide vessels through the inhospitable void; it revealed less about its origins or the people who’d left it here than the ship Commander Salan had used; without which these beacons would have remained virtually undetectable to anything other than a visual sighting; which given the conditions would have been extremely difficult.   Whoever had left them here, had done so some 25 to 30 years ago, were they’d gone afterwards was still unknown.

“Lieutenant plot a course to the second beacon, one quarter impulse.”  Devron watched as the image on the view screen rotated, whilst hardly seeming to alter.  Direction and depth perception where both hard to judge in the cloud, everything just looked the same.  But the ship soon settled on the new heading.  Like the first beacon, this one sent out the same rhythmic pulses.  A simple constantly repeating code devised by an unknown race.

“Captain, I’m picking up something odd.” Called out the Caitian science officer.

“Define odd if you will Mister C’Rren?”  It was the Commander who got in first with the question, an automatic response rather than an attempted to undermine Devron’s authority.  It was interesting to note that the young ensign hesitated a moment, seeking reassurance from his Captain first, rather than answer straight away.

“Unsure at this range due to background interference.” The Caitian officer sounded a little apologetic. But the equipment aboard the USS Jaxartes was far from being the best, so no one could blame him for the lack of information he was able to give.  “There is definitely something messing up the scans, just beyond the second beacon.”   

Lieutenant Stuart eased the ship closer, until finally the second of the two beacons appeared out of the swirling cloud.  Looking almost identical to its companion, now behind them, it gave up no additional clues. “Take us towards this anomaly and let’s see what’s out there.” Devron instructed his First Officer.  She acknowledge and took the Jaxartes slowly past the beacon. 

By now Commander Salan had moved from his spot standing to the right of the Captain’s chair, and was now leaning over C’Rren’s shoulder.  “Picking up high levels of Tachyon particles and elevated levels of Theta Radiation, suggests we back off immediately!” Warned the Caitian.

“I concur with the ensigns recommendations.” Added Salan.

“You heard them Lieutenant. Back us off. ” Shouted Devron. “Whatever is out there messing with the sensors doesn’t like us being this close either.” 

There was a moment were time stopped, a moment were the laws of physics and logic decided to step away for a moment and leave other forces to do their work.  In that moment, everything turned inside out.  The beacon, the clouds, in fact the entire rift seemed to wink out of existence as the USS Jaxartes was yanked forcefully into a whole new void!