“Drop us out of warp,” Alex said from the command console.

“Dropping out of warp… now,” Logan confirmed as the streak of stars slowed to a more fixed setting. In front of them loomed the Arcania Cluster.

“Yellow alert,” Alex called out, and the Bridge was flooded with yellow lighting. “Commander Veva, on Astrometrics for navigational assist. Ensign Mear, watch the deflector, shields, and systems. Ensign Carter… it’s your show.”

“Great,” Logan said with a sigh. “Switching to manual controls,” he pressed a few commands and the manual controls rose out of the console. “And if you have a higher power, I would recommend praying to them.” He pulled a set of dog tags out of his pocket and wrapped them around his wrist. With a cleansing breath, Logan grabbed the controls and maneuvered the ship forward. “Here we go…”

Alex pulled up the projected course on his console. It was a small, simple diagonal cut across the Cluster, not in the cluster for more than 10 or 15 minutes. This should bring them on the back side of the telescope and, hopefully, any Dominion forces that may be there. Alex chuckled internally, when was anything ever simple?

The console screens flickered, “We’re receiving sensor interference from the Cluster. Systems are otherwise reading normal,” Priam announced.

The ship shook, “Just a little subspace turbulence,” Logan simply said, as if reading everyone’s mind.

“I have an anomaly bearing 322, mark 10,” Tani called out.

Logan cast a glance at his display, “I see it. Turning about to starboard,” He said, steering the ship.

Alex stared out into the viewscreen and gripped his console with white knuckles. The viewscreen offered nothing but a swirling, black, emptiness.

“I’m reading a power fluctuation bearing 330, mark 2,” Priam said questioningly.

Tani’s hands flew across her console, “I don’t see anyth- Move hard to port!” She shouted.

Logan maneuvered the controls too late and the Cantabras rolled to the left. “What was that?” Logan demanded.

“It looks like a singularity burst,” Tani reported from her display.

“You’re supposed to be guiding me away from danger!” Carter shot back.

“The burst happened within a tenth of a second. I can’t guide us away from something that doesn’t exist yet.”

“Children, behave,” Alex said, “or I will turn this starship around and take us back home.” He turned to Priam, “How are systems holding up?”

“Shields took a big hit, they’re down to 64%. There are some mild electrical disturbances, but we’re holding.”

“All right, watch for those fluctuations. I don’t want to be caught off guard again,” Alex said.

The minutes ticked by like hours while the ship navigated through the Cluster. The group of Logan, Tani, and Priam worked to keep the Cantabras safe. Alex was impressed by the level of teamwork that was on display. He supposed that in life-or-death situations, anyone could work together.

Alex nervously watched the display as the ship moved closer to the edge of the Cluster. 

“I have an anomaly bearing 148, mark 0, roughly 230 kilometers out,” Tani reported.

Logan looked at his display and did a double take, “What is that? Umm… Commander?” He called over his shoulder.

Alex waited a moment, “Don’t make me guess. Why do I care about something that’s behind us when there are so many dangers in front of us?”

“Because it’s moving towards us, fast,” Tani said urgently.

“Red Alert,” the klaxon sounded, though it was largely pointless. Anyone who would need to know about the emergency was already there. “Carter get us out of the Cluster. I don’t care if it gets us off course, we’ll figure it out later.”

“100 kilometers.”

“Ensign Carter…”

“I’m working on it,” Logan replied. “It’s hard to fly down a pitch-black road and not hit something.”

“50 kilometers,” Tani called out. “Course unchanged.”

“Logan, alter our altitude. See if it just wants to pass by.”

Logan moved the controls and dipped the ship downward.

“5 kilometers. It’s altering its course to match ours.”

“So much for a fly-by,” Alex said. “Priam, focus the shields aft.” He looked at Tani, “How far away are we from clearing the Cluster?”

“Not soon enough at the object’s current speed. 75 meters.”

“We should be able to see it. On screen!” The viewscreen changed to a stern view of the ship. Coming up fast was a creature, almost jellyfish in appearance. Its tentacles were violently whipping back and forth, propelling it ever faster toward the ship.

“It must be one of the Cluster’s lifeforms Starfleet has been studying. It’s so beautiful,” Tani said.

“If it wasn’t trying to kill us,” Alex replied. He pulled up the display on his console. “Everyone brace for impa-,” Alex never got to finish the sentence as the ship rocked violently forward. It began to spin end over end.

“Carter!”

“I’m trying!” Logan yelled back. “That thing hit us pretty hard!”

The lighting in the Bridge blinked, went black, and partially activated. “Report!” Alex shouted to Priam.

“I’m reading multiple electrical failures throughout the ship. Shields are 23% and dropping. Whatever that thing is, we’re losing defensive capabilities!”

Logan began wildly whipping the controls, attempting to course-correct the ship. “30 seconds until we clear the Cluster,” he shouted.

Through all the alarms and steering complications, all went quiet in Alex’s mind as he saw open space. They had cleared the Cluster. “Report.”

“The good news is we cleared the Cluster,” Logan reported.

“And it looks like the lifeform has broken off its pursuit,” Tani said.

“Now for the bad news,” Priam said. “We have multiple power failures throughout the ship. Nothing critical so far, but we’ll need some repairs. And,” he said with a heavy sigh, “our shields have failed.”