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Old November 28 2012, 09:01 PM   #1
Star Trek Voyager: Terra Nova - Episode 1

Star Trek Voyager: Terra Nova - Episode 1


The first sign of an attack had come twenty minutes earlier.

Many months ago he had proposed deploying a series of sensor drones at strategic points around the solar system, where they would float in interstellar space watching for anything that might threaten the third planet.

He gripped the arms of the command chair as Voyager now raced towards that planet at maximum warp, the superstructure of the starship trembling at the exertion that was being demanded of her.

A dozen decks beneath him, the vessel's overtaxed engine core throbbed with a frightening intensity, supplying the enormous amounts of power that drove the lone Starfleet ship through space at better than warp nine.

In defense of the idyllic world located a galaxy away from where its inhabitants lives had begun, Voyager was tearing itself apart.

"Borg scout ship is now at warp nine point eight!" Kim announced over the alert sirens, his face bathed in the deathly red glow of emergency lighting. "We're losing ground!"

"We're at maximum speed, sir!" Rollins called over his shoulder, glancing back for only an instant before returning his full attention to the helm controls.

In the seconds it took him to issue his next command, Voyager fell behind another million kilometers as the Borg ship accelerated.

He noticed he'd been leaning forward, subconsciously willing the intrepid-class vessel to move faster so that they could prevent the hostile spacecraft reaching the planet.

Privately he chastised himself for engaging in such emotional, illogical behavior. Despite the immense pressure of the last few months, he was Vulcan, and such conduct was unbecoming for a member of a race whose emotions should always be held at bay.

"Are our phasers having any effect on the Borg ship?" Tuvok demanded, craning his neck slightly to address the officer manning his old tactical station.

Andrews shook his head, surveying the complex weapons controls. "Not at this range, sir! And the torpedo launchers are still offline!"

Tuvok turned his attention back to the main view screen and the hideous image of the seemingly unstoppable alien vessel it displayed. The Borg ship was now less than two minutes from orbit, where it could immediately begin transporting drones to the surface.

If that happened, all would be lost.

Logically, he knew he could therefore not allow it to happen.

"We will need to close to point-blank range if our phasers are to damage the Borg vessel," Tuvok stated firmly before tapping his comm badge. "Bridge to engine room."

"Vorik here, sir," the younger Vulcan man responded, his reply coming with his customary promptness despite the desperate situation.

"Ensign, we must increase our speed if we are to stand any chance of stopping the Borg," Tuvok told the engineer. "I understand that the engines are at maximum but is there anything more you can do?"

A pause.

Tuvok knew that Vorik's immediate superior, Carey, was in weapons control desperately trying to restore power to Voyager's photon torpedo launchers.

What he was asking of Vorik was virtually impossible, but Tuvok had asked nonetheless.

At this point, Tuvok decided he had nothing to lose.

"Without a full engineering crew aboard even maintaining our current velocity is extremely difficult," Vorik pointed out almost apologetically. "However, I will attempt to coax the engines a little further."

"Your haste would be appreciated, ensign," Tuvok told him, glancing at the navigational readouts on his personal terminal. "We will achieve orbit in fifty seconds."

No further response came from engineering. Vorik had obviously gone straight to work.

Tuvok approved.

"I'm detecting a new power signature from the Borg ship," Kim reported. "I'd say they're getting ready to beam to the surface."

"As we expected," Tuvok said, just as virtually every console on the bridge went dark.

Only the three primary stations remained active.

Vorik was clearly drawing power from anywhere he could.

"Our speed has increased!" Rollins announced triumphantly, frantically entering commands into the helm controls. "We're gaining on them, sir!"

"Hold our fire until we are within one hundred kilometers," Tuvok instructed Andrews. "We will have only one chance to disable them."

Around him, Voyager began to shudder. Vorik was reducing power from the ship's inertial dampeners and channeling everything he could to the warp engines.

On the view screen, the stern of the scout ship, a miniature version of the colossal cubes that served the Borg Collective, grew larger as Voyager closed the gulf between them.

But as Voyager closed to within a few hundred kilometers of its quarry the Starfleet ship began to buck wildly, forcing Rollins to fight with the helm to keep them level.

"Report!" Tuvok demanded.

"The warp fields being generated by both ships are starting to intersect as we move closer!" Kim called back, scrutinizing his sensor displays. "If they intersect completely we'll both be blown out of warp!"

Tuvok kept his eyes locked on the viewer. If Kim's prediction came to pass then the damage to Voyager would be extreme.

But whatever the risk, the Borg ship had to be stopped.

"Continue to close on them, Mr. Rollins," he ordered.

"Aye, sir," Rollins said. "Orbit in thirty seconds!"

"Ready on phasers," Tuvok called out to Andrews.

Around him, Voyager began to shake herself apart as she drew within striking distance of the Borg ship.

"One hundred kilometers!" Rollins announced.

"FIRE!" Tuvok commanded.

Voyager's phasers lashed out, twin lances of blinding nadion energy drilling into the patchwork of dark metal that made up the cube.

"Warp fields intersecting!" Kim cried.

"Maintain fire!" Tuvok ordered.

A moment later, he felt himself catapulted from the command chair.

Then everything went black.
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