[snip]

As Glen’s reply came in the comet which still read on scans and visual like a hunk of ice began to slowly arc due to the pull of gravity into the system. At its current ETA it was still on track to pass by the planet below in now just under 2 hours and 57 minutes. Gork spoke up, “..Sir, scans on the comet got more cleared up, I can confirm that for all practical purposes it is indeed a comet. 70% H2O based ice, 27% based iron and copper mixture core, but I’m also picking up 2% deposits of quartz..” he said.

=/\= I might be able to use it to our advantage, as long as they don’t see as an omen. =/\= Glen replied. =/\= Just to confirm: it Warped into the system first? Any Warp signature that matches? Klingon? I have to go. Run some more scans! Glen out! =/\=

Joe turned to the others on the bridge and said, “You heard the boss people let us use our combined mental powers to find out as much as we can about that comet. And more to the point how it achieved warp speed. And I would particularly like to know if possible, what its course has been!”

Cross wondered if this was simply a comet that passed through every couple of years and the inhabitants were used to it but then again warp speed? Could a comet pass through with that speed ? . She remained silent, not having much insight and knowledge in this particular field.

Cara waited for NE Gork, the gruff Tellarite standing next to her over at the science station, to make some move to begin the necessary investigations called for by the Captain and XO. As he appeared to be doing zilch right now, she leaned over from looking down the Scope, and did it herself. She first asked the Computer, if it could have achieved Warp speed naturally (well of course not, but the XO had asked)? If there was a Warp signature to the Warp field’s phase oscillations that had released the Comet into the system? if so, did that Warp signature match any of the major races, or indeed any records at all within the Merrimack’s MAJEL 2.0 Computer (which she had recently learned had been enhanced at some point by an AI ship from the future, but which she had been told not to ask anything about)?

Gruff and muscular or not, Cara gave Gork one of her catty looks, and then continued. She asked the computer about the likely origin of the Comet? Of any previous records of Warped Comets? Any coded signals within the sub-space Warp signature? She paused for the answers. She was no physicist but she knew how to ask questions.

The computer beeped and began to process the requests, it would take a moment before a full result came in.

Joe as they waited was letting his mind roam about. Everything from the Irish Pub Curragh’s to something that he knew much less about. Chemistry. After a minute or maybe a lot longer of deep concentration Joe turned to those on the bridge and asked. “You know I may be wrong since I often am, but aren’t the chemicals in this comet’s tail kind of a good thing? Like maybe they could improve the atmosphere and good things like that?”

Cross was looking at her fingernails while replying ‘’ It would Cmdr ,after all is that not how water and other minerals were formed on Earth but the course of the comet shows its passing by and won’t explode on the planet with the result of maybe forming a huge crater just consider what the consequences and repercussions might be? Exploding it the atmosphere …well in my opinion its not such a good idea for it would achieve nothing’’ she then looked up ‘’Except scare the hell out of the inhabitants ‘’.

Cara looked to see if Gork would answer before continuing. “An inducement to a bowel discharge in the inhabitants might be the reason it was sent… I’m a social scientist and not a pysicist or chemist… but it won’t hit the planet. On it’s present course it will safely pass by in a little over two hours. Material will be lost by ablation but I don’t see that it will be very beneficial to the planet. The 27% iron and copper impurities will ionise and produce gold sparks and bright blue flashes.... quite pretty! “

Just as Cara finished talking the computer beeped again and displayed the information on her smaller screen. For her first question about the comet achieving warp speed naturally, the computer gave a ‘note enough data’ reply to give full answer. For the second about it having a warp signature and the phase oscillations the computer confirmed it did indeed have such showing up. To the question of if it matched any known races, the computer was able to confirm it did not directly match any known major or minor powers on record.

Meanwhile on scans Gork spoke up again since Cara had taken up the other investigation point. “..Commander, I ran back the scans of the moments leading up to the comet’s appearance and dropping from warp. There was a twentieth of a second measured drop in the local gravity field surrounding the entire system. The gravity drop system wide from the local star dropped nearly .82% of what it read before and currently during our time here. I then ran calculations on how such a drop system wide would effect local subspace and the energy output of it. From everything I can tell given the mass of the comet currently, the drop in local gravity and the time of its effect. The gravitational energy output would have been enough to propel the comet from up to 10 light years distant to this area at the measured warp speed of roughly warp factor 2.3. Scanning on our local stellar charts the closest point of origin to reach this system within the 10 light year span was an unexplored system beyond our borders and unclaimed space, though it does lie close to the last known border contacts with both the Klingon Empire and the Bolay Military District’s claims of expansion. I can not confirm however, if this form of transit was a natural unknown phenomena or something artificial. We could try launching a low warp capable science probe. It would reach the system in about an hour or so. It could provide more information..” Gork suggested.

Joe closed one eye and scratched his chin in what he supposed was the look of a semi-intelligent man in deep thought pondering great things. ” Wellllll… ’ he began as he turned to look at Gork. ” Perhaps we are looking at the problem from the wrong end. Let’s look for any naturally occurring system wide drops in gravity which have been recorded by believable observers. More than one such proven incident would be wonderful.”

Cara had also been deep in her own thoughts about the pretty comet display, and had missed the sudden order from the XO. “Right away Sir!” she said belatedly, and began programming a scan for local sytem wide drops in gravity wells and a search of the library computer for further historical data.

As the library computer crunched data Cara would see that historical information on comet diversion was limited. Romulans had some history on divering comets such as the comet Icarus IV in the Romulan Neutral Zone, but apart from that paticular incident with the USS Enterprise, the Romulans hadn’t been seen in a hundred years. It was humans, on Earth, who had most frequently diverted comets. Starting with the arrival of comet Burke in January 2155, they had diverted fourteen comets in the Sol system during a thirty-month long span, for the Martian Terraforming Project.

Cross was now focusing her attention on Cara, wondering what she’ll find ‘’Anything of interest? ‘’ she asked her.

“No Sir, nothing of much use to use anyway,” Cara replied. “According to the historical record, the most likely people to divert comets seem to be Humans from Earth. A possible second is the Romulans, but as you know, few people have ever seen them for a century. There is no record of Klingons diverting comets, though obviously they do have history when it comes to over-mining minor planets, and a total disregard for safety precautions. My guess would be that this is a third party instead, possibly someone that the planet’s natives are aware of, but for whom we have no record. Mr. Gork’s analysis of the Warp Signature might tell us more?”

“The we come to for the reason, ” continued Cara. “Well, the reason is not clear. The XO’s idea of it being of benefit to the planet by seeding rare minerals or climate change; this is not held out by an analysis of the comet’s composition. The only visible effect on the planet surface seems to be an attractive light show. My guess would be that the light show is meant to signal something to the native population. Maybe Captain Glen can discover what that is?”

• Cara Meow