[snip]

Bit by bit the Merrimack continued inward of the nebula along the way some electrical discharges sparked along the hull in their wake, but nothing that did any damage, a few shudders here and there but nothing the sturdy ship couldn’t face or had faced much worse in the past years. Eventually they came up within a light minute of the last buoy. Along the way they passed each one and their scans again showed nothing amiss, though as they reached the last buoy their refined sensors did pick up the several day old fading wake of the Trudrograd’s impulse signature. They were also now picking up the weak distress call of what seemed to be on a civilian system patrol band frequency. Garbled as it was they couldn’t make anything else out of it. The wake of the Trudograd showed they had made a course correction about 200 meters ahead of the last buoy to avoid a plasma eddy and helium gas cloud before their scans faded too much to make out more details. They still had a secure mostly clear connection back the way they had come to DS- K-5.

Since Glen had previously asked for them to look out for anomalies, the plasma eddy and helium gas cloud would be spotted and flagged up. “Anything unusual about that plasma eddy and helium gas cloud combination up ahead,” Glen asked Science.

NE Cullens spoke, “..Nothing unusual that we’re picking up currently sir..” he said

During the ship moving, Max kept an eye on the polarized hull. He had not noticed anything affecting the ship with the polarization. This made him happy. He always hated damage to the ship. He saw they still had access to get out which was important too. He did not want the ship to get stuck. He waited and watched for anything which might harm the ship.

“All Stop!” Glen told the Helm.

Cross stepped onto the bridge, standing next to Glen she acknowledge her presence by a curt nod and ‘’Captain’‘. The CMO looked straight ahead ‘’Sir, any news about the lost ship ?’’

“We’ve just about reached its last position, as calculated from it’s subspace radio signals,” Glen replied. “If there is any ‘monster of the deep’ space out there, then we should be meeting with it quite soon!”

“Jaris Andor,” Glen asked the new recruit who had just come to the Bridge, “please take over from Dariusz Pokorski at Navigation. I need a course plotted to avoid these plasma eddies and gas clouds. The upgraded shields seem to be holding thanks to Max, but it would be better if we didn’t need to test them to their failure.” Since leaving station DS-K5, Glen had not yet had a chance to meet the 28-year-old Command officer.

Cross knew all too well the dangers the Merrimack faced before and it did not look like this was going to be any different. She stood standing near the Captain’s chair in a calm and self composed manner .

The way Doctor Cross stood just to the side of his chair like that reminded Captain Glen of the way Kord, his old XO, would stand, silently and inscrutable. It was an unusual thing though, for Doctor Cross to be so quiet, calm and composed.

Glancing at the new recruit the CMO wondered if he had his medical yet, though the female doctor reasoned at this point in time he should stay on the bridge. Experience had taught her how everything could change in the blink of an eye .

Just as the Merrimack fully came to a stop though and after Cullens initial report, he spoke again at the intoning of a few beeps from his station, “..Actually wait sir! Just picked up something strange, the plasma eddy and helium cloud, sensors are now reporting that they have both dropped in energy output from the eddy and in helium composition from the cloud by almost 40-60% respectively, at the current rate of drops both will phase out of being present in about a minute or two. No signs yet on what is causing it though..” he reported.

“If they are natural phenomena,” Glen reasoned, “what could cause them to drop in energy output?” One of the greatest challenges in the field of gaseous anomalies, according to experts, was that we still didn’t understand the basics. Practically everything that the Federation knew about them was as a result of the USS Excelsior’s three-year mission to catalogue gaseous anomalies in the Beta Quadrant almost a decade ago.

“What do you think?” Glen asked the CSO. “I guess it could be an inconstant star; a Pulsar, spinning on its axis and radiating the nebula gases from its poles as it slowly rotates, but it could also be evidence of the presence of something more artificial and more concerning?”

‘’I have a hunch its the latter ‘’ Cross murmured her eyes never leaving the view screen.

“Aye Captain. Plotting course to avoid the eddies.” replied Lt. Andor, Navigator

“I’m curious, Miriam,” Glen replied to Cross, “Why does your sixth senses think it needs to be something unnatural?”

‘’Not quiet a sixth sense Captain ‘’ Cross replied ‘’ Previous ships have come to gather valuable gases thus was given the name ‘Honey pot ‘,while Risans are also members of the Federation and work in this nebula. Its the lost Trudoguard frigate which make me wonder how they disappeared from the radar and no communication that we know off was send .The frigate did not go in uncharted territory, they were well aware off the present gases ..yet we have no idea or even the slightest hypothesis to lead us on as to what might have happened’’ the female doctor paused ‘’Sir without our shields in full operation our ship is exposed to what ever is out there ‘’.

After a few moments Cross turned to look at Glen ‘’Sir maybe we are not the only ones who knows about the nebula and the gases within it?’‘.

“I don’t disagree with you on that. In fact, it’s entirely possible,” Glen replied. “Although we are near to the edge of Known Space as far as our own exploration has gone, we could be inside regions of exploration for some race we haven’t met yet. And since physics doesn’t change, and sensors and other systems function poorly in many nebulae, they are often used by starships to their strategic advantage. So, such as race, which wanted to remain concealed while they learn more about us, might hide out in such a place. And a race could be mining the same gases and minerals just as the Federation has been.”

“But I have several problems with that theory. My first, is that the same problems with sensors that prevent detection, prevent observation. So, using it as a look out rather than as a hide out would be tricky. If they are also miners, then why have they only been discovered now, and not when we first began collecting materials. But my main problem is just that of Occam’s Razor, that a natural explanation is a far more simple one.”

Cross shrugged ‘’Your hypothesis have valuation ,anything is possible the only thing we can do is move on with cation. Captain more often then not we are inclined to reason based on experience that we have gathered along the way ,who knows what lies beyond, its difficult to make an assessment based on any motive or intent ....if indeed the lost Trudoguard have actually came across something which we have no knowledge as of yet’‘.

The security’s words of *The Federation’s origin was to seek out new worlds and civilization * Cross understood that those words could only be put down in a fairy-tail book.

‘’Sir its my understanding that the ship cannot be protected with the shields ? I would suggest you put the ship in green alert as we move forward for the simple reason that the crew won’t to be caught off guard’‘.

“We do have some protection,” Glen corrected her, “Lieutenant Mullins saw to that by polarising the hull. It’s just not as effective as our full shielding would be. And we also have the… ahem! …alterations made by the engineers from the future …before we went against the Harvesters fleet ....but the nebula’s gases will work in the same way against all shields. As for a Green Alert, I just don’t like all those sirens and flashing lights, and I think the whole ship is aware that we are in dangerous waters right now. But I’m not going to sit here forever. We’ve been motionless for quite some time now and nothing untoward has occurred, so I think we should start moving forward again, but at a very low impulse speed.”

“In your own time,” Glen told Lieutenant Andor. “Once you have that new plotted course laid in, ahead one quarter Impulse!”

“Have you got Hunter and Kim to prepare Sickbay for casualties?” Glen asked Doctor Cross. “Maybe have the auxiliary nursing staff standing by too! I don’t wish to alarm the ship unnecessarily, which is another reason I’m not sounding any green, amber or red alerts, but I am concerned about what we are getting into here… I probably haven’t had such a bad feeling about anything since we did join that armada sent against the Harvesters.”

“Science,” Glen asked, “Anything further to report about the gas clouds and plasma eddies? Any pattern to the energy fluctuations seen… a signature, if you like? Does MABEL 2.0 recognise anything from her library? And ask her to try the hidden Supplementary Library Module! You will find it contains some information unavailable elsewhere. Authorisation - Glen-6-0-9-Delta-1-9. Just don’t ever ask where that info comes from.”

‘’Sickbay is fully prepared ,along with all medical personnel ‘’ Cross responded ‘’And if ‘’ she pointed at the screen ‘’Should we stumble on whatever is out there I’ll head to sickbay on the double ‘’.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that as a polite way of telling you to leave,” Glen added. “I know that Hunter and Kim are capable of handling anything they are given.”

Cross said nothing about the reluctance of the Captain putting the ship on green alert, after all it was there for a reason so all crew would be prepared for what may come and not be taken by surprise............ when and if the red alert would start flashing with the sirens on.

The turbolift doors opened and the Captain’s Yeoman, Faith Hopkins, entered the Bridge.

“Captain,” Faith said, “Ginger has gone missing again. I’ve looked all over, the Galley kitchens, the Warp Coils in Engineering. He hasn’t been seen for days now!”

“He’ll turn up!” Glen replied. “I’m rather busy right now. It’s a critical moment here.”

“Well, I hope you’re right!” Faith said. “Have you any PaDDs for me to collect up, or other clerical and administrative tasks? Otherwise, I’ll take the afternoon off and study for my Starfleet Medical entrance exam?”

“No, that’s fine,” Glen replied, “but they may need you in Sickbay if this mission turns for the worse.”

Faith acknowledged him, turned and left the Bridge again.

Cross looked at Faith and frowned ,why would she bother the Captain about his cat , when that feline animal knew every crook and cranny on the ship .
Before Faith had time to enter the turbolift the doctor caught her friend by her hand ‘’Faith why are you bothered about it?’’ she asked in a low tone that only the Captain’s niece could hear.

“Because I hate the damn cat, and I’m tired of being the one looking after it,” Faith replied. “If he wants a cat, he can look after it! But it is getting old, and I honestly haven’t seen it for about a week. It isn’t eating the food I put out and Chef hasn’t seen it either.”

Cross spoke with a calming voice ‘’Faith unbeknown to us maybe he ..em I mean it , made its way to the station and in all likelihood is sitting in some one’s lap as we speak or unfortunately is death somewhere or ‘’ she took a deep breath ‘’ Perhaps one of the new crew member is feeding it , just concentrate on your studies dear and forget about it ‘’ she was about to turn back but stopped ‘’ Shh …don’t say anything to your uncle , he has enough on his mind as it is ,if the cat is gone we’ll buy him a fluffy little kitten or a pet that Mr Spoke had as a child’’ the doctor tried to keep a straight face with her last suggestion.

“That’s possible about the new crew feeding him,” Faith replied. “We did take on a few at the space station, and I’m really confident about he exam, with your help. The quicker I’m off this ship the better. And I’ve spent too many years feeling indebted to him for saving my mother and I. I need to move on. You also taught me that!”

• Faith, Yeoman