SG Nova Roma, Chapter 3.27

27 – Approaching Major Trouble

(Spera – Mess Hall – Year 2, Day 6, 1130)

The Vicerant Research Station was roughly three days in FTL away from Novus Prime. Vale had told Levine to modify their course and speed so that they would arrive at 1200 hours exactly. That way, they would be able to perform what the Ancient database called a Level Three scan of whatever was ahead. The scan would take a hour, which would leave them with three hours to analyze the results. Then a fresh shift would take Spera closer to the Vicerant Research Station, which they had codenamed Charlie.

But before they arrived, Vale was doing his homework. So he was reading Aranov’s report on the Research Station and the Black Hole. ~Nikita is right, it’s too neat to be a coincidence.~ He had just finished it when Alec Colson walked in. Colson grabbed something to eat and then sat down across from him.

“Doing some light reading ?”

“Yes,” Vale began. “Nikita’s report on Charlie and the Black Hole,” He handed the report to Colson. “I know that you’re an Engineer, not an astrophysicist. But what’s your opinion ?”

“Well, I agree that’s it too big a coincidence,” Colson said. “But Nikita is not that kind of scientist, there’s no data to crunch the numbers. Once we have the scans…” He took a bite from his sandwich. “….Allison, Jennifer and I should be able to get together and give you some answers.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Vale said. “And make sure that all the telemetry makes it up the DSI Network, I want the eggheads on Atlantis and Earth to pitch in as well.”

“You got it, boss.”

“I’m going to see how things are going on the bridge.”

Vale walked out of the bridge, while Carl Grogan walked into the Mess Hall. He collected a meal, before sitting down where Vale had been. While he did so, Colson had begun reading Nikita’s report. He had read it when it had been added to the database, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to dust off his knowledge.

“Nikita’s report on Charlie ?”

“Yes, there’s not much there,” Colson said.

“Rule 39,” Grogan said, which made Colson smile. It was well known aboard Spera that Grogan was an avid NCIS fan. There were also whispers that he had a crush on the character of Ellie Bischop. “And there is something that keeps nagging at me. I’ve read the report on the Xivolo and their time travel device. And not once, not once, is the word rogue in that report. What if the Xivolo created a standard issue black hole ?”

“That would be bad. Really bad.”

Colson finished his meal, while he pondered the combination of Nikita’s hunch and Grogan’s suggestion. If both of them were right, there something bad had either happened or was about to happen. Either way, he had some research to do. So he made his way out of the Mess Hall and got busy.

(Spera – Science Lab – Year 2, Day 6, 1503)

Spera had dropped out of hyperspace on schedule. And the scan had gone off without a hitch. So Hailey, Colson, Aranov and Porter had been sitting in the science lab looking at screens. Colson was studying Charlie, while Aranov was translating all the station’s com-traffic and Hailey and Porter were studying the starting point of the black hole. Which turned out to be the site of an anomaly. And Charlie orbited that anomaly. As for what the anomaly was, that was the big mystery. The area was a bright light surrounded by what appeared to be ‘simmering’ space. It was like hot air above a plain. At least, that’s how it looked to Vale.

“What have we got ?”

“A lot of conflicting data,” Porter said. “Whatever this is, it is NOT very stable.”

“So,” Vale began. “If it’s that true, why hasn’t it eaten Charlie ?”

“Over to you, Alec,” Porter said.

“Charlie appears to be emitting some kind of anti-gravity field,” Colson began. “She also has shields and high-power thrusters. The station is accompanied by what appears to be a transmitter satellite. The satellite is several thousand kilometers farther out, so I am thinking that our anomaly messes with subspace communications. Speaking of which…”

“….Right, that’s my cue,” Nikita began. “I’ve translated all their com-traffic. And it appears to be telemetry on the anomaly. Based on what I’ve seen so far, these guys are preparing for some kind of experiment. But they are sending the data back to their homeworld for double checking. The problem is that I have no idea what the experiment is.”

“Okay, let’s make that priority number one,” Vale said. “Figure out the experiment, figure out the anomaly, figure out what to do next.” He turned to Hailey. “I want Alison, Alec and Nikita to work on that. Your job is to come with a Plan B, draft whoever you need.”

“You got it, boss,” Hailey said.

Vale walked out of the Science Lab and left them to do their work. He hoped that figuring out the experiment would set them on course towards solving the puzzle in front of them. But he had been around long to Plan A didn’t always work. So he assigned Hailey to come up with a Plan B. ~Always have back-up plan.~ Only time would tell if it worked.

(Spera – Briefing Room – Year 2, Day 6, 1530)

Spera only had one Science Lab, so Hailey had hijacked the Briefing Room – which was rarely used - and done some improvisation. She had drafted Cinara, T’Zalo and Xander Henderson to help her with Plan B. The four of them were studying the data they had on two laptops and a large screen mounted on the wall. And – like Alison Porter had said – that data was largely contradictory. Which wasn’t really helping their efforts.

“You know I’m a technical sergeant, not a scientist,” Henderson began. “And don’t you have a whole bunch of scientists on staff ?”

“We do,” Hailey said. “But I need them to focus on their regular duties and Plan A. Besides, I’ve learned that scientists sometimes overlook the obvious. Having a non-scientist looking at the data saves you from that pitfall.”

“Good point.”

There was a moment of silence as they all studied the information. Then T’Zalo suddenly had an idea. He hit several keys and the image changed. It showed a star chart of the space between Charlie and Novus. Then he hit several more keys and a red line appeared. But while the line ended at Novus, it did not begin at their current location. T’Zalo hit several more keys and a green dot appeared. It was marked ‘Novus Prime’ and was below the red line.

“It is not what is here that is key,” T’Zalo said. “The red line is the course of the rogue black hole, but I told the computer only to draw the line where it could confirm the presence by means of the destruction it left behind. But look at these three closest solar system….” He put a yellow circle around them. “…which are on the course. And thus should have taken a major beating. But…”

“….Have zero damage,” Cinara said.

“So, how does a rogue black hole skip three solar systems ?” Henderson asked.

“Whatever it was, it could be the cause of that anomaly,” Hailey said. “And…,” Now she had an idea. “….hyperspace. That’s how it could skip three solar systems. What if the black hole somehow ended up in hyperspace and was ‘launched’ somehow ?” She hit some keys on one of the laptops. An image of the anomaly appeared. “What if this is not an anomaly, but the scar tissue from some very powerful event.”

“Sounds like you are making progress,” Vale said as he walked in.

“Yes,” Hailey said. “We have a theory to work with. So, I’m going down to the lab to compare notes.”

“Well, I just came from there,” Vale began. “Apparently, the experiment they are planning is some kind of manipulation of the anomaly. They also learned from the communications logs that Charlie send several probes into the heart of the thing. It showed them that there is a temporal element to the area. Also, whatever the experiment is, it is going to be executed in three days.”

Hailey felt a theory forming inside her head. ~I just hope that I’m wrong.~ Because if even half of what she was suspecting was true, they would be in major trouble. She gave Vale a look – which the Colonel understood immediately - and then stormed out of the room. Vale didn’t ask what she was thinking, but simply followed her. ~She has a hunch, and if she’s right. It will be bad.~

(Destiny – Stasis Pods Corridor – Year 2, Day 6, 1532)

Ginn woke up in a stasis pod. The unit opened and she stepped out. ~What happened ?~ She looked at her hands, then flexed her fingers as she realized she was no longer inside Destiny’s computer. ~No way.~ She took a couple of steps as the reality of that sank in. Then she realized something. ~Where is Doctor Perry ?~ As if on cue, a second stasis pod opened and Amanda Perry stepped out. The look on her face was one of pure shock.

And Ginn couldn’t blame her. A car accident had left Doctor Perry a quadriplegic at age nine. She had probably been dreaming off this every day since then. And now that dream had come true. She now had a working body again. Perry had huge grin on her face. Then they noticed that there was a third stasis pod with somebody inside it…