Lieutenant Stanley Palmer stepped out of the turbolift onto the Bridge. With a swift turn to the left from the lift, he briefly saw the helm and navigation stations near the view screen, and then he saw Lieutenant Taldor Vynar, their Andorian crew-member, who had just rose from the Captain’s chair. This lead Palmer to believe that Bruce was either in his Ready Room or on the holodeck plowing the fields again.

“Hello, Lieutenant Vynar. How was the conn?” Palmer asked before he took his place in the Captain’s chair. The warmth of the chair made him a little uncomfortable.

Palmer watched as Vynar sat down in the First Officer’s seat. “It has been roughly two days since we left Starbase Four-Fifteen. We are at cruising speed of warp six and will arrive at the freighter in six hours. Still no response from the freighter.”

Palmer frowned. “Why not faster?” And then he saw Vynar’s antennae shift with the frustration look on his face.

“The Chief Engineer is being cautious right now, in case the engines fail again.”

Palmer sighed heavily but before anything else could be said or done, he felt a sudden lurch forward in his seat as if the inertia dampers were thrown on at the last minute. Then he noticed the lack of stars streaking all around the view screen. “Report.” He saw Lieutenant Jasmine Harper at the helm station, turn her seat around so she could look directly at him.

“The engines just suddenly stopped,” she reported.

Before Palmer could contact engineering, he saw the door to the Ready Room open and Bruce came right out. “Bridge to Engineering, are we seriously having engine trouble again?” Palmer heard from Bruce, as he rose out of Bruce’s chair and sat down in his own after Vynar had vacated it. He watched Vynar head around the small, familiar wooden arch to stand by the tactical officer.

“Uhh, this is Lieutenant Travis Calhoun, sir. The Chief is a little busy but she says that that it is not the engines. So far, all diagnostics come back clean but she is running a level one right now, which will take a few hours.”

“Commander, I cannot raise Starbase Four-Fifteen. In fact…” Palmer heard Vynar pause, which was unusual, as they had never heard their Andorian officer ever be troubled to pause. First time for everything, Palmer thought, when both him and Bruce stood from their seats to look at Vynar.

“What is it, Vyn?” Palmer heard Bruce.

Vyn looked up from the console with a heavy sigh. “Our long range comms are no longer working. Or at least…I’m not a hundred percent sure. I will try something.” And then they all saw Lieutenant Pippa Hayes step up to Vyn’s side from behind him, where the science station was and she chipped in.

“Sirs, I just performed an intensive scan throughout the region. Thankfully, we’re configured with three sensor pods, which has significantly helped.” Palmer went ahead to interrupt her.

“What is it, Pip?” He asked.

“There is an unknown phenomenon that is currently blocking subspace,” She paused to turn her head, Palmer believed she was reviewing her sensor data, and then he saw her look back at them. “Let me rephrase. This phenomenon is creating massive, unpredictable fluctuations in subspace harmonics. In fact, if we had not had three of these sensor pods, I would have had to make a request to engineering to conduct these scans, as it would have required massive amounts of power.”

“What do you mean?” Palmer heard Bruce ask.

Palmer watch Pip look back at her data on the science screen before she looked back at them with a sigh. “It’s incredibly disruptive, sir. With three of our sensor pods, I was able to punch through the disruption without any change in power requirements. But with it affecting subspace harmonics…”

Palmer sighed heavily and looked at Bruce. “Subspace comms and warp fields will be heavily affected.”

“Precisely.” Palmer heard Pip confirm it for him, and Palmer watched Bruce turn his head to look directly at him.

“That may be why Starbase Four-Fifteen has not been able to contact the freighter. But why are they so close to the border?” Palmer knew that was a rhetorical question, so he looked up at the ceiling.

“Bridge to Engineering, Lieutenant, are you still there?” Palmer asked.

“Yes, sir, I am.”

“Cal, from what Pip told us, there is nothing wrong with the engines. An unknown phenomenon is disrupting subspace harmonics. Is there a chance that the chief can establish a warp bubble?” Palmer asked, and then there was a pause for like five minutes until Calhoun got back to them.

“Sorry, sir. Chief had to run some numbers and simulations. Yes, we can achieve warp but the best we can get is warp one point five.”

‘Jesus’ Palmer heard someone say but he did not care right now. The important thing is that, they have warp speed still. “Lieutenant Harper, how long will it take us to reach the freighter at that speed?” He watched Harper turn to her console to get him those numbers before she turned in her seat to look at him.

“Another day, two at the most.”

Palmer sighed and looked at Bruce. “That’s the best we got. But we’re right at the edge of this phenomenon.” Palmer then turned his head to look at Hayes. “Right, Pip?”

“From what the sensors are telling me, yes, we just entered it,” She replied and Palmer looked back Bruce.

“Sir, my recommendation is that we return to Starbase Four-Fifteen and inform them of the situation. Perhaps this phenomenon is isolated, perhaps it’s not. Either way, Captain Hunt needs to know.” Palmer told his Commanding Officer, now to see if the man will take his recommendation or not. And Palmer can see Bruce was contemplating on his options. Palmer knew that there were lives on that freighter that may need help. He knew that the supplies on that freighter were important to a colony not even that far away from their current location. But where did this phenomenon come from and why is it suddenly here? It was not here before, not that it was reported from any ship in the past week or so.

Palmer realized he was about to get his answer when Bruce pulled his eyes away from the view screen and looked directly into his eyes. “Sorry, Commander. But we have our orders. Helm, continue course to the freighter, at best possible speed,” said Bruce and all Palmer could think right now, is that he hoped that Bruce made the right call.

Bruce stared at the freighter that was on the view screen. They had finally dropped out of warp in the vicinity of the freighter and were able to locate it despite the issues they were experiencing. Fortunately for them, short range sensors were not affected. Unfortunately for them, the freighter was adrift, warp plasma spewing out of one of their nacelles, and scarred from what looked like weapons fire.

“Report,” Bruce requested as he pushed himself out of his chair to step up and in between the officer at operations and Harper at helm.

“Sensors indicate their main power is offline. Auxiliary power is stable, life support stable but no life signs,” said Harper as she looked up from her sensor data to stare hard at the corpse of a starship. It was not her first time to see a ship adrift like this, but it was never easy.

“Detecting multiple weapon signatures on the hull,” Sighed Stan as he leaned against the wooden arch while reviewing the tactical data. “This indicates that the ship was attacked by pirates, sir.”

Bruce cursed quietly under his breath. “Whatever this phenomenon is, interfering with subspace, has given pirates a tactical advantage.”

Stan pushed away from the arch and made his way down towards Bruce. “The only conclusion I can think of, is that the freighter was caught in this phenomenon, and then ambushed by pirates. With the disruption to subspace, they couldn’t escape by warp, nor could they call Starbase Four-Fifteen for help. And with limited defenses, they didn’t stand a chance.”

Bruce did not like assumptions, and he knew Starfleet Command wouldn’t either. So he turned to face Stan, and looked directly into his eyes. “Lead an away team. Get a full report. Find out if the cargo was stolen and see if there is any data on which pirates attacked the ship.”

“Yes, sir.”