Home on the Enterprise - An Old Man's War/Star Trek TOS Crossover

Day 1

15 Magellan, 2270

The small spacecraft had just skipped into the Phoenix system when a wormhole opened in its path. Sensors detected the existence of the wormhole precisely 0.938 seconds after the engines powered up again – by far not enough time for the pilot on duty to divert the ship's course. The hull of the CDFS Raptor buckled and collapsed under the pressure of the wormhole. All of the ship's systems failed. There were no survivors. None, that is, except the thing known only as E15-863.4, sealed in its space-approved incubator.

Not that E15-863.4 knew anything about wormholes, space or even the people who had created it. E15-863.4 did not know anything yet. It would only begin to absorb information when its tank was opened, and it would learn the fundamental principles of the universe from the person who opened it.

Because of this minor flaw in E15-863.4's creation, it has the potential to become the greatest threat to ever be unleashed upon the universe. That is why the project was brought under CDF management, and all the scientists working on it had green skin and computers in their heads. These people were the only ones who could be trusted.

Until now. The green-skinned scientists, although less vulnerable to space vacuum than their unmodified human counterparts, were equally susceptible to the devastating effects of the wormhole. They were all dead. E15-863.4 survived. Depending on who opened the incubator, there could be serious trouble, perhaps even the end of the universe as we know it.

As it happened, the universe was safe. It was Commander Spock of the USS Enterprise who opened the incubator.

***

"Captain, sensors detect something at bearing 192 mark 37," Spock said, gazing intently at his panel of instruments.

"That's very close," Kirk noted, worried. "What is it, Mr Spock?"

Spock tore his gaze from the instruments and looked his captain in the eye. "I do not recognise the configuration," he said. "But it is small. A one-man vessel or escape pod, perhaps."

"An escape pod? They might be in trouble. Uhura, hail them."

The comms officer pressed a button on her panel. "Hailing frequencies open," she said.

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise," Kirk said. "Identify yourself."

"No response, sir," Uhura said.

"It appears that the vessel is not equipped for communication, captain," Spock said. "I read only a life-support unit containing one life form. There are scratches on its surface. I surmise that it was on board a larger spaceship when something happened to it. There is not enough data to say precisely what."

Kirk pressed a button on his armrest. "Bridge to transporter room," he said. "Spock is sending you coordinates for a life-support unit we've detected. Beam it aboard. Kirk out." He stood up. "Mr Sulu, you have the conn. Spock."

Spock nodded and stood. Captain and first officer left the Bridge and took the turbolift to the transporter room.

"It's not beaming up," Scott said, a surprised note in his voice.

Spock walked over to the intercom on the wall. "Mr Sulu, deploy the tractor beam," he ordered. "Bring that unit aboard on the hangar deck."

Then he and Kirk entered the turbolift again, determined to learn the life-support unit's secrets. They exited outside the hangar deck.

"It's just re-pressurised, sir," the crewman outside informed them. "Safe to enter."

He opened the doors for his superiors and all three entered, eager to see what manner of thing could refuse to be beamed up. The unit appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be some sort of incubator.