The Other Torres | A Star Trek Fanfiction *Book 1*

Eye of the Needle-Chapter 21

"Second Officer's log, stardate 48579.4. The crew has been scanning constantly for anomalies that might help us shorten our journey home. Ensign Kim has reported an exciting discovery. A subspace disturbance which may be a wormhole." said Amanda finally creating her first log that isn't a personal log.

Janeway and Amanda enter. Tuvok and Chakotay are at Harry's station. "Let's see what you have, Mister Kim." said Amanda. "There. It's registering only on subspace bands. We don't even have it on long range sensors yet." said Harry. "Verteron emanations. Tunnelling secondary particles. It certainly looks like a wormhole." said Janeway. "But is it stable enough for us to enter, and if it is, where does it lead?" Chakotay said asking all the right questions. "There is, of course, a seventy five percent chance the wormhole will not lead to the Alpha Quadrant." said Tuvok. "Very true. But you can also say there's a one in four chance it will. Those aren't bad odds. Any analysis yet, Ensign?" asked Janeway. "Too far away. We'd have to be within a thousand kilometres to get a detailed analysis. That would mean a significant course change." said Harry. Amanda smiles. "Well, Harry, if there's even the possibility of finding a wormhole, I think we can afford a detour. Lieutenant, input the coordinates and change course." said Amanda walking down the small set of steps that lead onto the main part of the bridge.

Janeway and Chakotay smile, it seems Amanda's settled into her new roll perfectly. "Aye, Mandy. And may I suggest, if this works, we petition the Federation Astronomical Committee to officially designate this the Harry Kim Wormhole." says Tom, Harry looks up at that, Amanda looks at her friend and smiles.

Later. "Captain, we're approaching the coordinates of the wormhole." said Tom. "On screen. Are we in visual range?" asked Janeway. "Affirmative, Captain, and the anomaly is still registering on subspace bands." said Harry. "Sensors also indicate it's there." said Tom. "Magnify. Increase to highest magnification." said Amanda, everyone looks shocked at the smallness of the wormhole. "If that's a wormhole, it must be the smallest one on record." commented Chakotay. "Mister Kim, are you able to analyse it?" asked Janeway. "Aye Captain. It's virtually microscopic. The aperture is only about thirty centimetres in diameter." said Harry. "I guess it's a little too small for us to fly through." comments Tom. "However, it might be large enough to act as a conduit for a message." said Tuvok. "That's right. It could carry a compressed data transmission to Federation space in minutes." said Harry. "We still have to find out if it goes anywhere near the Alpha Quadrant. Can you trace it's subspace bearing?" asked Amanda. "I can't get any directional readings at all. The aperture is too small." replied Harry. "I recommend we launch a microprobe into the wormhole." said Tuvok. "Agreed. Do it, Lieutenant." said Amanda. "Aye, Commander." said Tuvok.

The probe is released into the wormhole. "We're receiving telemetry." said Harry. The viewscreen shows a green tunnel. "It doesn't look like any wormhole I've ever studied." comments Tom "nor me" answers Amanda. "Microscopic gravitational eddies, extremely constricted spatial dimensions. The pathway's barely wider than the probe itself." said Harry. "I think what we're seeing is a wormhole in an advanced state of decay. Must be ancient. Probably been collapsing for centuries." said Janeway. "Does that mean we can't send a message through it?" asked Tom. "No, I can do it. Maybe it'll take longer to get through, but the wormhole's still stable enough to carry a transmission." said Harry. "Any idea yet where that message would end up, Ensign?" asked Chakotay. "I'll try extrapolating the verteron exit vector. No, I can't get it. There's a strange phase variance in the radiation stream. We'll have to wait until the probe exits." said Harry. "That shouldn't take long." said Amanda. "Captain, I'm getting a distorted energy reading." said Tom. "The probe's telemetry has changed." stated Tuvok. "It's stuck." said Harry. "Stuck?" asked Amanda. "It's mired in a gravitational eddy, and because the wormhole's in a state of collapse, those eddies are incredibly dense. That probe will never break free, Captain, and we'll have no way of finding out where the wormhole ends." said Harry. "Let's give it some time. Maybe it will work itself loose." said Amanda, when Harry gets something, he's confused. "Captain?" asked Harry. "What is it, Ensign?" replied Janeway. "Our probe was just scanned. There's somebody on the other side of the wormhole." said Harry. Amanda, Tom and Harry look at each other, shocked that someone was on the other side of the wormhole.