Finally Catching up

Posted on Sun Jan 12th, 2025 @ 3:00pm by Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Coleman

1,131 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 119 - "Shattered Mirror"
Location: Science Lab 1
Timeline: 2403

[ON:]

Nick was leaning back in his chair in Science Lab 1, stretching his arms above his head as he attempted to alleviate some of the strain that he had gotten from the hours of paperwork had put into his shoulders. The soft hum of the station all around him created a background noise that allowed for Nick to get a bit lost in thought. The room was quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of PADDs across his table or the use of a console around him. He allowed himself a brief moment to close his eyes and gather his thoughts.

The recent incursions from the mirror universe left a mountain of reports to sift through. Coleman had read about Starfleet's encounters with the alternate reality starting in the 23rd century, but experiencing it firsthand was a wholly different beast. The latest incidents had involved a series of anomalies near the Kaleb system, where Starfleet thought there was a natural phenomena. It wasn't until a Klingon Bird-of-Prey decloaked, bearing an all too familiar Klingon/Cardassian Alliance insignia and engaged a passing freighter that the truth became clear.

Flipping through his padd, Coleman reviewed the data he'd collected during the investigation. The incursion had caused unusual subspace distortions—unlike anything recorded in prior encounters. “If this is new,” he muttered to himself, “we could be looking at an evolution in their technology…or perhaps something worse.” The implications of a more advanced Klingon/Cardassian Alliance sent a shiver down his spine. The very idea that they might be expanding their reach, or worse, perfecting their methods of crossing dimensions, was deeply unsettling.

He activated the holographic display above his desk, calling up a three-dimensional model of the anomaly. The swirling vortex of energy seemed almost alive as it pulsed and twisted. Coleman traced the edges of the anomaly with his finger, highlighting areas of heightened quantum activity. These pockets of energy, he hypothesized, could be the key to understanding how the mirror universe’s ships had crossed into their reality so seamlessly.

The first report was from Lieutenant Jorak, a Vulcan astrophysicist stationed in the Stellar Cartography lab. Her findings detailed the initial sensor readings that had flagged the anomaly. The distortions had been faint, almost undetectable against the natural ebb and flow of subspace. Jorak's precise calculations suggested that the Alliance might be developing a cloaking device specifically for dimensional travel. Coleman frowned. The implications of that were staggering.

“If they’re cloaking their dimensional incursions,” Coleman mused, “it’s no wonder our sensors struggled to pick them up until it was almost too late.” He made a note to speak with the engineering team about enhancing the station’s sensor arrays to detect similar anomalies in the future. If the Alliance was indeed experimenting with this new technology, Starfleet needed to stay one step ahead.

Setting the padd aside, he tapped on his terminal to pull up records from Starfleet Intelligence. Cross-referencing the recent activity against historical incursions, he noted patterns—similar distortions had been reported along the borders of the Cardassian Union two years prior. Could this be an orchestrated effort by the Empire to test their capabilities in various regions of the quadrant? The thought of the Terran Empire’s methodical expansion was unsettling. It suggested a level of strategic planning that couldn’t be ignored.

His mind wandered briefly to the people involved. For every report he read, there was a story of someone who had encountered their mirror counterpart. For many, it was a jarring experience. He wondered what his own doppelgänger might be like. Would they share his love of science? Would they be ruthless, calculating? Or something entirely different? The idea was both fascinating and unnerving. He shook his head, refocusing on the task at hand.

The chime of the lab door interrupted his musings. He glanced up as Lieutenant Gilmore entered, clutching a padd of her own.

“Commander, I’ve finished compiling the readings from the quantum resonance scans you requested,” she said, handing it over.

Coleman skimmed the data, nodding in approval. “Good work, Gilmore. This will help confirm if the Alliance is manipulating interphasic rifts to anchor their incursions. Let’s cross-reference this with the subspace profiles Jorak submitted.”

As Gilmore returned to her station, Coleman couldn’t help but feel the weight of their task. Science wasn’t just about discovery—it was about vigilance. The mirror universe had a way of throwing the unexpected into the mix, and it was up to people like him to ensure the safety of this universe.

His attention shifted back to another report on his console. This one detailed a brief, but intense firefight between a Starfleet vessel and an Alliance ship near the anomaly. The Commanding Officer painted a grim picture. The Klingon and Cardassian crew had been relentless, their tactics calculated and ruthless. They only retreated when reinforcements arrived, suggesting they weren't yet ready for an all out war or confrontation.

"They must be testing us," Coleman muttered to himself as he pulled up some more information. Adding a note to his report, Coleman recommended that Starfleet Intelligence prioritize gathering more information about the recent attacks and the players involved in those attacks. Coleman wanted to see what they could gather, so that no other vessel in the area would have to endure what the previous ships had to deal with.

Coleman glanced over at the time on one of the nearby consoles. Hours had passed since he first sat down, but there was still so much more that he had to get done. He let out an audible sigh, rubbing his temples as he knew that the reports weren't going to finish themselves. Coleman knew that Starfleet Command wanted answers about what was going on within the region and they expected those answers sooner rather than later. However, Coleman also knew that burning himself out wouldn't solve any answers that they might have had, so he gave himself another moment to gaze out of the viewport, watching as the ships were coming and going from Starbase 400.

Despite all of the challenges that him and the rest of the crew had faced, Coleman couldn't help but feel a bit of steely resolve at everything that has happened over the years. Between fighting off the Klingon/Cardassian Alliance from the mirror universe to helping the next generation of Starfleet Officers, Coleman knew that he loved it here on the Starbase, as well as what he did. Science, after all, was about uncovering the unknown and if the mirror universe was intent on making themselves known, then he would meet it head on with all the knowledge that he had gained over the years.

[OFF:]

Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Coleman
Chief Science Officer
Starbase 400

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