USS MILLENNIUM: in the mirror universe

Captain's log supplemental

Stardate: 8896977.1

All the tests of the ship's systems and capabilities were passed with flying colors, including the revolutionary transdimensional drive. For the first time in Starfleet History, we have voluntarily reached another universe. But a vessel of this other universe is now on an interception course towards us. 

"Were they able to identify us?"

Baoule shook his dark head.

"Highly doubtful, Sir; unless their sensor technology is significantly superior to ours, a hypothesis which in light of our current knowledge of this universe we have no reason to consider. Not only are they twenty light years away, extreme range for even the best long range sensors to make such a positive identification, but our DYCEP camouflage is active. What they have detected must be the quantum particle surge our emergence briefly threw out; what looks like a light flash on our viewer when we drop out of slipstream. Since this phenomenon is not usually detected in nature, they are understandably curious."

"Do not return scan," Kheren immediately ordered. "Remain on passive sensors only. Mister Snow, stay on thrusters and on course. Yeoman, our QSD drive is offline for an hour, correct?"

" As per cooldown requirements of the system, Fifty-three minutes, forty seven point seven-five-four-three..."

" Standard two digit second count from now on, Yeoman. I know this is a time ship and exactness of measurement is paramount, but we can manage with approximations during conversation."

"Aye, Captain," the weird looking young girl answered with a slightly contrite expression on her delicate features. "Fifty-two minutes, thirty seconds... mark."

" So," the Andorian mused out loud, "we can't go back yet or escape with a quick jump. And if we use the warp drive, even masked, it will be detected and they will have confirmation that an unknown vessel is near this quantum phenomenon they are coming to investigate. Even an impulse trail will be detected as such when they come near enough... Speculation: would they have QSD drive also in this universe, at this point in their timeline?"

"Again, highly doubtful in view of our knowledge of this universe," the science chief answered. "Our own quantum propulsion was jumpstarted by a fortuitous happenstance in the Delta Quadrant by the USS Voyager, thirty-seven years ago, and accelerated by the Borg threat. Unless events played out exactly the same way here, again highly doubtful in view of this universe's specific nature, they should not even have formulated a hypothesis yet to bring forth such a propulsion system."

"They might have taken it from us if they came into contact with our universe between then and now."

"A possibility, Sir; but would it be the case, they would use it right now to reach as quickly as possible the ephemeral mystery they have just detected."

"Tactical."

Tyvya projected the results of her passive tactical sensor readings on the viewer, displaying a starchart of the sector and a red blinking dot moving slowly from one side towards a blue one on the opposite side.

" They are moving at warp 9.2 directly towards our point of emergence. We are on thrusters only, two-hundred forty thousand kilometers coreward of our arrival coordinates. ETA with intruder, nine days, eight hours..."

"Captain! I'm detecting a power surge from the incoming object! Space is being severely warped around it! As if..."

Suddenly, as Irksos started to report from her station,  the red dot literally jumped to a tremedous speed as it flew accross the graphic map before their very eyes.

"Correction!" the Andorian giantess shouted. "Intruder jumped to transwarp 4! ETA... forty minutes!"

"Well, that gives us the rules of the game. People, they must not know about us. We have power signature masking, DYCEP sensor deflection and holographic camouflage; but all this can fail us in the long run if those people are as competent and persistent as we are and we fail to elude them. I need all options on the table and I need them now."

  David studied the MSD, paying particular attention to the DYCEP and holographic projection parameters while he thought about the captain's request for options. It wouldn't do to have these two particular systems suffer a glitch at this time. He was hampered however by the fact that he had no idea when and where he was.