“I suspect the latent physiological connection is causing this to continue.”  Doctor Theodora Walker-Halsey stood outside one of the many medical labs on Montana Station.  She looked through the quarantine glass at the prone body of Lieutenant Sadie Fowler, “Given what little we know about Vocast, her people, and her abilities – the open channel between them must be closed…and quickly.”

Captain Helena Dread handed her a PADD, “We just got further results from the science team working on Vocast and her planet.  They think the connection between them is killing Vocast – expending that much energy and power cannot be done indefinitely.  Something eventually is going to have to give.”

Theodora read over the details, “This is curious.  They’ve identified parts of her physical structure with design elements similar to past and present communication technology.”  She felt the inkling of an idea begin to formulate as her mind raced to reach the conclusion, “It could be similar to blocks that are used to prevent telepathic species from interfering with non-telepaths.  The study of her brain will still require completion, but we may be able to block the signal..and then work to untangle their connection without harming either of them.  It’s going to be a lot of trial and error.”

Helena felt some relief, “Anything is better than nothing. Where do you want me?”

“You take Fowler.  I’ve asked Doctor Reid to assist.”

“She’s going to get half of what she wanted.”  Captain Alexandra Pantuso tossed her PADD onto the desk in her ready room.  “Goddamn it.”

“You wanted her to get nothing, I take it?”  Commander Charlie Hargraves asked from the couch.  They’d arrived at Montana Station an hour ago.  Fleet Captain Fontana had been waiting to escort their passenger to her new department offices.  He slipped Pantuso a PADD with the revised staffing changes.  They’d returned to Dragonfly with Pantuso’s simmering anger at bay until the door had closed behind them.

She replied, “You know I said we shouldn’t show how much we hate Intelligence?”  He gave a curious nod.  She groused, “I’m considering amending my own rule if it means I get to stick it to her as much as I can.”  She paced the floor slowly, annoyed at Captain Ki’s effect on her.

Charlie tapped at his PADD, “I’ve got some good candidates to replace them.”  He sighed, “We’re still going to be short.”

Pantuso moved to agree with him but was interrupted by, “Captain to the bridge!”

They swiftly made for the door and entered the bridge, Alexandra asking, “Report?”

Ensign Lita Morrison was at science, her eyes wide, “Montana Station is reporting a situation with the Tholian capsule they were examining.  It has reactivated and is attempting to depart the station, causing some damage along the way.”

Alexandra made for the center chair, “Get me Command Operations.”  She looked to where Ensign Oscar Reede’s seat was, finding it empty, “And find me Ensign Reede.”

The screen blinked on, Captain Peter Crawford working a console as alarms sounded loudly in the background: “Dragonfly, we’re going to need to transport this thing outside of the station…and we’re going to need you to follow it.”

Pantuso nodded and the channel closed, “Yellow alert – helm be ready for some fast footwork.”  The lights on the bridge tinged to a dull yellow as a low klaxon rang for thirty seconds.  Oscar Reede’s embarrassed face slipped through the rear doors of the bridge, and he quickly took his seat, enduring a severe stare from his captain.

The bridge crew collectively leaned forward, watching until the cargo transporters on Montana Station spat the ship out a hundred meters from the station.  It hung in space for a split second before it surged off and away.  Alexandra ordered, “Engage intercept course – let’s see where it takes us.”

Lita flipped back to her station, examining the current trajectory.  She adjusted for a few variables as the Dragonfly went to warp in pursuit.  The computer returned several similar scenarios.  She watched the lines traverse the star map until they reached a similar conclusion.  She whispered to herself, “Shit.”  Turning to the center of the bridge, she spoke up.  “Captain, the computer approximates the intercept point to be the area where the Perseverance is operating.  Estimate arrival in two days at current speeds.”

Pantuso felt the tingling of concern rumble around the back of her neck. “That doesn’t feel like a coincidence.  They’re investigating the appearance of a Shephard ship.  Suddenly, a Tholian capsule takes off and runs towards them.  Mr. Reede, update Captain Walton on our status with the capsule.  Miss Morrison, get all the data from Montana Station – see what they could get before it bolted.”  She turned her attention back to the screen, “Let’s hope the Shephards keep their distance.”

“There’s something wrong with the nebulas – both of them.”  On the bridge of the Perseverance, Lieutenant Hazel Wallaker had run the scans and the scenarios.  She could no longer ignore the inevitable staring back at her from the screens.

Captain Wren Walton walked from her command chair and sat beside the Perseverance’s Chief Science Officer, “Walk me through it.”

Wallaker put the two on her displays, “Ever since the Shephards launched the probes in, the readings have been getting more erratic.  The unstable one is starting to trend more unpredictably, while the stable one is trending more into the type of the other.  I got what little data I could from scanning the probes, but I don’t think the probes are causing this.  I think they’ve put them there to make sure nobody messes with whatever is about to happen..”  She changed the screen to display the records her team had worked to identify the remaining Arbiters of Life, “It’s a rough list – some haven’t been seen for years while others seem to have a regular path.  The problem is – none of the ones on file have a path that takes them anywhere near this part of the rimward.”

Walton rubbed her chin with her right hand, “Damned peculiar.”  

Her Chief of Ops, Lieutenant Matthew Phillips, broke her concentration. “Captain, we’re receiving a message from Dragonfly.”  She gestured for him to continue.  He read the message’s details, frowning as he finished with the detail of where the capsule was headed.

Wren turned in her chair and asked Wallaker, “What is a Tholian artifact doing waking up and flying towards us?”  She stared at the display, with more questions tussling for her attention.

Hazel fixated on the data for a minute longer before gingerly working the console to pull up the data on the capsule, “What if…this isn’t Tholian?  I mean…some of it is, obviously…but what if there’s something else to this capsule and whoever was inside it?”  She switched the display back to the two nebulas, “The computer approximates that these two will now collide…here.”  She marked a point on the stellar map, “Which is between the planet and the sun.”  Hazel brought up the planet, “None of it is habitable.”

The CO asked, “Could they somehow be used to…jumpstart some kind of…terraforming?  The Shepherds are all about protecting the Arbiters of Life…another ingredient is needed.  I know enough to know nebulas on their own can’t terraform or impact a planet like that.”

Hazel agreed, “We know from what little history we have that the Shepherds play a long game.  What if this event is part of that?  If those nebulas and that capsule collide at just the right moment…what if that begins the process of creating life on this planet?  Life that eventually serves a purpose with the Arbiters of Life?”

Walton stared at the screen, “That’s the first thing that’s made any sense with this.  How much time until the capsule arrives?”

“Forty-eight hours.  You think this is the play, Captain?”

“It’s either that or the Tholians have decided to pick a fight with the Shepherds.  As much as I’d love to pay a shuttle’s load of latinum to see that fight, I have to hope the Tholians are more intelligent than that.  Which means we have plenty of time to get ready for the birth of a new baby planet.” The look on Wallaker’s face was one of perplexing amusement.  Wren chuckled, “How often do you get to play nurse to an infant planet?  Mr. Phillips, start by notifying Montana Station – this system will need cordone orders, quarantine alerts, and everything else.  If nothing else, we need to let the rimward know the Shepards have considerable interest in this system.”