Act 1 – A time and a place

We return to the team moments after they discovered the unexpected provenance of the components under isolation in the Klingon lab, deep within the Klingon compound on Vandel colony. The team begins a series of examinations of the components under inspection in the lab, with Shaw making a particular effort to decode the Klingon research logs. After some delicate security decoding, he was able to learn that a number of the research programs were focusing on the chroniton contamination of the components. After discovering the protocol was currently suspended (though they could not decode why), the team opted to resume the scans and compile the data. The team combined their efforts and skills to redirect the lockout and then began the scan protocol. Kaz noted that their radiation protection measures were coming to the end of their effectiveness and as further inoculations would likely be unhelpful they should be prepared to fall back if the scans turned out to be useless.

Unfortunately, the sudden exposure to the energy emitted by the scanning apparatus caused a sudden buildup of chroniton radiation in the isolation units. With the reaction quickly building beyond their ability to shut down, the team braced themselves as a wave of energetic radiation erupted from the artefacts and echoed throughout the lab, passing into the world beyond. Whilst the team themselves were unharmed, the lab and the base beyond were translated, the damage and destruction they recorded on entry, disappearing completely in an instant.

After investigation, recording the current chronometer of the base’s computer and several unusual disparities on the lab reports, the team surmised that they had been transported 7 solar days prior to the events of their arrival on the planet. Despite their limited access to base functions, they were able to establish that the base was still functioning, and inhabited, detecting nine Klingon life signs. After debating many options and concerns, including the temporal prime directive, the team opted to leave the base having found out the Waverider was still intact on the landing platform. Despite some disagreement, they all agreed they should aim to avoid any temporal shenanigans to the best of their abilities.

Act 2 – It’s only a little meltdown

The away team began their escape from the base, first emerging back into the main generator room where two Klingons were working on the main core, unaware of their presence. Their path would lead them directly past the core, which they had seen would be in a state of suspended meltdown in 7 days. Shaw warned that they must avoid neutralising the Klingons or risk interference, Katsu voiced whether there was the possibility they had already done it in the past of their timeline. Before the team had a chance to make their decision an emergency announcement sounded through the base, ‘Containment failure, abandon base, abandon base.’

Realising that this meltdown must be the one they had witnessed as suspended in their future the team opted to announce themselves to the Klingon engineers and begin providing support. Orlan quickly attempted to establish a high-level forcefield whilst Katsu worked with the engineers to attempt to stave off the meltdown by rerouting the generator’s cooling systems. Both were successful, allowing Shaw to attempt a more detailed scan of the core to investigate why it was failing. Unfortunately, his scans were mired by the chroniton radiation still rippling through the air. Following some excellent lateral thinking from the team the fuel to the core was redirected but the Klingon engineers announced the explosion was already self-sustaining. Quickly dropping the forcefield to allow the team to escape from the isolated engineering jetty, they were able to rig a temporary isolation field.

As the core began to explode the exotic matter escaping the core interacted with the heavy chroniton radiation and the energy of the forcefield to create a temporal bubble. As the two engineers fled for their lives towards the surface, the team came to realise, they had created the visage that had greeted them on their arrival into the core room. A fusion core, held in status, a thousand suns paused on the brink of a world-shattering explosion.

Act 3 – Do I stay or do I go now?

Unwilling to spend any more time in the base and risk further impact on the timeline, the team opted to proceed down a pathway they had not journeyed through during their ingress to the base. Deciding to follow the route the engineers had taken, Shaw managed to override the security lockouts and open the path towards the base’s small residential block.

After passing through the empty residential bunk, pursuing the disappearing footfalls of the evacuating engineers, the team found themselves back at the door to the main landing bay. Shaw again attempted to use his decryption and security skills to remove the lockouts and despite unlocking the doors accidentally activated a security alert. As the announcement echoed across the base the team realised that the drones they had seen earlier were part of a failsafe to protect the base’s secrets.

Emerging into the landing bay, the team quickly dispatched the three drones that were chasing the Klingons through the base. Unable to land a good shot one large drone ended the lives of the two Klingons preparing to launch the base’s shuttle, leaving the shuttle in the state they had first witnessed on their arrival. After a short firefight that looked to be a standoff, Kaz tossed his tricorder into the room, emitting an ECM scattering field in an attempt to disrupt the targeting sensors of the drones. The four officers then went on the offensive, forcing the drones back and dispatching the smaller two; with Katsu causing one to crash into the wall and Orlan forcing the second into an EPS relay, causing the major damage they had previously seen. The third drone retreated deeper into the base, towards the control room they passed through.

Whilst the team considered their next options, Kaz noting that the drone was likely hunting the Klingons they knew to be in the control room, the crewman aboard waverider warned them of a sudden emergence of a chroniton storm on the edge of the system. After instructing them to warn the comm base to evacuate, having realised the series of events now likely to happen, the team opted to attempt to neutralise the final drone. From behind the nearby doors to the control room, the sound of disruptor fire began as they turned back into the base.

Act 4 – For the sake of the timeline

The team returned to the control room too late, finding the Klingon officers already dead on the floor of the square command centre. The drone had already moved deeper into the base, towards the lab where they had originally discovered it in waiting. Finding themselves in relative safety, differing opinions turned into a debate about their next course of action. Some felt they should simply retreat on the Waverider and wait for seven days until Pioneer arrived and report to the Captain, hoping to avoid any further dangerous temporal interference. Others felt they were already fulfilling the timeline, having seen several instances where their interference had caused the state of affairs they had witnessed on their arrival. After a heated discussion, the team decided that their involvement was already causing disruption and perhaps their actions had already taken place. It was at this moment, that Orlan realised there were more dead bodies here than they had seen the first time around.

Despite the protestations of Katsu and Shaw, Kaz and Orlan decided to hide the two additional bodies in the nearby crates, knowing that they wouldn’t be found by the team on their arrival. Katsu became immobile at the thought of desecrating the bodies and refused to assist, retreating into the safety of her science as she explored the storage cases full of unexamined artefacts. Shaw also opted not to assist and instead attempted to discover more about the base’s aims by delving into the commander’s logs.

The logs revealed the base had been intended to study artefacts from a wreck the Klingon supply convoy had discovered on the edge of the system, a wreck they now know to be of the antique vessel, SS Pioneer. The Klingons had discovered the vessel was carrying exotic matter and with tensions with the Federation on the rise, the Klingon High Council had opted to secure this material for themselves. The artefacts had been brought to the base for clandestine study.

As Orlan and Kaz secured the last hiding place, the four came back together and discussed their next options. With the growing storm on the edge of the system they knew wasn’t present in seven days time, the team decided they should take the Waverider and at least investigate before deciding whether to retreat and wait or contact Starfleet.

The team departed the base, leaving a silent tomb for their future selves to ponder.