Chapter Text

Chapter One: Mistakes

Six Years Ago

It was serendipitous happenstance that the shuttle that departed the hangar bay of the USS Columbia with its three occupants, had been named after the very man who had invented the transporter.

Almost two hundred fifty years earlier, Emory Erickson had revolutionized how people traveled from point A to point B and thereby changed mankind’s history forever.

It was therefore only fitting that it was a shuttlecraft named Erickson that would take Michael Owens to the site where a new generation of inventors and scientists hoped to make history yet again by once more changing the manner in which people would journey the stars.

For the newly minted first officer of Columbia, this occasion was more than just being a witness to history. This mission, his first significant assignment in his new role, had a very personal element to it as well. After all, it was none other than his older brother who had made this new technology his life’s work, and that was now due to culminate in a unique experiment like none that had ever come before.

It wasn’t an easy task to process not only the anxiety he felt over his very first, major assignment as a command-level officer, he was also very much aware that his brother’s entire life’s work might depend on the outcome of the coming experiment.

He tried to ban those distracting thoughts to the back of his mind as he watched the Erickson approach that large, green planet through the shuttle’s forward viewport.

A gunmetal gray circular device sat in the planet’s lower orbit. Its peculiar form distinguished it from more traditional satellites. Shaped like a wine glass, a steady blue energy beam emitted from its long stem that was focused on a particular point on the surface of the planet. The pulsating beam, functioning like an anchor, kept the satellite firmly in geosynchronous orbit while the dish-shaped end of the device pointed into outer space.

The Erickson quickly began its descent toward the planet’s surface, and the source of the energy beam, thousands of meters below. The surface was not directly visible from space. The energy disappeared beneath a massive buildup of green and gray clouds.

Circular lightning patterns shot through the coverage. Every so often super-charged yellow particles would flash up in the skies. The storm was impressive and yet it hadn’t reached its full strength.

A few kilometers west from where the beam disappeared, even stronger and more erratic storm patterns were building up and moving eastwards. From space, the distance looked like inches but it would take at least another hour for the storm to hit.

Lieutenant Commander Michael Timothy Owens watched the spectacle below with great curiosity, standing just behind the sitting pilot, outwardly calm and unconcerned, his dark blue eyes fixated on the storm below.

Michael had made first officer at the ripe young age of thirty-two, which as far as Starfleet was concerned, was quite an accomplishment. But then again, he had always seen himself as a career officer. Not because he had an overwhelming desire to climb the ranks but because he was an explorer at heart and for him, the only true way to be an explorer was to someday sit in that center chair on the bridge of his very own starship.

He had made plenty of sacrifices in his life to achieve that dream. Some of his desires had taken a backseat for him to dedicate himself to that one goal.

There had been occasions when he had come to regret the choices he had made. There were plenty of things he had never gotten around to doing and many people he wished he had gotten to know a lot better along the way. But it had all been worth it, he told himself. Sacrifices were a necessity for people with great ambitions.

And he couldn’t exactly complain about the way his life had worked out so far. He’d had a chance to see some truly marvelous things as a Starfleet officer and encountered alien species he couldn’t have possibly even imagined. He enjoyed his work on Columbia, even if he’d only arrived very recently, and so far, he got along with most of the people he worked with including Captain Mendez.

And most importantly his recent promotion ensured that he was once again right on track to someday command his own starship.

The shuttle was quickly drawing closer to the surface and quite suddenly the storm below looked much more threatening than it had from a higher orbit.

“You’re sure we can make it through that?”

The pilot turned his head to look at Michael. A bald-headed, blue-skinned Bolian, youthful but showing no signs of inexperience. Michael knew he was one of the best pilots Columbia had to offer.

He graced him with a wide smile. “We should be all right,” he said, “Our shields will deflect most of the discharges. It won’t be a smooth ride. I suggest that you brace yourself, sir.”

Michael gave him a curt nod. A soft hand touched his shoulder and he looked around to see an angel standing behind him.

He knew perfectly well that DeMara Deen was as real as he was. And yet he couldn’t blame anybody for making that mistake. She was beautiful beyond measure. It wasn’t just her sculpted figure in her form-fitting black and blue science uniform, her shimmering golden hair, or those radiant purple eyes. It went beyond the physical; Deen possessed what could only be referred to as a mystical aura that seemed to defy explanation. It had an inexplicably calming, almost spellbinding effect on those around her.

Michael noticed the Bolian officer losing his focus for a mere second before turning back to his instruments.

Michael Owens was more resistant. Not because she found her any less enchanting but because he had been fortunate enough to be one of the first to be allowed to visit her home world and had spent significant time with the Tenarian people.

In fact, he had been among the Starfleet crew to make first contact with the Tenarians just five years earlier. It had been as his assignment as Starfleet ambassador on Tenaria that he had come to truly know DeMara.

She had been fascinated with humans and he had been more than happy to teach her everything she wanted to know. She had been only eleven years old then but no longer a child. Tenarians matured much faster than most other humanoid species he knew.

She was sixteen now but to all outward appearances looked like a woman in her early twenties. Not many people realized that behind that young and gorgeous face was an incredibly sharp mind.

She smiled at him and Michael couldn’t resist returning it in kind. He might have been able to keep his focus but to resist that smile he had not yet learned.

“You better take a seat,” she said softly. Her voice was perfectly suited to her character. Even though comforting, it carried with it a self-confidence that hinted toward her high intelligence.

Michael nodded and followed her to the back of the small craft. There they both sat down on opposite benches lining the bulkheads.

“You’ll do fine,” she said as if reading his thoughts.

Michael looked up to make eye contact. “I’m nothing more than a glorified observer here. It’ll be up to you science folks to pull this off.”

She shook her head slowly. “Only reason I’m here is because Doctor Frobisher and your brother found me the least objectionable science officer on board,” she said.

Michael smirked at that. The two scientists had fought tooth and nail to keep Starfleet away from their project. When Captain Mendez had insisted on at least a pair of observers, Michael Owens and Deen had been an easy choice. However, he was sure that the Tenarian didn’t appreciate being chosen for a mission because of her charms.

She let that pass. “They want as few outside people around this experiment as possible. It’ll be all up to them to make this work. I’ve spent the last week studying the science and the math behind this and I still only understand a fraction of it. What I do know is that this is a landmark event for molecular science and possibly the first step in revolutionizing space travel. We might be witnesses to the beginning of a new era.”

Her excitement was hardly a surprise. She had been looking forward to this opportunity for weeks now, ever since Columbia had been assigned to the project. Michael was not as well versed in the exact science and it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

Her admission that even she didn’t fully understand it made him feel a bit better about his own ignorance.

He knew the basics, of course. He understood that it was the first attempt by Federation scientists to transport matter from one star system to another; many light-years apart. He knew that it utilized a new revolutionary technology and he was also aware that if it was a success, it wouldn’t be long until starships might become obsolete. A sad thought for him and yet DeMara’s exhilaration was contagious. Who didn’t want to be part of history in the making?

He turned to look at the storm again. The shuttle was now just moments away from diving into the dark clouds.

She followed his glance. “This planet is the perfect testing ground. I heard it took Frobisher and your brother years to find it.”

He nodded. “They predicted this storm would hit the surface six years ago,” he said and didn’t even attempt to understand how this unique electromagnetic storm was a required requisite for this experiment to work. It had something to do with the electron density in the lightning charges that would properly stimulate the dark anti-matter on which the experiment relied and make the matter transport possible.

What puzzled him the most was the fact that this sort of anomaly had never been witnessed on any other planet in the known galaxy and as far as he knew it would not happen again on Periphocles V for another hundred years or so. This was the only chance for this experiment to take place.

DeMara had tried to explain that Frobisher and Matthew were trying to learn from the experiment how to reproduce similar conditions artificially, which at the moment completely eluded Federation science.

“Brace yourselves,” the Bolian said.

Michael held on tightly to his seat as the shuttle dove into the clouds. He soon found out that the pilot had clearly understated the storm’s intensity.

* * *

The shuttle pilot proved his worth and steered the Erickson safely through the thickening storm and landed it near a provisional encampment mostly made out of tents and simple prefab buildings.

Doctor Owens and Doctor Frobisher had made this place their home for the last two years, working feverishly on their experiment. It usually also housed the forty-something assistants and workers that had been part of this undertaking from an early stage. However, the lead scientists had decided to have them all evacuated to Columbia for the time being. It had been considered safer to have only a handful of people around when the delicate experiment began.

The safety concerns were at the forefront of his mind as Michael stepped out of the shuttle, closely followed by DeMara who appeared much more excited than anxious.

As soon as they had both cleared the small vessel, the Erickson took off again and shot back into the sky. Michael watched the departing shuttle until it had disappeared in the dense green clouds above.

Cobalt blue and saffron-colored lightning shot silently through the thick sky. As he looked south, he noticed what was still to come. A front of pulsating green mass was moving toward them. It looked angry as though nature herself was out to unleash all its fury at once.

A deafening roar emanated from the approaching inferno and Michael was momentarily stunned. He looked over to where DeMara stood. She seemed fascinated by the spectacle, not in the slightest intimidated by the sudden noise.

Michael turned his attention to his surroundings. Periphocles V was a rough and uninhabited world mostly covered by tundra and wasteland. It bordered on a miracle that it contained a breathable atmosphere. There was not much to look at here besides wide-open land with a few mountain ranges in the distance. The entire surface appeared to be drowned in an eerie pastel green.

Not far from the landing platform, on a slightly elevated plateau, stood a large round structure about twelve meters high and eight in diameter and shaped not unlike a delicate old-fashioned flower vase, with a wide, round base and a slim top. It was connected to all sorts of conduits to machinery nearby. Michael had visited the encampment before but he had not seen the finished device until now. It was unimpressive from the outside but he had been told that it housed some of the most sophisticated technology presently available. Or at least that was what its designers had claimed. At the top of the structure sat a large emitter that projected a pulsating blue beam into the sky.

As Michael and DeMara approached the device he noticed a second emitter, this one pointed at a small platform close by. On the platform were several containers and crates, no doubt the test subjects that were to be transported through the device to a planet light-years away.

Another emitter came to life just as they passed the platform, startling him. This one shot out a light red beam that quickly and completely engulfed every single object on the platform.

Michael threw DeMara a concerned glance. The experiment was not scheduled to begin for another hour.

“It’s a containment field,” she said as they walked up the plateau. “It reinforces the test subject’s molecular cohesion and prepares them for the exposure to dark anti-matter.”

Michael nodded, pretending that he understood what she had told him. It appeared to be harmless, that’s all he needed to know for now.

They reached the device and found just one person working on what looked like final adjustments. It was Columbia’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Amaya Donners. She was not working directly on the machine itself. Westren Frobisher and Matthew Owens had not allowed any Starfleet engineers to interface with the device itself, instead, Donners was double-checking the power levels from an auxiliary monitoring station placed near the machine.

Michael hesitated. He hadn’t been looking forward to this meeting. He had been Columbia’s first officer for just a few weeks and had managed to avoid the chief engineer for the most part.

DeMara noticed his discomfort immediately. She had arrived on Columbiashortly after him and didn’t know Donners well at all. But from what she had seen, she had appeared to be an efficient engineer. And yet this hadn’t been the first time she had noticed Michael’s discomfort around Donners. The few times she had brought it up, the first officer had efficiently deflected her questions.

He had shown an uncustomary disinclination to speak about Amaya Donners, leaving her to realize that if she wanted to find out what exactly was the matter between the two of them, she had to hope for the chief engineer to provide answers.

Donners turned to face her approaching colleagues. She was an attractive woman about Michael’s age but easily passed for five years younger. She had creamy brown skin and short straight hair that seemed to be all about business and practicality. She carried herself with distinction, like a person meant for greater things. And while DeMara Deen possessed a more ethereal beauty, Amaya was undoubtedly the more sensual woman.

There could be little doubt that Donners possessed a sharp intellect and great ingenuity. Her dark eyes made contact with Michael for just a few seconds, shooting him an icy glance.

“We are all set here,” she said matter-of-factly. “All systems are working within expected tolerances and we should achieve optimal atmospheric conditions in about one hour and twenty-two minutes.”

For a few seconds, nobody spoke.

“Where are the doctors?” said Deen finally, not able to bear the silence any longer.

“They’re going through last-minute calculations,” she said. “They should be joining us shortly.”

DeMara nodded and looked at Michael. “Dark anti-matter can be extremely dangerous if there are any discrepancies in the calculations. But if this experiment succeeds it might become a new reliable power source, ten times more powerful than regular anti-matter reactions.”

Michael wasn’t listening. His focus had remained on Donners who had returned to work without paying any attention to him at all.

The first officer stepped closer to the device, faking curiosity in a control panel close to where Donners was working at. “This is quite something,” he said to nobody in particular, still looking at the control panel. “We’re going to be witnesses to history in the making. Exciting, isn’t it?” he said with a smile, turning toward Donners.

“Quite,” she said with little emotion in her voice and avoiding eye contact.DeMara watched both of them with curiosity.

“You think this machine has the potential to make us all obsolete?” he said, glancing up at the accelerator.

“How do you mean?”

He looked at her. “If we can just beam people from one planet to another there won’t be any more need for starships. Certainly not chief engineers.”

Donners frowned and Michael immediately regretted his choice of words.

“Or first officers,” he quickly added.

“I’m sure you’d find another job. Getting ahead in life has never been a problem for you,” Donners said, her frosty tone revealing a hint of spite.

The young Tenarian didn’t miss it. She was suddenly painfully aware that she was eavesdropping on their conversation and quickly turned away to focus her attention on a power conduit nearby. But not without keeping at least one ear honed in.

Michael’s smile had faded. “If I remember correctly, you were as dedicated to your careers as I was. And you’ve done pretty well for yourself, if I may say so.”

“I’m so glad that you approve.” She made no effort to hide the sarcasm now. “And I’m proud of what I have accomplished. On my own, without stepping on anybody’s toes.”

Donners confirmed a suspicion Michael had held for a while now. She had wanted to replace Columbia’s outgoing first officer herself and he was now pretty sure that she had lobbied hard with Captain Mendez to get that position. But in the end, for whatever reason, Mendez had decided to give the post to somebody else. He knew it couldn’t have been her age; their birthdays were just ten days apart.

“Not that it matters but I didn’t ask for this position,” Michael said, going on the defensive. There was no reason to do that. He did not have to justify anything to Amaya Donners. But then why did he feel like he had to?

Donners cracked a malicious smile. “I bet it helps to have friends in high places though,” she said and turned away to leave.

That point hit home. She knew Michael had never been happy about having an admiral as a father. He hated to be reminded of it and he had always vehemently denied any notions of nepotism that colleagues liked to entertain. But in the end, how could he even be sure? He was in his father’s realm of influence if he wanted to or not. The obvious link to his father had often caused him to doubt himself and his achievements. It was his Achilles’ heel; he knew that and apparently so did Donners.

He took a deep breath and a decisive step forward. He pushed the doubts about possible favoritism out of his mind as he moved closer to the chief engineer until his face was just inches from the back of her head. The sweet smell of her hair filled his nostrils. For a short moment, it brought back pleasant memories.

“Commander, if you have a problem with me as your commanding officer, I suggest you say so,” he said with a stern voice that he managed to keep not much louder than a whisper. “We will need to have to work together and I don’t want there to be any issues between us that could affect our working relationship.”

Amaya Donners didn’t reply, didn’t even turn around. Instead, she just walked away.

Michael couldn’t quite believe her contempt. “Commander?” he called after her, his voice much louder now.

Donners stopped and turned to face him. “You won’t need to worry about that, sir,” she said putting special emphasis on the title. “I’m leaving Columbianext week.”

Michael was speechless. “You requested a transfer because of me?”

“Oh please, don’t flatter yourself. I was offered a position as a first officer. I’m merely thinking of my career, Michael. Of all people I’m sure you’d understand,” she said and then quickly excused herself and left for the encampment.

Michael simply stood there, watching her leave.

DeMara joined him. “Good for her,” she said.

He nodded. “She always said she’d make captain before me. Who knows, she might be right.”

“You two go back, don’t you?”

Michael didn’t reply.

“What happened?”

The first officer turned to the large machine, inspecting the same control panel he had looked at before.

A roaring thunder made the ground of Periphocles V tremble slightly.

He looked skyward. The pulsating clouds were almost on top of them now.

* * *

A few minutes later a very familiar face approached Michael Owens from the encampment. He was just a little shorter than him but four years older. He had the same brownish hair that he wore slightly longer. His distinct, almost chiseled chin was very similar to his own. Michael had always considered his brother to be the more handsome one. He took much more after his mother while Michael shared his father’s more hawkish features.

Michael greeted his brother with an easy smile. He had been reunited with his Matthew only about a week ago after not having seen him for years. His brother had left home as soon as he’d had the chance, no longer willing to live in the same house as his father. He didn’t blame him at all. Not only was he better looking, but he had also always been the smarter one. And that he certainly had proven by now.

“Michael,” Matthew said, returning his younger brother’s smile as he stepped up onto the platform. There was something else in his eyes that Michael noticed immediately. Concern perhaps or maybe something more serious. Probably not surprising considering that the moment he had waited for most of his life was now fast approaching.

“About time you showed up for your own damn show,” Michael said and gave his brother a firm hug. He presented his companion. “You remember DeMara.”

Matthew’s smile widened as he spotted the Tenarian officer. “How could I not? I’m glad you decided to join us.”

“Trust me, it’s an honor to be here.”

The scientist looked at her for a moment and then shook his head. “That you’ve been hanging around this lame space jockey all this time just baffles me,” he said with mock surprise. “You should come and work for me. You just might learn something interesting for once.”

She smiled. “I will certainly consider your offer.”

Michael pushed his brother away. “Oh no, she won’t. You will not steal her away. There’re enough people here already whose success has gotten to their heads.”

Matthew laughed.

Michael put an arm around his brother’s shoulder and they both watched the large device in front of them. “Though you deserve it,” Michael said looking at the machine, “I’m damned proud of you.”

DeMara watched the two brothers with a smile of her own. She had never had much of a chance to see them together. It seemed almost as though they’d been thrown back into time, two kids playing with their toys and having a blast. She turned to join their appreciation of the slick gray machine. “What are you going to call this?” she said.

Matthew answered. “Well, technically it’s a D.M.A.Q.M.A. A dark matter/anti-matter quantum matrix accelerator.”

“I don’t know,” said Michael, “it doesn’t have a ring to it.”

“I’m considering calling her Big Betty but I don’t think Wes likes it.”

Michael smirked. He remembered that his brother’s first girlfriend had been named Betty. She had been a rather tall girl for her age, which had earned her the nickname.

Matthew’s facial expressions became more somber as he turned back to his younger brother. “Mike, I need to talk to you before we get started.”

The Starfleet officer nodded and Matthew led him a few paces away from the machine.

“What is it? You’re not getting cold feet on me now, are you?”

Matthew didn’t reply right away. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the encampment. He let out a small sigh.

Michael could feel that something serious was troubling his brother. Something he’d rather not speak about but felt obligated to communicate nevertheless. He put a hand on his shoulder. “Talk to me, Matt.”

Matthew looked at Michael, cracking a small smile. “This has been quite a ride for me. For Wes and me. We’ve dreamed of this moment since we first started together back at Cambridge. It feels like a lifetime ago now. And it’s hard to believe it’s all about to come true.”

“I understand. I can imagine the pressure you must feel.”

Matthew nodded. “I’m worried, Michael.”

“I’m sure that’s perfectly normal. This is a chance of a lifetime, am I right?”

“Yes, but I’m worried about Wes.”

“Doctor Frobisher?” Michael didn’t know Doctor Westren Jarett Frobisher well. He knew that Matthew had met him at Cambridge and that they had become close friends. They had shared the same dream and decided to make it their life’s ambition to turn it into reality.

He had met Frobisher only a few days earlier and he had gotten the impression that he was a highly intelligent man. Quiet but intelligent. He was a few years older than Matthew and seemingly uncomfortable around people he didn’t know. But he was a friend of his brother’s and that meant something to him.

“What about him?” said Michael. “Is he having second thoughts about this?”

He shook his head. “No, not at all. He’s completely dedicated. Maybe a little bit too much so.”

Michael fixed him with a quizzical look. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Did you know that he first came up with the idea of a dark matter/anti-matter accelerator back in high school?”

“I thought you came up with this together.”

“We did. But he had laid out the groundwork long before we even met. He had been obsessed with the idea ever since. Over the last few years, it’s been getting worse. He lives and breathes for this and I’m just worried that maybe…“ Matthew stopped himself.

“Are you saying that he might not be up for this? If you need more time to–“

Matthew cut him off. “That’s just it. We don’t have more time,” he said sternly. “This is the one and only chance we’ll ever get at this. If we don’t follow through with this experiment now, we will not get the right environmental parameters for another hundred years or so. And there is no way we can reproduce the right environment artificially. If it doesn’t happen now, all our work will have been for nothing.”

Michael turned away to look at Big Betty waiting for her moment to shine. He let out a sigh. He knew that a large portion of Starfleet’s scientific community had their eyes on this.

Everybody wanted this to go through. Captain Mendez had talked to him in private about this experiment just a day earlier. He had stressed how many resources the Federation had already put into supporting this project and how many high-ranking officials in the Council had shown a personal interest in this matter. Michael could sense that Mendez himself had probably been given a similar lecture by his superiors.

He turned to face his brother again. He spotted a look of uncertainty and doubt on his face. “We have to go through with this, you know that.”

Matthew nodded his head ever so slightly. “I do.”

“All right, worst case scenario?”

“Dark anti-matter is incredibly powerful but also extremely unstable. If we make a mistake, we could end up blowing ourselves to pieces.”

Michael nodded. He had anticipated something like that. Risks, of course, were inherent to his job, he fully understood this.

“And there is a small chance that we blow away Sentaka XII,” he added more quietly.

Michael’s eyes opened wide. That, he had not anticipated. Nobody had even hinted at a possible danger to the site to which Big Betty was supposed to beam the test subjects. A trip that would take a starship eight hours at high warp was to take Big Betty just a few seconds.

“Sentaka XII is populated.”

“The chances of that happening are minuscule.”

Michael and Matthew had not noticed that Westren Frobisher had made his way to the dark anti-matter device. The slim man with an unruly haircut and sharp facial features had taken up position at the main control console. He looked with dismay at the two brother’s conversation.

“Gentlemen,” he shouted. “Time flies!”

The Owenses turned to look at Frobisher who was impatiently waiting by the accelerator.

Michael took a deep breath. “I guess it’s show time.”

Matt nodded. “There is one more thing you should know. Something that I observed during early test runs. I may not be important but you should know.”

“Doctor, I need you over here now!” Frobisher shouted. “This is not an opportune moment for idle chitchat.”

“Tell me later,” Michael said. “Go and make me proud.”

Matt smiled and hurried over to Big Betty.

“Good luck!”

Frobisher looked up from his instruments. “Luck? Luck has nothing to do with it, Commander. Today you will be witness to destiny unfolding.”

Michael could begin to sense why his brother had been concerned. Frobisher sounded nothing like what he had when he had first met the man. Gone were his reservations and inhibitions. He seemed completely alive now. But how could he not be? He and his brother were about to make history. All Michael could hope for was that there was enough room for a footnote making mention of the fearless Starfleet officer that had stood by them at their moment of triumph.

Matt took his place next to Frobisher. “We are forty-five minutes from the event threshold.”

“Time to initiate dark matter/anti-matter reaction process,” Frobisher said and went to work.

Amaya Donners had by now also returned and together with DeMara they set up at a secondary console that would allow them to monitor each process. Michael stepped behind the two women. From his vantage point, he had a good view of everything that was going on. He looked skyward.

As far as he could see the sky was pulsating in bright green, yellow, and blue lights. There were no sounds but the lightning above could have struck fear into the most courageous heart. It shot through the sky and toward the ground in circular motions, spiraling down at them and leaving behind a whirlwind of light.

And then the thunder began anew. Michael cringed at the ear-splitting noise the sky unleashed. He could hardly hear his own thoughts, not to mention Frobisher and Matt’s procedural announcements.

A lightning strike shot down toward their position and Michael jumped when he thought it was going to hit right on top of them. It didn’t. Instead, it was deflected to one of the tall poles that had been erected all around the platform.

DeMara offered him a smile when she noticed his discomfort. “The probability of being struck by lightning is smaller than us being hit by a meteor.”

That didn’t help at all to put Michael at ease. He looked up again, now also keeping an eye out for rocks falling out of the sky.

“The dark anti-matter flow is within predicted parameters,” said Donners. “Thirty-five minutes to event threshold.”

“The storm will soon reach an exact neutrino density that will be highly sensitive to quantum energy exposure and create a unique singularity. Something akin to a tiny wormhole inside the atmosphere. The dark anti-matter will allow us to transport an energy beam through that singularity and the idea is that it will duplicate it on Sentaka XII,” Deen said, shouting to make herself understood over the noise of the thunder above.

Michael had heard this before but it certainly didn’t hurt to be reminded of what was about to happen. He had never quite liked the idea of opening a wormhole inside the atmosphere of a planet. A few weeks earlier he surely would have called the attempt ludicrous.

“Containment field at eighty-five percent,” shouted Matthew Owens from the main controls.

Michael turned to the transporter dais. The red beam was now gaining intensity, creating a force field around the test subjects. If that was what it took to beam something from one world to another, he could honestly not see how anyone would volunteer for that procedure. As for him, he would have preferred a good old starship anytime.

But then he was certain that people had similar concerns when the regular transporters had been first introduced. And now it was just another essential part of everyday life, as regular and as safe as blasting through space at faster-than-light speeds.

Tensions ran high for the next few minutes. Doctor Frobisher and Matthew announced all kinds of information that didn’t make much sense to him. And it wasn’t because he didn’t understand science. He was convinced that he had a decent enough grasp on the basics of many of the natural sciences. But the things that were going on here just went completely over his head.

Donners and DeMara read out status reports that were slightly more comprehensible to him. All the energy outputs and power concentrations seemed to be within tolerable levels. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. All the while the storm around them gained in intensity, the lightning now striking the poles almost constantly. The wind had built up as well, making it difficult to stand without support. The cobalt beam emanating from the top of Big Betty was pulsating with ever more feverish speed.

And then something happened that Michael had not expected. He became dizzy and his vision began to blur. He looked at the others but they seemed to be fine, completely focused on the task at hand.

Michael took a few steps away from the large accelerator. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping the sensation would pass.

When he opened them again, he found that the world in front of his eyes had changed. He no longer stood where he had been just moments before. He stood further away from Big Betty and was certain that it now looked slightly different than it had only a moment ago. The design was still more or less the same, but the machinery and conduits around it had all changed.

Perplexed and still feeling dizzy he looked around. Donners and DeMara remained by the console but they were frozen in place by the containment beam that had targeted them instead of the test subjects.

Frobisher was close to the transporter platform where he was having a heated debate with a tall Vulcan. The man had a weapon trained on the scientist.

Michael couldn’t spot his brother until he looked toward his feet. He was laying in the dirt, wounded badly, blood pouring out of his chest and mouth. He was trying to speak.

“Michael,” he whispered.

“What happened?” Michael managed to ask, still not over the shock and confusion of the world changing around him

“Michael!”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he whipped around.

“Michael, are you all right?” said DeMara with concern evident in her purple eyes.

He looked at her for a moment. It took him a second to realize that he was back where he was supposed to be. Everything was exactly the way it had been before.

“You seemed like you were somewhere else for a moment,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

Michael shook his head, trying to rid himself of the cobwebs in his brain. “I’m not sure.”

“Orbital satellite fully powered and ready to transmit,” shouted Frobisher. “We are all systems go!”

Michael forced himself to ignore what had happened and gave DeMara a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about me. We can’t afford to miss this.”

Reluctantly she let him lead her back to the console.

“T minus five to event threshold,” said Donners. There was much more excitement in her voice now. She was anticipating this moment as much as the others.

Michael could not entirely shake the strange sensation he had experienced. But as much as he tried, he could simply not make sense of any of it. He ultimately attributed the entire episode to dark anti-matter radiation playing strange tricks on his mind.

“Brace yourselves!” Frobisher’s voice was euphoric.

DeMara however frowned. “I’m detecting a point zero zero five increase in quantum neutrons in the atmosphere,” she looked at Michael with concern. “This is not supposed to happen.”

Michael directed his glance at the two scientists. They had noticed the anomaly as well.

“This is nothing,” Frobisher shouted. “Compensating by increasing dark anti-matter flow to seven point eight percent.”

Donners shook her head. “More anti-matter might cause instability within the singularity.”

“I can compensate for that,” Frobisher shot back angrily.

“Not if the quantum neutrons continue to increase. Point zero zero seven now.”

Michael didn’t like where this was going. He understood enough to know that if the wormhole became unstable, they might not be around long enough to see the end of the experiment.

“I’m changing the modulation of the energy flow. That will lessen the effects of the quantum neutrons,” Frobisher said and went to work zealously. Time was running out fast.

“Four minutes to event threshold,” Donners said.

Michael locked eyes with his brother. He could see his concerns resurface. He began to slightly shake his head.

Michael turned to DeMara. “Changing the modulation? Will that work?”

DeMara looked at her read-outs. She seemed uncertain about what Frobisher was up to. “I’m not sure but it might. He certainly could control the increasing neutron levels this way.”

“I sense a but.”

It was Matthew who answered his question. “Wes, we’ll risk instability at the point of reemergence!”

“No, not necessarily,” he said without looking up from his instruments.

“Sentaka XII?” Michael said.

“The wormhole at the other end might implode,” DeMara said. “I can’t even imagine the damage that might do.”

“Two minutes to event threshold!” Donners said, now unable to hide the increasing stress in her voice.

Michael had heard enough. He stepped around the observation console and toward the scientists. “We need to shut it down.”

“No!” Frobisher shouted. “No, this can work. I can make this work.”

Matthew put a hand on his friend's shoulder. “Wes, it’s not worth the risk. I’m sorry old friend.”

Westren Frobisher shook off the hand and pushed Matthew away. “I won’t let you shut it down. Don’t you see? We can make this work. I know we can.”

Matthew’s eyes grew larger as if he no longer recognized his friend. This man was completely taken over by his need for success.

“Matt, shut it down!” yelled Michael from across the platform.

Matthew nodded. “There is no other way,” he said and went to work.

“Event threshold: T minus one minute!”

Right above them in the sky a rift was beginning to open, tearing away at the very fabric of space.

“I won’t let anybody stop us now. Not now,” Frobisher spat and stepped away from his colleague.

Matthew looked after him with surprise as he quickly vanished. He didn’t have time to wonder about him. He had to focus on stopping the events that had been set in motion and that if allowed to go ahead could destroy an entire world. “Shutting down the dark anti-matter flow.”

Frobisher reappeared by the main body of the accelerator. “Like hell you are,” he said and entered a command into an override console.

Matthew looked up in shock. He raised one arm toward Frobisher. “Wes, don’t!”

It was too late.

A power feedback surge shot through the console Matthew was standing at and a single energy burst hit him square in the chest. The force of the impact gripped his body and catapulted him away from the console.

“No!” Michael screamed and ran towards his brother.

Matthew hit the ground and when Michael got to him he found the front of his shirt completely burned away. The rest of his clothes were quickly being soaked by the blood streaming out of the large wound on his chest. Michael raised his brother’s head gently off the ground. He was still hanging on. But blood was coming out of his nose and mouth.

“Temporal anomaly,” he said barely audible among the thunderous noise coming from above. “I meant to tell you … before.”

“Try not to talk,” Michael said. “I’ll get you out of here.”

Matthew shook his head feebly, already fully aware that all help would come too late. He coughed up more blood, trying to find the strength for a few more words. They never came. The life had left his body, only an empty and broken shell remained.

Michael’s hands trembled when he checked for his pulse. He could not find it. His brother’s eyes were empty, his heart had stopped beating.

It took just a few seconds for his emotions to make a dramatic shift from despair to blinding rage. He stood and spotted Frobisher working on an auxiliary console.

Filled with just one thought he did not hear either DeMara or Donners shouting at him. Instead, he charged the murdering scientist who turned around just in time to see Michael jump him.

They both collapsed to the ground and Michael began to mercilessly pound his face until his nose cracked and blood was covering his fist. It was only then that he heard the voices.

“Event threshold imminent!”

“Shut down the accelerator!”

Michael stumbled to his feet. DeMara and Donners were racing across the platform but judging from their expressions they would not reach the controls in time.

Michael on the other hand was just a couple of arm’s lengths away from the machine that was about to unleash all sorts of doom and despair on a planet light-years away.

Overhead the emitter was loudly swirling to life, the blue beam steadily getting stronger.

Michael stepped to the computer console Frobisher had been working on but he knew he didn’t have the time to find the right controls. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted several power conduits connecting Big Betty with additional generators and equipment.

He didn’t waste any time.

He stepped up to the machine and began ripping out one conduit after another.

He screamed as pain shot up his hands but he didn’t stop. By the time he had removed the last conduit, he couldn’t even feel his arms any longer.

Exhausted, he slumped to the ground with his back against the accelerator.

He looked up.

Above him, the cobalt beam had disappeared and the dark rift was beginning to close again. By the vibrations, he could feel the machine behind him powering down.

When DeMara and Donners finally reached him they were out of breath. They found him with his eyes firmly fixed on Frobisher’s beaten and bleeding body. The scientist’s chest was rising and falling as he desperately fought for each breath.

Michael’s glance wandered to where his brother lay completely motionless in the dirt.

The storm had quickly vanished and bright rays of emerald-colored sunlight were making their way through the dissipating clouds.

Michael closed his eyes as he felt tears running down his cheeks.