R.T. has no problem assembling the modulator. It's just not as easy as picking up a tricorder and pointing it at some object.

Without Koram on the other end, though, it would have been really tricky syncing it up with the inverter.

Of course, no one knew what would happen, even if it was successful.

As the two engineers slowly brought the two devices output together through the aperture... suddenly everyone in the subspace bubble was back in the facility, including the device that had generated the forced singularity in the first place. It's no longer connected, though.

Everyone from the subspace bubble feels like they are being squeezed through the opening of a soda bottle. They aren't physically being squeezed; rather, the subspace bubble is being squeezed back into normal space and everyone goes with it.

"Well that was unpleasant but we are back."

Silviene  moves over to be checked out by the medical personnel.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 169):

     Upon appearing back in normal space, Shard's antennae droop and he places a hand over his eyes.

     "Owwwwwwwwww-chuh!" Shard moans, "My head hasn't hurt this bad since that hangover after a night of stupidly drinking all that Bloodwine swill. Urp!"

     Shard suddenly removes his hand from his eyes, and looks around the room--mostly at the Klingons--finally sighting the XO.  He walks over to her and assumes the At Rest position.

     "Lieutenant Commander Shard Vinzz reports the successful completion of Operation to rescue missing Klingon Lab Personnel.  No incidents, no casualties.  Doctor Kondratev has reported that we have all been exposed to some radiation, and only one of the Klingons seems to be suffering advanced effects of the radiation--and according to the timeline set down by the Doctor, we all got out of that place in time, and everyone can still be successfully treated for the radiation."
     "Over-all, XO, these Klingons seem amenable to working with us to clean all this up--all but one of them appear to be from the Klingon's technical caste, and that one exception is a Warrior Officer.  The radiation was hitting him pretty hard, though, so we might not have the pleasure of his company any time soon."
     "That's the over-view, XO.  Officer Felis and I will have more detailed reports for you by oh-nine-thirty tomorrow."

=/\="Acknowledged, Commander Shard,"=/\= comes the reply from the Captain.

=/\="Commander T'Shran, finish up with the Klingons, and then report back to the Mongoose. Captain th'Valla out."=/\=

He couln't very well tell her about the other ship and the other Klingons over the comm.

They still needed to find out about the Federation ship sitting on the asteroid just outside the Klingon facility.

In reply to Anther th'Valla (msg # 172):



=/\= Transporter Cheif Beam us up. =/\=

In reply to Miranda T'Shran (msg # 173):



Shard gestures for the other Mongoose crew members to join him in gathering near T'Shran in anticipation of her ordered beam-out,

"I take it then, Commander," Shard asks Miranda, "that we'll be leaving the runabout here, with the Klingons?"

In reply to Shard Vinzz (msg # 174):

" Oh, thanks Commander. To the runabout. "

=/\= Nevermind Transporter. =/\=

In reply to Miranda T'Shran (msg # 175):

"Yes, Sir." Shard nods at Miranda, then turns to address the others,

"You heard the X-O, folks! Double-time to the runabout!  Captain wants us back on the Mongoose before the ice in his drink can melt, so lets get moving!  Hup-hup-hup!"

Shard jogs out to the entry chamber and up to the inner airlock control panel, where he stops and looks at the controls.

"Now, how does this work for Klingons, again?" Shard asks rhetorically--but loud enough to be heard by every one, "Green means Poison Stay Away, Red means Thanks For Stabbing Me, Amber means I'll Kill Your Whole Family.  Hmmm."

Shard looks up, "So. . .anybody remember how to open the airlock?"

Silviene follows Vinzz and T'shran back to the airlock. She wished she had more time to talk to the klingons but they had missions to handle. She wondered if they remembered the reason they had come down in the first place.

In reply to Silviene Felis (msg # 177):

" let's see "

Miranda works the airlock based on the few  engineering classes she had in academy.

In reply to Miranda T'Shran (msg # 178):

As Commander T'Shran works the airlock controls, Shard backs off to give her room to work--taking the opportunity to go back and find Gorvok.

"Officer Gorvok," Shard says, walking up to the Klingon science officer, "Just one last thing before we leave--it's the reason we're here, actually.  What can you tell me about that old Federation Starship parked just outside your super-secret research facility, here?  It was a distress call we received from it that brought us here, you know."

Gorvok looks around at the other Klingons before answering Shard.

"We detected no such signal coming from the ship. It was acquired at an Orion space salvage yard. No Klingon ship could be spared for what the others considered a worthless project, so it was purchased and brought here as an emergency vehicle in case something went wrong and the supply freighter wasn't here."

In reply to _Gorvok (msg # 180):

     Shard, picking up on the Klingon's cautious behaviour, lowers his voice a little, "Now that, Sir, is a very strange tale.  The Mongoose not only received such a signal, but after we had used some of our most sensitive equipment to clean up the signal, it was clearly stating the transponder ID for this specific vessel.  Then we also..."

     Shard stopped himself before he revealed just how sensitive the Mongoose's sensor upgrades were, "...also pinpointed the source of the signal to within one AU of this location.  It was sheer luck we detected a power fluctuation from your cloaking shield--probably something related to the incident, I'm sure."

"The ship is old, Commander," Koram spoke up. "I believe it was broadcasting on an old frequency that hasn't been used in a very long time."

"The only reason we detected it in the first place is because we operate a rotating scan, something the Klingons could easily do if they wanted to, but probably don't because it's normally a waste of time, energy and resources."

"On the other hand, it seems completely reasonable to me that the Orions might have been aware of it and left it on in case they needed to track the ship. It isn't likely that they were expecting the ship to enter the Expanse."

He'd been about to state that the dark energy in the Expanse could have easily masked the signal, but then the Klingons might have wondered how the Mongoose detected it.

In reply to Koram Val (msg # 182):

Shard nodded in apparent agreement with Koram's assessment.

"Ah!  I see, just a still active emergency beacon, operating on some low-band subspace frequency that hasn't seen use in a century.  Yes, I can see that happening--something like racking your spacesuit and accidentally leaving the comm unit on with a channel open.  It's weeks before someone notices there's an open channel somewhere, and another week before the suit with the active comm unit is discovered.  Got it."

Shard straightens up and gives a slight nod of his head towards Gorvok.

"Officer Gorvok, allow me to express my thanks for your understanding and willingness to excuse our intrusion into your facility.  On behalf of the USS Mongoose, let me say that we are glad to have been of some use to you, during this small crisis.  As always, we are proud and honored to be in an Alliance with such strong and understanding a people such as the Klingon Empire."

"Now, we have been ordered to return to our ship.  I do not believe that there will be any issue, in the future, concerning the old Federation ship.  You honorably acquired it through the disreputable Orions--and the Gods of Space alone know where they got it from!  And it is so old, Starfleet would likely happily gift it to you, if you demanded.  So we shall think of this no more."

"Goodbye, Officer Gorvok--and do give my best wishes to Commander Meng--assure him that I said he was Terrifying, truly Terrifying." Shard finishes with a smile wide enough to show his canine teeth.

"Should we meet again, Gorvok--Qapla!"

Shard turned and headed for the airlock, and the runabout, reaching out towards Koram to bring the engineer along.

As the two stepped out the open airlock, Shard said very quietly, without turning to look at Koram,

"Of course, you got detailed scans of that device, yes?  Starfleet Intelligence, as well as Starfleet Engineering, will be very interested in just what these Klingons are doing, here.  Please tell me you scanned everything, Koram."

Silviene waits patiently to head for the runabout since her superiors seem satisfied with the situation.

"If you are asking if I was spying, Commander," Koram replies to Shard, "then the answer is 'no'. I believe that's Stilk's department."

"But, in order to even begin to fix the problem, I had to first know what the problem was. To do that, I had to scan everything."

"Besides, we already know what they are doing here... they are trying to create a forced singularity to use as a power source. Just like the Romulans. Sorry to say, but they almost succeeded. I think they were aware that something could go horribly wrong, which is why they built the facility here in the Expanse and on the asteroid."

"Anyway, I don't suppose there's any point in checking the ship's computer on the Sehlat," he adds. "If the Klingons did get it from the Orions, the Orions would have copied the data to sell and otherwise purged the computer--they wouldn't give away anything extra."

"Still, it could confirm what the Klingons told us. Not that I think they were lying, but they may have been misinformed."

Away Team "A" returns to the shuttle and the door behind them closes on the facility.

Since the Klingons have a ship even if the supply ship doesn't return, and the facility still has power, the Klingons clearly don't want any additional help. Only Meng would have wanted to kill the intruders to keep the Klingon experiment secret, but he wasn't in any condition to effect that.

Back in the shuttle, the airlock door is closed, and the shuttle lifts off and heads back to the ship.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 186):

Sitting back in the runabout seat, Shard looks to Commander T'Shran with raised eyebrows and an expectant smirk--both his antennae focused upon her.

In reply to Shard Vinzz (msg # 187):

In reply to Shard Vinzz (msg # 187):

Miranda begins flying the ship back.

In reply to Miranda T'Shran (msg # 189):



=/\= Shran here returning. }-/\=

In reply to Miranda T'Shran (msg # 190):


     As Miranda does those things required to shut down a shuttle from operations, Shard raises his voice a little--enough to be heard all across the compartment, with out actually shouting.

     "Everyone," Shard calls out, "please remember to leave the phasers you were issued outside, at the weapon storage station in the docking bay--they all need to be recharged by the Armorer.  If any of you are carrying personal phasers that had their power cells drained getting us out of that subspace bubble--don't forget that is your responsibility to get the weapon recharged."

     Shard stands up and turns his gaze--and antennae--towards Miranda,

     "Any final mission orders, Commander T'Shran, before we report to the Captain?"

In reply to Shard Vinzz (msg # 191):

" I don't believe there is any further orders. "

In reply to Miranda T'Shran (msg # 192):

Shard nods to Miranda in acknowledgement, and joins the exodus from the shuttle.

=====> moving to Captain's Ready Room