The Enterprise Wasn’t There Part 1
The Enterprise was in the past, again. Captain James T. Kirk was annoyed. Was it a random subspace fluctuation as Spock had theorised at first, or was it a small black hole, very close to the starship’s path? Yet, here they were, in the early 21st Century. He looked at the viewscreen and saw the Japanese island of Hokkaido below them. Clearly, they were in a rather low inclined orbit. “Report, Lieutenant Sulu, is our orbit stable?”
“Yes, Captain, approximately 400 kilometres above the surface.”
“Odd.” Spock reported.
“What’s odd, Mr. Spock?”
“Sensors are picking up strange energy readings from a rural seaside village in Hokkaido, Captain.”
“And you think they shouldn’t be there?”
“I have cross-referenced the historical database. There was nothing unusual recorded there in this period.”
“So, it’s something to investigate,” Kirk pondered. Most of the crew would stick out like a sore thumb, but Sulu wasn’t the only one who traced their ancestry to Japan. “Mr. Sulu, begin preparing a landing party.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Forty minutes later, the landing party were in the Transporter Room ready to beam down. “Coming up on Japan again, Keptin,” Ensign Pavel Chekov reported from the Bridge.
“Remember, keep inconspicuous as you try to find the source of those energy readings,” Kirk said.
“Of course,” Sulu said.
Sulu and two other Enterprise crew members materialised near an old silo. He took out a tricorder. “The readings seem to be diffuse, but are centred on a salt marsh to the south,” he reported.
“No indications of extra-terrestrial activity, Lieutenant,” Ensign Megumi Ogawa reported.
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t any,” Sulu countered.
“Of course,” Ogawa said.
“But we do need to start somewhere,” Sulu said. “That salt marsh is as good a place as any.”
Ten minutes later, they approached the salt marsh. Sulu noted the European style mansion behind it. “Full scan,” he ordered.
“Aye, Lieutenant,” Ogawa responded.
“Aye,” Ensign Mai Isakawa added.
The scans turned out to be inconclusive. “There’s something that’s here and not here, sir,” Ogawa explained.
“Or more than one thing,” Isakawa added.
“I concur,” Sulu added. They still didn’t know what was happening. More scans were needed. “And we may need to find out if people have noticed anything.”
They soon found the post office. Sulu and Ogawa went inside. “Good Morning,” Sulu said.
“Good Morning.”
“We are wondering if anything unusual has happened here recently?” Ogawa asked.
“Nothing,” the person behind the counter answered. Thought for a moment. “There has been a visiting child wandering the countryside…”
A child wandering the countryside? “Oh!” Ogawa said.
“…Other than that, nothing.”
‘We’ll have to ask someone else,’ Ogawa thought. Her thoughts went back to the child that was mentioned. She wasn’t sure what that had to do with what they were investigating.
Sulu thought on that discussion. He would be certain to look out for the child, but he wasn’t sure what that had to do with the energy readings. He took out his tricorder again. The readings were still mostly in the direction of the salt marsh. ‘But where else are they coming from?’ he wondered. He ran another scan…
The Enterprise came up on Japan again in its orbital path. “Scanning again, keptin,” Chekov reported. “There’s nothing further, Sir.”
“Nothing elsewhere in Hokkaido?” Kirk asked.
“Nothing, sir.”
“Enterprise to Lieutenant Sulu.”
“Sulu here.”
“Anything further to report?”
“No one has seen anything unusual, other than the readings being centred on a salt marsh.”
Kirk could see that he was holding something back. “You have found something, just not unusual?”
“Yes, sir,” Sulu reported. “A visiting child is wandering the countryside, but we’re unsure whether that has anything to do with the energy readings.”
“It would seem not to. Mr. Sulu,” the Captain said. “But stranger things have happened.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Enterprise was in the past, again. Captain James T. Kirk was annoyed. Was it a random subspace fluctuation as Spock had theorised at first, or was it a small black hole, very close to the starship’s path? Yet, here they were, in the early 21st Century. He looked at the viewscreen and saw the Japanese island of Hokkaido below them. Clearly, they were in a rather low inclined orbit. “Report, Lieutenant Sulu, is our orbit stable?”
“Yes, Captain, approximately 400 kilometres above the surface.”
“Odd.” Spock reported.
“What’s odd, Mr. Spock?”
“Sensors are picking up strange energy readings from a rural seaside village in Hokkaido, Captain.”
“And you think they shouldn’t be there?”
“I have cross-referenced the historical database. There was nothing unusual recorded there in this period.”
“So, it’s something to investigate,” Kirk pondered. Most of the crew would stick out like a sore thumb, but Sulu wasn’t the only one who traced their ancestry to Japan. “Mr. Sulu, begin preparing a landing party.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Forty minutes later, the landing party were in the Transporter Room ready to beam down. “Coming up on Japan again, Keptin,” Ensign Pavel Chekov reported from the Bridge.
“Remember, keep inconspicuous as you try to find the source of those energy readings,” Kirk said.
“Of course,” Sulu said.
Sulu and two other Enterprise crew members materialised near an old silo. He took out a tricorder. “The readings seem to be diffuse, but are centred on a salt marsh to the south,” he reported.
“No indications of extra-terrestrial activity, Lieutenant,” Ensign Megumi Ogawa reported.
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t any,” Sulu countered.
“Of course,” Ogawa said.
“But we do need to start somewhere,” Sulu said. “That salt marsh is as good a place as any.”
Ten minutes later, they approached the salt marsh. Sulu noted the European style mansion behind it. “Full scan,” he ordered.
“Aye, Lieutenant,” Ogawa responded.
“Aye,” Ensign Mai Isakawa added.
The scans turned out to be inconclusive. “There’s something that’s here and not here, sir,” Ogawa explained.
“Or more than one thing,” Isakawa added.
“I concur,” Sulu added. They still didn’t know what was happening. More scans were needed. “And we may need to find out if people have noticed anything.”
They soon found the post office. Sulu and Ogawa went inside. “Good Morning,” Sulu said.
“Good Morning.”
“We are wondering if anything unusual has happened here recently?” Ogawa asked.
“Nothing,” the person behind the counter answered. Thought for a moment. “There has been a visiting child wandering the countryside…”
A child wandering the countryside? “Oh!” Ogawa said.
“…Other than that, nothing.”
‘We’ll have to ask someone else,’ Ogawa thought. Her thoughts went back to the child that was mentioned. She wasn’t sure what that had to do with what they were investigating.
Sulu thought on that discussion. He would be certain to look out for the child, but he wasn’t sure what that had to do with the energy readings. He took out his tricorder again. The readings were still mostly in the direction of the salt marsh. ‘But where else are they coming from?’ he wondered. He ran another scan…
The Enterprise came up on Japan again in its orbital path. “Scanning again, keptin,” Chekov reported. “There’s nothing further, Sir.”
“Nothing elsewhere in Hokkaido?” Kirk asked.
“Nothing, sir.”
“Enterprise to Lieutenant Sulu.”
“Sulu here.”
“Anything further to report?”
“No one has seen anything unusual, other than the readings being centred on a salt marsh.”
Kirk could see that he was holding something back. “You have found something, just not unusual?”
“Yes, sir,” Sulu reported. “A visiting child is wandering the countryside, but we’re unsure whether that has anything to do with the energy readings.”
“It would seem not to. Mr. Sulu,” the Captain said. “But stranger things have happened.”
“Yes, sir.”
