Chapter 12. Task Force CXM-25, Aboard lead StarFleet ship the Prinz, 0.4 Jero Time, Escorting Convoy XM-25.
Captain's Log:
Convoy XM-25 has emerged from the Higgs Glebe on its first stopping point, to let the Higgs Drives chill and recharge. What happened next was astonishing to the most seasoned StarFleet crew member or commander.
"Subcommander Xan, statrep," said Captain Jose Promis.
"We've lost contact with the Eridanus."
"All contact? Impossible. How do you lose a ship on the first jump? That's never happened before. Recalibrate the superluminator."
"I did, sir. It's not the comsys. It works fine. The rest of the convoy is here."
"Except for the Eridanus."
"Another fine StarFleet day."
Stick to protocol-talk, Xan."
"Aye aye, Captain."
"Very well. Xan, you've got over twenty years in StarFleet. . . what do you think?"
Xan was silent and stared at holographic image of the convoy. "They could still be in the hole, sir."
"That means they might arrive anytime?"
"Aye, Captain. After the Xemulus was stuck in the hole, it arrived a light-year away, with a blown Higgs drive. By luck alone, it was found by a survey ship and the crew rescued."
"The Xemulus was sabotaged."
"Captain, permission to speak."
"Yes, Lieutenant Baz?"
"As the Science Officer to Task Force CMX-25, may I propose a theory and a course of action?"
"By all means . . ."
"The Higgs Glebe consists of neither space nor time, just as neither space nor time are concrete things. And yet the process of transduction takes place in the Higgs Glebe allowing travel between space in Jero time—"
"Elementary, Lieutenant Baz. What is your point?"
"Infinite regressions, sir. If the Eridanus did not appear, it can't be caught in a vicious circle of no-space and no-time. Perhaps it didn't transduce at zero Jero? Perhaps, for some unknown reason, it never left orbit?"
"How is this actionable information?"
"I recommend we inform Command of the situation and proceed as scheduled," said Lieutenant Baz. "Delay is the deadliest form of denial."
"Parkinson's Law Of Delay," said Subcommander Xan. "In his day, C. Northcote Parkinson was a noted British naval historian."
"I don't recall hearing the name in the Academy. But I will take that under advisement, Lieutenant Baz. Xan, put this conversation in the ship's log for the record."
"Aye aye, Captain."
"And keep me informed of any new developments, even if I'm in deep sleep."
"That would be against protocol, sir," said Subcommander Xan.
"Just keep me informed."
"Sir, Captain Jem of the Tucana."
"Precedence, priority. Commander Promis, We just saw a ghost ship."
"Say again?"
An image appeared on the screen of a shimmering, luminescent craft that floated toward the Tucana.
"Can you hail them?"
"There's no response sir. There're in a collision course with our ship," screamed Captain Jem.
"Take evasive action."
All eyes were on the screen as the ghost ship closed in on the Tucana. It was too late.
To be continued . . .
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