Star Trek: The voyages of the USS Apollo

Chapter Seven: The Pirates

August 21st 2410

"Captain's Log: Star Date 387362.068. We have seen four worlds so far that are colonies of the Shalari Republic and we have learnt much about their people. We have also learned of the ongoing conflict in Reptarian space and have chosen to go around the crumbling empire. While going around them will delay our journey by approximately three weeks, the alternative is piloting the Apollo through a part of space that is filled with war and suffering and that is the last thing we need. In the meantime we are passing through a system where Drakor trading ships pass through each month, coming and going from Shalari space. I of course am hoping to make contact with the Drakor as they do seem quite friendly. Here's hoping we don't run into any pirates."

In one of the Crew quarters, T'Vrell was carefully going through the Federation database files regarding the Gamma Quadrant. What little the Federation knew of the Quadrant they knew from races like the Skrreea and the Dominion. Only a five thousand lightyear radius around the Bajoran Wormhole had been fully surveyed by the time the Apollo ended up trapped in the Gamma Quadrant and T'Vrell was hopeful that there was something, anything that might help. It was then that T'Vrell came across something that seemed to be able to help and knew that this could very well shorten their journey home. With the Padd in her hand, T'Vrell stood up from her bunk and headed towards the Bridge. As she passed by the room with the basketball court she could see two teams of five, each one consisting of three Humans and two Klingons, competing in a match while a few other members of the Crew looked on. Since getting stranded in the Gamma Quadrant, the Crew had chosen to find joy in whatever they could. Many of them had been partaking in basketball and going into holo-novels to find comfort. As T'Vrell stepped into the turbolift and said "The Bridge" she looked down at the Padd and double checked for anything she may have missed. Then, as the turbolift arrived at the Bridge, she stepped out and asked Voq "Lieutenant Commander Voq, where is Captain Rivers?" Voq stopped checking the weapons diagnostics and said "Captain Rivers is doing the Log. He should be finished by now."

T'Vrell then headed over to Ethan's ready room and found him just as he finished the Log. Ethan looked at T'Vrell and said "Hello there old friend. To what do I owe the pleasure." T'Vrell placed the Padd on the desk and said "I believe I have found what you would call "a shortcut" that will accelerate our journey home."  Ethan picked up the Padd and said as he read the title "The Georgiou Wormhole? What's that supposed to be?" T'Vrell then explained "The Georgiou Wormhole was first discovered seventy eight lightyears from the Bajoran Wormhole in 2373, more specifically on Star Date 50074.3. By the crew of the USS Georgiou and their Captain Siranna. The first Kelpien to serve in Starfleet since her great great uncle Saru. The Georgiou was on a routine survey mission when the Wormhole appeared all of a sudden and then disappeared a mere hour later. It then reappeared in another system more than a dozen lightyears away, then another and another and another." Remembering another wormhole he had been taught about at the Academy, Ethan said "If I remember correctly there was another wormhole just like that in the Delta Quadrant." T'Vrell remembered as well and said "That is correct Captain. The Barzan Wormhole was fixed in the Alpha Quadrant, but in the Delta Quadrant it appears at random points. Therefor showing it's uselessness." Remembering the day the Barzan Wormhole disappeared, Ethan said "T'Vrell, don't you find it a little bit of a coincidence that the Georgiou Wormhole appeared on the exact same Star Date the Barzan Wormhole disappeared?"

The two of them could not ignore it. It was far too big of a coincidence that the Georgiou Wormhole had appeared on the same day that the Barzan Wormhole had disappeared. T'Vrell remembered a lecture they had with Admiral Janeway and said "If you were to recall, Admiral Janeway explained that the Wormhole began to jump around erratically on both ends after two Ferengi named Arridor and Kol went through it for a second time when returning to the Alpha Quadrant. Although not yet confirmed, it is believed that the Georgiou Wormhole is in fact the same Wormhole and about three months ago a team of scientists confirmed that the other end of the Wormhole is in fact deep in the Gamma Quadrant and that it stopped jumping about three years ago. But by then the two ends were drastically close together. Only ten thousand lightyears away from each other. If we are to find the fixed end and go through it, then we may be able to shorten our journey back to the Alpha Quadrant."