Star Trek: The voyages of the USS Apollo

Chapter Twenty Three: Project Apollo

September 9th 2411

"Admiral Quinn's Log: Star Date 388310.047. It's been twenty four hours since we learnt that the U.S.S Apollo and it's Crew were in fact not destroyed by an anomaly in the Badlands, but in actuality pulled into an unstable artificial wormhole that lead to the Gamma Quadrant. The wormhole in question was created by the True Way, who were sent five thousand years back in time and have been seeking to build an empire of some kind. Weather or not they are still around is yet to be determined, but we have dispatched a fleet to look for them. In the meantime Starfleet has sent word of the Crew's survival to their respective families, who are all overjoyed to hear that they are alive. They were also pleased to hear that Starfleet has placed me and Admiral Janeway in charge of Project Apollo, our attempts at securing permanent communications with the Apollo. We are of course going to use Deep Space Nine as the headquarters for the whole operation and Starbase Kira Nerys will act as a waystation for the ships we will be sending to try and find the Apollo so that we can rescue them and the True Way so that we can capture them and make them pay for stranding an entire crew of Starfleet officers in the Gamma Quadrant."

Admiral Quinn had just finished his log when Janeway walked in with Captain Harry Kim of the Rhode Island. As the two of them entered, Quinn lowered his computer screen and said "I take it you two are here regarding the expeditions?" The two of them sat down on the chairs in front of Admiral Quinn's desk and Captain Kim said "Yes Sir. The Rhode Island will be ready to head for Starbase Kira Nerys for resupply and eventual rendezvous with the Apollo in about two weeks. My Crew are saying their goodbyes to their families and preparing for a very long assignment." Admiral Janeway thought back to how her future self had helped them return home sixteen years early in 2378 and said "You know Harry, when I learnt from my future self that in her timeline it took twenty three years to get home I was disheartened that it took that long. I was also shocked to learn that we had survived a journey that long in her own timeline. We survived seven years in the Delta Quadrant. Are you sure that you and your crew can survive nine and a half years getting to them and the same amount of time trying to get back?" Harry chuckled and said "We survived seven years in the Delta Quadrant. I'm sure that we can survive many more years looking for the Apollo." Janeway fought back tears as she said "You know I missed a lot of things while we were in the Delta Quadrant and I will miss you while your away. I'll be glad to see you again once you return."

The two then hugged and Captain Kim said "Don't worry Admiral. We'll be back before you know it." Admiral Quinn then brought up the schematics for the communications array that was going to be built on Starbase Kira Nerys and said "In the meantime Admiral Janeway will be in charge of the construction of a long range communications array on Starbase Kira Nerys. The Voyager Fleet will be stationed there during said construction and will undertake exploration missions in a five thousand lightyear radius. Their mission will be to look for any sign of the True Way and to make first contact with alien civilisations that could know something about the Apollo's whereabouts." Janeway checked the schematics for the communications array and said "So this is really going to allow us to contact Apollo?" Admiral Quinn nodded and said "Yes, once of course Apollo crosses the Georgiou Wormhole that is. Hopefully they will have a safer journey through that wormhole. In the meantime let's go and inspect the Rhode Island, Homecoming and Pathfinder."

The three of them then got up and walked out of Admiral Quinn's office, the same office that Captain Benjamin Sisko had called his own from 2369 to 2375. As they walked into the Command Centre they saw a large memorial painting on a wall dedicated to Captain Benjamin Sisko. In the thirty six years since Sisko's disappearance, many conspiracy theories had emerged regarding his fate. While many Bajorans believed that he had joined with the Prophets, others believed that he had been abducted by a rival power such as the Dominion. The theories were endless but what most of them agreed upon was that the Bajoran Wormhole must have had something to do with it. Little did they know how right the Bajorans were on the matter.