“Captain’s Log, stardate seven-nine-oh-eight-six point three-seven. We’ve arrived ahead of the rest of the squadron at the coordinates of the anomaly Lieutenant Chaoi discovered, a barren planet in a remote corner of the Delta Quadrant. After so many recent encounters with Nacene technology, Commodore McCallister has ordered the squadron to be on the ‘lookout’ for any more. After Chaoi’s discovery, the commodore ordered the Destiny to investigate. We should be joined by the Odyssey, the Bellerophon and Triton in a couple of days while the Constitution, Themis and Orion investigate another anomaly. 

Initial scans show strange energy readings on the uninhabited planet, unlike anything we’ve encountered before. Chaoi believes it is the remnants of sporocystian energy. A team led by Commander Patterson is preparing to investigate the ruins at the site. With so many unknowns, I’ve ordered the utmost caution. The last thing I want is for something we don’t understand to put the crew in danger. We know from experience the Nacene are not always the most diplomatic species to deal with.”

The Destiny was in high orbit of the planet, its sleek hull reflecting the faint light of the distant star. The desolate landscape below seemed to stretch on endlessly, a grey and lifeless world. Bennet sat in the captain’s chair, his eyes fixed on the viewscreen. The barren planet beneath them unnerved him.

He couldn’t put his finger on why, but something about this place felt off. Perhaps the many years of serving in Starfleet had taught him to prepare for the worst. He just couldn’t shake the feeling. Looking around his bridge, Bennet knew that his crew was hard at work, their dedication to the mission unwavering, and they were doing their best to find out what they were investigating. 

Though it had been over nine months since he had been rescued from his imprisonment by the rogue Changelings after the Frontier Day massacre, Bennet had developed a sort of extra-layer of alert status in the back of his mind. He was more cautious now. He was more reserved and more weary of situations as he entered them. Nevertheless, he found being back on his former command, the Destiny with his former crew had started to ease those concerns he carried with him on a daily basis. 

He had been fortunate to be rescued by teams from the USS Triton, and after discovering what his Changeling doppelganger had done during the two years he was their prisoner, Bennet was trying to rebuild what he had lost. Starfleet had offered him the chance to resume the duties his doppelganger had been involved with; it included a promotion to the admiralty. However, none of it felt right to him. He certainly didn’t want to be a flag officer, not yet anyway. When he saw that most of his crew had survived the Frontier Day massacre, he requested the opportunity to resume command of the Destiny and pick up where he had left off. All of his former crew were happy to see him back and alive. As such, Bennet was eager to join any form of deep space exploration, as such, joining the Odyssey Squadron as it explored the vast depths of the Delta Quadrant seemed right up his avenue. Being so far from the Federation and dealing with new stars felt like the right course of action to him. 

Nevertheless, he wondered if this latest development would be far more dangerous than they could chew. 

“Captain, the away team is ready for transport,” said Hilson from the operations console. The usually jovial officer now wore a look of concentration. 

Evan Hilson had joined the Destiny when it was first launched under Bennet in twenty-three ninety-three. Back then, Hilson was a young, eager ensign who had begun his career as the deputy operations officer. He had ascended through the ranks and was now one of Bennet’s many reliable senior staff members, holding the position of chief operations officer.  Evan Hilson was a handsome man with short sandy blonde hair and warm brown eyes. Though generally quiet and reserved, he exuded an effortless charm when confident, often revealing a cheeky demeanour with a witty remark. Like so many of Bennet’s crew, he had suffered during Frontier Day, losing the love of his life. Despite this tragedy, Hilson had shown remarkable resilience, focusing on his work and contributing to the crew’s strength and perseverance.  

“Bridge to transporter room one,” Bennet spoke after tapping his combadge.

“Go ahead, sir,” Patterson, his first officer, replied in her usual confident but sweet tone. 

“Demi, please proceed with caution. We don’t know what you’re about to encounter,” Bennet ordered her.

Though he couldn’t see her, Bennet knew that Patterson, his trusty first officer, had nodded in response to that order. “Of course, sir. We’ve gone over the protocols and are ready for the task. We understand the risks, and I promise we will be careful.”

Patterson was one hell of a first officer. She knew her stuff well. A former pilot who entered the command track a decade ago, Patterson joined Bennet as his first officer on the Destiny after serving with him as its chief flight control officer and second officer on the Westminster. They built a strong working relationship and friendship. She had been offered a command of her own after Frontier Day but had turned it down after hearing from Bennet. Her husband, like Hilson’s former partner, had perished while serving on board the USS Excelsior at the Frontier Day celebrations. Being away from Earth on board the Destiny again, after spending a year or so teaching at the Academy, had been something that she had eagerly agreed to when she had heard the news about Bennet. She had been the one to suggest to him about getting the ‘band back together’. She was like a strong storm; nothing could stop her or get in her way. 

Bennet’s gaze flicked to the viewscreen again, his fingers tapping the armrest. “Stay on your toes down there. There’s something about this planet that I don’t trust. Keep me posted at all times.”

“Of course, Captain.” Patterson’s voice was reassuring as she closed the channel. 

The planet’s surface was quiet, almost unnervingly so, as the away team materialised on the rugged terrain. The air was sharp and cool, and the desolate landscape stretched out before them—rough-hewn cliffs, jagged rock formations, and sparse, brittle vegetation.

Patterson scanned the surroundings as she adjusted her boots on the uneven ground. The most striking feature was the enormous structure looming ahead of them. It appeared ancient, half—buried in the earth, as though it had risen from the very rock itself. Its surface shimmered faintly in the light, and a peculiar, organic glow emanated from the cracks in the walls.

Patterson’s instincts went on high alert, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. “Everyone, stay sharp. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”

Johren, the Kellerun Chief Security and Tactical Officer gripped his phaser rifle tightly, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t like it. This place doesn’t feel right.”

Agreeing with her friend, Patterson kept her grip on her phaser while using her tricorder to obtain more readings. Would these ruins be the remains of some other lost ancient civilisation from centuries ago? The Iconians? The T’Kon? The Vaadwaur? Yet, nothing was recognisable by her tricorder, but they needed to get closer.

Chaoi, the Destiny’s Chief Science Officer, had already begun scanning the structure with her tricorder. She flicked a few buttons and glanced up, her face tight with concentration. “Energy readings are off the charts. They’re fluctuating too rapidly to make sense of. Whatever this structure is, it’s alive, or it was.” The half-Ktarian-half-human was both curious and concerned by what she was seeing. Like their captain, the younger woman enjoyed discovering ancient civilisations, but this one made her more cautious than Patterson had seen before. 

Aleyso, their Vissian Chief Engineer, subtly twitched with each new scan. She looked over her shoulder, her usual confident expression replaced by a rare look of apprehension. “Alive?” she repeated. “That’s… unsettling.”

Patterson turned to look at Chaoi. “How is that even possible, Hetana?”

Chaoi hesitated, her brow furrowing as she observed the data. “I don’t know. But I’ve never seen anything like it. If that’s what it is, this structure seems to pulse with energy like some living organism. Its material is both biological and synthetic, and I’m reading sporadic sporocystian energy spikes.”

Patterson frowned but didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she walked toward the entrance, a massive archway that seemed to have grown naturally from the rocky landscape. The entrance appeared seamless—no doors, no visible mechanisms, just an immense opening that beckoned them forward.

Johren stepped beside her, his posture tense. “Whatever this place is, it’s waiting for us.”

She gave him a brief nod and pressed forward. “Let’s not keep it waiting then.” They couldn’t see or scan any other forms of danger. There was only one course of action for her to take now. 

They entered the archway, moving cautiously into the structure’s interior. The air was cooler inside, a sharp contrast to the atmosphere outside. The walls were smooth, almost fluid, and dimly illuminated by an eerie, bioluminescent glow that pulsed gently in rhythm with the energy readings from Chaoi’s tricorder.

Johren glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t like this. It’s too quiet.”

Patterson turned to look at him. “I know. Stay alert.”

Chaoi moved ahead of the group, tricorder scanning every inch of the walls as they proceeded deeper into the structure. The symbols etched into the walls made her pause, her brow furrowing. “These markings… they almost look like a language. But I can’t translate any of it.”

“Could it be a warning?” Aleyso asked, her tone low and thoughtful as she adjusted her readings.

“Possibly,” Chaoi replied, her voice tense. “But it’s unlike any language we’ve encountered. I don’t think this place is meant for us.”

Pausing, Patterson’s gaze swept their surroundings. The place felt alive in an unsettling way—like it was aware of them, watching them. “Let’s not speculate. Just stay focused.”

As they ventured deeper into the structure, the faint hum of energy grew stronger, vibrating in the air. The walls seemed to pulse in response to their presence. The temperature dropped further, and the air became thick, charged with unseen energy.

Aleyso’s voice suddenly spoke up. “Commander, I’m picking up a massive power surge on the surface. Something’s going wrong.”

Patterson’s heart skipped a beat. “What kind of surge?”

“Unknown. I’m losing the signal. It’s like the planet itself is—” Aleyso’s voice was cut off abruptly by the rumbling of the ground beneath them.

Patterson’s instincts kicked into overdrive. “Fall back! Now!”

The group turned quickly, but as they made their way toward the entrance, a sudden wave of energy swept through the structure. The walls hummed louder, a violent resonance building in the air. Chaoi’s tricorder went haywire, beeping erratically.

“Commander!” Chaoi shouted over the bluster, her voice filled with panic. “The structure—something’s activating. It’s—”

Before she could finish, the ground trembled further beneath their feet, and the air crackled with an intense electrical charge. The walls flared bright blue, blinding them, and a flash of light enveloped the team.

Patterson raised her arm to shield her eyes, but the force of the energy wave knocked them off their feet. The last thing she saw before everything went dark was the wild crackling of energy spiralling outward, enveloping the entire structure.

Bennet was sat frozen in his chair. His fingers were tense on the armrest, his mind racing.

Something was wrong.

“Captain, we’re losing contact with the away team,” Hilson reported, his tone tight and urgent. The panic was now setting on the bridge.

“What do you mean, losing contact?” Bennet asked, his voice steady despite the rising panic inside him. He knew something was going to go wrong. He just knew it. Knowing he needed to take command of whatever was happening, Bennet stood up and walked over to stand directly behind Hilson to see what the issue was for himself. 

“The link is down, Captain,” Hilson replied. “An unknown energy surge has interfered with our communications. I’m not sure what’s happening down there. Sensors are being blocked, too. However, I think it’s on its way up here, captain!”

“Red Alert!” Bennet called out before he clenched his jaw just as the alarm was sounded across his ship. “How long do we have?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Hilson said, his voice tinged with concern. “The interference is making it difficult to get a reliable read on it and our away team.”

Bennet stood up and paced toward the viewscreen. “Raise shields. Get me a transporter lock on whatever you can get on down there.”

Hilson shook his head after several attempts. “Captain, the interference is too strong. We can’t get a transporter lock through the field. There’s too much distortion.”

Bennet felt a chill creep up his spine as he spun on his heels to look at his operations officer. “Get me something, Evan. Anything.”

The silence that followed felt like an eternity. The Destiny was hovering in a vacuum, unable to save its crew. And with each passing second, Zack knew they were losing them—one by one. He had to do something quickly.

As the energy surge raced through the clouds and the planet’s thin atmosphere, it struck the Destiny with force, pushing it off its orbital path and sending it into an uncontrollable spin. The ship grappled to regain control, but as small asteroids bounced off its already failing shields, the Destiny started losing power. The powerful, large deflector dish was flickering as it tried its best to protect the Vesta-class starship from rocks that pounded it. Chaos reigned on every deck as the crew hurried to secure the ship and help those who were injured.