Strange New Worlds

Captain's Log Stardate 233480.17 (May 17th 2913):

It comes as no surprise that today marks the 10th year anniversary to the end of the war with the Sphere Builders. A war that cost the Federated Worlds much more than most experts let on.

Today also marks the 10th anniversary of our new mission into the distant K-35 Galaxy--a far cry from our own; even with the new sidespace communications array that was recently installed during our last layover on Starbase 1183.

Of course, First Officer Jera Dax can't stop talking about it because it makes real-time communication with the Trill homeworld all that much more exciting. I can't say the same for Earth because it's a distant memory to me now. So whatever feelings I may have had--or still have--for my old stomping grounds is more of a passing thing than a cherished moment.

Which brings me to my next point: This new world that we stumbled upon contains an unusual magnetic resonance trace that is uniquely situated to past Preserver objects found over the course of the past few hundred years in the Alpha Quadrant. Dax of course wants to take her own specialized away teams to do some hardcore exploring of some of the detected ruins we found on some of the appreciable land masses below, but I'm still not one-hundred percent convinced that it's truly safe. (Captain's prerogative mind you.)

But you have to admit, the very thought of finding something only hinted in old legends, pictographs, and alien hieroglyphics is too much of a passing temptation to simply ignore. Even for these old bones of mine.

Like some famous starship captains of the past--the name Enterprise will always be synonymous first with new discoveries and exploration. And I as the Enterprise-J's captain must be compelled to answer that timeless tradition.

So after we complete our new induction and temporal scans of the planet in the morning, I will consider Jera's requests for away teams to be assembled and sent down and begin unraveling this new mystery which has a long and curious history that predated even James T. Kirk's era.

Because the last thing I want to owe Admiral Fletcher on is losing this long-standing bet on who would be making one of the biggest discoveries in the history of all the Federated Worlds and how we would go about collecting on that little wager.

But if in fact this world is indeed the home world of the long lost race belonging to the Preservers, there is a lot of questions I would like to ask them. But of course, if they are here--somehow--then they would probably like to know a few things themselves. Prime of which is: How far did the Federated Worlds progress in such a short time since the last Preserver object was found floating in vacuum in the Alpha Quadrant some 300 years ago?

End of log.

***

Transmitting...entry received to the following system:

Data Tank #41679
Log Entry #126115
Sheri M. Bryce; Captain
ID# 125-19-013

Entry Level: Passive. Sub-level Three.
Communications Grid Alpha-644

Shunted to Sidespace Tranceiver Band 109-3


Transmission Sent to Following Destination:

Transpace Coordinates 12 minutes, 13 seconds longitude north, 76 degrees, 5 seconds west

Galactic coordinates 002-17-09-AA

Estimated Time of Arrival: 53 days upon sent message

End Transmission 

(Artwork by Jetfreak-7)