Episode 39: The Rupture Zone - Act 5

Game was 11/12/20; we ended a bit early as Jeremy and Heidi were both fading.

Mel swears copiously under her breath as Ssleestak's request echoes from her combadge. She orders, "Red alert! Doctor, please see to our guests." She heads to the bridge with the senior officers, and the Urathi follow. Swims shrugs and slithers after them. Once they get to the bridge, Phillip immediately takes flight control while Fal settles into Science II. The other beta shift officers step out of the way as Mel, Christopher, and Armina take the command well. Jessa and Thal'tirian hover near the Urathi as Swims begins her scans; they note warily that the good doctor appears to consider the Urathi food! While Phillip mentally prepares multiple evasive maneuvers, Ssleestak scans the fleet that suddenly appeared around them.

Shan'taar calls out, "Twenty-four warships in total! Twenty-one interdictors about our size, and three destroyer-analogs." Ssleestak adds, "I estimate a maximum speed of warp nine-point-six." Fal comments, "Captain, I'm detecting some subspace ripples." Trina supplies, "Those appear when the Roman fleet does, captain." Mel orders, "Open a channel!" Shan'taar complies and then they get their first glimpse at these Romans. A human-looking woman appears on screen in white armor clearly modeled after ancient Rome; she has swarthy skin, long ringlets of black hair, and piercing eyes. Mel estimates her age to be in her mid-40s.

The woman declares, "I am 3rd Centurion Albinia Calpurnius, commandant of the Eagle Cohort, defender of the Vestan Hearthworlds. Who are you, and why are you in our space?" Mel identifies herself, "I am Captain Mel Deline of the Federation starship Varich. We bear no aggressive intent; we are simply explorers and we did not know we had entered your territory." Centurion Calpurnius eyes her and demands, "Where are you from?" Mel explains,"We are a vessel in service to the United Federation of Planets, an interstellar alliance." The centurion snaps, "What planet are you from?" Mel reluctantly admits that she is from Earth, and the centurion sneers, "So you're here to enforce the Edict of Thessalonica?"

Mel notes the multiple target locks on her vessel as she tries to figure out what this edict is. Surprisingly, Ssleestak and K'tral get it first; the others take a few more seconds to remember that the Edict of Thessalonica was the beginning of the Roman Empire's conversion to Christianity. Mel insists, "No, the Federation believes in freedom of religion." The centurion demands, "And what of Rome?" Mel replies, "Rome still exists, and is still a powerful city, but the Roman Empire fell a long time ago." Centurion Calpurnius stares at her mixed crew for several seconds before making a hand gesture… and then of the target locks vanish. Mel relaxes a fraction a Centurion Calpurnius states, "Welcome to New Gaul. Have you made contact with the other Hearthworlds?"

Mel admits that she has not; this is their first contact with the Vestan Hearthworlds. Centurion Calpurnius snarls, "We have been cut off in this hell-region for almost a century. About eighty-five years to be exact. We've had no contact with the rest of the Hearthworlds." Meanwhile, Swims finishes her scans of Galeb and Ileeya and then concocts an anti-intoxicant essentially on the fly. She administers the drug to both Urathi; they start in surprise but then the intoxicating effect from the cinnamon starts to fade. Galeb announces, "Can we get more of that?" Swims grunts and replies, "Later. Now, I need to go eat someone… something." She slithers off the bridge, and Centurion Calpurnius observes, "I see your apothecaries are strange as well. Was she trying to eat them?" Mel deadpans, "No, they're fine."

The centurion demands to know if the Federation is responsible for their isolation; Mel replies, "It certainly was not us. We are new to this region and have only started to make first contact with the species out here. Honestly, we didn't even know you were here." Centurion Calpurnius states, "Then you have the glory of providing a service to the Hearthworlds. Find them and pass along a message we will provide to tell them we are still here. I believe this would be a win-win for both of us." Mel admits, "We don't know where the Hearthworlds are," but notices Lieutenant Merek'miir checking her personal database.

Merek'miir sends a text message to Mel that she believes the Hearthworlds have had dealings with the Tizit Consortium and that she believes the rest of the Hearthworlds are core-ward of their current position. Mel decides to rig up a probe to send the messages to the Hearthworlds while Ssleestak texts Mel, "Give them the technology to move beyond the rift?" Mel asks, "Are you from Earth?"

Centurion Calpurnius replies, "Our ancestors were. They were the Cult of Vesta and influenced Rome until the coming of the cross-bearers. By their calendar, in the year 380, Vesta came to us at the end of Vestalia and informed us that the cross-bearers would soon corrupt the empire. She moved a few thousand of the faithful in the Grand Diaspora out to the Hearthworlds. A question for you, captain. Have you encountered the Tizit?" Mel admits that she has, and the centurion snaps, "Do not trust them!" The two Urathi and one Wabai on the bridge nod in total agreement as the centurion alleges, "The Hearthworlds share of border with them and there have been more than a few wars fought."

Fal warns, "Captain, the subspace ripples are starting to dissipate." K'tral nods in agreement and Mel asks Centurion Calpurnius, "I think we're running out of time, please send your transmission." The Varich receives their transmission a split-second before as the Vestan vessels vanish completely. Mel turns to Galeb and asks, "Do they return with any regularity?" Galeb shakes his head and replies, "Unfortunately captain, it's completely random. We have attempted contact with the Hearthworlds before, but it didn't go so well. I believe that your presence, captain, prevented them from opening fire."

Mel absorbs this as the other senior officers start lobbying theories about Vesta back and forth. Ssleestak makes a reference to the alien/god Apollo that Kirk encountered while both the Preservers and the Q are mentioned. Galeb admits, "Captain, our culture demands that we assist them, especially since it appears that we are responsible for their incarceration here in the Maw. That doesn't seem smart right now, so I must inform my government first." Mel snorts but she understands.

The senior officers start examining the initial data they've collected and Fal and K'tral find a basic primer about the Hearthworlds attached. They report that the Vestan Hearthworlds are a pocket-empire consisting of eleven core worlds named after the other eleven primary gods in the old Roman faith, and twenty-four frontier worlds, including New Gaul, New Britannia, and other planets named after regions the Roman Empire conquered on Earth. They also report that the Hearthworlds have conquered several local non-human species.

The officers discuss the technological jumps needed versus presumably the small population that was relocated. K'tral reads more of the primer and reports, "According to this, when Vesta relocated them in the Great Diaspora, she 'gave them everything they needed to thrive,' and tasked them to breed and multiply. That makes sense, as Vesta was partially a fertility goddess. It seems that twins and triplets are very common, which also ties into the old Roman Empire. I wonder if this Vesta also made some genetic modifications to the original Vestan."

Ssleestak asks Mel, "Do we try to make friends?" Mel retorts, "In the time-honored tradition of Starfleet, we're going to fob it off on the admiral first!" Christopher jokes, "Aren't you glad we're not in Kirk's era?" and Mel shudders in horror. She declares, "We can check with the Tizit, but I think Merek'miir is right and the Hearthworlds exist outside the Rupture Zone, core-ward of our current position." She considers Ssleestak's question and then decides to leave a buoy in place with the basic instructions for 'How to get out of subspace for dummies.' Galeb nods and muses that he will have to warn the Urathi about this, while Merek'miir asks, "We're going to warn the Wabai Unity as well, yes?" Mel replies, "Of course. And while you are asylum-seekers, we do wish to maintain friendly relations with the Unity."

Mail orders Phillip to plot a course for Urath Prime; Phillip complies and reports, "We're looking at a four-day trip back." Mel nods in understanding. She escorts Galeb and Ileeya back to the transporter room so they can beam back to the Valiant, and then beams some cinnamon buns and the anti-intoxicant. She returns to the bridge and tells Phillip, "Get us underway, ensign." Phillip complies and the Varich follows the Valiant, who then creates a navigational uplink for the Varich.

Two days pass as the Varich follows the Valiant with surprisingly little trouble. As the Valiant is adapted for travel in the Rupture Zone, they avoid all major subspace tears, some before they even form, and while the course is circuitous and looping, it is relatively calm. Phillip reverts flight control back to the normal three-shift rotation while Mel continues the cultural exchange with the Urathi and warns them of the high pirate presence in the remains of their outer system. Ssleestak and K'tral review all of the data they've collected, while Phillip focuses specifically on the ship data.

Phillip eventually reports that Vestan ships have multiple redundancies, even more than Starfleet vessels, and they have multiple secondary control centers and three battle bridges on the interdictors alone! He realizes that this doesn't leave a lot of room for the actual crew, and muses about the tight quarters they must endure. He also estimates that their cruising speed is warp six, their maximum speed is warp eight, and their emergency speed is warp nine-point-five. He estimates these vessels primary function is force escalation; Peel reviews his conclusions and muses, "I want that, I want that, I like these people!" Meanwhile, Fal keeps the science department on track but does spend time learning about the Cult of Vesta on ancient Earth. This leads him into a broader inquiry about the Roman Empire and then to the surprising similarities between the Roman Empire and the Romulan Star Empire!