Starship Odyssey | ONC 2021

Chapter Two - Contact

"If the wormhole closes we'll lose contact with the aliens," lamented Dr. Birdwhistle.

Birdwhistle merely sounded annoyed. Everyone else was on the verge of panic.

"Forget the aliens, we're about to lose the wormhole!" insisted Dr. Fido, who seemed to vibrate with intensity.

"Seventh dimensional hyperspace! If it it closes before we have a chance to unlocks it's secrets it will be a disaster. A historical disaster!" agreed Dr. Eisenstein.

"We can't let this opportunity slip through our fingers," said Dr. Fido. "There must be something we can do. Can we wedge it open with our hyperdrive?"

Dr. Fido paced the bridge and gestured wildly with his hands as he spoke.

<A standard wormhole? Sure. But we don't even know for sure what this thing is. There's no telling what the attempt might do.>

"We have to try! We have a duty!" said Dr. Fido. "Who knows when something like this will present itself again!"

Lulu could see the shadow cast by the star slowly shrinking away in her mind's eye.

"Do it," she said.

<We'll need to lower our shields,> warned Odysseus.

"We're a safe distance out from the star and the aliens have given every indication their intentions are peaceful. Do it."

One by one the concentric layers of defensive fields dissolved away until the only thing protecting the Odyssey from the dangers of space was its hull. The hyperdrive began to realign itself in preparation for its field of effect to be projected outward into the star's shadow like a 5th dimensional stint. This duocylindrical field resembled a pulsating, dented sphere in the minds eye of the group watching from the bridge.

For a moment the shadow over hyperspace continued to shrink but before long seemed to reach a sort of equilibrium. For the moment at least it had stopped shrinking.

It looked like the hyperstint was working.

The color of Eisenstein's sensor eye turned white briefly, a reaction equivalent to a gasp. Dr. Fido ran three full laps of the bridge.

"I'm going to get Dr. Simian," he said.

"Is that really necessary at this exact-" Lulu began, but Fido was long gone.

She sighed.

<The stint is holding,> reported Odysseus, <and the aliens are replying. There is a non-trivial amount of data here... I can't make any promises yet but I may just be able to work up a translation from this. It will take me a few moments before I can say for sure.>

"Don't overextend yourself," said Dr. Eiseinstein. "There are hundreds of intelligent species in the galaxy, there's only one hyperstar that we're aware of. We should be focusing on gathering as much information about it as we can while we can. We have no idea how long this stint will hold."

"Try your best to do both," said Lulu. "We need that translation."

Dr. Fido came running back onto the bridge, carrying with him a threadbare purple stuffed monkey.

"This is Dr. Simian!" said Dr. Fido. He thrust the stuffed animal at Lulu.

"I see that," she said, without looking.

Fido went over to show Dr. Simian to Dr. Birdwhistle, who wasn't any more interested than Lulu had been.

<I'm detecting something else coming through. Looks like it might be more- oh no!>

The artificial gravity stuttered for just a fraction of a second.

<It's a tractor beam!>

"What?" demanded Lulu.

<With our shields down there was nothing I could do in time to stop it. We've been ensnared.>

"Can we shake it without losing the stint?" asked Lulu.

<No,> replied Odysseus, <it would be hard enough with shields back online. Without them it's a fool's errand.>

"Well what are we waiting for? Raise shields!" insisted Dr. Birdwhistle.

"It we pull the stint now it might accelerate the degeneration of the wormhole!" complained Dr. Eisenstein.

Lulu hesitated for just a moment.

<They're reeling us in!> announced Odysseus.

Lulu swore.

"Raise shields," she said. "Try to shake the tractor and get us out of range as soon as you can."

The unshielded starship, never so much resembling a trillion-cut diamond as it did now reflecting the light from the dying star, was pulled closer and closer to the iris of Phuldross. Soon the ship was enveloped by the dying star's outer layer of gases.

"They're pulling us in," said Dr. Fido. There was a nugget of glee hidden under the concern in his voice.

"No they're not," said Lulu. "Odysseus?"

<Shields back online,> reported the AI. <We've shed the tractor beam but we're not out of the woods yet. We're still caught in the star's gravity well.>

"Get us out of here then!" said Lulu. "Jump to hyperspace."

<Can't. Whatever this star is doing to the higher dimensions is interfering with the hyperdrive.>

The artificial gravity flickered again, this time more noticeably.

<I'm trying to get us away on impulse but we're halfway between dimensions at this point. The stress is going to pull us apart.>

"Don't fight it," said Dr. Fido. "If we're right, and this is a wormhole, we should be able to pass on through harmlessly."

"And if we're wrong? And it isn't?" asked Lulu.

"Then in all likelihood we're dead anyway."

"Dr. Fido's right," said Dr. Birdwhistle. "We're past the point of no return. Once we're on the other side we can jump back through. Or, worst case scenario, set a course for home."

If Lulu had any other alternatives she probably would have opted for them. Unfortunately for her if she did she couldn't see them.

"Cut engines Odysseus," she said. "We'll ride this one out."

The Odyssey tumbled down the gravity well and into the heart of the star, where it was pulled the rest of the way up into the 5th dimension. Then the 6th. Then, to the best of their understanding, the 7th.

It was spat out into realspace inside the heart of a second dying star.

"Get us away!" said Lulu.

The Odyssey wasted no time blasting off and out of the grasp of this new star's gravity, dragging a tail of gases behind it as it pulled itself free.

Dr. Fido's eyes were closed. Dr. Eisenstein's sensor eye was dimmed, indicating a similar level of concentration.

"Bring us around and get ready to head back through the wormhole," said Lulu.

"I don't think that's going to work," said Dr. Fido.

"Why not?" asked Lulu.

"Look at the higher dimensions," said Eisenstein. "This star isn't casting any kind of shadow whatsoever. It's... just a star. It's as I feared: the loss of the hyperstint must have collapsed the wormhole."

All four looked on in their mind's eye. Einsenstein was right.

"Any sign of the aliens?" asked Lulu.

<I'm detecting unidentified starships here, here and here.>

Three little glowing dots lit up around the mental image of the star.

<Oh and I've finished translating the aliens' first message.>

"What do they have to say?" asked Lulu.

<It's a demand for surrender.>