The Rift
Posted on Sun Nov 9th, 2025 @ 6:54pm by Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida & Commander Peter Horn & Lieutenant Commander Liam Reynolds & Lieutenant Alena Alessa & Lieutenant JG Abrasax
Edited on on Sun Nov 9th, 2025 @ 6:58pm
2,451 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 9: Across Time
Location: Deep Space 21, Ops
Timeline: Before “Beacon Study”
ON:
Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida sat behind his desk, sipping lukewarm green tea while reviewing crew rotation requests on his PADD. The hum of the station’s systems was a comforting constant, dull, steady, reliable. Just as it should be.
Until the hum faltered.
It wasn’t a sound exactly, more a shift in background tension—like the static in the air before a storm.
From beyond the transparent partition to Ops, Hiro heard the low chime of an alert. It wasn’t red alert—just a sensor anomaly. But the tone was sharp enough to make him lower the padd.
He rose and stepped through the sliding door into Ops.
“Report,” he said, even before the door finished opening.
At the Operations console, Ensign Tirav - a young Trill with sharp eyes and a cautious voice - was already squinting at the data.
“There’s something on long-range sensors, sir. A spatial disturbance, bearing 314-mark-8. Temporal signature just spiked.”
"Temporal?" Peter turned his head towards the young Trill. "What kind of temporal signature?" His gaze shifted towards Hiro. "Are we in danger of crossing its path?"
"It doesn't seem to be moving any nearer," Liam said walking behind Ensign Tirav. "But we are not getting very much data sir. Shall we send out a science ship closer to it?"
Hiro narrowed his eyes at the pulsing blip on the screen, then shook his head slightly. “Not yet. Whatever it is just arrived, and I’m not yet prepared to risk a vessel getting caught in a temporal anomaly. Keep sensors focused on it. If it’s going to do something, I’d rather watch from a safe distance, for now. What other options do we have, besides our sensors and sending a ship?”
"Ensign, is it getting any bigger?" Abrasax asked Tirav.
Ensign Tirav’s fingers flew across the console, eyes scanning fluctuating readouts. “Negative, sir,” he replied. “Size and energy output are holding steady, no expansion. But… the quantum variance is increasing. It’s like the fissure is becoming more precise, not less.” He glanced back nervously. “Something’s coming through.”
After he stepped closer to the Ops console, Hiro asked for more clarity, his voice calm but firm. “Can you be more specific, Ensign? Are we talking about energy, a vessel, a lifeform?”
Tirav’s fingers moved steadily over the interface, refining the sensor sweep. “Too much interference to lock it down completely, sir, but it’s structured. It’s not just a burst or a wave. Something solid is coming through. Mass readings suggest it’s artificial. Definitely not natural phenomena.” He glanced at Hiro, more focused than nervous now. “Whatever it is, it was meant to come through.”
Before Hiro could respond, the main viewscreen flickered to life with an automatic visual lock. The violet rift stretched wider, lightning arcing outward like fractures in glass. And then, from its shimmering core, a shuttle emerged. Old, weather-beaten, and wholly unfamiliar.
It was unlike anything currently in service. Sleek in a primitive way, with uneven plating and burn scars etched across its hull. The registry markings were long since scorched away, and no running lights blinked to life. The vessel drifted slowly, almost cautiously, like it was feeling its way back into reality.
As the shuttle cleared the anomaly, a dark shape detached from its undercarriage, a small beacon, metallic and still. It began transmitting immediately, a low-frequency pulse echoing across subspace. Then, without hesitation, the shuttle was being pulled back toward the rift.
And vanished.
The fissure folded in on itself a heartbeat later, sealing the tear in space with a final flicker of light.
Ops fell silent again, except for the pulse of the alien beacon, ticking steadily through the void.
Abrasax went to relieve the officer at the science station and sat down. "Performing the full sensor sweep of the beacon..." He announced.
Hiro stood at the center of Ops, arms folding slowly across his chest as he watched the beacon drift on the main viewscreen. His tone was calm, but edged with curiosity.
“Let’s try and find out what that is,” he said. “And who sent it.”
"And if it has any effect on our surroundings," Peter added thoughtfully as his slender fingers danced across his console. "Internal sensors do not pick up any effect from the anomaly, but that does not mean it is not there."
"It doesn't have any hazardous readings for to be brought aboard, but I recommend in a containment lab." Abrasax announced after a few minutes of going over the sensor analysis.
Hiro nodded once, his gaze still fixed on the slowly rotating beacon. “Proceed with caution,” he said. “I want full telemetry logged and real-time monitoring the moment it’s inside.”
He looked toward Reynolds and Horn. “Let’s not assume this thing is passive just because it’s quiet. Anything that rides a temporal fissure here uninvited deserves our full attention.”
Then, more quietly, almost to himself: “Let’s not underestimate what we don’t yet understand.”
"Aye," Abrasax said as he left his post. "Keep an eye out for any more temporal readings." He told his relief, who confirmed their orders. The hybrid made his way to the turbolift to get the lab ready, as well as sort out who would be on this new project.
"May I suggest we alert all personnel and have them report any unusual sightings across the station?" Peter suggested quietly. He didn't look up from his station, almost as if he was afraid that he might miss something crucial if he did.
Alena had heard the conversation from her spot in the corner of Ops. She often joined groups pf people. Not necessarily to talk. She was mostly just observing what went on. She felt the angel pendant on her necklace get warmer. a small hum to it. "Sir", she said to Commander Hiro.
"And anyone with telepathic abilities keep their distance from this beacon till we know more," Liam said darkly remembering a log buoy that had popped out of some other temporal situation years ago that had caused him and a couple of others a lot of trouble. "Just in case," he shared a look at Horn.
"I would agree with Commander Reynolds," Peter agreed without pause, "even though it may not be possible, I second that suggestion. or inhibit psionics if we do not have a choice " his eyes revealed his own horror at that suggestion, as it felt to him like being deaf and blind at the same time.
Hiro took a moment to absorb the gravity in Liam's and Peter's voices. His expression tightened slightly, a clear sign that he understood the risks involved. "Agreed," he said firmly. "Precaution is our best ally here. Anyone with telepathic or other psionic abilities should maintain a safe distance when possible until we understand what we're dealing with. And if containment or inhibition measures are necessary, we'll implement them, no exceptions."
He turned toward Alena as she spoke up quietly, noticing the subtle tension in her voice. “Counselor,” he said, nodding gently to acknowledge her. “Please, go ahead.”
"This pendant of mine... it's getting hot to the touch. Wasn't like this 10 minutes ago. And it's getting warmer by the second", Alena said. She wondered why.
"Then it has to have a link with that beacon," Liam said. "Where did you get the pendant counselor?"
"I found it on a shelf after having had Niska visiting with cake. It was in a tiny box, having a note attached saying "for my little angel" Could it be Niska who placed it? It seems more likely than having someone have access to my rooms", Alena said, thinking back to when she had found the pendant. "It was a handwritten note, not a generic notice or with a digital signature. I ran the note through our historical archives; I figured that I would have the most luck there". Alena shifted from one foot to the other. "And I did find something. A lot actually".
"What did you find, lieutenant," Peter prompted, ,"anything you can share will be helpful in determining whether that probe is hostile or not."
"It seems like it is a way of communication back before outer space, and non-humans, was discovered. The coins, after a lot of reading, are dated back to anywhere between the years 1860 and 2000", Alena told the people around her. "I also looked into the town i grew up in, after coming to the States on Earth. It seemed a bit like a time capsule, if I'm being honest. It was void of modern technology all that time. No padds, no modern infirmary, nothing. I do recall that, when I found out I wasn't 100% human, their behavior became even more hostile than they already were at that time", she went on.
"Hostile?" Peter arched a single eyebrow at her. "An entire town population showed hostility towards you for not being Human, despite your non-alien appearance?" That seemed absurd to him, but then what did he know. He grew up on starships and space stations.
"That town hated all things non-human. Be it things, technology or people. The local clinic's director spilled the beans to the Elders of the town. Hence how they found out about me not being 100% human. When they realized I was starting to show signs of being a telepath, things got even worse. Both sides wanted an advantage, and they wanted me to be that", Alena said with a sigh. "I managed to stay neutral, but it wasn't easy".
"That is outrageous," Peter muttered angrily, though he seemed angry for her rather than at her, "you were a child. You cannot be held responsible for your parentage."
"That's true", Alena agreed. "We came there from Brazil when I was 5. Mrs. Anderson, the lady who took us with her to the States, took us under her wings. She died several years ago. Some claimed that it was a natural death. But to be honest? I found her on the floor in her library. It looked more like murder to me. She was the one who left her all her belongings, including coins and countless books. By the time I reached puberty, I saw how much effort she put into keeping the peace. That was what got me into diplomacy and counseling". She sighed.
"Diplomacy and counselling has been the only constant, all the way from early childhood. After the last talk with my mom, I feel like I've been living on a lie all this time", Alena admitted.
Hiro studied her for a long moment before speaking, his tone steady. “Lieutenant, whatever the past, you’re a trusted officer here. What matters now is the connection between you, that pendant, and the object outside. If it’s reacting to you, we need to understand why.”
There’s something about the timing, the readings, the way the pendant flares… it could be nothing, or it could be significant. Best to let the sensors and the science tell me which, he thought, keeping his expression neutral.
Alena smiled, grateful for the support. "Thank you", she said.
She was beyond grateful that she was trusted. It meant more to her than words would be able to cover. She took off the pendant. "It's getting hotter to the touch. Not to mention that it's glowing now", she said as it started glow softly. What. The. Heck!?
Liam was roused from his thoughts. As she had mentioned Niska he had reached out to his cousin telepathically asking her what she knew of the pendant.
"It was Niska," he said. "She was asked by a gentleman to get that to you. Someone who visited the bar. Sorry I asked her.," he tapped his head. "Better to get more information. He paid her, a lot to get that pendant to you." He wasn't that impressed. Niska clearly had not considered the implications of things. What if that man had been trying to be hostile to their counselor?
"Do you need security to speak to her sir?" he asked Hiro.
Hiro folded his arms across his chest, weighing Liam’s words. “Yes. Have Security question her, discreetly. She may not have understood the importance of what she was carrying, but we need to know who that man was—and what his intentions were.” He turned his gaze toward Alena, calm but intent. “And the pendant has to be analyzed by the Science Department. It’s all too much of a coincidence, if you ask me.”
Alena smiled to Liam, grateful that she now knew where that trinket came from. "It isn't the only trinket that has appeared around me. There was this glowing crystal, slightly cool to the touch. It was there after our return from Lethe. Nothing big at first sight. But there is a tiny angel engraved on the side", she told them as she rubbed her temples. She wasn't fan of having questions and no answers to them. It was annoying.
Intrigued, Peter studied her. "I do think security should question Niska about the delivery," he proposed, "but she bears no fault she is only the proverbial messenger. Meanwhile, I think we should study this crystal. If the counselor permits it, of course."
Hiro gave a small nod. “Agreed. Both items should be examined. Inform Abrasax his team has another challenge coming their way.”
Alena held out the pendant and the crystal. "If you can find anything, I'd be grateful. In the meantime, I'll have a talk with my mom. I have a ton of questions for her. And I hope she'll actually answer some", she said.
"She should," Peter encouraged, "and of course you will be included in the study of your pendant. It is, after all, your property. We will endeavour to return it to you in the condition it has been entrusted to us."
Alena smiled. "Thank you", she said. "I'm going to contact my mother immediately. This cannot wait. It looks like to me that we need answers, and fast", she went on as she rubbed her temples.
Hiro inclined his head slightly. “Understood, Counselor. Speak with your mother. Anything you learn could help us piece this together.” He looked around Ops, his voice calm but resolute. “Let us stay attentive and focused. The beacon and the pendant may share more than coincidence. We have faced the unknown before, and each time we have met it with reason and resolve. Let us do so again.”
Commander Peter Horn
Station XO
Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida
Station CO
Lieutenant Alena Alessa
Chief Diplomat
Chief Counselor
Lieutenant JG Abrasax
Chief Science Officer
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