Skip to main content

Episode 111. 1954: The Year of Contamination

Book 1 - Episode 111 - 1954: The Year of Contamination

Context

Coordinated Universal Time
Thursday, July 15, 1954 - 8:50 PM
Location
  • Beta Quadrant
  • Solar System
  • Near Earth
  • USS Enterprise
  • Bridge
Timeline
Prime Timeline
Previously on Trek Outta Time

After several weeks of rest on Proxima Centauri B, the Enterprise crew voted unanimously to correct the temporal contamination of 1954: the event that caused Schak'Irra's destruction and the deviation of their timeline. Agnes launched this final mission with a reconfigured crew: Tarsi and T'Met aboard Tal'Kyr, Gornok in engineering, K'hoka in sickbay, and the rest of the crew ready to follow her to the end. The two ships plunged together into a temporal vortex, crossing 70 years of history to reach 1954... and the precise instant when everything changed.

Characters

Name Affiliation / Branch Title / Rank Species Original Timeline
Agnes V. Rodriguez NATO / Special Fleet Captain Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Angie Chen NATO / Special Fleet Commander Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi Starfleet / Temporal Division Commander Andorian Prime Timeline
T'Met Starfleet / Temporal Division Captain Vulcan Prime Timeline
Robert Gomard NATO / Army Colonel Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Eric Corda NATO / Special Fleet Lieutenant Commander Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Emilie Flores NATO / Special Fleet Ensign Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Charlene Savea NATO / Special Fleet Lieutenant Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Manu NATO / Special Fleet Requisitioned Civilian Human Schak'Irra Timeline
Lingua Starfleet / Temporal Division N/A Artificial Intelligence Prime Timeline

Manifest

USS Enterprise
Affiliation NATO
Location 1954, near Earth
Captain Agnes V. Rodriguez
First Officer Angie Chen
Artificial Intelligence Lingua (Unofficial)
Pilot Eric Corda
Communications Emilie Flores
Operations Charlene Savea
Tactical Angie Chen
Science Manu
Engineering Gornok (Unofficial)
Advanced Weaponry Eros Vitos
Security Robert Gomard (Unofficial)
Sickbay
  • Victor S. Calpel
  • K'hoka Khol'a (assistant)
Counselor/Consultant Manu
Custodian Manu
Passengers
  • Robert Gomard's squad
  • 4 Vulcan survivors from Schak'Irra
  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Gornok's Tellarite workers
Detainees Vladimir Joseph Putin and his bodyguards
Deployed Flotilla Tal'Kyr (T'Met and Tarsi)

TL;DR

Tal'Kyr and the Enterprise emerge from the wormhole near Earth, but the jump disorients the crew of the Earth ship, which was not designed to travel through time. Agnes orders a status check, confirming their arrival on July 15, 1954 at 8:58 PM, exactly thirty minutes before Schak'Irra's predicted destruction. The two ships move into position to intercept the enemy. From his shuttle, Gomard detects strange flashes in the area: the Tholian distortion is already forming. Agnes triggers red alert: the battle of July 15, 1954 has begun.

Story

No sooner do we emerge from the wormhole than I suddenly feel dizzy. My officers do not react, and Angie has collapsed beside my chair. I kneel next to her to take her pulse. I am relieved to see that she is breathing, but the sound from the communications console echoes like a jackhammer in my head. On all fours, I do my best to crawl toward Emilie's station to answer the incoming call, but Lingua beats me to it.

Lingua

Audio channel

[beep] Captain Rodriguez, Commander Tarsi and Captain T'Met are calling you from Tal'Kyr.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

On... on screen, Lingua...

Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi

Video channel

Hello, pink-skins. Did you see?

That slide was amazing...

Whoa, what happened?

Why is everyone sleeping?

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

You tell me why you two are in perfect shape and we are not!

Capt. T'Met

Video channel

Captain Rodriguez, the most logical explanation is that the Enterprise systems were unable to compensate for the temporal fluctuations, which caused neurological disturbances in certain members of your crew.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

You could have warned us!

We spent weeks preparing this mission!

Capt. T'Met

Video channel

For a short crossing of 70 years, the effects are temporary. I did not consider it worthwhile to spend our limited resources installing temporal stabilizers and modulating shields to neutralize the harmful effects.

Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One

Ow... my head.

Rhaaaa...

Don't shout so loud!

My ears are killing me!

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Angie, are you okay?

Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One

What happened?

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Our two friends from the 26th century did not deign to warn us that we would suffer a dizzy spell from the space-time distortions.

Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One

How long were we out?

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

No, one or two minutes. Our officers seem to be coming back to their senses.

Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi

Video channel

Hey, you lightweights! You may have forgotten, but allow me to remind you that we have a mission to complete and no time to waste!

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Waste time?! Coming from someone who masters time travel, that is rich!

Ensign Flores, monitor communications and radio waves. I want to know if we arrived on the right date.

Ens. Emilie Flores Communications

Aye, Captain.

Capt. T'Met

Video channel

That will not be necessary.

Our data indicate that it is July 15, 1954, exactly 8:58 PM VSS Schak'Irra will be shot down at 9:31 PM We have little time left to intercept the Tholian ship.

Captain Rodriguez, I invite you to follow us to Schak'Irra's projected coordinates.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Perfect, Captain T'Met.

Mr. Corda, follow the lady!

Lt. Cmdr. Eric Corda Pilot

Aye, Captain.

Ens. Emilie Flores Communications

Captain, I'm picking up radio broadcasts from Earth. It looks like we really are in 1954, just as Captain T'Met said.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Let us hear it. Put it on speaker, Ensign.

Radio Paris

Speaker

...Good evening to all, this is Radio Paris. It is exactly 9 PM Here is a news summary for July 15th.

Sports: The Tour de France is in full swing with stage 8, from Vannes to Angers. The stage was a 190 km flat race won by Belgian rider Fred De Bruyne in 4 hours, 27 minutes, and 4 seconds.

International news: The situation in Indochina remains tense as peace talks continued this Thursday in Geneva. Hopes of ending this eight-year conflict are high, but negotiations are difficult and will resume tomorrow morning.

Domestic politics: The government discussed economic reforms today aimed at strengthening growth. Lively debates took place in the National Assembly over which measures to adopt.

And now, some music to brighten your evening. Here is Édith Piaf's latest record, La goualante du pauvre Jean, on Radio Paris...

While we listen to the old radio broadcasts from the 1950s, the Enterprise and Tal'Kyr move into position near the coordinates where the hostile ship is supposed to be. I authorize Colonel Gomard and the flotilla of Class F shuttles to deploy strategically into the future combat zone.

Ens. Emilie Flores Communications

Captain, Colonel Gomard is on the line.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

On screen, Flores.

Col. Robert Gomard Army

Video channel

Enterprise, this is Herbie 53.

I'm seeing something pretty odd.

Looks like a storm is brewing.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Enterprise here.

Why do you say that, Robert?

Col. Robert Gomard Army

Video channel

I thought I saw lightning.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

If I didn't know you better, I'd say you'd been drinking again.

Ensign Flores, redirect the communication to Tal'Kyr and ask T'Met to analyze it.

Ens. Emilie Flores Communications

Communication transferred, Captain.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Manu, do you have an explanation?

Manu Requisitioned Civilian

As far as I know, nothing can explain such a phenomenon. You were right to transfer the analysis request to Captain T'Met.

The minutes pass in tense silence. My crew is on high alert, scanning the screens and the surrounding area for the Tholian ship that is supposed to attack Schak'Irra. Suddenly, Angie's voice rings out, her face tightening as she looks at her console. She reports the appearance of an unusual spatial distortion near Colonel Gomard's shuttle.

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Number One, put it on the main screen!

Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One

I've got a feeling it's him!

Lt. Charlene Savea Operations

My God, Colonel Gomard was right.

Look!

The lightning is getting stronger!

Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez

Red alert!

Everyone to battle stations!

Comments