A report from the Federation News Service. Report from Sol System
THE USS VESTA RETURNS!
Following the 2392 Antarian Trans-Stellar Relay, the USS Vesta was completing her final negotiations and relays of information regarding the race to Starfleet. The Malon that had been apprehended had been turned over to authorities in the region of the race, and the Federation rejoiced, their recent victory in the race, and their gain of new allies, lead to celebrations. The Delta Quadrant was a new region of space that could be explored, new homes made following the Devastation of the Borg a decade prior, and all around, a new era of peace for the citizens of the Federation. The celebrations however, were cut short.
Reports from the area indicated the USS Vesta primed her Quantum Slipstream Drive, and made the jump to the Quantum Slipstream Velocities, as she had done in many a test. However, this time was different, the Vesta never exited Slipstream at her dedicated location in the Iota system. It was assumed that the ship had missed it’s destination, or had dropped from QSV (as the Engineers tell me they shorten it to). A search party was dispatched, sent to investigate the issue and locate the missing ship. Six months later, the search would be called off, as no sign of the vessel was found. The ship was presumed lost with all hands.
I do not have to remind readers of the sorrow that followed. The Quantum Slipstream Drive had been the brainchild of Starfleet Engineering for years, a project to allow us to travel further than ever before. It had been hoped that they would allow us to reach new allies, to bring an end to pending war. The Vesta herself had been a shining example, bravely charting courses thought impossible for years to come. Her crew had become heros, people who would go on to do great things, to lead great lives, and to help ensure the continued peace and security that the Federation stood for. We all mourned their loss. We buried the dead, and we tried to move on. The Quantum Slipstream Drive project was halted, and the retrofitting of the drive to other vessels altogether stopped. War brewed on our doorstep, and we had other matters to attend to, one ship could not stop the flow of time.
But for one ship, the flow of time did stop, and just nine days ago, start again.
The USS Vancouver was alerted to a high concentration subspace anomaly, appearing in the Sol System, and with her escorts, was deployed to the anomaly, and for three days they watched it take shape, and emit high levels of chroniton radiation across the system. Subspace communication was disrupted, warp drives destabilized, what could possible be the cause of it? Our lost ship. From Time’s cold grasp she was returned to us, damaged, shaken, but altogether, there. Once again that feeling of celebration washed over. The Vesta had returned to us, and with it, a whole new understanding of time, space, and the influence of Quantum Slipstream on both. The crew could join their families, and wash away tears long cried. Many of the crew opted to take time away from the vessel, to spend time with their family. We tried to catch up with Captain Minawara at a function, shortly after his appointment to the position of Task Group 72-A’s command, but he refused to comment on the situation, only saying that is was classified.
What caused the time jump? What did the crew do for those three years? Does this mean that the Quantum Slipstream Project will resume? What will happen to the Vesta now? What can we expect from the crew herself? Tune into the FNS to find out more, as we keep you up to date on the story.