By Nathan Warner
The Enterprise explores a collection of mysterious portals in orbit of an abandoned planet
“It’s an unbelievably amazing discovery - a once-in-a-lifetime find,” Captain Picard said to Counselor Troi as he walked onto the bridge with her after a presentation from the Mitrobite Archaeological Committee in Ten Forward. If Picard had hardly been able to contain his elation earlier over the spatial anomalies recently discovered in orbit of Rusemite 2, he was almost giddy after the Enterprise had been ordered to the system to oversee the archaeological team trying to map the anomalies.
“This is so... remarkable, Counselor!” he continued. “Imagine, an entire culture that bypassed the long road to warp technology because they stumbled upon a natural-occurring phenomenon in orbit of their planet - a phenomenon that generates portals from one space to another!”
“Like a wormhole?” Troi asked. At first, the Captain's exuberance had been contagious, but the effects had worn off for her earlier that morning, and she was trying very hard to seem as excited as the Captain expected her to be.
“Oh, no, this is a very different phenomenon!” Picard remarked. “You see, a wormhole remains unseen until triggered to open - and you have no way of knowing where it leads until you tumble through the tunnel. Instead, these portals are like two-way windows between different places in space - windows that remain open and that you can peer through to the other side - peer through and climb through!” Troi nodded, wishing she’d sampled the coffee bar at the presentation.
“But the people who used them are long gone?” she asked.
“Hmm?...” Picard returned from his inward gaze. “Oh, yes—all that’s left of the Rusemite culture on their home-planet is twisted steel structures like ancient Earth skyscrapers. But we’ve found artifacts bearing their unique radiometric signature all over the galaxy. We just didn’t know where they came from. Now, we’ve found where it all began, but too late to ask them in person, I’m afraid.” He straightened his uniform, trying to shake off some of his excitement.
“I mean, we don’t even know what happened to them,” he sighed, “Perhaps they left this place and passed through these portals to other worlds—beyond our galaxy even!”
“How many portals are there?” Troi asked hiding a yawn very badly behind her PADD, but if Picard noticed he didn’t show any sign. He sat down lightly on the edge of the Captain’s chair.
“Well,” he said, “they’ve discovered a cluster of three over the equator, but there could be more. That’s why we’ve been called in - to use the Enterprise’s sensor suite to shed light on the area.” At that moment, Commander Data turned slightly from Ops.
“We are approaching Rusemite 2, Captain,” he said.
“Go to impulse and bring us into orbit,” Picard said, getting up from his chair, before turning to Troi. “Counselor, since you seem to share my interest, would you accompany me to Shuttle Bay 2 - we’ll get a closer look at these magnificent gems. Number One, you have the bridge!” Troi was wishing she hadn’t seemed so interested, and she gave Will the look of death as he grinned knowingly at her. A few minutes later, Picard piloted their shuttle out into orbit of Rusemite 2 - the planet looked calm and peaceful with forests and oceans spread serenely across its surface. Picard banked the shuttle out toward the star-lit space, and Troi caught sight of three faint shimmers ahead. The shuttle drew them closer until the shimmers grew into “snow-globes” suspended in the black.
“The portals?” Troi asked, leaning forward, but the Captain was too transfixed to reply. As they approached the nearest one, Troi gasped. “I can see...oceans and forests,” she exclaimed. “They’re beautiful!” It was so strange to see the shimmer of alien waters against the dark backdrop of space—somewhere far, far away. And to think, they could pass right through that “open” window and be in orbit of some unknown world.
To starboard, she suddenly caught sight of city standing on the banks of a mighty river—revealed in the black, like she was looking through a hole in a tent at a beautiful landscape outside.
“Initial indications are that it is abandoned,” Picard whispered—as if afraid the sound of his voice might shatter the portals. He pointed cautiously to port, carrying Troi’s gaze to the third portal.
“An archipelago!” She proclaimed. Picard distractedly motioned for her to keep her voice down as he inched forward, bringing himself that much closer to the mystery. Directly in front of them, they made out six, seven—no ten islands bathing in a scintillating ocean near a river delta. Somehow, the water currents were clearly visible as they flowed around the isles.
“Perhaps something in the water?” Picard mumbled to himself. “Or maybe a higher viscosity?” Now, Troi was ignoring him, as she leaned forward on the shuttle’s dash and bumped her nose on its window. She thought she could see something—a small vessel of some sort floating within the atmosphere of the Portal—perhaps a satellite in orbit of that distant world? She thought she was sensing something—a vague emotion at first, but then she focused on it and felt it clearly.
“Amusement…” she whispered.
“Did you say something, Counselor?” Picard asked.
“Yes, I sense amusement!” Troi repeated.
“Amusement?” Picard inquired. “In here or out there?” Troi shook her curls at him.
“Out there, of course!” she huffed, turning back to the scene outside. It took her a moment to again find and point out the object she had seen, but it glinted in the sunlight, and Picard nodded.
“Oh, yes, its…” he began, but suddenly, in a flash, the bubble outside burst—the portal vanished in a blink of light. Only the blackness of space stared back at them.
“What!...What just happened?” Troi exclaimed. Picard shook his head vaguely, but she could see his brow was bent on the same question. After a few seconds of interrogating his console, the Captain turned to her with a look of surprise.
“Well, well,” he said, “according to this, the portal’s subspace field was triggered to close.”
“Intentionally?” Troi asked.
“It would seem so,” Picard replied with equal incredulity. “I think we may have just found the Rusemites!” Troi shook her head.
“Only to lose them!” She said, collapsing in her chair. “They don’t seem very hospitable.” Picard shrugged.
“Well, some people like their privacy,” he reflected, “and we still have the other portals to investigate!” Troi sighed.
“Leading to dead archaeological sites, no doubt!” she grumbled.
“What’s wrong with that?” Picard asked, defensively. “Aren’t the artifacts of any sentient species worthy of study?” Troi sighed.
“I prefer my objects of study to have emotions,” she said, “which generally precludes them being dead...unless they’re Vulcans...or Data.”
