“Lieutenant Rakes, report to the bridge.” Kim sighed as she reversed direction and headed back to the turbolift. She’d been about three steps from Engineering before the order came over her comm badge. She ordered the lift to the bridge, then tapped her own badge.

“On my way. Rakes to Engineering. Donnovan, start the briefing without me. You know what needs to be done. I’ve been called to the bridge.”

Her order acknowledged, Rakes drummed her fingers on her belt. She didn’t like when operations pulled her away from Engineering. A chief engineer should basically live in Engineering. Hell, Kim would set up a bunk down there in a second if she thought Captain Beardsly would allow it. But, she was begrudgingly coming around to the fact that it was sometimes beneficial to having the chief engineer on the bridge. Emphasis on sometimes.

The turbolift spat her out onto the bridge. Lieutenant Rakes paused to assess the situation. Photon torpedoes didn’t seem to be flying at them… but, a second later, yellow alert sounded. Captain Beardsly must’ve given the order the second before she arrived.

Commander Aldiib stepped away from his conversation with the tactical officer on duty and approached Kim.

“Lieutenant, take your station and coordinate with Lieutenant Commander Bishop at ops. We are responding to a distress call from a ship in an unusual anomaly. Details are sparse at this range, so report what you find as you find it.”

Kim nodded. “Aye sir.” Taking her station at the back of the bridge, she signed in and linked her panel to share data with the ops panel. Bishop had already started a running summary of what he’d found, which Kim scanned through quickly.

After a gracious five minute delay, Captain Beardsly called out to Kim. “Alright Lieutenant Rakes, Commander Bishop, tell me what you know.”

Bishop spoke first, updating the bridge crew on the anomaly itself. Origins were unknown for now, but it appeared to be a newly-formed singularity. Which was odd, considering there hadn’t been a requisite collapsing star anywhere near the target coordinates. Kim hadn’t really been paying attention, and was instead poring over the data packet the ship in distress had sent.

Realizing the bridge had been silent a moment, Kim looked up to see the captain patiently staring at her. Waiting.

Kim took a breath, pausing from her update of the summary she’d been helping to compile. Glancing over it once more, she began her report. “Captain, I’ve been reviewing the data we received from the ship in distress. It’s a civilian science vessel. At least, that’s what they identified themselves as. Looks like a repurposed dilithium tanker to me. Anyway, they were ripped out of warp by the anomaly without warning. Must’ve been extremely unlucky with timing. The damage from the sudden deceleration is preventing them from escaping, but for the moment their impulse engines are holding position.”

Captain Beardsly considered both reports, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought. “How close can we get? Can we tractor them? Beam them out? How did this thing form?”

Kim reeled at the onslaught of questions. “Ah, I don’t have answers to any of those questions yet sir. We’re not even sure what it is yet. But I’d recommend we drop to impulse a light minute out. Can’t save them if we fall in too.”

Captain Beardsly grimaced, then nodded. “Very well. Helm, you heard the Lieutenant. Take us in.”

The Truckee raced to the rescue, barreling towards an unknown anomaly and an unknown threat.