The glistening velvet expanse of space had given way to the golden, storm-wracked tunnels of Underspace. The corridor twisted endlessly before the convoy like a serpent caught in perpetual motion. Swirling clouds of amber-orange and black pressed in tight on all sidesof the linear formation. Brief flashes of dark energy flashed, illuminating the hulls of the ships in eerie silhouette.

They were alone. The Vaadwaur convoy had outrun them.

Ensign Crismarlyn Ruiz leaned forward in her seat at the helm. She carefully guided the Brawley through the winding tunnel. Her eyes flicked constantly between the forward display and the navigational sensors. The interference from the tunnel itself rendered most readings fuzzy at best and unreadable at worst.

“Still no sign of the Vaadwaur?” Captain Raku asked in a somber tone. Hands folded behind his back as he stood at the center of the bridge.

“Negative, Captain,” replied Lt. Sar without looking up from his station. The gold-skinned Vulcan’s voice was untouched by the growing tension on the bridge. “They have accelerated beyond our tracking range. Their warp signature fragments have dissipated thirty-two seconds ago.”

“Damn it,” muttered Commander Smythe from Tactical. He still stood beside Lt. Commander M’kath. The Klingon continued scanning for energy signatures and weapons fire in the distance. The two exchanged a brief glance.

Raku stepped closer to the helm rail. “We’re not done yet. Follow these signals.”

They had picked multiple faint trails. Radiation signatures pulsed intermittently from deeper within the maze of Underspace tunnels. The signals were irregular and chaotic. They seemed to be originating from locations within the hazy web. The signatures appeared to be trying to interact with comm systems, but no messages were readable.

“We’re approaching a fork,” said Ruiz as her hands slid across the console. “Multiple sub-paths branching out. Narrow clearance.”

“Take us down the strongest signal path,” Raku ordered.

The convoy followed in a staggered single file formation. Reesshard’s ornate yacht gilded like a predator directly behind the Brawley. The ships were flanked above and behind by the Orion Space Navy vessels. The IKS Votaragh held station farther back, guarding the rear of the formation.

As they crested a sharp bend, a structure came into view.

It floated in the tunnel like a malignant growth. Its dark, angular shape resembled a twisted latticework of mechanical roots. It pulsed with the same golden vapor as the surrounding tunnel. Clouds of dark gas released into the corridor through massive vents. Its surface was segmented and bristling with automated polaron turrets.

“Unknown construct dead ahead,” Lt. Cmdr. M’kath reported as he narrowed his eyes.

“It appears to be emitting the same exotic particles that make up the tunnel itself”, Lt. Sar added.

“A factory?” Smythe wondered.

“Or a projector,” Lt. T’Naagi suggested from the Science station. Her neon pink eyes shimmered under the glow of her interface. “It may be generating this corridor. If we disable it, we could collapse the tunnel… Or maybe escape it.”

“Weapons are charging on the structure,” M’kath shouted. “Brace!”

The construct struck first. Three forward-mounted turrets shot golden polaron lances arced toward the frontrunning Brawley. Impacts shimmered across the forward shields in a web of radiant energy. The ship shuddered hard.

“Shields are down to 17 percent,” Sar said in a steady tone. Luckily the shields had recharged some since the last encounter. At one point, the Brawley had been three hits away from a hull breach. They were still perilously close to this risk. These shots also hit with less fury than Intarion’s Fist and the two Vaadwaur escorts.

“Return fire,” Raku snapped as he walked to his chair and tapped a button to open comms. “All ships, hit that thing. Line abreast. Let’s burn it down.”

The convoy expanded outward as much as it could. Ships slid into a new formation as the Brawley circled back. The OSN Jahlei took point. Her dark green hull glinted eerily as green disruptors lashed out toward the structure. The smaller destroyers, Nyxien and Ttaren, flanked her tightly. Both also peppered the structure with streams of emerald energy. The heavier and broader D’Vogh brought its modified torpedo launcher to bear. Slow but precise impacts rocked the surface plating of the hostile installation.

Reesshard’s yacht danced above them, its twin disruptors flaring furiously. The vessel moved with unusual agility. A colorful sheen of multi-layered shielding rippled under light impacts as it drew fire. Reesshard’s absurdly theatrical voice crackled over the open comms, “I trust you don’t mind if I lead, darlings. Someone must teach this rusted hulk how to take a proper beating.”

The Brawley swept in behind the yacht, phasers firing in tightly coordinated bursts. Ruiz twisted the ship through each pass like a duelist’s blade.

The structure retaliated as its shields began to fail.

“We’ve breached the outer shell,” M’kath called. “Exposing internal energy conduits.”

“Focus fire there,” Raku ordered. The Brawley took another set of hits.

“Shields are down”, M’kath and Sar accidentally said together. They exchanged glances.

The construct began to convulse. A golden vortex exploded outward from its core. It swept the entire convoy into a torrent of unstable motion.

Stars seen from inside the bridge turned into streaks of color. Ruiz gritted her teeth, white-knuckling the helm as the ship pitched and rolled. All crew members began to hang on to railings as the bridge rocked, listed and spun.

“Engaging full inertial dampening,” Sar reported. “Stability is now at seventy-three percent and climbing.”

“Feels like thirty,” Smythe muttered as he fought a sudden rocking motion.

Sparks burst from the side of Ensign Kian Harol’s console. The dirty blonde Trill was thrown back from his seat from the prssure wave. He had been monitoring damage control response on a secondary Operations station. T’Naagi braced herself against her station, before rushing to help him up. The centrifugal force made it hard for everyone to move, as the interial dampeners’ stabilizers fought to keep the crew planted to the floor.

“Trajectory is nonlinear,” Sar continued calmly. “We are descending multiple tunnel layers. Velocity increasing past threshold. We are no longer in controlled navigation.”

“I noticed,” Ruiz grunted as she tapped her controls fruitlessly.

Lights flickered, red alert still casting red despite the Klaxons being turned off. The tunnel outside warped and twisted like a worm devouring its own tail. Every ship in the convoy was spinning. They were caught in a gravitational eddy beyond their comprehension.

“This is going to get worse before it gets better,” Lt. Moon’s voice came over bridge comms through Engineering. “I’m trying to reinforce the structural integrity field, but some bulkheads are creaking like old bones.”

“We’re going to come apart,” Ensign Kian Harol shouted as he monitored his console. “We’ve got microfractures along port corridor twelve. Emergency teams en route.”

The ride continued for what felt like minutes. Everything suddenly came to a halt.

The ship jolted violently one last time before everything went still. Outside, the tunnel had changed. The swirling gold and black clouds still surrounded them. They had now dimmed like fog compared to a thunderstorm. The corridor was wider and quieter here.

“We’ve stabilized,” Sar announced. “Assessing orientation.”

“Check for damage,” Raku ordered. “Bridge to Engineering.”

“We’re bruised, not broken,” Moon replied. “Shields are down. One plasma conduit ruptured and sealed. Life support nominal. Damage control is working on a microfracture, as well as general structural integrity”

“Ops?” Captain Raku Mobra’ Bajoran earring glinted in the light.

“Power rerouted and systems balancing,” Sar confirmed. “We are functional. Working to restore shield potency.”

“There’s something else,” T’Naagi added suddenly. Her console flashed, and she leaned in. “I’m detecting another signal. Barely. It’s… distorted, scattered. This one looks more like a garbled Starfleet transmission.”

“Source?” Smythe asked.

“Tracing,” she said. “Looks like… that way.” She pointed toward a narrowing tunnel offshoot.

“Take us in, Ruiz.” said Mobra. The ensign obliged, grateful to have control restored.

They advanced slowly and cautiously. The signal grew clearer as they neared the fork. The tunnel opened into a wide chamber, then collapsed inward again. The convoy was pulled toward a glowing rift.

“That is indeed an aperture,” Sar confirmed. “Exit vector projecting into known space. Estimated coordinates place us near Kzinti border regions.”

They emerged into normal space with a burst of plasma discharge. Stars reappeared, twinkling as they welcomed the convoy.

“We’re out,” said Ruiz through a deep breath.

“Long-range sensors are coming back online,” T’Naagi said. “Still patchy but improving.”

Then came the signal.

[ BOARDED – MANY DEAD MANY INJURED – USS MORRO BAY – SOS ]

It crackled through the speakers like a whisper over broken glass.

“Morro Bay?” Smythe asked heavily. “That’s one of ours. California-class.”

“I have a fix on their location,” Sar reported. “Signal is originating from just within our sensor perimeter. Forward starboard.” Effects of the nearby aperture were also affecting this region.

“Full impulse,” Raku Mobra said as he finally took his seat in the center of the bridge. Commander Marlon Smythe joined him, rich brown eyes scanning he viewscreen.

The stars shifted as the Brawley surged forward.

“Mister M’kath, begin prepping to lead a search and rescue mission. Mister Sar, Hail the Morro Bay,” the Captain said aggressively. “Now!”