Episode 6: Day Zero

2268.72.5: Captain’s Log
The Cardassian Union has declared war on the Federation. Two UFP colonies, one at Atbar IV, the other at Olmerak, have been destroyed. Outpost Gamma 7 has reported signs of an approaching Cardassian force. In response, Solace has been assigned to Task Force Rampart as their support. Task Force Rampart consists of three other vessels, all Larson-class Destroyers. We are to rendezvous with Strike Forces Ironclad and Monitor near the Rolor Nebula and form a battle fleet. From there, the fleet will hold the Federation line.

Task Force Rampart, which consisted of Solace and three Larson-class Destroyers (Andromeda, Embolden, and Kholar) departed Starbase 621 for Rolor Nebula and arrived nearly thirty days later. At the Rolor Nebula, TF Rampart joined with Strike Force Ironclad (two more Larsons, Gallant and Triumph, and a Detroit ERV, Chicago) and Strike Force Monitor (another two Larsons, Honor and Maelstrom, and a Jupiter-class Dreadnought, Brotherhood). Together, the fleet made their way to Outpost Gamma-7, near a Dark Matter Nebula, where they would hold the Federation line against the encroaching Cardassian war fleet.

Sixteen Cardassian war ships attacked the Federation line, ten Galor-class Cruisers and six Koranak-class Destroyers. It was a brutal conflict, with Commodore Decker, captain of Brotherhood, as acting Fleet Admiral, and one that Starfleet was winning, albeit with a few losses. Winning, that is, until an anomalous presence, first detected telepathically by Ensign Mirenne, then later discovered via a broad spectral sensor sweep by Ensign Selar, made its presence known. It was a terribly powerful, small war ship called Sleipnir (which possessed an oddly out-of-synch quantum signature), and it wielded firepower the likes of which had not been seen. Shields were practically irrelevant to the gunship's pulse-style phasers and white, star-like torpedoes. While the Cardassian fleet was destroyed to a ship, Sleipnir did near the equivalent damage to the Federation fleet.

When it was finally standing on its own against the three remaining, damaged Starfleet starships (Solace, Kholar, and Triumph) it launched an unique torpedo that registered an unknown energy signature. The torpedo engaged its own warp, hitting speeds near Warp Factor 11, and then the gunship vanished and entered warp, as well.

Solace had suffered a warp core breach during the attack and Captain Pike had gone to engineering to assist Commander Dornon with repairs when a delta radiation leak occurred. Pike sacrificed his health to save Dornon and dozens of other engineers, and was bathed in the radiation, crippling and disfiguring him.

Solace spent several days gathering survivors from the wreckage while H'suur interrogated Cardassian prisoners. They learned that the Cardassians were driven by a frightening entity, the captain of Sleipnir, known as Wotan the Red, One-Eyed Bill, the Red Berserker, and the Blood-Bather, as well as his aide, called "The Lash". Wotan the Red drove the Cardassians to invade Federation space, their goal to take Trill as a new frontworld; the existence of this unique torpedo was not known to them.

To the Cardassian residents of Terok Nor, stationed near Bajor, however, the effects of that torpedo would soon be all too clear.

What followed occurred over the course of twelve days, three hours, thirty minutes, and twenty-eight seconds, but started with a single, mysterious event.

Sleipnir exited warp near Terok Nor and flew to an otherwise unexceptional region of space. There, it began directing specially modulated warp energy and a brilliant azure wormhole blossomed. Moments later, the small ship disappeared into the wormhole.

Its disappearance was followed, only minutes later, by the arrival of that unique torpedo, which streaked straight to the wormhole (still blossomed and open) and struck. The resulting energy wave was unlike anything any science in any empire had yet witnessed. Two minutes and forty-three seconds later, Bajor was consumed by this expanding energy wave, but they were only the first.

The wave continued to expand, gaining additional energy as it contacted nebula, and expanded again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Over the course of nearly two weeks, the apocalyptic energy wave consumed, leaving unknown space in its wake.

Only by the scientific acumen (and lucky guess) of Cadet Pren and Ensign Dole did Solace, Kholar, and Triumph survive. Unable to outrun the approaching energy wave (which was traveling at 2,744 times the speed of light -- approximately warp factor 14), they hid in the nearby Dark Matter Nebula, which proved to be unaffected by the wave's consuming force.

Following the tragic galactic consumption, the three vessels embarked on a six month journey, limping back to Starbase 621, making "best possible speed". Soon, they would learn the extent of the devastation that forever altered the face of the quadrant and would shape events to come for years.

Order of devastation caused by the anomalous "Genesis Event" that resulted in the creation of the massive "Genesis Expanse":

0 -- The expanding energy wave travels at 2,744 times the speed of light (approximately warp 14.).
+ 2 minutes 43 seconds -- Bajor contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 19 hours 10 minutes 3 seconds -- Cardassia contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 19 hours 57 minutes 59 seconds -- Amleth Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 1 day 7 hours 56 minutes 46 seconds -- Badlands contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 2 days 19 hours 53 minutes 7 seconds -- Tong Beak Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 2 days 23 hours 52 minutes 43 seconds -- Rolor Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 3 days 13 hours 27 minutes 21 seconds -- McAllister C-5 Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 3 days 23 hours 50 minutes 18 seconds -- Dark Matter Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, but it (and anything within it) are unaffected.
+ 5 days 9 hours 22 minutes 54 seconds -- Argolis Cluster contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 5 days 11 hours 46 minutes 39 seconds -- Hugora Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 5 days 19 hours 45 minutes 50 seconds -- Betazed contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 6 days 4 hours 32 minutes 57 seconds -- Arachnid Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 6 days 5 hours 20 minutes 52 seconds -- Tendaras Cluster contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 6 days 19 hours 43 minutes 25 seconds -- Lyshan contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 6 days 21 hours 19 minutes 15 seconds -- Risa contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 6 days 23 hours 43 minutes 1 second -- Betreka Nebula contacts the Genesis effect, is consumed and "powers" the effect, expanding it.
+ 7 days 5 hours 18 minutes 26 seconds -- Penthara contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 7 days 10 hours 21 minutes 17 seconds -- Starbase 2 contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 7 days 11 hours 22 minutes 38 seconds -- Planet Q contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 8 days 19 hours 19 minutes 23 seconds -- O'Ryan's Planet contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 9 days 7 hours 37 minutes 21 seconds -- Starbase 11 contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 9 days 15 hours 36 minutes 32 seconds -- Coridan contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 11 days 9 hours 38 minutes 59 seconds -- Organia contacts the Genesis effect.
+ 12 days 3 hours 30 minutes 28 seconds -- Regulus contacts the Genesis effect.