TO VADM Rilem CC FCAPT Dewey, FCAPT Perim, K'RIOV Rellir SUBJ Kern Temporal Incident
Following the detection of a potential temporal anomaly located in the Kern system, both the U.S.S. Robau and the R.R.W Anarhai were dispatched to investigate. Long-range sensors indicated that the anomaly was a pocket of subspace temporally desynchronized from the galaxy at large; in short, time moved quicker on the inside of the pocket than on the outside. Upon arrival in the system, the detected anomaly was nowhere to be found. It was deduced at a later point that the temporal anomaly reacted strongly to warp fields; it was initially detected when a superluminal particle chanced through the Kern system, aggravating the aperture.
Moving in to investigate, the Anarhai was suddenly subjected to intense gravitational stress; suddenly visible, the anomaly grew, swallowing the Anarhai. After a moment of confusion, the crew of the Robau (and her assigned ancillary officers) begin working on a solution to free the Anarhai.
Our first attempt involved deploying a tachyon pulse from the ship's primary deflector array, routed through a series of modified probes; this resulted in a brief moment in which we could see the Anarhai, later explained to be a sort of temporal shadow illuminated by the tachyon pulse. Because the Anarhai was not in normal space, we were, in fact, viewing an afterimage- a glimpse inside the temporal bubble.
It was eventually suggested that we hammer the area with a series of graviton bursts; this idea was quickly refined down to applying a graviton burst to a deployed, unmanned shuttle, effectively turning the shuttle into a gravimetric magnet. At first, this appeared to work; however, the disturbance caused the temporal pocket to burst, causing a displacement wave- but luckily, freeing the Anarhai.
Upon making contact with the Anarhai, it was revealed that, though nearly an hour had passed in real space; seven years had passed for them. I am currently unclear on the exact events that transpired onboard the ship during the intervening years, but I know that at some point following the death of Lieutenant Commander Osiangli, Centurion Nakar seized control of the vessel. As a result of these events, I was emotionally compromised for obvious reasons. As such, I temporarily delegated command of the Robau to Captain K'tiess; and gave immediate command of the situation aboard the Anarhai to Erein Aev.
Further reports are to follow.
Captain Jack Buchanan
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Robau
Attachments:// Robau sensor logs pertaining to the anomaly
This is my short reckoning of the seven lost years.
Anarhai arrived along with the USS Robau in the Kern system, but we could not locate the temporal anomaly to begin with. I chose to move Anarhai closer to where the anomaly had originally been scanned to increase our sensor prowess -- you will notice that we did not come any closer to the anomaly than is considered to be standard safe distance by both Starfleet and the Republic. This particular anomaly, though, had qualities where it interacted with our singularity field in such a way that it expanded, enveloping Anarhai and disabling our ability to move.
During the first few years, our emphasis stayed completely on removing ourselves from the affect of the anomaly. I am attaching a list of the hundreds of experiments we did. Without a Starbase to return to, it became clear that we would have to make some changes to our living strategies and staffing needs. Tactical personnel or officers normally on duties unrelated to engineering or hydroponics were retrained and reassigned. By the end of the second year, we instituted rationing. By the end of the third year, we decided to reduce that rationing further, so every member of the crew was getting a basic caloric intake. We also expanded the hydroponics bay to prepare for the day when our replicator capacities would fail.
We began dealing with standard equipment failures due to non-maintenance. We cannibalized other systems to keep life support functioning and the singularity stable. A list of systems which no longer function as of Year 5 is also enclosed with this report. XO Nakar can provide the rest. We ran out of antibiotics and standard medicines and lost some crew members to ordinary illnesses. The XO can get you those records.
In the second month of Year Five, Lieutenant Commander Osiangli let us know that he had been sacrificing his ration to others, including the children that had been born, for years. Our chief medical officer determined that there was no longer anything she could do for the lieutenant commander. After his death, the crew began to fracture. A faction led by myself believed that the best thing to do was to continue egalitarian distribution of the food that was left. CENT Nakar believed that others, rather than facing grave illness or injury, could choose the same path and sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Things became so tense that CENT Nakar gathered like-minded individuals and insisted I step down. Initially, I refused. They used strong tactics to ensure my cooperation. After that, I was confined to quarters for a few months while he consolidated his leadership and I informed members of my faction that I did not want them to pursue violence and instead submit to his captaincy.
Just before rescue, I made the decision to stop eating and give my ration to my daughter, Verelan. Although Nakar allowed me to leave my quarters after he consolidated his power, I chose to primarily stay there to give the crew as normal an experience as possible and to conserve energy for others.
I have always tried to promote an egalitarian and meritocratic approach aboard Anarhai. For many of my former crew, Anarhai was a training ship, a place where officers who needed experience to gain that experience before moving on to better postings. It was for that reason that I opposed Nakar's plan. I have thought long and hard about the politics of starvation over these past years, and I have been witness to behavior that is shocking and disappointing. One would hope that situation like this, one would be able to keep decorum in mind, but when one is starving there is no greater cause then one's next meal. Although I trusted Nakar, I was afraid of situations that would influence a sacrifice -- bribes, promises, the games of the old world, murder, the guilt of being attached to a shameful family or an unimportant clan as opposed to those of us with better names. I urge Command to be merciful and take these thoughts of mine in mind.
Nakar has, I believe, submitted the names of the dead to be heroes of the Empire, and I support that.
Regarding irregular crewmembers: A number of people deserve awards. ENS Shiarreal, as well as these names posted here, have logged seven years of real service to the Alliance and deserve immediately to be put up for promotion boards. CENT Jochon ran the medical facilities well and is ready for his own sickbay. The android, Andria, changed her name and now identifies heavily with rihannsu policy and culture, even though she is technically still Starfleet, and was given a battlefield promotion after staunchly supporting the crew. I would recommend that she be sent through a modified version of the Republic Academy curriculum, much of which she experienced on board Anarhai to be able to teach the children a phi'lasasam curriculum, and be posted to my new command.
As for the children, two have passed the Six Year Test, but need the physical examination, as we did not have the facilities.
As far as we know, the anomaly is still there. I recommend an interdiction web be placed there to save others from Anarhai's fate.
Hail the Republic,
Aurelia i-Atlai t'Veras, subcommander.