Brigid's Gift

Posted on Tue Jun 3rd, 2025 @ 5:28pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Lieutenant Inara Senn

1,266 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Cead Mile Failte
Location: USS Washington

As Inara materialized in the transporter room, she found herself with Deanna waiting for her. Deanna looked happy, perhaps excited, a look Inara hadn't seen from her in some time. Deanna approached her, "You missed quite a bit. Apparently one of these Tuatha deities by the name of Arianrhod is responsible for all the strange goings on. She has protected everything in the system and has been shrinking the stellar core fragment. It is down to a tenth of its size that it was when we first encountered it. But take a look at these readings" she said as she handed her a PaDD. "Do you see? The core density, its mass, nothing has changed despite it shrinking. And I have been reading some strange anomalous readings as well that I cannot account for."

Inara took a look at the PaDD and studied it. "Impossible. Mass in this universe just doesn't suddenly decide to stop existing. From what I can see, its mass is decreasing exponentially as its size decreases. Soon it will just be... I don't know... We've never studied what happens when neutronium reverts to primitive matter, though I'm not sure that terminology is accurate."

"As you see, whatever this Arianrhod is doing, it goes against everything we know. I would much like to continue to study this with you in the lab" Deanna replied.

Inara rushed to the astrometric lab swiftly and entered, she walked up to the massive lab dome and zoomed in on the fragment. Inara tapped her comm badge. "Captain, I need power to long range sensors, and to fire six probes immediately. Fek'lhr's heart is doing something strange. We need to know what it's becoming."

No reply came. Deanna hit her comm badge, =^=Celes to Shran. Celes to the bridge. Does anyone read? =^=

"They cannot hear you" a voice said from behind. Deanna turned to see a familiar being and then looked back at Inara who looked her usual agitated way when one of these beings showed up. "Brigid, why are you blocking our transmissions? We are trying to study this core fragment."

Brigid offered her usual kind smile. "I understand your curiosity, but I can tell you that while studying this object may be of interest to you, it will very soon be gone from this place, and you can study it more then. I have brought a gift for you, for both of you. Danu believes that Inara deserves to see this, and so I have brought the gift to you both."

Deanna looked back at Inara in confusion and then returned her gaze upon Brigid, "I'm afraid I am at a loss. You brought something for us, but I don't see anything."

"You will find the object in Inara's lab" Brigid replied softly. "The object was attached to the fragment. It is a piece of technology from a race known as the Eagna. They were a wise race, a peaceful race, one that kept to themselves mostly. They accepted their fate and ceased to be when their star went nova, and at this moment you are studying a fragment of that star, and I have brought to you a piece of their technology that they had placed on the star. I think you both will enjoy examining it. We have removed all of the radiation and high energy particles from it so that you can examine it without fear of your destruction."

"Aww... hell in a handbasket." Inara left for her lab and then arrived a few moments later, she flipped her tricorder on in her usual way, flipping it open with an elegant kata and she began to scan it. "Deanna. I want normal days... Why can't I have those without some far-flung technology appearing in my lab willy-nilly."

Deanna began scanning the object with her tricorder as well. "Normal is nice I suppose, but I enjoy the surprises that being in StarFleet allows. Like this..." She continued her scans, "This was on a stellar core fragment and built by a race that no longer exists. It is fascinating. Look at this, it appears that this device was an energy collector. It actually siphoned energy directly from a star and was able to send it out. I would estimate that the power this was capable of generating would make a warpcore look like an antiquated chemical battery." She looked at the object once more...



"Deanna... This is a Zero-Point Generator." Inara noted. "It's based on an understanding of quantum reality that we haven't seen yet. It will not only power our ship, but every other Federation Starship we have, and the starbases. It's based on a Mass-Energy Conversion where it's mass, therefore the mass from the fragment, and converting it into Hawking Radiation. Accelerating the natural decay of these types of phenomena into energy. And a lot of it. It's also using the energy from the Hawking Radiation it has stored to feed a Quantum Singularity that serves as a containment field for it."

Deanna continued scanning the device. "Inara, I think you are right. This is an incredible discovery. And look at the composition, it is made from pure neutronium itself. That must be why it can survive everything it would encounter being on a star, or in this case, a stellar core fragment. I mean, I have heard about the luck of the Irish when it comes to finding things, but this is the biggest pot of gold at the end of a rainbow I could ever imagine." She looked to Inara, "This is the sort of thing that wins you the Daystrom prize."

"Deanna, I believe this is from the same civilization that made the Doomsday Machine weapon and, therefore we must put this thing away so that it can never be used." Inara noted. "Destroying a star, and its planets, would be trivial with this technology." She tapped her commbadge. "Senn to Security, I need guards to my lab immediately."

Deanna considered Inara's words. The opportunity for such discovery and all it could mean was so great, but perhaps she was right. They weren't ready to have such power. "We need to discuss this device with the captain. We will need extensive security to keep an eye on it. I'm thinking perhaps the captain supplements security on this with the SEJO team. I don't believe anyone should be allowed in here until we get this so someplace safe. I don't know if StarFleet would want this at the Daystrom Institute or at the Vulcan Science Academy."

The door opened and two pairs of security officers entered. The lead of the quartet of junior officers as freshly promoted junior grade lieutenant and he spoke for the group, "You called for security commander?"

"Actually, Inara called for you, but you are definitely needed" Deanna replied. "Two of you stand guard outside, the other two stand guard in here. Nobody is allowed in here besides the two of us, and the captain of course. We are going to speak with the captain, likely will be sending a lot more security down here. I hope it goes without saying, touch nothing" she offered in a stern and commanding voice.

"Understood ma'am" the lieutenant replied simply.

Deanna looked back at Inara and offered a small wry grin. "Let's go talk with the captain Inara" she said simply as she made for the door. As they made their way down the corridor she couldn't help but comment in a low jovial voice, "Ah, the privileges of rank."

 

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