Title: Errand of Peace
Story Type: Time Travel
Era: Dominion War, but could be adapted (ie, DS9 Klingon War)
The character's ship detects an unexplained subspace distortion on long range sensors. Recent intelligence reports have suggsted that the Dominion may be experimenting with some sort of subspace weaponry, and Dominion vessles have been spotted in the area in recent weeks. Additional scans are unable to determine the presence of any other vessels in the area at this time.
Deciding to investigate, the crew set course for the anomaly. Upon arriving, they discover a large rift in subspace (insert your technobabble of choice here). Sensor scans are unable to penetrate the rift very deeply, and if no one else thinks of it, Astrophysics eventually recommend using a heavily shielded probe. Alternatively, the characters may suggest using a shuttle, or even taking the ship into the rift. Either way it doesn't matter, what they do, because the end result will be the same. Once the probe (or shuttle, or the ship, or even a modified sensor beam) penetrates deep into the anomaly, it will suddenly expand, far too quickly for anyone to react. The ship will be caught in the rift, primary systems will fail, and the crew will lose consciousness.
When they awake, they will find themselves drifting in space, hundreds of light years from where they were. It will take several hours to get primary systems back online, but when they are, sensors will quickly reveal they are now located only light minutes from the Organian system. It's worth noting that if you have a really sharp group of players, they may be able to determine their location by making visual observations, and comparing them to starcharts, before sensors come back on line.
It will also become quickly apparent by which ever mechanism you wish, be it chronometric readings, variations in starcharts, monitoring subspace chatter, or whatever, that they are no longer in their own time. They have travelled back in time to the year 2266, shortly before the Organian Conflict of that year. For the benefit of any players who may not be familiar with the episode, it may be worth giving a quick breifing on the Organian Peace Treaty, and the incidents that lead to its formation.
Now that the characters are aware of their situation, their first thought should be to avoid contaminating the timeline. During whatever briefing they may be holding, an Organian, who identifies himself as Ayelbourne, will suddenly appear in the room, inviting them to beam an Away Team down to talk. If the characters are reluctant to comply, have Ayelbourne reveal that the Organians have brought them to this time time and place, and if they wish to know why they can discuss it in the Council Chambers. With that, Ayelbourne will disappear, leaving the crew to mull over his invitation, and their situation. A situation complicated by the presence of a Klingon Occupation force on Organia.
The Organians detest interfering in the affairs of others. However, they now feel they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Many Organians feel that not intervening would also be a form of interference. The Council is split, and a decision must be made. To this end, they have brought back ship crews from the two different realities that will result depending upon their action or inaction. What the Starfleet crew do not know at this time, is that the organians have also brought back a Romulan crew from the other alternate future.
In this alternate future, the Federation defeated the Klingon Empire. The weakened Klingons were then attacked by the Romulans, who quickly overrun and annexed the Empire. Qo'Nos is now a subject of the Romulan Empire, and Klingon culture is all but dead. However, in this reality, the Federation and the Romulan Empire are allies. Not only that, but the Dominion War has not occurred, and the Galaxy is mostly at peace. What the Federation does not know, is that the Romulans are massing to invade their allies, an invasion that will ultimately succeed, since the Federation is totally unprepared for such an action.
This adventure has several aspects which make it a lot of fun (at least when I ran it). Firstly, it allows your future crew to interact with Kirk and Spock (who will see them as Organians, thanks to Ayelbourne). Secondly, it also gives you as narrator an opportunity to play segments from Errand Of Mercy, as beautiful scene-setting material, and cut scenes.
Secondly, it presents a major moral dilemma for your crew. The Federation they come from is losing the war. The future the Romulans present is likely to seem very appealing to them. Especially if any of them suffered or lost friends during the recent Klingon War.
The adventure can end many ways. The Organians can be swayed by the Starfleet crew's arguments, and act as they did in the original incident (at least from your crew's point of view). Your crew might decide the Romulan's reality is the better one, and may side with the Romulans, arguing for the Organians NOT to interfere. Whatever your crew argue, the Organians may or may not be impressed by their arguments and/or actions. And it is important to remember that the Organians are not stupid. The know exactly what is going on in both timelines. They know the Romulans will betray the Federation, etc, etc. But the Organians will not take sides. They will weigh up both the arguments and actions of both crew, and then decide.
It is entirely possible that your crew could find themselves in an alternate future at the end of the adventure. If they do, they may eventually find that everything is not they way they hoped. And that in itself, could lead to a whole new adventure, as they struggle to restore their original timeline.
Enjoy
Reply With Quote
They say great minds think alike ...
.
.
Here it is!
