The ship unexpectedly dropped out of warp. "Engineering, status report!"
     "Captain ," came the reply, "all systems are down, including life support! Yet there's nothing wrong with the equipment!" Then the science officer exclaimed, "Captain, sensor readings are blind. We're going down!"
     T.Kerr jerked her head over to the ops station, "Would you mind repeating that Lieutenant Howard?"
     "Erm... Sensor readings are down. We're going blind Ma'am," corrected the mournful Lurian.
     "Reroute all power to the auxiliary systems." commanded T.Kerr.
     The science officer skillfully moved his burly fingers over the operations console but to no avail. "Unable to respond, controls aren't complying. I mean... Unable to comply, controls aren't..."
     "I know what you mean Lieutenant", interrupted T.Kerr. "Commander Boudreau," she pursued in a firm yet tempered tone, "any signs that we're under attack?"
     "None that I could pinpoint before the systems crashed Ma'am."
     T.Kerr abruptly rose from the Captain's chair. "Red alert! Attention all decks. We have a general system failure. This is not a drill. All nonessential personnel will be confined to their personal quarters. You will proceed calmly and in silence. I repeat, this is not a drill. If anyone knows what's happening, now's the time to discuss it with your Department Chief. All senior personnel, I need answers. Meet me in the briefing room in half an hour. T.Kerr out."
     The Captain walked up to the helm. "Commander Foard. Where are we?" "Well, we finished repairing the shields and left the Alpha Omicron System along with its energy-consuming space-borne species to head for the Sombrero black hole using our newly remodeled and never before tested warp drive. We cruised at warp 23.6 for three weeks. Then we skidded around the black hole's outer rim in order to propel us home to the Andromeda Galaxy. But I really don't know what might have caused this shut down, Captain."
     "Me neither Commander. But I give you my word, I will bring this crew home."
     "Commander Yu'Wanna to Captain T.Kerr."
     "I'm listening Doctor."
     "I desperately need power in sickbay. Without it, my equipment cannot sustain Lieutenant Dragon's life. And CPR doesn't work forever!"
     "We're doing the best we can Doctor. As soon as I can divert energy, you'll be my second priority, right after life support."
     "Understood. See you in 25. Yu'Wanna out."
     From one of the rear consoles, Commander Logan Kale stood up. "If I may Captain Kerr."
     "Please do Commander."
     "In the eventuality that you all die from oxygen deprevation, otherwise called anoxia, what are my orders Madam?"
     "Like I said, I will bring us home."
     "It would be more accurate to say that there is a 51.9 percent chance that you will all perish, an 87.2 percent chance that some of the crew will perish and a 98.5 percent chance that Lieutenant Dragon dies before we reach Online Starbase."
     "Then dig us some graves will you? How much time until we fall unconscious?" "Nineteen hours, fourty-eight minutes and twenty-two seconds Captain. But you will begin to feel the..."
     "Unnecessary. Let's focus on the problem at hand", issued the Captain.
     Later on, in the conference room... "What are we facing ladies and gentlemen? Any thoughts?" inquired Captain T.Kerr.
     "A new lifeform?" proposed Captain Crockett.
     "No," countered Yu'Wanna, "I would have felt its presence."
     "How can you be so sure?" doubted counselor Warp. "You cannot sense the Q for example."
     "The Q!" exclaimed Richard Boudreau. "It could be Shayle's doing!"
     "Not likely Commander", replied the Captain. "She wouldn't risk jeopardizing her position in Starfleet yet."
     At the table's end, Andrew Conlan was rummaging through a book the size of a microwave. Absorbed in his reading, he did not take part in the briefing occuring before him.
     "Lieutenant-Commander Conlan", voiced T.Kerr.
     Andrew held out his hand. "Hold on!" he said without further explanation as he skipped yet another page. "Ah! Here!" he said triumphantly. "When was the last time anyone changed the power inverter coupled to the plasma grid in subsection beta nine of the warp nacelles?" Silence filled the room, allowing chief engineer Conlan to continue. "The device designed to contain the reach of the heat sink created by the matter bridge?" Everyone gaped in awe. "Needs to be replaced after 10 gazillion kilometers or so." Eyebrows raised in the audience. Andrew was in shock. "Don't you guys ever read the owner's guide?"