Dyson Sphere - Charles R. Pellegrino [6]
“What is it, Data?”
“One moment, Captain. I must make certain.”
“Very well, Data, but don’t take too long.”
“A wormhole is opening,” Data said, “and there is a steep increase in radiation output.”
Picard tensed. “Any signs that it’s another ship?” he asked.
“Mass registering millions-no, billions of metric tons,” Data said, and before anyone else could react, it rushed through the hole, quaking as it arrived. “Mass approximately equal to Earth’s moon,” the android added. “Diameter why, it is smaller than the Enterprise, Captain.”
Picard shook his head, slowly. “Not a ship, then. Tightly packed neutrons.”
“Yes, a neutron star.”
“Velocity, Data?”
“Approximately one-third warp speed.”
“Heading” the captain asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Collision course with the Dyson Sphere.”
Picard sat down, stunned by the sheer weight of the numbers. An amount of mass small enough to be contained in a teacup, if converted instantaneously into photons of light, could vaporize a whole city. Even a crate of teacups, striking Dyson at relativistic speed, would have jarred the structure; but a whole lunar mass? This was far beyond overkill. In the arena of relativistic bombardment, a direct hit was as good as a glancing blow. At one-third warp speed, nearly a quarter of the neutron star’s mass would be converted into energy, and a nearly equal amount of Dyson’s mass would be converted. For several tenths of a second, Dyson would produce more light, and more fast neutrons, than all the stars in the galaxy combined.
Picard did not want to be anywhere around, on, or especially in Dyson when that happened.
And it really was going to happen, he realized.
He was powerless to prevent it. As he looked around the bridge, he could see the apprehension and frustration on the faces of his fellow officers. Worf, in particular, wore a grimmer scowl than usual.
“But why?” Riker asked from his station.
“Perhaps someone doesn’t approve of Dyson Spheres,” Picard said.
Troi asked, “Is it possible that the race that built it is now destroying its work?”
“Perhaps they have enemies-” Worf said, clearly seeing the neutron star as a weapon being wielded, who will not tolerate such a display of power and craft encroaching upon their progress.”
“Or,” Picard began, “they have indeed sent a neutron star to destroy their own work after abandoning it, because they do not wish to leave such an artifact to be inherited by others.”
“Build your own,” Riker added. “Is that what they’re trying to tell us?”
“If I may venture a … guess, - Data said, in what seemed an effort to show that his internalization of human ways was improving, “using even a whole Federation’s worth of warp drives, it would be nearly impossible to push a neutron star up to one-third warp speed. But our sensors have detected, from a very safe distance, a black hole weighing in at fifty million solar masses swallowing whole star Systems near the galactic core. As they fall, they spiral in, and these spirals are very tight, and very fast.”
“Relativistic,” Picard said.
“I have clocked neutron stars near the hole at one-third warp. All you need to do is open up a wormhole, and point it in the right direction.”
“It acts as a cannon,” Worf said, unable to hide the note of admiration in his voice.
“But that requires going to the galactic core, doesn’t it?” Riker asked.
“I should think that would be child’s play for Dyson’s engineers,” Picard replied.
“A cute trick,” Troi said. She leaned back in her seat and shook her head. “But isn’t it possible that the Sphere was abandoned to avoid the very danger we’re now witnessing? What if it became too big a cultural target, too large an advertisement of power and ability, and some other race has decided to destroy this threat to its own existence?”
“I could not have said it better myself, Counselor Troi,” Worf muttered from behind her.
“Pretty bleak,” Beverly Crusher said. She turned toward Picard. “I suppose this can’t just be a natural occurrence?”
“It is not likely, Dr. Crusher,