Strange New World

Sitting around the Nexus meeting boardroom, the bridge crew of the Nexus and the Lukari ships sat quietly, solemn expressions on every face.

Nolan stood at the boardroom's monitor screen as he continued his elucidation. "As you can see," he pulled up images and scans of blackened and scorched landscapes. Ruins and remnants that were once cities, burned beyond recognition. "The Fek'ihri's warp core cascade was full and complete. Every trace of organic matter was fully consumed and immediately disintegrated. Nothing is left on the planet other than ash and soot."

Shaking his head slowly, Neil gasped, "Such devastation. A total loss."

Kumaarke sat shaking her head softly. "I haven't seen such devastation since we were investigating the Tzenkethi and the aftermath of their proto-matter bombs."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Anzyl's head, a light going off above his head. He quickly sat up and turned to his friend and colleague Kumaarke. "But during our tour, Admiral…" he thought out loud, "Didn't you say proto-matter could also be used to build as well as destroy?"

Kumaarke's eyes lit up as she hopped on the Captain's train of thought. "Yes, Captain!" A grin appeared as she came to a similar realization. "An altered proto-matter bomb could reconstitute the matter and base elements on New Kentar and make it a fresh new planet!" She stood up and quickly moved to the boardroom's monitor as she thought out loud. "Any native life that would have been destroyed by the proto-matter bomb," she typed on the console as she pulled up a grid of the current table of elements and the quantities on the planet, "were already dead thanks to the Fek'ihri." She clapped her hands and turned to the boardroom with a beaming grin. "But at least this way, the planet can have a fresh start, a clean slate, and New Kentar will have a future." Then she paused, realizing a roadblock. "We just need to get in touch with the Tzenkethi… we didn't end the Hurq war on the… best of terms."

Grinning proudly at his diverse ship and crew, the Captain responded, "Not a problem. There are a few aboard the Nexus right now, crew members of Neth Parr's ship." Anzyl turned to his chief science officer. "Nolan, can you summon the Tzenkethi and anyone else familiar with the technology on your science team? We're going to need their help in this."

Nolan grinned and nodded, tapping his combadge. "Nolan to science team, any member familiar with Tzenkethi proto-matter technology, please report to science lab one. This is a priority one science request. Stop what you're doing and please report."

—

Moments later, Anzyl, Kumaarke, Nolan, and half a dozen seven-foot-tall, six-limbed lizard Tzenkethi worked around a large orb bound in metal bands on a center table.

"I have to admit," one Tzenkethi scientist said, typing on a console and looking up at the floating weapon of mass destruction, "I never thought I would be working on one of these aboard this ship."

"Just imagine," Kumaarke beamed with pride, "this was once used to wipe out all organic matter on a planet. Now it will reconstitute a dead planet into new life."

"It's rather simple when you think about it," another Tzenkethi scientist remarked. "Both bombs are essentially the same. They simply reconstitute all matter back into the base elements. The Tzenkethi military used them to reconstitute and prevent the Hurq infestation from spreading. Here, we are reconstituting the polluted and dead planet into a primordial class-M."

"A full reset," Anzyl spoke softly. "Like wiping a computer's memory core, resetting back to factory settings, but… on a planetary scale."

The Tzenkethi scientist nodded. "A drastic oversimplification, but not an inaccurate analogy."

"Well, let me know when it's ready," Anzyl smiled in amazement at the floating orb.

"Oh, it's done," the Tzenkethi replied. "As we said earlier, all proto-matter bombs act the same way—full elemental reset, factory setting." They shrugged. "Now we just need to put it in a torpedo, activate, and launch."

Smiling at Kumaarke and Nolan, Anzyl said, "Well then, it seems we're needed on the bridge." Holding his arm out like a gentleman to his friend, he asked, "Shall we go to the bridge and reset a planet to its factory setting?"

Nodding and happily accepting her escort's arm, Kumaarke replied readily, "Let's!"

—

On the bridge of the Nexus, the Lukari and Nexus crews watched with great anticipation as the main view screen displayed the burnt and charred world of New Kentar.

Reporting from his Tactical station, Veirik stated aloud, "Proto-matter torpedo and warhead are fully active and armed, sir. Can't say I've ever fired a weapon of mass destruction to… save a planet before."

"Welcome to the USS Nexus, Veirik," Anzyl smirked. "Sounds like another Tuesday to me." He chuckled, looking forward. "Ok, Lieutenant Commander, fire the weapon of mass destruction and save that planet."

Veirik shrugged and pressed his "fire" button.

From the Nexus, a single glaring red torpedo fired from its main torpedo bank, sending the flashing orb towards the black and burned planet surface.

The warhead fired at great speed, and in a flash of blinding light, it impacted the dead planet's surface.

In a wave of multicolored light, like a tsunami of radiant energy, the proto-matter rearranged all matter on the planet back into its core base elements and molecules.

Where there was once black and scorched earth, a flash of light, a wave of energy, and now vibrant earth, rich in nutrients and elements.

The soot and smoke-filled sky flashed with light, revealing a crisp and clear blue sky without a cloud in sight.

"It's working," Kumaarke gasped on the bridge, as the crew watched a planet reset to its primordial age. Base elements and molecules—all the materials to make a new planet—but for now, just nutrient-rich dirt and endless sky.

"Airborne elements resetting," Nolan reported from his science station. "78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other random elements." He looked up at Kumaarke and the Captain, grinning and returning to his scans. "The planet's surface is now rich in oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, calcium, phosphorus, and other elements essential for life and a stable ecosystem." He beamed proudly. "No traces of the Kentari and their toxic chemicals anywhere. We did it!"

"I wish it didn't have to come to this," Anzyl smiled softly. "I don't think the price was worth it for a planetary reset."

Lusaalli blurted from the Helm, "Oh, no one's going to miss the Kentari, trust me!"

"Ensign!" Kumaarke snapped, a little embarrassed. "But she is right," she shrugged. "The Kentari were incredibly xenophobic and didn't get along with anyone. Only the Farangi slightly tolerated them, but even they were annoyed by the Kentari." She huffed. "A great tragedy, yes, but I'm afraid no one will weep over the loss of the Kentari."

"Still," Anzyl sighed heavily, looking at the fresh, clean, and brand new primordial Class-M planet before them, "I know we were sent here to clean New Kentar… Just didn't think that we'd do it this way."

"Hey," Neil scoffed, "I say mission success and complete." He stood up, patting his belly. "I'm famished. Who wants to eat?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Anzyl shrugged as the crew nodded and moved on with their lives, as the memory of the money-hungry, polluting race of the Kentari faded into the history books—if anyone cared enough about them to write in the first place.