Chapter 1: Into the Unknown

 

Robert trudged through the damp underbrush of the woods off Seawall Road in Old Town, Maine. The crisp autumn air was heavy with the scent of fallen leaves, their golden and amber hues scattered across the forest floor. He adjusted the straps of his weathered backpack, filled with supplies for his latest camping trip. The solitude of the woods had always offered him a respite from the complications of life. He loved these walks; they were his time to think, to dream, to escape.

The sun filtered weakly through the trees, its light waning as the day wore on. Robert was searching for a good spot to set up camp when he spotted something unusual. It caught the corner of his eye, a faint glimmer amidst the earth tones of the forest. Curious, he veered off his path, stepping over roots and crunching leaves, until he reached the source of the glimmer.

Half-buried in the dirt was a metallic object, about the size of a grapefruit. It was smooth and black, its surface etched with unfamiliar symbols that shimmered faintly with an inner light. Despite its advanced appearance, the device was scratched and weathered, as though it had been here for years, unnoticed by anyone. Robert knelt down and brushed away the dirt. The device was cool to the touch, heavier than it looked, and strangely warm in its core as he picked it up.

“What the heck is this?” he muttered, turning it over in his hands.

A faint hum emanated from the object, and suddenly, it vibrated. The light etched into its surface pulsed brighter. Startled, Robert tried to set it down, but the thing seemed to adhere to his hands, as though magnetized.

“Okay, nope, nope, nope!” he said, panic creeping into his voice. He shook his hands, trying to dislodge the device. Instead, it let out a series of sharp, mechanical beeps. The hum became a high-pitched whine, and the air around him shimmered.

Before he could shout another word, a column of light enveloped him. His surroundings dissolved into a cascade of particles, and then—nothing.

---

The first thing Robert became aware of was the sensation of movement. Not walking, running, or flying, but as if he were being pulled through an unseen current. His consciousness flickered, scattered and reformed, while the world around him was an abstract swirl of lights and sounds. When he finally re-materialized, he found himself standing on a hard, metallic floor, blinking against the sudden brightness.

The room was small, lit by flickering panels of light, its walls lined with computer consoles. The device was still clutched in his hands, though it no longer hummed. He stared at it, bewildered, then looked up, startled to see a man in a blue Starfleet uniform with pointed ears standing behind a console.

"Fascinating," the man said, one eyebrow arching as he tilted his head in curiosity.

"Wait... Spock?" Robert blurted out, his voice cracking. His heart raced as he recognized the iconic figure. He took an involuntary step backward, his mind struggling to process what was happening.

Before Spock could reply, the doors to the room hissed open, and two more figures entered. One was a man with broad shoulders and a commanding presence, his gold uniform unmistakable. The other wore red and carried a medical tricorder slung across his shoulder.

“Spock, what the devil is going on?” barked Dr. Leonard McCoy, his Southern drawl sharp as ever. “We’re picking up a scrambled transporter signal that—oh, for the love of—who’s this?”

“An excellent question, Doctor,” Spock replied, his gaze shifting back to Robert. “The individual appeared to materialize here after an erratic transport signature intercepted our pattern buffer. He was accompanied by this.” He gestured to the device in Robert’s hands.

Captain James T. Kirk stepped forward, his piercing gaze fixed on Robert. “Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?” he demanded, his voice steady but firm.

“I… I don’t…” Robert stammered, his legs trembling. “I didn’t mean to—uh—beam here! I was in Maine. In 2024. And then this thing—” He held up the device. “—it just… did something.”

Kirk exchanged a glance with Spock, then McCoy.

“2024?” McCoy said, his eyes narrowing. “Jim, are you hearing this? That’s a century before—”

“I’m aware, Bones,” Kirk interrupted, raising a hand. “Mr. Spock, is his story plausible?”

Spock pressed a few buttons on his console, his expression as stoic as ever. “Captain, the device in question appears to be a highly sophisticated piece of alien technology. Its design suggests it could manipulate space and time. Given his apparent lack of understanding of it, I would hypothesize he activated it by accident.”

“You think?” McCoy said, rolling his eyes. “Another bright spark fiddling with things he doesn’t understand.”

“Hey!” Robert snapped, his indignation outweighing his fear. “It’s not like it came with a user manual!”

Kirk suppressed a smirk. “All right, everyone, let’s focus. Spock, can we determine where he came from and how to send him back?”

“Uncertain, Captain,” Spock replied. “The device’s internal mechanisms are damaged. It is remarkable that it functioned at all. However, further analysis may yield a solution.”

“Good,” Kirk said, turning to Robert. “Until then, you’ll remain under our supervision. We don’t normally pick up hitchhikers, especially not from a different century.”

Robert nodded numbly, his mind still reeling. He was standing on the USS Enterprise. Spock, Kirk, McCoy—they were all real. And somehow, he’d been thrown into their universe by sheer chance.

“Mr. Spock, take the device to the science lab and see what you can learn,” Kirk ordered. “Bones, make sure our guest here isn’t about to explode or turn into a Klingon.”

“Funny, Jim,” McCoy muttered, motioning for Robert to follow him.

As Robert was led out of the room, he couldn’t help but glance back at the legendary figures he’d idolized for so long. He had no idea how he’d gotten here—or how he’d get back. But one thing was certain: this was no ordinary camping trip.