The Chappa'ai Dilemma

Posted on Thu Sep 10th, 2026 @ 1:33pm by Captain Rovak & Lieutenant Commander Alph & Doctor Ori Enu'Tha ScD, QSsD, FZMI & The Commander & Commander Alex Flynn & Commander Intharia T'Zor & Lieutenant Rune Thul & Lieutenant Akaar Zuul & Lieutenant Eldan 3 & Ensign Calithra-Esmarill-Tiranas & Master Chief Petty Officer Gaz & Advisor Ramielos Volsunga & Tyr

2,235 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Shifting Shapes [4-5]
Location: Senior Staff Briefing Room
Timeline: 1000 Hours - MD07

“As we can see from the latest reports, all signs point to the Stargate working safely, consistently, and effectively. Both the Commander and Mr Tyr have in their capacities as advisors, approved and recommended its use where appropriate, and provided adaptations to our technology to allow us to secure it. Admiral Gali has confirmed that Starfleet Command has given approval to the Stargate operations proposal.” Rovak explained as the relevant files appeared in front of everyone in the briefing room.

This was only a smaller occasion; the Stargate discussion was limited to the relevant senior staff and a handful of senior officers. Ops, Science, Engineering, R&D, SecTac and Strat Ops. And all their multiversal advisors. Volsunga and Calithra had specialised seats provided for their unique frames.

“Unless there are any further objections, I intend to authorise the next stage of operational testing through regular use as a transport corridor to Sol if nothing else, but also attempting to use the device’s relocation and adaptation features to see if any other locations can be reached, particularly in new universes we encounter through the anomaly.”

“Commander Atna has been named director of the Mars-based arm of the research mission, reporting to the C-in-C. They will not begin without our instigation, as the frontline station to the anomaly; our judgement is being taken very seriously by those in charge.”

Intharia blinked to hear her name spoken, holding her eyes closed for a beat.

“So, with all to be considered in mind, what say you?” Rovak asked the assembled group.

"As the Stargate requires a series of symbols to 'dial,' how do we attempt connections with Stargates beyond the anomaly?" Rune sounded curious. "And not any others that may be in our galaxy?" He added a moment later.

"Mr Tyr, I believe that is your area of expertise," Rovak said, gesturing to the Asgard.

"The symbols are unique for every star system, composed by constellations determined by astrological data collected by the dialing device, which we call the DHD. Despite the local variations, all share a common numerical value that ensures addresses are universal." Tyr began, bringing up relevant holographics. "The DHD has a scanning function designed to help find other stargates in the event one were to be relocated by starship." As he spoke, it showed the image of people standing over a DHD that seemed to be observing the night sky through its prominent red activation button that resembled a large hemispheric jewel. The buttons would change according to the constellations it observed.

"The network itself exists within deepest subspace in the form of constantly maintained and in motion artificial wormholes. They are the reason the devices can be used for instantaneous communications even without an active connection. The scanning range is theoretically limitless, but anything beyond the nearest galaxy may take considerably longer to scan." Tyr explained, showing a constantly moving worm-like structure crossing the distance between star systems and bouncing between them apparently at random. "It is fascinating to see that even in a universe such as this one where subspace is so different to my own, the functionality remains identical."

"Fortunately, the programming required to dial between universes has already been developed by the Tau'ri Alliance. It is what allowed them to dial in from our universe, which you term E-5. The power requirements are unfortunately several orders of magnitude greater than your technology allows for. If, however, we should encounter another universe on the other side of the anomaly, we expect an interface with any network on their side should be relatively immediate and simple, provided the receiving devices are within a galaxy's span of the other side." Tyr finished.

Akaar chimed in. "And how do we stop unwanted guests? Do forgive me if this was covered in the initial tests. Could you tell me if there was a way?" He was embarrassed before he knew if he should be.

The screen behind them flared to life, and the face of The Commander appeared in the central room of his TARDIS underneath the Excalibur, enfolded in impossible Gallifreyan technology, in his 23rd-century gold uniform. "That was my idea, actually. More than a little proud of it, if I do say so." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Traditionally the Stargate's creators used a particle shield suspended micrometers from the surface of the event horizon. This means nothing can pass through except individual atoms, which are compressed between the shield and the gate and dispersed upon impact. It stops just about every weapon known to their science and ours; it does have the rather undesirable effect of killing any being that passes through without transmitting a passcode to lower it." The holographics displayed a squad of serpent guards entering a stargate and being scattered into atoms against a shield on the other side.

"Fortunately, with the fantastic brains of the Engineering team put together, we figured out how to interface your transporters with the shielding technology. So any atoms that make contact with the shield will be beamed into a pattern buffer instead, where they can be inspected and sent back through without rematerialising, if necessary." The Commander said with a proud smirk as the desk holographics demonstrated the process, showing a squadron of Daleks rolling through one end of a Stargate and ending up in a pattern buffer, before being beamed back to their origin point by a return gate trip with a notice of rejection.

"The shield itself provided by the Tau'ri neutralises pathogens, radiation and a number of other nasties. It's remarkably close to foolproof and impenetrable." The Commander concluded.

Thul and Zuul nodded their acknowledgement of the Commander's and Tyr's responses, but they turned to T'Zor and listened to her.

"A micrometre is still potentially enough room to let a pathogen or any other substance through. Nanites, viruses, I could go on. What happens to anything that might still be moving in those minuscule gaps?" T'Zor asked, concern ringing in her mind at their use of the term impenetrable.

Tyr spoke up again. “As the wormhole disengages, the shield contracts against it, anything remaining between them is forced into the collapsing event horizon. It is, for all intents and purposes, destroyed.”

"The mission reports from the Tau'ri tell of ways that their enemies tried to weaponise Stargates, or ways they accidentally did it themselves. Heat weapons, connecting to a black hole, even something called a 'stargate destroyer'. How do you defend against something that uses the gate itself offensively?" Volsunga asked. He had reviewed the files extensively since he'd been granted access to them.

"I appreciate that those weapons are causes for concern, but we are confident we have overcome the inherent weaknesses they exploited. Multiphasic shielding is incorporated to prevent phase-shifting through the shield. Most of the weapons you describe required long-term establishment of a wormhole. Fortunately, failsafes mean we are able to shut down an active wormhole immediately, regardless of the power being channeled through it. It may result in some damage to the crystals within the device itself, but there are no known or theorised possibilities where the shutdown failsafe will not function." Tyr explained confidently.

Volsunga nodded, he didn't understand the science well enough to dispute it.

"Would people need to have the same Stargate device to connect to your Stargate? Or would different devices be able to also connect?" Cali asked during a quiet moment as the question came to her.

"A curious question. One we will not be able to answer with certainty without further testing." Tyr admitted.

"No time like the present... Well, when the anomaly has connected to a universe, we should try." Rune suggested with a smile. "The defences you have explained are quite formidable; I suggest a security team be in the room at the ready as an extra precaution."

"That may be prudent, Lieutenant; however, in the event that security is breached, the procedure as currently suggested will be to eject the stargate into space," Rovak explained.

Akaar turned to Tyr. "Wormholes are only one way, I believe I heard somewhere, in terms of physical matter transmission. Should we connect to a gate on the other side, we will need some form of confirmation that whoever goes can return?" He offered with concern.

"You are correct about the wormholes utilised by the gate device; however, signals can be passed through them. We have explored using matter transporters to beam through an active stargate, but the combination of technologies has proved unreliable for anything other than travel in the wormhole's intended direction. Standard procedure is to confirm the presence of a dialing device with a probe before living beings are sent to explore; however, it is possible to dial most varieties of stargates manually." Tyr told the Tactical Chief.

"Since living beings cannot come through if we dial out, I'd think that a security breach cannot occur unless it is an incoming wormhole. Would that procedure be, and the defenses Tyr mentioned..." Rune paused as he looked at the Captain, then turned to the Asgard. "Have those ever failed or been compromised in your universe?"

"Not with the most recent revisions, no," Tyr explained.

"I agree with your standard procedure Tyr." Akaar spoke up and continued as he glanced between the Captain, Rune, and Tyr. "Before we get to the security breach, are the stargates we have capable of those defenses?"

"Indeed, the required equipment is installed both here and on Mars. And, I am told, in the undisclosed third location." Tyr said with a nod.

Rune gestured to either side of himself. "Are there only 3 gates in this universe?" He posed the question. Considering the Federation didn't know about Stargates, that should answer his question, but there was that off feeling that somehow the anomaly may have changed that.

"As far as we can tell," Tyr said with a nod. "The dialling devices have the ability to locate other active connections and determine their address. We have not been able to locate any additional connections. The search is limited, however, to the scope of this Galaxy."

"Something to look into, I suppose," Rune muttered, it seemed there wasn't much else to discuss, so he fell silent.

Akaar had nothing else to address, so he glanced around at those assembled for anything to be brought up.

"I have a question," Eldan said as he leaned against the wall. "What about those of us who are obviously not human, supposed to blend in?"

Tyr turned to the Vorta. "There is of course no guarantee that the beings we discover on the other side of any given Stargate will be human. However I understand that your technology, particularly in holographics and cosmetic alteration is quite advanced, and can within limits create plausible disguises. For some like myself however, we may simply need to accept that blending in is out of the question."

"Technology such as this - instantaneous passage between faraway places - is not unknown to the Imperium. But all who use it wield technologies that make your own look infantile. I suspect they would even be a challenge for your Time Lords." Volsunga said to the Commander. "I hope for your sake that your use of it does not lead to them." Volsunga said, having held the thoughts at bay until the conversation seemed to lull.

"Perhaps the Free State could assist us in personal cloaking technology in conjunction with the cosmetics and holography to develop covert infiltration of worlds we connect to, for recon purposes of course." Rune offered, a smirk on his lips. "We'd probably have to have Free State personnel join us on any expeditions we go on through the Stargate in compensation, I doubt they'd settle for anything less."

Akaar sighed. "We will attempt diplomatic avenues first of course, I'd assume." He eyed Rune first than faced forward again. "As long as we are prepared for combat, we should be hospitable."

"Yes yes, we always come in peace." Rune added with a nod.

“Starfleet Command hasn’t yet shared the existence of the Stargate with our friends from the Free State. They’re confident they know about it, and in time it’ll be shared, but for now we’re keeping it in-house.” Flynn clarified.

"I think we can all agree that there are risks, uncertainties and eventualities we'll need to consider. It's the opinion of the science department that the advantages significantly outweigh the drawbacks as they're currently understood, and we're of no more risk in using this device than we are in exploring any system we find in this galaxy, or universe we encounter through the anomaly." Commander T'Zor told the assembly.

Dr Enu'tha looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't.

Thul nodded to Flynn, "understood Commander, of course it will remain under heavy security guard and only those cleared can gain access," after a moment he turned to T'Zor with a smile. "Well said, Commander," Rune said, he was kind of glad he declined his promotion for additional reasons now.

Rovak folded his hands on the table. "Thank you all for your input. If there are any further concerns, feel free to bring them to me, or to Commander Flynn privately. For now, barring any catastrophic discoveries, we shall proceed, and I shall inform Starfleet Command of our intention. Thank you all for your time. Dismissed."

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