Dr. Paul Manheim’s Experiments (Date: 2364)
In 2364, numerous planets and starships reported a “hiccough” in time, experiencing several minor temporal loops and paradoxes. The USS Enterprise-D received a distress call from Doctor Paul Manheim, a renowned scientist who was working on theories of non-linear time. One of his experiments had gone awry, opening a “doorway” to numerous alternate timelines. Intervention by the Enterprise crew prevented the creation of any further major paradoxes, although Lt. Commander Data reported encountering two alternate versions of himself while trying to close the gateway.
After review of the incident, the DTI concluded that there were no lasting effects to the timeline, and that no reprimands were necessary.
Doctor Manheim is currently working on perfecting his theories on time, although he has not made any further breakthroughs.
The Vortex (Date: 2365)
The Enterprise found a sublight shuttle adrift in interstellar space, with one weak life sign aboard. The craft was the shuttle El-Baz, attached to the USS Enterprise, and the occupant was Captain Picard. The shuttle was apparently from six hours in the future. After initial difficulty due to differences in temporal signature, the crew manages to recover the shuttle’s logs which record the destruction of the Enterprise.
Approximately six hours later, a vortex opens near the Enterprise and attempts to draw it in. Counselor Troi reported a “presence” which seemed focused on Picard. The Captain, deducing what his previous self had done, specifically leave the ship and attempt to enter the vortex on his own, instead decided to fly the entire ship through the vortex. As the Enterprise passed through the center of the anomaly, the vortex collapsed and disappeared.
The DTI determined that all effects of this loop were removed from the timeline when the ship passed through the vortex. However, they were not able to uncover why the “original” crew was not affected by this change. Several theories attempt to explain this phenomenon, but no conclusions have been drawn at this time. Also, there is no explanation for the shuttle and Picard’s “incompatibility” with the timeline, because this phenomenon has not been observed in during any other temporal incident.
The Enterprise-C Incident (Dates: 2366, 2344)
In 2366, the Enterprise encountered a temporal rift near Archer IV. During a fluctuation in the anomaly, the Enterprise briefly detected a vessel, but it disappeared before the sensors could achieve a lock.
DTI review of the Enterprise’s sensor records and use of other classified temporal scanning methods revealed that during the fluctuation in the anomaly, the USS Enterprise-C appeared through the rift, escaping from the Battle at Narendra III in 2344, the battle at which it had been reported destroyed.
The Enterprise-C’s disappearance from the battle caused a change in history, and in this new timeline the Federation had been at war with the Klingon Empire for the past 22 years. As the “D” prepared to escort the “C” to Starbase for refitting, Enterprise-D crew member Guinan approached Captain Picard, claiming that the present timeline was not the “right” one, and that the “C” must be returned to its proper time. Although this would effectively condemn several hundred Starfleet officers to death, Captain Picard agreed to send the ship back. The sacrifice of the Enterprise-C crew saved the lives of billions of people who would have died in a war with the Klingons.
After a thorough review of this case, the DTI concluded that no major changes in the timeline were caused by the Enterprise-C’s jump, although several years later, evidence surfaced which indicated that an Enterprise-D officer, Lt. Tasha Yar, was present aboard the “C” when it was captured by the Romulans at Narendra III. The case currently remains open, although it is believed that Lt. Yar’s presence had no major effect on the overall timeline.
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