Whoa, Would You Look At The Time
Aboard a USS Sovereign runabout en route to the USS Cairo, I had little to do but track the course of the shuttle carrying Surak's Razor's crew. When the shuttle's engines suddenly shut down, I was curious - but not surprised.
Mib Khan had explained the human concept of "Murphy's Law" to me, and it seemed to be the only law that the crew of the
USS Murgatroid consistently obeyed. I attempted to contact them, but they were unable or unwilling to reply. I contacted the USS Cairo next. I heard a great deal of panic and chaos, but no coherent explanation as to the problems which had beset them. Then I heard the name "Lothar" … and the signal died.
Logical analysis tells me that it could not be a coincidence that both the shuttle and the USS Cairo should both have catastrophic failures simultaneously. In all likelihood, whatever disaster which has occurred has befallen the USS Cairo, and the shuttle was affected due to the linkage to the USS Cairo's computer system. Were I also piloting a ship tied in to the USS Cairo's systems, logic says that my ship would also be failing. Instead, I am in a runabout capable of independant action, originally from the USS Sovereign. Indeed, my runabout now appears to be the only warp-capable vessel left in the system.
Obviously, my runabout is unable to rescue the crew of the USS Cairo; and if they are unable to cope with the unknown disaster, it is unlikely that I would be of further assistance. The shuttle in another matter - I read four life-signs aboard her, for whom I have sufficient space within the runabout. I shall beam them aboard, send out a long-range distress signal for the USS Cairo (under the assumption that they may not be capable of doing so themselves), and then proceed out of the system to a presumably safe distance. Starfleet cannot expect me to risk the runabout's destruction with an infant aboard.