The Gunnell Report

INITIAL OUTLINE, DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS AND FORMULATIVE CONSTRUCTS OF THE SUBSPACE RIVER EVENT.

My analysis and breakdown of the structure we know as 'The Subspace River' is hereby presented as a working construct of the known data, this being a compile of the available information amalgamated to the recently ascertained data to form the whole of this report, and thus it is the most concise analytical breakdown currently available to us to date.

First and foremost: The Subspace river far exceeds all preceding working theorem currently established. Recent discoveries made during my time aboard the USS Spectre on it's mission to the outermost annex in the Zeta Gellis cluster, have proved conclusively that the structure of the river is basically organic in construct, whilst having a secondary, though symbiotic tie in to it's overall energy matrix. The river has at it's core level, a number of highly defined RNA sequences coded to specific and very precise tasks. These task are as follows:-

Sequence Zero – Baseline Signature 0001, Nodal reference 0003. This sequence is primarily concerned with placement of the energy construct and animation of the remnant tendril itself, in effect – the steering mechanism.

Sequence Zero Alpha – Baseline signature 0002. This sequence is entirely organized to create organically based sensor enhancement of the baseline structure of the rivers outer 'epithelial' sheaf, for the specific purpose of 'intelligent sweeping of the local and distant area', with view to further action defined by additional and subsequent sequences. The gathered information via the primary sensor enhancements appears to be shunted to an inner matrix for further processing at a core level.

Sequence Zero One Alpha Six – Baseline signature 0004, Nodal reference 0104. This sequence is organized to collate the available feed and process output to the messenger RNA strings. Decision protocols are as follows:-

1. Field data is viable and target echo is sustainable (Class M world or planetoid)

2. Sector analysis is confirmed for seeding, presence of primary star is confirmed and system is sustainable

3. Address Sequence Zero Alpha Six and confirm baseline signatures

Sequence Zero Alpha Six – Baseline signature 0006, Nodal reference 0110. This sequence is transmitting initialization protocols for seeding. It also references a number of truncated sequences that are concerned with communication to the originating source (Founders) and reception of incoming discrete and focused data, thus strongly suggesting a two way comms link of a sort. The sequence terminates with the coded argument 'All strings are open and viable, jump to sequence One Alpha Zero One' to begin seeding.

Sequence One Alpha Zero One – Baseline signature 0001, Nodal reference 0100. This sequence initiates alignment protocols and is the primary data on which this update report is made, since it was directly isolated by the Borg during their experimentation before the arrival of the USS Spectre at local source. It is specifically concerned with the initialization of the temporal wave itself at the river end node, the established wave energy is programmed to build exponentially until critical mass is achieved immediately prior to expulsion in a concentric pattern.

It is theorized that the Borg intended to use this sequence to gain control of the time alignment function offered by the river itself, further macroscopic analysis of the recent trace messenger RNA sequences secondary to this sequence appear to confirm this theory. Borg objective based on the empirical data available and the recovered, though damaged central plexus, cannot be reliably ascertained at this point and all avenues remain viable.

CURRENT RIVER STATUS

The river is currently classified as active and sentient, all indicators for sentience justification are present. The river is:-

1. Aware of it’s surroundings and can interact with them.

2. Displays self sustainment and is capable of defensive interaction, as shown by it’s disablement of the Federation vessel USS Spectre and the Borg scout ship at mission local source.

I believe that the organic nature of this ‘entity’ along with the key defining pre-requisites for sentience classification, qualify for status sentient.

EVENT EVALUATION AND FURTHER IMPLICATIONS THEREOF

Explanation of the achieved result, terminating in the disappearance of a large section of the 52nd fleet, and it's loss from the temporal pattern until it's recent re-emergence, is as follows:-

The Borg, for reasons yet to be fully established, isolated sequence One Alpha Zero One of the Rivers organic code and initiated that sequence, resulting in the temporal waves formation. However, it cannot be reliably established at this time that the collective were fully aware of the ramifications of the events that followed, these being the destruction of the Borg vessel itself, and the temporal displacement of the ships of the 52nd fleet for a period of five years in total. It has however been established that the Marine team tasked with the neutralization of the Borg Central plexus and Vinculum at source, were successful, and that the local Borg were thus unable to remain in contact with the collective itself. The fact that no Borg have entered into Federation territory since the event, appears to confirm this.

The Galactic Cooperative (GC) are now engaged with other member worlds in order to establish a formulative set of rules governing all future access to the river itself. Continued use of the River as a means of transit are now on hold until further notice and the entity is now classified as ‘Quarantined’, until further notice.

THE EVOLVED SUBSPACE RIVER

What initially began as a relatively small, focused channel of energy that terminated in set defined areas of space, has now become vastly expanded as a result of the recent river incident. Recent attempts to accurately gauge it's evolved extents are still ongoing, but it seems to have extended (grown) into all four of the known quadrants, thus opening up huge areas of territory for the Federation to explore. The previous coded access transmissions appear to be still viable and it is still possible for ships to enter the energy conduit for express transit to previously uncharted and inaccessible destinations. To date however, access remains restricted to exploratory science vessels containing representatives of the key member worlds, each tasked with assessing and evaluating the evolved River.

It has been raised in Council that some of the key member species have expressed concern regarding the river now terminating into their own, defined borders. This is obviously a concern that should be taken very seriously as all border rights must be strictly monitored and maintained. The Romulan ambassador to the GC, Ambassador T'Hara Jotal has specifically addressed the direct intrusion into their neutral zone of a large energy conduit that violates the established treaty with the Federation. It has been decided therefore that all tendrils now extending into established areas of member world territory, are to be firmly annexed when the ability to do so becomes available, as sanctioned by the Galactic Cooperative.

-More to follow-

Dr Samantha Gunnell, Chief advisor to the Galactic Cooperative, mission specialist - USS Spectre. Starfleet Command. Stardate 2413:10:28