Woken Up

What's this then?

I wake up after a good night's sleep and the ship's chronometer tells me that three years have elapsed.

That's what I call some sleep!

I hurriedly call a conference; Data tells me that we entered a cloud which put the Enterprise in suspended animation. Sensors could not penetrate it, so the Federation could not detect our presence. Only now, with solar activity nearby, did the cloud's composition weaken, and allow us to emerge and wake up.

 Deanna is very upset about all this.

"It means I'll have to get a whole new wardrobe!" she wails, "All my clothes will be out of fashion."

I roll my eyes at this, and decide to contact Starfleet right away.

"Picard!" snorts Admiral Bullockwhen I use the videoscreen to contact him, "We thought you were all dead. Do you know how much it's cost the Federation to have a funeral for every member of your crew? Now we'll have to rewrite everything and get you back on to our files."

"I'm sorry sir." I start, "But it was beyond our control. We had entered a ...."

"Yes, yes.." Bullock snaps, not wanting to hear any more, "Just report back for a debriefing."

"Very well, sir." I reply, "Has anything important happened in our absence?"

"No, it's been very quiet." the Admiral replies, "It seems like we only get trouble and universe-threatening problems when you are around. Now that you are back, we'd better strengthen our defences."

The videoscreen goes off, and I turn to the crew.

"Well, it looks like the Enterprise is up and running. We'll have to see what is going on in the universe."