Personal log, A'dranna, Stardate 87327.8

The ruins are gone. Centuries of our history immolated in minutes. Anything the Heralds touch dissolves into ashes.

I suppose it could have been worse. Our cities survived, because the bulk of the Herald assault was focused on the area surrounding the gateway chamber. And we still hold it, even though D'Tan has decided that we must postpone any further research into its use until after the conflict ends.

I do not agree with his decision. We cannot negotiate with this enemy. We cannot reason with them. And if we remain ignorant about the limits of their technology, they will continue to use it against us.

D'Tan is a man of peace. Nothing will change that, and it is one of the reasons I respect him. But it is also the reason why we need men and women of action who are willing to step up and fight to preserve what we have created here.

Obisek is with the fleet. Tal'Mera is chasing Sela in every shadow. I am not a soldier, but I cannot sit and wait for the Heralds to come again.

I have an appointment with Admiral Kererek this afternoon. If D'Tan will not sign off on my research, maybe Kererek will. I will provide all my data to the Alliance, and continue my work with the gateway technology.

I know the Alliance has had some success in modifying ships to open gateways to the Herald Sphere. But there is more we can do. If we can attack the gateway network, we can also learn to control it. What if we could create gateways of our own to get our ships into battle, or open gateways into nebulas to act as shields against the Heralds' solar flares? How about emergency shelters for civilians hidden away?

There are so many possibilities – but any research into new technology will take resources. We will need more scientists willing to work on Alliance projects. More intact samples of Iconian technology. More funding for experiments that may take months or even years to produce results.

And that's the most precious resource of all. Time. The longer we take to find a solution, the more people will die.

We have to have more time, but we can't waste any time … it's the unsolvable puzzle. I feel like I want to plunge my hands into time itself, shape and bend it to my will, change all that's happened and all that will happen … but I can't. The technology to do that simply doesn't exist.

And if it did, would it be more power than anyone has a right to have?

Discuss in the forums.