Alliance Outpost Number 3 was one of the outposts of the Alliance in the alternate timeline where Montgomery Scott rescued James T. Kirk before he could be absorbed into the Nexus. Outpost No. 3 was tasked with collecting, analyzing, and storing all data relating to the Vortex, and constantly updating its projected path. A half dozen automated probes constantly monitored the energy ribbon and transmitted their data, along with at least four observational platforms; observational platform two had observed Scott's shuttlecraft, the Goddard, appearing and platform four was reoriented to track its course on departure. Despite this constant monitoring, there were numerous "blind spots" where the Alliance did not have constant surveillance of the anomaly; this was exploited by the Cardassian Zar