Star Traks: Melting Pot is based on Alan Decker's Star Traks, which in turn is based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry, may he rest in peace. Copyright 2004. Star Traks: Melting Pot The Quests for the Six Spheres of Power - Part 3 "Genesis of the Borg/Götterdämmerung of the Borg" by Paul Cloutier "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up" - Ecclesiastes, 3:1-3 götterdämmerung - göt·ter·däm·mer·ung NOUN: A turbulent ending of a regime or an institution: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. Reading "Cube #347's Excellent Adventure, Parts 1 through 3" at http://bspace.freeshell.org/Stories/STborg12.txt http://bspace.freeshell.org/Stories/STborg13.txt http://bspace.freeshell.org/Stories/STborg14.txt could considerably enhance the experience of this story. A transwarp ripple rippled quietly to itself, all alone in space. The only company it had was a small planetary system, a scattering of artificial science and observation stations and a few, slow-moving spaceships. It had been created by a huge, cube-shaped ship leaving the system just milliseconds before. Before it had had much time to really enjoy itself, a massive portal opened in space completely erasing the ripple and disgorging a sleekly impressive starship. Had the ripple still been around and had it the ability to see and the ability to read Federation Standard, it would have been able to read the identification "NCC-76453" on the new arrival. Not that this would have meant anything to the ripple, which didn't even exist anymore, rendering the whole situation rather moot, anyway. On board the new arrival, chrono- metric radiation levels were rapidly lowering and normal sensor information would soon be available. Unfortunately, that sensor information would turn out to be most unwelcome. "Borg!" came the panicked yelp from the Operations Console on the bridge of the USS Menagerie. Lieutenant M'Dral, the young Benzite woman 'manning' that station began to hyperventilate, forcing the Menagerie's air recycling systems into overload as they strained to deal with the increased levels of respirator mist that poured out from the frightened woman. Lieutenant Mantron and Lieutenant Commander Ustrano had spent a great deal of their off-hours time trying to increase the efficiency of the automated systems, but the over-excited Benzite was proving to be too much for even the improved system to handle. Misty clouds were soon drifting across the bridge. "I want all available sensor data routed to the Science Console," shouted the Menagerie's Klingon First Officer, Commander Thog. "Put up whatever visual information we have on the main viewscreen!" Seetamyn, the ship's Vulcan captain allowed his First Officer to deal with the current situation as he made his way over to the Science Station, joining the ship's Bynar Science Officers, Lieutenant Commanders B1 and B2. Thog's background was in security and tactical so she was quite capable of dealing with the current situation. "Shields up! Ready all weapons systems and find us a planetoid or moon to take cover behind!" came the further commands from the Klingon. Lieutenant Aceed Sperr, the Menagerie's Shuttlebay Chief and fill-in Helmsman quickly scooted the ship behind a Neptune-sized moon, orbiting one of the system's planets, as the first images of the system flashed up on the main viewscreen. Several artificial satellites drifted throughout the system. These seemed to be more of the 'science and observation' kind, which were considered to be preferable to the 'destroy and annihilate' kind. Several ships puttered about the system, also, although sensor readings indicated that these ships lacked FTL capabilities. Interestingly enough, these ships also lacked the distinctive, cube-like shape generally associated with the Federation's most implacable enemy. "Weapons hot, shields up and modulated," came the announcement from Lieutenant Commander Banjo, the ship's Changeling Security Officer. "Captain, shall we engage or retreat?" Thog inquired. "Have we detected any energy reading consistent with those of the first Sphere of Power, yet?" came the Vulcan's calm response. "No sir, in fact, now that the sensors have settled down, the power readings we are getting are slightly inconsistent with actual Borg readings." "Inconsistent in what way, Lieutenant?" The stereophonic report from the Science Console stopped everyone in mid panic, "The sensor readings indicate that the Borg we are in contact with are an extremely primitive collective. There doesn't appear to be any evidence of a Greater Collective directing the actions of these Borg. Furthermore, extensive prosthetics seem to be absent from all scanned lifeforms. The ships' propulsion systems that we have been able to scan also show unsophisticated characteristics. The Computer indicates a better than 90% probability that this is the original Borg homeworld." The only sound on the bridge was Thog's whispered, "By Kahless! We've been sent back to before the Borg were Borg!" Captain's Log; Stardate - Unknown, again. The OverMind has this time apparently deposited us in the star system which is the original homeworld of the Borg. We have arrived as the Federation's most deadly enemy seems to be beginning to move beyond the borders of their home system and begin their pilgrimage of destruction across the quadrant. We have, as yet, discovered no sign of the next Sphere of Power. Seetamyn, as he was wont to do in times of crisis, had called a staff meeting. He valued the input from the Menagerie's personnel and his willingness to listen to everybody's viewpoint was one of the things that had endeared him to his crew. His current announcement, however, had left the rest of the staff aghast. "You can't be serious!" shouted a clearly perturbed Commander Thog. "I am absolutely serious," came the calm Vulcan's reply. "This is a Prime Directive situation. We must not interfere in any way with the natural development of the Borg." The stunned silence which greeted this affirmation of the captain's original pronouncement was profound. Each of the other nine officers sat in contemplation of the implications of that announcement as Seetamyn continued, "We are here to locate and recover the second Sphere of Power. Any distraction from that goal is unacceptable. That the Borg are here is immaterial to this mission. We will immediately configure a number of probes and distribute them throughout the system. They will be preprogrammed to search for the unique energy signature associated with a Sphere and also programmed to self-destruct if any vessel passes within 1000 kilometers. Unless anyone has anything more to add, that is all." After the briefing, Banjo and Ustrano were too concerned by other problems to give much thought to the ramifications of Seetamyn's proclamation. They had a much more important issue on their minds. Specifically, they were concerned about the one Bridge Officer who had missed the briefing. Lieutenant Dil Mantron was still in Sickbay, recovering from the emotional shock that he had suffered during the retrieval of the first Sphere of Power. Doctor Pish had let Banjo know, after the briefing, that she would be releasing the Helmsman from her care after she got back to Sickbay and could perform one last check on him. Banjo had conferred with Ustrano, the huge Velvattian Engineer and they had decided to take him to The Pirate's Cove after his discharge to try and cheer him up. Banjo was surprised to find that he was actually concerned for his friend's well being. This assignment to the Menagerie was certainly changing his attitudes about the Alpha Quadrant. The pair arrived at Sickbay, and Banjo walked in and over to the biobed where Mantron had been taken after the first Quest. Lieutenant Commander Ustrano's size made it impossible for it to actually enter the Sickbay. Banjo was pleased to see Mantron sitting up and talking quietly to Doctor Pish. Seeing his fellow bridge officer approaching, the Betazoid gave him a weak grin and stammered out, "I apologize for my behavior back on Earth, Commander. I'm sorry that I let everyone down." "What are you talking about?" the puzzled Security Chief asked. "You were fine, Dil. Really. The mission was a success." "I lost it, sir. You were forced to carry me and the Sphere back to the Marlin Perkins and then fly the shuttlepod back, yourself. I was derelict in my duties and I await whatever disciplinary action you decide to mete out to me." "Well, in that case. I order you to come have a drink with me and Lieutenant Commander Ustrano in The Pirate's Cove," Banjo replied, making his voice as serious as he could. Hesitantly, Mantron allowed Banjo to give him a hand getting off the biobed. Finding his legs not the least bit wobbly, Mantron thanked Jantoo for her help and allowed Banjo to lead him out of Sickbay. In the corridor he ended up walking between Ustrano and Banjo, lost in thought. The trio made their way through the ship and ended up at Linnea's lounge/restaurant, The Pirate's Cove. Taking a table near the back (several tables were set up with extra space around them so as to accommodate the Velvattian members of the crew), the men placed their drink orders with Todd, the Bolian waiter, who arrived a few moments later with the refreshments. The 'Cove was not particularly busy at the moment. It was mid-afternoon, ship's time. Beta Shift was still asleep, Gamma Shift was getting ready to go to bed and Alpha Shift was on duty. Since the ship was currently motionless, in the shadow of a gas-giant's moon, most of the non-essential crew were busy configuring the probes that Seetamyn planned to deploy for their search for the second Sphere of Power. Mantron was silent for some time and his two companions were content to let him work out his thoughts in peace. Finally, he spoke, "I just don't understand. He had worked so hard for his people, to die just as all his hard word was about to pay off..." "He willingly sacrificed his life to ensure that his people would survive, and even thrive," answered Banjo. "From what I have read about the Druidic culture," Ustrano rumbled, "he probably considered it an honor to give his life for his people. In fact, he surely believed that he and his bride would be dining with his Gods that evening. That is why they were not allowed to eat during the wedding feast." "Maybe you are right," admitted Mantron. "Humans just make no sense, do they?" The three aliens toasted to Human inscrutability, as Linnea arrived with fresh drinks. "I know a Human legend," she offered. "Well, that seems to be the theme, today," offered Ustrano. "Let's hear it." "It seems that in ancient China, there was a virtuous, pious Buddhist woman who had lived a life of humility, sacrifice and devotion. Upon her death, she was granted passage to Nirvana, the Buddhist version of heaven. As she was about to enter through the Gates to Paradise, she heard an anguished cry from back on Earth. Forsaking her chance at paradise, she returned to comfort the suffering, below. She eventually became the goddess of mercy and release from suffering. She was, apparently, the only Buddhist deity who was loved instead of feared. She was Namo Kuan Shih Yin Pu Sa, The One Who Sees and Hears the Cry from the Human World. Eventually, she took on the realms of every merciful action and became a kind of catch-all focus for anyone who needed help. Even her name was usually shortened to Kuan Yin." "It seems that when the Humans weren't trying to slaughter each other, they had an amazing capacity for self-sacrifice," Observed Ustrano ruefully. "Now-a-days, it seems that they only focus on the slaughter and leave the self-sacrifice to us, nobler species," laughed Linnea. The others joined in for several seconds as they each looked deep inside to see if what she had said was true. Could they sacrifice themselves for the good of another? Linnea got up, saying, "I'll leave you boys to your fun." Mantron suddenly spoke up, "Not meaning to be offensive, but that sort of legend doesn't seem to be a standard Orion sentiment. How did you hear of it?" "My mother used to fence antiquities. One time she helped move a bunch of Human figurines and statues. One little jade figurine of Kuan Yin caught her eye so she palmed it. Later on, she looked up the legend to impress people with!" the Orion woman laughed at the look of indignation on the officers' faces and walked away. "Suddenly, I don't feel nearly so bad anymore," Mantron said sardonically. The others laughed at his tone and soon the three were drinking and laughing, Mantron's psychic wounds closed over and healing fast. Captain's Log; Stardate - 36 hours from last entry, exact time and place still unknown. There has been no indication of the second Sphere of Power, yet. We have launched 24 reconnaissance probes configured to scan for both the specific energy signature that was associated with the first Sphere, as well as for generic energy traces. Lieutenant Mantron has reported for duty after being discharged by Doctor Pish and appears to be fully recovered from his ordeal on Earth. We have been keeping to the sensor shadows of the various planets and moons in this system in order to avoid detection by these proto-Borg, as B1 and B2 have dubbed them. Ship and crew are functioning normally. Thog and Sperr were working on another probe in Shuttlebay One. The Klingon woman was grumbling to herself. While this wasn't anything new, Sperr was beginning to pick up the subtle signs that she was disturbed about something. Someone who was not so close to her might have missed the little ways that these signs manifested themselves - the way she had crumpled her duranium coffee mug that morning, the way she had embedded the PADD with the morning status report into the back of the Horta Yeoman who had delivered it, the way she had torn out the speaker in the turbolift when it had told her to have a nice day. Yes, the Saurian, like countless men before him, was slowly learning to recognize the signs that his significant other was slightly bothered by something. And, like countless men before him, he made the mistake of trying to help, "Thog, you seem a little... tense. Is anything wrong?" came the innocent sounding question. "Wrong!? Wrong!? I'll tell you what's wrong! Here we sit, with thousands of Borg all around us and the captain thinks that we should just leave them alone!" Thog had leaned closer and closer while delivering this tirade and she ended up yelling in her boyfriend's face. Sperr thought to myself that he was certainly glad that he had convinced her to switch to that seafood-flavored toothpaste. "Well, dear," came his ill-thought response, "he IS the captain, after all. I'm sure that he knows what he's doing." Thog remembered just in time that she really cared for Sperr, which saved him a trip to Sickbay. Relatively gently she lowered him so that his feet could touch the deck again before yelling, "His logic is going to end up killing us all! If we can destroy the Borg, now, think of the lives we can save in the future. Just think of the losses at Wolf 359 which could be prevented! What about the Borg incursion in 2373!" "OK, OK - I'm not arguing the point! But if the captain has said that we can't interfere, what can we do?" "We can do what is right, regardless of our orders," responded Thog. "You're talking mutiny!" replied, Sperr, aghast. "I know, and frankly, if I didn't respect Seetamyn the way I do, I would have already taken over and put an end to this nonsense!" Elsewhere, a similar discussion was taking place. B1 and B2 were sitting with Zamtra and M'Dral in The Pirate's Cove. The two Bynars had taken to stopping by for a drink or two every evening after their forays into logic space with the fledgling sentience that was the Menagerie's computer core. This evening was no different. They had seemed to gravitate to the two youngest members of the command staff, Lieutenant M'Dral and Ensign Zamtra. Perhaps their underdeveloped social skills made them more comfortable amongst the junior officers. Zamtra and M'Dral had only seen the Borg on news telecasts and the like. B1 and B2 had access to Federation and Starfleet files on the menace and had found the two other officers to be a captive audience as they related the tales of destruction they had read in the files. Finishing their latest tale of woe, the Bynars basked in the glow of the entranced Tamarian and Benzite's mesmerization. Finally, Zamtra gave voice to a question that had been bothering the Bynars as they had conducted their searches, "If the Borg are such a threat, why are we not taking care of them now? Every time Starfleet has encountered them in our time, the results have been disastrous. Shaka, when the walls fell." "Perhaps the captain believes that we would be no match for even the proto-Borg," offered M'Dral. "Even still, we could deal them a serious blow, perhaps even cripple them to the point where they would fall prey to one of the species that they assimilated early-on. If we could do that, wouldn't it be worth our lives?" argued B1 and B2. Linnea, who had overheard this last bit as she was delivering fresh drinks, chimed in, "'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' that's a quote from some old Earth philosopher." "Exactly my point," the Bynars sang. The four officers continued arguing amongst themselves as Linnea slipped away. None of them noticed the slight smile that briefly crossed her lips. Banjo and Ustrano had taken Mantron to the ship's cinema to celebrate his first day back on the job. Wanting some sort of mindless actioner to take their minds off of recent events, they had, naturally, turned to the 20th century Earth movie database. Finally deciding on a movie called "Hard Boiled", the trio got some popcorn (for Mantron), Milk Duds (for Banjo) and a huge tub of peel-and-eat shrimp (for Ustrano). For the next two hours they forgot all their troubles as they rooted for Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung to kill Anthony Wong. Strangely enough, they all misted up when Phillip Kwok was killed. Ustrano nearly choked to death on a shrimp when the baby peed on Yun-Fat and only Banjo ripping free one of the seats and beating him on the back with it, dislodged the sinister shellfish. After the movie, the trio headed down to The Pirate's Cove for a last drink before bed. There, they discussed the movie, "Even though he had been ordered not to do it, Tequila went in and saved the day," mused Banjo. "Well, sometimes you just have to do what's right no matter the cost," offered Ustrano. "Just like Arlyn and Gwri," mused Mantron. <> thought Banjo, <> But Mantron seemed fine. It appeared that he had come to grips with what had happened on Earth. Ustrano tried to change the subject with, "What do you think about this 'proto-Borg' situation?" "Situation?" Banjo snorted. "We should just kill them all and be done with it!" "Agreed," laughed Ustrano. "Too bad the captain feels differently. It would be quite a fight!" The mood lightened, again, the three friends finished their drinks and headed for their quarters little imagining that tomorrow would be the most important day in their lives. The Menagerie, like any close-knit group, had formed into a kind of family. There were certain family members who everyone turned to for advice, and certain family members who handed out discipline. There was even the crazy old uncle who everyone would have preferred not talking about (in this case the crazy old uncle was Ensign Hirthnole, an elderly Tellarite who insisted on singing "American Pie", naked, while riding his unicycle, whenever a Karaoke Night was scheduled). Like any family, there were times when communications seemed to occur instantaneously. The ship had lost contact with FederNet when it had first entered the Omega Configuration, some time, before. However, the ship's intranet had consequently been handling more traffic as outward focuses turned inward. An Instant Message here, an email there and soon a wild rumor was rampaging through the ship's data spaces - the Bridge Officers didn't agree with Captain Seetamyn about the Borg situation. Watching the activity from a dark cabin, a sinister figure helped the crisis along with a forwarded message, here, and a new rumor planted, there. Oh yes, things were looking good! Satisfied, for the moment with its handiwork the figure switched off its terminal and gloated to itself, "Soon. Very soon, they will all pay!" Captain's Log; Stardate - 24 hours from last entry, exact time and place still unknown. There has still been no indication of the second Sphere of Power. Our 24 reconnaissance probes continue to scan for both the specific energy signature that was associated with the first Sphere, as well as for generic energy traces. Ship and crew are functioning normally and morale remains high. The next morning, the Bridge Crew reported for duty as normal. Arriving at their stations, each officer (except the captain) found an invitation to a 'gathering' being held in one of the cargo holds at 18:30 that evening. The day passed unevent- fully, telemetry from the probes still showed no sign of the second Sphere. Mantron moved the ship from planet to moon to another planet, avoiding the light traffic the proto-Borg ships represented. At shift's end. The crew dispersed back to their, or somebody else's cabins or to The Pirate's Cove for relaxation and/or dinner. Curiosity getting the better of them, most then sauntered off to Reserve Cargo Bay 6, the cargo bay mentioned in the mysterious invitations that they had received earlier. Over 100 of the Menagerie's officers and enlisted personnel apparently had downloaded the same message as that was how many people ended up in the cargo bay. Several dozen of the Science Department were also there. Everyone looked around at each other trying to figure out who had called this meeting. After milling about for half an hour, Commander Thog decided to take action. Leaping up on a cargo container, she called for everyone's attention, "Alright, nobody seems to know who called this meeting or why it was called, so if anyone has any information about this they'd better speak up now." The huge room became silent remarkably fast. No one wanted to be on the First Officer's bad side. Eventually, a young man darted forward. It did not appear at all as though he had been pushed forward by the people behind him. Adopting a nearly perfect 'deer in the headlights' demeanor, he slowly stammered out, "We have all heard rumors that the whole crew disagrees with the captain. We're all wondering what's going to happen." "Yes, I believe it is safe to say that many of the Senior Staff would prefer to destroy the proto-Borg and to protect the future. But, what Captain Seetamyn says, goes!" Thog answered the terrified 'spokesperson'. "Why?" came, shouted from some un-identifiable crewmember. "Because he's the captain!" shouted Thog. "That doesn't make him right!" came another shout. "Right has nothing to do with it! You are all Federation citizens and most of you are Starfleet officers! We follow the chain of command, here!" "Bah, you're just a coward who hides behind the rules instead of doing what you know to be right!" another anonymous voice called. Banjo and Ustrano jumped forward to restrain Thog, who would have plowed into the crowd and ripped apart the owner of the last voice, if she had been able. When they had managed to calm her down, the three stood together, in front of the cargo container, presenting a look of solidarity in the face of the rambunctious crowd. The crowd slowly settled down and finally, Dr. Tilnon, the Vulcan head of the Geosciences division stepped forward. The nearly skeletal form of the old Vulcan faced the three officers and spoke, "Logic dictates that the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. In this case, we few can, by taking extraordinary steps, save the lives of thousands of Federation citizens and of uncountable billions of lives of species whom the Borg would kill or assimilate between now and when we first encounter them. We have a moral duty to act, even in the face of our superiors. Rules, even the Prime Directive cannot foresee every possibility. That is why logic and judgement are needed. In my opinion, Captain Seetamyn is too focused on this Quest to see the true danger in front of us. The very fact that all of us here feel so strongly that this is the wrong course of action should be proof enough that he needs to re-evaluate the situation." Thog looked deeply disturbed. The elderly Vulcan had spoken as if he had read her mind. She could see the uncertainty on the looks on the other officers indicating that they, too, had been affected by his words. She began to realize that this was what it meant to be a First Officer. Going on away missions and giving orders on the Bridge were the carrots. This was the stick. Her responsibilities, by definition, included making sure the captain was protected, even from himself. Slowly, painfully, she made her decision. "What would you have me do, Doctor?" she asked. "We'll give the situation one more day to resolve itself," came the reasoned reply. "If, after Alpha Shift tomorrow, Captain Seetamyn still persists on this irrational course, you must wait until he returns to his quarters and then flood them with anesthezine. The remaining Bridge Crew will then take command of the ship and eliminate the menace of the Borg once and for all!" A great cheer went up from the assemblage as Thog felt her stomach drop. Captain's Log; Stardate - 24 hours from last entry, exact time and place still unknown. I am beginning to entertain the possibility that the OverMind has made a mistake as there has still been no indication of the second Sphere of Power. We have launched an addition twelve reconnaissance probes to continue to scan. We have, so far, been completely successful in evading detection by the proto-Borg. Crew morale remains high as should be expected from such a dedicated, competent crew. Alpha Shift had passed without incident. It was now 15:00 hours and only one hour remained before the start of Beta Shift. Seetamyn had not wavered in his determination to ignore the Borg and to focus on the locating of the second Sphere, to the exclusion of all else. Thog had resigned herself to what was to come. Her family had long been outcast on Qu'noS, now she would be court-martialed and thrown out of Starfleet. She would be fortunate to escape a prison term. It would be worth it though, to save all those people. She was distracted from her morbid thoughts as Lieutenant Mantron got up from his Helm Console and approached the center seat. "Captain, I need to talk to you in private regarding a matter of grave importance," the Betazoid said. "Very well, Lieutenant. In my Ready Room," the captain rose and ushered his Helmsman into the private office. <> Thog fumed. <> Mantron and Seetamyn took seats across from each other at the captain's desk. "What is it you needed to see me about, Lieutenant?" the Vulcan asked. "Sir, I have some theories as to why we haven't discovered the second Sphere, yet." "Wonderful," the captain said. "Please continue." "Well, sir, I have been thinking about the first Quest and, specifically, about the way the OverMind seemed to hurry us from that mission directly into this one. I think that they are hiding something." "What do you suspect that they are hiding, Lieutenant?" "Sir, I believe that the Spheres, themselves, are further tests. I think that each one will test us in a different way. The first test was to see if we would put the needs of the people we met before our own needs." "There is no evidence to support that theory, Lieutenant," offered Seetamyn. "Then why, send us on the second Quest so quickly?" countered Mantron. "Furthermore, it explains why we haven't found the second Sphere, yet." "Explain," prompted the Vulcan. "Sir, this test is whether we will have the discretion and moral integrity to deliberately disobey our Prime Directive to save the lives of uncounted beings who we will never meet and who will never know what we did for them." "Lieutenant, I fail to follow your line of reasoning," the captain disagreed. "Sir, I must confess that the logic is probably pretty weak. Something just tells me that this is the truth." Coming from anybody else, the Vulcan would have simply dismissed that statement as being too illogical to consider. However, Seetamyn knew of Mantron's history; five of the twelve ships that the Betazoid had served on had been destroyed or had vanished within weeks of his having been transferred off of them. Most people would have held suspicions of sabotage against the Helmsman, but Seetamyn had been forming very different suspicions after serving with Mantron for several months, now. Because of those suspicions, he found that he could not dismiss the theory, out of hand. Further- more, it WAS true that they had not seen so much as a glimmer of the second Sphere, so far. Seetamyn decided to see just how confidant his Helmsman was in his theory, "Why would the OverMind care about the Borg? It is quite likely that they never encountered them, 70,000 years ago." "They wouldn't need to have any first-hand knowledge of the Borg, Sir. It is likely that they simply read the knowledge of them from either our computer files or even from our minds," came the earnest reply. Seetamyn had one last card to play, "One last question, Lieutenant. You are asking me to willfully break the Prime Directive, Starfleet's most sacred rule. Are you willing to risk the consequences of a Tribunal investigation after this is all over?" "Sir, a person who blindly follows rules and orders without thinking about them has no business being an officer in Starfleet. A Starfleet officer is expected to use discretion, judgement and intelligence when following orders. Anyone who does otherwise is merely a bureaucrat. An appropriate response to every situation is beyond the scope of any set of rules. That being said, I am willing to take the full responsibility for whatever happens as a result of this conversation." "Lieutenant, you will go far in Starfleet. However, responsibility is the Captain's burden just as the right to have the final decision is his, alone, to bear. If you could excuse me now. I need some time to think about what you have said." Mantron got up and left the Ready Room, returning to his station at Helm. Thog, Banjo and M'Dral all stared at him with daggers of accusation in their eyes, but Mantron had once again, spoken his conscience and he withstood their silent onslaught, unfazed. Twenty minutes after Mantron's meeting, the all-call sounded with Seetamyn's voice, "Commander Thog, Commander Banjo, Lieutenant Commanders B1 and B2, Lieutenants Sperr, M'Dral and Mantron and Ensign Zamtra, report to the Briefing Room." <> Thog thought. <> Nearly all the Senior Staff were in the Briefing Room, having gathered there immediately after Seetamyn's announcement. Noticeably absent were Lieutenant Commander Ustrano and Doctor Pish. Captain Seetamyn walked in after everyone else had been seated and opened with, "I have called this meeting to inform everyone that, contrary to previous resolutions, we WILL be taking action against the Borg presence, here." The room erupted in a cacophony of confused and excited voices. The stoic Vulcan allowed the discussion to babble on for several minutes and then, sensing that the rest of the staff had gotten their exuberance out of their systems, continued. "We, once again, have Lieutenant Mantron to thank for pointing out some details that I had overlooked. Lieutenant, I thank you for your continued commitment to this ship, her crew and her mission. Now, to bring everyone up to date, Doctor Pish and Doctor Sidarian are currently working on a way to reverse Borg-i-zation on a massive scale and Lieutenant Commander Ustrano is prepping the Menagerie for Multiple Vector Attack Mode. Since it is likely that not everyone here is completely familiar with this feature of the ship, I will now take the time to offer an explanation. This Prometheus Class Starship utilizes technologies first developed in the Galaxy Class ship line of allowing a vessel to split into two, independently operational pieces. This technology was further investigated in the Intrepid and Defiant Classes. Unlike the earlier designs, the Menagerie's independent pieces are each extremely combat-capable. Our Regenerative Shielding and Ablative Armor allow each piece to become an effective fighting vessel. Our attack can, therefore, coordinate multiple units against a single foe or individual units against multiple opponents. The Command Staff will be split up in such a way that each section will have a senior officer in charge, teamed up with an appropriate crewmate. The Upper Saucer section, henceforth designated 'Saucer Utility Vector' (SUV) will be commanded by myself with Commander Banjo on Weapons and Lieutenant M'Dral at Helm. The Upper Engineering section, henceforth designated 'Posterior Oriented Vector' (POV) will be commanded by Lieutenant Commander Ustrano, who will also handle Weapons, and have Lieutenant Mantron at its Helm. The Lower Engineering Section, designated 'Lower Utility Vector' (LUV) will be commanded by Commander Thog, also at Weapons, with Lieutenant Sperr Helming it. Ensign Zamtra will be standing by in Transporter Room One with a supply of high-explosive devices. We have detected only rudimentary shielding, at best, on the proto-Borg ships, so, should it be necessary, he would be able to beam these devices on to enemy ships to disable them. Lieutenant Commanders B1 and B2 will coordinate communications between the Vectors. Each Vector is capable of warp travel and has both phasers and quantum torpedo tubes. I cannot believe that these weapons will be insufficient for the destruction of these proto-Borg, but if that does prove to be the case, we will load up one of the shuttlecraft with anti-matter and eliminate their home world, itself." The rest of the personnel in the Briefing Room gasped at this apparent display of bloodthirstiness, so out of character for the captain. However, Seetamyn was not being ruthless or cruel in his calculations, for calculations are, by their very definition, removed from emotion. The Vulcan was simply applying his well-known thoroughness to a military problem instead of a scientific one. It was obvious that he would prosecute the upcoming battle with every weapon at his disposal. The crew looked around at each other, the shame at what they had been planning clear on each face. Seetamyn had spoken truer than he had known when he had named Mantron the ship's 'conscience.' There were relatively few questions following Seetamyn's presentation. The crew seemed unusually quiet, the Vulcan thought. Perhaps they were simply trying to come to grips with the whole 'Multi-Vector Assault' concept. Deciding that a demonstration would be worth uncountable words, Seetamyn dismissed the meeting so that everyone could take their positions at their new stations, in preparation for separation. Seetamyn had re-taken his normal seat on the Bridge. M'Dral, Banjo and the Bynars also occupied their usual positions. M'Dral had transferred Helm control to her console, since she was more comfortable working there than at Mantron's. Thog and Ustrano had reported that all was ready in their Vectors. Each of the Vectors had received mixed personnel from Alpha, Beta and Gamma shifts mainly to assist in the Engineering departments of each vector, but also, to form Fast Response Damage Control Teams. Ensign Hirthnole had even ridden his unicycle into the POV (Ustrano had been the only Vector Commander to give him permission to use the device while on duty). Seetamyn sounded the all-call, "All non-essential personnel are to remain in their quarters during MVA maneuvers. All other staff remain at battle stations until re-integration. Computer - initiate Multi Vector Assault Mode." The vessel is about to be split In new places will personnel fit We will really have fun With the Borg on the run Our triple threat will be quite the hit "Indeed," observed Seetamyn, as his ship, literally, went to pieces around him. As the magnetic couplers uncoupled and the detachable umbilicuses detached, Lieutenant Mantron piloted the POV to the far side of the system. The plan called for each vector to move as far away from the Borg home world as possible, ignoring all targets as it went. Each would then turn inward and swoop into the system's core, blasting any artificial construct that they encountered. Ships under construction on the home world would also be targeted but Seetamyn wanted to try to spare the population in the hope that Doctor Pish would be able to reverse the Borg-i-zation process. Reaching the orbital plane of the system's furthest planet, Mantron spun the POV and quickly plotted a course which would allow the ship to inflict maximum damage in minimum time. Glancing over toward Lieutenant Commander Ustrano, he grinned a boyish grin as his friend announced, "Engage!" Like an avenging dragonfly ravaging evil mosquitoes, the POV sped gracefully, toward the Borg home world. Followings a tight, helical path, it passed by several research stations and a number of ships. Every one was greeted with a withering barrage of phaser fire as the POV approached and by at least one torpedo as it sped away to pummel the next target. Smaller ships were dispatched by a lone torpedo. Reaching the home world, the POV spared a couple of shots for some semi-completed hulls under construction in the planet's main shipyard before swooping back out towards the system's edge, annihilating more targets of opportunity as it went. The SUV took a much more utilitarian course. Lieutenant M'Dral was a very competent Operations Officer. Normally she coordinated various processes aboard the ship which affected normal, everyday functionality. In addition to communications, she might be called upon to coordinate power services, maintenance and repair teams, Holodeck scheduling, recycling operations and any number of other minutiae that kept the ship and crew in peak condition. Today she was being called upon to actually fly the ship (a part of it, anyway) and she was demonstrating why she had not become a pilot. It wasn't that she was a bad driver, it was more that her course and flying were mechanical or even robotic in nature. Her courses lacked Mantron's graceful curves and elegant spirals. That wasn't to say that the Borg vessels fared any better. They were just as helpless before the mechanical precision of M'Dral as they were before the inspired agility of Mantron. Thog and Sperr, meanwhile, in the LUV, double-checked all the wreckage caused by their companions, verifying the complete destruction of each Borg structure. Finishing off already damaged vessels wasn't really Thog's idea of glorious combat, but she had volunteered for this duty as penance for her thoughts of mutiny. Besides, with the combat capabilities of these Borg, mopping up really wasn't much different than the actual combat. Mantron sent the POV diagonally across the system. He had detected a still- intact station. As they closed the distance between the POV and the station, they detected the most serious defense yet mounted by the Borg. Eight of the largest battlecruisers had formed into a cone-shaped defensive posture with the research station at the apex of the cone. The POV was approaching from the wide end of the cone - right into a fierce barrage of laser-fire! Each of the Borg vessels poured the full extent of their firepower down the gauntlet that the POV was running. This was a classic space battle configuration designed to allow several weaker ships to effectively combat a single, stronger ship. Properly coordinated, the Killer Cone Configuration, could be the doom of much more powerful enemies and it was, in theory, almost infinitely scalable. 100's or even 1000's of ships could be included as long as the whole could be properly coordinated. Of course, coordination for the Borg was as natural as breathing. Mantron and Ustrano had inadvertently stumbled into the primitive implementation of what would eventually become the Borg's supreme tactic for the next several centuries. After that, their huge cubes rendered the point moot. Anything that could stand up to a cube wouldn't worry about a cone of cubes. However, the Borg had not developed their most fearsome ships, yet. What Mantron and Ustrano faced were merely converted conventional ships that had been put into service by whoever the inhabitants of this system had been before they had become the Borg, and, unfortunately for these proto-Borg, Ablative Armor and Regenerative Shielding were more than a match for even the combined might of their primitive weapons. Wading through the laser beams, the POV shredded the battlecruisers and then Ustrano let loose with a barrage of phasers as, zipping past, it launched a volley of torpedoes from the aft launchers. The station became a fireball as the POV searched for another target. Banjo was finding it hard to locate any targets, Mantron's system-ranging exploits had decimated the Borg 'fleet.' Finally detecting a lone ship, attempting to flee, Banjo sent the coordinates to M'Dral's console and the SUV leapt to the attack. Banjo detonated two torpedoes, bracketing the Borg ship. As the ship was practically turned inside-out by the twin explosions, he targeted the center of the blasts with multiple phasers. Doctor Pish, Doctor Sidarian and their staffs, at least, were glad that M'Dral was piloting their section. Matron's aerobatics (etherbatics?) tested and, occasionally, surpassed the POV's inertial dampeners' ability to bleed off the gyrations he was putting his Vector through. This resulted in the personnel manning that Vector to have to hold on for dear life, on occasion. The POV's personnel, being mostly Engineering and Ship's Services staff, actually rather enjoyed the wild ride, but such strain would have been possibly catastrophic to the Medical Team's efforts. Trying to reverse the nanite 'infection' of an entire planet had never been attempted (possibly because no one had ever encountered one which didn't have sizeable defenses), but, as was nearly everybody aboard the Menagerie, Doctor Pish was truly an expert in her chosen profession. Even Ensign Hirthnole was very good at what he did (except for naked, unicycle-riding, singing). The team of Medical Specialists and Biological Sciences staff had quickly hit upon a promising line of research and their success seemed assured. Thog was about to finish off the remaining few intact meters of one of the stations that had already been decimated by the POV when she detected several life pods drifting in the area. Since this situation had not been covered in their briefings, she opened a channel to the SUV, "Captain, this is Thog. We have detected the launch of several life pods from one of the destroyed stations. How do we proceed?" "If you can get the pods to head for the home world, do so. If this is not possible, simply destroy them. I have no desire to cause unnecessary suffering, even to Borg, by letting them starve or asphyxiate in their pods." "Understood. Thog out." Turning to Sperr she said, "There is no glory in slaughtering defenseless pods. Get a tractor beam on as many pods as you can and let's redirect them towards the home world. Scan for further pods and we'll start ferrying them home. There is nothing to shoot at out here anyway." Soon the LUV was joined by the POV and SUV in the search for survivors. Anyone who could be rescued, was. By the time the mop up was completed, Doctor Pish and Doctor Sidarian and their Team had managed to synthesize their atmospheric anti-nanite vaccination. M'Dral tasked several industrial-sized replicators to the production of the vaccine and soon Zamtra was able to transport liter-sized containers of the vaccine to each Vector. The crews on each one set to work and soon there were thirty modified torpedoes, ten on each Vector, ready to disperse the vaccine about the planet. Mantron calculated courses for each shiplet and Ustrano handled the torpedo launching programming. All was ready and Mantron, Sperr and M'Dral each hit their respective 'Engage' buttons at the same time. The three pieces swooped around the Borg home world delivering their cargo of salvation to its inhabitants. After each had finished its pre-programmed run, the three pieces met in standard orbit above the former Borg home world. Seetamyn ordered re-integration and the separated ships became one, again. As soon as the re-integration had completed and the various crewmembers made they ways back to their cabins or duty stations, Seetamyn called another staff meeting. "As I had anticipated," Seetamyn began, "the Multi Vector Assault Mode operation was executed by each of you flawlessly. Now, I would like a post-battle assessment from Operations, Engineering, Medical, and Security." "Well, sir," came M'Dral's nervous voice, followed by her trademark 'puff, puff', "the power rerouting for the industrial replicators has been returned to normal. The re-integration of the ship was handled without undue incident, however, as expected, 14% of all trans-Vector connections will have to be rebuilt due to the explosive decompression they suffered during disassembly. Until that work is completed, the Menagerie will operate at only 82% of normal efficiency. This should not affect us too adversely, unless we enter into combat or some sort of extended orbital mining operation or we have another ship-wide Karaoke contest." "I shall do my utmost to make sure that those situations do not come up," assured the captain. "Although Ensign Hirthnole will be greatly disappointed. Lieutenant Commander Ustrano, I believe that brings us to you." "Aye, sir. The repairs that Lieutenant M'Dral mentioned will be completed in approximately 14 hours. Minor, mostly superficial, damage that the Vectors suffered in the battle will take three days to completely repair. Most of that is in the form of applying replacement layers of Armor and replacement of overloaded shield generators. No major damage was sustained and re-integration, as M'Dral has said, was uneventful." "Excellent. Jantoo, what have you to add?" "Captain we suffered only minor injuries during the battle. I have 12 cases of Vertigo and 2 broken arms from the POV," at this she glared at Lieutenant Mantron, who shrugged and tried to not look guilty. "Poor Ensign Hirthnole was thrown from his unicycle which was completely destroyed! Other than that, there were only a few bumps and bruises on the other two Vectors. Everyone who was injured should be back to their normal duty shifts within 24 hours." "Very good, Commander Banjo, what is our weapons status?" "Captain, we used over 28% of our quantum torpedo stores. Replicating the components to build more and actual construction will require at least eight labor shifts. I have had Ensign Hirthnole assemble a team of Ship's Services personnel to begin work as well as to take his mind off of his lost unicycle. Our phaser banks are at 76% charge and will slowly build back to 100% over the next two days. That time can be decreased, but routing the necessary power would delay the other repairs, so I have ordered that the standard regenerative cycle be followed." "That was good thinking, Commander. So, in summary, minor repairs are being carried out and the ship will be completely shipshape in less than four days. Very well, back to the original reason for our being here - Lieutenant Commanders B1 and B2, has our elusive Sphere made an appearance, yet?" "No sir, sensors are detecting nothing that corresponds with the energy signature associated with the first Sphere of Power that was recovered on Earth. The performance of the probes that we launched, earlier, has been somewhat degraded by the new wreckage that we have created in the system, but there is still sufficient overlap that we have a 98% accurate sensor map of this area. There has been..." At that point, the briefing was interrupted by the lyrical stylings of the ship's computer, And what could this be that I've found here? Floating on the Bridge, and so very near It is sparkly, it is round It was lost, now its found Why it must be our elusive Sphere! "Well, that appears to answer THAT question," said Mantron, relieved that his hunch was correct, after all. "Indeed," agreed Seetamyn. "Meeting adjourned. Everyone return to your stations. Let us head home." Exiting the aft turbolifts, the Bridge crew moved forward to their consoles. Seetamyn and Thog headed for their center seats. Arriving at their stations, everyone turned back to see the glowing globe, hovering in the air just in front of the Captain's chair. Seetamyn reached up and took the Sphere of Power in his hand. As before, a swirling portal through time and space appeared in front of the ship. As before, the Menagerie glided into the maelstrom and arrived... back where she had started from. As before, the arrival of the ship prompted the return of the exuberant voice of the OverMind, "Again you have exceeded my/our wildest hopes! The second Sphere returned!" At this point the second Sphere followed its predecessor, vanishing from Seetamyn's hand, presumably to be 'installed' in wherever it was that the Spheres were installed. "And now, the third Quest awaits! The resulting pyrotechnics were even more spectacular than the previous two portal formations, forming a new vortex leading to the third Quest. Seetamyn turned to Lieutenant Mantron, "Lieutenant, set course for that vortex." "Sir, course set." "Very well, Lieutenant, all stop!" Mantron had been hoping for something like this and didn't hesitate to slap the "All Stop" button on his console. The rest of the Bridge crew were puzzled, to say the least, by this order. If the Bridge crew were puzzled, the OverMind was downright flabbergasted, "What is the meaning of this? Your way is clear before you! I/We urge you to hurry in the completion of your Quest!" "This ship has been damaged by the last Quest that we were sent on and it requires time to be repaired. Furthermore, several questions have been raised about the exact nature of the Spheres and of these Quests and I will have answers before I order this ship on any further Quests," came the calm reply from the captain. "What questions do you speak of," came the wary question from the OverMind. "First of all, how could you know of the existence of the Borg? There has never been any incursion of that species to this part of the galaxy. Secondly, these Quests seem suspiciously like further tests to me, but if the Spheres were scattered 200 centuries ago, how could these Quests effectively test this, particular crew? Thirdly, why the big rush? As you have said, before, you have waited an immeasurably long time for someone to rescue you, why push us through these Quests so fast? I would like to hear your answers to these questions before deciding if I have any more to ask you." There was complete silence on the Bridge for several long moments, then the voice of the OverMind returned, "Very well, Captain Seetamyn, you seem to have found me/us out! The Spheres are semi-sentient. And, they are a part of me/us. Everything that I/we have learned about you and your crew, they know. These vortices have not been sending you to different times and places, they have merely re-directed you to several private, 'pocket dimensions.' Nothing that happens in these 'pocket dimensions' has any sort of effect on what you would call 'reality.' You have not built Stonehenge. You have not destroyed your hated Borg. Only you and your crew have any causal relationships between these 'pocket dimensions' and 'reality.' Discovering this secret has been yet another test." "But doesn't that mean that you could retrieve these Spheres at any time?" inquired Mantron. "I/We could certainly do so, but, again, if the galaxy is not ready for me/us, our return would do much more harm than good. It would be like giving a two-year-old Human child control of one of your Borg cubes! Only by having you, yourselves complete the Quests can you prove that the galaxy is ready for me/us and my/our awesome power to return." "You mentioned that the vortices don't actually move us in time or space, are they capable of actually doing that?" inquired Seetamyn. "The vortices can transport matter to virtually anyplace in the galaxy, instantly with great precision and ease. They do not allow passage through time, however. They can also create doorways into what our scientists named 'pocket dimensions.' These alternate realities are just as complete and complex as actual 'reality' but were little more than curiosities until the war against the Black Queens forced us to hide the Spheres there so that they could not be used against the rest of the galaxy." "I seem to remember you telling us, previously, that the minions of the last Black Queen had hidden away your Spheres," mused Seetamyn. "Again, I/we ask your forgiveness for this deception. I/We thought that by naming an outside source as the reason for the Spheres' removal, you would be more inclined to attempt the Quests." "I can understand such subterfuge, I have, after all, dealt with Humans for much of my life. I would like you to clarify one point: you said that only this ship and crew have a causal relationship with reality. Does this mean that if one of us is injured or killed in one of these 'pocket dimensions', returning back here will not change their status?" "I/we am/are afraid that this is, in fact, the case. Death is as permanent on a Quest as it is at any other time." "So, what you are saying is that, we will be going on Quests where nothing that we do will have any sort of effect on the real galaxy unless one of us is injured or killed on one of these Quests and then that is real and permanent. It also appears that damage the ship sustains while on a Quest is also not automatically repaired after the Quest is over." "That is correct, Captain," answered the OverMind. "Miraculous repairs that occur overnight only happen on bad Krinokom vidshows!" "In that case, I must beg your indulgence, OverMind. We have sustained some minor damage during our last Quest and we must take the time to affect repairs. We will have to wait approximately four days before continuing on the third Quest." "I/We understand, Captain. Now that you have discovered the truth about the Quests, there is no reason to force you to rush off. Take what time you require. Merely grasp the second Sphere again when you are ready to continue." As the words of the OverMind faded, the second Sphere reappeared, hanging in the air as it had done after the defeat of the Borg. Seetamyn ordered the ship to be placed in station keeping mode and the repairs started. The Pirate's Cove was busy. The repairs to the ship had been completed just a couple of hours previously and Seetamyn's decision to allow the crew one more day to rest before embarking on the third Quest had proven to be very popular. Mantron, Thog, Banjo, Ustrano and M'Dral were relaxing at one of the special 'Velvattian Tables.' They had all worked very hard over the last three days, and working together had erased any last, lingering feelings of guilt or resentment that might have been generated during the 'Mutiny Crisis', as whole Reserve Cargo Bay 6 incident was being called amongst the crew. The Bridge staff were once again one big, happy (albeit bizarre) family. Ustrano turned to Banjo and asked, "Did you ever determine who it was who had sent that invitation in the first place?" "Unfortunately, no. The message was apparently inserted into a standard maintenance stream and the entry logs are automatically cleared after each maintenance cycle. I could do a core dump and examine the original bit stream, but B1 and B2 are afraid that a core dump would seriously disturb the computer." "No need for that, I'm sure it isn't that important," came Ustrano's reply. The rest of the table nodded, grunted or puffed in agreement as they finished off their last drinks for the evening. As they finished, each seemed reluctant to say what was on all their minds, for another such meeting had been called for that very evening. Of course, everyone knew who had called this meeting: Doctor Pish Jantoo. Breaking the awkward silence, Ustrano spoke up, "Well, is everyone ready for the Second 'Clandestine' Menagerie Cargo Bay Meeting?" it asked, curling two of its tentacles into air quotes as it said 'Clandestine.' "I supposed so," said Banjo reluctantly as they all rose from their chairs and headed for Reserve Cargo Bay 6, again. When they arrived, they found about 50 other crewmembers there, primarily from the Engineering and Ship's Services staffs. They were all milling around with their eyes downcast, dreading what was to come. Banjo found Jantoo and hurried to her side, where they spoke quietly for several minutes. Apparently reaching a decision, Banjo motioned Ustrano over and the gigantic Velvattian boosted the diminutive Bajoran on top of the same cargo container that Thog had spoken from, earlier. The milling crowd took no notice of her until Ustrano shouted, "Listen Up" in a voice that would have caused corpses to pay attention. And so, the debate was joined, "We must do it!" the impassioned Doctor argued. "It would mean so much to him." "I like things the way they are," came the retort from one of the crowd. Shouts of "Me Too!" and "Agreed" echoed around the room. "But you know how he trusts us. Don't you have any respect for him?" Pish shot back. Uncomfortable "Well, yeahs" and other vaguely conciliatory mumbles were heard. "Then out of respect, at the very least, we MUST do this!" The Doctor appeared to be winning the debate, which made the senior staff very uncomfortable. While they each knew, deep down, that Jantoo was right, they all feared the consequences of what she was asking them to do. The argument raged back and forth for nearly an hour. Finally, Ustrano, Banjo and Mantron, each looking guiltily at each other joined Pish on the cargo container to address the crew. Banjo, by virtue of being the highest ranking officer on the box was chosen to speak, "As recognition of the family that we all are, this unpleasant task must be undertaken. You have heard Doctor Pish's pleas and each other's responses. This is something that we will not order anyone to do. We must reach a consensus for this act to have any meaning. Shall we vote?" Each person in the Cargo Bay went to the control console in the room where M'Dral had activated a polling program. After all the votes were entered, she had the computer correlate the results. The final tally was: 34 Ayes, 24 Nays, 2 Abstentions As Jantoo read the results, tears of gratitude sprang to her eyes, "Oh thank you everyone! You can't know how much this will mean to him!" The grumbling crowd dispersed, still unsure if they had done the right thing or not. The Senior Officers stayed around until everyone else had left. "Oh thank you all for your help!" the tiny doctor said, giving each of them a hug. "You all know that this is the right thing to do, don't you?" Ruefully, they each acknowledged that, yes, deep down, they knew that is was. Happily Jantoo left Reserve Cargo Bay 6, Banjo accompanying her. Thog, shaking her head followed with a nervously puffing M'Dral close behind her. Ustrano went over to the cargo console where he accessed the Master Engineering files. Activating a program he had written earlier that day, he turned back to his friend. "You had already set this up?" Mantron said, accusingly. "As Doctor Pish pointed out, can we, in good conscience, NOT do this?" came the Velvattian's reply. Well, since I've been appointed ship's conscience, I would have to say 'No'," came the Betazoid's grinning reply. "We are, after all is said and done, a family, and family's generally do the right thing for each other, no matter how hard it is." "Yes, my friend, and this thing is harder to do than most!" The two laughed and headed out the door, back to their quarters. It looked like tomorrow would be another busy day. Deep into ship's night, in a cabin on the residential decks, a man started suddenly out of a deep sleep. Sensing that something was different in his cabin, he called out, "Computer, lights!" Blinking against the sudden glare, the man noticed an odd gleam coming from his living room. Stalking out of bed he dashed out of his bedroom to confront the intruder and stopped dead in his tracks. Shock and apprehension gave way to tears of gratitude and joy as Ensign Hirthnole embraced his brand new unicycle! Still deeper into ship's night another lone figure sat in a darkened cabin. Rage and hatred were the only emotions that figure felt. The figure was really working itself up into a lather, now. TO BE CONTINUED...