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 5 "Tesseract" by Paul Cloutier There is no reality -- only our own order imposed on everything. Basic Bene Gesserit Dictum Dune: House Harkonnen The Menagerie slid into the vortex, beginning her Quest for the fourth Sphere of Power. As had happened each time before, the crew was disoriented by the transition into the Foreenan's pocket dimension. This time, however, the crew would find that disorientation was the least of their worries. Nothingness. It is a word which conjures up different emotions and interpretations depending on who you talk to. Some people will tell you that complete and total darkness is the embodiment of nothingness, while others insist that pure silence is the best definition. Nothingness is actually quite a bit more (or less) that just the limiting of those two senses. True nothingness is the absolute absence of light, total elimination of sound, complete withdrawal of all touch stimuli, removal of each and every odor. Even the recognition of gravity must be removed. Telepathic contact, empathic resonance and recognition of magnetic fields (for those species who have those senses) are also cut off. In short, nothingness is the removal of every external, internal and sensory stimulus from an individual. This is what the crew of the Menagerie found waiting for them as they exited this new vortex. [SEETAMYN] <> [THOG] <> [USTRANO] <> (Velvattians come into awareness before they are born. The N solitary silence inside the Velvattian womb prepares them for the life of quiet contemplation that most will live once they are born.) [BANJO] Most humanoid species are only vaguely aware of their bodies. For example, Humans are, for the most part, not aware of their tongues until something specifically draws their attention to it (like reading that they are not aware of it.) Changelings, on the other hand, are constantly aware of every A tiny portion of whatever shape they assume. Even during regeneration, they are intimately cognizant of each gelatinous milliliter of their body. Now, imagine having that level of awareness and then, suddenly, losing it. Catatonia didn't even START to describe Banjo's condition. [B1 and B2] <> [MANTRON] <> [M'DRAL] <> [PISH JANTOO] <> [ZAMTRA] <> [ACEED SPERR] <> [DR. SIDARIAN] <> [DR. TILNON] <> [DR. GAU] <> [LINNEA] <> [HIRTHNOLE] <> [SEETAMYN] <> Obligingly, a candle appeared before the Vulcan. <> [THOG] <> As she thought these desperate thoughts, Thog realized that she could, A in fact, actually feel something. Letting out a squeak of relief, her hand closed around a d'k tahg dagger as the familiar surroundings of her servant's cell materialized around her. [USTRANO] <> And, just as it had the thoughts, the sensations appeared. [BANJO] I'm sorry but Commander Banjo isn't in right now. Leave a A message after the beep and he'll get back to you as soon as possible. Beeeeep! [B1 and B2] Drawing with broad strokes, the Bynars quickly filled in the emptiness around them with colors, textures, sounds and smells. This was an N activity they had performed thousands of times before, back on Bynarus. [MANTRON] <> And so, gravity was re-established. <> [M'DRAL] <> The thought was O made real as the Benzite found herself enclosed in fog. <> [PISH JANTOO] <> And so N a pile of dirty laundry was formed as protection against the unknown. [ZAMTRA] <> And, just like that, he was. [ACEED SPERR] <> And, H just as he thought this, the familiar orange lined, black confines of a Holodeck jumped into focus, around him. [DR. SIDARIAN] <> So she did, 'awakening' to see her familiar quarters. [DR. TILNON] <> Obligingly, soft Ka'athyra music sounded around the Vulcan. <> [DR. GAU] <> With a flash, a 30 piece orchestra blinked into existence and started playing Arcturian show tunes. [LINNEA] <> As the thought passed through her head, Linnea found herself strapped to a heavy wooden chair with various 'informational gathering' M instruments arrayed around her. <> As just like that, the chair, and everything else, was gone. [HIRTHNOLE] <> Hirthnole hugged his beloved unicycle tight. <> [SEETAMYN] <> [THOG] <> [USTRANO] <> [BANJO] ... A [B1 and B2] <> [MANTRON] <> [M'DRAL] <> [PISH JANTOO] <> [ZAMTRA] <> [ACEED SPERR] <> [DR. SIDARIAN] <> [DR. TILNON] <> [DR. GAU] <> [LINNEA] <> [HIRTHNOLE] <> Hirthnole had come up with the perfect plan to thank the crew. <> [PISH JANTOO] Suddenly she was pulled roughly from the refuge of her laundry pile. One of the guards had discovered her hiding place. Grinning evilly, he slapped the tiny Doctor, sending her spinning to the wall. <> And suddenly, he was! Well, a golden ball of goo was there. Tentatively she poked the goo-ball but she got no response from it. The guard, on the other hand, laughed uproariously! <> she swore. <> The Helmsman appeared, looking surprised. His surprise turned to consternation as he was grabbed by the throat and tossed over next to the Doctor by the burly guard. "I'm gonna mop the floor with your face!" the guard taunted. "You do and you'll be sorry!" threw back Mantron. "Why's that?" demanded the guard. "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well and it still be a mess when you get done," offered Mantron weakly. Unimpressed with this logic, the guard started forward. Mantron closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable. <> Mantron waited for the first blow to come. And waited. And finally opened his eyes when he heard a wet-sounding THAWP! He opened them just in time to see the guard slump against the wall with a large, purplish tentacle wrapped around him. "About time you showed up," Mantron said, relieved. "Always glad to help out a friend or two," the Velvattian rumbled. Looking around, he spotted the ball of goo which was Banjo, "or even three," he finished. Jantoo had gathered up Banjo in her arms and was crying. "What could be wrong with him?" she asked. "You're the Doctor, you tell us," Mantron responded. "But I don't even have a tri..." before Jantoo could finish the word, a medical tricorder materialized on the floor next to her. Flipping it open, she quickly scanned the Changeling. "He's catatonic. Probably from the lack of physical stimuli that we all have been through. I assume that each of you was lost in the nothingness, like I was?" Mantron and Ustrano muttered their affirmatives. "Well, I we could find a way to properly stimulate him, he should be OK," the Bajoran diagnosed. "I may have an idea..." Thump - squish. Thump - squish. Squish - squish - squish - thump - swoosh - squish. "Are you sure this is going to work?" "It was the best I could think of. Fortunately Banjo was in just the right shape. Not to mention the way that you managed to bend the bed frames and furniture into just the right shapes." "It was nothing. What did you say this was called, again?" "Well the guys at the Academy used to call it Basketball," Mantron replied as he sent the Banjo-ball sailing through the air for another 'three-pointer.' Just before the 'ball' would have scored the winning points, it stopped being a ball, and popped back into the familiar form of the Menagerie's Security Chief. Banjo, reacting quickly to these unusual circumstances, quickly drew his limbs close to his body and dropped through the ring, giving Mantron the victory. Jantoo ran to the re-formed Commander and grabbed him in a bearhug. The Changeling eagerly returned the embrace. "Gee, and I thought that woman loved it when men turned to jelly in their arms," joked Mantron as the four friends celebrated together. Their celebration was short lived as the four found themselves dissolving. [THOG] She had been right. Her family had served for centuries as the servants of the noble house of T'bot, ever since the battle against Molor. Yes, her family was old, very old. Her ancestor had stood with Kahless and T'bot against Molor and in the great battle of Kot'baval where her family's honor had been stained forever. The most recent stain, however, had been caused by her spilling of a pitcher of Blood Wine all over the current house patriarch, Vantrion. Vantrion had come, along with his four sons to instruct her in the proper methods of serving a member of a great house. Each of the five held a pain-stick as they advanced on the First Officer. She stood firm with her nearly useless d'k tahg dagger held in her hand. She had been a servant all her life until Starfleet had shown her that she could be her own master. She had finally found true acceptance with the crew of the Menagerie and she was damned if these ghosts from her past would strip her of her hard-won dignity. She and her crew were, regardless of what anyone else thought, among Starfleet's finest and she would prove that, today. No sooner than the thought crossed her mind, than a bright flash produced Mantron, Ustrano, Banjo and Pish. Quickly accessing the situation, the Betazoid, the Velvattian, the Changeling and the Klingon formed into a line. Doctor Pish moved to rear, ready to offer aide as needed. "Ya know," said Mantron, "this would be a whole lot easier if we had phasers." FLASH With their newly acquired phasers in hand, the five officers quickly dispatched the Klingons. "Where did you guys come from?" asked the relieved Thog. "Near as we can tell, YOU must have wished us here," replied Mantron. "Really," asked Thog, amazed. She closed her eyes for a moment in concentration and, FLASH, Sperr appeared, beside her. "Well, that proves THAT theory," rumbled Ustrano as the new arrival kissed Thog soundly. "Maybe we should concentrate on finding the rest of the crew?" asked Pish, but even as the question was forming, the rest of the crew materialized around them. "Maybe we should concentrate on finding the SHIP!" shot back Ustrano, as the 300 plus personnel made the quarters that they were in a tiny bit cramped. And, just as quickly, they were no longer cramped and everyone was back in their proper place about the Menagerie. After ascertaining that everyone was truly back aboard, Seetamyn decided to call a staff meeting. This, of course, surprised no one. Many of the non-Bridge crew had actually started heading for the Briefing Room as soon as the ship had materialized around them. Their planning was thwarted, however, when Seetamyn also invited the heads of the Science Division and changed the venue to The Pirate's Cove. "As I'm sure each of you are aware, once we regained the ship, our power to influence our surroundings disappeared. I have been, for example, trying to have the fourth Sphere appear, but have had no success," opened the Captain. There were various mutterings of "Oh yeah, that" and "Yeah, yeah, that's what I was doing, too" as the assemblage traded guilty looks at one another. "Lieutenant Mantron, what do the sensors show?" "Absolutely nothing, sir. I guess that we were all so busy trying to find each other and the ship that no one though to imagine anything else." "That seems a plausible assumption, Lieutenant," agreed the Captain. "But how does this help us find the Sphere?" "I have no idea, sir." "Captain, I may have some help, there," interjected Dr. Tilnon, the Vulcan head of the Geosciences Division. "Please go ahead, Doctor." "While I was meditating through the nothingness, I thought I had detected an almost undetectable whisper. A mere tickle in the back of my mind. We have had confirmation that the Spheres, themselves, are slightly sentient. Perhaps the fourth Sphere was trying to communicate with us." "I wasn't sure if I had been 'hearing' that or if it was my own mind trying to fill the void of nothingness," admitted Seetamyn. "Wait a minute!" shouted, Ustrano, "I didn't 'hear' anything like that!" The night club was filled with more denials as each of the others present also denied having heard anything. Tilnon finally silenced the hubbub with, "Did any of you actually welcome the void, as I, and I assume, Captain Seetamyn, did? Or did you all panic and try to fill the nothingness with your own insecurities and fears?" The rest of the room fell quiet as they realized the truth of the old geologist's words. "Very well," said Seetamyn. "Somewhere, somehow the current Sphere is in some sort of disembodied state. We will all need to join together in order to meditatively reconstruct it. Any ideas on how this could be accomplished?" "Yes, sir!" The Bynars spoke up for the first time. "The computer has been asking us to allow other members of the crew to visit it in logic space. We could theoretically increase the buffer size of our interface to allow enough room for the entire crew to enter. Once there, you could lead us all in a guided meditation to recover the Sphere." "But, does that mean that we will all end up in that nothingness, again?" asked Banjo, apprehension clearly audible in his voice. "Oh no," assured the Bynars. "The computer's logic space is quite beautiful and peaceful. We're sure that you will all enjoy it." "Then it is settled. Coordinate with Lieutenant M'Dral and Lieutenant Commander Ustrano to make the modifications to your interface. Let me know when you are ready." Ustrano, Mantron, M'Dral and B1 and B2 worked nearly non-stop for the next three days, expanding the capacity of the Bynars' logic space interface. After some initial problems were solved by using the Menagerie's backup computer for increased buffer space, the work proceeded apace. The ship's two main Holodecks were equipped with interface terminals and crew quarters near enough to major EPS junctions also had terminals installed. The Bynars spent quite a bit of time in logic space tidying things up for their visitors, drawing chuckles from Mantron and Ustrano that they were acting like new housewives getting ready for their inlaws' first visit. M'Dral didn't find the analogy amusing and she stormed off in a huff (and a puff). Finally, everything was ready. Seetamyn ordered the ship set to fully automatic (since there was, literally, nothing around them to be concerned with) and sent everyone off to get some sleep before the Great Logic Space Migration (as various members of the crew had taken to calling it). Seetamyn sounded the all-call to awaken the crew the next 'morning.' B1 and B2 activated their interface and entered logic space. Several seconds later, green lights lit up on all the other interfaces and the crew turned on, tuned in and dropped out... Logic space was not like anyone had expected it to be. After a brief period of disorientation, each of the crew found themself standing in a beautiful meadow. Wildflowers added their vibrant colors and heady scents to the bright, summer air. Overhead, a sun shone down, making everything bright and cheery without making the temperature oppressive. Bees hummed their merry little working songs as they zipped among the flowers. The meadow gradually gave way to a gently sloping hillside, dotted with amazing trees. The reflective, silvery bark of the trees glowed in the sunlight. Birds with colorful, iridescent plumage sang songs of joy in the branches of the trees. Sparkling, brilliantly colored fruits hung in the trees and added their own, unique perfume to the air. At the foot of the hill, a gurgling stream flowed past as red, orange and green fish played beneath, and, occasionally, above, the waves. Downstream, a waterfall plunged several hundred meters, sending up a spray which caught the rays of the sun and turned them into a scintillating rainbow. In short, logic space turned out to be paradise! Dancing around, trying to greet everyone at once, was a sparkling ball of light. This benevolent Will 'o the Wisp turned out to be the manifestation of the computer. Almost too giddy to speak, the computer darted and danced amongst its new-found friends in a symphony of glee. The crew dispersed to explore this fantastic wonderland, their reason for entering logic space temporarily forgotten. Some crewmen lounged in the meadow. Some rested under the trees, listening to the birdsong. Still others splashed each other in the clear, cool stream. After all that they had been through since starting the Quests. This idyllic break was perfect. Well, almost perfect. One of the crew knew what was missing. Gathering every milligram of his willpower, he concentrated as he had never concentrated before. Ensign Hirthnole was determined to repay the kindness of his fellow crewmates. With one last, penultimate effort the elderly Tellarite realized his dream. Now everyone would know the joy of unicycling! Overcome by his Herculean effort, Hirthnole dozed off in the beautiful meadow... ...only to be woken up by screams of terror and moans of pain. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stood up and gazed around at the transformed landscape. The meadow was furrowed by ruts and tire treadmarks. In several spots, bodies lay tangled in impossible shapes, wrapped around bent unicycles. The vibrant wildflowers were crushed and mangled beyond recognition. Some of the new unicyclists had been able to maintain their balance and make their way down the hill. Many of them had discovered that unicycles had no breaks and had decided to stop their uncontrolled decent by the simple method of crashing into the silver-barked trees. More twisted bodies hung from the tree branches and more destroyed unicycles were piled up against the tree trunks. Several of the colorful birds had been too stunned at what was happening to get out of the way and iridescent feathers fluttered everywhere. The brilliantly colored fruits had been knocked off of the trees and run over by other riders, creating a slippery, fruit slush which now covered the hillside. The few unicyclists that had managed to navigate the meadow and the hill had met their match with the stream. Plunging into the sparkling water, the doomed unicyclists splashed water and fish back up on the stream's bank. Those that managed to swim ashore splashed even more water until the bank was a muddy mess. Squished fish guts added to the chaos. The more unfortunate unicyclists were swept downstream where they were carried over the waterfall. Filled with chagrin, Hirthnole started down the hill to try to help... ...only to awaken in Holodeck 2. All around him, shaken crewmembers disconnected from their computer interface consoles. Many carefully felt their bodies, making sure that they were, in fact, all in one piece. Suddenly, one of the crew pointed at his neighbor, "You were up in the tree!" he said, laughing. "Yeah, well, you had a fish down your shirt!" laughed his friend. Soon everyone was laughing, recounting the expressions on their friends faces as each suffered the unfortunate consequences of their impromptu adventure. A couple of hours later, the Bridge crew had resumed their positions. All of the injuries suffered while in logic space had disappeared after the interface had been deactivated. Many embarrassed glances passed back and forth as each crew person remembered their antics while on their magical unicycles. The glances gave way to grins as everyone remembered how much worse everyone else's riding skills were. Finally, B1 and B2 announced that the computer was ready for another attempt. "You are sure that we haven't set back the development of the computer?" inquired Seetamyn. "No, sir," the Bynars replied. "the computer was actually quite exited by all the activity." Just then the computer, itself, announced: What it is that you guys do for fun Is way beyond any conception That I have much to learn Is quite clear to discern So lets go again everyone! "So be it," intoned the Captain, solemnly. Logic space was exactly like everyone had expected. That is, it was back to the pastoral serenity it had been the first time they had entered. Since everyone had had an opportunity to wander around on their previous excursion, Seetamyn wasted no time this time in gathering everyone together in the meadow. As he explained the procedure that they would be following, Doctor Pish observed him. How very different he was from the last Quest. Stuck in that cave after being attacked by the first CIFAL, he had seemed like a completely different person. She wondered what caused him to act in such an un-Vulcan-like manner whenever he was seriously injured. <>, she thought, <> Just then, logic space dissolved around her (and everyone else) revealing... ...an office of some sort. Rough stone walls surrounded a solid desk and a window looked out over a desert-like landscape. The air was dry and quite warm. Jantoo sensed her friends around her although she could not see any of them. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door to the office. Then the door opened and in walked Seetamyn. Only this Seetamyn was different than the one she knew. This one was wearing the robes of a Vulcan temple master and all of his limbs were the same color. This new Seetamyn sat down at the desk and began dictating some sort of diary... Vulcan Institute of Meditative Sciences Official Archive Transcript; Stardate 32847.2 - Today is a momentous day for me and, indeed, for all of Vulcan. A promising student at the Vulcan Science Academy, a Yynsian, by the name of Jaroch, has consented to submitting to a mind-meld. As the ranking official of the Meditative Sciences Institute, the honor of performing this mind-meld has fallen to me. This will be the first time that any Vulcan has made contact of this kind with a Yynsian. For the sake of completeness, I must inform any future readers of this archive that the Yynsians believe that they contain the life experiences of the previous incarnations of the life force that animates them, within themselves. That is to say that they can communicate with and share experiential knowledge with each of these previous life forces. There is also some evidence that each of these previous life forces has the ability to continue to grow and learn through the experiences of their current host. The prospect of mind-melding with several sentiences is quite exciting to me! Several times today I nearly found myself using contractions! Well, perhaps a smidgen of excitement is warranted. I am now off to the main assembly hall, where the ceremony will be performed. Seetamyn then got up from his desk and walked out of the office. Jantoo (and the unseen others) followed along. <> she thought <> Seetamyn eventually came to a large auditorium which was filled with thousands of other Vulcans. On the stage, at the front of the auditorium sat a white-robed Yynsian, presumably this Jaroch that the Captain had spoken of. Seetamyn approached the stage and took a seat directly in front of the Yynsian. Jantoo then seemed to shrink and flow until she was actually inside the Captain's mind! She heard the calmly intoned "My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts." and then... ...she was standing in circular, suburban a cul-de-sac. Around her were seven brightly lit houses. The Captain was standing next to her and she watched as he went up to the first house and knocked on the door. The door glided open at his touch as the house behind faded away to become an ancient battlefield! Seetamyn approached a fearsome warrior, mounted on a tremendous warhorse. The warrior turned to the Vulcan and shouted something about him being a "Puny Mortal" and then swung his sword towards Seetamyn. The Vulcan cocked his head, slightly and whispered, "fascinating" before returning to the cul-de-sac and approaching the next house. The next houses opened on to scenes that were much less violent. Jantoo wasn't paying too much attention because she had just noticed a dark, deserted-seeming house. While each of the other homes here was brightly painted and well lit, this one was dull, dreary and dark. She wondered what sort of past life would live in such a place. She did not have very long to wait to find out. Seetamyn quickly proceeded through the bright, cheerful houses and came, at last to the dark one. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, opened the door and... ...Jantoo found herself back in the auditorium. Vulcans hurried around frantically. Well, no they didn't, actually. It appeared that Seetamyn had been stricken unconscious by entering the dark house. Jaroch was drinking a glass of water as he shook his head to clear the lassitude caused by the mind meld. Soon, Seetamyn was revived and he recounted his encounters with the past lifes from each of the bright houses. Nothing was said about the dark house and Jaroch seemed satisfied with the seven descriptions provided by Seetamyn. <> thought Jantoo, <> ...and the auditorium dissolved, to be replaced by the simple beauty of logic space once again. All around her the crew were murmuring to themselves about what they had just witnessed. Finally the Captain stepped forward and said, "If we are all quite through with these superfluous side-trips and distractions, perhaps we should make an attempt to fulfill this current Quest. Dr. Tilnon and I will now join minds. Together we will direct the rest of the crew in focusing their mental energies on the recovery of the fourth Sphere." Dr. Tilnon stepped forward and both he and the Captain reached out to clasp each other's forehead in a spread-fingered grasp. The Vulcan mantra "My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts" seemed to settle over the assembled crew like a soothing blanket and soon each found themself floating in the nothingness again. This nothingness was different, however. No one was alone this time. Each individual was aware of the presence of everyone else and all were aware of the calm, authoritative presence of the Captain. Soon, everyone felt a tiny tickle of awareness hovering at the back of their minds. Under the direction of Tilnon and Seetamyn each of the crew sent their awareness 'towards' the tickle. Soon the dim glow of the Sphere was visible. Focusing with every bit of their mental strength, the crew came into the presence of the fourth Sphere. A disembodied green arm appeared from out of nowhere and grasped the Sphere and... ...everyone was back in the Holodecks or their quarters, expelled once again from logic space. Seetamyn wasted no time recalling the Bridge crew to their stations. Upon arriving on the Bridge, the swirling maelstrom of the return portal was visible on the main viewscreen. M'Dral, looked back at Seetamyn who indicated, with a slight nod of his head, that she should take them home. The Menagerie glided forward, through the now-familiar light show that accompanied portal travel, and emerged back into reality in orbit around the fragmented planet of Foreena Four. Once there, the overwhelming mind-voice of the OverMind called out, I/We are truly impressed by your magnificent efforts! You have managed to complete two thirds of the Quests so far! Can it be that the universe is actually ready for my/our return? After two hundred centuries the wonders that will once again grace the cosmos! Are you and your gallant crew prepared to embark on the next Quest, Captain? "We would prefer to have a day to rest and recover from our efforts, so far," responded the Vulcan. Understood, release the Fourth Sphere! Seetamyn did so and the glowing orb hovered in front of him. When you are ready to proceed, merely grasp the Sphere as you have done in the past, and you will be transported to the next to last pocket dimension. The presence of the OverMind withdrew and Seetamyn dismissed the crew to get some rest. Most of the Senior Staff had no intention of sleeping, however. Eleven crewmembers had gathered in The Pirate's Cove later that day. Seetamyn was not present, having chosen to spend some time with Dr. Tilnon comparing notes on their experiences in the nothingness. This suited the gathered personnel just fine, as they had met to discuss what they had discovered about their erstwhile leader. Ensign Hirthnole had finally been accepted as one of the Senior Staff and had joined Thog, Banjo, Ustrano, M'Dral, Mantron, Jantoo, Sperr, Zamtra and B1 and B2 at the big table in the lounge. B1 and B2 were reporting on what their data search had turned up; "This 'Jaroch' that the Captain encountered while on Vulcan soon graduated the Vulcan Science Academy and was posted on several starships before becoming the Science Officer on the USS Secondprize. Here he, apparently, served with distinction and was made captain, a position that he still holds. Around Stardate 51552.3 he registered the discovery of a previously unknown past life - that of a twentieth-century human man named, oddly enough, Carl Jaroch. We postulate that encountering the then as yet unsurfaced past life had an unexpected result - somehow a fragment of that past life has become integrated with the Captain's consciousness. Whenever the Captain becomes incapacitated, the fragment surfaces and takes control." "That's incredible!" exclaimed Thog. "The poor man is schizophrenic!" "Not really," explained Jantoo, "the fragment only seems to manifest itself after the Captain loses consciousness. In fact it seems to help him to keep going when he might otherwise collapse." "Like with the Orions!" remembered Zamtra. "I was amazed that he was still walking around with that kind of damage!" "Actually, he wasn't," observed Banjo. "It was this Carl Jaroch fellow." "Point taken," rumbled Ustrano, "but what does any of this mean?" "Well, nothing really," admitted Jantoo. "We were all just curious." The crew burst out laughing at this, sensing somehow that Seetamyn's little quirk only made him more a part of the crew than ever. They were seen as a ship of misfits and rejects. No one at Starfleet had ever looked deeper at any of them to see that they were all actually quite competent. Each seemed to be thinking the same thing as they caught each others' eyes (or other sensory organs) and a flash of understanding passed between them all. Ustrano raised his glass in a toast, Through these fields of destruction, Baptisms of fire I've witnessed your suffering As the battles raged higher And though they did hurt me so bad In the fear and alarm You did not desert me My brothers in arms* "Brothers in arms," the others answered. Everyone sensed that the impromptu meeting was breaking up, but there had been a tension between M'Dral and Hirthnole all evening. Each of the other nine people had wondered if the shy Benzite would break her silence. The Elderly Tellarite seemed oblivious to the furtive looks that he had been receiving all evening. As he was sliding his chair back to leave, M'Dral broke her silence, "Hirthnole, before you go," she began, furiously puffing on her inhaler in her nervousness. "Yes, dear, what is it?" "Could you... I mean if you have the time... if it isn't too much trouble..." "Lieutenant, I could probably answer the question a whole lot better if you'd actually ask it," the smiling Tellarite offered, not unkindly. "Do you think you could teach ME to ride a unicycle?" The old man's eyes lit up, "My dear, it would be my pleasure!" Around the table, the others could only groan. TO BE CONTINUED... *The lyrics are from Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms"