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 6 "A Crisis of Conscience" by Paul Cloutier Captain's Log; Stardate Unknown - Ship's chronometers have registered the passage of seven weeks since we entered the Omega Configuration. Assuming that a similar amount of time has past outside the Configuration, it is fast approaching the end of 2379. We still have two Spheres left to retrieve before we can attempt to return the Foreenans back to their corporeal state. We have not been able to contact anyone outside of the Foreenan system since entering the artificial radiation field that the Foreenans erected 20,000 years ago. Ship and crew are both holding up well under the strain. Captain Seetamyn, the verbose, Vulcan commander of the USS Menagerie. reached with his right arm, the one that was living tissue, and grasped the glowing orb that was the Fourth Sphere of Power. As expected, the orb flared into a brilliant light and zipped away, down to one of the six moon-sized planetoids which made up the multi-body planet of Foreena Four. Also, as expected, a whirlpool-like dimensional portal opened in front of the ship, the conduit to their next Quest. At a nod from the Captain, Helmsman Dil Mantron glided the ship forward. After that, nothing happened as expected. Seetamyn revived from the disorientation of the trip into the 'Pocket Dimension' and found himself standing on an, apparently, endless, grassy plain. Nearby were Commander Thog, Commander Banjo, Lieutenant Commander Ustrano, Lieutenant Mantron, Lieutenant M'Dral, Lieutenant Sperr and Doctor Pish. The rest of the crew, and even the Menagerie, herself, were nowhere to be seen. "Well, at least we have bodies this time," joked Mantron, patting himself to make sure that he spoke the truth "Yeah, that's great," answered Thog, "but how do we find the Sphere this time?" "In the past, the Spheres have become available after we have solved some riddle or passed some test. We merely have to determine what test or riddle is involved with this Sphere," came Seetamyn's reasoned response. "So, in the meantime we just relax here?" questioned Banjo, glancing over at Doctor Pish Jantoo and seeming to be rather pleased with the idea. "Perhaps we should explore this planet?" offered Ustrano, the Menagerie's Velvattian Chief Engineer. "Why?" asked Mantron. "We would not have been brought to this spot without a good reason." "Perhaps, you are right," conceded Ustrano. "I just wish that once in a while we come visit a nice ocean world." The words were hardly out of his mouth when the seemingly solid ground beneath them was suddenly transformed into a vast sea. "Oh crap!" yelled Thog, "here we go again! I want the land back!" And, once again, they were standing on the grassy plain. "Oh poop! Not a rerun!" whined M'Dral. "No, I don't think so," offered Seetamyn. He then extended his left arm and held it motionless in front of himself for several moments. Suddenly, there was a flash and the Captain's artificial arm had been replaced by a new flesh and blood one. "It appears that we can actually really influence reality here. This isn't just in our minds, we can modify physical existence with our thoughts." "What, you mean that we can do anything that we can think of?" asked Mantron, incredulously. "So, I could fly if I wanted to?" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he was gliding through the air, swooping, spinning and circling above the rest of his crewmates, all the time laughing in delight. Ustrano soon joined the Betazoid in the air. Now, many words can be used to describe Velvattians - massive, powerful, even frightening. Above all, however, the word that most people would immediately think of when discussing them would be 'slimey.' One word that would never be used would be 'aerodymanic.' There was a readily apparent reason why Velvattians had never developed the power to fly, as an unexpected rain of slime amply demonstrated. The six crew members on the ground were soon drenched in the slightly-fruity smelling slime as various levels of disgust registered on their faces. Only Seetamyn seemed unconcerned by the viscous coating as he simply willed the slime away. Soon, the others followed his lead and they, too, were slime-free. Not long after that, they were airborne. Soon a game of tag was started, with everyone but Seetamyn joining in. He appeared to be deep in thought, although with his expressionless face, it was hard to tell. The game of tag soon required each participant's full attention as the aerobatics became more and more intricate. Eventually, Mantron was declared the winner, his Helmsman's skills proving the difference. Returning their attention groundward, the seven immediately noticed a building on the grassy plain. The building was very plain, squat and utilitarian looking. Swooping down to investigate this new addition, they found Seetamyn inside, sitting at a desk. "Where did this come from," asked Thog, her security officer instincts alert for any danger. "I simply willed it into existence," came the Vulcan's unemotional response, as though willing buildings into being was a daily occurrence. Each of the others looked at each other in silence for several long moments before running outside. Once there, they each stopped and stood in deep concentration. Soon a low rumbling could be heard as the grassy plain in front of the group seemed to bubble and heave. Suddenly, a steel post shot out of the ground, followed almost immediately by another. As the posts reached higher, it became apparent that they were simply the uppermost turrets of a massive steel fortress. As more and more of the fortress grew from the empty plain, great braziers of fire could be seen lighting the huge fortress. Thog grinned as her creation emerged form the ground and her imagination. As Thog's medieval metal monstrosity was forming, nearby another steel pole popped out of the ground. This one was joined by several more and these each sprouted new poles sticking out at right angles to the initial ones. The steel 'branches' elongated and merged as the huge collection of poles shot skyward revealing themselves to be the universe's biggest jungle gym. Banjo smiled as he envisioned himself fully utilizing his abilities to navigate the colossal structure. Meanwhile, nearby, blocks of stone had been lifted upward as a fairy-tale castle began to take form. Battlements, crenelations and drawbridges emerged as colorful pennants unfurled from poles which grew from the highest towers. Mantron clapped delightedly as he imaged the quests that he and his errant knights would fulfill. As all this was happening, wooden walls began to grow, as though they were still trees, from another patch of ground. Fancy curves and swirls soon formed as a huge building formed. It appeared to be ancient terrestrial pagoda that someone had been turned loose on with a scrollsaw. Every external surface was adorned with intricate scrollwork gingerbreading. M'Dral smiled - she had always wanted a clubhouse. Almost unnoticed amidst these massive construction projects, a tiny bungalow popped into existence. There was a small herb garden out in front and a flagstone walkway leading to the simple hut. Jantoo looked forward to living a simple, peaceful life in her little cottage. In another spot, the ground was replaced with water. Deep beneath the surface, an intricate crystalline structure was taking form. Like a huge mound of shattered glass an angular edifice coalesced. Sparkling under the clear water, the citadel of crystal brought great satisfaction to Ustrano. Lastly, white columns sprang forth, forming into the marble walls of an intricate palace. Fountains and pools adorned the landscape as waterways fought with footpaths for locomotive supremacy. <> thought Sperr, <> The seven friends stepped back to watch as their work finished up, satisfied looks of contentment on each of their faces. At this point, the more astute among them noticed a few problems: As each of the creations grew ever larger, they began to interfere with the growth of its neighbors. Thog's steel fortress began to undermine Banjo's gigantic jungle gym. The two constructs seemed to fight with each other for the available support until Mantron's castle grew into them both. The war of steel and stone resulted in a rain of debris that soon collapsed M'Dral's creation. All three came crashing down, squishing Pish's bungalow. Finally, Ustrano's ocean and Sperr's waterways removed so much of the ground that everything sunk out of sight. On the way to the bottom, the rumble destroyed Ustrano's crystal creation. In the span of but a few moments, the only evidence that anything had ever been there was the wave-tossed water giving mute testimony of the violent plunge of the wreckage. The seven looked at each other sheepishly until Mantron broke the silence with "Whoops!" Everyone looked around at each other again and then burst out laughing. "We have the whole planet to work with," Ustrano finally rumbled. "Let's leave the Captain here, where we arrived, in case the Sphere shows up and we'll each claim an eighth of the planet as our realms." "Works for me!" shouted Mantron as he took flight. "Last one up is a rotten egg!" Enthusiastic yelps followed as the rest of the group took to the air and darted off to the far corners of the planet. Mantron was relaxing in his throne room. He had created multiple hanging collections of different sized metal and crystal strips and had willed jets of water to spray against these strips in random patterns. The music created by the water droplets hitting the suspended strips was exquisite. He sighed, contentedly, to himself. The only thing missing was people. He had tried to manifest some company but soon found that while creating buildings and altering the landscape were simple enough tasks, creating other people was beyond his new abilities. The others had reported failure in their efforts, too. Ah well, he really didn't miss other people, anyway. He and his friends all visited each other, regularly, so companionship wasn't a problem. He had found that he could create food and drink with but a thought, also. He stretched out his legs and thought, <> Ustrano floated in the water, in his crystal citadel, swaying gently in the current. He had created a series of reservoirs that each held a different scent located in nooks all about his citadel. As the random currents passed the reservoirs, the melange of different aromas wafted across various sensing organs on the Velvattian's skin, filling him with pleasure. How glad he was to be in an aquatic environment, once again. Velvattians were truly amphibious, spending as much time under the water as on land, at least on Velvattia. He had created a vast ocean for his part of the planet, dotted with innumerable islands of varying sizes. Serving in Starfleet had allowed him to advance in rank and stature, but being in the dry air all the time was a major drawback. He wondered if Seetamyn had made any progress in the search for the Fifth Sphere. The Vulcan was the only one of them who was truly looking for the Sphere. Ustrano struggled with his conscience about what he saw as possible dereliction of duty, but rationalized his lassitude by arguing to himself that they had no idea about how to find the Sphere. If even the Captain hadn't been able to discover any leads to its whereabouts, what chance did it have? Thog marched through her fortress with a purposeful stride, dressed in formal Klingon battle armor. The orange glow of the many braziers provided a smoky illumination (and smoky smoke). A jewel-encrusted bat'leth was clutched in her gauntleted hand. She was on her way to her practice chamber. She practiced her martial prowess several times a day. Her fortress was a place of battle and of discipline. After a long, hard day of training, she would make her way to Sperr's marble palace (they were located next to each other) and they would dine together. Her life was absolutely perfect. Honor and training by day and a loving companion at night. This was the life she should have had. Sperr spent his days touring his manicured grounds. He had transformed every square kilometer of his section of the planet with meticulous attention to detail. Park-like retreats and were scattered among his many vineyards and gardens. He controlled the temperature, humidity, rainfall and soil fertility with absolute precision. He was sure that his brandies would be the best the galaxy had ever tasted. If he was allowed to bring his crops to harvest, that is. Finding the Sphere would be a great loss to lovers of fine liqueurs, he was sure. Doctor Pish Jantoo straightened up from her weeding. Her herb garden was now back in perfect shape. The others had asked her why she would even create weeds. Except for Sperr. He understood and shared a small, secret smile with the Bajoran. Brushing off her hands, she pulled her secateurs from her gardening apron and cut a few sprigs of various herbs to use to season the evening meal which she would soon begin cooking. The others had seemed both incredulous and bemused when they had discovered that she actually cooked, rather than simply creating her meals from nothing, but Jantoo's one dream, held all throughout her captivity to the Cardassians was to own a simple, little house where she could have her own little gardens and prepare her own little meals. If she had someone to share that dream with, so much the better. Banjo fulfilled that need and their quiet evenings together completed the doctor, who hadn't even know that she was incomplete up until that time. Banjo was surprised by how much he looked forward to his evenings with the tiny Bajoran. His days he filled with mock combat and with his giant jungle gym (which took up several cubic kilometers). The lack of targets to combat was truly disappointing. Occasionally Thog and Ustrano would drop by for some full-scale war games, but fighting against your friends just wasn't the same. <>, he thought, again, and was forced to admit that it was true. He had become good friends with these solids, so much so that he hardly ever even thought about the Great Link, anymore. Ruefully he shook his head. <>, then, laughing at his own joke, he started getting ready to join Jantoo for dinner. M'Dral sat in her "clubhouse", a 12 storey, 5,000 square meter, polished wood and brass palace that rose from the middle of a gigantic rose garden. The rooms were filled with Benzite atmosphere so M'Dral could finally discard that stupid Federation respirator and really breathe again. Pouring some tea into her cup, she settled into a comfy sofa to plan out the rest of her day. <> she thought, <> giggling slightly, she settled deeper into her couch and planned to do not much at all. Just like most every other day. She grinned at one of the 17,000 stuffed animals that "lived" in her palace with her. This was certainly the life. Seetamyn sat alone in his austere gray building. He was in a deep meditative trance, trying to, through sheer force of will, determine the location of the Fifth Sphere of Power. Only by finding the Sphere could he get his crew and himself back to the Menagerie. As of yet, he had had no success, but he still persevered. What else could he do? Rising from his lotus position on the floor, the Vulcan made his way to the stone table. He poured a drink of water from the crystal pitcher into a glass. The table, pitcher, glass and water were the only items that he had created in the room. He had no need for anything else. The only real luxuries that he had allowed himself was the transformation of his prosthetics back into real flesh and blood. The ability to actually feel again, was luxury enough for him. Seetamyn had been forcing his senses further and further away from his body for 12 days, now. Lately he had been detecting just an inkling of another awareness. It seemed that this latest Sphere was somewhat more intelligent than the previous ones. It seemed to be more intent on provoking an emotional response rather than on administering any particular test. Seetamyn had yet to be able to determine exactly what the Sphere was attempting, but he was certain that the problem would be solved. He was certain that the rest of his crew were working just as hard as he was to solve this dilemma. Finishing his drink, the Captain returned to the floor and to his mental exercises. Again he forced his awareness outward with renewed vigor. Finally he detected a definite emotion. It was... it was... it was exasperation? Puzzled, Seetamyn focused in on these feelings and found the Sphere staring back at him. Apparently realizing that it had been discovered, the Sphere materialized in Seetamyn's room. "I give you the power of absolute control over everything and what do you do? You make a glass of water!?" the Sphere nearly screamed in his mind. "And a table and pitcher," the unperturbed Vulcan replied. "ARRRRRRGGGH!" shouted the Sphere. "You're hopeless!" "Perhaps," came the unflappable reply, "but now that I have drawn you out, it is time to end this Quest." "Oh certainly," the Sphere sniggered. "You simply have to have everyone who is on this planet reach out and touch me. However, this must be done of their own free will." "Of course," replied Seetamyn. "Why would that be a problem?" "Well, hopeless, once they touch me, they'll lose their power to create anything they want on this planet." "I still fail to see the problem," came the calm reply, as Seetamyn reached out to grasp the Sphere. Just before his fingers brushed the glowing orb, he decided to re-think his course of action. <> To the Sphere he said, "Please wait here. I will bring back the others." "Oh sure, hopeless. Whatever you say." Seetamyn flew off, convinced that the Sphere had been laughing at him, although, for the life of him, he couldn't imagine why. Seetamyn flew off in a random direction. Who he contacted first wasn't important, only that he gather the others together as quickly as possible. He was sure that the others would be glad that their efforts would finally be over and that they could now return to the ship. Deciding to gain altitude, to better survey the surrounding countryside, he rose into the rarified atmosphere, high above the planet's surface. Creating a halo of oxygen and warmth around himself, he scanned the planet. Then he created a pair of binoculars and scanned again. This time he detected Mantron's castle, far in the distance. Zooming away, he zeroed in on his Helmsman's construct. Seetamyn had never visited the domains of his crew, preferring his utilitarian surroundings, so he was surprised by the elaborate ornateness of Mantron's fortress. He wasn't sure how such ostentatiousness would have aided in the search for the Sphere, but realized that everyone approached problems differently. This plethora of problem solving methodologies was made his crew so special, he believed. As he neared the imposing edifice, he realized that the battlements and crenelations on the castle were fully functional. Mantron had an eye for detail. Seetamyn decided that he would not want to have to assault this fortress. At least not with weaponry appropriate to the time period in which it would have been built. Seetamyn landed on the drawbridge leading into the castle. Walking forward, he noticed the portcullis and massive, steel-reinforced, fire-hardened oak doors. Mantron had certainly gone for authenticity in the details, even if the soaring towers and nearly non-existent buttresses were more fairy tale than fact. The interior was cleanly lit, although instead of torches, Mantron had gone with more of a "magical glowing stone" motif. Seetamyn strode forward, seeking the audience chamber that he knew would be ahead. Sure enough, he found Mantron seated in a huge, ornate throne, twirling a crown on his finger. Startled to see the Captain, Mantron tried to straighten his posture, come to attention and hop off his throne, simultaneously. He ended up sending the crown flying straight at the Vulcan. Seetamyn caught the runaway crown with a twitch of his wrist as Mantron started to will away his ornate robes and recreate his uniform. His efforts were interrupted by Seetamyn. "I have located the Fifth Sphere," began the Captain, without comment on Mantron's castle, robes or crown. Such peripheral, inconsequential details were, in his mind, immaterial to the mission. "We must split up and contact the other six. We will all meet, back where we originally arrived on the planet." "Yes, sir," replied Mantron, wistfully, as he willed his beautiful castle away into nothingness, fading like a dispersing tendril of M'Dral's respirator mist. "If you go that way," Mantron said, gesturing off to his left, "you'll soon come to M'Dral's clubhouse. From there you should be able to reach Sperr and Thog. I'll head this way and reach Ustrano and then Jantoo and Banjo. We'll be able meet back up in a couple of hours, sir." "I knew I could count on you, Lieutenant," Seetamyn said, and without a second thought took to the air, headed for the domain of his First Officer. Mantron, with uncountable second thoughts, went in the other direction. His heart was heavy as he flew towards the watery demesne of his Velvattian friend. Creating a sort of force-field around himself, he dove beneath the waves. He had designed his force-field to selectively allow oxygen molecules to pass in and carbon dioxide to pass out (he had visited his friend several times, previously). Reaching the depths of the Velvattian's shallow sea, he made his way to Ustrano's exquisite, crystal palace. Swimming inside, he found Ustrano relaxing in a specially designed chamber. Twelve corridors radiated outward from this central hub, winding and spinning about each other off into the depths of the palace. Special niches in the corridors concealed special oils and pastes of Ustrano's own design which released their own unique scents into the currents that passed by them. The convergence of the currents in this room allowed Ustrano to simultaneously sample dozens of these different scents. The scents did nothing for Mantron, who lacked the sensory apparatus of his massive friend. Ustrano, sensing the influx of carbon dioxide, roused himself from his orgy of sensory delights to greet his friend. "Well, what brings you this way, my friend?" he asked. "The Captain has discovered the Fifth Sphere. We are all ordered to report back to where we arrived on this planet," responded the downcast Betazoid. "I see," came the Velvattian's reply, understanding the full implications of Mantron's report, immediately. "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted." Holding out a tentacle for Mantron to grasp, the Engineer floated upward through his dissolving palace. Reaching the surface, he allowed the water to revert back into soil, leaving himself and his friend standing in a field of pink wild- flowers. Sharing a look of deep sadness overcome by even deeper dedication, the two took flight towards the domain of Doctor Pish. They flew over the wild, unaltered terrain which filled most of the Bajoran's domain. She had transformed only about a hectare of land to her specifications. The others had tried to tease her about her modest creation, but their taunts had died on their lips when they had seen how happy she was with her little cottage and small gardens. They each realized that her modest, comfortable creation brought her as much happiness as their more elaborate, ostentatious handiwork. They were also self conscious enough to wonder what that said about their own psyches. They found Pish as they nearly always did when arriving unannounced - working in her gardens. The diminutive doctor was dressed as she invariably was for her gardening - in jeans and a flannel shirt with a linen apron tied around her waist. Landing in front of the doctor, the mismatched duo stood awkwardly, as they always did when visiting Jantoo's home. They fidgeted like little boys visiting a kindly, but stern grandmother. Everything was always so perfect that they hardly dared take a step for fear that they would crush some delicate flower or mar some freshly- raked path. Smiling, Jantoo rose. The smile flickered a little and a touch of sorrow popped up in her eyes as she listened to Mantron relay the Captain's instructions. Sighing, she said, "Let me get washed up. Banjo should be just about done with his morning exercises. We can fly over there, directly." "OK, Doc," said Mantron. "Take your time." Mantron and Ustrano made their way over to a bench that Jantoo had created under a fruit tree. Mantron sat down while Ustrano, who could never have fit on the bench, relaxed in the shade. Mantron was dropped on his bottom as the bench, tree and, in fact, whole garden vanished. Jantoo walked out of her cottage for the last time and it, too, vanished behind her. As she walked, her comfortable gardening clothing transformed back to her Starfleet uniform. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Mantron finished transforming his radiant raiment back to his uniform, too. The trio took to the sky to break the news to Banjo. They found him relaxing in a hammock, sipping a colorful drink with a paper umbrella sticking out of it. The hammock was set up at the end of Banjo's practice field. Crushed, battered and otherwise destroyed mounds of dirt were everywhere. Since it wasn't possible for any of the Menagerie's personnel to create any living creatures more advanced than plants, Banjo practiced on mounds of dirt. The others had watched one of his practice sessions one time. Banjo had faced off against hundreds of menacing, immobile mounds of dirt. Suddenly, he had darted forward, slashing, battering and crushing as he flowed, fluidly amongst the enemy. In seconds all of the mounds had been pummelled in one way or another. Everyone had been impressed except for Mantron who had pointed out that the mounds didn't hit back. Just as everyone had turned on him, he had added, "Of course, I've seen Banjo in action against living enemies. They didn't fare any better than the mounds did." Banjo looked up at the approach of his friends. He still had trouble with the concept of 'body language' so he mistook their visit for a social call. He willed another three hammocks (one specially reinforced) into existence and waved the others towards them. Jantoo came over to him and took his hand. Looking into her eyes, he understood. Willing the hammocks away, he stood and deleted his practice field and the monstrous steel structure behind it. "You know," he said, "in the Delta Quadrant, I'm regarded as a God by millions of beings, just because I can control the form and function of my body. Here I truly have the powers of a God, but no one to worship me. No matter, the truth of the matter is that there are no Gods. There are only different alien species." Grinning, he then added, "Of course we Founders are at the top of the aliens, then some solid species, and, at the bottom, the solid humans." The four headed back to Seetamyn's building, back where they had first set foot on this odd planet, back where they had first discovered their powers, back to where they would lose them, again. Seetamyn found M'Dral having a tea party for approximately 1200 stuffed animals. M'Dral, who, like the rest of the crew, hadn't seen Seetamyn since that first day, got all flustered trying to find a seat for the Captain, and ended up spilling tea on both herself and him. With his customary patient stoicism, Seetamyn willed the tea stain away and then broke the news to M'Dral. She didn't take the news as well as he had thought she would. He decided that she must be disappointed that she had failed to locate the Sphere, herself. After dissolving the over-decorated pagoda that M'Dral had manifested, the two flew off toward the intricate mixture of water and land that made up Sperr's lands. They found the Shuttlebay Chief touring one of his many vineyards. Sperr took great care in managing the tiniest details of his estates. His attention to detail was nothing short of astounding. It was as though hundreds of generations of Saurian distillers and growers had culminated in him. His knowledge of everything involved with the making of fine brandies was encyclopedic. While many of his people looked with disdain upon fruited brandies, he treated all spirits with equal respect. His estate included plantings of cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, Betazed uttaberries, apples - both terrestrial and Kaferian, plums, cherries, pears, and several Vulcan fruits including Pla-savas, Hirats and Yon-savas. In fact, it was very likely that there existed no place in the galaxy with so extensive a collection of fruiting plants as in his groves and vineyards. Sperr looked up as the shadow caused by the Benzite and the Vulcan passed over him. Although he was not able to read any expression in his Captain's face, the look on M'Dral's was clear enough. Sighing, he looked around sadly, "It would have been a marvelous harvest," he whispered. Greeting his companions heartily, he hid the disappointment in his voice. Soon the three were on their way to Thog's fortress. As they approached his First Officer's citadel, Seetamyn couldn't help comparing the structure to the one that had been created by Mantron. Where Mantron's castle had been overly ornate, at least in the Vulcan's opinion, it had been awesomely functional. Such a castle could have held off invaders for weeks or longer. Thog's fortress, on the other hand, seemed to have been built by someone who, while always being in the presence of war and of warriors, had never actually been trained in war or strategy. A competent blacksmith, well versed in the needs of warriors might create a shield for use in battle. Such a shield would be concave so that blows against it might be more readily absorbed by the warrior holding it. It's surface would be smooth so that any sword striking it would slide off, easily. If the blacksmith was ambitious, he might put some spikes along the edge of the shield so that the bearer could also use the shield to stab his opponent with. In short, a shield made by someone who understood battle would be simple, yet effective. On the other hand, a blacksmith who knew nothing of battle might design a flat shield with spikes all over it. Such a shield would look scary to those not familiar with how a shield should function, but it would be nearly useless in combat. Thog's fortress was like that second shield. At first glance, it looked scary, but, when examined closely, it was obvious that no true warrior would ever have built such a thing. There were no clear lanes of fire for the defenders to use. There were too many corners and angles which denied the defenders the ability to mass their strength. Where Mantron's castle had been a death-trap for anyone stupid enough to attack it, Thog's fortress was a death- trap for anyone stupid enough to defend it. They found the fortress' mistress brooding in her throne room. She hopped from her elaborate throne when the Captain entered the ornate archway that was the entrance to the throne room. Seetamyn summed up the situation with uncharacteristic brevity. The shock on Thog's face was nearly painful to see. <> thought the Vulcan. <> Thog joined the others in a daze, her fortress forgotten behind her, as they headed back toward the beginning, now the end, of this Quest. Once she touched the Fifth Sphere, she would go back to being a slave, and nothing more. Seetamyn's group touched down in front of his plain, utilitarian building. Mantron's group was already there, waiting for them. As they all greeted each other, the Sphere drifted out of Seetamyn's building and made its way over to the group. "Greetings," the Sphere called out to the assembled crew members. "I assume that your Captain has explained the situation to you all?" "So, it really DOES speak!" exclaimed Ustrano. "I had thought that Dil must have misunderstood the Captain." "There was no misunderstanding," spoke up Seetamyn. "This Quest will be over as soon as each one of us grasps the Sphere. We will be transported back to the ship and will have but one Quest left." Seetamyn walked over to the Sphere and grasped it in his hand. There was a flash of light and his transformed limbs reverted back to their artificial state. The building that the Vulcan had created, vanished, too. M'Dral stepped forward next. She regarded the Sphere silently for several long moments and then she, too, reached out and grasped the Sphere. Doctor Pish and Banjo approached the Sphere, together, hand in hand. They shared a sad smile and then reached out and touched the Sphere. Ustrano oozed forward, extended a tentacle and touched the Sphere. Sperr and Thog also approached the Sphere together. They extended their hands, and just as they would have touched the Sphere, Thog pulled away. Sperr's hand closed around the Sphere, alone. "What are you doing, Commander?" demanded Banjo. "I can't do it!" yelled Thog, taking flight and fleeing the group. Banjo and Ustrano made as if to pursue her, but stopped suddenly when they failed to achieve lift-off. Remembering that they had lost their powers when they had touched the Sphere, they could only look on helplessly as Thog flew away. Turning to the Sphere, Banjo demanded, "Give us back our powers so that we can finish this Quest!" "Oh no," answered the Sphere. "Once revoked, those powers can not be re-instated. You will have to return her without any special abilities." "That's impossible!" shouted Banjo. Seetamyn, meanwhile, had already figured out the solution to the problem, "Lieutenant Mantron, since you have yet to touch the Sphere, your powers should be intact. Please retrieve Commander Thog." "Yes, sir," responded the Helmsman, instantly, "but you had said that we must each touch the Sphere, voluntarily. Even if I bring Thog back, we'll still need to convince her to renounce her powers." "We will worry about that when the time comes. For now, just retrieve her." "Please try to not hurt her," begged Sperr. "I'll be as gentle as I can," the Betazoid assured the worried Saurian, as he leapt skyward. The Sphere pulsated violently and Seetamyn couldn't shake the feeling that it was laughing at them. Thog's thoughts were as bitter as the tears running down her cheeks, as she flew, as fast as she could, back to her fortress. <> She glanced behind herself to see what, if anything, the others might be trying to do to stop her. She noticed a fast-approaching dot in the air behind her. Mantron! He had always been the best flyer among them. No matter, she would hold up in her unbreachable fortress. She would never surrender. Grimly she urged herself to even higher speeds. She just needed to reach the safety of her fortress before he caught up to her - then she would be safe. Mantron watched Thog as she swooped down into her fortress. Unlike Seetamyn, Mantron had visited Thog on several occasions and knew the layout of the fortress very well. Like the Captain, Mantron had realized that the fortress was nothing more than a decorative shell - of more psychological comfort than actual safety. Mantron, however, knew a little bit more about the First Officer's background than did Seetamyn. He knew of Thog's family background as slaves in one of the Klingon Great Houses. Growing up surrounded by military trappings and ceremonies while being forever denied the right to participate in any of them had surely caused Thog great pain and suffering. The Betazoid had no desire to cause any further pain to the Klingon. Crushing her fortress would not serve any useful purpose, so he landed a kilometer from the building to think over alternatives. Nothing seemed to be forthcoming until he finally remembered how Seetamyn had transformed his artificial limbs back to flesh and blood. Hoping that his powers where equally as flexible, Mantron concentrated for a minute and tried to alter his appearance. Spying a puddle several meters away, he ran over to view his handiwork. He saw nothing. This was a good thing. Dil had managed to Cloak himself. He again took to the air, this time flying nap of earth and keeping his speed low. Within minutes he had reached the fortress. Mantron shook his head in pity as he saw that Thog had sealed all of the bottom entrances, but left the upper ones unblocked. Flying silently through one of the third story openings, he made his way down to the throne room. Thog sat on her throne, nervously biting her nails. Now for the tricky part. Dil formed an invisible bubble around Thog and created Anestizine inside of it. Thog was unconscious before she knew what had hit her. Dropping his Cloak, Dil picked up the Klingon and flew away with her, back to the Sphere. Ustrano was the first to see the returning officers. It alerted the others and they gathered around the Velvattian's as though close proximity could transfer its superior vision to themselves. It wasn't long, however, until everyone could see the tiny dot, gradually gaining size and resolution to become Mantron carrying Thog. The Betazoid swooped in for a landing and released the unconscious Klingon to Sperr. He quickly explained that he had only rendered her unconscious and that she should wake up in about ten minutes. Relieved, Sperr laid Thog down and tried to make her comfortable. Things would get interesting again, soon enough. Just over ten minuets later, Thog's eyelids fluttered as she fought her way past the grogginess and back to full consciousness. Quickly ascertaining her situation, she jumped up to take flight again, but stopped as she saw Mantron poised to follow her. Defeated, she collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Seetamyn was about as close to being uncomfortable as it was possible to be without actually being uncomfortable. As a Vulcan it just wouldn't do for him to actually feel any emotion and uncomfortableness was definitely an emotion. A crying First Officer was something of a rarity, but a crying KLINGON First Officer was simply unheard of! Falling back on duty and protocol he said gently, "Commander, what is the matter? This Quest is over. We have completed it successfully. We can go back, now." "Yes," came the anguished sobs, "back to being a nothing! A worthless dishonorable slave!" Seetamyn, truly puzzled, replied, "I don't understand, Commander. You are an officer in Starfleet. You have served with distinction for years. Moreover, you are my First Officer. I trust you with the running of my ship. You are about as far from being 'nothing' as it is possible to be." Thog's tears subsided somewhat. Sensing that this would be an opportune moment to press their advantage, Banjo, Mantron and M'Dral spoke up, "Commander, you are our immediate superior. We respect you. Furthermore, you are our friend. The Captain is right - you are not a nothing." Finally Aceed Sperr, who was kneeling next to Thog, took her hands in his and looked in her eyes, "You are the woman I love, Thog. I hope you have enough respect for me to not think that I would love a nothing." This was too much for Thog, as she was overcome by a new wave of tears. Fighting through her outburst, she managed to get to her feet. Staggering, she made her way over to the Sphere and grasped it firmly. Then she tossed the Sphere to Mantron who caught it, handily. The eight found themselves back on board the Menagerie, the familiar swirling maelstrom of a return portal before them. At a word from the Captain, Mantron sent the graceful bulk of the starship gliding into the portal. TO BE CONTINUED...