Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu!constellation!munnari.oz.au!uunet!convex!convex!news.utdallas.edu!wupost!udel!news.udel.edu!chopin.udel.edu!ayis From: ayis@chopin.udel.edu (Ayis Theseas Pyrros) Subject: "A Matter of Gratitude" a short story by David Cardillo Message-ID: Sender: usenet@news.udel.edu Nntp-Posting-Host: chopin.udel.edu Organization: University of Delaware Date: Sun, 13 Feb 1994 03:06:18 GMT Lines: 1545 I must first apologize if am posting this to the wrong group. The following is a short story by David Cardillo, based off of Paramount's STARTREK(tm). The people and some events are non-fictional. Now that I got past that small disclaimer, I hope that you enjoy this story. Please note that I am not the athor of this story just a friend. If you have any comments (good or bad) and you wish to direct to the author please e-mail them to me. And finally this story is copyright 1994 of David Cardillo. You may read it and reproduce this story in any manner. But that catch is you cannot sell it, or modify it in any form. Unless you have explicit permission from the author, David Cardillo. If you distrubute this story please include this header. -Ayis Pyrros -E-mail ayis@chopin.udel.edu STAR TREK THE CONTINUING VOYAGES A MATTER OF GRATITUDE By David Cardillo CHAPTER ONE First Officer's Log: Stardate 47503.1 We are entering standard orbit around Starbase 157 for a quick maintenance check and an offloading of personnel. Ship's Counselor Curran will be transferring to the U.S.S. Friends. Our former helmsman, Laura Flohr, has completed her degree in xenopsychology, received an honorary promotion to Lieutenant Commander, and will become our new Ship's Counselor. "Entering standard orbit, sir," Ensign Latshaw said. "Message coming in, sir. Admiral Straley," Lieutenant Claar reported. "On screen," Commander John Pierce ordered. The holographic viewing area flickered and revealed the face of Admiral Straley. "Commander Pierce, welcome to Starbase 157," the admiral said. "I trust all is well with Captain Cardillo?" "He suffered an injury en route and is presently in sickbay undergoing treatment," Pierce replied. "Nothing serious, I hope," Straley said with concern. "Just a small athletic accident. He injured his knee playing Parrises Squares on the holodeck. He's been in sickbay with a regen unit hooked up to him." "In that case, send him my regards. The requested supplies and the crew transfers are ready for transport." "Acknowledged. Christian out." The viewscreen flickered back to the unusual purple and grayish colors of Omicron Gamma where Starbase 157 was located. John turned to Lieutenant Commander Kara Crossland and said, "Commander, you have the bridge. I'm going to see to the transfers." "Aye, sir," Kara said as she turned back to her duties at the Ops station. "I said I feel fine!" David said. "Regardless of how you feel, you still need another day of muscle regeneration," Dr. Jenna Wadsworth argued. "Doctor, I've been in sickbay for five days now. I think it's time for me to continue with my duties." "You've been saying that for the past four days. You're not going to win this argument either. And if you try to sneak out again, I'll ask Lieutenant Claar to double security. Don't think I won't do it. Lieutenant Fraser is still right outside the door." "Doctor, is all that really necessary?" "With you, yes. Captain, you still have yet to learn to slow down. Amy told you that this morning when she came to say goodbye. And I'm sure you'll hear more of the same from Laura when she gets aboard." "I still belong back on my bridge." "And you'll be there tomorrow. Now John has everything under control. And rest assured, you'll be more than ready for the first contact mission." "Humph," David muttered as he laid back on the biobed, resigned. He never had been a good patient. "So what did I miss while I was gone?" Laura asked as she and John walked down the corridor between the transporter room and the turbolift to the bridge. "Not much," John replied. "We had two months of Neutral Zone border patrol, four months of odd jobs, and the last six months were spent exploring and mapping the Omicron Omega and Omicron Theta star systems. Plus, one of the planets in the Omicron Omega quadrants has intelligent life. Their civilization is already pushing outward in space. In fact, they contacted us. That's when we returned to Federation space. Starfleet feels it's safe to contact them again, let them know of our existence, and invite them into the Federation. However, there's one problem that the captain is worried about." "If I remember my charts correctly, Cardassian territory isn't all that far from the Omicron Omega systems," Laura supplied. "Right. If the Cardassians have ventured out this far, they might get defensive about our presence there. Especially since the threat of war is looming over us like the other shoe is about to drop." "I can see why the captain may be worried," said Laura. "Amy mentioned that he might be pushing himself too hard." "Yes," John replied tersely. "And," Laura continued, "she said the same might be true of you, too." "Well, in either case, it will have to wait a few more weeks until this mission is over. First thing's first." "We still have about a week until we reach Omicron Omega. Spend some time on the holodeck." "That's what David was doing. Look what happened to him." "That's not an excuse." "I know," John said. "Finally!" David exclaimed as he stretched next to the biobed. "Now I want you to take it easy for awhile," Jenna was saying. "Give that knee a little more time to heal." "Whatever, Doctor." "Why do I get the impression that you're not going to listen to me?" David only grinned wickedly as he entered a cubicle. He stepped into the sonic shower and enjoyed the feeling of the sonic rays as they cleansed him. After a few minutes, he stepped out and quickly dressed in the grey jumpsuit which was hanging in the closet. He exited sickbay and went to his quarters. When he got there, he was pleased to see that John had already fed his pets. He then entered his bathroom and shaved and combed his hair. Then, he went to the closet, took his uniform out, and put it on. As he checked to see that all four gold discs were affixed to his collar correctly, he had to admit that it felt good to wear them again after six days in sickbay. Satisfied that he looked well groomed, he decided to go to the bridge. David stepped out of the turbolift. John got up out of the command chair and turned around. "Welcome back, Captain," he said. David simply stood there and surveyed the bridge. He noted the quiet efficiency with which his crew worked. It felt good to be back. David walked down the horseshoe ramp to the command center and sat in his command chair. "Ensign, what is our current velocity?" Ensign Latshaw consulted the helm and replied, "We are presently traveling at warp seven. We will arrive at Omicron Omega III in approximately six point five days." "Thank you, Ensign," David said. "I trust Counselor Flohr is settled back aboard." "She is," John replied. "Good. I think I'll go visit her. You have the bridge, Number One." David exited the bridge. Laura looked around her office. No appointments were scheduled for today, but she wanted to familiarize herself with the existing cases aboard. She called up the list of people recently exhibiting signs of stress. There were only three names: David Cardillo, John Pierce, and Andrew Claar. All of them had shown signs of irritation, and this was diagnosed as a result of six months of inactivity while the Christian was on its mapping mission. Laura figured that the work on the first contact mission would cure the affected crew members of their boredom. She deleted the problem from her agenda. Then, with time to spare, she left her office and headed for Ten Forward. David walked down the corridor to Laura's office and rang the door buzzer. After a few moments of silence, he tapped the computer interface panel on the corridor wall, "Computer." "Working," replied the mechanical, female voice of the computer. "Locate Counselor Flohr." "Counselor Flohr is located in Ten Forward." A few minutes later, David entered Ten Forward. He gazed around the room until his eyes settled on two people at the bar. He recognized them as his bartender, Dave Bailey, and Ensign Kate Wilson from engineering. Dave had apparently said something that Kate took offense to because she took her glass and threw the contents in Dave's face. Kate stormed out of the lounge. David walked over to Dave as he tried to dry his shirt. "What did you say to her?" the captain asked. "I asked her out," replied the bartender. "And that's why she did what she did?" "Perhaps it was my style." Perhaps it was. Dave had earned himself the reputation of a ladies man since the Christian was commissioned a year and a half ago. "You never learn, do you?" "She'll come around, eventually." "Provided she doesn't hear about your reputation first. You're lucky. She transferred only yesterday." "Actually, I think she's already heard about me. That's probably why she turned me down. So, how's that knee of yours?" "Better. They finally let me out of sickbay this morning." "I heard that they had to post a guard outside the door to keep you in bed." "Is nothing secret aboard this ship?" David asked rhetorically. "It's a small ship." "It's bigger than that." With that, David surveyed the room again and found Laura. She was standing in front of one of the huge viewports and the front of the room. David walked over to her. "I think I missed this the most while I was planetbound," Laura said, gazing at the streaking stars. "You have windows in your quarters," David said matter-of- factly. "They're too small," she said. "Here, I can lose myself in the stars without feeling indoors." "I agree," David said. "So, what was that mission you were off to when I left?" "Admiral Ahlborn assigned two months of Neutral Zone patrol to us. Then, she turned to Captain Picard and assigned him a week of shore leave." "Well, when you're the flagship of the Federation, you can afford the life of luxury." "You got that right. But, I feel that after a year and a half, we're starting to get our fair share of recognition." "Is that what has you so wound up all tight?" "No. It has more to do with the Cardassian situation. You heard what happened to Captain Picard about a year ago." "Who didn't?" Everyone had heard about Captain Picard's capture and torture at the hands of the Cardassians. But, of course, Captain Picard was released and went about his life. "Well, with that in mind as we're practically on the border of Cardassian space..." "I wouldn't worry." "I would. Do you know how far away the nearest starbase facility is?" "If we're lucky, these people will want membership with the Federation. Then we can petition them to build a starbase in orbit of their planet." "That's what I hope happens." At fifteen hundred hours, the senior staff was seated around the table in the conference lounge. "All right," David began, "let's review what we already know. Commander?" "The Kraws are at a technological stage equivalent to Earth's late twenty-first century," Kara said. "They have achieved planetary unity and are working together to venture out into space. Their ships are equipped with a rudimentary lightspeed travel," Jeff Veenema continued. "They can travel at point nine seven lightspeed, just under warp one. Their engines run on nuclear fusion generators since they don't know about dilithium crystals." "Preliminary scans of their planet reveal a thriving ecosystem," Kara said. "However, more detailed scans showed that there is scarring on the planet surface which could be traced to a phaser bombardment. Considering how close they are to Cardassian space, I think it important to confront the Kraws about this topic and see if we can render assistance." "I agree, Captain," Lieutenant Andy Claar said. "From what I saw of their defensive systems, their defenses are very rudimentary. They don't even have rudimentary deflector shield technology. Their lasers might damage a ship without deflector shields, but even navigational shields would make a ship indestructible against an attack from them. If the Cardassians are giving them trouble, their trying to defend themselves, but aren't quite succeeding." Turning back to Kara, John asked, "Commander, do you have any idea what the Cardassians could possibly want from the Kraws?" "The same thing the Cardassians have always gone after: territory. It would also fit their pattern of devastate and conquer." Changing the subject, David said, "Doctor, please describe the physiology of the Kraws." "The Kraws are basically humanoid in form. However, they do have a rather interesting ability: they can change color at will, much the same as a chameleon," Jenna replied. "I contacted Starfleet Command a little while ago. Admiral Duncan agrees with my opinion that the Prime Directive is not applicable here. At least we won't have to worry about tripping over ourselves," the Captain said, then tapped his communicator, "Mr. Latshaw, what is our arrival time at Omicron Omega III?" "At our current velocity of warp seven, we will arrive in thirty-six hours and forty-one minutes," Jason replied. "All right," David said, "you all have about thirty-six hours to put an agenda together. Dismissed." Ensign Wilson sat alone in Ten Forward. Her thoughts were interrupted when Dave approached her. He was about halfway to her table when she gave him a cold stare and started heading for the exit. "Hey, wait," Dave said, catching up to her. At this point, they were already in the corridor, and Dave had to almost run to keep up with her. "I need to talk to you for a minute." "That's quite all right," Kate said, trying to quicken her pace even more without running. "Look, I'm trying to apologize. If you'd just let me--" Dave suddenly realized that she had stopped and was behind him. He walked back over to her and tried to ignore the icy stare he received from her. He took another breath and said, "I'm sorry for what I said the other day. I don't know what got in me. Usually everyone ignores my sense of humor." After a few moments, she finally said, "Apology accepted." "So, you just transferred over?" "Straight out of the Academy." "Have you seen the rest of the ship?" "I haven't had time. I've been trying to get acquainted with the way to my quarters and back." "When do you get off duty?" "I got off an hour ago." "In that case, permit me to show you the way around the ship. After my tour, you'll never get lost again." And so, another victim fell prey to what the crew called "The Bailey Syndrome." CHAPTER TWO Captain's Log: Stardate 47510.3 We are now two days away from the Omicron Omega III star system. So far the trip has been uneventful, but our proximity to Cardassian space is reason enough for the crew to remain alert. Captain's Personal Log: Supplemental Despite the anxiety I feel at being this close to the Cardassians' territory, I am rather excited about our mission. Even though we have been commissioned for a year and a half, we have yet to receive a first contact mission. David sat back in his chair in his ready room. Since the Christian would be a week in transit, David had decided to spend some time reading. But even that was trying on his patience after awhile. And then... "Captain Cardillo, please report to the bridge," Lieutenant Claar said over the intercom. "On my way," David acknowledged. David walked onto the bridge and immediately noticed a change of atmosphere. "What's the problem?" "We're receiving an emergency signal," John replied, "from a Kraw ship." "From a Kraw ship?" David asked. "If that's so, then that would mean that they departed from Omicron Omega III within a day after our departure. Where is the ship now?" "Approximately three-point-three parsecs ahead of us," Kara replied. "Their emergency signal barely reached us, but it's signal intensity is increasing as we get closer." "ETA?" David asked. "Two minutes, forty seconds at present speed," Ensign Latshaw replied. "Prepare to go to impulse power in about two minutes, then," David said. "Yellow Alert." The aft alert indicators turned from an orange hue to a deep amber. Andy touched a few more buttons on his console and said, "All decks have reported in." "Acknowledged," David said. Now there was nothing to do but wait. The two minutes seemed to stretch for an eternity. Instead of the normal bantering, joking, and plain socializing that usually occurred on the bridge, in fact had been occurring on the bridge just a few minutes ago, the bridge had a quiet eeriness disturbed only by the beeps and whistles of the crew performing their duty and the computer's responses. Jason's voice, when he spoke, shattered the uncomfortable silence, "Slowing to impulse power...now." His fingers touched down on the board, and the stars changed from streaks of light to fixed positions on a featureless black background. The Kraw ship with which they were intercepting was almost indistinguishable from the stars, nevertheless, the crew were able to spot the ship. "Magnify," David ordered. Kara input the command into her Ops console, and the Kraw ship suddenly loomed in the viewer, taking up over half of the screen. David looked the vessel over. There was no visible damage to the vessel, however it was obviously drifting in space. "Open hailing frequencies." There was the familiar chirp accompanied by Andy's voice, "Hailing frequencies open." "Kraw vessel, this is Captain David Cardillo of the Federation starship Christian. Please respond." Since the Kraws did not yet have the technology to transmit a visual image to the Christian that the Christian's computer would understand, the reply was only over an audio channel. The voice seemed to have a slight lisp as it answered, "Captain Cardillo. I am glad to hear your voice again. This is Captain Almak." David remembered Almak's voice. It was the voice which hailed the Christian three weeks ago. "Yes, Captain Almak," David replied. "How can we be of assistance to you?" "I have grave news to tell you, Captain. The scaled ones have attacked our planet. There are three ships. We were sent to seek assistance from you," Almak said in an almost pleading voice. Before David could respond, Kara waved him over to her station. David signaled Andy to mute the transmission, and Andy nodded in confirmation. "Commander?" David asked Kara. "All of their power has been directed into communication, Captain. I've scanned their vessel, and they've crammed their crew onto the bridge. Their life support has failed throughout the rest of the ship." "Open," David said to Andy. After the beep that signaled that the audio channel was open, he said, "Captain Almak, our sensors indicate that your life support has failed. I would like to have you and your crew beamed aboard. We will then use a tractor beam to put your ship in one of our shuttle bays." "Tractor beam?" Almak asked. "An energy beam used to move massive objects and to tow ships," David explained. "I'm afraid we have little choice but to agree to your proposal," Almak said. "Stand by to beam over, then. Cardillo out." The channel was closed. Turning to John, David said, "Number One, please escort them to the briefing room." "Aye, sir," John acknowledged as he entered the turbolift. "Mr. Claar, lock on a tractor beam on the Kraws' ship. Store it in shuttle bay three. When you're done with that, join us in the briefing room." "Yes, sir," Andy said. "Computer, alert all senior staff to report to the briefing room," David said. "Mr. Latshaw, you have the bridge." David and Kara exited the bridge as Lieutenant John Jones took over the Ops station. The main briefing room was conveniently located behind the bridge. The room was rather darkly lit with a long table curved in the same slight curve that the room itself was shaped. There were door on either end of the room, one leading to the bridge, and the other leading to a short corridor at the end of which was a turbolift. Also, at either end of the room, were square viewscreens linked to the small computer interface panels on the table surface. Along the forward wall was a large, picture of the Christian sailing among the stars. However, David was most impressed with the viewports along the aft wall. He walked over to the windows and looked out at the stars. The view was impressive, but not as impressive as the view when the Christian traveled at warp speed. The doors on the left side of the lounge hissed open, and John, with five Kraws, entered the lounge. Almost simultaneously, the doors on the right side of the lounge opened, and Andy entered. David gave him an inquiring glance, and Andy said, "The Kraw ship is secured in shuttle bay three." David merely acknowledged the report and sat down, as did Andy, Kara, John, the five Kraws, and Dr. Wadsworth and Counselor Flohr who had entered behind John and the Kraws. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the Kraws and the Federation. Almak, although the average size of a human, even the appearance of a human, seemed unusually alien. David realized it was because he was a deep shade of gray. Despite the intense biological profile obtained from sensor scans, David felt unprepared for this meeting. When described as chameleon, David expected Almak to turn the blue or beige or even silver colors of the briefing lounge, but instead he remained stoically gray. "Excuse me," Almak said, "but why is everyone here feeling extremely amorous?" David almost choked. "Pardon?" "Your color. Are you feeling amorous at this instant?" "No," David said carefully. Then it hit him. "Do emotions contribute to the color of your skin?" "Of course. Emotions will color our skin before the environment will." Another one of the Kraws spoke up, "Are you all the same color?" "No," John replied. "Humans can be several different colors. Plus, many of the other races we have encountered are different colors than us." "But," said another Kraw, "you remain the same color throughout your life?" "Yes," said Dr. Wadsworth. "I hate to interrupt," David lied, "but the physiology will have to wait until later. Captain Almak, please explain why you're out this far away from Omicron Omega III?" Suddenly turning a deep shade of purple, Almak said, "The scaled ones have returned. The ones who raid and plunder our land, then take nothing. Our sociologists have hypothesized that they do this to break our wills into submission." "Cardassians," John muttered. Recognition flared into Almaks eyes. "You know of them?" "We've had a war with the Cardassians," David said. "They've always been after more territory. They've forced people off their own planets just to increase their empire. Considering how close you are to their border, these raids aren't too surprising." Shaking his head sadly, Almak continued, "It takes us years to rebuild. Then they come and destroy us again. Captain, when we first saw your vessel a few weeks ago, we thought our destruction was guaranteed. But you did not attack, and that is why we came to investigate." David sat, as did the Kraws and everyone else. "Captain," David said, "do you ask for our help?" Despite the fact that the Kraws already were pushing out into space, the laws of the Federation and the Prime Directive had to be observed. "Yes," was Almak's reply. A sigh seemed to go around the table. "Then we will help you," David said. "Please, tell us everything." Almak took a breath and began, "The Cardassians, or whatever these killers call themselves, have brought about destruction on our planet for the last one hundred years. Each time, they kill and destroy without even accepting out surrenders. At first, it was only one ship which came. We had build a fleet of five ships, and we had devised a tactical plan after one of the raids. It worked. We had destroyed the ship. But within hours, three more ships arrived. Our fleet was destroyed. Since then, they have come in threes, orbited the planet for days, destroying transportation equipment, not only destroying us, but making it difficult to help the injured and dying as well. "This time around, our fleet of three was launched. The other two ships were to be a distraction. My brother was on one ship; my wife on the other. We got away because of their sacrifice." At this, Almak turned a deep blue, and David saw a tear fall down the side of his face. David's own expression remained impassive, as the rest of his crew looked to him. Turning to Jenna and Laura, he said, "Counselor Flohr, Dr. Wadsworth, please escort our guests down to sickbay. Doctor, I want you to give them a thorough examination to determine what their norm is. Then, start converting the shuttlebays into emergency triage centers, brief your planetbound staff to the specifications of the Kraws, and prepare sickbay for shipboard casualties from our conflict with the Cardassians. Counselor, once Dr. Wadsworth is finished examining the Kraws, escort them to their quarters and make your services completely available to them." Jenna and Laura nodded as they and the Kraws left the conference lounge. Tapping his communicator David said, "Captain to bridge. Mr. Latshaw, at warp nine, what is our ETA to Omicron Omega III?" There was a pause, and then Jason replied, "Two hours, thirteen minutes." "Make it so," David said. Within moments, the beautiful, swirling colors of the formation of the warp field filled the aft windows, then the Christian flew past the stars. CHAPTER THREE David circled the bridge, waiting for the confrontation which was now only minutes away. He waited. "Approaching Omicron Omega III," Ensign Latshaw said. "Go to impulse power," David ordered. "Red Alert. Raise shields. Arm phaser banks and load torpedo bays." Lieutenant Claar entered the commands into the tactical station, then looked up at the captain and nodded. David turned to face the viewscreen. The Earth-type planet of Omicron Omega III filled the bottom right corner of the viewscreen. Three Cardassian warships filled the middle of the screen as they approached the Christian. David tugged at his uniform tunic, and, straightening, said, "Open hailing frequencies." "Frequencies open," Claar said. "Cardassian vessels, this is Captain David Cardillo of the Federation starship Christian. We order you to desist your hostile activities and depart from this sector immediately. Failure to comply will be interpreted as a hostile action." The Cardassians continued to approach. Cardillo looked at Claar, who shook his head. Cardillo looked back at the viewer and said, "Close channel. Mr. Latshaw, bring us to 214 mark 30. Mr. Claar, lock phasers on the lead vessel." "Phasers locked on target." "Fire." The deep red phaser beam lanced out of the Christian's upper phaser ring and scored a direct hit on the Cardassian vessel. "Direct hit," Commander Crossland said, "Their forward armament is damaged. Shields down by two-thirds." The Cardassians retaliated. A barrage of photon torpedoes was launched at the Christian from the two undamaged ships. "Evasive maneuvers!" Cardillo said. Latshaw's hands flew across the helm, and the Christian banked to the left, avoiding most of the torpedoes. However, the remaining torpedoes shook the ship as they impacted with the shields. "Damage?" Cardillo asked. "Minor damage to the secondary hull," Pierce reported. "Shields down by ten percent." "Captain, the Cardassians are taking position around us," Claar said. "Mr. Latshaw, on my mark, execute the Two-Dimensional Maneuver." Latshaw tapped his console and said, "Aye, sir." Within seconds, the three Cardassian vessels surrounded the Christian in a triangle formation. "Execute!" David ordered. Latshaw pressed the engage button on the helm, and the Christian descended two thousand meters at warp one, then completed a parabolic maneuver which placed it outside of the Cardassians' triangle. One of the as-yet-undamaged vessels was directly in front of the Christian. "Fire torpedoes," David ordered. A spread of five red photon torpedoes shot out from the Christian and impacted with the Cardassian vessel. The vessel then became a blazing fireball, which was smothered by the vacuum of space. Unfortunately, the fireball had provided cover for one of the other Cardassian vessels, which promptly fired another volley of torpedoes. Latshaw couldn't even begin to enter evasive maneuvers. No one could. The ship shuddered and buckled. Cardillo had grabbed onto the back of Crossland's chair for balance as the lights on the bridge flickered. "Return fire," David barked over the confusion. The phasers were again activated, and the beams contacted with the Cardassian vessel. "Damage report," Pierce said. "Shields are down to twenty-three percent," Crossland replied. "Phasers reduced to one-third intensity. Moderate damage to primary and secondary hulls." "What about the Cardassians?" Cardillo asked. Claar looked up from his tactical station, "The first vessel we fired upon is leaving at warp three. I'm reading a power build up in the vessel we just fired upon. It also has a loss of warp drive and defensive systems. Captain, that vessel has set its auto-destruct and has set a collision course with the planet!" "Phaser it!" Cardillo ordered. "We can't. At one-third intensity, we can only blow it apart a piece at a time. Time we don't have," Kara said. "What about torpedoes?" Pierce asked. "The power couplings for the forward launchers have just gone off line," Claar reported. "Lock on a tractor beam," Cardillo ordered. "Captain," John said, "With all due respect, you're crazy." "I said lock on tractor beam." "Tractor beam locking on," Claar said. "Full impulse power," Cardillo ordered. "Mr. Latshaw, when I give the order, I want you to bring the engines to a full reverse, regardless of the strain on the ship. At the same time, Mr. Claar, I want you to release the tractor beam." After a few moments, Cardillo said, "Now." The Cardassian vessel, carried by its own inertia, continued to go forward, while the Christian's engines whined in protest as the ship reversed its direction. The Cardassian vessel exploded, and the Christian rocked gently from the aftershocks of the explosion. "Bridge, this is engineering," came Commander Veenema's voice. "What the hell is going on up there?" "Nothing anymore, Mr. Veenema," David said. "The battle's over. Begin repairs. I'll be down in a few minutes. Sickbay." "Sickbay here," came Jenna's reply. "Doctor, how many casualties?" "Amazingly enough, there were no fatalities. However, Dr. Hutts, Dr. Lisem, and myself are in the process of treating the one hundred and fifty-three injured crewmen. I can beam down to the planet along with the nine teams of doctors and nurses I've selected; Hutts and Lisem can treat the burn victims and perform the surgeries on the three crewmen who need them. Dr. Skonst, Dr. Stak, and Dr. T'Lats, my Vulcan doctors, are ready in the triage shuttlebays." "Stand by to beam down, then," David said. "Number One?" Standing, John said, "Commander Crossland, Lieutenant Claar, with me." The trio entered the turbolift. "Standard orbit secure," Jason said. John, Kara, Andy, Jenna, and Almak entered transporter room one. John had decided that one of the Kraws should beam down with each away team to explain to the other Kraws that the Federation officers were there to help. "I have locations picked out for beamdown sights for all the transporter rooms," transporter chief Jerry Nowasielski said. "Phasers on stun," John said. "Don't even draw them unless I tell you." The away team adjusted their phaser setting accordingly. Then, they stood on the transporter platform. "Energize," John ordered. The transporter beam sparkled, and then the away team found themselves on the surface of Omicron Omega III. Through all his years in Starfleet, John had never been greeted by such a sight. Dead littered the landscape; fires burned in the background, and the stench of blood filled the air. A moan was heard. Jenna took out her medical tricorder and traced the life form. She stopped when she came to a giant sheet of metal. Turning to John, she said, "He's under here." John and Andy tried to lift the debris, but the metal wouldn't budge. "Whoever is under there, don't move. We'll get you out in just a few minutes." John took Jenna's tricorder and motioned Andy to stand next to him. John quickly outlined where the Kraw was, and he and Andy drew their phasers. Adjusting the phasers to a setting which would cut through the metal, they aimed and fired. The metal began to turn red where the phasers sliced through it, and a rectangle was cut. Within seconds, a section of the metal was cut away. John and Andy tried once again to lift the smaller section of the metal, and this time lifted the debris off of the Kraw. Jenna took her tricorder and passed it over the Kraw. "He has massive internal injuries, but nothing we can't fix," Jenna said. She took out her hypospray and injected the contents into the Kraw. "That should stabilize him." John tapped his communicator, "Pierce to Christian. Prepare to beam the injured Kraw to sickbay." "Acknowledged," came Nowasielski's voice. A few seconds later, the injured Kraw dematerialized. The away team spread out, looking for more survivors in need of help. David walked into engineering, a little unprepared for what he saw. About half of the consoles were strewn across the floor. He looked around, but couldn't find Jeff anywhere. Instead, he went up to Jeff's assistant, Lieutenant Ahlborn, and asked, "What the hell is going on down here?" "We're picking up the pieces of our little skirmish. Jeff says to tell you that the next time you decide to take on three Cardassian warships to give him a little warning in advance." "I'll keep that in mind," David said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Where is Commander Veenema?" "Somewhere in his office," James said, not looking up from his work. David went into the chief engineer's office and found Jeff sitting on the floor with a stack of isolinear optical chips in front of him. "Up for a game of dominoes?" David asked. "Sure," Jeff said. "Want to see all of our key systems go down?" David got to the point, "How long will repairs take?" "A good couple of hours." "I was hoping for something a little more specific." "I can't give you anything specific. We're still uncovering the damage. I can tell you this: if any more Cardassians show up, we haven't got a prayer." "Exactly which systems are affected? Engines? Defense? Communications?" "Everything seems to be in the defense systems, however a few subsystems here and there have collapsed. We won't be combat-ready for at least three hours." "And then?" "Maybe fifty percent on shields and phaser intensity. I think I can safely say that you'll have full photon torpedo capability, but I won't guarantee anything just yet." "Is that the best you can do overall? Or just in three hours?" Jeff faked being stabbed through the heart. "Just three hours, sir. I should think that, given enough time, I can have everything back in the ninety percent area." David smiled and said, "Good. Keep me apprised. In the meantime, I'll contact Starbase 155 and ask for assistance. Hopefully, at warp nine, a vessel will be here in three to four days. If we can just last that long..." "Captain, you know that there's a good chance that the Cardassians will be sending more vessels. They don't take a slap in the face too well. In the meantime, I'll do my part down here." "That's all any of us ask of you, Mr. Veenema." David entered his ready room, sat down at his desk, and opened the intercom channel to the bridge, "Bridge, contact Starbase 155 on a secured channel." "Acknowledged," came the reply from the tactical officer on duty. While waiting for the connection to be established, David figured that since Starbase 155 was closer to Omicron Omega III than Starbase 157 was, relief aid would hopefully arrive in only a few days instead of a week. The connection was finally established, and the face of Admiral Charlotte Byrd appeared on the desk terminal. "Captain," she began, "have you arrived at your destination?" "Yes," David said. "I trust all is well?" "Not exactly." David related to her the events of the last few hours. "I'm requesting emergency assistance. We'd be kidding ourselves if we believe that the Cardassians won't respond to this." Byrd nodded in agreement. "We'll send the Monitor and the Excalibur. Have you established contact with the planetary government?" "Not yet. Our teams beamed down to the planet less than thirty minutes ago. I'm not sure if their Prime Minister is alive, but I'll send word for them to look for him." "Without an official request from the planetary government, for help, I can't authorize preconstruction materials for a starbase to be sent with the Monitor and the Excalibur." David sighed. "Admiral, these people need our help now. They have requested it. I know it's not the planetary government, but in light of the possibility that there may not be a planetary government anymore..." "I can sympathize with that. But the Prime Directive and Federation and Starfleet regulations are quite clear..." "On our mission to help people who request it. The Cardassians have been oppressing these people for a century, interrupting their natural course of development. I cannot accept the fact that we're supposed to just let these people fend for themselves while innocent people die. They've asked for our help, and I believe we should give it to them." Byrd took a moment to absorb all of this. Then, almost grudgingly, she said, "I'll see what I can do. But I'm still going out on a limb. I hope you find that prime minister or whatever because it'll sure make my life a lot easier." "Understood," David said, a smile starting to form. "The Monitor and the Excalibur, even at warp nine, won't arrive for nearly three days. I'll pray for your chief engineer. In the meantime, use your discretion and judgement according to the situation. I suggest you go on silent running, lest the Cardassians come prepared for all three ships. Byrd out." The screen flashed the END TRANSMISSION message, and faded back to its black screen. "Damn!" Jenna exclaimed as yet another Kraw died. So far, ten Kraws had died despite her efforts to stabilize them. In an attempt to fight her exasperation, she tried to think about the thirty Kraws she had sent to the ship already. As in to help her in her efforts, John walked over to her. "I've just reported in," he said. "The other twenty-three away teams have beamed up over two hundred survivors. The ship has also completed a detailed orbit; we've gotten just about everyone we can help. Once we're finished in here, we're returning to the ship." Andy ran another scan of the building that they were in. "Commander, I have another life reading. Over there," Andy pointed to the far end of the room were the twisted remains of a computer were. Andy and John pulled the debris away as Jenna prepared her instruments to try to save this poor person. Finally, John and Andy had pulled enough of the slag away that the Kraw's head and shoulders were visible. Then, they got on either side of him and John said, "On three. Ready, one, two...three." Together, they hauled the Kraw away from the debris. Jenna passed her tricorder over the survivor. He had lost a large amount of blood, and Jenna soon saw why. His right hand was missing. Jenna quickly injected a combination of drugs into the Kraw which would stabilize him; and she quickly sealed the gaping wound of the Kraw's stump. Andy looked up from his third and final reading and said, "I detect no other life forms in this building." "Good," Jenna said, packing up her medkit. "We're finished. I need to get him to sickbay and fix his hand." John tapped his communicator, "Pierce to Christian. Six to beam directly to sickbay." John, Kara, Andy, Jenna, Almak, and the injured Kraw dematerialized. The away team beamed into a sickbay that was bustling with activity. Upon seeing the injured Kraw, three nurses immediately attended to him, placing him on a surgical biobed. Jenna was already galvanized into action, "Hutts, T'Medreks, Miller, prepare for surgical prosthetic replacement." The remainder of the away team departed sickbay so as not to be in the way. Once they were in the corridor, Almak said, "Commander Pierce, I must speak with you." "About?" John asked. "That survivor." "He'll be all right," John said. "Dr. Wadsworth is going to give him a prosthetic right hand. The only problem will be getting the new skin to change color like the rest of him will be able to." Almak nodded, "That is good to hear, but it was not what I was concerned about." "Then, what?" "That man is Prime Minister Bodum." Dave escorted Ensign Wilson into Ten Forward. "You need to take a break more often from those repairs," Dave was saying. Kate shook her head, "I can't. Commander Veenema wants us to be combat-ready as soon as possible in case the Cardassians decide to follow up on their previous attack." "Humph," Dave said as he went behind the bar. "Well, anyway, let me get you something to drink." "Uh, no, I don't think..." Dave had already replicated a glass of something. As he was carrying it over to where Kate was sitting at the bar, the glass morphised into a heap of replicated plastic, spilling the contents all over Dave's shirt. "Oh well," Dave said, stripping off his shirt and putting it on the replicator platform. "I'll just put it through the wash and dry cycle." Before Kate could object, Dave's shirt disappeared. About thirty seconds later, something sparkled at the replicator. When the process was complete, Dave removed the liquified remains of his shirt which were in a container. "That's what I wanted to tell you," Kate said. "One of the subsytems that crashed was the replicator systems. We've been getting reports from all over the ship. People replicate things, but the state of matter changes. One guy's meal vaporized right as he was about to start eating it." Dave simply looked at the remnants of his shirt and whimpered, "My shirt." John, Kara, Andy, Jenna, and the captain were seated around the briefing room table. "Your report, Number One," David said without preamble. John straightened, "The planet has suffered a very devastating attack, however the people are recovering quickly. One of our stops was at the local hospital. We had supplies beamed down, and that helped to alleviate their troubles. Doctor?" Jenna spoke up, "We still have a dozen teams on the planet. They seem to be doing well down there with the facilities they have. In the meantime, on board ship, we have some five hundred refugees in the triage centers. Hopefully, they can be returned to the planet within the next few days. In fact, since my Vulcan interns are so adept, some of them are already being sent home." "How are they handling all of this, Doctor?" Cardillo asked. "Laura's the best one to ask, but offhand, I'd say they're handling this rather well. Some of the patients have had prosthetic replacements and skin grafts, but they're coping well." "In fact, it's one of the prosthetic-receiving patients that we need to discuss," John said. "We found the Prime Minister." Cardillo sighed. "Well, that get's me off the hook." The intercom beeped, and Dr. Hutts' voice came over, "Sickbay to Dr. Wadsworth." "Go ahead," Jenna said. "Doctor, Prime Minister Bodum is starting to regain consciousness." David walked into sickbay and up to Bodum. At the moment, Bodum was talking to Jenna about his new prosthetic. "So, you say it will work as well as the original?" he asked. "Better, in some ways. But first, you'll need some therapy." "And you say that my skin will be able to change color again?" "Once the skin grafts finish healing, which will be in a couple of days." "Thank you, good doctor," Bodum said. "Prime Minister," David said, "I'm Captain Cardillo." "Captain," Bodum said, "I'm very glad to see you. Please, tell me the status of my planet." "It's in good hands," David replied. "Our teams have been planetside all day. However, the stamina of your people is remarkable. The uninjured are already effecting repairs, and we're offering assistance." "Tell me, will you be able to protect us?" "For the time being. Two other starships are on their way with planetary defense systems. All I need is an official statement that you are requesting them." "I'd be pretty stupid if I didn't request them." "Good. All you have to do is tell my superior that when Dr. Wadsworth releases you from her compound. The starships will arrive in a few days, and the defenses will be installed within a week or so. Also, if you so desire, we can put a starbase on your planet." "In that case, I guess I'd better apply to your Federation for membership." "If you want to. On the other hand, if you don't want to apply for membership, we will still provide you with the necessary defenses." Bodum seemed to be in a state of shock. He was, quite literally, white. "You would do all of this for us? What can I possibly offer in return?" David simply smiled and said, "You owe us nothing, except maybe your gratitude." "You have that. Thank you so very much, Captain. The Cardassians have oppressed us for so long that we forget that there are others in this Universe with compassion." Then, Lieutenant Claar's voice came over the intercom, "Captain Cardillo, please report to the bridge. We have a serious problem." CHAPTER FOUR David walked onto the bridge and went over to Lieutenant Claar's station. "What's the problem?" "Sensors just picked up a Monga-Class vessel entering this sector. The vessel is travelling at warp nine point three, and will arrive in approximately fifteen minutes," Claar reported. "Computer," David said, "have all senior staff report to the bridge in five minutes." Then, to Claar, Cardillo said, "I'll be in my ready room." Five minutes later, Cardillo came out of his ready room, stood at the center of the bridge, and said, "We have a problem. The Cardassians have decided to retaliate. They are doing so with one of their new Monga-Class warships. According to Starfleet intelligence reports, this new class of warship is the Cardassian response to the Federation Galaxy-Class starship. It all boils down to this, at peak condition, we'd have a run for our money. I've decided that our best chance lies in separating the saucer section." "Captain," Commander Pierce said, "I formally protest your decision. The Christian stands a better chance if she remains intact. If we were to separate, the saucer section would be at a great disadvantage." "Objection noted, Number One," David said, then turned to Jeff, "Commander Veenema, what is our current defense status?" Veenema straightened, "Not good. Shields are still at only sixty-seven percent operation. Phasers are at fifty-nine percent intensity." "Now, what would those stats be if we were talking about the stardrive section only?" "Shields would be in the ball park of eighty percent; and phasers would be in the seventy percent range. But, if we get hit by a Monga-Class warship, those numbers will deteriorate pretty quickly." "So the objective then becomes, don't get hit. The stardrive section has greater maneuverability without the saucer section, so therefore evasive maneuvers will be our saving point. It's something the tacticians haven't come up with that I'm willing to gamble on. And please, if anyone has any better ideas, your input would be appreciated." Crossland spoke up, "Instead of leaving the saucer section as a sitting duck, couldn't we hide it in the planet's ocean?" "That's a good idea," Veenema said. "With all the marine life forms, the saucer section would be well hidden. Plus, it's the last place I'd look for a starship." David considered it for a moment. The engines of the saucer section would be able to function in the planet's atmosphere, and they would also work under water with no harm to the marine life. It would also be able to go to any depth without worry of water pressure because the structural integrity field would certainly be able to maintain the hull integrity. The only problem would be entering the planet's atmosphere. "Can the shields of the saucer section enable the ship to enter the planet's atmosphere without burning up?" he asked. Veenema consulted his console, "They should. Without having to worry about the stardrive section, entry into the planet's atmosphere should be rather smooth." "Good," Cardillo said. "Commander Crossland, since this was your idea, you'll take command of the saucer section. Number One, Lieutenant Claar, Lieutenant Jones, Mr. Veenema, report to the battle bridge. Doctor, how long will it take to clear people out of shuttle bays two and three?" Jenna consulted the console next to where she was sitting. She was actually a little surprised at the results herself. "Not long. My Vulcan interns have sent most of our patients home already. There are only 137 Kraws left on board, thirty-seven of which are in the stardrive section. It'll only take a few minutes, and I'll get started on it right away." Cardillo noted that John was still on the bridge; the others having reported to the battle bridge. "Is there a problem, Commander?" "Yes," John said. "I think I should command the saucer section." "No. I need you to be at the helm. Besides, if I leave you in charge of the saucer section, it's likely that you'll violate my next order." David turned to Kara, "If the battle section is destroyed, you are not to leave the planet until the Monitor and the Excalibur arrive." "Understood," Kara said. "By the way, Commander, you realize that it hasn't even been hypothesized that the saucer section can hide in an ocean of a planet. According to the books, if a saucer section enters a planetary atmosphere, it's usually for an irrecoverable crash landing. I sincerely hope that you're able to keep the saucer section salvageable." "Well, we'll be landing in water. Water gives way. Land doesn't." David nodded and entered the turbolift to the battle bridge. When he arrived, he received the message that, instead of just removing the Kraws to the main shuttle bay, they were being evacuated to the medical facilities on the planet; and that Captain Almak was lightening the load a little by taking some of the other Kraws to the planet via his ship. David watched the Kraw ship head for the planet on the viewscreen. "Status of the Cardassian vessel?" he asked. "They've slowed to sublight speed," Claar reported from the tactical station behind David. "Arrival time in seven minutes." "Crossland to Cardillo. Ready for separation." "Proceed," David said. "Saucer separation sequence initiated," Crossland said. The sound of the docking latches being released and the connections being pulled free and sealed reverberated throughout the ship. On the viewscreen, David watched as the saucer section raised above the stardrive section and proceeded forward. "Docking latches clear. Separation sequence completed," Veenema reported from engineering. "Saucer velocity at 400 kph and increasing, sir," Lieutenant Jones reported from Ops. "Commander Pierce, lay in an intercept course for the Cardassian vessel. Three-quarters impulse," David said. "Course laid in, sir," Pierce said. "Engage." "Entering upper atmosphere," Lieutenant Scott reported. "Shield status?" Kara asked. "Holding, Commander," Lieutenant Fraser reported. "Take us in," Kara said. The saucer section entered the planet's atmosphere. On the viewscreen, the bridge crew watched as the friction of the shields impacted with the atmosphere. "Hull temperature at 4000 degrees celsius and increasing," Lieutenant Ahlborn reported from the engineering station. "Maintain course," Kara ordered. The saucer section continued its descent. "We're passed the upper atmosphere," Latshaw reported. "Hull temperature falling," James said. On the viewscreen, instead of the customary stars, the crew saw clouds, beneath which was the wide, blue ocean. In was an unusual sight, to say the least. "Ensign, slow to 100 kph." "Aye, Commander," Jason said. His hands touched down on the helm, and the saucer slowed. Kara tabbed the "buttons" on the armrests of the command chair. She made a few calculations, then said, "Continue deceleration and put us at a thirty degree angle of descent. Shields at five percent power." "Entering ocean," Jason reported. The saucer section splashed into the ocean. Everyone had to grab their stations as the saucer impacted with the water, but once the saucer was under water, the jarring was reduced to swaying as the waves toyed with the starship. "Mr. Latshaw, level us off. Mr. Ahlborn, adjust inertial dampeners to compensate for the water currents." The orders were acknowledged. "Ensign, maneuvering thrusters. Take us down ten kilometers." Jason complied. "Ten kilometers," Jason reported. "All stop," Kara said. "Thrusters to station-keeping." Kara got up from the command chair and approached the viewer. The starship's running lights illuminated the depths of the ocean. The bridge crew was able to see the myriad numbers of marine life, as well as the many coral formations on the viewscreen. Kara simply muttered, "`To boldly go where no one has gone before.'" "Open hailing frequencies," David ordered. "Frequencies open," Claar reported. "Cardassian vessel, this is Captain David D. Cardillo of the U.S.S. Christian. We wish communication with you." The screen flickered with the scaled face of a Cardassian who said, "I am Gul Markon. You have no business in this sector." "On the contrary. We are investigating Omicron Omega III; they are in the process of applying for Federation membership." "I repeat: You have no business in this sector. I suggest you leave. Otherwise there may be some...unfortunate...incident." "Is that a threat?" "It is a suggestion." "I'm sorry, but we can't leave just yet. We are providing relief aid to the planet." "I'm sorry to hear that." Markon cut the communication. "Close channel," David said. "Any move that ship makes, match it." The Cardassian vessel moved off to the right, and the stardrive section blocked its path. The Cardassians tried the left, but the stardrive section wouldn't let them pass. The Cardassians fired, and Pierce successfully evaded the attack. The two vessels tumbled through space, firing at each other. The Christian scored a good number of hits on the Cardassians, effectively depleting the Cardassian vessel's shields, but the Christian herself continued to dodge the Cardassians weapons. John was doing a good job at the helm; and Andy was a good shot at tactical. "Engineering to bridge. Were starting to overload down here," came Jeff's voice. "Hold on a while longer, Mr. Veenema," David said. The Cardassians fired another barrage, and John entered another set of commands into the helm, which was starting to become sluggish. This time, John wasn't able to completely evade the attack. The shields absorbed most of the attack, and the Christian shuddered violently. Once David regained his bearings, he looked at the viewscreen. He was staring right at the Cardassian vessel. "Fire all weapons!" he ordered. Phasers and torpedoes leapt forth from the Christian and contacted with the Cardassian vessel. The Cardassian vessel was pushed back. "We got 'em," Claar reported. "Most of their systems are down. However, they are starting an energy buildup into their weapons systems. Looks like they're putting everything into one final blast." "Evasive maneuvers," David ordered. Nothing happened. Then, the bridge lights dimmed. "Damn! We're in trouble now," David said as he watched the Cardassian weapons start to glow. "The computer has initiated an emergency shutdown of the engines due to radiation leaks and overloads," Jones reported. "Emergency manual override. Depressurize the docking clamps, the turboshafts, everything you can that will push us down," David said. The docking clamps and turboshaft seals were opened, and the oxygen exploded into space, pushing the Christian down and out of the way of the Cardassian blast. The beam passed through where the Christian had been just seconds before. "Depressurize shuttle bay two," Cardillo ordered. "Divert all remaining energy into the weapons systems. Hold for my order." Shuttle bay two was depressurized, and the Christian began to spin around. On the viewscreen, David was able to see the underside of one of the warp engine pylons of the Cardassian vessel. "Fire phasers," he ordered. The phasers fired and sheared off the pylon with the accompanying warp engine. The Cardassian vessel rocked with interior explosions. "Fire torpedo," David said. A photon torpedo contacted the Cardassian vessel, and the vessel exploded entirely. David sat in the command chair and breathed a sigh of relief. But it wasn't over yet. "Damage report." "Coming in, sir," Claar said. "Functioning on emergency power. We have several radiation leaks which have been sealed by emergency doors and bulkheads. Seventeen people in sickbay with radiation wounds. Commander Veenema is attempting to restore auxiliary power, but can't give a time estimate yet." "So we wait," David said. "Commander, there's something out there," Lieutenant Fraser reported from the tactical station. "On screen," Kara said. The viewscreen flickered back on and showed the depths of the ocean. There was an indiscernible object at the center of the screen. "Magnify." The object became larger. "Increase to fifteen times." The screen flickered again, and a large, whale-type animal appeared. "Lieutenant Scott, sensors. What is it?" Julie ran her hands over the board and said, "It's a mammal approximately fifty feet long. The computer has identified it as a whale species." At that moment, the creature obviously took notice of the Christian and started approaching it. "Decrease magnification," Kara ordered. The screen flickered again, but the creature still was nose-to-nose with the Christian. "It obviously moves fast," Kara commented. "Receiving a transmission," Fraser said. "On speakers," Kara said. A type of melodic sound emanated from the audio speakers on the bridge. It wasn't quite whalesong; this had more bass. "Is it possible that it's trying to communicate with us?" Laura asked. "Computer, analyze transmission," Kara said. The computer chirped and said, "Signal patterns indicate intelligence. Insufficient data for translational matrix." The whale nudged the Christian, and the ship rocked gently in response. "Shields?" Fraser asked. "No," Kara replied. "It's just playing with us." Within the next few moments, the whale swam about two hundred feet out and back, twice, and nudged the Christian each time it returned. "Commander," Laura said, "I think it wants us to follow it." Kara sat in the command chair and, after a few moments, said, "Make it so. Impulse power, Ensign. Keep thirty feet between us." "Aye, Commander," Latshaw said. This is interesting, Kara thought. This ship was designed to sail through space, and here we are sailing through an ocean. The creature moved incredibly fast, and Ensign Latshaw had to maintain one-third impulse power to keep up with it. Then, the creature slowed and stopped in front of a rock formation. The whale looked toward the Christian, then at the rocks, and then back at the ship. "Sensors?" Kara asked. Julie tabbed her console, "A lot of rock, but I am picking up life form readings behind it. The readings are identical to the creature we've encountered, but there are fifteen of them behind the rocks. It appears that they are trapped within the area surrounded by the rocks." "So, that thing out there is asking for our help," Laura said. "Shall I ready the phasers?" Fraser asked. "No," Kara answered. "The heat from the phasers will vaporize the water surrounding the beam. The power it would take to cut through those rocks would have us in boiling water for the next three kilometers. Plus, the vibration from the beam would probably cause an underwater rockslide." Kara paced the bridge. "Transporter chief." "Nowasielski here," came the reply. "Mr. Nowasielski, please report to the bridge." "On my way." "You can't be serious," James said from the upper deck. "Do you have any better ideas?" Kara asked. James didn't reply. "Well, then, there you go." Moments later, Jerry Nowasielski walked onto the bridge. "Mr. Nowasielski, please use the Mission Ops station to beam fifteen whale-like animals out of that rock formation and into the surrounding ocean," Kara said. "Give me a moment," Jerry said, sitting down at the station next to the engineering station on the upper level of the bridge. "I have to compensate for their size and for the rock I have to beam them through. I take it that this is a sight-to-sight transport?" "I seriously doubt that they'll fit in anything smaller than the shuttle deck," Kara said. "Ready," Jerry said. "This will take a lot of power, by the way. I'll need thirty seconds between transport for recharge." "Understood," Kara said. "Energizing," Jerry said. The bridge lights dimmed slightly, and a few seconds later, there was the familiar blue-white sparkle of a transporter beam, followed by the whale it contained. The bridge crew watched the viewscreen as the beam solidified into the whale creature. No one on the bridge could suppress a smile as the two whales nuzzled up against each other. "Entering standard orbit," Commander Pierce reported. Under their best speed, one-quarter impulse, the stardrive section resumed its orbit around Omicron Omega III. "Hail the saucer section," David said. The latest report from Jeff was not good. "Frequencies open," Claar said. "On viewer." The viewscreen flickered, and David contemplated how odd it was to see his bridge from this perspective. He stood and said, "Commander Crossland, we've survived the battle. However, we've sustained considerable damage. We won't reconnect until sometime tomorrow. We have a number of radiation leaks which is prompting us to evacuate the stardrive section, with the exception of a skeleton crew and the patients and personnel in the auxiliary sickbay. Ready the transporter rooms." "Uh, sir, we can't do that just yet," Kara said. "We're engaged in freeing some trapped whales with the transporter. Mr. Nowasielski estimates that the transporters won't be ready for another hour." If David's jaw was two inches lower, it would have hit the deck. The events of this day were bizarre, and he was sure Starfleet Command would enjoy reading the reports on this one. However, he recovered quickly. Straightening, he said, "In that case, prepare to receive me in the shuttle bay. Cardillo out." The viewscreen flickered off. "Commander Pierce, you will take command of the stardrive section and oversee repairs. Mr. Claar, Lieutenant Jones, report to shuttle bay three." The shuttlecraft angled towards the planet. David paced the aft section of the shuttle. "I just can't believe it," he said. "You object to what she's doing?" Jones asked. "No, not at all. If they're beaming whales all over the place, then that means that the saucer section is intact. I just can't believe how bizarre this day has been. Between the Cardassians and everything else, it's nothing short of a miracle that no one has been killed on this mission." The two officers simply shrugged. The trip through the atmosphere was uneventful, as shuttlecraft were designed to go through planetary atmospheres. However, when the shuttlecraft went under water, the occupants were mesmerized by the view. "Activate flood lights," David said as the shuttle went deeper into the ocean. The view was majestic. Colorful fish schools swam in front of the viewport. Coral reefs gave the impression of an underwater community which, in essence, they were. David felt as if he was one of those sea creatures himself. The next sight was just as impressive. Illuminated by her own running lights, the saucer section of the Christian came into view. The starship's colored and flashing running lights added an interesting aura to the sight; a sight David thought he'd never see. Now, he had seen his ship surrounded by both thousands of stars and thousands of fish. Then, something massive swam in front of the shuttle. "That must be one of the whales Kara is saving," David commented. Andy opened a channel, "Shuttlecraft nine to Christian. Stand by for docking sequence." "Proceed, shuttle nine," came Ensign Wray's voice. The shuttle skimmed over the top of the saucer section, then turned to face the main shuttle bay. The door was raised, and the atmospheric pressure field was activated. The shuttle passed through the field and landed on the deck. David walked onto the bridge. "Commander Crossland, continue with your efforts. Notify me when they are complete." "Aye, sir," Kara said. David walked into his ready room. For some reason he felt compelled to look out the window. Something looked back. "Curiouser and curiouser," he mumbled. David walked into Ten Forward. Within the last five hours, Kara had completed her whale rescue, the stardrive had been evacuated of all nonessential personnel, and the Christian was now sailing on the surface of the ocean instead of underneath it. Plus, David had gone on a rather interesting walk, and had a nice talk with Prime Minister Bodum. He sat down at the bar, looking out the viewport as he did so. Ten Forward was one of those decks that was still under water, so he was able to watch the fish swim by. "Greetings, Captain," Dave Bailey said. David nodded. "Hi, Dave. Interesting day?" "Every day's interesting. How was your walk?" "How did you know about that?" "I told you before. I see everything. I know everything. My spies are everywhere. So how was it?" "Unbelievable. I never thought I'd walk on the hull of my ship and sit on the primary phaser banks. I never thought I'd be able to read the name and registry number on the hull without looking through a viewport, much less run my fingers over the name Christian. You know, I've seen a lot since I took command of this ship. The beauty of the stars. The mystery of a nebula. And now, the wonders of the ocean. If all that isn't proof that there's an artistic God, then I don't know what is." "And Bodum was there to see it, too?" "Yes. Looks like we'll be adding a new member to the Federation. We had some cultural talks and did some negotiating. The formalities are all that's left." "That's good. When are we leaving this ocean?" "Not until morning." "Good," Bailey said, hopping over the bar and walking over to the person who had just entered the lounge. "Ensign Wilson, if you'll come with me, I'll take you on a date you'll never forget." David had no doubt as to where they were going. He had an idea to play a cruel joke with the ship's deflector shields, but decided against it. CHAPTER FIVE Captain's Log: Stardate 47520.6 It has now been two days since our last encounter with the Cardassians. Most of our time has been consumed with the completion of repairs and with negotiations with Prime Minister Bodum. I just hope that the Monitor and the Excalibur arrive soon. David walked onto the bridge in response to the Red Alert klaxon. "What's the problem?" he asked. John replied, "Three Monga-Class Cardassian vessels entering this sector." "Any word from the Monitor or the Excalibur?" "Not yet," Andy replied. "Move to intercept," David ordered. "Aye, sir," Ensign Latshaw said. Minutes later, the Christian was once again facing the Cardassians. "Open hailing frequencies," David ordered. "Frequencies open," Claar reported. "Cardassian vessels, this is Captain David D. Cardillo of the starship Christian. Please respond." Nothing for a moment, and then the screen flickered, "I am Gul Torom. Are you the same vessel which has destroyed four of our vessels?" "Maybe," David said slowly. "We will not stand for this," Torom said. "Fine. Sit down if you must." "We claim Omicron Omega III for ourselves." "Sorry. The Federation is currently in negotiation with the government of Omicron Omega III for Federation membership. At the request of the government of Omicron Omega III, I might add." "We will take what is ours." "There is nothing of yours here. Now, a Federation presence will be established in this sector. I suggest you go home and tell your superiors that the Omicron Omega system is not up for grabs." "I think not. I believe we can persuade you that this will be futile. You are one ship. We are three." "There are vessels on the way," David said, hoping that those self-same vessels would arrive before it was too late. "You are bluffing." "Maybe," David said again, slowly. "Prepare to die." The channel was closed. "Mr. Claar," David began, "shields to full. Arm phasers and photon torpedoes. Lock on to the Cardassian vessels." He paused for a moment, then said, "Sorry, everyone, but it doesn't look like we're going to survive this one." An alarm sounded from Kara's panel. "Captain, two vessels coming out of warp. Identified as U.S.S. Excalibur and U.S.S. Monitor," Kara reported. David grinned. "Mr. Claar, open a channel to the Cardassians." "Channel open." "Gul Torom, it seems that there are now three of you and three of us. Leave now." There was tension on the bridge for one minute. Two. The Cardassians and the Federation starships sat there in space, neither faction backing off. Finally, there was a response. The Cardassians warped out of the sector. Cheers went up on the bridges of all three vessels. The reception in Ten Forward was going rather well. David was talking to the captains of the other vessels. "Captain Hullinger, you arrived at the most appropriate moment. I thought we were gone." Captain Greg Hullinger of the Excalibur shrugged and said, "Well, I bailed your ass out of trouble enough times when we were at the Academy. That's two you owe me." David chuckled. "I'll do my best to pay you back. Seriously, I want to thank both of you," he said to both Greg and Captain Stacy Mandichak. Jeff Veenema came up to them, "Captain, a moment, please?" "Excuse me," he said. He and Jeff stepped over to the bar. "What's the problem?" "I just wanted to report that the warp engines are back on line. I've requested Starbase 155 to be ready to replace our warp coils. Other than that, we can depart in two days as planned." "Are the starbase materials for Omicron Omega III ready?" "Yes. They'll know what to do with the materials before we leave." "And I wanted to thank you for that," Bodum said. "We are forever in your debt." David shook his head. "No. It's our mission to seek out new and different life forms." This mission had certainly been full of that. Either with the Kraws themselves, or with the Sooler, the whale-like creatures. That prompted David to walk over to Commander Crossland. "Commander, may I have a word with you?" "Yes, sir," she said. They walked to a less crowded area. "I wanted to commend you on your performance while you were in command of the saucer section. You'll be writing the book on the procedure of landing the saucer section of a Galaxy-Class vessel in an ocean. I've placed a commendation on your record." "Thank you." "You know, I wasn't too sure about it at first, but I'm glad to have you on my ship. Your input has proven to be extremely valuable. I just wanted you to know that. And that I also appreciate your friendship." She simply smiled at him, and he smiled back. David walked through the lounge, simply enjoying being with his crew, his friends. Maybe, he thought, their mission was not only to explore the Universe, to seek out new and different life forms, but also to explore the inner reaches of the heart and soul. If that was the case, then the mission would probably never end. David looked out the viewport and saw Omicron Omega III, and he thought about all his crew had done for that planet. The Kraws wouldn't have to worry about the Cardassian attacks anymore, and they could start advancing their society, especially with the Federation's help. But also through that viewport, he saw the thousands of other stars waiting to be visited and explored. Then he looked around Ten Forward and all of the people under his command; the people whom had placed their trust in him. A trust of which he had no intention of betraying. "You okay, David?" Captain Hullinger asked. David was pulled rom his reverie and answered, "I'm fine. Everything's fine." He smiled and joined in the celebration. The Christian sailed through space.